Big Inning Dooms Jayhawks Against Kansas State

May 14, 2010

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LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Junior Jimmy Waters went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, but it was not enough to offset a big inning by Kansas State. The Wildcats scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning en route to a 5-4 triumph over Kansas Friday night at Hoglund Ballpark in the first game of a three-game series.

The 24th-ranked Wildcats improve to 33-15 overall and 12-9 in the Big 12, while Kansas drops to 29-20-1 overall and 10-11-1 in conference play.

Kansas scored a pair of runs early on an RBI double by Waters and a solo homer off the bat of Brett Lisher to grab a 2-0 lead behind junior ace T.J. Walz. However, Walz ran into trouble in the sixth as five-straight K-State hitters reached base, including back-to-back-to-back doubles by Carter Jurica, Nick Martini and Daniel Dellasega.

After a strikeout, K-State right fielder Mike Kindel delivered the big blow, a two-run single up the middle, which stretched the lead to 4-2.

Jurica led off the seventh inning with a solo homer to give the visitors a three-run lead. However, the Jayhawks fought back with a pair of runs in their half of the seventh on back-to-back RBI singles by Tony Thompson and Waters, bringing KU within one.

The Jayhawks had runners at first and second with one out, but Wildcat relief pitcher Evan Marshall got Casey Lytle and Jake Marasco to ground out to end the threat. Kansas also put the tying run on second base in the eighth inning, but Robby Price lined out to center field.

Travis Blankenship was a bright spot for KU, recording a career-high six strikeouts in three innings of scoreless relief.

After setting a team record with 48 hits in a three-game series against Missouri last weekend, the Jayhawks collected just eight Friday night against K-State. Waters led the team with two hits, while Brian Heere extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a 1-for-4 effort.

The teams will meet in game two of the series Saturday night in Manhattan, Kan. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game can be seen live on Kansas 22 and MetroSports (Channel 37 on Sunflower Cable).