Texas Pitching Trumps Kansas, 3-0

April 21, 2012

Final Stats

Texas 3, Kansas 0 UFCU Disch-Falk Field//Austin, Texas

Senior Chris Manship collected one of KU’s four hits against three Texas pitchers Saturday night. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R KU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UT 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 x 3 Box Score (.pdf) Leaders – Batting Kansas AB R H RBI BB HR D. Smith 3 0 1 0 0 0 M. Suiter 2 0 1 0 1 0 Texas AB R H RBI BB HR E. Weiss 3 0 3 2 0 0 J. Felts 3 0 2 1 1 0 Pitching Kansas IP H R ER BB SO W. Benjamin (L) 6.2 10 3 3 2 3 R. Kahana 1.1 1 0 0 1 2 Texas IP H R ER BB SO P. French (W) 7.0 4 0 0 2 3 H. Milner 1.1 0 0 0 0 2 C. Knebel 0.2 0 0 0 0 1

AUSTIN, Texas – Kansas freshman pitcher Wes Benjamin scattered 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings, allowing just three runs for his fifth quality start of the year. However, he was outdueled by Texas freshman Parker French, who tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits as No. 23 Texas blanked Kansas, 3-0, Saturday night in front of 7,308 fans at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The Jayhawks snap their four-game winning streak and fall to 16-24 on the year and 4-10 in Big 12 play, while Texas evens the three-game series and improves to 22-14 and 10-4 in the conference.

UT’s freshman pitcher French held the Jayhawk offense in check, allowing just six base runners in his seven innings. He also induced a pair of double play balls and recorded three strikeouts.

KU’s offense twice put two men in scoring position against French, but both times the Texas pitcher worked his way out of trouble.

In the top of the third, with KU trailing 1-0, the Jayhawks looked to tie when Michael Suiter opened the inning with a walk and moved to third after an error and a sacrifice bunt. However, French got Kevin Kuntz to pop out and James Stanfield to ground out to short ending the threat.

KU again put two men on in the fifth when Suiter singled and Dakota Smith doubled with one out and the Jayhawks trailing 2-0. However, once again French got the upperhand, retiring Tucker Tharp and Kuntz in succession.

Texas took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a pair of singles and a sacrifice. Third baseman Erich Weiss collected the RBI hit with a bounding ball that made it up the middle, marking the first time KU had trailed in a game since last Saturday against Texas A&M.

The Longhorns added a run in the fourth with a two-out RBI hit by Jacob Felts. After Benjamin retired the first two men in the inning with fly outs, designated hitter Kevin Lusson doubled to the gap in left-center and Felts singled to right-center, giving the home team a two-run advantage.

Texas chased Benjamin with a run in the seventh on another two-out RBI single. This time Erich Weiss collected the clutch hit after a two-out single by Taylor Stell and a passed ball. Benjamin finished the night pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on 10 hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

The Jayhawks and Longhorns will play the rubber game of the three-game set on Sunday at 1 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.