Kansas drops Big 12 opener at Texas, 10-2
AUSTIN, Texas — Kansas softball lost the first game of a Big 12-opening three-game series with Texas, 10-2, on Friday at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
Kansas (23-8) made some noise in the top of the first inning as senior Erin McGinley hit a one-out double deep to right-center and senior Harli Ridling drew a walk. But the senior duo was the first of three Jayhawks left on base.
In the bottom of the first, junior pitcher Andie Formby (10-3) allowed an earned run for the first time in six appearances in the circle — a span of 30.2 innings as Texas (14-13) jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning.
Bekah Alcozer finished with four RBIs and Kaitlyn Washington was 3 for 3 at the plate to lead a Longhorns offense that scored seven runs in the first inning and three runs in the second inning to take a 10-0 lead. Brooke Bolinger (5-4), who earned win in the circle for UT, retired 10-straight Jayhawks through the fourth inning.
Junior pitcher Brynn Minor threw the final two-thirds of an inning for the Jayhawks in bottom of the fourth inning. Minor inherited two runners on base in a relief situation and allowed a single before retiring the last two batters and leave the bases loaded for the Longhorns.
The final batter Minor faced was her former teammate at Butler County (Kan.) Community College, Ki’Audra Hayter, in which she forced a foul out to right field to end the fourth inning. Minor and Hayter won the 2017 NJCAA national title during their one season together at Butler County.
After a Texas pitching change in the top of the fifth inning, Kansas warmed up its bats with two runs batted in during pinch-hitting situations.
Junior Sam Dellinger and freshman Shelby Gayre lead off the fifth with a single and a double, respectively, to put runners at second and third base. Junior Jennifer Marwitz pinch hit in the seventh spot in the lineup and notched her first RBI of the season, scoring Dellinger from third on an infield groundout. Senior Annie Mehringer pinch hit in the eighth spot to record KU’s third hit of the fifth inning to drive in Gayre for a 10-2 score.
Kansas was one run shy of avoiding a run-rule shorted game as Texas reentered starting pitcher Brooke Bolinger to record the final out of the contest in the top of the fifth.
UP NEXT
Kansas and Texas continue a three-game series on Saturday at noon from McCombs Field.
FOLLOW
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
