⚾ Kansas Sweeps Doubleheader and Series at BYU

Box Score (Game 1) Box Score (Game 2) Season Statistics Conference Statistics Game 1 Highlights Game 2 Highlights

PROVO, Utah – The Kansas Jayhawks secured their first three-game road series sweep since 2014 on Friday by taking both games of a doubleheader at BYU, winning the first game, 4-3, and the second, 8-5.

The doubleheader sweep on the road against a conference opponent was the first for the program since 1997.

The Jayhawks, who won the series opener Thursday, received strong starts Friday from true freshman Dominic Voegele in game one and Evan Shaw in the second game. Voegele, who entered the game with the lowest ERA in the country among true freshman, threw six strong innings and allowed only one run. He lowered his ERA to 1.89 on the season.

In the second game, Shaw started and struck out the first five batters he faced. He tossed four scoreless innings and struck out seven, which gave the Jayhawks offense an opportunity to go to work. Voegele and Shaw each earned the win in their respective starts, while Hunter Cranton closed out both games and received two saves.

With the sweep, Kansas improved to 15-10 on the season and 7-5 in conference play. BYU fell to 11-14 this year and 4-8 in Big 12 action.

GAME ONE (Kansas 4, BYU 3)
Voegele tossed his third consecutive quality start as the Jayhawks secured a series win. Jake English had three hits and a multi-RBI effort for a second consecutive game. Michael Brooks also had a multi-hit and multi-RBI game for the second straight game.

Both teams were scoreless through the first three innings as both starting pitchers were cruising. That got broken up in the top of the fourth when English hit a two-out, solo homer to give the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead.

BYU evened up the game in the fifth inning. After a leadoff double, Bryker Hurdsman hit an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.

Kansas answered back right away in the top of the sixth with three runs. John Nett led off the inning with a double and Lenny Ashby walked with one out to setup English and Brooks. English delivered an RBI double and a couple batters later Brooks hit a two-run single to center. That gave KU a 4-1 advantage.

The Cougars hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to cut into their deficit and make it 4-2.

Tegan Cain did not allow BYU to get anything going offensively in the eighth as he struck out the side. Cranton entered in the ninth inning to close it out. BYU scored an unearned run scored on a sacrifice fly, but Cranton ended it there to give Kansas a 4-3 win and earn his second save of the season.

PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Dominic Voegele (3-1)
Final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 SO
Loss: Bryce Robison (2-2)
Final line: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
Save: Hunter Cranton (2)
Final line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

GAME TWO (Kansas 8, BYU 5)
Kansas built a 7-0 lead in the second game. BYU cut into that lead and got it as close as 7-5 late in the game, but the Jayhawks shut down the Cougars late to win 8-5 and get the series sweep.

For the second consecutive game, both teams were scoreless for the first three innings. Once again, Kansas was able to strike offensively in the fourth. Ben Hartl hit an RBI single to score Ashby. Then, Collier Cranford hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. The Jayhawks added another run in the fifth on a sac fly by Ashby to score Nett.

The offense put together a four-run sixth inning to stretch out the lead to 7-0. Chase Jans hit a sacrifice fly to score Brooks. A couple batters later, Nett hit an RBI double and then Kodey Shojinaga came up next and hit a two-run homer.

BYU did not go away quietly. The Cougars matched the Jayhawks with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. A sacrifice fly, RBI single and two-run single cut the Jayhawks lead to 7-4.

In the seventh, BYU got a run closer on a solo home run by Easton Jones. That made the score 7-5.

Ethan Lanthier came in out of the bullpen for the Jayhawks and threw 1.2 scoreless innings to keep the game at 7-5. In the top of the ninth, Shojinaga provided an insurance run with an RBI double to bring the score to 8-5.

Cranton came in to close it out for a second time in game two. He struck out the first two batters in the ninth before getting a flyout to clinch the doubleheader and series sweep.

PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Evan Shaw (1-0)
Final line: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO
Loss: Hayden Coon (1-1)
Final line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
Save: Hunter Cranton (3)
Final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO

SOCIAL POST OF THE DAY

QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“I thought we did a great job last night and then got a great outing from Dom (Voegele) in game one. Then, we were able to again have some timely hitting. In game two, we got a great start from Shaw and again, some timely hitting and obviously our bullpen was nails.

I think that each weekend is its own story and in each weekend you have a chance to grow. Sometimes you lose a series but you get better. I thought that we made some great adjustments this week. We had we had great practice, great intensity and great togetherness. This is a team full of guys who really care about each other and really care about doing this together. It was just a great team weekend and hopefully more of a sign of things to come.” – Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald

“It felt like we came out ready to go. We played great as a team and competed. We’re happy to get two wins today and a sweep this weekend. Now, we’re going to try and keep this momentum going into next week.” – Dominic Voegele

• Kansas secured its first three-game series sweep on the road since April 25-27, 2014 at Baylor. The sweep was the second of the season after KU swept Texas Southern at home in a four-game series from March 1-3.
• Kansas swept both games of a doubleheader for the second time this season (March 2 vs. Texas Southern). The last doubleheader sweep against a conference opponent was May 14, 2021 vs. Kansas State. The last time Kansas swept a doubleheader on the road was March 13, 2021 at Omaha and the last time Kansas swept a doubleheader on the road against a Big 12 team was March 22, 1997 at Iowa State.
• Kansas hit 12 doubles in the three games against BYU.
• Voegele recorded his fourth quality start of the season and his third in a row. He has allowed one earned run in six of his seven starts this season. His only other start he allowed two earned runs.
• Cranton has not allowed an earned run in 11 appearances this season (11.2 innings). He earned his second and third saves of the season.
• Cain has a strikeout in all 11 appearances this season, including multiple strikeouts in 10 of those outings.
• English hit his team-high eighth home run of the season in game one. He went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBIs and two runs scored in the first game.
• Brooks was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the first game.
• Shojinaga blasted his fourth home run of the season in the second game. He finished 3-for-5 with a double, home run, three RBIs and a run scored.
• Nett went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, three runs and a walk in the second game. He has nine multi-hit games this season.

UP NEXT
Kansas stays on the road as it travels to Wichita State on Wednesday, April 3. The Jayhawks and Shockers will play at 6 p.m. CT at Eck Stadium.

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