Despite falling in an early 3-0 hole and being shut out across six innings, a three-run homer from Jackson Hauge helped Kansas rally to steal game one of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown as the Jayhawks took down Kansas State 5-3 on Friday night at Hoglund Ballpark.
“Once the game starts, it’s just a game,” Kansas coach Dan Fitzgerald said of the rivalry. “What’s different about it is the build up, the lead up. College sports, sports in general, are really built off and fed off of rivalry.”
Kansas State put Dominic Voegele (5-3, 6.19) in hot water early, with Shintaro Inoue and Seth Dardar getting aboard to begin the game via an eight-pitch walk and a single. Just when it seemed like trouble was brewing for the Jayhawks' starter, a well-timed ground ball double play off the bat of Bear Madliak and ensuing flyout from Sam Flores snatched the righty out of trouble.
Wildcat pitcher Jacob Frost (0-2, 5.30) got right to work in the bottom of the first, striking out Derek Cerda and Brady Ballinger before walking Hauge, Kansas’ first baserunner of the day. Frost went right back to it against Dariel Osoria, striking the righty out on five pitches to end the inning.
Voegele’s command trouble would continue in the second inning, allowing two walks before a double down the right field line from Donte Lewis drove in both runners. The Jayhawks couldn’t respond in the bottom of the frame, going down in order after two tough plays from the left side of the Wildcat infield.
The righty picked up his first strikeout of the day in the third by sending Dardar down looking to open the inning. After retiring the first two batters, Voegele again began to unravel, allowing back-to-back singles before hitting AJ Evasco, loading the bases and prompting a visit from his infield.
A pitch spiked in the dirt to Maximus Martin brought another run home, before the shortstop grounded out to Brady Counsell at third to end the inning.
Kansas notched its second baserunner of the day via a Sawyer Smith walk, but remained hitless through three after Frost retired the following two hitters.
Despite a single and walk in the fourth, Voegele worked a shutout inning for the first time since the first, aided by a frozen-rope of a throw from catcher Ian Francis, nabbing Lewis as he slid for second.
Hauge finally got the Jayhawks in the hit column in the fourth, looping a single into shallow right field before Osoria struck out looking, Frost’s fifth strikeout of the ballgame. Michael Brooks worked a two-out walk, before a bobbled ball by Martin allowed Tommy Barth to get aboard and load the bases. Frost fought out of the jam, sending Francis down looking before hushing the Hoglund crowd.
Voegele retired the side for the first time in the fifth, continuing to settle in after a rocky start and putting his offense in a position to chip away at the Kansas State lead.
Smith spearheaded the Jayhawk offense in the fifth, dropping a ball into no man’s land and taking advantage of an open second base to notch a leadoff double before Frost retired Cerda, Ballinger and Hauge in order to hold Kansas scoreless.
The Wildcats chased Voegele after five and two-thirds innings, making way for Manning West with two men aboard. The righty walked Inoue, his third of the day, before inducing a deep flyout from Dardar to leave the bases loaded into the bottom of the sixth and into another inning of work for Frost. The lefty continued his groove, sitting down the Kansas lineup in order and picking up his eighth and ninth strikeouts of the night.
Both West and Frost retook the mound for the seventh, with West tossing another scoreless inning. Frost quickly picked up two outs, but Smith’s second walk of the night spelled the end for the lefty, exiting the game after six and two thirds with 10 strikeouts.
“I thought [Frost] was fantastic,” Fitzgerald said. “I thought our guys did a good job of battling early. We were way off the fastball, which is not like us at all, but they made some adjustments and, you know, they sent him back out there.”
Entering the game with two away, James Guyette issued a four-pitch walk to Cerda before a Ballinger single got the Jayhawks on the board.
Not to be outdone, Hauge put himself on the list of Sunflower Showdown legends, driving a three-run blast into left center and giving Kansas its first lead of the night.
“You’re just trying to hit the ball hard in that situation,” Hauge said postgame. “If you get it up, get it up in the zone and leave the yard, that’s awesome. It’s the same approach as the rest of the at bats.”
Guyette continued to struggle, allowing an infield single to Osoria before striking out Counsell to finally escape the inning.
Entering for the eighth, Alex Breckheimer retired the side while hitting 97 on the radar gun multiple times. Breckheimer was aided by Mike Koszewski in right field, who made a grab on the run to rob Martin of extra bases.
“[Having players like Koszewski] is nothing I’ve ever had before, especially Mike,” Breckheimer said postgame. “When we do the defensive substitution, I think Mike saved me at least, probably two or three runs this year. It’s great.”
After a one-out triple from Barth put an insurance run in scoring position, Cerda delivered with a bloop single to score him, putting Kansas ahead by two and ending Guyette’s day.
Adam Arther entered in place of Guyette, inducing a Ballinger flyout and sending the game to the ninth.
Out for a second inning of work, Breckheimer induced a groundout from Inoue and retired Dardar on strikes before striking out Madliak to end things.
Trevor Butler is a freshman from Snohomish, Washington, studying journalism with a concentration in sports media with a minor in sports management. In his free time, Butler enjoys attending sporting events, watching NASCAR, playing video games and learning the guitar. His X is @Trev_B27
This article was edited by sports editor Liam Carson. Contact him atcarsonlo@ku.edufor feedback or errors.
