🥎 Jayhawks Upset No. 10 Oklahoma State
LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the first time since 2015, Kansas softball (17-9-0, 1-0-0) upset No. 10 Oklahoma State (24-5-0, 0-1-0) on Friday evening, 7-4, at Arrocha Ballpark.
Four Jayhawks recorded at least one hit, including two coming from Sydnee Ramsey, Morgyn Wynne and Tarin Travieso. Wynne and Madison Hirsch also clocked two RBIs a piece.
The Cowgirls got their leadoff runner on in the first inning and were able to move her around to score, taking a 1-0 lead.
The Jayhawks came alive in the third inning, ignited by great defense from redshirt junior Shelby Gayre. Gayre made a quick throw from behind the plate to catch OSU’s leadoff runner of the inning trying to steal second. Momentum continued to swing in favor of the Jayhawks with pitcher Tatum Goff striking out the next batter looking and rounded out with another quick out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Ramsey sent her second hit of the night through the middle. Brittany Jackson reached first on her bunt attempt, but Ramsey was ruled out at second. Wynne dropped a double into left center to advance Jackson to third. Gayre was the next batter up and drew a walk to load the bases.
With two outs, Jackson showed off her speed and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Wynne and Gayre were replaced with pinch runners, Angela Price and Sophie Buzard, both would score off an error by OSU’s third baseman to give the Jayhawks a 3-1 lead.
Oklahoma State scored one run in both the top of the fifth and the sixth to tie up the game, but KU took advantage of OSU defensive errors in the bottom of the sixth to reclaim the lead.
Action in the sixth began with Hirsch drawing a walk. Travieso singled with a bunt as Hirsch’s pinch runner, Peyton Renzi, advanced to second. Renzi took third on a misthrow by the catcher. With two on and two outs, Ramsey reached on an error by the third baseman to score Renzi and Travieso.
Play continued in the sixth with Jackson reaching on an error. With Ramsey and Jackson on, Wynne sent a double down the right-field line to bring in both and extend the Jayhawk lead to 7-3.
OSU would score once more in the top of the seventh but Kansas closed things out after a diving catch by Jackson in center to complete the upset with a 7-4 win.
Goff improves to 7-1 on the season and 1-0 in Big 12 play from the circle after throwing her seventh complete game of the year while striking out three batters.
Stat of the Game
Tonight’s win marks the first Kansas win over Oklahoma State since April 4, 2015 and the first Jayhawk win against the Cowgirls in Lawrence, Kansas since March 30, 2014.
Quoting Jennifer McFalls
“This team is finally starting to believe in what they are capable of doing. They are believing in themselves, their abilities and their game plans. They are competing on every pitch at the plate and in the circle. Tatum (Goff) did a great job tonight and never quit or got rattled. She trusted the team she had behind her on defense. I told them it was going to take our offense, defense and pitching to come together and that someone was going to have to make a great play and we saw that. I’m so proud of this team’s fight from the first inning through the seventh inning. Our goal tonight was to come out and start strong. We are taking every game one at a time and I’m proud that they won this battle tonight.”
Up Next
Kansas and Oklahoma State will meet again tomorrow, March 27, at 2 p.m. (CT) for the second game of the series at Arrocha Ballpark.
