🥎 Kansas Splits Day Two in College Station

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Kansas Softball Team split action on day two of the Texas A&M Invitational on Saturday at Davis Diamond. The day started with an 8-0 victory over Missouri State. 

Despite a late rally, Kansas fell 3-2 in its game against Pittsburgh in the night cap.

Game 1 – Kansas 8, Missouri State 0

The Kansas Jayhawks started their second day at the Texas A&M Invitational with hot bats and well-placed pitching. 

The game began with the Jayhawks making quick work of Missouri State with a 1-2-3 inning and starting pitcher Kasey Hamilton recording her first strikeout of the game. 

Kansas started the scoring in the bottom of the second. Shelby Gayre led off the inning with a walk and Madison Hirsch followed with a single. Olivia Bruno hit another single to load the bases with no outs and Savanna DesRochers up to bat. 

DesRochers had a two-RBI single to bring home Gayre and Hirsh. She advanced to second on the throw and Bruno went to third, so Kansas still had two runners in scoring position with no outs. 

Cheyenne Hornbuckle kept the streak going with a single to bring in Bruno and put DesRochers on third. Haleigh Harper stepped up to the plate and brought DesRochers home with the Jayhawks’ fifth straight hit of the inning. 

In the bottom of the third, Kansas’ first three batters walked so the bases were loaded with no outs. Bruno grounded out to third but advanced the runners and Ashlyn Anderson came home. DesRochers was up next and reached on an error by Missouri State’s third baseman to load the bases again. 

Hornbuckle singled to right field and brought home Gayre to put the Jayhawks up 6-0. 

Hamilton recorded her second and third strikeouts of the game in the top of the fourth and the Jayhawks completed another 1-2-3 inning. 

Omli led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and Anderson followed with a walk to put two on and outs. Gayre grounded out, but advanced the runners. Hirsch followed and also grounded out, but Omli came home and gave the Jayhawks a 7-0 lead. 

DesRochers led off in the bottom of the fifth and hit her first home run of the season. With that, she gave the Jayhawks an 8-0 lead over the Bears, forcing the game to end because of a run-rule. 

DesRochers led the offense as she went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Hornbuckle followed as she went 2-for-2 with two RBI. Hamilton earned her second win of the season and recorded five strikeouts in five innings. 

Game 2 – Kansas 2, Pittsburgh 3

The Jayhawks’ late rally against Pittsburgh was not enough as they fell to the Panthers. 

It was a pitching matchup between two freshmen, Katie Brooks in the circle for the Jayhawks. Brooks threw four scoreless innings and recorded three strikeouts. In the bottom of the fifth, Pittsburgh pulled ahead as it scored three runs. 

DesRochers came in to pitch in the sixth and did not let up any more runs, but the Jayhawks went into their last inning down 3-0.

Bruno got the momentum going in the seventh with a single and Hornbuckle followed with a single as well. With two outs, Espy walked to load the bases. Omli stepped up to the plate. She singled and brought in two runs, both Bruno and Hornbuckle which put the score at 3-2. This was the closest the Jayhawks would come as the next at-bat was the final out of the game. 

Omli led the Kansas offense going 2-for-3 with two RBI. 

Up Next

The Jayhawks will finish up their run in the Texas A&M Invitational tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. CT as they look for redemption against the host Aggies.