Box Score N. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The UALR baseball team (27-24) scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth to put a scare into the Kansas Jayhawks (31-21-1) on Tuesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park, but KU reliever Colton Murray struck out the final two batters he faced to preserve an 11-8 win over the Trojans.
A record crowd of 1,426 fans showed up for Tuesday night's contest, which marked the largest home crowd in UALR history as well as the Trojans' first appearance at the home of the Arkansas Travelers.
Kansas held an 11-2 lead after eight innings, but the Trojans came to life in the bottom of the ninth, scoring five runs before the Jayhawks recorded a single out. Leading 11-8 with two men on base and one out on the board, Murray struck out the next two Trojans he faced to end the game and record his fourth save of the year.
KU's Wally Marciel (2-1) picked up the win in relief by holding the Trojans to two hits over 5.2 scoreless innings, while racking up eight strikeouts against three walks. Brian Heere led the way offensively for the Jayhawks, going 2-for-3 with four runs scored and two RBI, both of which came on a two-run homer in the top of the eighth - his seventh of the year.
UALR starter Calvin Drinnen (2-3) was saddled with the loss after allowing seven runs, four hits and four walks over 1.1 innings. Junior Jake Rowell led the Trojans with three hits and was one of three players to tally two RBI in the losing effort, along with junior Casey McCollum and senior Tyson Parks.
The Jayhawks jumped all over the Trojans in the top of the first, using four singles and two walks to open up an early 5-0 lead. Kansas loaded the bases with no outs as each of its first three hitters singled. Drinnen got an out from the next batter he faced, but issued back-to-back walks to force in a pair of runs and give KU a 2-0 lead. Kansas pushed across three more runs in the frame to build a 5-0 advantage, the last of which scored from third on a wild pitch.
Kansas tacked on two more runs in the top of the second after loading the bases with three-consecutive walks. Senior Sean Potter came on in relief of Drinnen with the bases loaded and one out, but couldn't prevent KU from extending its lead as Jimmy Waters plated a run with a sacrifice fly to center. Casey Lytle then made it a 7-0 contest with a RBI base knock to center.
The Trojans got on the board in the bottom of the second as senior Nate Brown led off the frame with a solo homer to right - his seventh of the year. Freshman Tyler Cameron followed with a single off the pitcher, and came around to score three batters later on a base knock to right by McCollum.
After scoring seven runs in the first two innings, the Jayhawks managed just four runs off the Trojan bullpen over the final seven frames. Kansas got a run in the third and sixth innings, and extended its lead to 11-2 in the top of the eighth off Heere's two-run blast.
Trailing 11-2 in the bottom of the ninth, junior Brock Feldmann (single) and senior Tim Emmons (walk) each reached base to start off the Trojan rally. McCollum plated the first run of the inning with a RBI single, and Rowell followed with a two-run triple to deep left.
After a dropped pop-up put two runners on, Parks cleared the bases with a two-run double to left - his team-leading 20th double of the year. He scored from second two batters later on a Kansas throwing error to make it an 11-8 contest. Murray issued a walk to Cameron three batters later to put two runners on base, but struck out the next two Trojans he faced to seal the 11-8 win.
UALR returns to action Thursday night at 6 p.m. when it heads to Jonesboro for the first contest of a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Arkansas State.
