TULSA, Okla. — The beautiful weather held no precursors to the day the Jayhawks would have on Tuesday afternoon.

The almost 70-degree weather provided a perfect setting for the Kansas (7-5) and Oral Roberts (4-5) baseball match-up, yet the perception of a great day was lopsided as the Jayhawks fell to the Golden Eagles, 9-1.

Once again Kansas was plagued by the big inning, no matter how unconventional it may have been.

Oral Roberts outfielder Brendan Duffy bunted for a hit to lead off the bottom of the first. Second baseman Jake Kahaulelio followed with the same, but dove into the bag to beat Kansas’ starting freshman pitcher Wally Marciel’s throw.

Although he was originally called safe, he was overruled quickly and Kahaulelio returned to the dugout. Unfazed, catcher Brian Van Kirk knocked Duffy in to put the Golden Eagles on the board first.

A 1-0 lead hardly counts as a big inning, and Kansas would’ve escaped nearly unscathed if not for yet another umpire controversy. With a pair of runners on and two outs, Golden Eagle third baseman Carter McQuigg hit a Marciel delivery over the left field wall.

Over the left field wall — fair. Or so it was called.

“I thought it was foul,” junior shortstop Erik Morrison said. “I’m not going to knock the umpire for his call or anything like that, but from where I saw it looked foul. But I mean, that’s three runs — we put up one.”

Morrison was right. Regardless of the call, Oral Roberts batted its entire order to put up four runs in the first, creating an uphill battle for the Jayhawks. This was their fourth-straight loss this season.

The hill grew closer to mountain status just one inning later, as Van Kirk blasted a home run to left.

“It’s starting to be a little bit worrisome,” coach Ritch Price said. “We give up a three-run homer in the first inning against Stanford on Friday. We give up the four-run homer against Stanford on Sunday, then we turn around and give these two home runs up early. We’re putting ourselves in a hole, there’s no doubt about that.”

That ended the day for Marciel (1-1), the shortest appearance by a starter this season. The freshman left after 1 1/3 innings, surrendering six runs on six hits.

The Golden Eagles, however, used right-hander Chance Chapman (1-0) as a shield to score runs at their leisure. The senior lasted seven innings without surrendering a single run or walk, but striking out nine.

“I thought he’s the one guy right now that’s given us a lot of trouble,” Price said, although he praised his players for taking Chapman’s first pitch breaking ball for a ball in most instances. “But when the count went 3-2 or 2-2, he was still able to throw it for a strike and that’s why I thought he was so effective.”

Oral Roberts’ offensive attack was relentless as well. Scoring in each of the first three innings, the Golden Eagles scored again in the bottom of the third increasing the lead 8-0.

“We’ve just got to not lose focus with what we’re trying to do with our younger guys,” Morrison said. “Keep their confidence level up and not let the big inning like that hurt us.”

Although Kansas’ pitching held tight for the remainder of the game, Oral Roberts still found a way to score in the sixth.

Freshman right-hander Thomas Marcin relieved Esquibel only to give up the third controversial hit of the afternoon. Kahaulelio’s lead-off triple stood and a groundout RBI that followed nixed Marcin’s no-runs allowed streak.

Refusing the shut out, senior centerfielder Kyle Murphy held up at second after smacking relief pitcher Jeremy Hefner’s pitch to left field. Freshman third baseman Robby Price knocked Murphy in, finally stringing a set of hits together in the top of the eighth, giving Kansas hope of a game opposite to Tuesday’s when Oral Roberts visits Kansas on April 10.

“I think we’re close,” Murphy said. “We’re progressing. I think next time we face them we’re going to be a different team.”

Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.

— Edited by Stacey Couch