Allman, Jayhawks Power Past Oklahoma, 13-10
May 3, 2008
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Senior John Allman went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and one of four Jayhawk home runs Saturday as Kansas downed Oklahoma, 13-10, in a Big 12 baseball game at Hoglund Ballpark.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
The Jayhawks claim their second conference series of the season and improve to 28-22 overall and 7-13 in the Big 12. Oklahoma drops to 29-19-1 and 6-13-1 in league play.
KU’s win, coupled with Kansas State’s loss at Missouri moves the Jayhawks into seventh place, one-half game ahead of OU (6-13-1) and one game ahead of ninth-place K-State (6-14). The top eight teams in the league qualify for the Big 12 Baseball Championship.
For the second day in a row, the Jayhawk offense collected 16 hits and outslugged the visiting Sooners. KU did most of its damage in the fourth inning when it sent 12 men to the plate and scored eight runs.
After OU had erased an early 2-1 hole with a sacrifice fly by Tyson Seng in the top of the fourth, Kansas erupted to take a 10-2 lead. Senior Ryne Price broke the tie with an RBI double to center field, scoring Allman, who led off the inning with a single. Senior Erik Morrison connected for his sixth homer of the season to give KU a three-run lead.
Finally, after a walk, a single and a hit batsmen, Robby Price drove in a pair of runs with an infield single on a 3-2 pitch and Allman doubled in another run, collecting his second hit of the inning and Afenir plated two with another two-base hit.
The Sooners refused to go quietly, however, scoring five runs in the top of the fifth to chase KU starting pitcher Andres Esquibel. OU cut the Jayhawk advantage to 11-9 on a two-run homer by Aaron Baker off Kansas relief pitcher Shaeffer Hall.
However, that was Hall’s only mistake of the afternoon. The sophomore lefty earned his second victory of the week, pitching three innings of relief and allowing two runs on three hits with one strike out.
Junior Paul Smyth allowed a solo homer in the ninth, but held on to record his ninth save of the season.
Offensively, Kansas had several heroes. Four players – Allman, Morrison, Robby Price and Nick Faunce – hit home runs. It marked the first time KU has hit four home runs or more in a game since collecting six round-trippers against Oklahoma State on April 15, 2006.
The top four positions in the Jayhawk batting order combined to go 11-for-19 with three homers, two doubles and nine runs batted in. Eighth-place hitter Jimmy Waters also went 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
In the bottom of the first, Robby Price and Allman hit back-to-back solo home runs. It marked the second time this season KU has hit home runs in consecutive at bats.
KU’s 30 runs scored in the first two games of the series are tied for the fourth-most by a Jayhawk team in a Big 12 series. The school record for most runs in a three-game conference series is 35, scored against then-No. 9 Oklahoma in March of 1998.
Kansas will go for the series sweep Sunday with a 1 p.m. contest against the Sooners.
