Utah Valley at UMKC
Friday, April 15 - Saturday, April 16 (Fri. at 1 MT, Fri. at 3 MT, Sat. at 11 MT)  
Kansas City, Mo.   |   Missouri 3&2 Complex
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OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University softball team will return to Western Athletic Conference play this weekend when it takes on the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos in a three-game league series starting Friday at UMKC's Missouri 3&2 Complex. A pair of games will be contested on Friday afternoon (1 p.m. MT/2 p.m. CT & 3 p.m. MT/4 p.m. CT) before closing the series on Saturday at 11 a.m. MT/noon CT.
 
"UMKC has been playing very well as of late and is a respectable opponent," head UVU coach Nikki Palmer said. "If we show the fight that we've demonstrated at times in the last couple of ball games, then we should be ready to go."
 
The Wolverines will enter the series with a 5-30 overall record and a 1-5 start in conference play after dropping a trio of games to New Mexico State at home last weekend. Following last weekend's series to the first-place NM State Aggies, UVU welcomed Idaho State to town for a non-conference contest on Tuesday and the Bengals managed to leave Orem with a 5-3 victory.
 
With UVU trailing ISU by four runs in the last of the seventh inning, the Wolverines managed to drive home a pair of runs late runs to make things interesting. With Morgan Smith standing on third with two away, Tiani Hensley doubled to left for the first run of the frame. Brittney Vansway then immediately followed with an RBI double of her own to left-center to make it 5-3 ballgame. With the tying runner at the plate, Taleigh Williams then flew out to center to end the threat and the game.
 
Despite suffering the setback to Idaho State, Vansway paced the Wolverine offense by going 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a pair of walks, while Hensley was right behind her with a 1-for-3 outing of her own with an RBI double and a run scored.
 
UVU's Breezy Roth made a little history during Tuesday's game, as she became Utah Valley's all-time leader in getting hit by the pitch. After getting plunked in the third inning against the Bengals, Roth has now been hit by a pitch 13 times in her career to pass Meghan Yocom's previous mark of 12.
 
Brianna Gatlin leads the Wolverines offensively on the season with a .314 batting average, 11 doubles and 23 walks. Vansway is next for UVU with a .286 clip, four home runs and 21 RBIs, while Kellee Ramsey paces the pitching staff with a 5.31 ERA and a 1-5 record.
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
UMKC will enter the weekend with a 16-18 overall record and in second place in league play with a 5-1 WAC record. The Kangaroos have won eight of their last nine ballgames after taking two of three from Grand Canyon, sweeping a three-game series over CSU Bakersfield, splitting a doubleheader at South Dakota and sweeping one at South Dakota State. The 'Roos were picked to finish fourth in the WAC this season after finishing third in league play a year ago with a 7-7 conference clip.
 
Three-time WAC Player of the Week Katie Kelley leads the 'Roos in both hitting and pitching with a .382 batting average, six home runs and 39 RBIs, as well as a 3.25 ERA and a 7-9 win-loss record.
 
UMKC will enter the series holding a 7-3 all-time advantage over UVU. The 'Roos have won five of the last six meetings, including a three-game sweep in Orem last season.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Utah Valley will return home to welcome neighboring rival BYU to town on Wednesday, April 20. Following the midweek non-conference contest, the Wolverines will return to conference play against GCU at Wolverine Field next weekend (April 22-23).