LAWRENCE, Kan. — BYU baseball fought back from a 5-0 deficit to retake a 6-5 lead before falling to Kansas, 7-6, with a walk-off single on Saturday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark.
“That was a gut punch,” said BYU head coach Trent Pratt. “I’m proud of the way we played, we fought like crazy. We’ve got to get right back at it next week.”
The Jayhawks broke out to a 5-0 lead through the first two innings before the Cougars responded with a three-run third. After a scoreless fourth, fifth and sixth innings, BYU took a 6-5 lead with another three runs on two homers in the top of the seventh. The Cougars looked to close out the victory in the bottom of the ninth but a one-run lead proved insufficient as KU put runners aboard and won on an RBI single.
BYU’s six runs came on nine hits with an error and 10 left on base. The Jayhawks scored seven on 10 hits with an error and 10 stranded.
Cougar pitchers Jaden Harris and Ashton Johnson were key to the comeback effort. Harris scattered a run and two hits over five middle innings of action. Johnson held KU scoreless in the seventh and eighth to give BYU a chance late.
Cooper Vest recorded a team-high 15th home run of the season while Ryder Robinson and Brock Watkins both reached double-digit homers as well.
The BYU defense recorded its 44th double play of the season, good to move into sixth nationally in the category.
BYU Highlights
Cooper Vest: 1-4, 3 RBI, HR
Ryder Robinson: 2-5, 2 R, RBI, HR
Brock Watkins: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR
Game Summary
KU used a two-RBI homer to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Jayhawks widened their lead to 5-0 by the end of the second inning with three hits, including two RBI doubles.
The Cougars clawed their way back into the game with three runs on three hits in the top of the third. Tate Gambill and Robinson got the hitting started for BYU with back-to-back singles. An Anderson flyout allowed Gambill to take third, putting runners on the corners as Vest stepped to the plate. Vest went on a 2-2 count and let loose a line-drive over the right field wall for a three-RBI homer, scoring Gambill and Robinson while bringing the Cougars within two at 5-3.
BYU kept KU scoreless over the ensuing three innings with a Robinson-Anderson-Vest double play, the Cougars’ 44th of the season, ending the sixth.
BYU took the lead in the top of the seventh with two home runs on two hits. Robinson led off the inning with a solo shot to right bringing the Cougars within one, 5-4. With two outs and Bryker Hurdsman on first after a fielder’s choice, Watkins went to the plate and cannoned an 0-2 pitch 375-feet over the leftfield wall. The two-RBI homer gave BYU six unanswered runs and a 6-5 lead headed into the bottom of the seventh.
Johnson took over on the mound for the Cougars in the KU seventh as the Jayhawks threatened with bases loaded and just one out. In his first batter faced, Johnson won an eight-pitch battle with a strikeout looking. Johnson then battled back from down 3-0 against his second batter to force a threat and inning-ending flyout.
KU would not go quietly and reheated its bats with a leadoff double to left center in the bottom of the ninth. A Jayhawk sacrifice fly tied the game at six before a walk-off RBI single ended the day in a 7-6 BYU defeat.
Up Next
BYU returns home to Miller Park for a Tuesday night rivalry matchup with Utah at 6 p.m. MDT. Watch the Cougars face the Utes on ESPN+ or listen to live play-by-play on BYU Radio.