Jayhawks Blast OSU 17-3 in Series Opener
May 21, 2005
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Jayhawk offense came alive to score a run in every inning of the game as the University of Kansas baseball team handed Oklahoma State a 17-3 defeat on Saturday in a continuation of Friday’s suspended series opener.
The win improves KU’s overall record to 35-25 and its Big 12 mark to 10-14, while OSU falls to 32-22 overall and 11-14 in league action.
In the contest, Kansas starting pitcher Sean Land ran into trouble in the top of the first inning as the first two Cowboy batters of the game reached base. The lefty was able to escape the inning unscathed as he struck out the next three batters.
The Jayhawks got off to a hot start at the plate in the game as they put three runs on the board in the home half of the first. With one out in the frame, junior shortstop Ritchie Price and junior left fielder A.J. Van Slyke collected back-to-back hits and were followed by right fielder Gus Milner, who drew a walk, to load the bases for senior catcher Sean Richardson. The Vista, Calif., native responded with a double to left centerfield that plated all three base runners.
Milner put the Jayhawks in front 5-0 in the bottom of the second inning as he drove in his 42nd and 43rd runs of the season with a single to left field. Milner finished the game 2-for-4.
In the top of the third inning, the Cowboys got on the board and cut the KU lead 6-3 with a RBI double from right fielder Corey Brown and the Big 12-leading 18th home run of the season from first baseman Adam Carr.
Kansas countered with a run of its own in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly from second baseman Ryne Price.
KU held a 6-3 lead in the game when play was suspended prior to the start of the fourth inning.
As the contest resumed on Saturday afternoon, junior pitcher Kodiak Quick replaced Land and pitched a scoreless top of the fourth inning to send the game to the home half of the frame. Jared Schweitzer gave KU a 7-3 lead as he collected his second hit of the ball game, a RBI single to left field.
Quick was dominant in the contest allowing only one hit in the game’s final six inning to pick up his Big 12 leading 10th win of the season.
Ritchie Price and Van Slyke collected back-to-back hits for the second time in the contest in the bottom of the fifth as both players drove in a run with a RBI double, putting KU up by a score of 9-3.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Richardson led off for the `Hawks and doubled off the wall in center field. Richardson came around to score KU’s 10th run of the ball game in the next at bat on a RBI double by Schweitzer. Richardson finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with a game-high four RBI, while Schweitzer increased his team-leading batting average to .371 with a 3-for-4 performance.
The Jayhawks added six runs onto their total in the seventh inning as they collected five hits and took advantage of two Cowboy errors in the frame.
Senior Jake Kauzlarich pinch hit for the Jayhawks in the bottom of the seventh inning and drove in the game’s final run with an RBI double.
Kansas and Oklahoma State will resume the series with game two at 6 p.m. Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark.
