Jayhawks Drop Heartbreaker, 9-8 in Extra Innings
Feb. 25, 2009
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –
Senior catcher Buck Afenir collected three hits and scored two runs, but it was not enough to offset a late rally by host Arkansas. The 21st-ranked Razorbacks used a Jacob House walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to send Kansas to a 9-8 non-conference loss at Baum Stadium Wednesday.
The Jayhawks, which held leads of 4-0 and 7-5 in the game, fall to 2-3 overall, while Arkansas improves to 4-1. The teams split the two-game midweek series after KU won 9-3 in Tuesday’s game.
After surrendering a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, KU fought back with a run in the top of the ninth to force extra frames.
With two outs in the ninth, Afenir lined a sharp single to center and moved to second when sophomore Tony Thompson struck out on a wild pitch. Pinch hitter Brett Lisher then lined a single through the right side of the infield to tie the game at eight.
However, with one out in the bottom of the tenth inning, House drove a 1-2 pitch into the bullpen in right field to give the Razorbacks their second extra inning victory of the season.
Kansas led early 4-0 on a rally off Arkansas ace Dallas Keuchel. Afenir collected his first hit of the day with a single through the left side and moved to second on a bloop single by Thompson. Following a strikeout, senior Preston Land and sophomore Casey Lytle collected back-to-back RBI singles to the left side. Senior Nick Faunce capped the rally with a two-run double down the left field line.
Arkansas tied the game with two runs off of KU starter Shaeffer Hall and a two-run homer by Andy Wilkins off relief pitcher T.J. Walz in the bottom of the sixth.
Kansas fought back with a pair of runs in the seventh on RBI singles by Robby Price and Afenir and eventually held a 7-5 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Afenir led the offensive effort with three hits, while Faunce, Land and Lytle chipped in with two hits a piece. All nine Jayhawk starters had at least one hit in the 15-hit attack.
Just five days after throwing a no-hitter in KU’s season opener, Hall was again brilliant. The junior lefty held the Razorbacks scoreless over the first four innings, retiring 12 of the first 14 hitters he faced. Hall ended up allowing two runs on six hits over five innings with no walks and five strikeouts.
The Jayhawks (2-3) will look to bounce back with their home opener on Tuesday, March 3 against North Dakota at 3 p.m.
