Kansas Baseball Routs Northern Colorado, 15-6
April 1, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas senior Buck Afenir went 2-for-2 and matched a career high with five RBIs, while sophomore Greg Herbst collected three hits and three runs scored as Kansas ambushed Northern Colorado, 15-6 in a non-conference baseball game Wednesday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Jayhawks improve to 17-10 overall, including 14-0 at home this season. The 14-game home winning streak is the third-longest in school history. Northern Colorado falls to 8-17.
One day after winning on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, Kansas took the drama out of the game very early. The Jayhawks scored 10 runs in the first three innings, including a five-run first.
Afenir drove in five runs with a two-run double in the first, an RBI single in the third and a pair of sacrifice flies. KU’s fifth-place hitter, Tony Thompson, drove in four runs with just one hit. He followed Afenir’s two-run double, with an RBI double of his own. He also produced runs with a sac fly and an RBI groundout.
Herbst, who had just two hits coming into the game, went 3-for-4 and scored three times. The sophomore infielder also recorded a pair of doubles in the game – his first extra base hits of his collegiate career.
Junior David Narodowski collected a pair of hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. The junior shortstop is the second different Jayhawk to record a hitting streak of more than 10 games,
Starting pitcher Brett Bollman allowed a two-run homer to Jarod Berggren in the first inning and then held the Bears scoreless over the next six innings to record his third win of the season – matching Lee Ridenhour and Travis Blankenship for the team lead.
The junior righty went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits with a walk and a career high seven strikeouts.
Kansas will look to extend its home winning streak this weekend when No. 7 Baylor comes to town for a three-game Big 12 series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
