Jayhawks upended by NU, 5-2

By Kelly Rathbun, Journal-World Sports Writer     Apr 22, 2001

It was a dreary day for Kansas University’s baseball team on Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark.

The Jayhawks endured a short rain delay, then fell to No. 3-ranked Nebraska, 5-2.

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Ryan Klocksien was the only Jayhawk with more than one hit against NU pitcher Jamie Rodrigue (5-3).

“I hit lefties pretty well,” Klocksien said. “I have a pretty good plan against them. He just threw it where my strengths are.”

Kansas (16-26, 4-19 Big 12) scored first when Casey Spanish singled and scored on Klocksien’s double to center.

But Nebraska (34-8, 15-3) came back in the fourth when four of its first five batters scored. Matt Hopper and Dan Johnson had base hits, then Kansas pitcher Doug Lantz loaded the bases by walking Justin Seely. With one out, Jed Morris singled to center and scored Hopper and Johnson.

Seely was batted in by Jeff Blevins’ hit to right, and Morris came home on Will Bolt’s single to center.

Kansas cut it to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth on Matt Van Alsburg’s solo home run.

NU added an insurance run in the eighth off Lantz (2-5).

“He pitched really well,” KU coach Bobby Randall said. “But his pitch count was high. The thing that hurt him the most was walks. He lost his location in the fourth. I don’t know that he pitched his best, but he pitched pretty good.”

KU managed just six hits.

“We really hit too many flyballs today,” Randall said. “And we had a few too many strikeouts. It was just the way they pitched. Today they pitched a lot softer. The guys who throw soft it’s easy to get underneath the ball and that causes flyballs and strikeouts as well.”

The series will conclude with a single game at 1 p.m. today.

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