KU Softball Upsets No. 7 Arizona, 5-1

Feb. 6, 2009

Kansas vs. Arizona Box ScoreGet Acrobat Reader

TEMPE, Ariz. –
Just one game after falling in its season opener, the Kansas softball team bounced back with a 5-1 victory over the seventh-ranked Arizona Wildcats later in the day during the Kajikawa Classic Friday.

It marked the Jayhawks’ first win over a ranked opponent since KU upended then-No. 3 Oklahoma on April 28, 2007.

Sophomore Liz Kocon earned her first hit and RBI of the season in the fourth inning against Arizona with a single up the middle to drive home senior Val Chapple and give the Jayhawks a 2-1 edge. Chapple led off the inning with a double, also up the middle.

George and the KU defense held off Arizona, holding the Wildcats to just one hit over the final four innings and allowed just one other runner to reach base on a walk. George pitched a complete game striking out eight batters and allowing four hits during the contest.

Kansas added three security runs in its final at bat to give KU a 5-1 cushion. Senior Dougie McCaulley earned a base on balls with bases loaded to walk in a run. Fellow senior Elle Pottorf then smoked a ball down the right field line which bounced over the fence for a ground rule double to drive in the Jayhawks’ final two runs.

UA scored its lone run in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single deep into center field.

Six different players recorded a hit for Kansas, including Chapple and junior Sara Ramirez, who now have a two-game hitting streak.

The Jayhawks are back in action tomorrow when they face No. 9 Northwestern at 5 p.m. and No. 11 Stanford later in the day at 7:30 p.m.

Live stats for both games will be available at www.kuathletics.com.

Game 1
Kansas Drops Season Opener to UTEP

Kansas vs. UTEP Box ScoreGet Acrobat Reader

Senior Dougie McCaulley opened the season with a 2-for-3 showing from the batter’s box, but it was not enough as the Kansas softball team opened the season with a 3-1 setback to UTEP during the Kajikawa Classic Friday afternoon.

Playing from behind after a one-run homer by UTEP in the top of the third inning, Kansas tied the score up in the fourth from an RBI fly ball from senior Val Chapple. Chapple’s hit dropped in the grass behind the second baseman allowing McCaulley to cross home plate from third base. McCaulley led off the inning with a single to center field, moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a ball that got away from the Miners’ catcher.

McCaulley later helped end the seventh inning for UTEP when she roped a throw home in time for catcher Elle Pottorf to tag out a runner sliding into home. Unfortunately, the Miners’ had already rallied for four hits and two runs earlier in the inning to take a 3-1 lead, which UTEP held for the remainder of the contest.

Kansas stranded three runners in the final three innings, including two in scoring position, while UTEP outhit the Jayhawks 9-4 during the contest.

Junior Sarah Vertelka suffered the loss for Kansas. The 5-8 righty struck out six batters in five and a third innings of work, including the final two outs in the third inning to strand UTEP runners on second and third base to get KU out of a jam.