Softball soft-pedals season start

The UMKC softball team kicked off its season this weekend in Las Cruces, New Mexico at the Hotel Encanto De Las Cruces Tournament.

Before the tournament, Head Coach Meredith Smith had high expectations for her team.

"I expect the team will do well in the tournament," she said. "I think that this is a great way to start the season, for the girls to get their feet wet. And everyone is excited to start competing."

The Roos got more than their feet wet this weekend by playing a total of five games over the course of three days. The Roos now stand 0-5 after the tournament.

The coach feels that in time the team will come together better.

"This [was] our first tournament so there is always an adjustment period," Smith said. "We also have twelve newcomers this year."

UMKC (5) - Colorado State (6)

One newcomer to the Roos was freshman Anna Sokolik. Sokolik made her debut appearance pitching six innings for the team's first game of the season against Colorado. She gave up eleven hits, six runs, and struck out two batters.

Unfortunately, UMKC was only able to score five times in the game, resulting in their first loss of the season. Freshmen Chelsea Hartwitg and Michaela Hupp led the team with two and one RBIs, respectively.

"We rallied back in the seventh inning," Smith said, but it was too little too late.

The Kangaroos were only able to achieve two runs, sophomore Kelly Fischer and senior Amanda Evans, off of the three hits of the inning.

Overall, however, Smith said she felt the team played extremely well.

"I saw a lot of determination," she said. "I was really excited."

UMKC (1) - Ohio State (12)

The excitement soon wore off as the Roos plunged into their next game of the day versus Ohio State.

"We did not get shut out and [Ohio State] is one of the best teams down here," Smith said.

Not being shut out was due to junior Carli Slagle, who scored her first home run of the 2009 season (and the Kangaroos only run for the game) in the seventh inning.

Defensively, the team was led by junior Sam Hurst, who pitched the first five innings. She gave up six hits and five runs, but was able to strike out one.

"Sam threw extremely well," Smith said.

Despite Hurst's efforts, the team fell to Ohio 12-1.

"The game was riddled with errors," Smith said. "Errors that came at inopportune times."

The inopportune times would follow the team into Saturday's game.

UMKC (5) - Ohio (6)

Despite a back and forth lead, UMKC dropped their third straight game of the season.

Defensively, the team struggled and accumulated four errors over the course of the day.

Hurst again tried to lead the team by striking out three players, but she gave up eight hits, six of which went on to score.

Offensively, the Roos left the bases loaded at the top of the seventh, extinguishing any hope of a win.

Despite their hardships, Hartwig hit her first collegiate home run in the second inning.

Evans led the team with two RBIs.

UMKC (6) - Cleveland State (17)

Sokolik did not have a happy first inning and Smith pulled her with one out and 12 runs scored.

Wild pitches and fielding errors made the going tough. A grand slam didn't help the situation.

UMKC got on the board in the second inning with three solid runs advanced on singles, but by leaving two on base, they also left a chance to continue the long, uphill battle.

The Roos scored another in the third when Hartwig hit her second home run of the weekend.

Cleveland, however, came right back with another three runs.

Senior Amanda Evans homered again for the Roos in the fifth and freshman Danielle Bennefield tripled. Slagle brought her home, but the game was soon over with a 6-17 loss.

UMKC (4) - New Mexico State (8)

A fifth-inning double by Slagle broke the ice for UMKC by bringing home two runs.

New Mexico still had a comfortable lead, having scored eight runs in the first four innings.

Hartwig notched up two RBIs in the seventh, and it looked like the Roos had a rally going.when freshman Betsy Hanley singled, advancing Hartwig to third.

But UMKC left two on base and were short four runs, closing out the weekend with a 4-8 loss.

The team heads next weekend to Auburn, Ala., to compete in the Auburn University Tiger Invitational.

tkloeppel@unews.com