Season Over: Softball Falls in Regional Final

The Jayhawks won 40 games for the first time under head coach Megan Smith but couldn't quite get 41, which would have forced a winner-take-all Game 2 in the Columbia Regional of the NCAA Softball Tournament.

The Jayhawks struck early for a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but Missouruh stormed back with 7 unanswered runs.  SP Alicia Pille (2.2 IP, 4 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K), making her fourth start in three days, couldn't get out of the third inning, eventually allowing a grand slam to MU's Kirsten Mack (2/3, 2 R, 5 RBI).  Sophia Templin (4.1 IP, 4 H, K) relieved Pille and shut down the Tigers for the rest of the game.

Unfortunately, the Jayhawks couldn't quite make the comeback.  Once again, KU struggled with runners on base, loading up the bases in the second and third innings without plating a run.  The Jayhawks left 15 runners on base, bringing their 4-game NCAA Tournament total to 39 runners left stranded (25 in the two games against Missouruh).

The Jayhawks were able to capitalize on a couple of errors by Missouruh in the sixth inning to plate four runs to make it a contest late, but once again the inning ended with the bases full of 'Hawks.  KU was led offensively by SS Chaley Brickey (1/3, R, RBI, 2 BB) and 3B Chanin Naudin (0/1, R, 3 BB, HBP).

Look for a season wrap-up from Rock Chalk Talk in the next week or so.