The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
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Kansas
Baseball drops series opener to Kansas
03.20.2009 | Baseball
March 20, 2009
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AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 1 Texas Longhorns were unable to overcome a four-run third inning and lost, 5-4, to the Kansas Jayhawks in baseball action Friday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Jayhawks (11-7, 1-0 Big 12) got a leadoff single up the middle by Nick Faunce to start the third inning. After Jason Brunansky was unable to get a sacrifice bunt down on his first two attempts, he hit a grounder that took a bad hop over first baseman Brandon Belt's glove for a single to put runners at the corners. David Narodowksi tried a squeeze bunt and although the Longhorns were able to sniff out the play, they were unable to record an out and the Jayhawks had the bases loaded.
With the sacks saturated, UT starter Chance Ruffin issued a walk to Brian Heere to push across the Jayhawks' first run. Robby Price followed with an apparent double-play grounder, but Belt's throw to second base sailed wide and allowed a pair of runs to score, inflating the Kansas cushion to 3-0. Buck Afenir closed out the rally with an RBI single up the middle. Ruffin fanned the last three batters to get out of the inning, but not before the Jayhawks staked out a 4-0 lead.
Texas (14-4, 2-2 Big 12) shaved two runs off the lead in the fifth inning when Preston Clark hit a leadoff double off the wall in left centerfield and Kevin Keyes followed with a blast over the fence in right centerfield, trimming the lead to 4-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, Kansas tacked on an insurance run which they would cash in later. Afenir hit a leadoff single and with one out Jimmy Waters was hit by a pitch, setting up an RBI single up the middle by Preston Land, giving the Jayhawks a 5-2 advantage.
The Longhorns responded with a run in the top of the sixth. Travis Tucker singled through the left side and Belt singled to the gap in left centerfield to put runners at the corners. Shepherd hit a sacrifice fly to the fence in rightfield, plating Tucker and cutting the lead to 5-3.
Texas pulled to within one run in the seventh. Keyes drew four-pitch walk as the lead-off hitter, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by David Hernandez and scored on a double down the leftfield line by Connor Rowe.
Tucker led Texas offense, going 2-for-4 with one run. Keyes hit 1-for-2 with one walk, one hit-by-pitch, two runs, one home run and two RBI.
Heere, Afenir and Brunansky each had two hits for Kansas
Ruffin (3-2) was saddled with the loss for Texas. He allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven over 7.2 innings.
Shaeffer Hall (2-1) earned the win for Kansas. He yielded four runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five over 7.0 innings.
Paul Smyth retired three of the four batters he faced to pick up his fourth save of the season.
The series continues on Saturday with game two starting at 1 p.m.
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