THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008
SPORTS
5B
》 SOFTBALL
Jayhawks bat .750 in victories during weekend opener
BY KELLY BRECKUNITCH
kbreckunitch@kansan.com
The Jayhawks had a stellar weekend in their home opener, winning three out of four games in the Jayhawk Classic. They dropped only their last game of the tournament against Western Illinois.
The team opened the tournament with a run-rule victory over Indiana State. The KU offense scored one run in the second inning, five in the third and three in the fourth. Junior catcher Elle Pottof hit her second home run of the season and moved
into a tie with head coach Tracy Bunge for sixth place in all-time career home runs at Kansas. In the third inning, the Jayhawks brought 11 batters to the plate. Sophomore pitcher Sarah Vertelka made her return to the mound and earned the win while senior first basemen Addy Lucero had a career day with five RBI.
The Jayhawks' second game of the tournament was the opposite of the first. Junior pitcher Valerie George held her end of a pitcher's duel to earn the victory against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Neither
team scored a run until the seventh inning. Freshman second basemen Kolby Fesmire had the first triple of the season for the Jayhawks to drive in the first run of the game. Sophomore first basemen Amanda Jobe had the game-winning home run in the top of the tent.
In the third game, the Jayhawks beat Indiana State again. Freshman pitcher Allie Clark picked up the win. Junior third baseman Val Chapple had two hits and scored one run and sophomore right fielder Ally Stanton went one for three with one run driven in in the 4-3 KU victory.
In the first inning of Monday's game, the Jayhawks hit two back-to-back doubles from freshman catcher Brittany Hile and Stanton. Western Illinois came right back with two runs in the bottom of the second against Vertelka. Hile added another double in the fifth inning to drive in her second run of the game. Junior center fielder Dougie McCaulley caught Western Illinois' pitcher sleeping, which allowed her to advance to second in the seventh. However, the Hawks couldn't capitalize on it. The final game of the series ended with a 4-3 loss.
Vertelka was coming back from sickness and struggled with her rhythm Monday. "She is a little out of sync, still trying to find her way back into the rotation and she struggled a little bit today," Bunge said.
"The thing I've liked about this time is they've been very resilient and we've had a couple of bad losses somewhere along the line and we've really done a good job of bouncing back." Bunge added.
Over spring break the Jayhawks will host the Kansas Invitational, as well as a doubleheader with Bradley and a pair of road games that will
Classic results
3/08: vs. Indiana State
W, 9-1
3/09: vs. Pittsburgh
W, 4-3
vs. Indiana State
W, 4-3
3/10: vs. Western Illinois
L, 4-3
start the Big 12 season against Oklahoma.
— Edited by Nick Mangiaracina
5:30 PM Thurs, March 13
Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium
"About Face: WWI, Plastic Surgery, and the American Beauty Revolution, 1915-30"
Spencer Museum of Art 1301 Mississippi Street Lawrence, Kansas www.spencerart.ku.edu
A reception follows in the Central Court.
7 PM Friday, March 14
"Mobilizing Art : The Visual Culture of U.S. Intervention in the First World War"
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Auditorium
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 4525 Oak Street Kansas City, Missouri www.nelson-atkins.org
The Murphy Lecture Series is sponsored by the Spencer Museum of Art, the Kress Foundation Department of Art History at the University of Kansas and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The lectureship was established in 1979 through the Kansas University Endowment Association in honor of former chancellor Dr. Franklin D. Murphy.
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