🥎 Jayhawks Run Rule Stephen F. Austin, 8-0 in Five Innings

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Kansas Softball took down Stephen F. Austin, 8-0 to stay alive in the NISC Postseason Tournament on Monday morning at TC Colorado Field. 

The Jayhawks are now 18-35 overall while the Lady Jacks fall to 31-26 and are eliminated from the tournament. 

Kansas struck first in the opening frame and never looked back. Leadoff-hitter Shayna Espy had a triple and advanced home on a throwing error in her first at-bat. Ashlyn Anderson walked in her at-bat and came home when Olivia Bruno hit a home run to put Kansas up 3-0 in the bottom of the first. 

The Jayhawks held the Lady Jacks scoreless in the second and the third innings, before adding to their lead in the bottom of the third. 

Anderson had a home run in the bottom of the third to give Kansas a 4-0 advantage. In the same half inning, Lyric Moore had a three-run bomb that brought in Savanna DesRochers and Bruno. The Jayhawks held a 7-0 lead. 

Katie Brooks continued to work in the circle through the fourth, not letting the Lady Jacks score. The freshman threw four innings with four strikeouts. She gave up four hits but did not allow any runs to score. 

DesRochers came in to pitch the top of the fifth and shut Stephen F. Austin, which sent the game into the bottom of the fifth with an opportunity for the Jayhawks to send the Lady Jacks home. 

Kansas did just that. Shelby Gayre led off the inning getting on base from an error and Sophia Buzard came in as a pinch runner for her. Sara Roszak followed with a walk and Buzard advanced to second. Peyton Renzi had a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, before Haleigh Harper secured the Jayhawk win with an RBI single that brought in Buzard. 

Kansas won the game 8-0 and the game was concluded after the fifth inning due to the 8-run rule. 

Bruno led the offense as she was 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs and two RBI. Anderson was 1-for-1 with a home run, two runs and two walks. Moore was 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. 

Brooks got the win which moved her record to 8-7 overall this year. 

The Jayhawks will continue play tomorrow as they take on the winner of George Washington and Bowling Green. The game will be tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. CT and will be broadcast on FloSoftball.