Stillwater, Okla. ? Kansas University’s baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Oklahoma State on Friday and was eliminated from qualifying for the Big 12 tournament.
The Jayhawks fell, 4-3 and 9-2. Only the top eight teams in the Big 12 standings qualify for the tournament.
First game
Kansas 100 000 020 — 3 7 1
Oklahoma State 200 110 00x — 4 6 0
W — Thomas Hatch (6-2). L — Tyler Davis (1-1). Save — Tyler Buffett (9).
2B — Jon Littell, OSU; Corey Hassel, OSU.
KU highlights — Joe Moroney, 3-for-3, 2 runs; Michael Tinsley 1-for-4, 2 RBIs; Colby Wright 1-for-4, RBI; Matt McLaughlin 1-for-2, run.
Second game
Kansas 000 100 100 — 2 5 3
Oklahoma St.ate 312 000 03x — 9 14 1
W — Jensen Elliott (8-2). L — Ben Krauth (5-6).
2B — Colby Wright, KU; J.R. Davis, Garrett Benge, OSU. 3B — Corey Hassel, OSU. Donnie Walton, Dustin Williams, OSU.
KU highlights — Matt McLaughlin 2-for-4; Devin Foyle RBI, run.
Birmingham, Ala. ? Kansas University’s baseball team lost a doubleheader at Stamford on Saturday when its bullpen broke down in both games.
Solid in the middle innings of the first game, the KU bullpen gave up a walk-off double in the 10th inning of a 3-2 loss in the opener.
Kansas took a five-run lead in the sixth inning of the second game, but the KU bullpen gave up back-to-back big innings as the Jayhawks dropped the nightcap, 13-9.
Senior second baseman Colby Wright set up a six-run sixth inning for Stamford when he booted a routine ground ball that flipped the score on the Jayhawks.
“That error definitely contributed to the inning,” head coach Ritch Price said. “You come out of the bullpen and the first guy singles and the next guy hits a ground ball. You have to make a play behind him. When you look at the end of the game, that play was crucial.”
In the first game Saturday — which was the completion of Friday’s night’s schedule matchup that was postponed in the second inning due to a rainstorm — Kansas’ bullpen kept Samford in check.
Relievers Hayden Edwards, Tyler Davis and Sam Gilbert combined to allow two runs through 72/3 innings, but the Jayhawks lost it in the 10th on a walk-off double.
“That was one of the best performances by our bullpen all year,” Price said. “You couldn’t ask for anymore from Edwards, Davis and Gilbert than we got today. That is as good as those young men have pitched all year.”
The teams will conclude their series with a single game at noon today.
First Game
(Completion of Friday night game)
Kansas 000 000 020 0 — 2 9 1
Samford 010 100 000 1 — 3 5 2
W — Parker Curry, 4-1. L — Stephen Villines, 4-2.
2B — Joven Afenir, Colby Wright, KU; Frankie Navarrete, Samford. HR — Alex Lee, Samford.
Kansas highlights — Afenir 2-for-5, R, RBI; TJ Martin 2-for-4; Tyler Davis 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K; Sam Gilbert 12/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K.
Second Game
Kansas 302 202 000 — 9 6 1
Samford 112 006 30x — 13 12 2
W — Tanner Cunningham, 2-1. L — Blake Goldsberry, 0-6.
2B — Heath Quinn, Richard Greene, Samford. 3B — Michael Tinsley, Devin Foyle, KU. HR — Tommy Mirabelli, KU; Alex Lee 2, Quinn 2, Samford.
Kansas highlights — Foyle 2-for-5, 5 RBI; Tinsley 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI; Colby Wright 1-for 4, 2 R, RBI.