photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

KU pitcher Kasey Hamilton (24) winds up for a pitch Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Arrocha Ballpark.

The Jayhawks returned to Arrocha Ballpark on Thursday to host a sold-out three-day top-25 series against No. 1 Oklahoma. Kansas had swept last weekend’s series against Houston, but this time was on the receiving end of a sweep by the perennial powerhouse Sooners, despite some promising moments.

KU started the big-time series 22-8-1 (7-2 in Big 12 Conference play) with its ace Kasey Hamilton in the circle, looking to grab its first win over the dominant OU program since 2016.

Oklahoma jumped on Hamilton early, leading off with a single before a two-run home run by Tiare Jennings grabbed the Sooners a 2-0 lead. Alynah Torres smacked Oklahoma’s second two-run shot of the game past the fence to double its lead before a Kansas fielding error let the Sooners add on another run. Oklahoma’s third home run in three innings came courtesy of Cydney Sanders, which got the Sooners their largest lead of the game at 6-0.

The Jayhawks struggled on offense, as they were no-hit by Oklahoma’s Kelly Maxwell until the bottom of the seventh, when a home run by sophomore Campbell Bagshaw got Kansas on the board and ended Maxwell’s bid. Kansas’ success ended there, though, as the Jayhawks stumbled to a tough 6-1 loss to Oklahoma, which remained unbeaten in the conference.

But even after the hot offensive start for the Sooners, Hamilton and the Jayhawks held them scoreless for the last four innings of play, a feat that only two other teams have achieved against Oklahoma this season.

“It’s tough. I think if you take away those first few innings it’s a different ballgame. They’re a great hitting team and they come out swinging,” Kansas head coach Jennifer McFalls said in a press release. “We know that. We just have to make sure we don’t give them any big innings. They’re a tough team to come back on, especially when you give them six runs early on. I loved our fight and this is a team that doesn’t quit. We just have to reset and continue to make little adjustments in the box to find a way to get on the board.”

The next day, Friday, provided less cause for optimism. A lead-off home run set the offensive tone early for the Sooners, who went to score 17 runs in a walloping shutout of the Jayhawks. By the end of the first, Oklahoma had scored two more runs and came out swinging in the second, scoring another two earned runs charged to starter Katie Brooks, knocking her out of the game early.

The Sooner offense continued to roll, going up 10-0 on the Jayhawks at the end of the seven-run, four-hit and four-walk second inning.

Kansas secured only two hits in total, one in the bottom of the second and one in the fourth, while Savanna DesRochers stepped up in the third, as she shut down Oklahoma after giving up an inning-opening home run. The Sooners added another six runs in the fourth and fifth innings, after which the game was called due to the run rule.

Hamilton took to the circle again for the Jayhawks in Saturday’s season finale, where Oklahoma once again jumped on her quickly with two home runs in the first inning. However, Kansas was able to do a somewhat better job of holding the Sooner offense at bay, as it headed to the bottom of the sixth down 7-0.

Then Abby Carsley stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and hit her first collegiate home run with a solo shot to left field, preventing the Jayhawks from being shut out for the second day in a row. Kansas kept it going, shutting out the Sooners in the top of the seventh, before using this momentum to add to the score as a single by Presley Limbaugh with the bases loaded drove in two runners before the series wrapped up.

Hamilton finished the game out on the mound with her 15th complete game of the year, earning her seventh loss.

“Well, a totally different team today. I was really proud of the way we competed today and played seven innings,” McFalls said in a release. “First of all, I’m proud of Kasey Hamilton for continuing to fight, I mean she’s facing some of the best hitters in the country and I’m just really proud of her for being able to go out there and throw seven innings against that team and really settle in.”

In the Jayhawks’ third game in three days, they deployed 15 position players, allowing for some new faces, like Carsley, to get some uncommon playing time — and they were crucial for Kansas’ seventh inning.

“I’m also extremely proud of the players that came in and had some opportunities today,” McFalls continued. “We need them and we need to be able to better the bench and get help from them. I’m really proud of Emma Tatum for her at-bat, and Abby Carsley for continuing to show that she’s gonna be a difference maker for us. I’m just excited about our fight today.”

Next up, the Jayhawks will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, on Tuesday for a midweek matchup against the Cornhuskers, who are 20-13 overall and tied for first in the Big Ten Conference with an undefeated 4-0 record.

“We got a big week ahead of us with Nebraska on the road and Iowa State next weekend, so we love our response and gotta get back to take care of the Jayhawks right now,” McFalls said.

Kansas will round out the week with a weekend series in Ames, Iowa, against the struggling Cyclones (12-18, 3-6) and will not return to Arrocha Ballpark until April 19.