LUBBOCK, TEX. ? Sophomore left-hander Andy Marks scatted seven hits over 62â3 innings and allowed just one run, but it was not enough for Kansas University. Texas Tech starting pitcher A.J. Ramos shut out the Jayhawks on four hits Friday night as the Red Raiders won the first game of the three-game series, 1-0.
Texas Tech improved to 23-16, 6-9 in Big 12 conference play, while the Jayhawks fell to 19-24 and 5-11.
Marks, who entered the contest tied for first in the Big 12 with 68 strikeouts, took a tough-luck loss, allowing just seven hits. He allowed a run in the bottom of the first and then kept the Red Raiders scoreless into the seventh.
The Red Raiders jumped to an early lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Roger Kieschnick. Marks escaped further trouble by inducing an inning-ending double play from Geoff Byrns.
Marks seemed to get stronger as the night went on, retiring 10 of the final 11 hitters he faced. He gave way to sophomore Paul Smyth, who recorded the final out of the seventh inning and set the home team down scoreless in the bottom of the eighth.
Kansas matched a season-low with four hits in the game. The Jayhawks’ biggest threat came in the fifth inning, when Kyle Murphy and John Allman collected singles. However, Ramos was able to escape by coaxing a ground out off the bat of Erik Morrison.
Ramos became the first pitcher to toss a complete game shutout against KU since Missouri’s Nathan Culp blanked the Jayhawks on March 31 of last season.
During batting practice, both the Jayhawks and Red Raiders wore maroon and orange shirts to remember the victims of the tragedy at Virginia Tech earlier in the week. The teams and fans observed a moment of silence before the game as well.
KU will look to even the series today.
