San Diego State Tips Kansas Baseball, 9-8
March 19, 2009
SAN DIEGO, Calif. –
Guy Willeford’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth lifted San Diego State to a 9-8 triumph over the Kansas baseball team Wednesday evening and complete a wild two-game sweep of the Jayhawks at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The loss, KU’s third in a row, drops the Jayhawks to 10-7 overall, while the Aztecs improve to 13-6 this season.
Kansas trailed throughout much of the evening, but rallied from a three-run deficit to take a 8-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth. However, the Jayhawks surrendered an unearned run in the eighth and another run in the ninth as closer Paul Smyth was saddled with his third loss of the season.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Aztecs’ Erik Castro singled and moved to second on the second Jayhawk error of the game. After a bunt and an intentional walk, Willeford drove the first pitch he saw to left field for a game-winning hit.
The late inning heroics nullified an impressive Jayhawk comeback.
Down 7-4 after six innings, KU clawed back to within one run in the seventh on a bases loaded walk by Casey Lytle and a sacrifice fly by Zac Elgie.
After junior Travis Blankenship shut down the SDSU bats in the bottom of the inning, the Jayhawks grabbed their first lead of the game in the eighth. David Narodowski and Brian Heere started the frame with back-to-back singles and moved to second and third with a bunt. Following a fielder’s choice which cut down the run at the plate, sophomore Tony Thompson doubled in the tying run on a two-strike pitch.
KU then took the lead on a wild pitch – their first of the series.
The lead however was short-lived as SDSU scored an unearned run in the eighth to tie the game. On a soft line drive back to the mound, Smyth threw the ball wide of first base to put the lead-off man on. After an out, which moved the runner into scoring position, Chris Wilson singled to right field to tie the game at eight.
KU suffered its fifth one-run loss of the season. All five have come on the road.
The Jayhawks (10-7) will play host to No. 1 Texas in a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark.
