LAWRENCE, Kan. – Playing in its final mid-week games of the season, the Chicago State baseball team dropped a doubleheader Tuesday to host Kansas by scores of 11-5 and 9-1 at KU's Hoglund Ballpark. The Jayhawks hiked their season record to 31-15, while the Cougars saw their record fall to 3-35 on the year.
The visitors started off the first contest with a 1-0 lead in the first inning after senior Patrick Hernandez (Romeoville, IL/Triton CC) (Romeoville, Ill.) blasted an RBI double to left center that scored sophomore Michael Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) (Whiting, Ind.) from second base. Carpen led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Austin McDowell (Coal City, IL/Olney Central College) (Coal City, Ill.).
A two-run double by senior Preston Pires (Waipahu, HI/Kalani HS) (Waipahu, Hawai'i) to left field off KU starter Cameron Selik highlighted a three-run rally in the top of the third as the Cougars increased their leading margin to 4-0. Hernandez and senior Matt Haug (Plymouth, IN/Ancilla CC) (Plymouth, Ind.) scored on the play. Three plays earlier, Haug drove home Carpen, who walked to reach base, with a single to center field. KU responded in the bottom half of the third by scoring four runs which included a two-RBI double from Joe Lincoln down the left line. James Stanfield and Brian Heere also posted RBI singles during the rally.
In the top of the fourth, senior Kellon McFarlin (Chicago, IL/Meramec CC) (Chicago, Ill.) singled up the middle and later stole third base before scoring on a KU throwing error to regain the lead at 5-4, but Stanfield plated Greg Herbst from third with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom of the fourth to once again tie the score at 5-5.
The score remained the same until the seventh inning when Zac Elgie hit a solo home run to left field off Cougar starter James Tucker (Gary, IN/Calumet) (Gary, Ind.) to hand the Jayhawks their first lead of the game at 6-5.
Five more runs crossed the plate for KU in the eighth inning as it stretched its lead to 11-5, highlighted by a two-run double by Robby Price to right field.
David Nardowski led the Jayhawks offensively by going 3-for-6 at the plate with three doubles and scored twice. Heere and Lincoln finished the game with two hits and drove in two runs apiece. Brett Bochy (5-0) earned the win for KU in relief when he allowed only two hits and struck out nine batters in five innings pitched.
Pires, Michael Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) and redshirt freshman Albert Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) (Whiting, Ind.) each hit 2-for-4 to lead Chicago State, while Michael Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) scored two runs and Pires drove in two. Tucker (1-10) gave up six runs on 10 hits in six and two-thirds innings of work while walking four and striking out two batters to take the loss.
The Jayhawks began the second game with a two-run infield single from Nardowski in the second inning which broke a scoreless tie.
In the third inning, KU added three more runs off CSU starter Kevin Hussey (Pickering, ON/Olney Central College) (Pickering, Ontario) which included an RBI double by Jimmy Waters and another RBI single from Nardowski to increase its leading margin to 5-0. Buck Afenir blasted a solo home run off Hussey to center field in the fourth inning to hike the home team's advantage to 6-0.
After the Jayhawks added runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to hike their lead to 9-0, CSU got on the board in the ninth when senior Jeremy Perez (Chicago, IL/Univ. of Dubuque) (Chicago, Ill.) led off the inning with walk and later scored on a wild pitch for the final margin.
KU was led by Nardowski, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, while Afenir also recorded two hits and Tony Thompson scored three times. Brett Bollman (5-0) earned the win for the Jayhawks after allowing four hits while striking out eight in six innings of work.
Michael Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) paced CSU's offense by hitting 2-for-4, while Hussey (1-1) took the loss on the mound after he gave up six runs on seven hits in four innings of work in addition to walking five and striking out three batters.
CSU travels to Eastern Kentucky this weekend for its final weekend series of the season with a three-game set against the Colonels beginning Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.
~CSU~
