Walz, Kansas Offense Unloads on Oklahoma State, 17-3
April 30, 2010
Box Score in PDF Format 
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Junior right-handed pitcher T.J. Walz struck out a season high 11 hitters, and took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, while KU’s offense pounded 20 hits, including four each by Brandon Macias, Brian Heere and Tony Thompson as the Jayhawks routed Oklahoma State 17-3 in a Big 12 baseball game Friday evening at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
The Jayhawks snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 26-17-1 overall and 7-8-1 in the Big 12, while the Cowboys fall to 24-18 and 5-11 in conference play.
Walz was dominant in his first start in Stillwater since his freshman season. The junior righty held the second-best offense in the Big 12 hitless through the first eight innings. Following a two-out walk to Kevin Chambers in the second inning, the junior did not allow another base runner until the seventh, setting down 13 Cowboys in a row.
Oklahoma State didn’t record its first hit until Duren Davis beat out an infield single to lead off the ninth. Walz was looking to become the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium, and the first Jayhawk to toss a no-hitter in a conference game since 1957.
Walz finished the game, allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts, improving to 7-3 on the season.
The junior’s offense gave him plenty of support, banging out 20 hits – the most by a Jayhawk team since a 2007 game against Baker – and scoring a season-high 17 runs. The top four hitters in the batting order: Macias, Robby Price, Heere and Thompson combined to go 13-for-22 with nine runs scored.
KU collected five-straight base hits in the third inning to build a 3-0 lead, and scored three more runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Casey Lytle and an RBI double to center field off the bat of Jimmy Waters. The Jayhawks put the game away, sending 13 men to the plate and scoring seven runs in the seventh.
Both Waters and Lytle made spectacular defensive plays. Lytle took away a home run in the fourth inning off the bat of Kevin David, while Waters made a running catch to catch a Texas leaguer in the sixth.
The Jayhawks will look to win a series in Stillwater for the first time in program history on Saturday with game two of the three-game set at 2 p.m. The game can be seen nationally on Fox Sports Net.
