Kansas Rolls Past Florida Atlantic in Five, 10-0
March 9, 2013
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BOCA RATON, Fla. – Jayhawk captains Alex Jones, Mariah Montgomery, Maddie Stein and Maggie Hull led Kansas in a flawless effort to run-rule the weekend’s host team, Florida Atlantic, 10-0, and wrap up day two of the FAU Invitational with a perfect 4-0 record.
Stein, Montgomery and Hull went 7-for-9 at the plate with two doubles and four RBIs, while Jones (5-0) tallied her sixth career shutout and tied her career-high with eight strikeouts. Senior right fielder Rosie Hull also churned out two hits and two RBIs. A big game from KU’s fourth-year players seemed fitting after head coach Megan Smith collected her 100th win at Kansas in the first game of the day.
“It feels good, but it feels really good for those girls that have worked really hard for the last four years. It’s all about them,” Smith said. “The kids that have been with me the past four years, it’s more about them than anything.”
Although only in her first year with Smith, freshman catcher Alex Hugo also shined, knocking in a team-high three RBIs during a 2-for-2 nightcap.
After surrendering a leadoff walk to FAU in the top of the first, one of only two Jones allowed, she buckled down and struck out two to send KU to the plate. The redshirt junior rung up at least one Owl in every inning minus the fifth, and her final line showed her scattering four hits over five complete innings for her second shutout of 2013 – and second victory of the day.
“A.J. (Alex Jones) had a great day,” Smith said. “She was lights out in the circle and I was really proud of her today.”
Stein’s first RBI of the day helped KU take a 1-0 lead out of the first inning and held up through a scoreless second. Jones was hit by a pitch to start the third and Stein joined her on the bases with a base hit to left, lining up three-consecutive RBI hits for Montgomery, Hugo and Rosie Hull, powering KU to a 4-0 lead.
Armed with a comfortable advantage, Kansas put the game out of reach with a six-run fourth. KU sent 11 batters to the plate and nine reached consecutively, including doubles from Maggie Hull and Montgomery before starter Stephanie Call (4-4) was lifted for Samantha Messer. Hugo welcomed her to the game with a two-run double and Rosie Hull immediately followed that an RBI single up the middle to arrive at the final 10-0 mark.
A leadoff single issued to left fielder Lindsey Shell to start the fifth inning was quickly negated when freshman shortstop Chaley Brickey snagged a line drive and threw it over to first for the game-ending double play.
With her five RBIs on Saturday alone, Montgomery tied fellow senior Maggie Hull for second on KU’s all-time career RBI list. Both enter the final game of the weekend tied at 125, just 10 shy of tying the current RBI record holder Liz Kocon (135). Additionally, Hull’s 2-for-3 night moved her into sixth all-time on KU’s career hit list, surpassing Shannon Stanwix (196), while her run scored in the fourth puts Hull (122) within one of tying former player and coach Tracy Bunge for the second-most runs scored by a Jayhawk (123).
UP NEXT
Kansas will face Louisiana-Monroe in the Jayhawks’ final game of the FAU Invitational. Sunday’s first pitch is set for 8 a.m. CT.
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