Kelly Hutsell

Serena Settlemier, junior pitcher, threw a perfect game against UMKC yesterday afternoon, which was the first perfect game since 1994. The Jayhawks beat the Kangaroos 8-0.

A perfect game at the perfect time.

The Kansas softball team defeated UMKC yesterday 8-0 at Arrocha Ballpark in six innings. Junior pitcher and co-captain Serena Settlemier pitched a perfect game as the Jayhawks found the win column again after a six-game losing skid.

“We had a lot of fun, and that is what winning is all about,” Settlemier said. “This was a good game to get out of the rut we were in. We’re playing as a team and that’s what we need to do to win games.”

Settlemier had seven strikeouts and moved to 8-5 on the season.

Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said the team’s success would start and end with pitching. She said Settlemier threw crisp strikes with high velocity and good command.

After losing six in a row, the victory is a major step forward for the Jayhawks.

“It is nice to feel good about ourselves,” Bunge said.

Bunge said the team did everything right yesterday. Offensively, the Jayhawks got 11 hits, securing their victory. Freshman outfielder Jackie Vasquez came out strong and went 2-3 with 3 RBI.

“Hitting is contagious on this team,” Bunge said. “Heather Stanley continues doing a good job the last couple of weeks in the leadoff position getting things going early,” she said.

Stanley, junior outfielder, led the team with three hits yesterday.

Defensively, the team did not have an error, helping Settlemier retire 18 straight. Junior catcher Ashley Goodrich had a solid game catching in her first career start at catcher. Freshman catcher Elle Pottorf, who caught every inning until she went down with an injury to her lower leg on Sunday against Texas A&M;, is still out. Bunge said Pottorf was still day-to-day.

Bunge said her team still had a long way to go to climb back into the Big 12 Conference race.

“If we can get things turned around, we are not out of the mix,” Bunge said.

Kansas had a tough draw to begin conference play, competing against two of the elite teams in the Big 12, Texas and Texas A&M.;

The team will head to Stillwater, Okla., this weekend to face Big 12 opponent Oklahoma State Saturday and Sunday.