⚾️ Kansas Secures Sweep of Pacific After 16-Run Sixth Inning

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas exploded for 16 runs in the sixth inning and the Jayhawks defeated Pacific 19-3 on Sunday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark to complete a three-game sweep. The 16 runs tied a program record for most runs in an inning.

The 16-run sixth inning included 20 batters going to the plate and collecting nine hits with two home runs. Ben Hartl hit a three-run homer and Kodey Shojinaga hit a grand slam in the sixth. Collier Cranford, John Nett, Luke Leto, Jake English and Chase Jans also drove in runs during the offensive outburst.

Nett had a career day at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, four RBIs, four runs scored and a walk. The multi-homer game was the first of his career and his four RBIs and four runs scored were both season highs. Shojinaga also finished with a career-high six RBIs. The Jayhawks moved to 19-14 on the season with the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Nett wasted no time giving Kansas the lead as he hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning to give Kansas a 1-0 advantage.
• Pacific (6-29) came back and took the lead in the top of the third inning with an RBI double by Kaden Petersen and an RBI single by Chase Graves. The Tigers were up 2-1 after three innings.
• Pacific added another run in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Rylan Evans to make it 3-1.
• Kansas got the run back in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out RBI double by Collier Cranford. That cut the Pacific lead to 3-2.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Nett led off the inning with his second home run of the game. The solo homer tied the game at 3-3.
• The first of the 16 runs in the sixth inning came on an RBI single by Cranford. A couple batters later, Nett hit a two-run single. Shojinaga followed that up two batters later with a two-run single of his own. Then, Hartl hit a three-run homer to left field. Later in the inning, Leto hit an RBI single and English was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Shojinaga was up next and crushed a grand slam to left-center field. Jans wrapped up the scoring with a two-run double. That brought the score to 19-3 where it ended after seven innings.

PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Ethan Lanthier (1-0)
Final line: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
Loss: Austin McKinney (1-1)
Final line: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 1 SO

PLAYER OF THE GAME
John Nett: Nett, a Division II transfer from St. Cloud State, had his first career multi-home run game on Sunday. The senior went 4-for-4 and drove in four RBIs and scored four times to go along with a double and walk. Nett has a season-high 11-game hitting streak.

SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME

QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“I’m not necessarily a home run hitter and wasn’t trying to do it there, but it’s good when they happen. You have to enjoy them when they do happen, especially multi-homer games. I have really good hitters behind me. My job is to be on base for them and I just got kind of lucky with those two.” – John Nett

“I think we finally kind of zeroed it in in the sixth. I was really proud of the at-bats in the fourth and the fifth to scratch out runs. We knew that if we got to their bullpen – they’re down some guys. We got to the sixth and it was just a barrage of quality at-bat after quality at-bat.” – Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald

• Kansas scored 16 runs in the sixth to tie the program record for most runs scored in a single inning in program history. The other two occasions were March 16, 1993 vs. Northwest Missouri and May 22, 2004 at Kansas State.
• Kansas has scored 62 runs in the last four games. That is the most in a four-game stretch since Feb. 25-March 6, 2004 vs. Oakland/UW-Milwaukee (63 runs).
• Kansas has scored at least 10 runs in four consecutive games. The last time Kansas scored double-digit runs in four-straight games was April 16-21, 2023.
• Kansas earned its third series sweep of the season. The Jayhawks also had a sweep at BYU (March 28-29) and vs. Texas Southern (March 1-3) this season.
• Kansas has hit four grand slams this season, which is the most since hitting four grand slams in 2009. Shojinaga has two this season, while Cranford and English each have one.
• Nett had his first career multi-homer game and now has three home runs this season. He finished with season highs of four runs and four RBIs. He leads the team with 15 multi-hit games this season and currently has an 11-game hitting streak. Nett has reached base safely in 32 of 33 games this season.
• Shojinaga hit his second grand slam of the season and his fifth home run of the year. He finished with a career-high six RBIs. Shojinaga is the first KU player with two grand slams in a season since Ty Denzer in 2016.
• Hartl has homered in back-to-back games for the second time this season (Feb. 17-18). He has hit three home runs in the last four games.
• Brooks extended his hitting streak to a team-high 14 games.
• Cranford went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored. He has 12 multi-hit games this season.
• Lanthier earned his first win as a Jayhawk.
• Ashby has reached base safely in 15 consecutive games.

UP NEXT
Kansas will head to Omaha on Tuesday, April 16 for a midweek matchup against the Mavericks at 6 p.m. CT.

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