Jayhawks Sweep North Texas Doubleheader

March 3, 2007

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. –

Kansas softball scored 17 runs in a doubleheader sweep of North Texas in the second day of the Great Western Downtown Plaza Classic Saturday at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex. With the 7-4 victory and 10-0, five-inning win, the Jayhawks improved to 4-0 in the tournament and 11-5-1 overall.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

KU will play the winner of Saturday night’s Iowa State-Tulsa game for the tournament championship Sunday at noon or 2 p.m.

Game One – KU 7, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>North Texas 4 Box Score

Sophomores Elle Pottorf and Dougie McCaulley paced the Jayhawk offense with two hits apiece in KU’s first win of the day. Pottorf totaled five RBI in the first game to bring her total to 15 on the season.

Freshman Sarah Vertelka (2-2) allowed eight hits and struck out two in five and one-third inning to take the win for Kansas. Senior Kassie Humphreys gave up two hits and struck out five in one and two-thirds innings of relief for her first save of the year.

In Game One against North Texas, KU scored in the bottom of the first off two hits and an error. McCaulley led off with a single to left and freshman Tracy Lubken, in her first career start, followed with an infield slap for a base hit. A shot from sophomore Stevie Crisosto went through the legs of the UNT second baseman and McCaulley came around to score on the error.

Pottorf’s grand slam and a RBI sacrifice fly by sophomore Erika Simington added five runs to the Kansas line in the bottom of the third. McCaulley (single), Lubken (reached on an error) and Crisosto loaded the bases for Pottorf, who notched her team-leading fourth homer of the season.

Down 6-1, the Mean Green rallied to score three runs in the top of the sixth. Susan Waters led off with a double and pitcher Kristina Fowler reached on an error. Katya Muller doubled down the left line to score Waters and Sarah Jones singled up the middle, allowing Lauren Bergstrom (pinch running for Fowler) and Muller to advance home.

Humphreys entered the game with one out in the sixth and struck out the next four batters. UNT gave her trouble in the top of the seventh, notching two straight hits and drawing a walk to load the bases with two outs. Humphreys struck out Waters swinging to end the game.

Game Two – KU 10, North Texas 0 (5) Box Score

Senior Nicole Washburn totaled five RBI and sophomore ace Valerie George pitched a two-hitter in KU’s second game against North Texas. George (2-2) struck out five and walked just one in five innings for the victory, her second of the tournament.

KU’s 10 runs came on nine hits and five UNT errors. The Jayhawks scored two runs in their first at-bat on a base hit by McCaulley and a Mean Green fielding error.

KU used four hits to add five runs to their lead in the third inning. Junior Betsy Wilson reached on an error to lead off and scored on an RBI single by Pottorf. Freshman Caitlin Kenney came in to pinch run for Pottorf, Chapple walked and Ramirez singled to load the bases for Washburn. The senior first baseman notched a grand slam to left center, her second home run in as many days, to give KU a 7-0 lead.

The Jayhawks added three runs in the fourth to secure the run-rule victory. Wilson reached on another error, UNT’s fifth of the game, and Crisosto singled for Pottorf, who notched a sacrifice fly to left to score Wilson. Chapple doubled off the left center fence to bring in Crisosto, and Washburn’s single to center scored Chapple from third, 10-0.

With her two RBI, Pottorf increased her season total to a team-best 17.

2007 Softball season tickets are on sale now. Adult season tickets are $40, youth and senior citizen tickets are $20, and University of Kansas faculty and staff tickets are $32. To purchase your season tickets, call the KU Ticket Office at 800-34-HAWKS or log on to kuathletics.com.

-KU-