Photo by Kelly Hutsell

Freshman hurler Christina Ross pitches yesterday during the 7-2 victory against Arkansas. The team will play Arkansas again at 5 tonight.

A lead-off home run is a rare sight in college softball, but it happened at Arrocha Ballpark yesterday. Twice.

Kansas junior outfielder Heather Stanley hit her fifth home run of the season over the right field fence to begin a double-header between Kansas and Arkansas. She then hit her sixth home run of the season to start the second game.

“That’s something I’ve never done before,” Stanley said. “I’m glad I got to help the pitcher out in both games.”

Stanley sparked a team slugfest, which contained 24 hits and four home runs, and helped Kansas defeat Arkansas in back to back games, 7-2 and 6-5.

The pair of triumphs gave the Jayhawks their fourth straight victory, and improved their record to 24-19 on the season.

In the first game, every Kansas player who went to the plate had at least one hit. Junior infielder Jessica Moppin, the Big 12 Player of the Week, led the Jayhawks with two RBI on a triple to the center field fence.

Coach Tracy Bunge said her team’s stellar hitting performance resulted from being patient and relaxed.

“I like that we’re driving the ball the other way,” she said. “We’re continuing to get big hits that go toward right and center field.”

Freshman lefthander Christina Ross pitched a complete game eight-hitter and allowed only two runs to earn the victory in game one.

After Stanley’s home run in the second game, the rest of the Jayhawks kept the pace and hit three more home runs in the first inning.

Junior infielders Destiny Frankenstein and Nettie Fierros each hit home runs to give Kansas a 4-1 lead.

“It’s like her hitting is contagious,” Bunge said of Stanley. “She gives the confidence by making contact. If she gets a hit, it seems like everyone else does, too.”

Junior righthander Serena Settlemier threw a complete game to earn the victory in the second game, but gave up four runs in the seventh, and final, inning to make matters interesting.

Bunge came out of the dugout and settled her pitcher down by telling her to focus on her pitch location and get the Jayhawks out of the inning.

Settlemier responded by striking out the Arkansas batter to end the game.

Next up for the Kansas softball team is a home double-header against North Dakota State at 3 and 5 p.m. on Thursday.

LAST NIGHT’S BOX SCORE

Kansas 7, Arkansas 2 (Game 1)

Kansas (24-19) AB R H RBI

Heather Stanley, rf 3 3 2 1

Jackie Vasquez, cf 3 0 1 0

Jessica Moppin, 2b 4 0 1 2

Destiny Frankenstein, ss 4 0 2 0

Serena Settlemier, p 4 0 1 1

Nettie Fierros, 3b 3 2 2 0

Elle Pottorf, c 2 0 1 1

Ashley Goodrich (pinch runner) 0 1 0 0

Nicole Washburn, 1b 3 0 1 1

Ashly Frazer, lf 3 1 2 0

Totals 29 7 13 6

F HR: Stanley

Arkansas (19-37) AB R H RBI

Rachel LeMaster, rf 3 1 1 0

Mindy O’Malley, cf 3 0 1 0

Kallie Foglesong, 2b 3 0 1 1

Shana Easley, c 3 0 0 0

Ashley Carter, 3b 3 0 0 0

Dayna Huckabee, ss 3 1 3 0

Samantha Buckner, 1b 3 0 1 1

Sarah Topham, dh 2 0 0 0

(BJ Southmayd, dh) 1 0 1 0

(Lindsay Perry, pinch runner)

Zenobia Davison, lf 3 0 0 0

Totals 27 2 8 2

Score by inning R H E

Arkansas 100 100 0 2 8 1

Kansas 111 202 X 7 13 1

Win: Ross (11-6)

Loss: Henry (7-13)

Save: None

Kansas 6, Arkansas 5 (Game 2)

Kansas (24-19) AB R H RBI

Heather Stanley, rf 3 1 2 1

Jackie Vasquez, cf 4 1 2 0

Jessica Moppin, 2b 4 0 0 0

Destiny Frankenstein, ss 3 2 1 2

Serena Settlemier, p 3 1 1 0

Nettie Fierros, 3b 3 1 1 1

Elle Pottorf, c 3 0 1 2

Nicole Washburn, 1b 3 0 1 0

Cyndi Duran, lf 3 0 2 0

Totals 29 6 11 6

HR: Stanley, Frankenstein, Fierros

Arkansas (19-37) AB R H RBI

Rachel LeMaster, rf 4 1 1 0

Mindy O’Malley, cf 4 2 1 1

Kallie Foglesong, 2b 4 0 2 2

Shana Easley, c 4 0 1 0

(Lindsay Perry, pinch runner)

Ashley Carter, 3b 3 0 1 1

Dayna Huckabee, ss 3 1 1 0

Samantha Buckner, 1b 2 0 1 0

(Heather Rankin, pinch runner)

BJ Southmayd, dh 3 0 0 0

Zenobia Davison, lf 3 0 1 0

Totals 30 5 9 4

Score by inning R H E

Arkansas 100 000 4 5 9 1

Kansas 400 020 X 6 11 1

Win: Settlemier (10-7)

Loss: Topham (4-6)

Save: None

Source: Kansas Athletics Department

Edited by Ross Fitch