THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012
PAGE 3B
SOFTBALL
Kansas beats UMKC, prepares for Texas Tech
ALEC TILSON
atilson@kansan.com
Jayhawk outfielder, Elsa Moyer, from Kirkland, Wash., dives to retrieve a ball during Kansas' game against UMKC at Arrocha Ballpark on Wednesday afternoon. Kansas won the first of its two games against the UMKC Kangarops on Wednesday 3-1.
CLAIRE HOWARD/KANSAN
Freshman first baseman Maddie Stein hit her fourth home run in three games, freshman Alicia Pille picked up her 16th and 17th victories and the Kansas softball team (30-16, 5-13) won both games of its doubleheader against the University of Missouri-Kansas City on Wednesday at Arrocha Ballpark.
Pille (17-9) pitched a complete game, struck out six and allowed one earned run in Kansas' 3-1 victory during game one of the twin bill.
After a pair of singles gave UMKC (19-27) its first run of the day in the second inning, Pille settled in and held the Kangaroo scoreless the rest of the way. Since giving up three runs in relief and taking the loss last Saturday against Iowa State, Pille has pitched 14-and-two-thirds innings and allowed just one run.
Pille credits a stronger mental approach in helping put the loss behind her.
"Coming in as a freshman I think I was worried about trying to be perfect." Pille said. "I was too afraid to make a mistake, and that's where I was getting in trouble. You can't throw afraid or nervous."
Sophomore centerfielder Elsa Moyer, who started in the leadoff spot for the fourth consecutive game, singled to start the fifth inning. A Stein single put runners at the corners with one out for senior outfielder and cleanup hitter, Liz Kocon.
Kocon caught UMKC off guard when she dropped a textbook bunt that stopped just inches in front of the plate.
The squeeze play provided Moyer enough time to slide into home and gave Kansas a two-run lead with two innings remaining. Meanwhile Kocon made it safely with no play at first.
"I don't bunt very often, but
I know when coach calls it, it's a very serious moment," Kocon said. "Whatever she calls, I'll do. You just have to lock in and do it."
Coach Smith wasn't surprised at Kocon's execution and, with speed on third base, said she saw it as a perfect moment to put the play on.
"I thought we needed another run, we needed an insurance run," Smith said. "Liz is one of our
best bunters, and I thought she executed it perfectly."
Despite trailing 2-1 after four innings, Kansas never appeared to be in danger of losing.
UMKC took a two-run lead in the first inning as Kansas' junior pitcher Morgan Druhan struggled to find the strike zone. Druhan walked three batters in the first inning before being relieved by sophomore Kristin Martinez.
Martinez pitched three-and-
one-third innings, giving up two hits and two walks. Most importantly, though, she worked three-plus innings for the Kansas pitching staff.
"We need to get quality innings out of them," Smith said. "If Kristin and Morgan can piece together some good innings for us and then we can bring Pille back in, that gives us a good chance."
That's how it went in game two.
Pille returned in the fifth inning to a bases loaded, one-out situation and was able to get out unharmed. That appeared to give the Jayhawks some momentum.
Kansas scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning with the help of a UMKC throwing error and took the lead for good in the 3-2 victory.
An 0-for-4 performance ended her 12-game hitting streak in the first game, but junior outfielder
Maggie Hull started a fresh one.
Hull homered in the first inning and finished a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Hull needs four more runs to break the all-time single-season record runs record at KU.
Kansas faces Texas Tech this weekend in a three-game series at Arrocha Ballpark.
Edited by Bre Roach
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