It shows up in the box score as an 8-3 double play, but that doesn’t nearly do justice to the play that may have saved Kansas in its first game with North Dakota State.

In the top of the 10th, with the score tied 3-3, the Bison had pinch runner Chris Lovas on first and left fielder Kole Zimmerman at the plate with no outs. Zimmerman sent a high fly ball to center field that momentarily appeared to fool Kansas junior center fielder Nick Faunce, but the real deception was taking place in the infield.

Kansas senior shortstop Erik Morrison and sophomore second baseman Robby Price deked Lovas into thinking the ball had been hit on the ground, prompting him to hustle toward second instead of retreating back to first. With Lovas hung out to dry, Faunce made the catch and nailed Kansas junior first baseman Preston Land for the double play.

The play rejuvenated the Jayhawks (6-5) and allowed them to break the tie in the bottom of the 10th, beating the Bison (0-4), 4-3.

“I told our guys afterwards, that’s one of the finest plays that’s been made here in the six years I’ve been here,” Kansas coach Ritch Price said. “The deke by the shortstop and second baseman was big time, Faunce made a nice catch and made an outstanding throw and Land picked the ball at first. So, all in all, four guys contributed and, literally, that might have saved the game.”

That clutch play in the top of the 10th represented just how topsy-turvy Saturday’s game was. Kansas pitchers dominated North Dakota State hitters most of the game, tallying 15 strikeouts, while Bison starting pitcher Chad Berg recorded North Dakota State’s one and only strikeout.

Yet, the Bison pounded out 10 hits to Kansas’ five. But the Jayhawks’ two hits in the 10th proved to be the difference.

Senior left fielder John Allman set the table with a one-out single to left field and moved up to third on a botched pick-off attempt by North Dakota State right-hander Matt Bowar (0-1). With two out and a full count, senior catcher Ryne Price ended the 3-hour, 19-minute game with a single. The pitch Price hit wasn’t exactly what he was looking for, but he drove it up the middle nonetheless.

“I don’t even know what it was really,” Price said. “I was just trying not to hook it or be out in front and stay back. He left it up a little bit and I was able to get it squared up.”

The hit was Price’s second of the game and made him the only Jayhawk with multiple hits. Of the two hits that didn’t belong to Price or Allman, freshman third baseman Tony Thompson had the biggest.

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Thompson gave Kansas a short-lived 2-1 lead with a shot that stayed just inside the left field foul pole. Thompson’s home run was the first of his collegiate career.

“I’m just trying to stay aggressive still and finally came through,” Thompson said. “It was a close win, so it ended up being a big difference in the game. Maybe that’ll get me on a roll a little bit now.”

Thompson’s home run aside, Saturday’s game was dominated by pitching.

Despite allowing five walks in four innings, Berg escaped with only two runs allowed before Bowar took over for him. While Bowar’s throwing error eventually saddled him with the loss, he pitched well, giving up two unearned runs on three hits and a walk in 5.2 innings.

For Kansas, sophomore left-hander Shaeffer Hall set a career high for strikeouts with eight in just five innings.

“It’s kind of surprising, eight strikeouts, because I’m more of a groundball, make them put it in play, kind of pitcher,” Hall said. “Today was the day my fastball wasn’t working, but I was able to use my changeup and curveball a lot, get the hitters out and kind of keep them off balance.”

After Hall’s exit, the Kansas bullpen pitched just as well, allowing just one run in five innings. Sophomore right-hander Brett Bollman pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four, but the most encouraging appearance was by junior closer Paul Smyth (1-1).

Smyth’s performances had been hit and miss entering Saturday, but he was lights out against the Bison. In two innings of relief, he allowed just one hit, striking out three.

“I was pleased with our pitching,” Price said. “It was good to see Smyth go out and have a good outing. I thought that was the best he’d thrown since we started our season.”