Late Kansas rally falls short at Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. – The Kansas baseball team rallied for two runs in the eighth inning to pull with one, but the rally fell short in a 4-3 loss to the Cowboys at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in the nightcap of a Friday doubleheader.
 
The Jayhawks (19-19, 3-10 Big 12) had the tying runner at third with less than two outs in both the eighth and ninth frames, however, Oklahoma State (22-14, 11-3 Big 12) pitchers managed to induce a foul out, ground out and then back-to-back strikeouts in the ninth to pull away with the victory.
 
“It was a tremendous college baseball game,” head coach Ritch Price said. “Oklahoma State is playing like a top-25 team that is leading the Big 12 Conference. My guys competed as hard as they could compete.”
 
After being run-ruled in the first game, Kansas needed a quality start from senior lefty Taylor Turski. The southpaw answered the call with five innings of one-run baseball. He allowed just four hits and struck out eight batters. His only blemish came in the first after he loaded the bases via a double and back-to-back walks with one out.
 
“Turski did a fabulous job,” Price said. “When you get boat raced in game one, you need to bounce back with a quality start and he did that for us. He allowed us to go to our bullpen.”
 
The Cowboys tagged that bullpen for three runs in the sixth inning, all coming off reliever Ryan Cyr. The redshirt-sophomore got the first hitter out, but then fell into some trouble. Back-to-back singles and back-to-back balks broke the 1-1 tie. OSU then hit two more singles and scored its final run via a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to take a three-run advantage, 4-1.
 
The Jayhawk bats battled back in the eighth after sophomore Jaxx Groshans, sophomore Brett Vosik and junior Devin Foyle singled to load the bases with no outs. Redshirt-sophomore Brendt Citta drew the bases loaded walk before senior Owen Taylor plated a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3.
 
Then with runners at second and third and one out, junior pinch hitter David Kyriacou fouled out and senior Luke Bakula ground out to strand both runners on base.
 
“I want to complement our hitters,” Price said. “You look at that board and you see the seven knocks up there, but we hit like five line drives right on the button that were caught. Oklahoma State made unbelievable play after unbelievable play on the infield tonight, I tip my cap.”
 
Kansas had one last prime opportunity in the ninth after sophomore James Cosentino tripled with one out. However, Groshans and Vosik both went down swinging to strand Cosentino at third and end the game.
 
UP NEXT
Kansas and Oklahoma State wrap up the series on Sunday, April 22 with a 1 p.m. first pitch. Fans can tune into the game on the Jayhawk Radio Network via KUAthletics.com/Radio and on the airwaves on KCTE.
 
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Runner on third, less than two outs: In both the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, Kansas had the tying run on third with less than two outs and failed to score. In the ninth, the Jayhawks had arguably their two best hitters up in Jaxx Groshans and Brett Vosik, but both went down swinging to end the game.
 
Balk it out: In the bottom of the sixth inning, KU reliever Ryan Cyr got tabbed with two balk calls to advance runners and break the 1-1 tie. Oklahoma State used that to build a three-run lead that held through the end of the game.

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