Settlemier stroked a two-out, two-run, bases-loaded single in the third inning as streaking Kansas University tripped Texas, 3-1, in Big 12 Conference softball Sunday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark.

“We’re hoping this says she’s coming out of it,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said.

Settlemier virtually carried the Jayhawks in March, leading the club in home runs and RBIs. Then the sophomore from Kelso, Wash., went into a prolonged slump after she stroked her 11th home run April 1.

Finally, Bunge felt she had to no choice.

“She wasn’t hitting at all, and sometimes you just need to be sat to get your head clear,” Bunge said.

Settlemier hated the benching.

“I don’t like to sit,” Settlemier said. “I’ve always played. But it got me to calm down and relax.”

Settlemier had been trying to pull everything. Now she’s just trying to make contact. Her clutch two-run single in the third was a smoker up the middle.

“She was patient,” Bunge said. “She wasn’t fishing. That shows she’s not flying off with the bat.”

Settlemier’s phantom home run in Saturday’s 3-0 win over the Longhorns was almost straight-away. It cleared the fence between the scoreboard and the photo platform in centerfield. But her blast didn’t count because the first-base umpire ruled teammate Nettie Fierros had left the bag too soon.

Settlemier had crossed home plate and was accepting congratulations when she learned the home run had been waved off.

“I was a little disappointed to have it taken away, but it was not a big deal,” Settlemier said.

While Settlemier seems to have rediscovered her swing, senior pitcher Kara Pierce maintained her season-long constancy by allowing just four singles — two of them bunts — and fanning nine Longhorns.

“She kept them off-balance with off-speed stuff,” Bunge said, “and her drop ball was really moving.”

Texas scored its lone run in the seventh on the only walk Pierce surrendered, a throwing error by third baseman Fierros and a clean single by Tamara Poppe.

“I just hit my spots and tried to get the ball to move more,” Pierce said. “And I tried to mix up what I threw to their power hitters.”

Pierce struck out UT clean-up hitter Wynter Turner three times. Two weeks ago, Turner was named Big 12 player of the week after hitting .615 and driving in nine runs during a four-game win streak.

Now it’s the Jayhawks who are on a sizz. They’ve won three in a row, starting with Wednesday’s stunning 3-0 triumph at Nebraska.

“We’re doing amazing right now,” Pierce said. “We’re on a roll.”

A week ago, Kansas was languishing with a 3-10 league record. Now KU is 6-10 and has leapfrogged Texas (5-12) in the conference standings.

“The kids are walking on the field expecting good things to happen,” Bunge said. “There are no negative thoughts. It’s the same as it was early in the year. The biggest thing is we’re gaining momentum going into the Big 12 tournament.”

Kansas will play host to Iowa State on Saturday and Sunday, then head to Oklahoma City for the league tourney May 13-16.