⚾ Kansas Splits Doubleheader With West Virginia
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – The Kansas Jayhawks split a doubleheader with West Virginia on Saturday at Monongalia County Ballpark.
The Jayhawks took the first game, 9-2, behind a dominant start from Cole Larsen, before dropping the finale, 15-2.
The Mountaineers secured a series win with a victory in the finale and dropped Kansas to 14-8 on the season and 1-2 in Big 12 play. West Virginia moved to 10-9 on the season and 2-1 in the league.
FIRST GAME
Kansas 9, West Virgina 2
Larsen got the starting nod for Kansas in the first game of the doubleheader and pitched brilliantly. He earned his fourth win of the season after eight innings of work, giving up only one run and striking out six batters.
The righty brought his ERA for the season down to a Big 12-best 0.86 after giving up only four runs in 42 innings of work all year.
To match Larsen’s pitching, the Kansas offense was also electric in in the opening game of the doubleheader.
It was a pitcher’s duel until the Mountaineers struck Larsen for one run in the bottom of the fifth.
The Jayhawks were quick to respond in the top of the sixth inning. Casey Burnham and Dylan Ditzenberger were both hit by a pitch in consecutive at-bats to open the inning and gave Kansas two runners on with no outs.
Nolan Metcalf singled through the left side to score Burnham and Skyler Messinger doubled down the left field line, scoring Ditzenberger. Tom Lichty followed with a two-run single of his own to give the Jayhawks a 4-1 edge.
Another single by Metcalf in the top of seventh scored a run and Larsen continue to shut down the West Virginia offense.
Two walks in the top of the eighth inning got Kansas going again. Tavian Josenberger stepped up to the plate and launched the first triple of his career into right center to plate both runners. The freshman scored on a groundout and Kansas left the inning with a commanding 9-2 lead.
Daniel Hegarty closed out the game for Kansas in the ninth inning and secured the victory.
Josenberger, Metcalf, Lichty and Tulimero all recorded multi-hit games during the win, with a combined six RBIs.
SECOND GAME
West Virginia 15, Kansas 2
The second game of the doubleheader was a rubber match, with both Kansas and West Virginia fighting to win the third game of the series.
The Kansas pitching staff walked 11 batters and couldn’t stop the Mountaineer offense with runners on base.
The Jayhawks managed only four hits and two runs against the West Virginia pitching staff
Kansas’ two runs came in the top of the sixth off of a Jack Wagner single and a wild pitch.
The deficit proved insurmountable for the Jayhawks and they dropped the series to the Mountaineers.
Wagner had a multi-hit game for Kansas, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Jayhawks will return to action Tuesday at 3 p.m., at home against Missouri.
