Kansas falls to No. 14 Baylor, 6-1

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas took an early lead over No. 14 Baylor, but the Lady Bears stormed back and scored six unanswered runs to take the first game of the series over the Jayhawks, 6-1, on Saturday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark at Rock Chalk Park.
 
Baylor (27-5, 1-0 Big 12) applied pressure in the opening frame and in no time at all loaded the bases. Despite the bases being full of Lady Bears, KU’s starter Sarah Miller worked her way out of the jam and recorded the final two outs to get out of the inning.
 
A pair of singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Kansas (18-13, 0-1 Big 12) in the bottom of the first inning. With the bases loaded, Kansas capitalized and scored the go ahead run on a fielding error by Baylor’s second baseman Ari Hawkins. Baylor answered in the next half inning and scored the equalizing run on a fielding error. Following BU’s run, Miller turned two and induced a groundout to get out of the frame without further harm. Miller dropped to 3-3 on the season after giving up 11 hits and two earned runs. 
 
Baylor took its first lead of the ballgame in the third inning. Two Lady Bears crossed home plate on an infield single and an error. After two more Baylor runs came home, senior hurler Sophia Templin took over in the circle and ended BU’s threat in the third. The Lady Bears headed to the bottom half of the frame with a 3-1 lead.
 
In the fourth, Baylor loaded the bases for the third time in the game, but Templin got out of the jam without a run crossing home plate. Kansas headed to the bottom of the fourth frame trailing BU, 3-1.
 
After allowing an unearned run in the first, Baylor’s starter Kelsee Selman silenced KU’s offense and tossed six-straight shutout innings. She gave up four hits and struck out eight, while improving to 14-2 in the circle with the victory.
 
The Lady Bears extended their lead late in the game with three solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Baylor took a 6-1 lead into the bottom half of the sixth frame. Although Miller was able to a 1-2-3 seventh frame, KU’s offense couldn’t find an answer in the bottom half of the inning. The Lady Bears took the first game of the doubleheader, 6-1.

UP NEXT
Kansas continues it three-game Big 12 series with No. 14 Baylor on Saturday, march 25 at 4:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Television Network and the Jayhawk Radio Network.

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