Rare is the day when Kassie Humphreys struggles in the circle.

Saturday, however, was one of those days for Kansas University’s standout senior softball pitcher.

“It’s really frustrating because I felt good,” Humphreys said after Baylor pounded the Jayhawks, 8-2, at Arrocha Ballpark. “It was a harsh environment, but that’s not an excuse.”

Humphreys (12-4) had to pitch into a chilly wind that churned incessantly out of the southwest.

“When the wind is blowing 20 to 30 miles an hour like that,” Humphreys said, “it’s very difficult.”

Humphreys surrendered only five hits during her five-inning stint, but two of them were home runs, and neither was wind-aided.

Courtney Oberg slammed a two-run homer over the right-center-field fence in the fourth, and Chelsi Lake launched a three-run moon shot that soared over the scoreboard in left-center and landed on the football practice field.

“I left those pitches up, and they got on my mistakes,” Humphreys said.

Baylor pitcher Lisa Ferguson had less difficulty with the wind. Ferguson, the reigning Big 12 Conference pitcher of the week, allowed seven hits, but all were singles.

Baylor's Tiffany Wesley, left, slides past third base in an attempt to get by the tag of Kansas University's Val Chapple. Baylor beat the Jayhawks, 8-2, Saturday at Arrocha Ballpark.

“She did a real good job of getting ahead of hitters,” Humphreys said of her Baylor counterpart. “I’d fall behind and then have to come in. That was my problem.”

Humphreys walked three Bears while Ferguson (15-4) allowed no free tickets.

Lake’s towering three-run homer in the fifth gave Baylor a seemingly insurmountable 7-0 lead, yet the Jayhawks didn’t wilt, rallying for a couple of runs in the bottom of the inning.

“I guess we didn’t really feel like they were up that much on us,” said senior first baseman Nicole Washburn, who drove in one of the runs with a ground single to left. “I really felt we were going to come back.”

Kansas' Sarah Vertelka pitches against Baylor Saturday afternoon. Kansas lost to Baylor 8-2 Saturday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark.

So did coach Tracy Bunge.

“I liked our fight,” Bunge said. “Our kids got right back in the game. I’ve said before how much I like this team. I like their spunk, and I like their energy.”

Nevertheless, the Jayhawks couldn’t match the Bears’ three-homer salvo that concluded with Ashley Monceaux’s solo smash in the seventh.

“I hate to lose as much as anybody,” Bunge said. “But today we got beat by home runs. In every other way we were in the ball game.”

Humphreys and outfielder Ally Stanton accounted for four of KU’s seven hits with a pair of singles apiece.

Baylor, ranked No. 12 and No. 16 in this week’s college polls, posted its 33rd victory in 41 outings and remained unbeaten in the Big 12 at 3-0. Kansas is 25-10-1 and 2-1 in the league.

The finale of the two-game series is scheduled for noon today, with sophomore Valerie George (8-2) likely to pitch for the Jayhawks.

“Baylor is a very good offensive team,” Bunge said. “We have to minimize our pitching mistakes.”