PAGE 6
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012
THE UNIVERSIT
Kansas 9 North Dakota 12
NORTH DAKOTA
SCORE BY INNINGS
Runs Hits Errors North Dakota 12 15 0 Kansas 9 8 0
JAYHAWK STAT LEADERS
Runs
Suiter
Hits
3
RBI's
McKay
McKay 2
DeLeon
3
KANSAS
Player AB R H RBI BB
Kevin Kuntz ss 2 1 0 0 3
Ka'iana Eldredge 2b 3 2 1 0 1
Michael Suiter lf 2 3 1 3 3
Zac Elgie 3b 4 0 0 0 0
Justin Protacio 3b 0 0 0 0 0
Jake Marasco 1b 2 2 1 0 2
Alex DeLeon c 4 0 2 3 0
James Stanfield c 1 0 0 0 0
Connor McKay cf 4 1 2 2 0
Jason Brunansky cf 1 0 0 0 0
Chris Manship dh 3 0 1 1 1
Jordan Dreiling pr 1 0 0 0 0
Tucker Tharp rf 4 0 0 0 0
Totals 31 9 8 9 10
NORTH DAKOTA
<table border="1"><tr><td>Player</td><td>AB</td><td>R</td><td>H</td><td>RBI</td><td>BB</td></tr><tr><td>Padraic Getchell cf</td><td>5</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Tyler Follis ss</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Jeff Campbell 1b</td><td>5</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Mark Bearmon rf</td><td>5</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Kyle Bolander dh</td><td>4</td><td>3</td><td>4</td><td>3</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Riley Beck pr</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Zack Trygstad c</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Seth Means lf</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Daniel Ross 3b</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Michael Anastasi 2b</td><td>5</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Totals</td><td>40</td><td>12</td><td>15</td><td>11</td><td>9</td></tr></table>
Conner McKay, freshman center fielder
GAME TO REMEMBER
McKay was crucial in the Jayhawks' five-run comeback. The freshman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the loss to North Dakota. McKay's second home run of the season brought the Jayhawks within four runs, and his RBI single in the seventh inning tied the game.
GAME TO FORGET
McKay
Tanner Poppe, junior closer
Poppe was dominant in his save on Tuesday, but his ninth inning debacle resulted in a blow save and loss for the Jayhawk close. Poppe has carried a huge workload early in the season, making four appearances in the last five games. North Dakota handed Poppe his second loss of the season, and his ERA jumped to an alarming 11.57.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
Poppe
"That's a devastating loss. That's a game we clearly we expect to win. When you fight back like that you got to close the deal."
Ritch Price, coach
Price
Freshmen prove their worth
BASEBALI
MAX LUSH
mlush@kansan.com
Freshmen often struggle to leave a mark right away in college baseball. But the Kansas baseball team, one coach Ritch Price calls his youngest ever, can start up to four true freshmen on any given day.
In the fifth inning, with two men on base and Kansas trailing North Dakota 8-4, it was freshman outfielder Michael Suiter who was at the plate with a 1-2 count and Kansas needing a big hit.
The freshman turned on the two-strike pitch and hit a bomb over the left field fence for his second homer of the season to bring the Jayhawks within one run. Suiter's first blast of the season came the day before, also against North Dakota.
"When you're buried that far
McKay took a 1-0 pitch and drilled a single into left field to tie the game. The Jayhawks came all the way back from a Fighting Sioux lead that at one point was as many as five runs.
The Jayhawks would go on to take a 9-8 lead in the seventh when senior designated hitter Chris Manship took a basesloaded walk.
"That's a devastating loss," Price said. "That's a game we clearly expect to win. When you fight back like that, you've got to close the deal. That's what I was most disappointed with."
Suiter then led off the seventh inning with a walk. He advanced to second on a fielder's choice and moved to third on junior catcher Alex DeLone's single.
down, somebody has to put a great swing on a baseball and put a crooked number up." Price said. "And to have a freshman do it was a huge momentum builder for us."
Needing a big hit with one out and the bases loaded, another freshman outfielder walked up to the plate. It was Conner McKay's turn to show that freshman can produce at the NCAA level.
Not every baseball story ends on a good note for the home team. Junior reliever Tanner Poppe came on in the ninth to try and finish off the comeback. Poppe pitched a perfect ninth inning against North Dakota the day before, but this was his fourth outing in five days.
The Fighting Sioux would score four times in the inning on four hits, but the Jayhawks didn't have another comeback in them.
"I made a couple of swing adjustments with Phil and Ritchie, and I was really happy
Price said this game will be a learning experience for the young Jayhawks. Price also said that the most important thing he can do is to stay patient with the team.
Poppe was tired. For someone who usually pitches in the mid-to-upper 90s mph, Poppe only threw 91-92 mph, allowing North Dakota hitters to time the fastball.
it came through in the game" McKay said.
falling 12-9.
McKay gets the coach's message. He said the team will take the field in Minnesota this weekend where everyone will be looking for hits with a chip on its shoulder.
"I really wanted to finish this game on a positive note," McKay said. "Having it slip away from us was a little disheartening, but it will definitely be motivation for this weekend."
Edited by Bre Roach
Outfeilder Michael Suiter hits a home run with two on base in the fifth inning. This hit gives the Jayhawks seven runs and only puts them down by one run at the end of the fifth inning.
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN