The Kansas softball team on Friday morning picked up its first victory in the Big 12 Championship tournament since 2007, and it came against a top-10 ranked team in the country.
KU’s reward for an 8-7 victory over Oklahoma State was another game on Friday afternoon against a powerhouse Texas team that was ranked No. 10 in the country.
The Longhorns ended the Jayhawks’ tournament hopes.
KU lost to Texas, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, 9-1 in Oklahoma City.
But KU created some good memories getting to that game. The No. 6 seeded Jayhawks’ victory over Oklahoma State started on Thursday but finished on Friday after a weather delay.
In a game that took so long to complete, it might be fitting that KU saved its best until the very end. Down two runs heading into the final inning, KU scored four runs on four hits in the decisive seventh inning to take a 8-6 lead over Oklahoma State, which entered the game as the No. 8 ranked team in the country.
Center fielder Shayna Espy had the go-ahead RBI for the Jayhawks. It capped a big day at the plate for KU’s No. 9 hitter who went 3 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI.
Standout shortstop Haleigh Harper also knocked in two runs for the Jayhawks and scored a run as well.
Oklahoma State got a couple hits in its half of the seventh inning and cut the lead to 8-7. But KU pitcher Lizzy Ludwig closed the game out and got the win after giving up only two runs in 3 1/3 innings. She got the final out of the game with an Oklahoma State runner on third.
Kansas, which was not ranked in the national top 25 entering the tournament, moved its overall record to 25-27 with the win against Oklahoma State and the loss against Texas.
With the loss, Kansas faces long odds to make the 64-team NCCA tournament. The Jayhawks finished tied for last in the seven-team Big 12 team conference, but got the No. 6 seed in the tournament due to some tie breakers. Despite the standings, KU finished the season with the program’s most conference wins since 2016.
During conference play, KU finished with wins against Baylor when it was ranked No 21 in the country and Texas when it was ranked No. 8 in the country. In nonconference play, KU picked up a win against Wichita State when it was ranked No. 18 in the country.