Charleston, S.C. ? Kansas University’s softball team split a pair of games Friday in the College of Charleston Classic.
KU used an eight-run fifth innings to roll past Fordham, 10-1. The Jayhawks then fell to Mississippi, 6-2.
Maddie Stein led KU against Fordham, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a double and triple. Stein led off KU’s eight-run fifth with a single and finished it with a bases-loaded triple that completed the run-rule game.
Kelsey Kessler (2-1) allowed three hits in five innings, striking out six.
KU built a 2-0 lead against Mississippi after two innings but yielded a run in the third, three in the fourth and two in the sixth.
KU’s scoring came on a sacrifice fly by Chaley Brickey in the first and a home run by Taylor Hatfield in the second.
The Jayhawks (2-3) will meet Western Carolina at 8 a.m. and College of Charleston at 2:30 p.m. today.
Kansas 10, Fordham 1
Fordham 100 00 — 1 3 1
Kansas 002 08 — 10 11 0
W — Kelsey Kessler (2-1). L — Rachel Gillen (1-1).
2B — Maddie Stein, Harli Ridling, Taylor Dodson, KU. 3B — Stein, KU.
KU highlights — Stein 3-for-4, 4 RBIs; Ridling 2-for-3; Alex Jones 2-for-4.
Mississippi 6, Kansas 2
Kansas 110 000 0 — 2 4 1
Mississippi 001 302 x — 6 7 3
W — Shelby Jo Fenter (2-0). L — Kessler (2-2).
2B — RT Cantillo, M. HR — Taylor Hatfield, KU.
Palm Springs, Calif. ? Kansas University’s roller-coaster softball season continued Sunday.
After slipping past 10th-ranked Cal, 3-2, in eight innings in game one, the Jayhawks fell to Cal Poly, 3-1, in the second game Sunday at the Cathedral City Classic.
In the victory, KU senior Val George struck out a career-high 12.
KU, which scored three runs on just four hits, claimed its its third victory over a ranked opponent this season. Cal dropped to 11-2.
Kansas has won just two consecutive games this season, and followed up both victories over ranked teams with losses to unranked ones.
In the bottom of the eighth inning and in accordance with the international softball tie-breaker rule, KU placed Dougie McCaulley on second base. One out later, the senior outfielder advanced to third from a sacrifice bunt by Val Chapple. Designated player Allie Clark then batted in her second run of the game and game-winning RBI with a short pop fly that landed just over the shortstop’s head.
George tossed all eight innings against Cal, giving up just six hits and walking two batters. George’s 12 strikeouts were the most since Kassie Humphreys fanned 12 batters on March 24, 2007, against Oklahoma State.
Trailing 2-1, Kansas knotted the score in the bottom of the third inning thanks to an RBI drive from junior Amanda Jobe. Jobe’s double down the right-field line scored Clark, who reached base on a fielder’s choice and went to second on a wild pitch.
Clark earned her first RBI of the season in her first at-bat of the game. Stevie Crisosto led off the first inning with a single up the middle and moved over on a wild pitch and sacrifice bunt. Clark then squeezed a double by the Cal third baseman up the left-field line to plate Crisosto.
In the loss to Cal Poly (4-4), Kansas (6-9) managed just three hits and finished 2-4 in the four-day tournament.
