BYU Knocks Off Kansas, 6-3

March 23, 2013

Final Stats

BYU 6, Kansas 3 Miller Park//Provo, Utah

Junior Jordan Piche retired all eight men he faced in relief Saturday at BYU. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R KU 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 3 BYU 1 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 x 6 Box Score (.pdf) Leaders – Batting Kansas AB R H RBI BB HR K. Eldredge 4 0 3 0 1 0 T. Mirabelli 4 0 2 1 1 0 BYU AB R H RBI BB HR A. Law 3 3 3 0 1 0 J. Brugman 4 0 2 4 0 0 Pitching Kansas IP H R ER BB SO W. Benjamin (L) 5.0 8 5 2 2 4 R. Kahana 0.1 0 1 1 3 0 J. Piche 2.2 0 0 0 0 2 BYU IP H R ER BB SO J. Barker (W) 5.0 4 0 0 6 3 M. Milke 1.1 2 2 2 1 1 D. Speigner 1.2 3 1 1 0 0 J. Lengal (SV) 1.0 2 0 0 0 0

PROVO, Utah – BYU junior Adam Law went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, while right fielder Jaycob Brugman collected four RBIs as the Cougars earned a series win with a 6-2 triumph over Kansas Saturday afternoon at Larry Miller Park.

BYU won its third-straight home series of the season and improve to 11-12 overall, while the Jayhawks fall to 14-8. It marked the first losing weekend of the season for KU.

Mistakes cost the Jayhawks dearly in the game, both at the plate and in the field. KU committed three errors in the first five innings, which led to three unearned BYU runs. While the Jayhawks also left a season-high 16 men on base and hit into two double plays, including one in the ninth inning with nobody out and the tying run at the plate.

The Cougars built a big lead early in the game on the strength of a three-run third inning, which was helped along by a pair of Jayhawk errors. After the first three BYU hitters reached base in the third on an error, a walk and a bunt single, Brugman collected two RBIs with a single to left field. Jarrett Jarvis then capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, giving the home team a 4-0 lead.

BYU added single runs in the fifth and sixth to stretch the lead to 6-0. However, KU came back with two runs in the seventh on RBI singles off the bat of Justin Protacio and Tommy Mirabelli. Sophomore Michael Suiter cut the deficit to 6-3 with an opposite field single in the eighth, but that was as close as Kansas could get.

The Jayhawks left six men on in the final three innings, including the bases loaded in the seventh and runners at the corners in the eighth in a frustrating afternoon.

Sophomore starting pitcher Wes Benjamin suffered his third loss, allowing five runs – two earned – over five innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Junior right-handed pitcher Jordan Piché retired all eight men he faced in relief of Benjamin and sophomore Robert Kahana.

Junior catcher Ka’iana Eldredge led the offense with three hits, while Mirabelli chipped in two singles and an RBI. As a team, KU collected 11 hits in the game and drew seven walks, but could only muster three runs.

Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was cancelled due to sub-freezing temperatures in Provo Saturday afternoon.

The Jayhawks will look to bounce back with a midweek non-conference game Tuesday against Missouri State at 6:30 p.m. KU will return to conference action on Thursday, March 28 at No. 18 Oklahoma.

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