Aaron Lindberg/Journal-World PhotoThe Kansas University baseball team managed a split of Saturday’s doubleheader with No. 11 Nebraska, losing the three-game series.
Unfortunately, it’s nothing new. Kansas hasn’t won a three-game set from a Big 12 Conference foe since taking two of three from Kansas State in May 2001. Despite winning Saturday’s first game at Hoglund Ballpark, 5-4, the Jayhawks were crushed 13-0 in seven innings in the second game, losing two of three to the hot Cornhuskers.
The Jayhawks (24-13 overall, 2-7 Big 12) have lost 12 straight conference series dating to last year.
“I thought it was a great win for us,” coach Ritch Price said of the first game. “Especially since we got spanked Friday night.”
Sophomore Travis Metcalf had the clinching blow, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth that put Kansas up 5-4. It salvaged a good outing by starter Chris Smart and exceptional relief work from Brandon Johnson. Smart allowed just one earned run in 52¼3 innings.
Johnson, a Free State grad, pitched 31¼3 innings of shutout ball, earning the win and improving to 5-2. The victory snapped Nebraska’s 11-game winning streak.
“We were hurting those two weeks Johnson was out with a sore elbow,” Price said. “He was special today.”
In the top of the eighth, Johnson faced Lawrence High grad and Nebraska slugger Curtis Ledbetter with two runners in scoring position and the score tied 4-4. The two had faced off in high school, junior college, and now the Big 12, and Johnson prevailed, striking out Ledbetter to end the threat.
“When he struck out Ledbetter,” Price said, “that was absolutely big-time.”
Ledbetter singled and had two RBIs in the first game and went 2-for-4 in the second game. But, like most of his team, he struggled against Johnson.
“In the past, he’s hit me pretty good,” Johnson said of his former summer-league teammate. “It felt good. I know he’s got a huge crowd here watching him.”
The Jayhawks managed just three hits in the second game; the Huskers pounded 16. Nebraska third baseman Alex Gordon hit a grand slam off KU’s Ryan Knippschild as part of a five-run first inning, and the Huskers added four in the fifth and four more in the seventh. They improved to 23-8 and 9-3.
“Ryan found his rhythm after the first inning,” Price said. “To Nebraska’s credit, they pounded our left-handers this weekend.”
Kansas will have today off before a doubleheader at noon Monday against Western Illinois in Macomb, Ill.
Kansas 5, Nebraska 4
Nebraska 001 003 000 — 4 5 1
Kansas 011 020 01X — 5 10 1
W–Brandon Johnson (5-2). L–Jason Burch (1-1).
HR–KU: Travis Metcalf (6)
KU highlights: Sean Flynn 1-for-4, RBI; Ryan Baty 1-for-4, 2B, RBI; Brandon Johnson 31¼3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 K.
Nebraska 13, Kansas 0
Nebraska 500 040 4 — 13 16 2
Kansas 000 000 0 — 0 3 2
W–Zach Kroenke (3-1) L–Ryan Knippschild (6-3)
HR–Nebraska: Alex Gordon (2)
KU highlights: Matt Tribble 1-for-3, 2B; Kevin Wheeler 1-for-3, Ryan Baty 1-for-3.
Earl Richardson/Journal-World PhotoKansas University started strong but fell victim to the weather and pitching in a softball doubleheader split with the University of Arkansas on Wednesday at cold and windy Jayhawk Field.
KU won the first game 4-1, scoring all of its runs in the first two innings, and lost the second game, 3-0.
“Today, with two games, it took a lot of mental toughness and you have to give Arkansas a lot of credit,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said. “They easily could have folded because they were so cold but they bounced back well and did a nice job in the second game.
“You have to take care of yourself and you have to do what’s necessary to keep yourself in the game and be ready to play mentally. They did a nice job of it and I don’t think we did as good of a job of it in the second game.”
KU scored twice in each of the first two innings in the first game. Megan Urquhart drove home Shelly Musser with a single in the first inning and later stole home.
In the second inning, Christi Musser and Amy Hulse scored on Shelly Musser’s triple to right field.
“Offensively, we had some people swinging the bat,” Bunge said. “Megan Urquhart is continuing to hit the ball hard consistently for us. We had a lot of people on the ball hard and we were on the ball hard early.”
Kara Pierce (10-7) picked up the victory for KU.
In the second game, KU had to deal with Arkansas pitcher Heather Schlitchman along with the cold. The freshman hurler pitched a shutout, striking out three and facing just three batters more than the minimum.
“Their pitcher did a nice job,” Bunge said. “As a coach, you like to give credit where credit’s due and credit was deserved on their pitcher’s shoulders. She did a nice job and didn’t make many mistakes over the plate.”
KU (17-16 overall) couldn’t put more than one runner on base in any inning, collected just four hits and hit into two double plays.
“It was very frustrating,” Bunge said. “We just offensively kept finding a way to beat ourselves. We really did not do a real good job offensively.”
Arkansas (20-17) scored a run in the first inning and two in the fifth after Courtney Wright’s error.
“I’m probably most frustrated with us defensively,” Bunge said. “We’re making a lot of mistakes. We’re making a lot of routine errors and that’s a little bit frustrating right now.”
Kirsten Milhoan took the loss for the Jayhawks.
The defeat ended two streaks for KU. The Jayhawks had won seven straight games at home and five consecutive overall.
