KU Softball Suffers 4-0 Setback To UC Santa Barbara

Feb. 21, 2009

Box Score

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. –

Kansas softball suffered a 4-0 shutout against UC Santa Barbara in day three of the Cathedral City Classic here Saturday evening in the Jayhawks’ lone contest of the day.

KU, who is 1-3 during the tournament, fell to 5-8 overall as UCSB improved its record to 8-5.

Kansas scattered four hits throughout the game, but three times they came with two outs in the inning, which didn’t allow enough time for the Jayhawks to manufacture a scoring opportunity.

Senior Stevie Crisosto finished with two of Kansas’ hits, her second multi-hit game of the season, and has a team-best four hits so far during the Cathedral City Classic. She is also currently riding a three-game hitting streak.

UC Santa Barbara stole one of the Jayhawks’ best scoring opportunities of the game when it saved an Allie Clark hit from sailing over the fence for what would have been a home run. Clark hit a deep fly ball straight out in center field, but the Gauchos’ center fielder’s reach was just long enough to snag the catch, while simultaneously falling through the temporary outfield fencing to hang onto the ball.

Despite KU’s best efforts of holding off the Gauchos in the second and third innings stranding two runners on base each time, UCSB was able to bring in a run in the top of the fourth. The Gauchos led off the inning with a double and, following a sacrifice bunt, batted in a run off another two-bagger.

UC Santa Barbara tacked on two more in the top of the fifth from a walk and two singles to expand its lead to 3-0. A trio of hits in the seventh inning produced the Gauchos’ final run of the game.

Crisosto had four assists and four putouts at shortstop in the game while also helping to turn two doubles plays, one if the fifth inning and one in the sixth. Freshman pitcher Sarah Blair, who entered in the third inning for junior Sarah Vertelka to take the loss, pitched in on defense with four assists as well.

Kansas softball will wrap up play in the Cathedral City Classic tomorrow, Feb. 22, with a game against Cal at 11 a.m. (CST) followed by a contest with Cal Poly at 1 p.m. (CST). Live stats will be available at www.kuathletics.com.