Baylor pitching too much for Kansas bats
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the second-straight game, the Kansas baseball team struck out 10 times against the Baylor Bears, falling in game one of a Sunday doubleheader, 3-1, at Hoglund Ballpark.
Kansas (21-22, 8-9 Big 12) recorded six hits against the Bears (27-16, 8-9 Big 12), but no more than a single. BU starter Montana Parsons (4-2) kept the Jayhawks off balance through seven innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight.
KU sophomore Jackson Goddard (4-3) matched Parsons’ effort with seven innings, but gave up three runs – two earned – off eight hits and a walk. Baylor tagged Goddard for five extra-base hits including four doubles and a solo home run by right fielder Kameron Esthay.
The Bears broke open the scoring in the third inning when junior shortstop Matt McLaughlin booted a routine ground ball from BU’s Tucker Cascadden. A double and a sacrifice fly later, and Kansas found itself in an early hole, 1-0.
Baylor added to its lead in the fifth after Cascadden led off the frame with a single. He came around to score after another single, and then a double by Bears’ centerfielder Richard Cunningham to make the score, 2-0.
Esthay’s home run in the top of the sixth extended the Kansas deficit to three runs with four at bats remaining.
It took until the eighth inning for the Jayhawks to get the spark they needed offensively when sophomore centerfielder Rudy Karre stroked a one-out single. Three-straight singles followed – by freshman second baseman James Cosentino, McLaughlin and sophomore left fielder Devin Foyle – and KU found its first run of the game, 3-1.
However, the rally ended there as Baylor called to its closer Troy Montemayor (10) for the ninth, and he sat the Jayhawks down in order, one-two-three, to end the game in favor of the Bears, 3-1.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Error: A charging McLaughlin misplayed a ball at shortstop and it rolled under his glove into the outfield. That leadoff play in the top of the third allowed Cascadden to make it all the way around to score in the inning and gave Baylor the early lead and momentum, 1-0.
Doubled up: Kansas recorded two doubles plays to keep runs off the board. In the top of the second, Karre caught a routine fly ball in center field and rifled it to second for the first double play. Then in the top of the eighth, Cosentino caught a hard line shot and flipped it to McLaughlin at second for double play No. 2.
Mistake on the base path: After getting the offense going with a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning, Karre got himself thrown out at third trying to be aggressive on the bases. Cosentino drilled a single up the middle and Karre tried to advance from first-to-third, but BU’s Cunningham tossed a perfect throw to third for the second out of the inning. The Jayhawks followed that play with two-straight singles that could have scored two runs instead of just the one.
UP NEXT
Game three of the series will begin at 3:55 p.m., as the conclusion of a Sunday doubleheader.
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