Jayhawks Drop Games to #3 UCLA, UCSB in Palm Springs

Feb. 26, 2006

Box Score

Palm Springs, Calif. –

The University of Kansas softball team dropped two games by one run, falling to #3 UCLA, 4-3, and UC Santa Barbara, 2-1, Saturday in Day Two of the Palm Springs Classic at the Big League Dreams Complex. With the losses, KU moved to 5-8 on the season.

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UCSB scored first in the nightcap on a walk and two base hits in the top of the third. KU remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when freshman Val Chapple singled with bases loaded to score senior Jessica Moppin (lead-off single) and tie the ballgame, 1-1.

The Gauchos scored another run in the sixth off three hits and a walk, 2-1. KU managed to put just one more runner on base (walk) in the final two innings and totaled three hits in the loss.

Freshman Valerie George (0-1) made her first start for KU and gave up seven hits, struck out six and walked two in the first 5.1 innings. Senior Serena Settlemier threw 1.2 innings of relief, striking out two, walking two and allowing just one hit.

Junior Kassie Humphreys was solid in the circle and Chapple totaled two hits and two RBI to pace KU against the #3 Bruins in the afternoon contest.

The Bruins hung two runs on the board in the bottom of the second off two walks, one hit and one Jayhawk error. With one out, Jodie Legaspi singled to right field and Lisa Dodd followed with a walk. Jaisa Creps grounded out to second base, moving both runners into scoring position, and Ashley Herrera walked to load the bases.

Legaspi scored after a pitch by Humphreys found the dirt and rolled to the backstop. While Herrera was trying to steal second, freshman catcher Erika Simington overthrew second, allowing Dodd to score and give UCLA a 2-0 lead.

KU used three hits to tie up the game in its next at-bat. Senior Nettie Fierros led off with a single and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Betsy Wilson. Chapple doubled to right center to score Fierros and senior Heather Stanley singled to right for the RBI.

Chapple notched her first career home run in the top of the fifth to give the Jayhawks a 3-2 advantage. Stanley (reached on an error) and senior Destiny Frankenstein (single) got on base with just one out but were stranded after Bruin ace Anjelica Selden came in and struck out the next two Jayhawks.

UCLA regained the lead in the bottom of the six off three hits and a KU error. Caitlin Benyi reached on a fielding error by Humphreys and advanced to second on an infield single by Emily Zaplatosch. Legaspi singled to right to score Benyi and with later with two outs, Herrera’s base hit scored Legaspi to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead. Stanley and Frankenstein singled in the top of the seventh to put the tying run on, but were stranded after Selden retired Settlemier.

Humphreys (3-4) struck out six, allowed five hits and just one earned run in the complete-game effort. The KU offense totaled eight hits – six off starter Dodd (five strikeouts) and two off Selden (6-1), who fanned seven batters in the final 2.2 innings for the win.

KU will conclude the Classic Sunday against Pacific at 1 p.m. Central.

-KU-