| Kelsey Kessler struck out seven against No. 14 Nebraska on Saturday night. |
No. 14 Nebraska 1, Kansas 0
Arrocha Ballpark // Lawrence, Kan. |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| Neb |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
| KU |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Box Score (.pdf)
|
| Batting Leaders |
| Kansas |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
HR |
| T. Hatfield |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Nebraska |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| K. Stokes |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| K. Muir |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
| Pitching |
| Kansas |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
| K. Kessler (L, 11-6) |
7.0 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
| Nebraska |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T. Edwards (W, 8-5) |
7.0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
|
|
Photo Gallery
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Senior outfielder Taylor Hatfield represented the tying run for Kansas in the seventh inning, but No. 14 Nebraska stopped any thought of a Jayhawk rally and held on to win, 1-0, on Saturday night in the final game of the Jayhawk Invitational at Arrocha Ballpark.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hatfield hit a double to left field, the third hit of the game for KU, in attempt to spark a comeback for Kansas (19-8). Junior Chanin Naudin moved Hatfield to third base and was 60 feet from tying the game, but the Cornhuskers’ pitcher Tatum Edwards ended the game with a strikeout leaving Hatfield stranded and the comeback halted.
Nebraska (18-8) took an early lead in the second inning, its one run proved to be enough to snap the Jayhawks’ eight-game winning streak. Alicia Armstrong and KiKi Stokes opened the second frame with back-to-back infield singles against Kansas ace Kelsey Kessler. Kylee Muir hit a sacrifice fly driving in the go ahead run for the Huskers.
Nebraska threatened again in the third inning with two runners on, but they didn’t advance any further than third base as Kessler and Kansas’ defense retired the side without any harm.
Kessler (11-6) recorded the loss after throwing her 13th complete game of the year. The one run in the second inning is the first run allowed by Kessler since March 7 and ends her consecutive scoreless inning streak at 24.1 innings. Kessler allowed three hits, while striking out seven.
Junior utility Maddie Stein broke up Edwards no-hitter in the fourth inning after bunting down the left field line for a base hit. Naudin recorded the third KU hit with a single to right field in the fifth inning.
Kansas attempted to get momentum to swing its way on offense throughout the game, but each time Nebraska found a way to answer and maintain its one-run lead. KU left five runners on base and scattered three hits in its first home loss of the season.
The 1-0 loss to Nebraska also ended Kansas’ streak of shutouts, which had mounted to five-straight games and a total of 34 innings without an opponent scoring. KU went 4-1 in the last five games at home and outscored opponents 33-1.
The Jayhawks hit the road next week for a doubleheader against Saint Louis on Wednesday, March 19 starting at 3 p.m. before heading to Lexington, Ky. for a tournament at the University of Kentucky.
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