photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior infielder Hailey Cripe hits the ball at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

The Kansas softball team dropped its home opener at Arrocha Ballpark on Wednesday in a midweek matchup against Wichita State, falling 7-3 after the Shockers got on the board in the first inning and put together a few rallies to take the commanding win.

Meanwhile, the Jayhawks failed to score until the fifth inning and plated only a single run when they loaded the bases with no outs. They also used their three leading pitchers in innings pitched and will have to play a doubleheader against Omaha on Thursday.

“​​To be real honest, overall we just — we weren’t great tonight. We struggled a little bit on defense. I think we took some of our offense, you know, poor at-bats to the defensive side,” head coach Jennifer McFalls said. “And we’ve just got to be more mature with that and be stronger, like more mentally tough, to be able to handle both sides… The most important thing is we got to learn and grow from it and be better tomorrow.”

Senior Katie Brooks started the game in the circle for Kansas, making her 10th appearance of the year as Kansas’ leader in innings pitched. She would ultimately be handed the loss, her second of the year, after giving up five runs on five hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Lizzy Ludwig took her place and also allowed five hits but only two earned runs before Kaelee Washington blanked the Shockers over the final two innings as Kansas attempted a comeback.

The Shockers jumped on Brooks early, recording back-to-back doubles to score their first run two batters into the game before Brooks locked down for three straight outs and stranded the runner at second.

“It’s tough when a team starts off like that, has a lot of momentum and energy,” McFalls said. “We had a chance to really answer back in our next inning, I think, offensively, and we didn’t. And then we just kind of lulled through a couple of innings a little bit, you know, with not not a lot of quality at bats, and not a lot of great energy. It took us a little bit to kind of get that going.”

Kansas started off with two quick outs before designated player Olivia Bruno doubled through the right side of the infield, but was stranded by a flyout by Hailey Cripe in the next at-bat.

Brooks buckled down for two outs while struggling to find the zone before giving up a single into left field. She forced a groundout from the next batter to strand another runner and keep the Jayhawks in a 1-0 deficit.

Freshman Ava Wallace grabbed her first hit at Arrocha Ballpark with a single up the middle as Campbell Bagshaw continued with a hit of her own to put runners on first and second with no outs. Emma Tatum popped up a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, before back-to-back popouts stranded both and spoiled Kansas’ chance at getting on the board.

With the top of Wichita State’s lineup due back up to start the third, Brooks settled down to get a groundout before earning her second strikeout of the game. But after that clean start, the next four Shockers reached base on a single and a pair of walks to load the bases, before Gabby Scott singled and advanced to second on an error to plate two runs and knock Brooks out of the game. Ludwig took over in the circle and gave up another single to add two more earned runs to Brooks’ line, but Presley Limbaugh came up gunning in center field to throw the runner out at second and end the inning with the Shockers taking a 5-0 lead.

Chloe Barber, Wichita’s starter, was done on the mound after two clean innings as Limbaugh welcomed Alex Aguilar to the circle with a single for her first hit of the game. But the Jayhawks went in order after Limbaugh’s leadoff hit to strand their fourth runner of the game.

Each team recorded a single in the fourth with nothing to show for it before the Shockers led off the fifth with consecutive singles and a groundout that put two runners in scoring position. Jodie Epperson grabbed her first RBI of the game with a single through the left while Scott collected her third RBI to give Wichita State a commanding 7-0 lead in the middle of the fifth.

Limbaugh finally got the Jayhawks going with a leadoff four-pitch walk as Aynslee Linduff and Olivia Bruno strung together a pair of doubles to plate Kansas’ first two runs of the game. A walk and another single by Wallace loaded the bases with no outs as Riley Nihart took over in the circle for Wichita State. But the Jayhawks only scored one more run on three straight outs with a Tatum flyout to center to make it a 7-3 game.

Kansas turned to Washington to keep it in the game as its offense heated up, and she did just that by recording seven outs and allowing no hits in her two innings of work. But the Jayhawks didn’t fare much better at the plate, recording a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth and hitting into three straight outs after Bruno walked to lead off the seventh to drop their first home game of the year.

The Jayhawks, now 12-9, will have a chance to bounce back on Thursday as they host the 18-4 Omaha Mavericks for a doubleheader at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas senior Olivia Bruno receives a high-five from teammate Karsen Griggs at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas senior Olivia Bruno is safe at third base at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior outfielder Aynslee Linduff celebrates with teammates at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior outfielder Aynslee Linduff celebrates after scoring at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior outfielder Aynslee Linduff runs through first base at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior outfielder Aynslee Linduff hits the ball at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior infielder Emma Tatum cheers on pitcher Lizzy Ludwig after she struck out a Wichita State player at the Kansas home opener on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior infielder Campbell Bagshaw celebrates after scoring at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas senior infielder Sara Roszak helps lead a ‘Rock Chalk Jayhawk’ chant for the fans at the Kansas home opener on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior infielder Hailey Cripe points to pitcher Lizzy Ludwig in celebration after three Wichita State players strike out at Arrocha Ballpark on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior Lizzy Ludwig pitches the ball at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior Lizzy Ludwig pitches the ball at the Kansas home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas freshman outfielder Ava Wallace throws the ball in an attempt to get out a Wichita State player headed for home plate at Arrocha Ballpark on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior infielder Hailey Cripe points to the sky in celebration after getting out a Wichita State player at Arrocha Ballpark on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas senior Katie Brooks pitches to start the home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas senior Katie Brooks pitches to start the home opener against Wichita State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark.

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