Jayhawks' Rally Falls Short at Stanford

Feb. 25, 2007

Final Stats

PALO ALTO, Calif. –

Junior John Allman and senior Kyle Murphy each collected four hits Sunday, but it was not enough for the Jayhawks to avoid the sweep at Stanford. The Cardinal scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning and withstood a late Kansas rally for a 7-6 victory Sunday at Sunken Diamond. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

Stanford improves to 7-5 on the season, while KU falls to 7-4. It marks the first time the Jayhawks have been swept in a three-game series since May 5-7 of last year when Texas took three from KU in Austin.

Just as they did in the first game of the series, the Jayhawks fell behind early, fought back, but could not quite close the gap.

After falling behind 6-1 in the third inning, KU came-from-behind to cut the deficit to a single run on a sacrifice fly by junior Casey Larson in the top of the ninth, but left the tying run at third base.

The Jayhawks left 13 men on base for the second straight game, including seven in scoring position.

Allman led the offense going 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, while Murphy was 4-for-5 with a run scored.

Allman’s two-run single in the eighth inning brought KU back within 7-5. After Larson and Murphy led off the inning with hits and advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch, Allman delivered a two-out single to right.

It marked the junior’s first four-hit contest since going 4-for-4 against Western Illinois in 2005. Murphy’s four hits in Sunday’s game were a career high.

KU took an early lead in the top of the first. After two hit batsmen and Allman’s first hit of the game, junior Ryne Price was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. It was the Price’s sixth RBI of the season.

Stanford tied the score in the bottom of the first with a solo homer by Michael Taylor with two outs.

The Cardinal used another big inning to untie things in the bottom of the third. After KU starter Andy Marks had walked in a run, Stanford catcher Brian Juhl blasted a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to give the home team a 6-1 advantage.

KU cut the deficit to 6-2 on Allman’s RBI single to center field. Freshman Robby Price led off the inning with his second double of the season and scored on a line drive up the middle off the bat of Allman.

After Stanford scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, KU cut the deficit back to four in the seventh. Sophomore Nick Faunce led off the inning with a single and scored on Preston Land’s two-out double to right center.

KU’s bullpen combination of freshman Thomas Marcin and sophomore Paul Smyth held Stanford scoreless on three hits over the final 3 2/3 innings.

Kansas will look to bounce back when it travels to Oral Roberts Tuesday for a 3 p.m. contest at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Okla.