Kansas Softball Wraps Up KU Invitational With Loss To Northern Iowa

Val Chapple had a home run and a triple for three RBIs against UNI.

March 8, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. -

Senior Val Chapple finished 3-for-4 at the plate, including a home run and a triple for three RBIs, but the Kansas softball team fell 9-6 to Northern Iowa Sunday afternoon to conclude the KU Invitational.

KU, which won 12-1 earlier in the day against Eastern Illinois, fell to 9-14 overall. UNI in the meantime improved its record to 13-4.

Trailing 9-4 in the final inning, Chapple helped put the Jayhawks within three after a two-run homer, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the game to squash KU's hopes of a comeback.

Chapple hit her first career triple in the bottom of the first inning to plate Elle Pottorf and put the Jayhawks on the scoreboard. She then scored herself when a UNI pitch got by the Panthers' catcher as KU took a 2-1 lead.

Northern Iowa stormed back however in its next at bat posting six runs on five hits in the second inning to go up 7-2.

Junior Amanda Jobe scored KU's third run of the game in the second inning. After reaching with a single to center field, she worked her way around the bases until Stevie Crisosto got to first base thanks to an error by the second baseman allowing Jobe to cross home plate.

The Jayhawks had a promising chance to score some more runs in the fourth when they had runners on second and third with no outs, but a pair of fly balls and a strikeout stranded the base runners.

Pitchers Val George, Allie Clark and Sarah Vertelka combined for nine strikeouts and just two walks. George suffered the loss as she evens her record to 7-7.

KU returns to the diamond Thursday, March 12 when they head to Missouri State for a 2 p.m. game in Springfield, Mo.

*2009 Kansas Softball season tickets are on sale now. General Admission tickets are $40. KU Faculty and Staff tickets are $32. Order your tickets today by calling 800-34-HAWKS or online at www.kuathletics.com.