Thursday, March 13, 2008
By the top of the seventh, Missouri State had the lead and the momentum. But, just as they’d done all night, the seniors in Kansas’ lineup put the team on their shoulders.
The first five Jayhawks to bat in the seventh, three of whom were seniors, reached base to overcome a 5-4 Missouri State (8-4) lead and guide Kansas (10-5) to its eighth-straight victory, 11-7. The victory marked Kansas coach Ritch Price’s 400th as a Division I coach.
“I’m glad it happened against a quality team in such a great environment,” Price said. “It’s also a great win for our senior class. They’ve never won down here. I feel really good about getting the lead, them jumping back on top and us battling back and winning late. It was a great win for us.”
Sophomore second baseman Robby Price and senior left fielder John Allman led off the seventh with back-to-back singles to set the table for Kansas. After junior first baseman Preston Land was hit by a pitch to load the bases, senior right fielder Ryne Price singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Robby Price and Allman. With that, Kansas took a 6-5 lead, but there was plenty more damage to be done in the inning.
Next up was senior shortstop Erik Morrison and, with two strikes on him, he singled to left field to drive Land home. The Jayhawks tacked on two more runs after Morrison’s single and batted around in the inning to take a 9-6 lead.
Four of the five runs in the inning came off Missouri State right-hander Sean Toler (0-1) who kept Kansas in check for three innings before being bounced from the game without recording an out in the seventh.
A pair of Kansas seniors teamed up again in the eighth to add to the lead. With right-hander Kyle Dyer on the mound for the Bears, Allman hit a leadoff single to left. Two batters later he was trotting home on a Ryne Price home run. Price’s third home run of the season gave Kansas an 11-6 lead.
In all, seniors Allman, Ryne Price and Morrison went a combined 8-for-13 with eight runs and eight RBI. Morrison was just a home run away from hitting for the cycle.
“Those are the guys,” Price said. “Those seniors have to carry the club. Those three guys were huge tonight.”
Missouri State displayed plenty of firepower, though, in their seven-run output.
After pitching three scoreless innings, Kansas sophomore Shaeffer Hall was pounded for five runs in the fourth. Following a leadoff triple by outfielder Ben Woodbury, third baseman Brayde Drake hit a home run to left field to put the Bears on the board. Catcher Dallas Hord capped off the rally with a three-run home run to erase Kansas’ lead and put Missouri State on top, 5-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, with Kansas sophomore right-hander Brett Bollman (1-1) pitching in relief of Hall, Missouri State first baseman Ben Carlson put one last scare into the Jayhawks. Carlson led off the inning with a solo shot to right field, cutting the deficit to four runs. However, Bollman recovered and got out of the inning with no further harm.
In 2.2 innings of relief, Bollman held Missouri State to two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four and hitting a batter. Those two runs were the first Bollman allowed all season as earned his first victory as a Jayhawk Wednesday. Although he didn’t earn a save, junior closer Paul Smyth shut the Bears out in the ninth to seal No. 400 for his skipper.
“Our bullpen is better than it’s ever been in the six years I’ve been here,” Price said.
Milestone watch
Senior Ryne Price’s home run in the eighth was the 27th of his career and put him in a third-place tie on Kansas’ all-time home run list with former Jayhawk Matt Gundelfinger. Price is now two home runs shy of tying Travis Metcalf for the all-time home run record of 29.
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