PROVO, Utah — Kansas baseball defeated BYU, 4-3 and 8-5, in a doubleheader at Miller Park on Friday. The Jayhawks improved to 15-10 (7-5 Big 12) on the year while the Cougars dropped to 11-14 (4-8).
Game One
After three scoreless innings to begin game one, Kansas scored first on a two-out solo home run to right field by catcher Jake English for a 1-0 lead.
BYU tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Designated hitter Kuhio Aloy led off the inning with a double off the top of the left field wall and scored in a single to centerfield by Bryker Hurdsman.
The Jayhawks retook the lead in the top of the sixth on a walk and three hits for a 4-1 lead.
The Cougars picked up a run in the seventh to cut the KU lead to 4-2. Hurdsman led off the inning with a single to right, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Crew Robinson then scored Hurdsman on a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Down two runs in the bottom of the ninth, Hurdsman led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a fielding error. Keoni Painter then scored Hurdsman on a sacrifice fly, but that would be the end of the scoring as BYU fell to KU, 4-3.
Kansas scored four runs on eight hits, with one error and four left on base, while BYU scored three runs on seven hits, with two errors and seven stranded runners.
Player Highlights
– Bryker Hurdsman: 3-4, 2 Runs, RBI, 2B
– Kuhio Aloy: 1-4, Run, 2B
Game Two
Game two also opened with three scoreless innings before Kansas scored two runs off two hits and an infield error that costs the Cougars two unearned runs and gave KU a 2-0 lead.
The Jayhawks tacked on another run in the top of the fifth on a walk, single, wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to push its advantage to 3-0. The Cougars threatened with two runners in scoring position and one out in the bottom half of the inning, but KU retired the next two batters to end the threat.
Kansas increased its lead to 7-0 with four runs in the sixth inning on a walk and four hits.
BYU responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Jayhawk lead to 7-4. Back-to-back singles by Robinson and Easton Jones, combined with three walks by Collin Reuter, Cooper Vest, Hurdsman and a sacrifice-fly RBI by Kuhio Aloy scored one run. Chipper Beck singled with two outs to score Reuter then Goff followed with another single to bring home Hurdsman and Vest.
After a three-up, three-down top of the seventh by BYU lefty reliever Cutter Clawson, Jones hit a towering solo home run to left field in the bottom of the frame to cut the Jayhawk advantage to 7-5.
KU scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth, then held BYU scoreless in the bottom half of the inning for an 8-5 win.
The Jayhawks scored eight runs on 12 hits in game two, with no errors and seven stranded on base, while BYU scored five runs on eight hits, with an error and eight left on base.
Player Highlights
– Easton Jones: 2-5, RBI, HR, Run
– Crew Robinson: 2-5, Run
Up next, BYU continues Big 12 play with a three-game series at Texas, April 4-6. The series will be played at UFCU Disch–Falk Field in Austin, Texas with all the three games broadcast on the Longhorn Network. The games will also air live on the BYU Radio App with the Thursday-Friday games simulcast on 107.9 FM in Utah County.