🥎 Kansas Run-Rules North Dakota State to Close Out Texas A&M Invitational

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Kansas softball team defeated North Dakota State 15-6 via run-rule Sunday morning at Davis Diamond in College Station to finish the weekend 5-0. Eleven different Jayhawks recorded a hit in the contest.

After starting slow offensively and defensively, KU extended its win-streak to six games, its longest since Feb. 21-29, 2020, and improved to 9-5-1 on the season. North Dakota State fell to 6-11.

Kansas gave up six runs in the first two innings but did not allow another. The majority of KU’s runs came in the fourth and fifth inning, when Kansas scored eight unanswered.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Kansas gave up five runs on five hits in the top of the first.
• The Jayhawks answered with one run in the bottom of the first when Lyric Moore walked and scored on a Hailey Cripe triple down the left field line to scoring Moore to cut the NDSU lead 5-1.
• North Dakota State added a run in the second to go up 6-1 off KU starter Katie Brooks. Brooks threw three innings with four strikeouts.
• Kansas got itself back in the scoring column in the third. Aynslee Linduff singled to center which was followed by a Moore walk. After they both advanced a base off a wild pitch, Olivia Bruno came up clutch with a hard-hit single to right to make KU’s deficit 6-3.
• The Jayhawks continued to rally in the fourth. After Ashlyn Anderson earned a single, Price drew a walk and Limbaugh smoked a double to left center to score Anderson from second and put runners on second and third. Moore kept her foot on the gas with a two-run single to right to tie the game at 6-6.
• KU kept its momentum in the fifth as the Jayhawks were able to load the bases thanks to a Campbell Bagshaw single, Sara Roszak reaching on a fielder’s choice and a Price single. Limbaugh then drew a walk to bring in the go-ahead run and which gave KU its first lead of the contest. Linduff reached first on a NDSU fielding error to bring in another run and was followed up by a Moore two-run single to extend Kansas’ lead to 10-6. Cripe continued KU’s hot streak in the fifth with a RBI single to give the Jayhawks an 11-6 lead.
• Kansas scored four more in the bottom of the sixth, which led to a 15-6 run-rule. Head Coach Jennifer McFalls brought in four-straight pinch hitters in Emma Tatum, Abby Carsley, Katie Gee and Anna Soles. Tatum, Carsley and Soles all recorded singles, and a Moore triple to clear the bases to end the contest.
• In the circle, Bruno (1-1) picked up her first win of the season relieving Brooks. Bruno would throw two innings and gave up no hits or runs. Kasey Hamilton made her eighth appearance of the season, throwing a scoreless sixth inning.

PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Olivia Bruno (1-1)
Final line: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 SO
Loss: Savy Williams (1-4)
Final line: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 SO

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Moore went 3-for-3 at the plate, including a team-high six RBI and a triple, her second of the season. Her six RBI were a career-high.

QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“It was a little bit of a rough start this morning. But, that’s a part of the game. Sunday’s are always tough. You’re tired, 9 o’clock game, but we can’t have any excuses. The thing I’m most proud of is that our offense really picked us up today. That’s gotta happen on the days when your pitching and defense aren’t there. Love our fight and where we’re at, but we still have work to do.” – Head Coach Jennifer McFalls

“We just went in with a gameplan and Coach Wigs (Rich Wieligman) told us what we were looking for. We started off really flat and I just wanted to be that igniting piece for us, because we all bounce off of each other.” – Lyric Moore

• Kansas extended its win-streak to six, which is the program’s longest win-streak since Feb. 21-29, 2020.
• Kansas scored a season-high 15 runs off a season-high 15 hits.
• Soles produced her first career hit in the bottom of the sixth, helping Kansas get to its 15-6 run-rule win.
• Moore produced a career-high six RBI in the contest, as she went 3-3 at the dish with a triple. Her three hits were also a season-high.

UP NEXT
Kansas will stay on the road as it heads to Tennessee to take on Austin Peay on Feb. 29 at Cathi Maynard Park in Clarksville, before taking the quick trip to Nashville to compete against Belmont at E.S. Rose Park in a three-game series from March 1-2. KU will open its home portion of the season against Creighton on March 5.