Jayhawks Fall at No. 9 Arkansas, 4-2

March 15, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Box Score in PDF Format

Sophomore Jake Marasco went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while freshman Alex Cox pitched three solid innings. However, Arkansas used a two-run fourth against the Kansas bullpen to double-up the Jayhawks, 4-2 Tuesday afternoon at Baum Stadium.

Kansas drops its third-straight game to move to 7-9 overall, while Arkansas improves to 14-2.

The Jayhawks went toe-to-toe with the ninth-ranked Razorbacks and had a chance to tie the game in the seventh inning. Trailing 4-2 with two outs in the inning, senior Casey Lytle singled and Jimmy Waters was hit by a pitch, KU put the tying runs in scoring position with the team’s leading hitter, Jake Marasco, at the plate.

However, Arkansas relief pitcher Randall Fant fanned Marasco with a 1-2 changeup to keep the deficit at two. Razorback relief pitchers Geoffrey Davenport and Nolan Sandburn then slammed the door, setting KU down in order in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.

While Marasco fanned in the seventh, he did pick up two hits in the third and the fifth, which knocked in runs. KU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Marasco singled to right-center with men on first and second and two outs. It extended the KU third baseman’s hitting streak to seven games.

In the fifth, Marasco doubled off the left field fence with two outs to score Jordan Brown, who led off the inning with a walk.

Arkansas scored two runs in the third on a two-out, two-run single by Collin Kuhn and stretched the lead to 4-1 on a solo homer by Kyle Robinson and an RBI single by Sam Bates.

Cox made his third start of the season, and retired the first seven hitters he faced. The freshman righty allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Fellow freshman Frank Duncan pitched two scoreless innings in the sixth and the seventh and Colton Murray worked a perfect eighth.

The Jayhawks will look to snap their losing streak Friday, when the team opens Big 12 play against Oklahoma State at Hoglund Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.