Three-Run Ninth Gives Oklahoma State Walk-Off Win

April 6, 2012

Final Stats

Oklahoma State 7, Kansas 6 Allie P. Reynolds Stadium//Stillwater, Okla.

Junior Kevin Kuntz went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in KU’s 7-6 loss to Oklahoma State Friday. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R KU 0 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 6 OSU 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 7 Box Score (.pdf) Leaders – Batting Kansas AB R H RBI BB HR K. Kuntz 5 1 3 1 0 0 A. DeLeon 4 1 1 1 1 1 Oklahoma State AB R H RBI BB HR J. Womack 3 0 2 2 1 0 J. Higgins 4 1 1 3 1 0 Pitching Kansas IP H R ER BB SO F. Duncan 8.0 5 6 4 4 6 R. Kahana 0.1 2 1 1 1 0 Oklahoma State IP H R ER BB SO A. Heaney 5.0 5 5 5 4 7 J. Abbott 0.0 0 1 1 0 0 B. Barnes (W) 4.0 2 0 0 2 2

STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State catcher Jared Womack’s single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning pushed home the winning run to give the Cowboys a 7-6 triumph in the series opener Friday night at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

The Jayhawks, which led by two runs heading into the ninth inning, fall to 12-17 overall and 2-5 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma State improves to 15-14 overall and 2-5 in conference play.

KU held leads of 5-0 and then 6-4 in the game, but could not finish what it started.

Trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth, OSU put the first two men on via a walk and a hit by pitch, which ended the night for KU starting pitcher Frank Duncan. After a walk by relief pitcher Robert Kahana loaded the bases, Cowboy shortstop Hunter Bailey doubled down the right field line to tie the score at 6-6.

After an intentional walk loaded the bases again to set up a force, Womack served a soft single up the middle to plate the winning run. It marked the fourth walk-off loss of the season for the Jayhawks.

Kansas used the long ball to build an early lead against the Cowboys. In the top of the second, senior Zac Elgie blasted his third home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead.

One inning later, catcher Alex DeLeon gave the Jayhawks a 4-0 lead with a three-run homer into the screen in left field. Junior Kevin Kuntz started the inning with a sharp single up the middle with two outs and moved into scoring position after Jake Marasco walked.

KU added a run in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Kuntz, his second of three hits in the game.

However, the Cowboys closed the gap in the fifth with four runs against Duncan. Center fielder Jarrett Huggins delivered the big blow with a three-run triple to center field and then came around to score on a sacrifice fly. KU set the inning up with an error, a single and a one-out walk.

The Jayhawk offense chased Big 12 ERA leader Andrew Heaney from the game after five innings, scoring five runs on the junior lefty. Duncan allowed four earned runs on five hits over eight innings with four walks and six strikeouts.

The Jayhawks will seek to even the series Saturday in the second game of the three-game series at 2:30 p.m. at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The game can be seen live on Fox Sports Net.