PAGE 6
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
SOFTBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Jayhawks snag two wins in doubleheader
ALEC TILSON
atilson@kansan.com
GAME ONE
Behind a strong offensive night from several hitters, the Kansas softball team outhit and outscoored a struggling Wichita State team in both games of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Kansas (26-12, 3-9) posted 22 hits, combined for 17 runs and moved to a three game winning streak.
Kansas came out swinging in its first game at Arrocha Ballpark in more than two weeks.
After a Wichita State (7-31,
0-12) home run in the top of the
first, Kansas reclaimed the lead in
the bottom half with two runs of
its own.
The lajhwayk then send 12 hitters to the plate in a seven-run second inning. The resulting 9-1 lead would hold until the run-rule ended the game after five innings.
Junior infielder Mariah Montgomery, who went 1 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI, said the offense was able to feed off of one another throughout the first two innings.
"It's contagious," Montgomery said. "It's like a snowball effect. We see the momentum we get from taking a walk or getting a hit and everything flows after that."
Eight Kansas players recorded at least one hit in the game as the team posted the most runs in a single game since March 9.
Freshman pitcher Alicia Pille (13-6) cruised after the first inning. She allowed just two hits on the night, striking out four and walking none.
The game marked the fourth time Kansas has run-ruled an opponent this season.
GAME TWO
It took a bit longer for Kansas to break through in the second game, but when it did, the runs poured in, yet again.
After falling behind by a run in the first inning, Kansas went scoreless until the third.
Then, a lead off walk by sophmore outfielder Elsa Moyer followed by a single from sophomore infielder Ashley Newman set the table for the heart of the lineup.
Two singles and a sacrifice fly gave Kansas a 2-1 lead before Montgomery stepped to the plate with two runners on.
Montgomery launched her sixth home run of the season just over the wall in left, knocking in three runs and giving Kansas a big inning.
"She needed it," coach Megan Smith said of the home run. "She's been a little up and down lately, and she needed to have a day like today. Offensively she stepped up."
Montgomery said it felt good to hit the ball on the barrel, but credited her coaches with building and maintaining her confidence through ups and downs.
Sophomore pitcher Morgan Druhan (8-4) picked up the win but struggled with her command. She walked five and struck out five before being relieved after four innings by Pille.
Smith admitted the emotion of a run-rule victory can make it difficult to regain focus quickly and said that could have contributed to a slower start in the second game.
In the end, Kansas took care of business in its midweek matchup before No. 4 Texas comes to Lawrence for a three-game series Friday.
For freshman infielder Chanin Naudin, that's all that really matters.
"We could have probably produced more or did little things differently, but we still pulled out wins that we needed."
Edited by Bre Roach
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Freshman pitcher Alicia Pille pitches the ball to her opponent during Wednesday night's first game in the double header against Wichita State where the Jayhawks won the first game 9-1 and 8-3 the second game.
NBA
Pierce scores 22 to beat Hawks in overtime
BOSTON — Paul Pierce overcame a miserable shooting game with a key jumper in overtime and Rajon Rondo finished with a triple-double with 20 assists, 10 points and 14 rebounds to lift the surging Boston Celtics to an 88-61 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
It was Rondo's 19th straight game with double digits in assists.
Kevin Garnett had 22 points and grabbed 12 boards before fouling out with just under 3 minutes left in OT, and Brandon Bass, who also hit a jumper in OT, scored 21 points.
Je Teague led the Hawks with 21 points and Josh Smith had 20 with 11 rebounds. The Hawks had won eight of 11 since losing to Boston at home on March 19.
It was the Celtics' 11th win in 14 games. Pierce finished with 14 points.
Bass and Pierce hit jumpers, giving Boston an 88-84 lead early in the OT, but the Hawks sliced it to a one possession game on Kirk Hinrich's open jumper.
The teams traded turnovers over the next 2 minutes — with the Hawks' Smith getting picked cleanly by Pierce with 30 seconds to play, but the Celtics' captain was called for an offensive foul on the other end with 10.1 seconds to go.
Smith front-trimmed a 3 and Boston gained possession after a battle for the rebound went out of bounds off a Hawks' player in front of Boston with bench 1.3 seconds left.
Boston inbounded the ball to Rondo, who fired it in the air as the horn sounded. Pierce, just 6 of 19 from the floor, raised his arms in triumph.
In a back and forth fourth quarter during which the teams traded the lead five times, Boston went up 82-81 on Garnett's jumper from the top of the key with 1:26 to go, but Zaza Pachulia hit one of two free throws on the Hawks' next possession, tying it with 74 seconds left.
Bass then hit a short jumper in the lane and the Hawks' tied it again on Joe Johnson's jumper with 47 seconds to play.
Associated Press