MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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PAGE 11
KANSAS 1. TEXAS 2
TEXAS HOLD 'EM
Jayhawks come up short, losing second game in weekend series
TREVOR GRAFF
tgraff@kansan.com
Kansas sophomore left-handed pitcher Wes Benjamin's complete game performance wasn't enough to propel the Jayhawks to a win in Saturday's 2-1 loss in game two of their weekend series against Texas.
Benjamin gave up two earned runs on five hits, four walks and acquired four strikeouts while using 119 pitches. These statistics are as good as can be expected on the mound, but Texas sophomore left-handed pitcher Dillon Peters
did Benjamin one better.
The highly touted Longhorn lefty gave up the Jayhawks' lone earned run on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk in 120 pitches.
"I thought Wes did a great job," coach Ritch Price said. "Obviously he could cut down on the walks, but the great thing about the performance is it gave us a chance to save our bullpen, which is critical after going 12 innings yesterday."
The Longhorns took the early lead on an RBI single from junior catcher Jacob Felts in the second
inning and a sacrifice fly from junior right fielder Mark Payton in the fourth.
From that point on, Benjamin calmed on the mound, finding more control and settling in to allow just four base runners in the final six innings.
"After the third inning, I switched it up a bit with my mechanics." Benjamin said. "I quit throwing across my body so much, and that eventually helped out especially down the stretch and into the ninth inning. I was just running on adrenaline there."
The layhawk struggled at the plate collecting six hits and one run off a Tucker Tharp RBI double in the seventh inning.
"He came at us with a lot of fastballs," senior first baseman Alex DeLeon said of Peters. "We just couldn't get it going. It was just tough. Wes had a great performance. It was tough that we couldn't put up a couple of runs for him. Now it's just important that we come back and win the series at home."
several hits from the Kansas lineup and preventing the Jayhawks from manufacturing runs.
The Longhorns brought their best game to the field, stealing
"They played great defense today," DeLeon said. "A couple of guys smoked some balls that ended up being right at them. We just didn't get the breaks today, but that's baseball."
Coach Price planned to start sophomore right-hander Robert Kahana Sunday after pulling junior right-hander Frank Duncan from the starting rotation earlier in the week.
after Saturday's pitching duel.
"When you play in this league and face pitching as good as that, you walk back in tomorrow and it's a brand new day." Price said. "You want the guys to walk in here not even thinking about yesterday."
Coach Price isn't discouraged
Kahana faced Texas junior right-hander Nathan Thornhill on the mound in a 1 p.m. first pitch at Hoglund Ballpark yesterday.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 FINAL
TEXAS 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
KANSAS 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Edited by Tara Byrant
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
Senior infielder Kevin Kuntz throws the ball to sophomore pitcher Wes Benjamin in an attempt to get an out off of a Texas player in Saturday's game. The Longhorns defeated the Jayhawks 2-1.
Junior Ka'iana Eldridge sprints past second base on his way to home plate to score the Jayhawks' first and only run of Saturday's game against the Texas Longhorns at Hogtown Ballpark. Kansas lost to Texas 2-1.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
The Kansas baseball team high fives junior Ka'iana Eldredge after his run in Saturday's game against the Texas Longnorms.
Junior Ka'iana Eldredge slides into home base to score the Jayhawks' first and only run in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Texas Longhorns at Hoglund Ballpark. Eldredge scored
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
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