Jayhawks Knock Off Missouri State, 6-4

April 13, 2010

Box Score in PDF Format

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. –

Freshman Thomas Taylor struck out a career-high eight men, and held Missouri State to just one hit over five innings, while senior Robby Price went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and three RBIs as Kansas swept the season series from Missouri State with a 6-4 triumph Tuesday evening at Hammonds Field.

The Jayhawks snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 20-13-1 overall, while the Bears drop their fourth straight to fall to 12-20.

Much like the game in Lawrence on March 31, Kansas jumped out to an early lead and held on at the end. Price drove in three of KU’s first four runs with an RBI ground out in the first and a two-run homer in the fourth. He extended his career-best hitting streak to 18 games – which ties him for the seventh longest in KU history and is the second-longest in the Big 12 this season.

Behind Price’s offense was the pitching of Taylor, who enjoyed the best outing of his career. The Kansas freshman retired 15 of the 16 men his faced in the game, allowing just a fourth inning single to Missouri State short stop Travis McComack. Taylor improved to 3-0 on the season, allowing no runs and no walks while recording eight strikeouts.

KU stretched the lead to 6-0 on an RBI single by Brett Lisher and a Jimmy Waters sacrifice fly.

However, the Bears rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to cut the lead to 6-3. Sophomore Colton Murray pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth and after allowing a run in the ninth, picked up his third save of the season.

Murray worked 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts.

Kansas will travel to Nebraska for a three-game Big 12 series at Haymarket Park beginning Friday at 6:35 p.m. All three games from the series will be carried on KLWN-AM (1320).