Kansas University junior outfielder Dougie McCaulley, left, is congratulated by teammate Sara Ramirez. KU lost, 4-3, to Western Illinois on Monday at Arrocha Ballpark.

One swing of an aluminum bat brought an unlikely end to two streaks Monday at Arrocha Ballpark.

The Kansas University softball squad was on a six-game winning streak heading into the final game of the Jayhawk Classic against a winless Western Illinois team.

But in the bottom of the seventh inning, with KU holding on to a one-run lead, Western Illinois’ No. 9 batter, Lauren Furgala, hit a two-run walk-off home run to hand the Jayhawks a 4-3 loss.

“Today we were very flat,” Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said. “When it comes down to close ball games and you don’t do the little things, they come back to bite you in the rear end and that’s what happened today.”

After collecting two outs to open the bottom of the seventh, KU starting pitcher Sarah Vertelka hit the next batter – with two strikes – before giving up the walk-off shot to Furgala, who also had two strikes on her.

“I know she feels a little bit snake-bitten right now, because this is the second time that’s happened to her this season,” Bunge said. “I thought she worked through it, for the most part, after some early-inning troubles that she was able to work through and looked a little bit better towards the end of the ball game.”

Western Illinois got to Vertelka in the second inning, scoring two runs off two hits and two stolen bases.

The bottom-half of the Westerwinds’ lineup did all the damage to Vertelka in the loss. The sophomore starting pitcher prevented WIU’s No. 1 through 4 batters from ever reaching base. However, WIU’s No. 5 hitter Julie DePolo, who was batting .161 before the game, doubled off Vertelka twice.

Freshman catcher Brittany Hile was responsible for what little offense the Jayhawks had.

Hile scored Stevie Crisosto on a double in the top of the first inning and was knocked in by sophomore rightfielder Ally Stanton, who followed with a double of her own.

KU will play host to the Kansas Invitational this weekend, beginning with a double dip Friday against Buffalo.