KU Softball Team Wins Opening Round of NCAA Tournament
May 18, 2006
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PROVO, Utah — Stellar pitching and clutch hitting lifted the Kansas softball team past BYU, 3-0, Thursday at Gail Miller Field in the opening game of the 2006 NCAA Regional Tournament. The Jayhawks (35-24), winners of eight straight games, will face Washington on Friday at 2:30 p.m. (CT).<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
KU starter Kassie Humphreys (18-16) was dominant throughout the contest, allowing just one base hit while striking out 11 hitters – the sixth time this season the Glendale, Ariz., native has struck out 10 or more hitters in a contest.
Humphreys struck out the first three Cougars that came to the plate in the top of the first, but walked three batters in the top of the second before coaxing an inning-ending groundout to thwart BYU’s best scoring threat of the afternoon.
BYU starter Summer Tobias (25-12) was perfect through three innings after retiring the first nine Jayhawks that came to the plate. However, the Jayhawks jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, as third baseman Val Chapple led off with a single to left and came around to score on a fielder’s choice off the bat of shortstop Destiny Frankenstein.
Later in the inning, right fielder Heather Stanley delivered a two-out, two-RBI hit to left field to drive in shortstop Destiny Frankenstein and pinch runner Ashley Goodrich giving the Jayhawks a 3-0 advantage.
BYU had its leadoff hitter reach first base in the top of the sixth, but a nifty Jayhawk 3-6-4 double play erased all runners from bases. The Cougars nearly got to Humphreys in the seventh as an error and a walk put the first two batters of the inning on base. But Humphreys preserved her 10th shutout of the season by striking out the next two batters and forcing a lineout to second basemen Jessica Moppin to seal the win.
Game Notes – Humphreys moved into a tie for 8th place on KU’s all-time list with her 17th career shutout … Humphreys moved into 5th place on KU’s all-time list for strikeouts. She now has 490 punchouts during her career … Frankenstein moved into a tie for 3rd place all-time with her 120th career run.
