KU softball splits back-and-forth doubleheader with No. 20 Arizona State

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

Freshman catcher Ella Boyer runs home to score for Kansas in its first game against Arizona State on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Lawrence.

The Kansas softball team split a doubleheader with No. 20 Arizona State on Thursday evening at Arrocha Ballpark.

After letting the opener with the Sun Devils slip away in the late innings for an 8-5 loss, the Jayhawks got to ASU’s pitching early in the bottom half of the doubleheader and won 11-7.

“I honestly was really proud of the way we came back out in game two, especially after giving up a home run in the first inning, just not hanging our heads and knowing that they’re a good hitting team and we’re a good hitting team,” KU coach Jennifer McFalls said. “We answered right back and we just kept answering with our bats the second game. Really, really proud of our compete factor tonight.”

Freshman catcher Ella Boyer hit a pair of home runs on the day, and junior first baseman Anna Soles doubled and homered in the second game to drive in five key runs.

“I think we were really close that first game and we were very determined,” Boyer said, “and all the work we put in during this week going into it, we were really well prepared.”

Boyer is up to 16 home runs on the year, which brings her into a tie by the most in a single season by a freshman in KU history — with 15 games to go in the regular season. The record for any Jayhawk regardless of class is 22 (Serena Settlemier in 2006).

“Definitely was a learning challenge in the fall, but my teammates had my back and that helped so much,” Boyer said. “I’m here because of them. They put their heart and soul into me and I’m grateful for them.”

The victory in the bottom half of the doubleheader was KU’s first ranked win of the year. But as McFalls said, “the biggest game’s going to come on Saturday when we play them again.”

Indeed, due to anticipated weather on Friday, the Jayhawks and Sun Devils will not decide the series until Saturday at noon.

ASU 8, KU 5

The two teams traded four-run frames in the fourth inning as KU emerged with a one-run lead, but Katie Chester’s sixth-inning RBI single put the Sun Devils in front and the Jayhawks couldn’t accomplish much against ASU ace Kenzie Brown when she entered for the save.

Boyer homered early and she and Hailey Cripe tallied two hits each, but the Sun Devils recorded 16 as a team against a trio of KU pitchers.

Starter Lila Partridge worked around a pair of soft-hit singles in the first inning. Then Boyer worked a full count with one out and sent Meika Lauppe’s pitch over the center-field fence.

Neither team accomplished much until Chester singled to center field to lead off the fourth inning for ASU, then advanced to third on a ball hit to the wall in right by Samantha Swan that went over the head of right fielder Aynslee Linduff. Ryan Brown sent a ground ball down the left-field line to tie the game with KU still looking for its first out of the inning.

The Jayhawks got that out on an infield popup by Tiare Ho-Ching, but the Sun Devils’ rally wasn’t over. Brooklyn Ulrich sent a hard hit past a leaping Presley Limbaugh into center field to score a second run. Ulrich was initially called out at second base, but the call was reversed upon review.

Pinch hitter Avery Motroni scored another run with a sacrifice fly, which ended Partridge’s day. Lizzy Ludwig allowed a single up the middle to Kaylee Pond that made it 4-1, followed by two additional singles to load the bases before she eventually induced the third out from Chester.

Boyer provided KU’s second hit of the game with a single to right-center field, and Cripe followed it with one of her own. Soles’ well-placed hit into left brought Boyer home in short order, and then September Flanagan deflected a ball off the glove of ASU right fielder Ashleigh Mejia to add another run.

With the Sun Devils still up 4-3 and runners at the corners, they made a pitching change to lefty Aissa Silva. Silva immediately struck out Campbell Bagshaw, but Kadence Stafford was able to tie the game with a sac fly, and Bailey Amezcua’s two-out double put KU back in front.

Linduff singled to move Amezcua to third, but Limbaugh went down swinging for the third out.

ASU answered quickly with three straight singles to load the bases and chase Ludwig. Blakely Barber got Ulrich to ground into a 6-3 double play engineered by Cripe, which scored a lone run, and then struck out Avila to preserve the tie entering the bottom of the fifth inning.

Silva battled her way through a scoreless frame, allowing Chester to drive in the go-ahead run in the sixth. KU was able to get an out at third on Chester’s single, which prevented further damage.

Kenzie Brown struck out the side for ASU in the sixth, and the Sun Devils added one insurance run when Ulrich doubled in Ho-Ching, then another on a groundout by Pond.

Brown issued the Sun Devils’ first walk of the game to Boyer when KU was down to its last strike, but she got Cripe to pop out for the last out.

KU 11, ASU 7

The Jayhawks jumped ahead by eight runs early and withstood the Sun Devils’ late charge to claim the victory.

Pond homered to left-center field on Chloe Barber’s second pitch, but KU got its offense going quickly as well. Limbaugh walked and Boyer managed an infield single before Silva hit Cripe to load the bases.

Yannixa Acuña stumbled in left field trying to field a hard-hit ball from Soles, resulting in a two-run double. Flanagan added a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1, but Bagshaw went down swinging and Stafford popped up, leaving Soles at third.

KU added on in the second. Linduff doubled and Limbaugh bounced one through a gap to put runners at the corners with one out. Boyer singled to right to score a run. Cripe managed only a shallow flyout, but Soles clubbed the first pitch she saw to right field to extend the Jayhawks’ advantage to 7-1.

After a scoreless third inning, Swan singled to center field with one out and then took second on a wild pitch before Barber walked Ryan Brown, but she was able to strand both runners.

Instead, Boyer brought KU into potential run-rule territory with her second home run of the day off Lauppe, scoring Limbaugh.

“She’s just growing every game, to be real honest,” McFalls said. “She just continues to gain more confidence in herself, and she’s just a great teammate. She’s not beating herself up when she doesn’t get the results or the outcomes.”

The fifth inning was not, however, straightforward for Barber. Mejia drove in Acuña, then Barber hit Emily Schepp with a pitch and conceded a three-run homer to Chester to make it 9-5. Barber gave way to Kaelee Washington, who was able to get out of the inning.

The Jayhawks put runners at the corners with one out in the fifth, prompting ASU to return to Silva, and then Madi Hays stole second. Silva struck out Ava Wallace, but Limbaugh was able to bring home a run with a well-placed ground ball.

Boyer singled to center to make it 11-5. Cripe struck out looking for the third out.

The Sun Devils did not go quietly. Pond doubled to bring in one run in the sixth, and then an errant throw by Cripe helped a second run score.

After three strikeouts by Silva, Washington returned to the circle looking to close things out. She allowed one hit but got the final batter to ground out to seal the result.

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

Senior outfielder Aynslee Linduff runs to first base during Kansas’ first game against Arizona State on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Lawrence.

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

Freshman pitcher Blakely Barber winds up to throw the ball during Kansas’ game against Arizona State on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Lawrence.

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

Senior infielder Hailey Cripe throws the ball to first base after getting an Arizona State player out on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Lawrence.

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

The Kansas softball team cheers after scoring in the first game against Arizona State on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Lawrence.

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

Sophomore Bailey Amezcua hits the ball during Kansas’ first game against Arizona State on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Lawrence.

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

Senior Hailey Cripe points and yells to her teammate after adding points to Kansas’ tally against Arizona State on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Lawrence.