LAWRENCE, Kan. (KUAthletics.com) – Kansas clinched the series win against Texas Tech and improved to 9-1 in its last 10 games with an 11-2 victory on Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark. After falling behind 2-0, the Jayhawks scored 11 unanswered runs to secure a series win heading into Sunday.
Chase Jans had two catches worthy of SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays and hit his first home run of the season as he finished with a season-high four RBIs. Cooper Combs and Ben Hartl also each had two RBIs.
Kansas starter Dominic Voegele tossed his seventh quality start of the season by throwing six innings and allowing only two runs, while walking three and striking out five. Cooper Moore, Tegan Cain and Kolby Dougan all threw a scoreless inning of relief. Voegele earned his sixth win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Texas Tech (29-16, 12-11 Big 12) took an early lead for a second day in a row. With two runners on in the second inning, Davis Rivers hit a two-run double into the left field corner to give the Red Raiders a 2-0 lead.
• Kansas (24-15, 11-9 Big 12) cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the second. Collier Cranford reached base on an infield single, then stole second, advanced to third on a failed pickoff and scored on an RBI groundout by Lenny Ashby to make the score 2-1 at the end of the second inning.
• The Jayhawks took the lead in the bottom of the third on an infield RBI single by Kodey Shojinaga. Hartl followed and delivered a two-run double to right center to give the Jayhawks a 4-2 lead.
• After a scoreless fourth inning, Kansas piled on five runs in the fifth. Ty Wisdom had an RBI single, Combs had a two-out, two-run single and Jans had a two-out, two-run single. That stretched the Kansas lead to 9-2.
• Both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the eighth when Jans hit a two-run homer to left field for his first long ball of the year. The home run wrapped up the scoring at 11-2.
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Dominic Voegele (6-2)
Final line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 SO
Loss: Kyle Robinson (4-5)
Final line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Chase Jans: Jans had two highlight reel catches and went 2-for-4 with a home run, 4 RBIs and a run scored on Saturday. The home run was his first of the season.
SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME
QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“I’ve been feeling good, just not really barreling (the ball) like I would like. On that single up the middle, it felt good and gave me some confidence. Then, I just finally put the barrel on the ball…I’m trying to stay level-headed because it’s been a bit of a tough season, but it definitely does feel really good. Now, it’s about if I can stay a little more consistent.” – Chase Jans
“This game is really hard. We talk so much about how this is a process and this is about us becoming the best team we can possibly be at the end of the season. We’ve just tried to simplify it and put guys in spots that they can be successful. The guys really love each other, they love playing together and they’re super competitive. A lot of those things are a good formula.” – Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald
• Kansas has won nine of its last 10 games.
• Kansas won its first series against Texas Tech since 2014 when the Jayhawks swept the Red Raiders in Lawrence.
• John Nett extended his hitting streak to 17 games.
• Voegele earned his sixth win and seventh quality start of the season.
• Shojinaga pushed his on-base streak to 15 games.
• Jans hit his first home run of the season.
• Wisdom stretched his on-base streak to 11 games.
• Hartl has reached base safely in each of the last 11 games. He finished with two RBIs on Saturday.
• Moore extended his scoreless inning streak to 11.0 innings.
UP NEXT
Kansas and Texas Tech will play the third and final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. CT but was moved up due to the threat of inclement weather.