Kansas’ quickest nine-inning game of the season needed to last a little longer.
“If you were just coming to a baseball game and you didn’t care who won, you’d go, ‘What a baseball game’,” KU coach Bobby Randall said after Saturday’s 4-2 Big 12 baseball loss to Oklahoma in 1 hour, 55 minutes at Hoglund Ballpark.
“It’s not just enough to have great baseball games though,” he added, noting the Jayhawks were on a “mission” to claim victories.
The ninth-place Jayhawks dropped their second straight game to OU with the potential tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth.
“I love the way we compete,” Randall said. “You don’t have to be a genius to watch us play and see how much we want to win. I love the spirit … but on the other hand we have to execute.”
Down 4-0, KU executed in the ninth inning, but it was too late. After limiting KU to three hits in the first eight innings, Sooner pitcher Austin Mix coaxed Doug Dreher to ground out to open the ninth.
Ryan Klocksien then hit a ground ball to short, but Tommy Whiteman bobbled the ball and Klocksien reached safely. Shane Wedd grounded out to first, advancing Klocksien to second. Then Jesse Gremminger doubled down the first-base line to score Klocksien.
Kevin Wheeler followed with an RBI single to close the gap to 4-2, but pinch-hitter Brandon O’Neal flied out to left field for the final out.
Pete Smart did his part for KU (20-20 overall, 6-14 Big 12), pitching a complete game and striking out five Sooners.
“Pete pitched his tail off against a good hitting team,” Randall said. “He was extremely good against one of the best teams we’ve played. They wore on him, put the ball in play and that was the difference.”
The nine-inning effort was Smart’s fourth complete game of the year.
“When (catcher) Brent (Del Chiaro) is calling a good game, which he did today, and our defense is playing well, which they did, it makes it a lot of fun to go nine,” said Smart, the only KU pitcher to go the distance this season. “On the flip side it’s really not fun to lose.”
OU’s Mix threw nine innings of five-hit ball, and surrendered the two unearned runs while striking out nine Jayhawks. He struck out nine and walked one.
“When a guy throws as well as he throws, and Mix is outstanding, you have to wear him down,” Randall said. “That means you can’t be swinging at balls in the dirt. You can’t give him many strikeouts. You’ve got to put the ball in play.”
Oklahoma (26-14, 11-6) scored two runs in the second inning on an RBI double by Sean Murphy and an RBI single from Chris Haggard. The Sooners padded their lead with a run in the seventh and eighth.
Kansas trails Oklahoma State for the eighth and final spot in the Big 12 tournament.
“It’s not over yet,” Randall said of the Jayhawks’ chances to make the tournament. “We’re going to fight to the last pitch of the season, whenever that is. When the last pitch is thrown, we’re going to quit fighting, but not until then.”
Kansas will wrap its three-game series with OU at 1 p.m. today at Hoglund.
– Levi Chronister’s phone message number is 832-7189. His e-mail address is lchronister@ljworld.com.