🥎 No. 1 Sooners Top Jayhawks in Final Home Game of Season

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Softball dropped the final game of a three-game series to No. 1 Oklahoma, 9-1, on Sunday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark.

Kansas fell to 15-31 on the season and 2-13 in Big 12 play. The No. 1 Sooners improved to 45-1 and 14-1 the league.

Sophomore Kasey Hamiltion started in the circle and threw three scoreless innings to start the game and hold the high-powered Sooners offense at bay. 

In the second inning, the Jayhawks made two stellar defensive plays behind Hamilton to force the Sooners to leave two runners on. Junior Haleigh Harper started things off with a full extension dive to rob a line drive, followed by a double play by the Jayhawks that third baseman Madison Hirsch started. The Jayhawks carried their momentum in their at-bats, with a lead off single by Olivia Bruno, however, Kansas couldn’t bring her around to take the lead.

The Jayhawks left the Sooners scoreless in the third inning, thanks to another strong inning from Hamilton. Junior Shayna Espy started the Jayhawks off with a double to right center in the bottom half of the inning, but she was stranded at second.

The Sooners plated three runs each in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-0 lead on the Jayhawks. Grace Lyons got things started for the Sooners with a single to left field, followed by a single by Lynnsie Elam and a double by Jana Johns.

In the sixth inning, Bruno got things started for the Jayhawks with a double to right center. Peyton Renzi came in to pinch-run for Bruno and Cheyanne Hornbuckle reached first on a walk, putting two runners on for Harper, who singled to left field, scoring Renzi, and making the score 7-1 Sooners.

Oklahoma added two more runs to their score and kept the Jayhawks scoreless in the 7th inning, concluding the game 9-1. 

Bruno went 2-for-3 with a single to right field and a double to right center. The freshman slugger is now batting .357 in conference games this season, which leads Kansas. Harper went 1-for-1 with an RBI single to left field to go with a walk and a sacrifice bunt. Hamilton threw her second complete game of the weekend.

The Jayhawks will travel to Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State next week in a three-game series. First pitch for game one is set for Friday, May 6 at 4 p.m. CT.