Kansas Tops Georgia Southern & Pitt in Capital Classic

Kansas softball won both games of a doubleheader Saturday in Day Two of the Capital Classic. Kansas rallied to defeat Georgia Southern, 3-1, and shut out Pittsburgh, 3-0. The Jayhawks, now 20-8-1 on the season and 3-1 in the Capital Classic, will play Sunday at 11 a.m. against the Colorado State Rams to close out the tournament.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

Game One – KU 3, Georgia Southern 1

In the first contest, Kansas needed a late rally to soar past the Georgia Southern Eagles. A sixth inning rally helped freshman pitcher Sarah Vertelka (4-3) earn her fourth win on the season. Vertelka pitched a complete game allowing only three hits and one unearned run while striking out five batters.

Georgia Southern grabbed the lead in the top of the third inning when a groundball snuck past sophomore Stevie Crisosto and allowed Lindsey Hopkins to score from second.

Crisosto took the lead back from Georgia Southern in the bottom of the sixth inning by blasting a solo home run over the centerfield fence. The game-tying home run was Crisosto’s second of the tournament and her third in the past four games.

The scoring continued for KU in the sixth when freshman Amanda Jobe hit the centerfield fence on one hop to reach second. The next KU batter, Val Chapple, hit a double to left field, bringing Jobe home. Chapple would also score following a Georgia Southern error. Kansas’ three-run sixth inning propelled the Jayhawks to their fourth win in the team’s history over Georgia Southern.

Game Two – KU 3, Pittsburgh 0

Kansas continued the scoring streak from the first game into the first inning of the second ballgame as the first player at bat, freshman Dougie McCaulley, reached base on a throwing error. After a Crisosto sacrifice fly moved McCaulley to third, sophomore Elle Pottorf drove her in with a lined shot to left-field to take an early one run lead.

Sophomore Erika Simington’s first career home run in the bottom of the fourth inning gave the Jayhawks a 2-0 advantage. The home run to right field was Simington’s first career extra-base hit.

Kansas tacked on another run in the fifth inning, which provided plenty of run support for sophomore Valerie George (6-2). George pitched a complete game shutout allowing only three hits. No Pittsburgh player reached third base in the entire ballgame and no Panther reached second base after the second inning.

-KU-