⚾ Jayhawks Earn 9-3 Victory In Game One Against Ball State
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Kansas (5-4) earned its first win of the First Pitch Invitational, 9-3, over Ball State (2-6) after a seven-run, sixth inning at Fluor Field.
The Jayhawks found themselves on the scoreboard first, plating two runs in the third inning before Ball State notched a run in the fifth off Kansas starter Everhett Hazelwood.
Hazelwood, the reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, pitched six innings and struck out five batters on his way to recording his second win of the season.
After the Cardinals took the lead in the top of the sixth, the Kansas offense exploded, answering with seven runs in the bottom of the inning that was highlighted by a two-run RBI single by Skyler Messinger and a three-run RBI double by Zach Hanna.
Kansas added two more runs in the inning off a single by Anthony Tulimero, which plated Hanna, and a single by Benjmain Sems, scoring Casey Burnham from second.
Blake Goldsberry entered the game in the seventh and threw three scoreless innings for the Jayhawks. Goldsberry also earned his first save of the season while recording three strikeouts.
HOW KANSAS SCORED
B3 – Zach Hanna earned a walk to start the inning and moved to second on a single up the middle by Casey Burnham. A single by Benjamin Sems scored Hanna and moved Burnham to third.
B3 – With runners on first and third, Sems delayed his steal attempt allowing Burnham to steal home.
B6 – Dylan Ditzenberger led off the inning with a single to left center and moved to second after a Sems walk. A walk by Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi and the bases were loaded before a Skyler Messinger single to right center, which plated two runs.
B6 – With runners on first and third, Nolan Metclaf pinch hit and received a walk. Tom Lichty pinch ran for Metcalf and was one of three runs on a double to left center by Zach Hanna.
B6 – In the next at bat following the Hannah double, Anthony Tulimero singled through the left side, scoring Hanna from third.
B6 – After earning their second out of the inning, Kansas tallied its final run on a single by Sems to left field, which scored Casey Burnham from second.
MOMENT OF THE GAME
B6 – After Skyler Messinger singled to right center, scoring Benjamin Sems and Dylan Ditzenberger, Nolan Metclaf walked, loading the bases. Zach Hanna laced a double to left center, scoring three runs.
NOTES
- Jackson Cobb earned his first career start as a Jayhawks’ as the designated hitter in game one against Ball State.
- Everhett Hazelwood started his third game of the season and has three-consecutive starts with five-or-more strikeouts.
- Casey Burnham (2), Benjamin Sems (2) and Skyler Messinger(2) each tallied multi-hit games.
- Blake Goldsberry earned his first save of the season after pitching the final three innings, allowing no runs with three strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Kansas continues the First Pitch Invitational Feb. 29 at 1 p.m. (CT) in the second game of the doubleheader against Ball State.
