🥎 Jayhawks Split Action on Day One in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Kansas softball (2-4) split action on the opening day of the 2021 UTSA Classic. KU started the afternoon defeating UT-Arlington, 11-4, before falling in the second game to UT-San Antonio, 3-5.
Tarin Travieso led the Jayhawks on the day offensively going 4-for-8 with five RBI, a run scored and one home run. Sydnee Ramsey also did her part going 3-for-6 with four runs scored and drew three walks. Shelby Gayre had a day at the plate going 3-for-7 with two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored.
Game One vs. UTA – Win 11-4
The bats were on fire to start the day with redshirt-junior, Ramsey, hitting a first-pitch home run over the left field fence to give the Jayhawks the early lead.
UTA tied things in the bottom half of the first inning after getting on after an error. The Mavericks pulled ahead in the bottom of the second after a two-run homer. The Jayhawks were able to make some smart plays defensively to end the inning only trailing by two.
The KU offense came alive in the third starting with an early walk for Ramsey followed by Madison Hirsch reaching on a fielder’s choice that advanced Ramsey to second. With two on and no outs, Travieso hit a three-run home run to reclaim the lead. The inning concluded with UTA walking six batters to bring in an additional three runs for the Jayhawks, extending KU’s lead to7-4.
In the top of the third, Gayre recorded her first home run of the day and 23rd of her career with a shot over the center-field fence. UTA matched this scoring one of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
The Jayhawks made another push in the top of the seventh to extend the lead that began with Macy Omli hitting a single into left field followed by Ramsey drawing a walk to put runners on first and second. Hirsch drew a walk to load the bases to allow Travieso to belt one into left field bringing in one run. Gayre followed by being hit by a pitch to bring in another run. Morgyn Wynne finished with a sac fly to propel the Jayhawks to an 11-4 win.
In the circle, Hailey Reed got the start for the Jayhawks pitching 3.1 innings and captured her first win of the season and 29th career win. Lexy Mills contributed 1.2 innings with three strikeouts before Tatum Goff pitched the final two frames with one strikeout.
Game Two vs. UTSA – Loss 3-5
Despite both teams finishing with six hits and freshman pitcher, Kasey Hamilton, picking up five strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched, KU fell short in the comeback attempt against UTSA.
Things stayed quiet for the first three innings of play before Gayre opened up the scoring in the top of the first with her second home run of the day and 24th of her career with a shot over the center-field fence.
KU did not hold the lead for long as UTSA scored two in the bottom half of the fourth and three in the bottom of the fifth.
The Jayhawks started to make a comeback in the top of the sixth when Angela Price led-off from the bottom of the order with a hard hit to the shortstop and then stole second. With a runner on second, Ramsey recorded a single into left field that advanced Price to third and put runners on the corners.
Travieso hit another one deep that bounced off the right-field fence that allowed Price to score and Ramsey to advance to third. Gayre followed with a RBI after UTSA changed pitchers but would strand a runner to end the inning trailing, 5-3.
Hannah Todd came up big defensively for the Jayhawks in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. She pitched the final 1.2 innings for the Jayhawks, but KU could not get anything in the top of the seventh and eventually fell to the Roadrunners.
Up Next:
The Jayhawks are back in action again tomorrow in San Antonio, Texas for day two of the 2021 UTSA Classic. KU will square off against Texas A&M CC at 12:30 p.m., before capping the night off at 5:30 p.m. for a rematch against UTSA.
