Jayhawks Start Vegas Tournament 2-0
Feb. 18, 2006
LAS VEGAS, NEV. –
Kansas softball began the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic with victories against Central Michigan (8-3) and Cal Poly (4-0) Friday at the Stephanie Lynn Craig Softball Complex. With the wins, KU improved to 4-2 on the season.
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Against the Chippewas (0-1), the Jayhawks scored eight runs off eight hits and three CMU errors. Seniors Nettie Fierros and Serena Settlemier and sophomore Betsy Wilson led KU with two hits apiece.
KU got on the board first when Wilson singled to bring home senior Ashley Goodrich, who pinch ran for junior Kassie Humphreys (walk).
The Jayhawks increased their lead to five in the top of the sixth when junior Nicole Washburn and senior Jessica Moppin led off with walks and Washburn scored on a throwing error by the Chippewas’ second baseman. With two on, Fierros doubled off the right center fence to pick up two RBI and later came around to score on another CMU error, 5-0.
Senior Serena Settlemier (2-0) struck out eight, gave up two hits and walked none against CMU in five scoreless innings. Freshman Valerie George made her first career appearance in the circle in the sixth inning and retired the first two batters before giving up a three-run homer later in the inning.
The Jayhawks regrouped in the top of the seventh when senior Destiny Frankenstein (two-run homer) and Settlemier (solo) nailed back-to-back home runs to give KU the 8-3 lead. George finished the outing with four strikeouts and no walks and allowed two hits in two innings to seal the game. CMU used four pitchers in the loss.
In the nightcap versus Cal Poly (1-5), Frankenstein notched her second homer of the day to give KU a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Settlemier doubled down the left line and freshman Stevie Crisosto hit her first career home run to left (two RBI), to put KU up 3-0.
Two homers in two games were just not enough for Frankenstein, who hit her third of the day, a solo shot, in the bottom of the fifth. Jayhawks pitchers Humphreys (2-2) and George held the Mustangs hitless through seven innings. Humphreys struck out seven and walked six in five innings of work while George struck out one in the final inning.
Frankenstein and Crisosto paced the Jayhawk offense with two hits each in the victory.
KU will face BYU (3:30 p.m. Central) and #4 Tennessee (8 p.m.) Saturday in Day Two of the tournament.
-KU-
