Weather, Sooners doom Jayhawks

NORMAN, Okla. – A three-run first inning was too much to overcome as the Kansas baseball team dropped its second-straight contest at Oklahoma, 4-3, Saturday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
 
The Sooners (20-4, 2-0 Big 12) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after hitting up Kansas starter redshirt-junior Ryan Cyr (2-2) for a trio of runs in the bottom of the first. Cyr gave up three walks, a double and a sacrifice fly in the frame, digging a hole for the Jayhawks (13-9, 0-2 Big 12).
 
Cyr settled down and scattered three hits and another run before exiting the game after four and 2/3 innings pitched. Redshirt-junior Blake Goldsberry came on in relief and tossed one and 1/3 innings before sever weather hit and suspended play at 8:10 p.m.
 
Goldsberry retired all four batters he faced and the Jayhawks waited one hour and 38 minutes to resume play in the bottom of the seventh inning. Junior lefty Nathan Barry took the hill the final two frames and held the Sooners scoreless.
 
Trailing 4-3, Kansas managed to get the tying run on base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn’t score.
 
Juniors Brett Vosik and Benjamin Sems led the Jayhawks with identical 2-for-4 efforts and a RBI. Three other KU players added to the seven-hit total including junior catcher Jaxx Groshans, junior second baseman James Cosentino and sophomore designated hitter Tom Lichty.
 
NOTABLES

  • Kansas has lost six-straight games – five of those contests have been by two runs or fewer with four decided by one run.
  • Junior shortstop Benjamin Sems recorded his 18th multi-hit performance of his career with a single and a double.
  • Junior left fielder Brett Vosik amassed his 31st-career multi-hit game with a pair of singles.

 
QUOTES
Head coach Ritch Price
On the flow of the game:
“Ryan Cyr really struggled early in the game. We were lucky to get out of the first only giving up three runs. He found himself and was able to get us into the fifth inning. We got back in the game and had opportunities to score, but couldn’t get a clutch hit. It was a great college baseball game.”
 
On the offense’s performance:
“We had opportunities. We had guys in scoring position in multiple innings late. Oklahoma’s bullpen came on and dominated our guys with runners on base. We get one hit a couple of different times and we could have won the baseball game. It ends up being a tough one-run loss against a quality opponent on the road.”
 
UP NEXT
Kansas and Oklahoma wrap up the series Sunday, March 24 with a 1 p.m. first pitch from L. Dale Mitchell Park.

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