Danielle Gibson and Sam Torres both went 2 for 3 Tuesday while Keely Huffine went 2 for 4 to lead the University of Arkansas to a 9-3 victory over Missouri-Kansas City at the Urban Youth Academy in Kansas City, Mo.
After the Kangaroos took a 1-0 lead on a passed ball in the bottom of the first inning, the Razorbacks responded with four runs in the top of the second. After Huffine singled to left field to start the inning and Valerie Ventura struck out looking, UMKC pitcher Mia Hoveland walked Torres and Hannah McEwen to load the bases. Braxton Burnside drew a third consecutive walk to score Huffine and tie the game at 1-1. Gibson was hit by a pitch, scoring Torres to take a 2-1 lead. Kayla Green then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score McEwen, and Burnside scored on Linnie Malkin’s double to left field that gave the Razorbacks a 4-1 lead.
McEwen singled up the middle to start the fourth inning. Gibson singled and was tagged out at second when Green reached on a fielder’s choice. Malkin walked on a pitch that got by catcher Alexis D’Ambrosio, which allowed McEwen to score to give the Razorbacks a 5-1 lead. Green scored on Larissa Cesena’s RBI single and Huffine singled to load the bases. Pinch hitter Lauren Graves then followed with a two-run single that scored Cesena and Malkin for an 8-1 lead. Huffine scored on an RBI single by Torres to increase the lead to 9-1.
UMKC scored its remaining two runs in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Delaney Fenoglio, and Ally Vonfeldt scored on D’Ambrosio’s RBI groundout to second base.
Reliever Jenna Bloom earned the victory for the Razorbacks after allowing 1 walk and 2 strikeouts in 2 innings of work. Hoveland took the loss for the Kangaroos. She was charged with all 9 runs on 7 hits with 6 walks and 4 strikeouts in 32/3 innings.