Kansas softball earns walk-off win against Michigan in NCAA regional

TL;DR

Kansas softball secured a 1-0 walk-off victory against Michigan in their NCAA regional opener, thanks to Ava Wallace's single in the eighth inning. This win marks Kansas' first NCAA tournament appearance since 2015.

Key points

Kansas softball won 1-0 against Michigan
Ava Wallace hit a walk-off single in the eighth inning
Lila Partridge pitched eight scoreless innings
This is Kansas' first NCAA tournament appearance since 2015
Kansas will face Oklahoma next in the regional

Kansas JayhawksMichigan WolverinesNCAA regionalAva Wallace

Kansas softball earned a walk-off victory in its NCAA regional opener on Friday against Michigan, winning 1-0 in Norman, Oklahoma.

Kansas sophomore Ava Wallace hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the game had gone to extra innings. KU freshman Lila Partridge pitched eight scoreless innings in the circle. The victory got the Jayhawks (36-19) off to a winning start in their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2015 for coach Jennifer McFalls and her team.

Both teams threatened at times to score earlier in the game, but neither quite got there. Michigan pitcher Gabby Ellis, a junior, had done well holding off KU through the first seven innings. Each team finished the game with six hits.

KU will now face Oklahoma on Saturday, May 16, after the Sooners defeated Binghamton on Friday in the other game in the Norman Regional. The loser of that game would play later Saturday in an elimination game, against either Michigan or Binghamton. The winner of that game would move forward to Sunday, and have a chance to win the regional.

Kansas softball earned the opportunity to compete in a NCAA regional in 2026.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal:

Q&A

What was the final score of the Kansas vs Michigan softball game?

The final score was 1-0 in favor of Kansas.

Who hit the walk-off single for Kansas softball against Michigan?

Ava Wallace hit the walk-off single for Kansas.

When does Kansas softball play next in the NCAA regional?

Kansas softball will play Oklahoma on Saturday, May 16.