TCU third baseman Conner Shepherd hit a walk-off home run, as the Kansas baseball team fell in the Friday night opener at Lupton Stadium, 4-3.
The game had all the mixings of a pitcher’s duel with two high-projected draft picks on the mound. The duo of Kansas starter Ryan Zeferjahn and Horned Frog hurler Nick Lodolo matched each other’s effort inning for inning.
Zeferjahn tossed six frames, giving up three runs off four hits and four walks. Lodolo recorded 11 strikeouts and gave up two runs off two hits and three walks in six innings of his own.
Junior Nathan Barry came on in relief for Zeferjahn and tossed one and 1/3 inning of scoreless baseball. Redshirt-junior Blake Goldsberry (5-6) finished off the eighth before only throwing one pitch in the ninth to Shepherd, who took him deep.
The Jayhawks (27-23, 8-11 Big 12) had their chances throughout the contest stranding 10 runners on base, including three in a bases loaded and nobody out situation in the seventh.
The second game is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday.
