Late Kansas Home Run Downs Pirates 3-1

Feb. 20, 2010

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A two-run home run by Sara Ramirez in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and gave Kansas a 3-1 victory over East Carolina Saturday night at the Lipton Invitational. The Pirates had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth, but could not hold on for the win. The loss drops ECU to 2-6 while Kansas improves to 4-5.

Junior Toni Paisley (2-3) was dominant in the pitching circle for the first five innings, striking out 12 total, including eight of the first nine batters. She surrendered a leadoff single to Alex Jones in the bottom of the first inning and then retired the next 16 Jayhawk batters before Kansas rallied with one out in the sixth.

The 12 strikeouts gave Paisley 23 games in her career in which she has recorded at least 10 whiffs. It was also her third-straight start in which she posted double-digit strikeouts as she fanned 10 against No. 13 Georgia Tech (Feb. 14) and 10 against Campbell (Feb. 19) before tonight.

Sarah Vertelka (1-2) earned the win for Kansas as she scattered seven hits and gave up just one run. She stranded eight East Carolina runners.

The Pirates had a scoring opportunity in the top of the first, but could not push across a run. Senior Charina Sumner led off with an infield single, the first of her three hits in the contest, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Christina Merrida. Senior Vanessa Moreno hit a hard groundout to second base that moved Sumner to third. With two down, senior Marina Gusman-Brown stepped to the plate and sent a flare into the outfield that looked like it was going to fall in for a base hit until Jones, the center fielder, dove and made the catch stretched out on her stomach.

Again in the second inning ECU had an opportunity to score and did not. Senior Cristen Aona and sophomore Priscilla Velasquez hit back-to-back singles with one out to put runners on first and second. A fielder’s choice and groundout then ended the inning.

In the top of the third, the Pirates failed to break through with runners on base. Sumner singled and Merrida reached on an error to start the frame. Moreno then laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Sumner on third and Merrida on second with only one out. Gusman-Brown grounded out to the pitcher and freshman Kai Clark struck out to end the threat.

Paisley controlled the first three innings, giving up a leadoff single to Jones in the bottom of the first before striking out the next eight batters. Jones broke up the string with two down in the third when she fouled out to Clark behind home plate.

Both teams went quietly until the sixth. Gusman-Brown extended her career-long hitting streak to 12 games when she led off with a triple to right center. Clark drove her in with a bouncer up the middle that went through the drawn in infield. It was Clark’s team-leading fifth RBI of the season.

Kansas put its three runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning. Rosie Hull reached on a one-out single but was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice by Jones. With two outs, Maggie Hull doubled down the left field line to plate Jones. Gusman-Brown dove for the Maggie Hull hit, but could not come up with the catch. Ramirez followed with a long home run over the left field fence. In the Jayhawks’ game against Campbell before facing the Pirates, Ramirez provided Kansas’ only two runs in its 2-1 victory with a fifth-inning home run to left.

Tomorrow, the Pirates conclude the Lipton Invitational with a game against host No. 3 Florida at 12:15 p.m.

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