LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas softball team won its home opener with a walk-off, 8-0 run-rule victory in the bottom of the sixth against the Creighton Bluejays at Arrocha Ballpark on Tuesday night.
With the win, KU’s extended its win streak to 10 games and improved its record to 13-5-1 on the season, 1-0 at home. The Creighton Bluejays fell to 11-7 on the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Kasey Hamilton took the mound for her ninth start of the season against the Bluejays. In the top of the first, Kansas recorded back-to-back foul outs and left one on base before switching to offense. The Jayhawks got their bats going as Anyslee Linduff got on base from a Creighton error and Lyric Moore nailed a single to right. Linduff and Moore scored off a Campbell Bagshaw single and Ashlyn Anderson brought Bagshaw home thanks to a RBI single for a 3-0 Jayhawk lead going into the second inning.
• The Jayhawks went three-up-three-down as Hamilton capped off the top of the second inning with back-to-back strikeouts. Despite starting the inning with Sara Roszak and Angela Price making it on base off a walk and bunt, Kansas left both on base after three-straight flyouts.
• Hamilton earned two more strikeouts, with one batter retired looking, and Price dove for a low-hit ball to center field as Kansas held the Bluejays scoreless with two runners on base to end the scoring threat in the third.
• The Kansas defense earned a 1-2-3 fourth inning, including another Hamilton strike out as the Jayhawks entered the bottom of the fourth.
• A big fifth inning doubled Kansas’ score as Addison Purvis came off the bench and advanced Cripe, who drew a walk, to third on a double to left center. Another Bagshaw RBI single scored Cripe for the Jayhawks’ first run since the first inning. Purvis and Bagshaw came home on a pair of back-to-back RBIs from Anderson and Roszak. Kansas finished the fifth with three runs on two hits as it increased its lead to 6-0 as they entered the top of the sixth.
• The top of the sixth gave Hamilton her eighth strikeout of the game as she finished the inning with back-to-back strikeouts looking. The top of the lineup returned for the Jayhawks as Linduff singled to the left side and a strong hit up the middle by Moore found both of them on base. Purvis walked to load the bases up and pinch hitter Anna Soles came in and nailed a double to right-field, scoring Linduff and Moore to conclude the game with an 8-0 run-rule victory in the bottom of the sixth.
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Kasey Hamilton (4-4)
Final line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 SO
Loss: Patchen (0-1)
Final line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 SO
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Campbell Bagshaw finished with three RBIs, two hits and two runs. The entire stat line tied her season-high in all three categories. (RBIs, two times last vs. UC Riverside. Hits, three times last vs. UTSA (2/23/2024). Runs last vs. UTSA (2/23/2024).
QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“I loved that we came out here and took care of business. I thought Kasey (Hamilton) was exceptional in the circle. She was feeling really good. The biggest thing that I love was that we got some answers from our bench tonight. We had some kids step in when they got their names called and just smoked the ball. I love their focus and energy. I think that’s great momentum heading into the tough first weekend of conference against UCF.” – Head Coach Jennifer McFalls
“I went in pretty confident today. Wigs (Coach Wieligman) has been working with us on trusting our process and sticking with that. I went in, held myself up and was confident, it felt good. It was great, first game at home was a great way to start off the home season right.” – Campbell Bagshaw
• Kansas improved its win streak to 10, its longest since March 7-22, 2015.
• Kansas has outscored its opponents 107-50 so far this season.
• The Jayhawks earned their fifth run-rule victory of the season.
• Hamilton has thrown 28.0 consecutive scoreless innings, as this was her fourth-straight complete-game shutout in the circle.
• Bagshaw tied her career-high with three RBIs in the contest, which she has done three times this season.
• Soles set a new career-high with two RBIs in the sixth inning to help Kansas earn the run-rule victory.
UP NEXT
Kansas will head to Orlando, Florida, to compete in its first Big 12 Conference series of the season as the Jayhawks take on Big 12 newcomer UCF in a three-game series from March 8-10 at UCF Softball Complex. Fans can catch all the action on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+ or follow along live statistics throughout each contest.
