KU Softball Hits Five Home Runs, Sweeps Wichita State
April 28, 2009
WICHITA, Kan. –
Kansas pitchers Val George and Sarah Vertelka combined for a one-hit shutout in the nightcap and three players combined for five home runs during the doubleheader as the Kansas softball team swept Wichita State here Tuesday evening. KU defeated WSU by scores of 9-2 in game one and 3-0 in game two, while sophomores Allie Clark and Liz Kocon each had two home runs and senior Stevie Crisosto also had a homer to improve KU to 20-28 overall.
WSU fell to 20-30 with the losses while KU picked up just its second two-game sweep of the season.
The Jayhawks return to the friendly confines of Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday, April 30 to host a twinbill with Texas A&M in KU’s final home games of the 2009 season. First pitch is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. Kansas will close out its regular season May 2-3 at Iowa State.
Game 2 – KU 3, Wichita State 0
Junior Sarah Vertelka and senior Val George combined to toss KU’s fourth shutout of the season in Tuesday’s nightcap to help KU hold on to a 3-0 victory in game two against the Shockers.
Vertelka completed the first four innings allowing WSU’s only hit of the game as she improved to 9-9 from the circle. George picked up her second save of the year striking out six batters in the final three innings to preserve the win.
Only three Shockers reached base and none advanced past second base.
The KU pitching staff was supported by an outstanding defensive performance from the Kansas fielders, which made several extraordinary plays.
The Jayhawks were held to just three hits on offense but capitalized on the few opportunities they were given.
Allie Clark led off the second inning with a solo home run. The sophomore now has one homer in each of her last four contests and has a team-high 10this season.
Senior Stevie Crisosto followed with a home run of her own two batters later to score two more runs for the Jayhawks. Crisosto hit her second home run of the season and first since March 8. She also led the team with three hits during the doubleheader.
Junior Alicia Irwin notched KU’s only other hit in the nightcap, a single in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter. Irwin is 2-for-5 on the season in pinch hit sitations.
Game 1 – KU 9, Wichita State 2
Five Jayhawks collected multiple hits, including two home runs from sophomore Liz Kocon, as Kansas softball defeated Wichita State 9-2 in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday evening.
KU improved to 19-28 overall while WSU fell to 20-29.
The Kansas offense has been red-hot as of late and continued its offensive attack at Wichita State collecting 13 hits for KU’s sixth game of double digit hits this season.
In addition to a solid offensive performance, KU pitchers Val George and Sarah Vertelka tossed seven strong innings from the circle limiting the Shockers to five hits and two walks in the contest. George started the game holding WSU scoreless threw three innings. Vertelka closed out the final four frames to earn the victory as she improved to 8-9 this season.
Senior Elle Pottorf scored KU’s first three runs of the game using an RBI single in the first inning and a two-run double in the third. Sophomores Allie Clark and Kocon each tallied a solo home run in the third to tack on two more runs for the Jayhawks to make the score 5-0.
Kocon later earned her second homer of the game and sixth home run of the year in the seventh inning with a three-run shot. Kocon finished with a team-high four RBIs during the game.
In addition to Pottorf’s and Kocon’s two hits, Dougie McCaulley, Amanda Jobe and Stevie Crisosto recorded a pair of hits in the contest.
