Kansas sets attendance record, gets season sweep of Nebraska

#16 Kansas (30-11, 14-4 Big 12) used three three-run innings powered by three homers to come from behind to beat #20 Nebraska (31-10, 15-3 Big Ten) 9-7 on Tuesday night at Hoglund Ballpark. The Jayhawks fell behind in the early innings, but poured it on late to secure a season sweep of the Cornhuskers.

2,674 fans filled Hoglund Ballpark on Tuesday night to mark a sellout crowd and a new attendance record. The Jayhawk faithful made their presence felt from Kannon Carr’s first pitch to Boede Rahe’s game-sealing strikeout.

“That was absolutely incredible,” head coach Dan Fitzgerald said of the crowd. “And it’s the greatest student section in college baseball. Yeah, speechless on how amazing they are.”

Trailing heading into the sixth, Tyson Owens greeted former Nebraska Friday night starter Ty Horn with a solo shot. Two batters later, Josh Dykhoff followed with a two-run homer to give the Jayhawks the lead.

“This offense just has a different type of belief in itself that anytime they score, we can score more,” Dykhoff said postgame. “There’s just a lot of belief in one through nine and everybody. Our offense is just so deep.”

The next inning, Augusto Mungarrieta hit a two-run shot to extend the Jayhawks’ lead to 9-4. Riane Ritter and Rahe surrendered a three-run eighth to get Nebraska back in the game, but Rahe finished the job in the ninth.

Ritter and Rahe had carved out reliable roles in the Kansas bullpen, but it was Toby Scheidt who stole the show on Tuesday. The sidearming right-hander pitched a season high 3.1 innings, tallying five strikeouts. Scheidt bridged the gap to the late innings after Carr only lasted 2.2 innings.

“Three and a third [innings], five punches, no walks. I mean, that was huge,” Fitzgerald said. “He was fantastic. And fun to see him enjoy the moment, too.”

Kansas, Nebraska traded punches in early innings

Carr and Nebraska starter Tucker Timmerman traded scoreless innings to open the game. Both made quick work, each needed 14 pitches to get through the first inning.

Nebraska’s offense started things in the second, with Will Jesske doubling with one out. True freshman Drew Grego brought Jesske home with a two-out RBI single to give the Cornhuskers a 1-0 lead.

The Jayhawks quickly responded, tallying three hits across four pitches to open the next frame. Tyson Owens cashed in with a two-RBI double down the right field line to give Kansas the lead. The Jayhawks extended the lead on a Josh Dykhoff groundout after Owens advanced to third on a deep fly ball.

The lead didn’t last long, as Nebraska answered with a three-run frame of its own. Leadoff hitter Mac Moyer put the wheels in motion with a leadoff single and stolen base, eventually scoring on a Dylan Carey single. 

The Cornhuskers continued to get to Carr, tying the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly. Kansas turned to Toby Scheidt, who surrendered an RBI single to Jesske to give Nebraska the lead.

Tuberville navigated baserunners in the third and fourth, but settled in with scoreless innings. Scheidt did the same, putting up a pair of zeros including a 1-2-3 fifth.

After retiring six straight, Scheidt allowed a single and hit a Cornhusker. Nebraska executed a double steal, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Scheidt worked out of trouble with a pair of strikeouts, leaving the mound with great fervor.

“I definitely took a breath before it, realized the moment, soaked it in a little bit,” Scheidt said. “Gave it my all.”

Jayhawks take lead with three homers, hold on to win

Nebraska turned to Ty Horn, its former Friday night starter who recently joined the Cornhuskers’ bullpen. Owens greeted Horn with a 419-foot homer over the batter’s eye. After an error, Josh Dykhoff hit a two-run laser to give the Jayhawks a 6-4 lead.

Taking a lead into the late innings, Kansas turned to the ever-reliable Riane Ritter. The right-hander started his outing by retiring the Cornhuskers in order in the seventh.

Kansas padded its lead with three more in the seventh. Tyson LeBlanc tripled home a run after the centerfielder misplayed a blooper. Augusto Mungarrieta followed with his 12th homer, a two-run shot to give the Jayhawks a 9-4 lead.

The insurance runs proved to be valuable after Ritter loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. Boede Rahe entered, and Grego greeted him with an RBI single to left. The Jayhawks’ closer induced a double play to make the score 9-6. Moyer brought Nebraska within two with a run-scoring single, but got caught between bases trying to make it a double.

Kansas couldn’t add on in the bottom of the eighth, but Rahe shut things down in the ninth to seal the win.