Wildcats Take Rubber Game From Kansas, 9-3

May 13, 2012

Final Stats

Kansas State 9, Kansas 3 Tointon Family Stadium//Manhattan, Kan.

Junior Kevin Kuntz went 1-for-4 in KU’s 9-3 loss to Kansas State Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R KU 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 KSU 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 4 x 9 Box Score (.pdf) Leaders – Batting Kansas AB R H RBI BB HR D. Smith 3 0 3 1 1 0 J. Dreiling 3 1 1 0 1 0 Kansas State AB R H RBI BB HR W. Hinkle 4 2 3 2 1 1 J. Davis 4 0 3 2 1 0 Pitching Kansas IP H R ER BB SO T. Taylor (L) 2.1 4 4 4 3 2 R. Kahana 1.1 1 1 1 3 2 J. Jakubov 3.0 1 0 0 0 4 T. Poppe 1.0 4 4 1 0 0 Kansas State IP H R ER BB SO R. Youngdahl 1.1 4 3 3 2 1 N. Williams (W) 2.2 1 0 0 3 3 J. Moore 4.0 2 0 0 2 7 G. Esquivel 1.0 0 0 0 0 1

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Freshman Dakota Smith went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI, but after a three-run second inning, K-State’s bullpen blanked the Kansas over the final 7 1/3 innings as the Wildcats claimed the series with a 9-3 win in the rubber game Sunday evening at Tointon Family Stadium.

The loss drops the Jayhawks to 20-31 on the season and 5-15 in Big 12 play, while K-State improves to 24-28 and 5-16 in the conference. Kansas will head into the final weekend of play ½ game ahead of K-State for the eighth and final spot in the Big 12 Championship. The Jayhawks face Missouri in a three-game series at home, while the Wildcats travel to Texas Tech.

On Sunday, the Jayhawks rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the second inning, but could never grab the lead.

After the Wildcats scored three runs in the bottom of the first on back-to-back home runs by Jared King and Wade Hinkle, the Jayhawks answered. A leadoff walk, a Chris Manship single and a hit by pitch, Smith drove in KU’s first run with a line drive single up the middle.

Sophomore Ka’iana Eldredge then brought the Jayhawks within a run with a sacrifice fly to center field, while James Stanfield’s two-out walk with the bases loaded forced home the tying run.

However, that was all the offense KU could muster. K-State came back to take the lead in the bottom of the third on Jon Davis’ RBI single and added to it with a sacrifice fly in the fifth by Jake Brown.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ bullpen tandem of Nate Williams, Jared Moore and Gerardo Esquivel blanked the Jayhawks on three hits with five walks and 11 strikeouts over the final 7 1/3 innings. KU’s offense left 10 men on base in the game and also hit into a pair of double plays.

KU’s highlight on the mound was senior Jordan Jakubov, who tossed three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and recording four strikeouts.

The Jayhawks will conclude their 2012 regular season with a three-game series against Border Showdown rival Missouri, beginning Thursday, May 17 at 6 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark.