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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746670200586.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;The eighth-seeded Baylor Bears hit three straight home runs in the fifth inning Wednesday to break open a tie game and eventually top the ninth-seeded Kansas Jayhawks, 7-3, in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park. The loss concludes Kansas' season with a 22-28 mark. Baylor improved to 27-26 and advanced to play the No. 1 seed Texas Tech on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/katie-brooks/6906">Katie Brooks</a>&nbsp;got the start in the circle for the Jayhawks and started strong, throwing up a zero in the opening inning. After the leadoff hitter reached via a single, Brooks got some help from shortstop&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/hailey-cripe/6977">Hailey Cripe</a>, who snagged a liner for the third out of the inning.&nbsp; Cripe then reached base on an error to start the second inning, but the Jayhawks stranded a runner and weren't able to produce the game's first run. Baylor broke the 0-0 tie in the bottom half of the inning when Abi Flores reached on an error to plate Leah Cran, who doubled earlier in the frame with one out. Brooks then retired the next two batters to get out of the inning with no further damage. The Bears' lead lasted exactly one batter.&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/natalie-marshall/6919">Natalie Marshall</a>, who led off the third for Kansas, blasted a solo home run to left to knot the game at 1-1. The homer was the second of the season for Marshall, who also went deep in early April at Arizona State.&nbsp; Baylor answered back in the bottom half of the inning when the Bears loaded the bases with no outs. They scored one run on a double play and then added a second on an RBI double to take a 3-1 lead through three innings. Kansas cut that to a 3-2 deficit in the fourth when&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/campbell-bagshaw/6868">Campbell Bagshaw</a>&nbsp;collected an RBI fielder's choice to score&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/olivia-bruno/6949">Olivia Bruno</a>&nbsp;with one out, with still two on base. A caught stealing and a groundout ended the rally, however. Following a scoreless inning from Brooks, the Jayhawks' offense went back to work. Marshall led off the inning with a walk. Following a fielder's choice,&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/presley-limbaugh/6855">Presley Limbaugh</a>&nbsp;reached on an error to put two runners on with one out for&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/aynslee-linduff/6968">Aynslee Linduff</a>. Linduff came through with an RBI single to score&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/emma-tatum/6927">Emma Tatum</a>&nbsp;and tie the game at 3-3. But in the bottom of the fifth, Baylor got a leadoff single before blasting three straight home runs for a four-run inning that proved to be the difference.&nbsp; Marshall finished 1-for-1 with a pair of walks and a home run in the game, while Cripe went 1-for-2 with a walk. Brooks tossed the first 4.1 innings, while Bruno tossed the final 1.2, allowing one run.&nbsp; Pitchers of Record: Win: Lillie Walker (12-10) Line: 5.1 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 SO Loss:&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/katie-brooks/6906">Katie Brooks</a>&nbsp;(8-11) Line: 4.1 IP, 6 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 0 SO</div>

🥎 Baylor ends KU's season in first round of Big 12 Tournament