February 26, 2012

Jayhawks Unload on Mississippi Valley St., 14-1

Feb. 26, 2012

Coach Price
J. Luvisi

Kansas 14, Miss. Valley State 1
Dudy Noble Field // Starkville, Miss.

Senior James Stanfield went 2-for-2 with three RBIs in KU’s 10-run first inning.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R
MVSU	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
KU	10	0	1	0	3	0	x	14

Box Score (.pdf)

Leaders – Batting
Kansas	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
Z. Elgie	3	1	2	4	0	1
J. Stanfield	2	1	2	3	0	0
Miss. Valley St.	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
J. Germaine	3	0	3	1	0	0
N. Fangonilo	3	0	1	0	0	0

Pitching
Kansas	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
D. Morovick (W)	5.0	3	1	1	1	7
M. Kohorst	1.0	1	0	0	1	1
J. Jurgensen	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
C. Toalson	1.0	1	0	0	0	1
Miss. Valley St.	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
K. Stady (L)	5.0	11	14	8	6	3
J. Germaine	1.0	1	0	0	1	1

STARKVILLE, Miss. – After struggling to score runs in its previous two games, Kansas baseball bounced back in a big way Sunday. The Jayhawks tallied 14 runs on 12 hits, which included three-run homers by senior Zac Elgie and freshman Joey Luvisi as KU routed Mississippi Valley State, 14-1, in a seven-inning game played at Dudy Noble Field.

The Jayhawks rebound from back-to-back setbacks and end the week at 5-2 overall, while the Delta Devils fall to 0-6 on the season.

Kansas scored 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning on the strength of Elgie’s three-run homer and a pair of run producing hits by catcher James Stanfield as the Jayhawks built a commanding lead.

Elgie’s home run was the senior’s first of the season. Later in the game he followed with an RBI double to finish 2-for-3 with four runs batted in. Stanfield singled home KU’s first run and then delivered a two-run double down the right field line to produce the Jayhawks’ final two runs of the opening inning.

The run support was more than enough for freshman Drew Morovick, who was making his first collegiate start in the game. Morovick went five innings and allowed one run on three hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. After KU put up 10 in the bottom of the first, the freshman slammed the door by retiring the next seven men he faced.

Senior Matt Kohorst and freshmen Jaydee Jurgensen and Colin Toalson followed Morovick with scoreless frames to move KU’s Big 12 leading ERA to 1.37 through seven games. As a team, KU has allowed just nine earned runs in 59 innings this year.

Late in the game, Luvisi hit a three-run shot to left field in his first at bat in a Jayhawk uniform. Senior Taylor Hart also recorded his first base hit of the season in the fifth inning.

KU’s 14 runs were the most by the Jayhawks since a 16-2 win over Alabama A&M on May 15 last season.

Kansas will look to keep the bats hot when it travels to San Antonio, Texas next weekend to participate in the UTSA Classic. The Jayhawks will take on host UTSA on Friday, March 2 at 6 p.m. to open the weekend and also face Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday and Gonzaga Sunday.