Kansas Sweeps First Day of Jayhawk Fall Tournament

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas softball improved to 3-0 during the 2015 fall slate after sweeping the first day of competition at the Jayhawk Fall Tournament. The Jayhawks began the day with an 8-0 victory over Benedictine College in six innings and defeated Labette Community College, 3-1, in final game of the day.  
 
Junior Taylor Dodson proved once again that she won’t be outworked this fall as her bat remained on fire from the fall opener. The Grove, Oklahoma native finished the day 4-for-6 with a pair of doubles, a home run and a team-best six RBIs.
 
The Jayhawk offense combined for 19 hits on the day, including team-high 13 knocks against Benedictine College. Aside from Dodson’s multi-hit effort, senior Shannon McGinley also posted back-to-back multi-hit games with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate with a pair of RBIs against Benedictine College and went 2-for-3 with a walk against Labette for her third solid performance in the batter’s box.
 
To start the first game, Kansas scattered singles after McGinley and sophomore Jessie Roane took turns recording a hit. KU’s offensive momentum continued to build in the second inning after loading the bases with two outs, but the Ravens retired the side without harm.
 
Junior Sophia Templin got the starting nod in the first game of the day. She sat down the first eight batters she faced in order before the Ravens recorded their lone hit against Templin. She earned the win in the circle and struck out two in four innings pitched.  
 
For the second game in a row, Dodson put the Jayhawks on the board first with a two-RBI double down the left field line, which gave KU the lead, 2-0. Senior Chaley Brickey added to Kansas’ lead in the fourth inning with a bases-loaded RBI single. Brickey’s base knock was the fourth-straight single for the Jayhawks to start the frame.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Dodson extended KU’s lead with a pair of RBIs after hitting a single to centerfield. An inning later, McGinley tacked on two more runs with her third hit of the game as the Jayhawks to 7-0 advantage into the six inning.
 
Dodson ended the game in the sixth inning after driving in the eighth KU run, fifth of the game for the junior, with her second double against the Ravens.
 
Freshman Alexis Reid threw the final two innings against Benedictine College and recorded three strikeouts, while giving up a hit and a walk.
 
In the second game of the day, Labette scored first in the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead, but it didn’t last long. Kansas answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning after McGinley drove in the go ahead runs with a single to right field.
 
Andie Formby made her first appearance of the fall slate against Labette. After giving up three hits and a run, Formby settled into a grove and retired the next 11 batters in order. She recorded the victory in the circle and struck out one batter.
 
Dodson gave the Jayhawks an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth frame. She launched her second home run of the fall season over the fence in left field. With the solo shot over the wall, Dodson’s RBI count reached six for the day.

Just like the first game, Reid took over in the circle late in the game. She struck two of the final three batters she faced as KU won its second game of the day, 3-1, over Labette.
 
Kansas concludes the Jayhawk Fall Tournament with two games on Sunday. First pitch against Washburn is slated for 10 a.m., while the game versus Butler will begin at 12:30 p.m.
 
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