Jayhawks Grab First Conference Victory, Split Series at Baylor

April 11, 2010

Box Score

WACO, Texas –

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An errant Baylor throw in the fifth inning allowed Kansas freshman Alex Jones to cross home plate and score what ultimately became the game-winning run as the KU softball team defeated No. 23 BU 2-1 to pick up its first Big 12 Conference victory of the season.

The Jayhawks improved to 17-22 overall and 1-7 in league play. KU lost on Saturday in the series opener to split the series with the Bears, who fell to 22-14, including 3-4 in the conference.

The win also marked Kansas’ first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 13/11 Oklahoma on April 11, 2009.

Senior Amanda Jobe scored Kansas’ first run in the top of the second inning. Freshman Maggie Hull hit a bases loaded, two-out single up the middle to plate Jobe, who led off the frame with a base on balls.

Baylor answered back in the bottom of the inning. With runners on first and third, BU’s Kayce Walker, who had reached base on an error, stole home when the Jayhawks attempted to catch the other runner going to second.

The Bears retired Kansas’ next six batters but in the fifth inning the Jayhawks capitalized on a BU error. With two outs, Jones hit a double to the gap between left and center field. She then moved over to third when freshman Rosie Hull’s grounder to third base, her first of two hits in the game, resulted in an errant throw to give Jones time to cross home plate.

Junior Allie Clark threw the complete game victory as she improved to 6-5 from the circle. In seven innings Clark allowed three hits and fanned two batters. On Saturday, Baylor was able to grab 14 hits versus the KU pitchers.

Three times BU had runners at third but each time Kansas made a play at the plate to tag out the runner. Of Baylor’s seven runners left on base, only two were in scoring position.

Kansas is back in action on Wednesday, April 14 when it hosts Nebraska in a single conference game at 5 p.m. The next day, the Jayhawks travel to Creighton for a non-conference twinbill.