With hot pitching and a home run smashed over the scoreboard, the Kansas softball program shut out Texas Tech 3-0 on Monday, giving the Jayhawks their first conference series win since 2019.
“I knew that going into this season, we were a different team,” Kansas coach Jennifer McFalls said. “We’re athletic, we have power in our lineup, we have speed and we have pitching depth. That’s what we have needed. We knew this series was going to be important for us, so I am so proud of their fight … and how they’re playing as a team.”
Kansas (22-21, 4-8 Big 12) took the lead early. In the first inning, freshman Presley Limbaugh reached second on an error by Texas Tech (30-19, 3-11 Big 12) and was brought home on a double by junior Lyric Moore, her 11th of the season and her 24th RBI.
Junior Kasey Hamilton struck out two and allowed three hits across four scoreless innings. Hamilton improved to 9-7 and is four strikeouts away from a milestone 250 for her career. Freshman Lizzy Ludwig relieved her in the fifth inning, striking out two Red Raiders and allowing three hits for the save.
A fourth-inning race to home plate by Kansas senior Ashlynn Anderson off a double by junior Aynslee Linduff extended KU’s lead to 2-0, and two innings later sophomore Olivia Bruno smashed a solo home run off the top of the scoreboard, bringing the score to what would be its final 3-0. Bruno holds a team-high eight home runs for the season.
The Big 12 series win — Kansas also blanked Texas Tech 1-0 on Sunday after a 1-6 loss on Saturday — was the Jayhawks’ first since facing Baylor, 9-8, 2-3 and 7-1 in in March of 2019.
Next up, Kansas opens a three-game series at No. 1 Oklahoma on Friday at 6 p.m.
