LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas’ softball pitching staff threw a second-straight shutout and sophomore Olivia Bruno crushed a home run over the scoreboard to give KU a 3-0 rubber match victory over Texas Tech Monday.
The Jayhawks improved to 22-21 (4-8 Big 12) and the Red Raiders dropped to 30-19 (3-11 Big 12). This is the Jayhawks first conference series win since March 30-31, 2019 vs. Baylor.
“I knew that going into this season, we were a different team,” Kansas Head Coach Jennifer McFalls said. “We’re athletic, we have power in our lineup, we have speed and we have pitching depth. That’s what we have needed. We knew this series was going to be important for us, so I am so proud of their fight right and how they’re playing as a team.”
In the bottom of the first inning, KU freshman left fielder Presley Limbaugh led-off the game, reaching second base on an error by Texas Tech. Junior catcher Lyric Moore doubled down the left field line to bring home Limbaugh and give Kansas the early 1-0 lead. It was Moore’s 11th double of the season and her 24th RBI.
In the bottom of the fourth, right fielder Aynslee Linduff doubled up the middle after Ashlynn Anderson led-off with a single to left field. Anderson was able to cross home plate on a close call at the dish to extend the Jayhawks lead to 2-0.
Junior left hander Kasey Hamilton had two strikeouts and allowed three hits in four scoreless innings. With the win, Hamilton improved to 9-7. Hamilton is four strikeouts away from reaching her milestone of 250 strikeouts in her career and has 84 strikeouts on the season.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Bruno smashed one off the top of the scoreboard for a solo home run to increase Kansas’ lead 3-0. Bruno has a team-high eight home runs this season.
Freshman right hander Lizzy Ludwig came in the fifth inning and kept her stellar pitching performance going against the Red Raiders. In her third appearance of the series, Ludwig pitched three innings, tallying two strikeouts while allowing three hits, earning the save.
The win was the Jayhawks second–consecutive shutout against the Red Raiders and its sixth shutout victory this season.
Moore finished the day with two hits in three at-bats and one RBI, while five other Jayhawks also recorded a hit.
UP NEXT:
Kansas 22-21 (4-8 Big 12) hits the road for a series against No. 1 Oklahoma 42-1 (12-0 Big 12) on April 28-30. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT on Big 12 NOW on Friday, April 28.
NOTES:
- Jayhawks held the Red Raiders to 16 straight scoreless innings in the series victory.
- Lizzy Ludwig recorded her fourth save of the season, which ranks second in the Big 12.
- With her two hits, Moore now has nine multi-hit games.
- Moore had four hits in the three games she started against the Red Raiders and is on a four-game hitting streak dating back to April 19th at Missouri.
