🥎 Jayhawks Score Seven in Fourth to Defeat UTA
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Kansas softball (5-4) scored seven runs in the fourth inning to defeat UT Arlington, 10-8, on Sunday morning at the 2021 UTSA Classic.
Sydnee Ramsey and Morgyn Wynne each had multi-run home runs with Ramsey blasting a two-run homer in the third before Wynne sent one over the right-field fence for a three-run homer in the fourth. KU finished the game with six hits and eight RBI. The win capped off a 4-1 weekend for the Jayhawks in tournament play.
Sunday’s game was quiet on both sides for the first two innings of play. KU’s defense and pitcher, Savanna DesRochers, held strong turning over the Mavericks batters at a quick pace and DesRochers picked up two strikeouts to keep things tied.
The third brought the first runs scored for both teams. The Mavericks struck first and scored four in an error filled top half of the inning.
Offensively, the Jayhawks countered back with three runs of their own beginning with Haleigh Harper getting hit by a pitch and Macy Omli advancing her on a sac bunt. This put a runner on second when Ramsey sent her fourth home run of the season over the left-field fence. Madison Hirsch and Tarin Travieso followed with back-to-back doubles to close the gap to one after three.
UTA added another run in the fourth but KU came away big in the bottom of the inning that began with Ashlyn Anderson and Harper both walking to put two on with only one out. Cheyenne Hornbuckle came in to pinch hit for Omli and advanced both runners before grounding out at first. Ramsey was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hirsch and Travieso drew back-to-back walks to tie things up and keep the bases loaded.
Shelby Gayre fired a hit through the third baseman’s legs to score two runners and keep the momentum going. With runners on the corners, Wynne capped off the inning with a three-run home run to push the Jayhawks lead to 10-5.
KU picked up a double and Hailey Reed struck out one to get through the top of the fifth but the Mavericks would get one run in the sixth to shorten the lead to 10-6. Offensively, the Jayhawks left five runners stranded between the fifth and sixth innings.
UTA scored two more runs in the top of the seventh but the Jayhawks were able to hold them off a strikeout from Reed and a smart defensive play from freshman, Kaitlyn Gee.
From the circle, DesRochers pitched 2.1 innings and struck out two batters before being replaced by Reed. Reed pitched the final 4.2 with four strikeouts on the way to her 30th-career victory and second this season.
Two freshmen, DesRochers and Lyric Moore, saw their first collegiate starts in the circle and behind the plate, respectively in today’s win.
Up Next
Kansas is back in action next weekend, March 5-7, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark. for the Wooo Pig Classic against Arkansas, Drake and Northwestern State.
