Red Raiders Come From Behind To Top Jayhawk Softball
April 5, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas –
Despite two hits from senior Dougie McCaulley and taking the lead twice during the game, the Kansas softball team fell behind in the fifth inning and could not recover as Texas Tech defeated KU 4-2 Sunday in Big 12 Conference action to split the series with the Jayhawks.
KU, which topped Texas Tech 10-0 the day before in six innings, fell to 12-21 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12, while TTU improved to 13-29 and 2-7 in conference play.
The Jayhawks led 2-1 after four and a half innings but unfortunately for KU, Tech scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on three hits and one Kansas error to take a 3-2 edge. TTU made it 4-2 in the sixth on a walk, sacrifice bunt and single sequence.
Junior Sarah Vertelka relieved Kansas starter Val George at the start of the fifth inning and gave up three of Tech’s four runs to take the loss. George struck out five batters and allowed five hits and one run in her four innings of work.
KU struggled from the plate getting six hits and stranding eight runners on base, including runners on second and third in the top of the seventh inning, as TTU starter Ashly Jacobs fanned a personal season-best eight batters.
Stevie Crisosto scored both of Kansas’ runs. She plated the first run of the game in the top of the second inning. After reaching base on a walk and moving to second on a fielder’s choice, sophomore Kolby Fesmire plated Crisosto with an RBI double down the right field line.
Crisosto scored again when she reached base on balls for a team-leading 17th time in the top of the fourth, stole second, and advanced to third on a Fesmire single. Then, when the Red Raiders’ catcher attempted to throw out Fesmire stealing second, Crisosto was able to steal home undetected and put KU back up 2-1.
Kansas softball returns home to the friendly confines of Arrocha Ballpark, Wednesday, April 8 to host Nebraska in a conference doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
