KU Jayhawks’ softball season ends with NCAA regional losses to Oklahoma, Michigan
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas lost to Oklahoma 9-0 in a five-inning run-rule game in Norman.
- Kansas' season ended with a 12-10 elimination loss to Michigan after Conway’s homer.
- KU finished the season 36-21 and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years.
The Kansas Jayhawks softball team followed a 9-0 defeat against host Oklahoma with a season-ending 12-10 loss to Michigan in NCAA Tournament regional games contested Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma.
The Sooners crushed the Jayhawks in a five-inning run-rule game Saturday afternoon to send KU into an elimination game against the Wolverines on Saturday night.
Michigan, which fell to KU 1-0 in eight innings Friday, upended the Jayhawks thanks to Jenissa Conway’s three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The blast erased a 10-9 Wolverines deficit.
The Jayhawks saw their season end at 36-21.
OU (50-8) will meet Michigan (36-22) at 2 p.m. Sunday. If the Wolverines win, OU and Michigan would meet again for the regional title later Sunday afternoon.
The winner of the Norman Regional will advance to the NCAA Super Regionals against the winner of the Eugene Regional, hosted by the Oregon Ducks.
KU’s Ella Boyer homered in the first inning to give KU a 3-0 lead over Michigan.
Michigan, which didn’t score a run off KU pitcher Lila Partridge in eight innings Friday, knocked her out of the game in the first inning Saturday by scoring four runs off four straight hits in the home half of the inning. KU pitcher Lizzy Ludwig entered for the first time since May 1 and immediately allowed a home run to Lilly Vallimont as Michigan led 5-3 after one.
Michigan led 8-3 after two innings. KU stayed close and then rallied with four in the sixth to take a short-lived 10-9 lead.
OU’s convincing victory over KU gave the Sooners a 69-12 record in the all-time series against Kansas.
KU’s last victory over OU was a 5-2 decision in 2016. KU has lost 26 consecutive games to the Sooners. The Jayhawks are 0-19 vs. Oklahoma in coach Jennifer McFalls’ eight seasons in Lawrence. OU has outscored KU 161 runs to 12 in the teams’ last 16 meetings.
KU over the weekend made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 11 years.
On Friday, Kansas sophomore Ava Wallace ripped a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth as Kansas prevailed over Michigan in extras. Pitcher Partridge earned the complete-game victory, KU’s first in an NCAA Tournament game since a 2-0 win over Indiana State in 2015.
