6B
SPORTS / WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
KANSAS BASEBALL REWIND
KEY INNING
The ninth
Junior shortstop Brandon Macias' game-winner aside, the Jayhawks might not have had the chance to break the 4-4 tie were it not for the pitching of Brett Bochy. Though Creighton loaded the bases with one bloop single, an infield dribbler and a walk, Bochy fanned the final batter of the inning and got Kansas out of trouble.
GAME TO REMEMBER
Junior shortstop Brandon Macias
Macias plated the game-winning run with a smash single in the ninth to give Kansas a walk-off victory and snap a four-game losing streak. Macias also doubled in the game, and made a number of solid plays at shortstop — including one that saved the lead for the Jayhawks in the eighth inning.
GAME TO FORGET
Blankenship relinquished the Jayhawk lead in the eighth, giving up three two-strike hits to Blue Jays' batters, and was charged with a blown save. The senior had struggled to keep men off the base paths coming into the contest, having allowed five hits, two walks, and two runs in his previous two appearances.
Senior pitcher Travis Blankenship
STAT OF THE NIGHT
Junior third baseman Tony Thompson stretches out for a ground ball Tuesday against Creighton at Hoglund Ballpark. It was Thompson's first game back after suffering a knee injury before the season started.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Three men left on base
One of the lowest totals for Kansas this season. The Jayhawks made the most of their nine hits and two walks, plating five runs. On the game, Kansas was 2-5 with runners in scoring position, but also plated a runner with a sacrifice fly - a plate appearance which does not count as an official at-bat.
IN PERSPECTIVE...
As if welcoming junior third baseman Tony Thompson – last season's Big 12 triple crown winner – back to the lineup wasn't enough of an offensive boost for the Jayhawks, his presence alone wasn't the only benefit of from his return. With Thompson penciled into the clean-up spot, hitters such as sophomore James Stanfield and senior Brett Lisher are bumped further down in the order – making the bottom of Kansas' lineup even more dangerous.
Ben Ward
GAME NOTES
- Junior third baseman Tony Thompson was quiet from the plate in his season debut, going 0-for-4. Thompson admitted to being a little anxious at the plate, and said that returning to last season's form would take some time.
"I just need to work on my approach a little bit, and stay within myself, and good things will happen," Thompson said.
Hitless or not, Thompson displayed good range at third, making several sound defensive plays and showing little evidence that his left knee — which is still not 100 percent — is much of a factor.
■ Junior outfielder Brian Heere had his 11-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 night, but did work a walk and steal a base. Redshirt freshman Jake Marasco also had an eight-game hitting streak broken, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
"Defense is something you can do every day, and hitting is going to take time," Thompson said. "So I figure if I can stay solid defensively and work on hitting, I think I'll do pretty well."
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Senior pitcher Brett Bollman was denied his second wins because of Creighton's eighth inning comeback, but he recorded his third quality start of the year. Bollman was touched early for two quick runs on four hits, but settled down nicely, holding the Blue Jays to one run on three hits over his final four innings.
Junior infielder Brandon Macias fields the ball Tuesday at Hoglund Ballpark, Kansas defeated Creighton 5-4, ending a four-name losing streak.