Jayhawks’ Offense Propels 9-1 Victory over Texas
AUSTIN, Texas – Kansas’ offense blasted a season-high 14 hits, including three home runs, in a shortened 9-1 victory over Texas on Saturday night at McCombs Field. The Jayhawks season-best performance at the plate in the second game of the doubleheader halted KU’s four-game losing skid.
Kansas’ (28-17, 5-6 big 12) offense was ignited by three long balls in the first three innings, which resulted in a six runs and an early KU lead. The Jayhawks manufactured the final three runs with base hits, helping reach their season-best mark in hits.
In the first game of the Saturday’s doubleheader, senior shortstop Chaley Brickey hit her way closer to KU’s all-time double record, but in the second game she worked on chipping away at Kansas’ all-time home run record. Brickey led off the ballgame with a solo shot over the fence in left field, giving the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead. The infielder from Haltom City, Texas has 49 career long balls and needs six more to become KU’s home run leader.
Kansas has scored first in 28 of its 45 games in 2016, including two its last four contests. The Jayhawks own a 22-6 record when putting a run on the scoreboard before their opponents.
In the third, the Jayhawks hit a pair home runs to left field to extend Kansas’ lead, 6-0. Redshirt sophomore catcher Harli Ridling hit a three-run home run before sophomore third baseman Jessie Roane added two more KU runs with a long ball to left field.
KU continued the two-out rally in the third with back-to-back base hits from senior outfielder Briana Evans and junior infielder Taylor McElhaney. Brickey who led off the third with a double, drew a full-count walk to load the bases for senior outfielder Shannon McGinley. McGinley brought home Evans and McElhaney with a single to left field, as Kansas lead Texas, 8-0, heading into the bottom of the third.
Erin McGinley led off the fourth with a base hit for KU’s 11th hit of the game. The Jayhawks have recorded 10 or more hits in a single game on 10 occasions in 2016. Three of the 11 hits were home runs, marking the third time this year that Kansas has recorded three home runs in a ballgame.
In the bottom of the fourth, junior shortstop Devon Tunning put Texas on the scoreboard with a one-out RBI double to left field. The Longhorns continued to threaten, but Reid worked her way out of the inning and stranded a pair of UT runners as the frame came to a close.
With two outs in the fifth, Brickey hit the wall in left centerfield for her second double of the ballgame and third of the day. With three doubles on the day, Brickey now has 54 career doubles and needs five more to become KU’s all-time double leader. Shannon McGinley moved Brickey to third with a base hit, her third of the game, to right field. Sophomore first baseman Daniella Chavez brought Brickey home before the inning was retired with another base hit to right field. Kansas owned a 9-1 advantage over the Longhorns through four and half innings.
Although the offense stole the show during the second game of the doubleheader, Reid held her own in the circle. The rookie from Blue Springs, Missouri, threw her fifth complete game of the year in a one-run effort. Reid struck out one and gave one walk in the shortened game.
Aside from the one run in the fourth, Reid hurled four shutout innings of work in her 14th appearance of 2016. Her one-run effort dropped her ERA to 3.32 in a total of 57 innings pitched as a freshman. With the 9-1 run-rule victory, Reid improved to 4-6 on the year in the circle.
Up Next
Kansas concludes its three-game series at Texas on Sunday, May 1. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. on the Jayhawk Radio Network and the Longhorn Network.
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