Kansas baseball edges TCU in 12

By Staff Reports     Mar 18, 2013

? Senior Jordan Dreiling hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield to break a scoreless tie in the top of the 12th, and junior Jordan Piché pitched 41/2 scoreless innings of relief as Kansas University earned a series win with a 2-0 extra-inning victory over Texas Christian University on Sunday at Lupton Stadium.

KU improved to 13-6 overall, 2-1 in the Big 12, while TCU fell to 8-11 and 1-2.

“That’s as good of a series as we’ve played in a long time,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “I don’t know if there will be a better-pitched college baseball game this season. Both teams gutted through that thing for 12 innings. Both teams had opportunities to win, but pitchers clutched up and made big pitches when they had to.”

After 11 scoreless innings, the Jayhawks broke through with back-to-back, two-out RBI singles by Dreiling and freshman Jacob Boylan.

With one out in the top of the 12th, Ka’iana Eldredge started the rally with a bunt single and then moved to second after Tommy Mirabelli worked a 2-2 count into a walk. Sophomore Dakota Smith singled through the right side to load the bases. After Justin Protacio struck out, Dreiling and Boylan had back-to-back singles.

In his longest outing of the season, Piché allowed no runs on four hits with four strikeouts. His defense helped him get out of a jam in the 10th. After a bunt single and an error put the potential winning run on second with one out, TCU junior Boomer White singled through the left side of the infield, but a perfect throw by Michael Suiter in left field and a great tag by Eldredge cut down the run at the plate.

KU also escaped a jam in the sixth when starting pitcher Thomas Taylor had the bases loaded with nobody out. Taylor, who pitched seven scoreless innings, induced a home-to-first double play on a grounder to third. The senior then recorded the 199th strikeout of his career to end the inning.

Taylor worked seven shutout innings, scattering four hits with two walks and one strikeout. In his last 22 innings, the 6-foot-4 righty has allowed just one earned run.

Smith led the Kansas offense, collecting three hits, while Dreiling, Protacio and Tharp had two apiece. Suiter went hitless for the first time since Feb. 22, snapping his 13-game hitting streak. However, Dreiling extended his streak, reaching base in all 19 of KU’s games.

KU will travel for a four-game series at BYU starting Wednesday.

Kansas 000 000 000 002 — 2 11 1

TCU 000 000 000 000 — 0 8 0

W — Jordan Piché, 4-0. L — Andrew Mitchell, 0-1.

2B — Dakota Smith, KU; Dylan Fitzgerald, TCU.

KU highlights — Thomas Taylor 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R; Piché 41/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB; Smith 3-for-6; Justin Protacio 2-for-4; Jordan Dreiling 2-for-5, RBI; Tucker Tharp 2-for-5.

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