🥎 Jayhawks Drop Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals Matchup to No. 4 Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The seventh seeded Kansas Jayhawks dropped their Big 12 Quarterfinals matchup to the second seeded Oklahoma Sooners 10-1 Thursday at ODE Energy Field at Devon Park.

Kansas was the first to score, but the Sooners, ranked No. 4 nationally, jumped out to a big lead early and didn’t look back as they run-ruled the Jayhawks in five innings. Kansas fell to 28-25-1 while Oklahoma improved to 47-6.

Kansas will await its postseason fate as the 64-team NCAA Tournament will be finalized this Sunday with the NCAA Selection Show set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Kansas got in the scoring column first in the top of the first inning. Presley Limbaugh and Aynslee Linduff opened the game with back-to-back singles before Lyric Moore followed with a single of her own to bring Limbaugh home with no outs. However, Kansas left runners stranded on third and second as it took a 1-0 lead into the bottom half of the first.
• The Sooners answered right back in the bottom of the first. After loading the bases with a pair of walks and a single, OU doubled to right to bring in two runs. Oklahoma added three more with a sacrifice fly to right, its second double of the inning and scoring before a runner was caught stealing to take a 5-1 lead into the second.
• Oklahoma didn’t let up in the second. It added three runs, which began with a home run to left. After two singles, a Kansas error brought it OU’s second run of the inning before a wild pitch scored the third run of the frame as Oklahoma took an 8-1 lead into the third.
• The Jayhawks had a chance to cut into OU’s lead in the third. Limbaugh drew a walk and was called safe at second after Linduff forced a fielder’s choice. Both runners were moved a base but were left stranded at third and second.
• The Sooners added two more in third. OU started the inning with a double and a walk. After a strikeout, Oklahoma doubled again to extend its lead to 10-1 before Kansas got the last two outs of the inning.

PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Kelly Maxwell (17-2)
Final line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SO
Loss: Lizzy Ludwig (0-3)
Final line: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 0 SO

QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“I think we built a really good resume and we had a lot of great games early on that, hopefully, the committee will look at and see the body of work that we’ve done. The Big 12 is really tough this year, and hopefully they look at our strength of schedule and those last few weekends were just a gauntlet for us. I hope we have a chance, just for this team’s sake, to experience postseason and see new opponents. I think if we get the opportunity we would do really well.” – Head Coach Jennifer McFalls

• Moore caught a runner stealing in the first to put her season total at 13, which leads the Big 12.
• With her single in the first, Limbaugh increased her hitting streak to seven, her second-longest this season.
• Linduff singled in the first to increase her hitting streak to six.