Courtesy of Kansas Athletics
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Kansas softball defeated Missouri State 9-0 in six innings for its 10th shutout victory of the season Wednesday at Killian Sports Complex.
Junior pitcher Katie Brooks, from Bolivar, Missouri, threw five scoreless innings while allowing just two hits along with three strikeouts as she improved to 12-3 on the season. Nine different Jayhawks recorded a hit as Kansas improved to 27-14-1, while Missouri State fell to 10-28.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Kansas got out to a hot start early. In the first at-bat of the game, sophomore Presley Limbaugh singled up the middle and reached second after a groundout to first. Sophomore Hailey Cripe was intentionally walked and with two outs, then junior designated player Olivia Bruno hit her second home run of the season to put Kansas up 3-0 early.
- The Jayhawks added to their run total in the secondinning. Freshman September Flanagan hit a solo home run to left, the first hit of her career, to extend KU’s lead to 4-0 heading into the bottom of the second.
- KU added another run in the third to make it three-straight innings with a run scored. Senior Lyric Moore opened the frame with a single but was thrown out on a fielder’s choice that gave Cripe first. After Cripe stole second and Bruno drew a walk, sophomore Campbell Bagshaw hit a single to left to increase the lead to 5-0.
- Kansas would extend its lead again in the fifth frame. Cripe got on base first with a single and was followed up by a single from Bruno to put runners on first and second. With two outs, sophomore Emma Tatum doubled to right center to give Kansas a 7-0 lead.
- The Jayhawks put themselves into run-rule territory in the top of the sixth. Senior Katie Gee opened the frame with a walk, followed by a double from senior Sophia Buzard to put runners on second and third. AnRBI single by freshman Abby Carsley scored Gee from third to give Kansas an 8-0 lead with runners on the corners. Cripe lined out to third, but a wild throw from the third baseman gave Buzard the run to increase KU’s lead to nine.
- Brooks got her 17th start of the season. She threw five scoreless innings with three strikeouts and two hits before senior Addison Purvis came in as relief in the sixth. Purvis continued the KU pitching domination, as she struck out the first two batters she faced before forcing a popup to give Kansas the shutout, run-rule victory.
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Katie Brooks (12-3)Final line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SOLoss: Gracie Johnson (2-14)Final line: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 3 SO
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Bruno hit her second home run of the season as she went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI as the designated player. Her two hits tied her season high as she is just one home run away from breaking into the Kansas career top-10 list, currently at 23.
QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“We did exactly what we needed to do today. Katie Brooks took care of business in the circle, giving up only two hits. It was a great homecoming for her. She had a lot of fans here, which always adds pressure sometimes. It was a big night for Olivia Bruno. She needed that more than anything, with the three RBI and 2-for-3 performance. Now our focus is on Texas as we get ready for a big weekend at home.” – Kansas Head Coach Jennifer McFalls
“I felt pretty good today. The team has really just been behind me this whole time. Honestly, it was because of them, they’ve had my back this whole time. We came here to finish business and that’s what we did” – Olivia Bruno
- Kansas’ 27 wins this season are the most since 2018 when the team went 27-25.
- Kansas earned its 10th shutout victory and its seventh run-rule win of the season.
- With her single in the first at-bat of the game, Limbaugh increased her hitting streak to nine, her longest hitting streak this season.
- Bruno hit her second home run of the season in the first, which put her at 23 total home runs throughout her career. Bruno is now one home run shy of cracking the Kansas top-10 of the all-time career home run list.
- Flanagan recorded her first hit as a Jayhawk in the second inning, as she touched all of the bases for a home run.
UP NEXT
Kansas will host its second three-game series against the No. 1 team in the nation this season as it welcomes No. 1 Texas to Arrocha Ballpark from April 19-21. All three games will be streamed via Big 12 Now on ESPN+, and fans can purchase tickets here.