LINCOLN, Neb. – On Tuesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park, Kansas defeated Nebraska 9-4 to complete a season sweep of the Cornhuskers. The Jayhawks have won seven of their last eight games.
Kansas hit three home runs in three consecutive innings and built a 7-1 lead by the middle of the fourth inning. John Nett, Michael Brooks and Collier Cranford all hit opposite field home runs. KU has scored at least eight runs in eight of its last nine games.
Evan Shaw started and pitched three innings and allowed one run while striking out three. Cooper Moore, Kolby Dougan and Hunter Cranton all had scoreless appearances out of the bullpen. Shaw earned the win on Tuesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Kansas (22-15) started the scoring in the second inning as the Jayhawks broke through for four runs. With one out and runners on first and second, Collier Cranford hit an RBI double into the gap in left-center field. Mike Koszewski followed with an RBI groundout that scored a run and advanced Cranford to third base. Two pitches later, Cranford scored on a wild pitch. The scoring ended with a John Nett opposite field solo home run. Midway through the second Kansas led 4-0.
• Nebraska (25-13) hit a solo homer to start the bottom of the second inning that came off the bat of Tyler Stone to make it a 4-1 game.
• Riding a 17-game hitting streak, Michael Brooks made it 18 games with a solo homer to right field to lead off the third inning.
• The home runs continued as Collier Cranford led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run. The Jayhawks added another run in the inning on an RBI single by Kodey Shojinaga. That put Kansas ahead 7-1.
• The Cornhuskers got the two runs back in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run double by Cayden Brambaugh. That cut the lead to 7-3.
• After a scoreless fifth and sixth inning, Kansas added to its lead in the seventh. The Jayhawks loaded the bases and Cranford sent a two-run single up the middle to stretch the lead to 9-3.
• Nebraska scored one more run in the eighth on an RBI single by Joshua Overbeek. That wrapped up the scoring at 9-4.
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Evan Shaw (2-0)
Final line: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 SO
Loss: Drew Christo (1-3)
Final line: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 SO
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Collier Cranford: Cranford finished 3-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. The home run was the fourth of the season for Cranford.
SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME
Issa home run party 😎@colliercranford hits the third KU home run in the last three innings.
TOP 4 | Kansas 6, Nebraska 1 pic.twitter.com/NQEXno8sWw
— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) April 24, 2024
QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“It starts with having a good approach and sticking to what’s important. It’s all about taking everything one pitch at a time. It was good to come out here and get a midweek win.” – Collier Cranford
“I’m really proud of the effort. I thought our intensity was awesome and our preparation was awesome. The four runs in the second were huge. Then, to follow it up with one in the third, two in the fourth and the two runs in the seventh were big. Our pitching staff was great. Shaw got us off to a good start and all those guys came in and did their job, highlighted by Kolby Dougan. I thought he was absolutely outstanding and exactly what we needed. Coach Scott and I talked throughout the night that we needed someone to bridge us there. Kolby had such a quick sixth inning that we decided to give him the ball in the seventh too. Super proud of how he competed, and really overall with how the team competed.” – Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald
• Kansas has won seven of its last eight games.
• Kansas has scored at least eight runs in eight of its last nine games.
• Brooks extended his hitting streak to 18 games, the longest by a Jayhawk this season. He hit his eighth home run of the season in the win.
• Nett stretched his hitting streak to 15 games. He hit an opposite field home run for his fourth of the season.
• Cranford had three hits, including his fourth home run of the season.
• English pushed his on-base streak to nine games.
• Hartl has a nine-game on-base streak.
• Wisdom has reached base safely in each of his last nine games.
UP NEXT
Kansas will host Texas Tech at Hoglund Ballpark this weekend for a three-game conference series, beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
