December 21, 2012

KU's Early Deficit Too Much to Overcome in Final Game of Dominican Tour

Dec. 21, 2012

Indians Dominican Academy 6, Kansas 3
Cleveland Indians Field//San Antonio de Guerra, D.R.

Sophomore Connor McKay slides into third base following his seventh inning triple. McKay was one of two Jayhawks with two hits in the game.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R
KU	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	3
CLE	1	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	6

Box Score (.pdf)

Leaders – Batting
Kansas	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
C. McKay	3	1	2	0	1	0
J. Boylan	3	0	2	1	0	0
Indians	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
H. Caro	4	1	2	3	0	0
A. Amador	3	2	2	0	0	0

Pitching
Kansas	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
F. Duncan	4.0	7	6	4	0	6
W. Benjamin	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
T. Taylor	1.0	0	0	0	1	2
J. Piche’	2.0	0	0	0	0	4
Indians	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
J. Cleto (W)	3.0	1	0	0	0	4
E. Estrella	2.0	3	0	0	0	0
H. Gonzalez	1.0	1	1	1	1	1
L. Aquino	1.0	1	1	1	1	0
J. Santana	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
D. Gomez	0.2	1	1	1	1	1
G. Vizcaino (SV)	0.1	0	0	0	0	0

SAN ANTONIO de GUERRA, Dominican Republic – The Indians Dominican Academy scored six runs in the first three innings and held on for a 6-3 victory over Kansas Friday, despite a ninth-inning rally by the Jayhawks.

Kansas dropped its final game of its Dominican Republic Tour and finished the week with a 5-2 record with both losses coming to the Indians – the 2012 Dominican Summer League champions. The Jayhawks won all three games against the Royals Dominican Academy and defeated Yuli Poso in a game during the week as well.

On Friday, the Jayhawks loaded the bases in the ninth inning on a walk, a hit by pitch and a single by freshman Jacob Boylan, to bring the tying run to the plate. After trailing 6-0 early, KU seemed destined for more late-game magic. However, the Jayhawks could only muster one run on Kevin Kuntz’s RBI ground out.

The Indians scored single runs in the first and second inning and then blew the game open in the third. After a single and an error put two on with nobody out, Indians designated hitter Hector Caro doubled to left field, scoring both runners. The nightmare inning continued as Victor Cabral singled in another run and then scored on a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

The Jayhawk pitching staff settled down after the big third inning, holding the Indians to just two base runners over the final five innings, which allowed the team to come back.

Junior Tucker Tharp collected an RBI single to get KU on the board in the sixth inning, while Connor McKay tripled to lead off the seventh and scored on Boylan’s ground ball to short.

McKay and Boylan each collected two hits in the game to lead the Jayhawks. McKay finished the week with KU’s best numbers, going 6-for-16 with five runs scored, two triples and a double in four games.

Junior Frank Duncan started the game for KU and gave up four earned runs on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts. The tandem of Wes Benjamin, Thomas Taylor and Jordan Piche’ tossed four hitless innings and allowed one walk with seven strikeouts.

Piche’, a junior transfer from Indian Hills Community College, finished the week by tossing four scoreless innings out of the bullpen, while recording two saves and six strikeouts.

KU will open the 2013 regular season on Friday, Feb. 15 when it takes on Nevada at Hohokam Park in Mesa, Ariz.

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