15 April 2023
AUSTIN (KSNT) – In the team’s third-straight weekend series against a ranked opponent, Kansas softball traveled to No. 8 Texas Friday in the first game of a three-game series.
The Jayhawks pulled off the upset with heroics from local star Olivia Bruno – a Washburn Rural graduate – as KU took game one of the series 9-3.
The scoring started off Bruno’s bat in the first inning – a three-run homerun to left center to start the game up 3-0. Pitcher Kasey Hamilton took care of business in the bottom half of the inning with a three-up, three-down performance.
In the third inning, Bruno struck again. Again to left field, she hit a solo homerun to extend the lead to 4-0. A fielder’s choice and Savanna DesRochers single added two runs to the lead, putting the Jayhawks up 6-0.
In the fourth, Bruno walked on four pitches, not giving her a chance to get a third homer. Texas got a couple runs back in the bottom half on a double, cutting the Jayhawk lead to 6-2.
Errors from the Longhorns in the fifth inning got the runs back for Kansas, extending the lead to 8-2.
A Texas sacrifice fly scored a run back in the sixth, making the game 8-3.
In the seventh, the Jayhawks pushed their lead ack to six runs on a solo home run from Peyton Renzi.
Texas wasn’t able to score in the bottom of the eighth, as Kansas held on to a 9-3 victory.
Bruno finished 2-3 with two home runs, a walk and four RBI. Hamilton pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and five hits allowed.
The win moves KU’s record to 20-17, 2-6 in conference play. The Jayhawks are back in play against the Longhorns Saturday at 4:30 p.m.