Purdue Fort Wayne
UMKC
Mastodons Drop Conference Pair to Kangaroos
4/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 4, 2009
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Fort Wayne, IN - The IPFW Mastodons had their five-game Summit League winning streak snapped on Saturday, as the visiting Kangaroos of UMKC swept the league double header from the `Dons, winning the opener 4-2 before finishing the day with a 5-2 victory.
Kristina Karpun went 4-for-6 over the two games for IPFW (11-16, 6-5 Summit), including a perfect 3-for-3 in the nightcap, as Kaylee Faurote kept her hit streak alive, as it now stands at 13, the second longest in the Division I history at IPFW, trailing only Jenna Beachy's 16-game hitting streak in 2006.
The opener started much as the single game on Friday started, as a pitcher's duel, with IPFW's Rachel Staschuk and UMKC's Nicholle Ellis battling pitch-for-pitch, until the hosts put two runs across in the bottom of the fourth inning, the first when Cassie Wolfe scored on a throwing error by Kangaroo shortstop Kalene Curry, and Karpun when Heather Genovese hit into a groundout to the second baseman.
The Kangaroos (9-26, 4-11 Summit) answered quickly, putting up four runs, three of which came on a bases-loaded triple by Curry, who was later driven in on a Kelly Fisher double, giving the visitors a 4-2 lead. That lead would stand, as neither team would cross the plate again for the remaining two and a half innings of the game.
Faurote was 2-for-3 on the game, as Wolfe, Karpun, Beatrice Pedraza, and Jil Price each recorded a hit in the contest. Staschuk picked up the loss, going the entire seven innings, scattering just five hits and striking out six, but walked three and gave up four runs, all earned.
Chelsea Hartwig was 2-for-2 for the visitors, as Curry had three of the team's four RBI's. Ellis also went the distance, striking out five and walking two while giving up six hits.
In the afternoon finale, UMKC scored two quick runs in the top of the first when leadoff hitter Curry singled, before Fisher followed with a single, and then advanced to second as center fielder Pedraza's throw went to third base to attempt to put out Curry. With runners on second and third with no outs, starting pitcher Courtney Cronin went to work, striking out the next two batters, before a Carli Slagle single broke the scoreless tie, scoring both of the runners on base.
Karpun cut the deficit in half with an RBI single, scoring Faurote, dropping the deficit to one at 2-1 before a three-run Fisher home run pushed UMKC ahead 5-1 in the top of the second frame.
IPFW's only counter the rest of the way was a solo home run by Wolfe, her fourth of the season, with one out in the fifth inning.
Karpun went 3-for-3, while Wolfe was 2-for-4, as the aforementioned pair had the team's only RBI's in the game. Faurote, Genovese, and Hall added hits in the losing effort for IPFW. Courtney Cronin went the entire seven innings, striking out seven and walking four, while giving up five runs, just two of those earned.
Fisher was 3-for-4 in the finale for UMKC, driving in three runs and scoring twice, as the Kangaroos used a pitcher-by-committee approach, with Anna Sokolik opening the game and picking up the win, going three innings, allowing five hits and striking out one. Samantha Hurst, who picked up the loss in the series opener on Friday pitched the next two innings, giving up two hits, one of which was the solo home run to Wolfe, before Taya Upkes came in for two innings of relief, picking up her first save of the season, allowing one hit in the process.
The `Dons have one remaining home date in their 12-game homestand, as they play host to the Cardinals of Ball State University on April 7, with the double header scheduled to start at 3:00 PM.
~Dons~
