Jayhawks Drop Series Finale to No. 9 Nebraska
March 27, 2005
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Cornhuskers used a four-run seventh inning and survived a late game rally as No. 9 Nebraska held on to defeat the University of Kansas baseball team, 9-4, on Sunday at Hoglund Ballpark in the deciding game of the Jayhawks’ Big 12 open series.
With the loss, Kansas falls to 21-10 this season and 1-2 inside league play, while Nebraska improves to 21-3 and 2-1 in conference action.
Junior Alex Gordon drew a walk in the top of the first inning for the Huskers and after stealing second base came around to score the game’s first run on an RBI single by first baseman Curtis Ledbetter.
Ledbetter, a native of Lawrence, Kan., tallied another RBI in the top of the third inning as he collected a one-out bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Kansas starter Kodiak Quick to increase the Husker lead to 2-0. Quick would recover to get out of the jam with only one Nebraska run allowed.
Ledbetter finished the game 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored.
The Huskers chased Quick in the top of the seventh inning as they broke the game open by plating four runs to take a 7-0 lead. In the frame, Nebraska sent eight men to the plate and collected only two hits, but took advantage of two walks in the innings and a pair of Jayhawk errors.
Quick (7-2) collected only his second loss of the season in the game, finishing with six innings pitched and five earned runs allowed. The Belton, Mo., native struck out four batters in the contest, but was also charged with a career-high seven walks.
Kansas rallied in the bottom of the eighth inning to plate three runs and cut the Husker lead to 7-3. Junior first baseman Jared Schweitzer led off the frame with a walk and scored in the next at bat as freshman left fielder John Allman doubled to left center field. After Allman was gunned down trying to stretch the double into a triple, senior Jake Kauzlarich doubled to give the Jayhawks a one-out base runner. Freshman Erik Morrison slammed his third home run of the season over the wall in center field in the next at bat to plate the final two Jayhawk runs of the inning.
In the top of the ninth, Nebraska added a pair of insurance runs to extend their lead to 9-3. Designated hitter Brandon Buckman doubled off KU reliever Don Czyz with one out in the inning and advanced to third when right fielder Daniel Bruce struck out on a wild pitch in the next at bat. Left fielder Trey Adams, who had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning, followed by connecting on a two-run shot over the right field wall for his first home run of the season.
The home run by Adams was the first allowed by Czyz in 28 innings pitched this season.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Jayhawks attempted to mound a final rally, but were unable to complete the comeback. Junior centerfielder Gus Milner lead the inning off with his third home run of the season, a solo shot to center field, which cut the Husker lead to 9-4. After senior catcher Sean Richardson grounded to shortstop for the first out of the inning, Schweitzer singled to give KU a base runner. However in the next at bat, Allman could not extend the inning, grounding into the third Kansas double play of the game.
Kansas baseball is back in action next weekend as it travels to College Station, Texas, to battle No. 14/15 Texas A&M in a three-game series at Olsen Field.
