Softball Splits Doubleheader With UMKC
March 15, 2006
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - The University of Northern Colorado softball team split a doubleheader with UMKC on Wednesday at Adair Park.
The Bears (7-19) started the day with a 5-4 win, but could not come out on top in the second game, losing 6-5.
UMKC took a 1-0 lead after the first inning in the first game, but Northern Colorado fired back with a two-run second inning. Ashley Martinosky was hit by a pitch and Hillarie Van Otterloo hit a double to center field, giving the Bears runners on second and third. Senior Aubrey Barnes hit a one out single through the left side of the infield, driving in Martinosky and Van Otterloo.
Kelsey Dumler's two-run triple in the top of the fourth extended Northern Colorado's lead to 4-1. Barnes and Heather Beffert scored on Dumler's triple to center field. But the Kangaroos countered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the score at four.
In the top of the seventh, Beffert led off the inning with a triple to center field. Sophomore Mackenzie Barrett's groundout to the shortstop drove in Beffert, which turned into the winning run.
UMKC made it close in the bottom of the inning, as a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball put a runner on third with one out. But Van Otterloo shut the door on the Kangaroos, as UMKC's Katelyn Cummings struck out and Monica Canisales grounded out to Van Otterloo. Van Otterloo improved to 2-7 after pitching a total of five innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits.
The Kangaroos jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second game in the first two innings before the Bears got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth. Beffert drove in Alyse Kochenberger, who pinch ran for Ashley Geist, on a sacrifice fly to center to cut the UMKC lead to 5-1.
UMKC added another run in the bottom of the fourth, but Northern Colorado kept the momentum going by adding two more runs in the top of the fifth on RBI singles by Barrett and Martinosky.
The Bears pulled to within 6-5 in the top of the sixth when Morgan Dahlman scored on an error by UMKC's Eryn Knecht and Barrett hit an RBI double to right center that drove in Dumler. But the rally fell short, as UMKC was able to hold Northern Colorado scoreless in the top of the seventh to pick up the win. Barrett finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Martinosky also went 2-for-4. Shea Carpenter dropped to 3-4 on the season after pitching two innings and allowing five runs (one earned) on four hits.
Northern Colorado will return to action on Saturday, March 25 for a doubleheader against New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M. The first game is set for a Noon start.
