No one would have known by the look on her face late Wednesday afternoon that Kansas’ Kara Pierce had just pitched the best game of her life.

She seemed sort of cheery when asked what it felt like to toss her first career no-hitter  a 4-0 KU victory in its Big 12 conference opener against Oklahoma State at Jayhawk Field  but something was missing.

Pierce’s smile.

It’s that big, charismatic one in the team’s media guide that sparkles next to Pierce’s own self-describing words  “Passionate, spunky and smiley.”

It was there, beaming early on Wednesday, when Pierce was dominating the Cowgirls as she pitched seven hitless innings, striking out five on her way to her seventh victory of the season.

But it quickly vanished because OSU’s batters finally caught up to Pierce when she came on in relief in the second game.

Pierce yielded three hits in three innings and all three were Cowgirl bombs to left-field as OSU scored all four of its runs on homers in a 4-1 victory.

“I was really eager in that second game,” said Pierce, the Big 12’s Freshman of the Year last season. “I thought I’d come out and keep it going. I didn’t. I let a few balls hang and they made me pay.”

Oklahoma State (20-9 overall, 1-1 Big 12) sure did as the second game became a complete reversal from the first.

Kansas (16-11, 1-1) did it all  offensively, defensively and on the mound  in the first part of the day’s doubleheader.

The Jayhawks pounded out 11 hits, led by Leah Tabb’s 3-for-3 performance and Shelly Musser’s two RBIs. KU had no errors either and of course, there was Pierce’s pitching performance  the first Kansas no-hitter since March 13, 1994 when Beth Robinson and Tiffany Blood combined for one against UMKC.

“Kara was outstanding in the first game,” said KU coach Tracy Bunge. “We are starting to see the Kara Pierce we saw during the second half of last season. That’s when she’s at her best, when she’s making them look stupid, missing by two-feet.”

But as dominant as Kansas was in its first Big 12 outing of the season, OSU provided the match in the second billing.

Pitcher Lauren Bay, who was ejected after one pitch in the opening game because of an illegal substitution, was nearly as perfect as Pierce.

Bay struck out 14 in seven innings and provided the first of the four Cowgirls’ home runs with her solid shot to left.

Kansas 4, Oklahoma State 0

Oklahoma State (19-9, 0-1) 000 000 0 Â 0 0 2

Kansas (16-10, 1-0) 030 010 x  4 11 0

Lauren Bay, Cami Carter (1) and Ryan Realmuto. Kara Pierce and Dani May.

W Â Pierce (7-4). L Â Carter (8-4). 2B Â Leah Tabb, KU. 3B Â Tabb, Christi Musser, KU.

Oklahoma State 4, Kansas 1

Oklahoma State (20-9, 1-1) 010 201 0 Â 4 6 1

Kansas (16-11, 1-1) 010 000 0 Â 1 2 1

Lauren Bay and Ryan Realmuto. Kelly Campbell, Pierce (3), Serena Settlemier (6) and Dani May.

W Â Bay (12-5). L Â Campbell (2-3). HR Â Bay, Megan Carey, Jade Lindly 2, OSU.