Kansas Wins Back-and-Forth Battle Over UCF, 6-5, in Game One of the Big 12 Tournament

Thursday, May 7

Oklahoma City, Okla.

11 a.m. CT

University of Kansas

35-18

UCF

38-16-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Kansas	0	0	1	2	1	1	1	6	7	2
UCF	2	2	0	0	1	0	0	5	9	1

Kansas Wins Back-and-Forth Battle Over UCF, 6-5, in Game One of the Big 12 Tournament

5/7/2026 3:20:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – After trailing 4-0 in the second inning, Kansas rallied and scored in each of the last five innings to take a 6-5 win in game one of the Big 12 Softball Tournament at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park.

Kansas improves to 35-18 (15-10 Big 12) to advance to the second round of the Big 12 Conference Tournament. The Jayhawks will take on the winner of No. 1 Texas Tech and No. 8 Baylor on Friday at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

"We want to put ourselves in the best position to go fight for the Big 12 Championship," head coach Jennifer McFalls said. "If you want to beat the best, you have to play the best. Whatever that looks like tomorrow, we'll be ready for that."

The win for Kansas marks their first win in the Big 12 Conference Tournament since 2024, while their 35 wins are the most wins in a season since 2015 and the most Big 12 Conference wins in program history.

How It Happened | vs. UCF

Senior Presley Limbaugh led the game off with a single through the right side of the infield, but Kansas could not capitalize, stranding Limbaugh at first.
In the bottom of the first, UCF catcher Beth Damon gave the Knights a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run to left field.
After Kansas went down in order in the top of the second, UCF threatened with two hits, putting runners on second and third with one out. UCF scored two runs on a throwing error in the infield, stretching their lead to 4-0.
In the top of the third, junior Kadence Stafford was hit by a pitch, Limbaugh hit her second single of the game, and advanced to second on the throw to third, putting runners on second and third with one out for the Jayhawks. Junior Anna Soles then drove in Stafford and moved Limbaugh to third with a sacrifice fly out to left field. Kansas couldn't push another run across, making the score 4-1 heading into the bottom half of the third.
After giving up a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third, freshman Lila Partridge retired the next three UCF batters to keep the score 4-1 through three innings.
In the top of the fourth, with a runner on first base and one out, sophomore Ava Wallace launched a home run to right field to bring the Jayhawks within one run, 4-3.
UCF came back in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases with just one out. The next batter hit a ground ball to Stafford at third base, who turned a 5-3 double play to get the Jayhawks out of the jam and keep the score at 4-3 headed into the fifth.
Kansas picked up a pair of walks from Limbaugh and Soles to start the fifth inning off. Cripe then moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt, giving the Jayhawks runners at second and third with one out. Freshman Ella Boyer brought Limbaugh in from third with a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 4-4.
UCF threatened again in the bottom of the fifth, with runners on first and third and one out. Infielder Ashleigh Griffin gave the Knights a 5-4 lead with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Senior Aynslee Linduff led the top of the sixth off with a walk. Pinch running for Linduff, freshman Madi Hays was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Wallace. With two outs, Stafford hit a single to center field, scoring Hays from second and tying the game 5-5.
With junior Chloe Barber replacing Partridge in the circle in the bottom of the sixth, UCF put runners on second and third with two outs. Barber struck out the next UCF batter to end the inning and send the game into the seventh, tied 5-5.
Kansas kept the bats going in the top of the seventh, as Soles and Boyer each hit a single to put runners at first and second with one out. Senior Campbell Bagshaw hit an RBI single, scoring Soles from second and giving Kansas a 6-5 lead, needing three outs to send the Jayhawks into the next round.
In the bottom of the seventh, UCF got their leadoff batter on second after a flyball fell in shallow right field. The next batter grounded out to Cripe at shortstop, keeping the runner at second with one out. Barber then forced a pop-up to Soles in foul territory, giving Kansas two outs, with the runner still on second base. Barber ended the game with a strikeout, sending the Jayhawks into the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.

PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Chloe Barber (8-3)
Final Line: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
Loss: Lena Elkins (2-2)
Final Line: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 SO

Notables:

Senior Presley Limbaugh led off the game with a single, extending her on-base streak to 17 games. Her two hits in the game bring her total to a team-leading 66.
Sophomore Ava Wallace hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth, her third home run and 14th RBI of the season.
Freshman Ella Boyer drove in her team-leading 57th RBI with a game-tying sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
Junior Kadence Stafford picked up her 31st RBI with a single in the sixth inning. Stafford is one of six Jayhawks with 30 or more RBIs.
Freshman Lila Partridge threw five innings, giving up just three earned runs, her seventh start throwing at least five innings and giving up three or fewer earned runs.
With an RBI single in the sixth inning, senior Campbell Bagshaw picked up her 43rd hit and 37th RBI of the season, both career highs.
Kansas has recorded 360 runs this season, which is the most in a KU single season, surpassing the 331 runs during the 2015 season.
Kansas has hit 94 doubles on the season, a program record, passing the 2001 team's record of 81.
Kansas' 35 wins this season are the most since the 2015 season (40-15).
Kansas finished the 2026 home slate with 13 wins at Arrocha Ballpark, marking the most in a season since 2016, when Kansas had 17 home wins.
Kansas finished the regular season with 14 Big 12 Conference wins, which are the most by the Jayhawks in Big 12 Conference history. KU's previous high was 11 league wins, set two times prior (in 1997 and in 2024).
Kansas finished the regular season with four ranked wins this season, including No. 20 Arizona State (April 3, 11-7; April 4, 5-4), No. 24 UCF (April 19, 4-2), and No. 13 Oklahoma State (May 2, 10-1).
Kansas has 19 top 100 RPI wins, 11 top 50 RPI wins and five top 25 RPI wins entering the postseason.

Up Next:
The Jayhawks will take on the winner of No. 1 Texas Tech and No. 8 Baylor in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+.