Kansas Baseball Takes Series From Missouri

The Jayhawks should have had a sweep, but a series win in Columbia for the first time since 1983 will have to do.

TJ Walz continued his stretch of good pitching with a 7 IP, 5 hit, 1 run and 5 strikeout performance. Given some of the Jayhawks' defensive adventures and the general lack of depth on the pitching staff, Walz's performance has been nothing short of great this year, and he should find himself on an All-Big 12 team at the end of the season. Zac Elgie continued his torrid season going 2-5 with a HR in the 8-3 win. Brandon Macias also hit his first HR of the season.

On Saturday the Jayhawks saw themselves involved in a nip and tuck affair, eventually losing 3-2 on a walkoff single. Tanner Poppe struggled with his control, walking 5 in 4.2 IP and also throwing a couple of pitches back to the backstop. Despite this, Missouri managed only 2 runs and the bullpen threw three scoreless innings to keep them in it before Colton Murray got the loss. Brandon Macias was 2-5 and Elgie and Jason Brunansky each had doubles.

With the series in the balance, the Jayhawks' pitchers answered the call. Alex Cox, Thomas Taylor and Frank Duncan combined to shutout the Tigers. Cox had three strikeouts, and Taylor and Duncan each had two. Duncan also issued two walks, the only two given up by Jayhawk pitchers. Ka'iana Eldredge was 3-3 in the game. Kansas jumped on the Tigers right away in the first on a Brandon Macias double and never looked back. Brunansky had a homer in the 7th to put the game away for good.

The win gives Kansas its third straight conference series and now sits in fourth in the Big 12 standings. They host Texas this weekend and if they can manage a sweep they will be just half a game back of the Longhorns, who currently sit in first.