Duncan's Complete Game Leads Kansas Past No. 23 Texas, 7-2
April 20, 2012
- Coach Price
- F. Duncan
Interviews on YouTube: Price | Duncan
AUSTIN, Texas – Kansas pitcher Frank Duncan was nearly unhittable Friday night. The sophomore righty recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts and set down 20 hitters in a row at one point to pitch the Jayhawks past No. 23 Texas, 7-2, Friday night in front of a packed house at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
KU wins its fourth-straight to match its longest winning streak of the season and improve to 16-23 overall and 4-9 in the Big 12 Conference. Texas falls to 21-14 overall and 9-4 in Big 12 play.
Duncan’s complete game was the first by a Jayhawk since T.J. Walz went nine innings in a win over Baylor on April 1 last season. He had the Longhorns baffled all night, keeping the home team off-balance with a four pitches, which he mixed well. He needed just 113 pitches to toss the first complete game of his career.
After UT’s Taylor Stell collected a one-out base hit in the bottom of the first, Duncan retired the next 20 men he faced. He set the side down in order in six-straight innings, before Alex Silver singled to lead off the eighth.
The sophomore finished the night going a complete nine innings and allowing two runs on three hits with no walks and a career-best 11 strikeouts, which were the most by a Jayhawk in more than a year.
While Duncan was dominating Texas on the mound, his offense came up with a couple big two-out hits.
Kansas struck for a run in the top of the first inning. Senior Zac Elgie collected his ninth two-out RBI of the season with a solid single up the middle after Tucker Tharp and James Stanfield reached base in front of him. It marked KU’s fourth-straight game scoring a run in the opening inning.
Junior Kevin Kuntz delivered two more two-out runs in the fourth inning with a single up the middle after the Jayhawks loaded the bases on three base hits. The junior shortstop then extended the KU lead to 3-0 when he slapped a 1-1 pitch up the middle.
The Jayhawks broke the game open with four runs in the eighth. After a leadoff single by Elgie, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with two outs, freshman Dakota Smith hit a hard ground ball into the hole that UT shortstop Jordan Etier threw wide of first, allowing two runs to score.
After a walk to Tharp, Kuntz came up with two more RBIs with a sinking line drive to center that got by the Texas outfield and went for a two-run triple.
Kuntz finished the night 2-for-3 with four two-out RBIs, while Elgie also collected two hits.
The Jayhawks will look to take the series with Texas on Saturday at Disch-Falk Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.