Jayhawks Stumble Against Sooners

April 8, 2005

Box Score

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Kansas baseball team dropped its first series-opener in conference play as the Jayhawks fell to Oklahoma, 7-5, on Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Okla.

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With the loss, KU drops to 23-13 overall this season and 2-5 in the Big 12, while the Sooners improve their overall mark to 18-11 and 4-3 in league play.

The Sooners were able to take the first lead of the game in the bottom of the first inning as junior second baseman Russell Raley connected on his first home run of the season off of Kansas starter Mike Zagurski.

A RBI double from third baseman Ryan Rohlinger plated a run for OU in the bottom of the third inning to give the Sooners a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Oklahoma was able to take advantage of two Jayhawk errors and plate three unearned runs to expand its advantage to 5-0.

Freshman designated hitter Brock Simpson plated the first Kansas run of the ball game in the top of the fifth inning. After senior first baseman Andy Scholl and freshman second baseman Ryne Price collected back-to-back base hits to put runners on the corners with only one out, Simpson grounded a ball to third base that was misplayed allowing him to reach first safely and Scholl to score on the play.

In the top of the sixth, the `Hawks were able to cut the OU lead to 5-3 as junior outfielder A.J. Van Slyke and senior catcher Sean Richardson collected RBI hits in the inning.

Oklahoma was able to plate a pair of insurance runs on a two-run double off the bat of first baseman Kevin Smith in the bottom of the seventh inning to chase Zagurski.

Zagurski (4-3) finished the game with 6 1/3 innings pitched and allowed four earned runs on 11 hits while walking three and striking out five.

The Jayhawks pushed across a run in the top of the eighth inning on a RBI single by Ryne Price.

A final Kansas rally in the ninth inning yielded only one run as pinch hitter Travis Dunlap doubled to lead off the inning and was lifted for pinch runner John Allman. Allman was able to score later in the inning on a single by Matt Baty.

The Jayhawks and Sooners will take the field for game two of the series from L. Dale Mitchell Park at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The game can be heard locally on KLWN (1320 AM).