Kansas Powers Past Wichita State in Five, 9-1
April 11, 2012
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Four doubles in the second inning sparked the seven-run frame that powered the Kansas softball past in-state rival Wichita State, 9-1, in five innings during the first game of a midweek doubleheader at Arrocha Ballpark, Wednesday evening.
Kansas (25-12, 3-9) fell behind momentarily after a two-out Shocker (7-30, 0-12) home run in the top of the first, marking the only time the Jayhawks would trail. KU claimed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first and took total control with a seven-spot in the bottom of the second. All seven of Kansas’ runs in the lopsided inning came with two outs.
Freshman Alicia Pille (13-6) threw a gem in the circle, surrendering just two hits in her 12th complete game of the year. The rookie sits one victory shy of cracking KU’s top-five victories by a freshman and ties the Jayhawk wins leader (Allie Clark, 13) from last season. The solo shot in the top of the first was the only run she allowed in her efficient outing, walking none and striking out four in five innings.
The Jayhawk freshmen shined at the plate as well, with freshman third baseman Chanin Naudin again stealing the show. She cranked out her third 3-for-3 game of the year and led the Jayhawks with two RBIs, giving the California native seven RBIs in her last two games.
Fellow rookie Maddie Stein also put up a multi-hit day, going 2-for-2 with an RBI. Junior right fielder Rosie Hull racked up a pair of hits as eight of the nine batters Kansas sent to the plate in game one came away with a hit.
Wichita State was paced by first baseman Erin Carney’s team-best eighth homer of the year, but could muster little else offensively. Centerfielder Rachel Milnark recorded the only other Shocker hit, coming after Pille retired seven-straight WSU batters following Carney’s home run.
Junior starter Katie Armagost (3-9) took the loss for Wichita State, surrendering seven runs in 1.2 innings of work.
Although the Shockers struck first with Carney’s solo homer, the Jayhawk lineup wasted no time getting the run back in the bottom of the first. Junior left fielder Maggie Hull scored first on Naudin’s first RBI of the day, tying the game before redshirt senior Liz Kocon came home on a wild pitch to take the 2-1 lead.
Rosie Hull led off the game-changing second inning with a double. Armagost quickly retired the next two batters before KU broke out the ultimate two-out rally. With her twin sister sitting on third, Maggie Hull connected on an RBI double for the first of seven two-out runs the Jayhawks would score in the big inning.
Naudin followed back-to-back singles with an RBI double, her sixth of the year, while chasing Armagost from the game. She was replaced by freshman Katherine Johnson, who was immediately welcomed to the game with an RBI single from junior shortstop Mariah Montgomery and two-straight doubles from Bryant and fielder Rosie Hull.
The four doubles in the second inning alone matched KU’s game-high for doubles in a game (at Charlotte, 2/17), while Bryant and Maggie Hull continued their race for team lead in doubles with nine apiece – tying them for third in the Big 12.
With a commanding 9-1 lead in tow, Pille shutdown the Shockers as Kansas cruised the shortened victory.
