⚾ Jayhawks Fall to West Virginia in Big 12 Championship Game One
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – In the single-elimination, game one of the 2021 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, No. 9 seed Kansas fell to No. 8 West Virginia, 8-7, at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
After jumping out to an early lead, the Mountaineers (24-25, 8-16 Big 12) were able to chip away and eventually earned a walk with the bases loaded to top the Jayhawks.
Maui Ahuna had a career day in Oklahoma City, recording his first-career home run, four RBI and two triples. He is the first Jayhawk (30-27, 8-16 Big 12) to have two triples in a game since Brett Vosik at Furman April 28, 2019.
Tavian Josenberger and Tom Lichty each tallied three hits, while Josenberger claimed two RBI.
Kansas jumped out early, scoring in the first inning after Ahuna’s first triple and a double by Josenberger.
In the second inning, the Jayhawks exploded for four runs.
Lichty led off with a single to right field before scoring when James Cosentino put the ball in play. Lichty advanced to third on the throw and scored on an error by the WVU right fielder.
Three at bats later, Kansas had two runners on with one out. Ahuna laced a ball to right field over the outstretched arm of the WVU right fielder, clearing the bases with the three-RBI blast.
Cole Larsen earned the start and pitched four innings, recording three strikeouts, while Ryan Cyr pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
WVU tallied its first run of the game in the bottom of the second and scored four more in the fourth to tie the game at 5-all.
The Mountaineers captured their first lead of the game in the fifth, scoring one run on a ground out.
KU again pushed runs across in the seventh to take back the lead.
With two outs and one runner on, Ahuna laced his second triple to score the first run of the inning.
Josenberger singled to right field and scored Ahuna from third for his second RBI of the game.
WVU tied it again in the eighth after scoring a single run and won the single-elimination contest with another run in the ninth.
