Senior third baseman Ryan Pidhaichuk’s career day at the plate wasn’t enough, as Kansas University’s baseball team fell to BYU, 11-10, Thursday at Hoglund Ballpark.
Pidhaichuk paced Kansas (3-5) with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. His efforts helped the Jayhawks take an early 4-0 lead in the third inning, but the Cougars (8-1) answered back the next six frames to score 11 — thanks in part to five home runs and nine extra-base hits. BYU freshman right fielder Kyle Dean led the way with a 4-for-5 performance with three home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored.
“Dean was one of the most high-profiled recruits on the West Coast coming out of high school,” head coach Ritch Price said. “He had a huge night. Obviously if you give up five home runs in a game, you are going to get beat.”
The Cougars kept KU off the board the majority of the game until the bottom of the ninth inning, when the Jayhawks strung together a five-run final rally.
BYU 000 323 102 — 11 17 1
Kansas 004 100 005 — 10 14 0
W — Burrup, 2-1. L — Leban, 1-1. SV — Cenatiempo (1).
2B — Larsen, Shaver, Urry, Faverso, BYU; Afenir, Tinsley, Foyle, Pidhaichuk, Moroney, Kansas. HR — Lund, Anderson, Dean 3, BYU.
Kansas highlights — Pidhaichuk, 3-for-4, 2 RBI; Afenir, 3-for-5, 2 RBI; Tinsley, 2-for-5, 2 RBI.