Jayhawks Upset No. 1 LSU, 11-9

March 12, 2010

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BATON ROUGE, La. –

Senior Robby Price and junior Casey Lytle each had three hits and two doubles, while Brett Bochy pitched 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief as the Kansas Jayhawks knocked off previously unbeaten, and top-ranked Louisiana State, 11-9 Friday night in front of a packed house at Alex Box Stadium.

The Jayhawks improve to 10-3 overall, while LSU falls to 12-1 this season. The win was KU’s fourth-straight over the Tigers dating back to 2003, and the team’s fourth consecutive win over a No. 1-ranked team.

Kansas broke the game open in the second inning, sending 11 men to the plate and scoring six runs. Junior Jimmy Waters, senior Brett Lisher and sophomore James Stanfield started the inning with three consecutive hits to tie the score at one.

After Brandon Macias gave KU a lead with a sacrifice fly, Lytle beat out a ground ball in the hole between short and third to drive in another run. Price followed with a two-run double to right center, and came around to score on Waters’ second hit of the inning, a line drive to right field.

Kansas added to the lead in the fourth as Lytle, Price and Brian Heere started the inning with three consecutive doubles, extending the lead to 9-1 on Chris Manship’s RBI hit.

After KU scored two more runs in the fifth, LSU put together a five-run rally to chase starting pitcher T.J. Walz in the seventh, and get back within two. However, Bochy slammed the door on the Tigers, retiring the first six men he faced, including designated hitter Matt Gaudet with two outs in the seventh to end the threat.

Bochy picked up his second save of the season, working the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing no runs and no hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Walz earned his third win of the season, going six innings and scattering nine hits. Top-ranked LSU became the seventh Top 25 team that the junior has defeated in his Kansas career.

Kansas offense produced 14 hits against the No. 1 team in the country as eight of the nine position starters recorded base hits. Lytle and Price led the team with three hits a piece, while Heere and Waters each had a pair of base knocks.

The Jayhawks (10-3) will look to take the series Saturday in game two of the series at 2 p.m. The game can be heard via an internet broadcast at www.kuathletics.com.