Kansas Baseball: Fall Ball Report No. 1
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas baseball team wrapped up week one of fall ball after seeing two intrasquad scrimmages at Hoglund Ballpark.
Since NCAA rules prohibit playing other schools during the fall campaign, the Jayhawks have tentatively set 19 dates in which the team will break off in two squads and scrimmage each other.
Week one action saw the pitching staff combine for 22 innings pitched, allowing just three runs while striking out 19. Juniors Wes Benjamin and Robert Kahana faced off against one another in game one earlier this week.
Benjamin threw two innings, giving up no hits, while striking out one. Kahana pitched three innings, allowing no runs or hits and struck out three. Senior Jordan Piche’ closed game one with a one-two-three seventh inning.
Offensively, senior catcher Ka’iana Eldredge, junior outfielder Connor McKay and sophomore infielder Colby Wright strung together a rally in the fifth inning, scoring both of the games only runs. Eldredge led off the top of the fifth with a single, before McKay hit an RBI double to score Eldredge. Wright followed with an RBI single of his own, driving in McKay from second.
Game two was decided Thursday in five innings with a final score of 1-0. Sophomore Hayden Edwards and freshman Jon Hander were given the start yesterday afternoon. Edwards pitched one inning, allowing just one hit while striking out two. Hander threw two innings, allowing no hits and no runs while also striking out two.
Freshman Stephen Villines came in in relief to close out the game. He threw a one-two-three fifth inning, striking out two batters.
Junior outfielder Joe Moroney led the offensive charge, driving in the only run of the game with his RBI single in the fourth. Senior outfielder Tucker Tharp added a double of his own, while freshman catcher Michael Tinsley went 1-for-1 with a run scored.
They Jayhawks are back on the diamond Saturday, Oct. 5, for the second annual Floyd Temple Alumni Game. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. After the abbreviated game against the alumni, the teams will break off and scrimmage one another once again.
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