<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741493315506.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
WACO, Texas&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;The Jayhawks secured their first conference win of the season with a 3-2 victory over Baylor, evening the series at 1-1 in a game that came down to Baylor's final batter.&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/olivia-bruno/6949" data-airgap-id="70">Olivia Bruno</a>&nbsp;delivered a standout performance, excelling in pitching, fielding, and crushing a home run that gave Kansas an early lead. "I'm extremely proud of Bruno today. We needed her bat, and she delivered in the first inning with a big two-run bomb that gave us an early lead. But what stood out even more was her performance in the circle. She was really strong, and we needed every bit of that to keep Baylor at bay. Her ability to compete in both aspects of the game really showed her value to the team today," Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/jennifer-mcfalls/526" data-airgap-id="71">Jennifer McFalls</a>&nbsp;said. "I'm also proud of the entire team. We didn't get the hits we were looking for, but we jumped on it early, which was exactly what we challenged them to do. It was a team effort, and everyone stepped up when we needed them." The Jayhawks wasted no time making their presence felt in their first at-bat, jumping out to an early lead.&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/olivia-bruno/6949" data-airgap-id="72">Olivia Bruno</a>&nbsp;launched a two-run home run, driving in&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/hailey-cripe/6977" data-airgap-id="73">Hailey Cripe</a>&nbsp;and giving Kansas a quick 2-0 advantage. Following her blast over the fence, Bruno also took the circle for Kansas, giving Baylor a different look. She efficiently retired three batters on 21 pitches, quickly sending the Jayhawks back to the plate for another scoring opportunity. Kansas answered when&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/anna-soles/6934" data-airgap-id="74">Anna Soles</a>&nbsp;singled to first base, bringing in Hays, a prime base stealer, to pinch-run. On back-to-back wild pitches by the Baylor pitcher, Hays easily scored, extending the lead to 3-0. Baylor put pressure on the Jayhawks by loading the bases with a runner on first. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/olivia-bruno/6949" data-airgap-id="75">Olivia Bruno</a>&nbsp;fielded a double play, transitioning the ball from second to first for two quick outs. The next batter grounded out softly to second, ending the threat. The score remained unchanged through five innings. Despite Baylor's efforts to put base runners on each inning, the defense behind Bruno continued to excel, leaving the Bears stranded and scoreless. . In the bottom of the sixth, the Bears threatened again. This time, Baylor managed to get a run across after hitting a deep double to left field, cutting into the Jayhawks' lead and making the score 3-1. It all came down to the final inning for Kansas, with the defense needing to stay solid. The first out came on a strikeout by Bruno, followed by a pop-up to second for the second out. With the bases loaded, Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lizzy-ludwig/6881" data-airgap-id="76">Lizzy Ludwig</a>&nbsp;entered to pitch and take on the challenge against the Bears. Baylor managed to push a run across on a walk, but an unfazed Ludwig fielded her position on the next at-bat, securing KU's first conference win of the season with a 3-2&nbsp; victory. Pitchers of Record Win:&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/olivia-bruno/6949">Olivia Bruno</a>&nbsp; Line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 6 BB, 4 SO Save:&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lizzy-ludwig/6881">Lizzy Ludwig</a>&nbsp; Loss: Lexia Warncke&nbsp; Line: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 SO Up Next Kansas will conclude its three-game series against Baylor tomorrow at 12 p.m. CT, aiming to secure its first conference series win of the season.
&nbsp;</div>

🥎 Kansas secures first conference win of season, evens series against Baylor