Boca Raton, Fla. ? A walk to the second batter of the game was all that stood between Alicia Pille and run-rule-shortened perfection Sunday.

Kansas University scored runs in four of five innings, and Pille settled for a five-inning no-hitter as the Jayhawks blanked Penn State, 8-0, at the Florida Atlantic Classic.

Pille (3-0) struck out six and walked one in five innings as Kansas improved to 5-0, KU’s best start since a 10-0 beginning in 2011.

Penn State fell to 3-1.

“It absolutely (gives our team a boost) — not just to no-hit a team, but no-hit Penn State,” Kansas coach Megan Smith said. “Penn State is a strong team from a strong conference, and that’s a difficult task to do. We’ve watched Penn State play all weekend. They were undefeated before they played us. They have excellent hitters and hit for power. For her to come out and send that message, I thought that’s really going to inspire our team going forward — that our pitcher can go out against such a tough team and shut them down like that.”

Offensively, Chanin Naudin went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to pace the Jayhawks, who scored three runs in each the second and third innings.

Kansas will travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico, for five games next weekend at New Mexico State’s Troy Cox Classic.

Penn State 000 00 — 0 0 1

Kansas 033 11 — 8 7 0

W –Alicia Pille, 3-0. L — Marissa Deischer, 2-1.

2B — Chanin Naudin 2, Daniella Chavez, KU.

Kansas highlights — Pille 5 IP, 0 H, 6 K, 1 BB; Naudin 3-for-4, R, 2 RBIs; Maddie Stein 1-for-1, 2 R; Shannon McGinley 0-for-1, 2 R, RBI.