Softball team bounces back against Missouri State

Thursday, March 27, 2008

The University of Kansas softball team successfully bounced back from its rough weekend in Oklahoma. The team swept Missouri State Wednesday, a team that was coming off a recent victory against those same Sooners who gave Kansas so much trouble.

The Jayhawks opened up with a close 4-3 victory over the Lady Bears. The team had trouble starting off the game, leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, but they got the momentum going in the fourth inning.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Softball vs. Missouri State

A photo gallery of the Kansas softball game against Missouri State Wednesday evening.

Junior shortstop Stevie Crisosto led off the inning with a solo home run. Sophomore outfielder Ally Stanton tapped an infield single that miraculously stayed in fair territory because of a great amount of spin on the ball. Senior left fielder Betsy Wilson reached on an error to load the bases and junior center fielder Dougie McCaulley was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to drive in another run.

The Jayhawks let the Lady Bears right back in the game in the top of the fifth inning. Junior pitcher Valerie George and junior third baseman Val Chapple both had throwing errors in the inning that led to two Missouri State runs.

Freshman right fielder Liz Kocon put the Jayhawks right back in the lead though with a solo home run that slowly made its way out of the ballpark.

Missouri State attempted a comeback in the top of the 7th inning, but Kocon proved too much for the Lady Bears to handle delivering the winning single in the bottom of the seventh.

Coach Tracy Bunge was very happy with the play of Kocon in the game.

“I think she was down on herself a little bit after her performance at Oklahoma, so it was good to see her come back and swing the bat,” Bunge said.

Crisosto said the team talked about how important it was to get these wins against Missouri State right after the Oklahoma game. “We were like, we need to get these next wins on Wednesday. It’s good because it’s a region win and we’ve showed people in the Missouri Valley Conference that we can beat them and we will,” Crisosto said.

The Jayhawks cruised to an 8-0 victory in the second game of the double header. Sophomore pitcher Sarah Vertelka yielded only four hits to the Lady Bears and the KU offense compiled eight hits and seven walks in the five-inning game.

McCaulley had a big performance going three for four at the plate with two doubles and 2 RBI. Wilson and sophomore second baseman Sara Ramirez both crushed home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, providing a spark from the bottom of the batting order.

Bunge was pleased to see the power output from the bottom of the order and she was not surprised to see it from Ramirez. “When she takes a hack, she takes a hack. Kid doesn’t get cheated often,” Bunge said. She was slightly surprised by Wilson’s power outburst. “Betsy Wilson, you don’t expect it from that kid. She had her first career one as a senior earlier this year. She’s been on the ball better here of late and I think she’s hitting with a lot more confidence right now,” Bunge said.

Bunge said she was very pleased with the team’s performance; especially getting important regional wins against a tough Missouri State team.

“These were the kinds of games that we have talked to our team all along that we’ve got to get,” Bunge said.

The Jayhawks will face Texas Tech back at Arrocha Ballpark on Saturday and Sunday. Crisosto said the team what be out to prove themselves again.

“We were looking to send a message too, since they’ve been ranked above us preseason in the Big 12,” Crisosto said, “but we’ll take care of business this weekend.”

—Edited by Samuel Lamb

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