Big Inning Lifts No. 11 Kansas State Past Kansas, 4-1
May 15, 2009
MANHATTAN, Kan. –
Brian Heere had two hits, while Buck Afenir recorded his 54th RBI of the season, but it was not enough. Kansas State’s Justin Bloxom collected a two-run single bottom of the sixth, which proved to be the big hit in the deciding inning as Kansas State earned a 4-1 win Friday night at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan.
The Wildcats move to 39-13-1 overall and 14-9-1 in the Big 12, while the Jayhawks fall to 35-19 overall and 13-12 in conference play.
Kansas could not solve K-State starter A.J. Morris, while the Wildcats used a four-run sixth to overcome an early 1-0 hole.
KU drew first blood in the game, scoring a run on an Afenir sacrifice fly in the fourth. Robby Price started the inning with a one-out walk, and moved to third on a Heere single. Afenir slammed the first pitch he saw to right field to drive in the run.
Jayhawk starter Shaeffer Hall blanked the Wildcats through the first five innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth.
Designated hitter Adam Muenster singled to lead off the inning and then moved to second when Carter Jurica was hit by a pitch. Nick Martini loaded the bases, setting the stage for Bloxom’s two-run single, which plated the go-ahead run.
The Wildcats scored two more runs on an error and a sacrifice fly, which ended Hall’s night after 5 2/3 innings. The Kansas lefty scattered five hits and three earned runs with no walks and three strikeouts.
KU’s best chance to come back came in the eighth when Jason Brunansky and David Narodowski started the inning with singles to bring the tying run to the plate. However, Morris buckled down and induced a pop out, a fielder’s choice and a deep fly out off the bat of Afenir to end the threat.
The teams will square off in game two of the series Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game can be heard on KLWN (1320 AM).
