A few hours later, the KU offense carved out seven runs on 11 hits off the Texas pitchers but fell nine runs and 12 hits shy of matching the output of the Longhorns, who left Lawrence with a 16-7, series-clinching victory.

UT shortstop C.J. Hinojosa finished 4-for-6 with four RBIs and hit for the cycle. Left fielder Ben Johnson launched two balls over the fence and finished with three RBIs. And six other Longhorns collected at least two hits during the runaway victory.

“Today, it was gonna be on our hitters,” Price said. “We were gonna have to outscore ’em. And we didn’t have enough ammunition to shoot at ’em today.”

What began as a classic Sunday showdown — in which both dugouts drew an early warning from the home-plate umpire for letting the emotions from the first two games of the series spill over — quickly turned into the Jayhawks trying to play catch up.

John Young

The Longhorns (21-19 overall, 8-7 Big 12) scored two runs in the third and two more in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. KU sophomore Michael Tinsley’s third home run of the season trimmed the Texas lead to two in the bottom of the fourth, but that was the last time the Jayhawks (16-24, 4-8) were in the game.

“I looked at the board and told our guys, ‘They had four runs on 10 hits. They’ve dominated the game, and we’re only down two,'” Price recalled. “I really liked our chances. Then in the fifth, (Texas) put the seven-spot up, with two outs, and we really got buried from that point.”

With the wind blowing out, even routine fly balls that on a normal day would have stayed in the park turned into towering home runs. No one took better advantage of that than Johnson, who surely wowed the seven or so major-league scouts in attendance.

“We might have made him national player of the week today,” Price said of Johnson. “That was an unbelievable show he put on. He’s not only the fastest guy in college baseball, he’s one of the strongest.”

The Jayhawks never quit, scoring five runs in the final five innings. Dakota Smith homered in the eighth and delivered two RBIs, and Matt McLaughlin collected two hits and two RBIs.

But no matter how hot the KU offense remained, it amounted to little more than treading water, as the Longhorns continued to pound a KU bullpen that used five pitchers and gave up 13 runs on 14 hits.

“It was just a tough day,” said KU senior Justin Protacio, who finished 1-for-4 with a double. “The wind was really crazy, and anyone who hit the ball up in the air, it was gonna go out.”

KU will return to Hoglund Ballpark on Tuesday night, when they’ll face Wichita State in a single game at 6 p.m. Earlier this month, the Jayhawks rallied to beat the Shockers, 13-12 in 11 innings, in Wichita.

Texas 002 271 202 — 16 23 0

Kansas 000 230 020 — 7 11 0

W — Andy McGuire, 1-0. L — Blake Weiman, 1-6.

2B — Michael Cantu (3), Ben Johnson, C.J. Hinojosa and Zane Gurwitz, UT; Justin Protacio, Blair Beck and Joven Afenir, KU. 3B: Hinojosa, UT. HR: Johnson (2), Hinojosa, Tres Barrera and Joe Baker, UT; Michael Tinsley and Dakota Smith, KU.

Kansas highlights — Matt McLaughlin 2-for-4, 2 RBIs; Blair Beck 2-for-4, 2B, run; Dakota Smith 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs, run; Michael Tinsley 2-for-2, HR, 3 RBIs, run; Connor McKay 1-for-1, 2 runs; Justin Protacio 1-for-4, run.