MANHATTAN, Kan. Kansas scored four early runs, all of which were unearned, off Wildcat starter Adam Cowart as the Jayhawks held on for a 5-2 win over Kansas State Saturday before a record crowd of 4,026 at Tointon Stadium. With the loss, K-State fell to 23-12-1 overall and 3-10-1 in Big 12 play, while Kansas improved to 29-15 and 9-8.
Kansas jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a half inning after an error by Eli Rumler kept the inning alive and Erik Morrison singled in two runs. K-State got a leadoff double in the bottom half of the first but could do nothing with it.
Cowart (5-4) suffered the loss after surrendering five runs, one of which was earned, on six hits over 3.2 innings. Freshman Justin Murray pitched 4.2 scoreless innings of relief to keep the Cats in the game. Murray scattered three hits and struck out four in 4.2 innings.
Kansas starter Ricky Fairchild (5-4) held K-State to just four hits over 6.0 innings to pick up the win. Don Czyz earned his national leading 15th save of the season by throwing a perfect ninth.
The Wildcats, who left nine men on base on the afternoon, pushed across one run in the second without recording a hit as a hit batsman and walks to Byron Wiley, Eddie Vasquez and Tyler Link brought home a run. Brandon Farr had the bases loaded but popped up to end the inning.
K-State had another chance to get back in the game in the seventh after the Cats pushed across a run on a balk, but Barrett Rice popped up to second, leaving two men on base.
The crowd of 4,026 Saturday surpassed the previous record of 3,139 fans, which was set earlier this season against Nebraska. K-State’s Brandon Farr finished the game 0-for-4, thus snapping his Big 12-leading 18-game hitting streak.
Kansas State and Kansas conclude the series Sunday with a 1 p.m. game that will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net.
k-statesports.com
