The Kansas baseball team fell one run short of grabbing a statement-making series win against the University of Texas on Sunday.
Actually, the Jayhawks fell one solid hit short.
KU fell 7-6 to Texas on Sunday on Hoglund Ballpark. The Jayhawks had the tying and winning runs on base in the final inning before a strikeout ended the game.
KU had beaten Texas, ranked No. 27 nationally, on Friday in the opening game of the three game series. Texas won game two, which set the stage for KU’s effort to win the series on Sunday.
It looked good early. KU took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on a two-out double by Janson Reeder. Texas quickly responded in the next inning to tie the game. Kansas, though, answered. An RBI triple by Mike Koszewski brought home a run to push KU ahead 3-2.
Texas again immediately answered to tie the game 3-3, and then the Longhorns seemingly broke the game open with four runs in the seventh inning. KU, though, had other thoughts. Trailing by three in the ninth inning, KU got two singles and fielding error to load the bases with no outs. Cole Elvis produced an RBI on a fielder’s choice and Collier Cranford plated another run with single.
That’s where the rally ended.
It also ended KU’s home season. Sunday was Senior Day, with the Jayhawks honoring seniors Jake Baker, Collin Baumgartner, Cole Elvis and Sam Ireland.
First year head coach Dan Fitzgerald said the game was a good reminder of how far the Jayhawks have come as a team.
“We have come a really long way as a program,” Fitzgerald said. “If you look at where we were in August, to now, the competitive nature has grown a really significant level.”
While the home season is done, KU has six more games left in the regular season. It plays a three game non-conference series against Samford in Birmingham, Alabama on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
KU finishes Big 12 regular season play on May 18-20 at Lubbock against Texas Tech. KU i fighting to stay ahead of Baylor for eight-place in the nine team conference. KU starts the week once game ahead of Baylor in the conference standings. KU likely won’t be able to catch any of the teams ahead of it in the conference race. TCU is in seventh place with an 8-10 conference record. KU is at 7-14 in conference play. The Jayhawks are in striking distance of finishing the regular season with an overall winning record. KU’s overall record stands at 22-26.
Chance Parker/Journal-World Photo
