Softball hopes to build momentum

By Ben Ward

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Kansas will try to bounce back from Tuesday’s split against Tulsa tonight when it plays host to Drake for a single game at 7 at Arrocha Ballpark.

Though the contest is a non-conference affair, it still provides the Jayhawks with an opportunity to bolster their postseason resume.

“The way you prepare for the postseason is to end your season well,” coach Tracy Bunge said. “Every game is important in setting the tone going into the Big 12 tournament, and we have a busy couple of weeks to hopefully pick up some momentum.”

TONIGHT

Kansas vs. Drake

7 p.m.

Arrocha Ballpark

Admission is free with a valid KUID

At third place in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Bulldogs (26-18, 11-6) will pose a challenge for Kansas (17-26, 4-8). Drake heads into Lawrence boasting a potent attack which also takes advantage of its speed on the base paths.

Junior infielder Elena Leon leads Drake on offense, toting a .339 batting average to go with 11 home runs. The Bulldogs are also second in the MVC with 50 steals, which should keep senior catcher Elle Pottorf busy behind the plate.

Drake’s pitching staff is led by sophomore Jenna DeLong. DeLong enters today’s contest with a 1.98 ERA and is second in the MVC with 182 strikeouts.

“It’s not so much what the opponents do but what we do,” Bunge said. “They’re a tough team to score runs against, so we’re going to have to make adjustments quicker. We’re going to have to do what we do and play smarter in all facets of the game.”

Senior outfielder Dougie McCaulley leads the Jayhawks with 43 hits and 26 runs scored, and sophomore utility player Allie Clark is first in RBI (24) and home runs (6).

Kansas’ pitching staff is headed up by senior Valerie George and junior Sarah Vertelka. George leads the team with a 2.60 ERA and 140 strikeouts. Vertelka isn’t far behind her with a 3.20 ERA. Freshman Sarah Blair has also seen some action of late, winning her last two outings.

Despite the Bulldogs conference record, coach Bunge said she remained confident in her bunch to get the job done.

“This year we’ve got five seniors,” Bunge said, “so this team really wants to send them out on a good note.”

— — Edited by Andrew Wiebe

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