Come Back Falls Short as KU Baseball Falls to Hawaii-Hilo, 8-6
Feb. 4, 2006
KONA, Hawaii –
The University of Kansas baseball team couldn’t overcome a six run third inning by Hawaii-Hilo and fell, 8-6, to the Vulcans in the final game of its season opening five-game series. KU’s record stands at 4-1 while Hawaii-Hilo improves to 1-4.
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Seniors Ritchie Price, Jared Schweitzer, Matt Baty and Gus Milner combined for 11 of KU’s 15 hits in the game. Freshman Nick Czyz stuck out five of the 16 batters he faced before giving up six earned runs and taking the loss.
KU started the game with one run in each of the first two innings. Baty opened up the game with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Schweitzer. Sophomore Ryne Price hit a solo home run to center in the second inning.
Hawaii-Hilo took the lead with six runs on four hits in the third inning. All of the Vulcans runs came after two outs. A lead off home run in the fifth inning by Robby Mowers gave UHH a 7-2 lead.
John Allman doubled in the sixth inning to bring Milner home and get KU back on the scoreboard. Ryne Price greeted relief pitcher Cadian Hendricks into the game with a RBI single to score Allman and close the gap to three runs at 7-4.
The top of KU’s order (Baty, Price, Schweitzer and Milner) strung together four straight singles to start the seventh inning. Milner’s base hit scored two and brought the Jayhawks to within a run.
Hawaii-Hilo added an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth inning. KU had runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth inning. Ryne Price’s looked to hit a go-ahead three-run homer with two outs but the ball drifted just foul down the right field line.
Kansas will head west again next weekend with a three-game series against Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. The first game is scheduled for 7 p.m. central time on Friday, Feb. 10.
Game Notes: Nick Czyz struck out the first batter he faced in his career … Kansas hit nine home runs during the five game series
