Mountaineers Top Jayhawks 4-3 in Game One

April 27, 2013

Box Score

West Virginia 4, Kansas 3 Linda K. Epling Stadium // Beckley, W.Va.

Jacob Boylan went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to go with several fine defensive plays. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R KU 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 WVU 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 4 Box Score (.pdf) Leaders – Batting Kansas AB R H RBI BB HR Protacio 4 0 2 1 0 0 Boylan 4 1 2 1 0 0 W. Virginia AB R H RBI BB HR Wilson 4 1 2 0 0 0 Fleming 3 0 1 3 0 0 Pitching Kansas IP H R ER BB SO Benjamin (L) 8.0 4 4 1 1 3 W. Virginia IP H R ER BB SO Dierdorff (W) 9.0 7 3 3 1 6

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kansas starter Wes Benjamin scattered four hits over eight innings and allowed just one earned run, but for the second-consecutive game the Jayhawks were on the short end of a pitcher’s duel in a 4-3 loss to West Virginia in the first game of a doubleheader at Linda K. Epling Stadium Saturday.

Saturday’s first game was on a crash course for a double-digit runs tally with each squad pushing across three or more runs in the first three innings but both pitchers settled in and closed with six scoreless frames, including six no-hit innings pitched by Benjamin (4-5). Dan Dierdorff (3-5) pitched West Virginia’s second straight complete game to give the Mountaineers (26-18, 8-6 Big 12) their first Saturday win in Big 12 play.

Benjamin was touched for three unearned runs in the bottom of the first after a two-out, throwing error by Justin Protacio extended the inning and Billy Fleming made Kansas (25-17, 9-8 Big 12) pay with a bases-loaded, three-RBI double. After giving up a solo home run to Alan Filauro in the second and working around a jam to end the inning, Benjamin didn’t allow another hit but Dierdorff was equally impressive.

Kansas scored a pair of runs in the top of the second and added another in the top of the third before Dierdorff settled in to retire 13 straight Jayhawks at one point.

Protacio and Jacob Boylan each knocked two hits for KU and both collected an RBI in the defeat. Brady Wilson went 2-for-4 as the only Mountaineer with multiple hits.

Game two of the double header, the third and final game of the series, was slated to start at 2:35 p.m. (CT) with KU’s Frank Duncan (3-4, 4.45) matching up against West Virginia’s John Means (3-2, 3.05).

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