Jayhawks Season Ends With 9-5 Loss in NCAA Regionals
June 4, 2006
Box Score | Photo Gallery
–
Box Score in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Despite scoring four runs in the first inning and taking a 5-0 lead the University of Kansas fell to the University of Hawaii (45-16), 9-5, Sunday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament. KU (43-25) ends its season with 43 victories, second most in school history.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Matt Baty walked on four pitches to open the game. Ritchie Price singled to left and Jared Schweitzer singled to center, scoring Baty. Gus Milner then laced a double down the right field line to plate Price and give KU a 2-0 lead. Schweitzer scored on a balk by Hawaii starting pitcher Mark Rodrigues. John Allman recorded an RBI ground out to put Kansas in front 4-0 after a half inning.
Schweitzer extended the Jayhawk lead to 5-0 with a home run to left field. The homer was Schweitzer’s 11th of the season and 23rd of his career.
Hawaii jumped on KU starter Ricky Fairchild for five third inning runs. The Rainbows’ rally started with a single and a walk. UH’s Derek DuPree attempted a sacrifice bunt but instead popped the ball over Fairchild’s head for an infield single to load the bases.
An RBI ground out by Justin Frash plated the Rainbows first run of the game. After a two-run double by Luis Avila, rightfielder Matt Inouye tied the game at 5-5 with a two-run home run, his first of the season.
Inouye struck again in the fifth inning with his second homer of the day and the season. Inouye’s two-run blast off relief pitcher Brendan McNamara gave the Rainbows a 7-5 lead.
Hawaii added a run in the sixth inning to stretch its lead to 8-5. UH used a walk and two singles off freshman Paul Smyth in the inning.
KU put runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth inning. Ryne Price looked to tie the game with a long blast to right-centerfield but Hawaii’s centerfielder camped under the ball at the warning track to stop KU’s threat.
Senior closer Don Czyz pitched the eighth inning to mark his 37th appearance of the season, a new KU single season record.
Hawaii picked up an unearned run in the eighth inning on a passed ball to make the final score 9-5.
McNamara (3-3) took the loss for Kansas, allowing two runs while striking out two. Darrell Fisherbaugh (3-2) picked up the victory in relief after throwing the games final 5.1 innings. Fisherbaugh allowed just five hits in his longest outing of the season.
Game Notes: Jared Schweitzer hit his 23rd career home run, moving into seventh place all-time at Kansas … Kansas trailed Hawaii, 5-0, on Friday before scoring nine-straight to win 9-6 … KU finished the season 0-23 when trailing after eight innings.
