Cougars’ late rally comes up short in game two versus Jayhawks, 7-6

PROVO, Utah — No. 14 ranked Kansas defeated BYU 7-6 on a solo home run in the top of the ninth to win game two of the weekend series at Miller Park on Friday. 

The home run came just minutes after BYU third baseman Easton Jones hit a towering three-run home run to right center in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 6-6. The Cougars had a chance to tie the game again in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to score Tu'alau Wolfrgram who led of the inning with an infield hit and stole second base. 

BYU (26-27, 13-16) scored six runs on three hits and stranded five runners, while Kansas (39-15, 22-7) plated seven runs on 10 hits in the win. 

Highlights
Easton Jones: 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 Runs, BB
Crew McChesney: 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI, Run
Tu’alau Wolfgramm: 1-3, RBI

Summary
Kansas scored the game’s first run on a two-out double in the second inning for a 1-0 advantage. 

In the fourth, the Jayhawks plated two more runs on a double and two base hits to take a 3-0 lead. The Cougar deficit grew to six in the top of the six inning when a two-run KU blast followed by a solo home run pushed the lead to 6-0. 

With one out in the top of the seventh, BYU's Ryder Robinson and Jones drew back-to-back walks and Crew McChesney recorded the first Cougar hit of the night with a line drive off the right-centerfield wall for a two-RBI triple. A sac fly by Wolfgramm then scored McChesney and cut the Jayhawks lead to 6-3.

With one out in the eighth inning, Anderson was hit by a pitch. Following a ground ball out that moved Anderson to second, Robinson drew a base on balls that set up Jones' clutch three-run shot that tied the game at six apiece. 

Kansas centerfielder Tyson Owens' ninth inning home run off the video wall in right field would prove to be the game winner and also gave Kansas the outright Big 12 regular-season title, its first baseball conference championship since 1949. 

Up Next
BYU and KU will play game three of the series on Saturday, May 16 at 1 p.m. MDT at Miller Park. Live coverage will be streamed on ESPN+, while also available on the BYU Radio app, BYUradio.org, SiriusXM 143 and 107.9 FM in Utah County.