April 02, 2013

Second Inning Runs Haunt Jayhawks in 6-4 Loss

April 2, 2013

Creighton 6, Kansas 4
Hoglund Ballpark//Lawrence, Kan.

Sophomore Michael Suiter celebrates his two-run double in the third inning against Creighton Tuesday night at Hoglund Ballpark.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R
CU	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	6
KU	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	4

Box Score (.pdf)

Leaders – Batting
Creighton	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
M. Gerber	5	1	2	1	0	1
K. Lamb	3	1	1	2	1	0
Kansas	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
M. Suiter	5	0	1	2	0	0
A. DeLeon	5	0	2	1	0	0

Pitching
Creighton	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
A. Groth (W)	2.0	2	1	1	0	1
B. Swain	0.1	1	2	2	1	0
T. Elman	1.0	1	0	0	0	0
M. Lukowski	1.2	1	0	0	1	1
N. Highberger	1.1	0	0	0	0	2
M. Winkelman	1.2	1	0	0	1	1
J. Peter (SV)	1.0	2	1	0	0	0
Kansas	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
T. Poppe (L)	4.0	4	5	3	3	1
F. Duncan	2.0	0	0	0	1	0
J. Mustain	1.0	0	0	0	1	0
R. Kahana	1.0	1	1	0	0	0
J. Piche	1.0	1	0	0	0	2

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Creighton center fielder Mike Gerber went 2-for-5 with a solo home run as part of a five-run second inning that the Bluejays used to top Kansas, 6-4, Tuesday night at Hoglund Ballpark.

The Jayhawks dropped their first game at home and fell to 15-11 overall, while the Jays improved to 15-6.

Creighton scored five runs in the second inning on Gerber’s solo home run as well as two singles, a walk, a hit batsman and a Jayhawk error. KU committed three errors in Tuesday’s game, which led to three unearned runs.

Despite the mistakes in the field, Kansas had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. After scoring a run on a fielder’s choice, the Jayhawks brought the winning run to the plate with one out. However, Creighton closer Jake Peter induced fly outs to center and right field respectively off the bats of Michael Suiter and Alex DeLeon to end the game.

Trailing 5-1 after two innings, Kansas cut the deficit to 5-3 on Suiter’s two-run double to left field. The sophomore has now hit safely in 22 of KU’s 26 games this season, while his fifth double of the year tied his total from a year ago.

KU took a 1-0 lead on Alex DeLeon’s eighth two-out RBI of the season in the first inning, which plated Kevin Kuntz.

Senior Tanner Poppe started on the mound for KU and after a nightmarish second inning, tossed back-to-back scoreless innings in the third and fourth. Poppe finished the night allowing three earned runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout. KU’s bullpen tandem of Frank Duncan, Junior Mustain, Robert Kahana and Jordan Piché allowed just one unearned run on two hits over the final five innings.

The Jayhawks outhit the Bluejays, 8-6, with DeLeon pacing the offense with a pair of singles.

Kansas will look to bounce back Wednesday night against Saint Mary at 6 p.m. Fans can attend the game free of charge.

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