LAWRENCE, Kan. - In a back-and-forth game that saw both teams swapping leads throughout, the Mavericks fell just short of becoming the first team this year to beat Kansas as a walk-off home run resulted in a 12-8 loss in the opener of this four-game series.
Omaha drops to 2-6 on the season, while the Jayhawks, still no. 1 in the country in RPI, move to 8-0.
Innings 1-3
Making his first career start,
Cameron Teinert was perfect in the first inning as he retired the side in order on just seven pitches. In the second inning, after allowing a two-run home run, Teinert settled in and immediately struck out the next batter to end the inning. The offense would back up the rookie in the top of the third, as
Tyler Bishop and
Mason Gaines knocked back-to-back two-out RBI doubles to tie it at 2-2.
The Jayhawks, though, quickly retook the lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double of their own.
Innings 4-6
Following a scoreless fourth, the Mavericks retook the lead in the fifth on a couple of balls that did not even leave the infield as an RBI groundout from Gaines and an error by the shortstop on a grounder from
Cardel Dick made it 4-3 Omaha. Teinert, who struck out his last two batters of the fourth, began the fifth with two more strikeouts, only for a solo home run from Brady Ballinger retied the game.
It was not long until the Mavericks went back in front as
Henry Zipay lined one over the wall in left center for his first home run of the year to make it 5-4, before another KU error brought in another Omaha run. The Jayhawks were not done yet, however, as they cut the lead back to one in the bottom half of the inning.
Innings 7-9
Omaha continued its strong two-out hitting in the seventh as a couple of free passes and a wild pitch put runners on second and third for
Jackson Trout who promptly laced one to center for grow the lead to 8-5.
In the bottom of the inning, KU came close to once again retying the game as they quickly loaded the bases with no outs against
Landon Mueller. The junior righty was unfazed as he struck out the next two batters on eight pitches and got the last one to fly out to center to strand all three baserunners. The next inning, Kansas again loaded the bases, this time scoring one run, only to again leave three runners stranded as
Matt Dreher ended things with his second strikeout.
With Omaha holding on to an 8-6 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Jayhawks quickly wiped away the deficit with a two-run home run from Chase Diggins, before loading the bases for the third straight inning, but this time bringing them all home on a walk-off grand slam off the bat of Dariel Osoria.
Inside the Box Score
- Teinert is the first Mavericks starter this year to throw at least five innings. He struck out seven and allowed four runs.
- Five Mavericks, including the top four in the order, recorded multiple hits today: Zipay (3-for-4), Trout (2-for-5), Bishop (2-for-5), Gaines (2-for-5), and
Eli Hoerner (2-for-4).
Up Next
The Mavericks and Jayhawks are back out for game two of the series tomorrow at 3 p.m.
