LAWRENCE, Kan. ? The Kansas Jayhawks (34-15) moved to 11-1 against the Missouri Valley Conference this season with a doubleheader sweep of Wichita State (28-23) Thursday evening at Arrocha Ballpark.

Playing with out the services of ace Ashly Bright, who was not in uniform due to illness, Brianna Smet and Jamie Hull were forced into action, both picking up losses on the night.

Game One: Kansas 8, Shockers 0 (6 innings)
Kansas struck first in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Betsy Wilson and Addy Lucero to take a 2-0 lead.

The Shockers were unable to generate any offense in the first four innings off of Kansas hurler Valerie George (17-7). George struck out five of the first seven Shockers she faced, and retiring the first 13 in order.

In the home half of the third, Kansas' Liz Kocon added to the lead blasting her fifth homer of the season off of WSU's Brianna Smet (10-5), to give KU a 4-0 lead in the third inning. The Jayhawks added another two-run homer, courtesy of Stevie Crisosto to take a 6-0 lead after four inning of play.

George's no-hit bid was broken up in the fifth with a one-out single by Britnee Barnett. WSU's Jessica Spencer moved Barnett to second on a groundout, but George struck out Jamie Stanclift to strand the runner. George finished her afternoon after five innings, giving up one hit, no runs, no walks, and striking out eight, facing just one hitter more than the minimum.

Smet ended the Jayhawks' string of two-run innings, retiring KU in order in the fifth with the help of Barnett's hot glove at shortstop.

In top of the sixth, Lindsie Mitts drew a walk to start the inning, but relief pitcher Allie Clark settled in and retired the next three hitters, striking out the last two.

After leading off the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back hits, Kansas got a game-ending triple from Dougie McCaulley to drive in both runs and push the score to 8-0, enacting the mercy rule.

Smet took the loss, giving up eight earned runs on 12 hits, walking none and striking out one.


Game Two: Kansas 4, Shockers 0
The Shockers threatened in the top of the first, putting two on with just one out. Kara L'Huillier drew a walk, and Cynthia Verhulst followed with a single to center, but Kansas pitcher Sarah Vertelka got Jessica Spencer to pop out, and Barnett to ground out to end the inning.

KU jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first, scoring a run on an RBI single by Dougie McCaulley to give KU a 1-0 lead.

The Shockers threatened again in the second, starting off the inning with a single from Hull and a double from Stanclift, but a line drive double play off the bat of Lauren Coleman and a groundout from Dixon stranded a runner in scoring position for the second time in as many innings.

In the bottom half of the second, KU loaded the bases with two outs, but Hull knocked down a lined shot up the middle and threw out leadoff hitter Crisosto at first to get out of the inning unscathed.

KU's Clark (6-3) made her second relief appearance of the day in the third inning, to replace Vertelka, who pitched two innings giving up no runs, three hits, while walking just one. Clark gave up a one-out single to Kara L'Huillier, but quickly shut down the next two, on her way to the victory. Clark tossed five shutout innings, giving up just three hits in the nightcap to pick up her sixth win of the season.

For the second consecutive inning, Hull battled through a bases loaded jam, getting Lucero to pop out to end the KU threat, keeping the score 1-0 Jayhawks after three innings.

Jamie Hull (0-1) struggled with her control most of the nightcap, walking six on the night in the losing effort.

The Jayhawks broke the game open in the fourth as Hull walked two and committed an error to help Kansas push the lead to 4-0, following a sacrifice fly by Liz Kocon, bringing home Dougie McCaulley, who reached earlier on the miscue.

WSU went down in order in the fifth before getting a pair of singles in the sixth, but the Shockers could not push across a run on the evening, being shutout for the third-straight game.

The Shockers are in action again this weekend, when Wichita State plays host to the UNI Panthers in the final games at Wilkins Stadium this season.