🥎 Jayhawks Fall 2-0 to Oklahoma State at Big 12 Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Kansas was eliminated from the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship on Thursday, May 12, after falling 2-0 to No. 7/8 Oklahoma State in a competitive first-round matchup at USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City.

The loss drops Kansas 16-34 on the year while OSU advances to the semifinals of the tournament with a record of 39-12. 

The game was scoreless through four innings as both teams stranded multiple runners on base in the early innings. OSU loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but Kansas starting pitcher Kasey Hamilton forced an infield groundout to end the inning. The Jayhawks stranded single runners in the first and fourth innings and got the first extra-base hit with a two-out double from Cheyenne Hornbuckle in the fifth, but a flyout from Haleigh Harper ended KU’s threat.

A leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth jumpstarted OSU’s lone scoring inning as the Cowgirls used two stolen bases and a bunt single to have runners at second and third with no outs in the frame. A sacrifice fly scored the first run of the game for OSU and the Cowgirls got a second run on the same play as Chelsea Alexander stole home while Hamilton was returning to the circle. 

The Jayhawks got a leadoff single from Shayna Espy in the sixth, but were unable to advance her past first. Hamilton worked around two runners on base as she retired the side and sent KU to the seventh inning trailing 2-0.

Kansas got its first two runners on base in the seventh as Savanna DesRochers reached on a wild pitch and pinch hitter Angela Price was hit by a pitch. A groundout to second pushed both runners into scoring position with one out, but OSU retired the final two batters to end the game. 

The Jayhawks had four hits on the day, getting one apiece from Espy, Hornbuckle, Ashlyn Anderson and Lyric Moore on a day where neither team committed a fielding error. Kansas stranded six runners on base on the day, compared to seven left on by OSU.

Hamilton (7-19) was the pitcher of record for the Jayhawks after allowing two runs on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts in a complete-game effort.