Jayhawks Survive Scare From Arkansas-Little Rock, 11-8

May 18, 2010

Box Score in PDF Format

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –

Junior Brian Heere went 2-for-3 with a home run and four runs scored, while junior Wally Marciel recorded a career-high eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief as Kansas knocked off Arkansas-Little Rock, 11-8 Tuesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park.

The Jayhawks defeat the Trojans for the second time this season, and improve to 31-21-1 overall, while UALR snaps a five-game winning streak and drops to 27-24 overall.

Kansas jumped on Trojan starting pitcher Calvin Drinnen for seven runs in the first two innings, but needed to hold off a furious ninth-inning to claim the win.

KU broke out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first as Brandon Macias, Robby Price and Heere led off the game with consecutive singles. Kansas scored its runs on a pair of bases loaded walks, a Brett Lisher sacrifice fly, an RBI single by James Stanfield and a wild pitch.

The Jayhawks stretched their lead to seven runs in the second with a sac fly by Waters and a sharp single to center by Lytle.

After starting pitcher Thomas Taylor gave up two runs in the bottom of the second, he was pulled in favor of Marciel, who pitched 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn his second victory of the season. The junior struck out a career-high eight hitters, while holding UARL to no runs on two hits.

Kansas added single runs in the third and the sixth, before Heere hit a two-run homer in the eighth to stretch the lead to 11-2.

Arkansas-Little Rock scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth to draw within 11-8, but Colton Murray fanned Brock Feldman and pinch hitter Tim Emmons to earn his fourth save of the season.

Macias led the Jayhawk offense with three hits, extending his hitting streak to 12 straight games. Heere’s two hits gives him a 17-game hitting streak, which is the second-longest by a Jayhawk this season. Waters and Stanfield also added two-hit games for KU.

The Jayhawks will look to finish the regular season on a high note when it hosts No. 14 Oklahoma in a three-game series, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark.