Kansas Suffers a Pair of Losses In Day Two of UCF Early Bird Tournament
Feb. 14, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. –
After battling for seven strong innings, the 25th-ranked Kansas softball team lost 4-2 to No. 11 Tennessee in eight innings. KU fell earlier in the day to Bradley, 2-0, in day two of the UCF Early Bird Tournament.
With the losses, Kansas fell to 3-5 overall. Tennessee improved to 8-1, while Bradley moved to 5-3 on the year.
The Jayhawks will conclude the tournament tomorrow morning when they face Bowling Green at 11 a.m. (CST).
Kansas vs. Tennessee Box Score 
Game 2 – Kansas 2, No. 11/12 Tennessee 4 (8 innings)
Kansas scored first against No. 11/12 Tennessee putting two runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Pottorf led off the inning with a walk. Junior Alicia Irwin came in to pinch run for Pottorf and then moved over to second base after a sacrifice bunt from Val Chapple. Sophomore Liz Kocon followed with a double all the way to the fence in right field to score Irwin, her team-high fifth RBI of the year.
Brittany Hile stepped up to the plate next and smacked a single that slipped through the infield between the shortstop and third baseman, while also moving Kocon to third. Upon reaching first base, Hile rounded the bag to distract the defense and found herself in a rundown. The ball got away from Tennessee which gave Kocon plenty of time to cross home plate.
Tennessee nearly took over the lead in the top of the sixth inning as the Lady Volunteers led off the inning with a solo home run and then put runners on second and third after a pair of singles. KU quickly ended the inning with a ground out and fly ball to end the threat, but Tennessee threatened again in the next inning adding another run to knot the score at 2-2.
KU stranded two runners in the bottom of the seventh as they were unable to score a run to send the game into extra innings.
The Lady Vols belted out two hits in the eighth inning along with a sacrifice fly to bring in two more runs. KU could not generate the offensive answer it needed in its last at bat as the Jayhawks fell 4-2.
Senior Val George tossed all eight innings of the contest, her second extra inning game of the weekend. George struck out six in the effort and did not walk a single batter, while giving up eight hits and three earned runs.
Six Jayhawks combined for eight hits in the game led by Brittany Hile and Dougie McCaulley who each recorded two. Val Chapple also recorded a hit to extend a three-game hitting streak.
Kansas vs. Bradley Box Score
Game 1 – Kansas 0, Bradley 2
In the Jayhawks first game of the day, Sarah Blair made her first career start. The freshman pitcher tossed the first three innings striking out one batter and giving up two runs, only one of which was earned, as she suffered the loss. Junior Sarah Vertelka threw the remaining four innings of the contest allowing just two hits, while striking out three batters.
KU had three hits in the contest, one each from Chapple, Kocon and Amanda Jobe. Despite stranding eight runners on base in the game, including bases loaded in the second inning, the Jayhawks could not produce the hits it needed at the right times.
Bradley scored its first run in the top of the second inning on three singles. The Braves scored again in the third when a wide throw from Sara Ramirez missed Jobe at first, allowing a Bradley runner from second to round third and score.
