⚾️ Jayhawks Drop Opening Game to No. 4 Texas Tech
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Kansas Jayhawks fell on Friday night at Hoglund Ballpark to the No. 4 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders by a score of 8-2. Texas Tech pulled ahead late in the game when Jace Jung hit a go-ahead, 3-run homer in the seventh inning.
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Andrew Morris (3-0)
Final line: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO
Loss: Daniel Hegarty (2-3)
Final line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 SO
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Kansas took the lead early on the fourth ranked team in the country. With runners on first and third in the first inning, redshirt freshman outfielder Jack Hammond hit an RBI single to center field.
• Texas Tech tied the game with an RBI single from Jung in the fourth inning.
• Redshirt senior catcher Nolan Metcalf took back the lead in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI triple to center field scoring redshirt junior third baseman Dylan Ditzenberger. The Jayhawks led 2-1.
• The Red Raiders responded right away with four runs in the top of the seventh. The game was tied 2-2 after a sacrifice fly when Jung hit a three-run home run to straightaway center field.
• Already leading 5-2, Texas Tech added three more runs in the ninth to make the score 8-2.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Redshirt senior lefty Daniel Hegarty started on Friday night for the second consecutive week. Hegarty battled and kept the Jayhawks in the game, throwing a career-high six and a third innings.
QUOTABLE
“He gave us a great outing. We go into the top of the seventh with a one-run lead against a top five team in the country. We could not have asked for anything more. I was thrilled with the performance that Hegarty gave us.” – Head Coach Ritch Price on Daniel Hegarty
NOTES
• Hegarty has started back-to-back Friday night conference games after never starting a game before.
• Metcalf hit his first career triple in the sixth inning.
• Hammond extended his hitting streak to nine games with a first inning RBI single.
• Ditzenberger went 2-for-4 with two runs scored on Friday night. He has four multi-hit games this season.
UP NEXT
Kansas (9-15) will play game two against No. 4 Texas Tech on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+ and the Jayhawk Sports Network.
