Kansas Takes Down Bears With Afternoon Sweep
March 26, 2008
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
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Kansas softball opened a four-game homestand in fine fashion picking up two wins over Missouri State in a Wednesday afternoon double header at Arrocha Ballpark. The University of Kansas, won 4-3 and 8-0 (five innings), to improve to 25-8 overall. Missouri State, from the Missouri Valley Conference, drops to 14-8 with the losses.
Game 1 Box Score 
Game 1
Junior Valerie George recorded her 12th victory of the year, leading the <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas softball team over Missouri State in the first game of the doubleheader. George went the distance, and struck out 10, while only giving up eight hits.
Kansas’ leadoff batter, sophomore Amanda Jobe, singled up-the-middle for the Jayhawks in the first inning. Kansas would later load the bases with Dougie McCaulley and Stevie Crisosto reaching base on a hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively. However, the Jayhawks were unable to capitalize, leaving the game knotted at zero after the first.
The Jayhawks broke through in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff homer from Stevie Crisosto. The homer was Crisosto’s first of the season, and the eighth of her three-year career. Kansas continued the fourth inning rally with two more hits, leading to a Sara Ramirez run to give the Jayhawks a 2-0 lead.
Missouri State responded with two runs in the top of the fifth inning to tie the score at two. The Bears notched the two runs behind two Jayhawk throwing errors.
Freshman Liz Kocon broke the tie in bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run to right center. The long ball was Kocon’s second of the season.
Missouri State tied the game again the top of the seventh inning. The Bears led off the inning with a double down the left field line from Tyler Porter. Two bunts from the next two Bear batters scored Porter.
Val Chapple reached second on a base hit down the left field line and an errant throw from the shortstop. Brittany Hile moved Chapple to third, with no outs. Two batters later, Kocon singled up-the-middle to bring Chapple home for the game-winning run.
Game 2 Box Score
Game 2
Kansas continued its solid play into the second game as the Jayhawks recorded eight hits, and eight runs in just 20 at-bats to defeat MissouriState 8-0 in five innings.
Kansas received a fine performance from sophomore hurler Sarah Vertelka. Vertelka scattered four hits across her five full innings of work, while striking out four.
McCaulley’s second-inning double off the left field wall was hit well enough for Crisosto to score from first to give the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead.
The strong offense continued into the fourth inning as KU tallied three more runs to make it 4-0. Sophomore Sara Ramirez recorded her third home run of the season in a solo shot. Senior Betsy Wilson sent a two-run home run flying into left field, her second of the season.
Kansas ended the double-header in the fifth behind three base hits to start the inning. Following the three hits, the Bears walked in three runs before McCaulley singled up-the-middle to score Allie Clark for the game’s final run.
Kansas will play its first Big 12 Conference opponent at home this weekend as they host the Texas Tech Red Raiders for a two-game series beginning on Saturday at 1 p.m. The weekend’s second game will be played on Sunday, with first pitch set for noon.
