Jayhawks Rally for 3-1 Triumph over Bowling Green

Feb. 18, 2012

Final Stats

Kansas 3, Bowling Green 1 E.S. Rose Park // Nashville, Tenn.

Kevin Kuntz continued his hot start to the 2012 season with a 2-for-3 effort an an RBI. Kuntz has recorded multiple hits in both KU games this season. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R BGSU 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 KU 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 x 3 Box Score (.pdf) Leaders – Batting Kansas AB R H RBI BB HR K. Kuntz 3 0 2 1 1 0 T. Tharp 4 0 1 2 0 0 BGSU AB R H RBI BB HR T.J. Losby 3 0 1 1 0 0 J. Shay 4 0 1 0 0 0 Pitching Kansas IP H R ER BB SO W. Benjamin (W) 7.0 5 1 1 1 3 R. Kahana 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 T. Poppe (S) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 BGSU IP H R ER BB SO C. Apthorpe 5.0 2 1 1 5 4 B. Singer (L) 2.0 4 2 2 0 1 N. Bruns 1.0 0 0 0 1 1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sophomore Tucker Tharp broke a 1-all tie in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run single, while freshman Wes Benjamin earned his first victory by pitching seven strong innings as Kansas downed Bowling Green, 3-1 in a non-conference game played at E.S. Rose Park Saturday morning.

The Jayhawks improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Falcons drop their season-opener.

After stranding four base runners in his first two at bats, Tharp came through in the seventh with the bases loaded. In a 1-1 game, the sophomore left fielder drove a 1-2 fastball down the third base line for KU’s fourth consecutive base hit in the frame.

Benjamin recorded his first collegiate win, going seven innings and allowing one run on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts. The first-year lefty was extremely efficient, needing just 78 pitches to work through seven frames.

KU’s bullpen tandem of Robert Kahana and Tanner Poppe finished the job, retiring six-straight after Kahana allowed a leadoff single in the eighth inning. Poppe tallied his first save of the season, while Kahana etched a scoreless inning in his first collegiate appearance.

After Bowling Green took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on an RBI single off the bat of catcher T.J. Losby, Kansas came back with a run in the fifth. The Jayhawks loaded the bases on a leadoff double by freshman Dakota Smith and walks to Dreiling and McKay. Kuntz, who was the only player with multiple hits in the contest, blooped a single over the second baseman to knot the score at 1-1.

Kansas will face Belmont in its second game of the day at approximately 1:40 p.m. Saturday.