Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Sophomore Tony Thompson grounded out to short to end a scoreless Kansas first inning and strand two men on the base paths. It was a theme for the day.
Thompson stranded five runners in the game, which was the most for a Kansas squad that left 11 runners on the bases, including seven in the first four innings.
“We’ve got to get it done,” coach Ritch Price said. “Literally the whole problem we’ve got going right now is that we’re not being productive with runners in scoring position.”
Junior shortstop David Narodowski attempts to slide around the tag into second base Tuesday afternoon against Northern Colorado.
The problem wasn’t solved Tuesday night against the Northern Colorado Bears.
Until a walk-off home run off the bat of Nick Faunce clinched the game for Kansas, it had left a runner on base in every inning. In five innings, runners were in scoring position when the third out was recorded. Price said there was a reason behind the team’s offensive woes.
“I’m worried about the number of non-competitive at-bats that we have,” Price said.
Price said the weak at-bats were a product of coming out flat. The Jayhawks had no life early in the game, going down by as much as three and scoring only one run through seven innings against Northern Colorado starter James Quisenberry, who came into the game with an ERA more than 9.00 and left with an ERA a run and a half lower.
“We came out really flat,” said senior first baseman Preston Land, who hit the game-tying single in the ninth. “It’s not something you want to happen, especially in a midweek game against a team that is capable of beating you. You want to come out with a lot of enthusiasm an get on them.”
But while the Jayhawks were unable to fix one haunting offensive problem, they took giant leaps to take care of another.
Kansas finishes many games in pressure situations — 17 of the Jayhawks’ 26 games have been decided by three runs or less, and only one of their 10 losses has been decided by that margin.
The Jayhawks need to see hitters step up and take care of business with the game on the line and were unable to do so this weekend.
Seniors Land and Faunce answered the call for Kansas on Tuesday.
Faunce, in the midst of an 0-for-11 slump, roped a double to left field that started an eighth-inning rally to tie the game at six.
In the bottom of the ninth when his number was called again, he one-upped himself, sealing the victory with a two-out blast to left field.
No runners were left on base.
— — Edited by Chris Horn
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