KU Baseball Rallies but Falls Short Against No. 6 Stanford
Feb. 13, 2005
PALO ALTO, Calif. – Trailing 6-1 entering the ninth inning, the University of Kansas baseball team rallied to score five runs and tie the ballgame, but the Jayhawks could not complete the comeback as they fell to No. 6 Stanford 7-6 at Sunken Diamond in Palo Alto, Calif., on Sunday.
For the game, KU outhit the Cardinal 12 to 11 and had runners on base in seven of nine innings, but stranded 12 runners on base. Stanford wins the series 3-0 and improves to 6-0 all-time against the Jayhawks.
Kansas (6-3) as able to advance runners as far as third base against Stanford starter Nolan Gallagher twice in the first four innings, but both times was unable to put up a run. In the second inning, junior center fielder Gus Milner was gunned down at the plate to end the inning after trying to score on a single by freshman Erik Morrison. In the fourth inning, it was Milner who again was stranded at third after the Jayhawks were able to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Stanford (7-2) scored first in the contest in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking a 1-0 lead on the fourth home run of the season by second baseman Jed Lowrie.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Cardinal added to its lead by plating four runs and chasing Kansas starter Mike Zagurski. After recording two outs, the next five Stanford batters reached base. Cardinal junior first baseman John Mayberry, Jr. connected on a two-run home run in the inning, his second of the series.
Zagurski, who had limited Stanford to only one run on three hits in the game’s first four innings, finished the game with four strikeouts and two walks while allowing five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.
The Jayhawks were finally able to break through against Stanford reliever Blake Holler in the top of the seventh inning, scoring their first run of the ballgame on a RBI groundout by shortstop Ritchie Price.
Stanford responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the seventh to take a 6-1 lead.
Kansas posted a furious rally in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 6-6. The Jayhawks pushed across five runs on four hits in the inning and took advantage of three Cardinal walks and a hit by pitch. Junior center fielder Matt Baty and Ritchie Price drove in runs with RBI singles, while Milner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and pinch hitter Andy Scholl drew a bases loaded walk to force in the trying run.
Price finished the contest 2-for-5 at the plate with a pair of RBI.
The Cardinal was able to put out the victory in the bottom of the ninth to complete the three-game sweep. Mayberry drew a lead-off walk from KU reliever Logan Murphy (0-1) to begin the inning and scored two batters later on a double by third baseman Adam Sorgi.
Kansas baseball will be back in action next week when they host South Dakota State in a four game series at Hoglund Ballpark.
