No. 6 TCU Big Inning Sinks Jayhawks, 14-6
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 6 TCU sprung for eight runs off six extra-base hits with no outs in the fifth inning, as the Kansas baseball team dropped the series finale to the Horned Frogs, 14-6, Sunday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Jayhawks (12-18, 2-6 Big 12) led the Horned Frogs 4-3 heading into the fifth frame, however, freshman righty Blake Goldsberry (0-5) lost steam and allowed all six batters he faced in the inning reach base.
TCU (24-7, 6-3 Big 12) sent eight-straight batters to the plate – all of whom scored – before Kansas could record an out in the inning. They tallied four doubles and two home runs before reliever senior Hayden Edwards recorded three-straight outs to stop the bleeding.
“Hats off to them. They are really competitive one through nine,” senior captain and right fielder Joe Moroney said. “They are No. 6 in the country and it is tough offensively and defensively facing a team like that. The eight-spot in the fifth was detrimental to us. We knew we had to get back in it offensively, but an eight-spot is pretty tough to come back from.”
Kansas stood toe-to-toe with the Horned Frogs taking a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Then after TCU hung up the crooked eight in the fifth, the Jayhawks’ offense went stagnant and plated just two runs the remainder of the game, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort.
KU tallied 11 hits on the day, five with runners in scoring position, but couldn’t muster much offense when TCU called to lefty Ryan Burnett in the bottom of the fifth inning following the Jayhawks’ final two runs.
“I thought we were seeing the ball well and executing with runners in scoring position,” Moroney said. “You want to chip away and cut the lead in half by the seventh inning and give yourself a shot to do something special.”
Burnett shut Kansas down the next three and 1/3 innings allowing just one hit. Moroney led KU with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish with a team-high two RBIs and two runs scored. Senior second baseman Colby Wright was the only other Jayhawk with a multi-hit performance with two singles in four trips to the plate.
TCU utilized four pitchers, none throwing more than four innings. Starter Sean Wymer lasted an inning after giving up two runs in the first. Reliever Brian Trieglaff (4-0) tossed the next three and 2/3 innings. Kansas tagged him for four runs off eight hits before the Horned Frogs turned it over to Burnett to keep the KU bats at bay.
A bright spot for the Jayhawks came in Edwards out of the bullpen. After TCU tallied an eight-run fifth, Edwards was able to throw up a couple zeroes to give Kansas a chance. But KU couldn’t string together enough hits and fell to the Horned Frogs, 14-6.
“Edwards did a good job Friday night getting some big outs and then in today’s game as well putting up zeroes,” Moroney said. “He let us stay in the ballgame. Hopefully it gets our bullpen a little riled up heading into Wednesday’s game.”
Kansas will return to Hoglund Ballpark to play a midweek contest against Omaha Wednesday, April 13. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., and fans can watch live on ESPN3 or tune in to Jayhawk Radio Network via KUAthletics.com/Radio.
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