Houston ? Kansas University’s softball team collected eight runs off 14 hits to go 2-0 on the first day of the Houston Invitational on Friday.

KU sophomore Amanda Jobe hit her second home run of the season in the Jayhawks’ 4-2 victory over Texas State on Friday morning, then freshman Allie Clark threw six shutout innings in a 4-0 shutout of Centenary in the afternoon.

In the first game, junior pitcher Valerie George earned the win with four innings in relief of starter Sarah Vertelka. George (3-1) allowed just one hit and struck out four.

An error by Kansas in the bottom of the second inning proved costly for the Jayhawks as two Texas State runners reached home plate after a wide throw to first.

The Bobcats’ lead was short-lived. Jobe homored in KU’s next at-bat to bring in a pair of runs and tie the game at 2.

Junior Stevie Crisosto helped give the Jayhawks their first lead in the top of the fourth. After reaching on a fielder’s choice and advancing Brittany Hile to third in the process, Crisosto rounded first, distracting Texas State to allow Hile to sneak across home plate.

Kansas added another run in the top of the fifth to add a two-run cushion to its lead. Elle Pottorf was hit by pitch with bases loaded to allow Betsy Wilson, who had also reached after being hit with a pitch, to score.

Against Centenary, Clark allowed four hits and struck out three in her six innings.

KU collected nine hits against Centenary.

Addy Lucero collected her first career RBI with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second.

Kansas added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when senior Betsy Wilson, who was pitch running for Lucero, moved to second on a single by junior Dougie McCaulley and then advanced two more bases on a pair of wild pitches. McCaulley crossed home plate as KU’s next batter, junior Val Chapple, hit a hard single to the shortstop.

Junior Stevie Crisosto gave the Jayhawks their final run of the contest when she connected for a single to center field in the sixth inning, bringing Liz Kocon home.

McCaulley led KU with a pair of hits, while freshman Brittany Hile and Kocon both hit for extra bases, each tallying their third doubles of the year.

KU (10-3) will face Boston at 3 p.m. and Houston at 5 p.m. today.