May 27, 2006

OKLAHOMA CITY --The Kansas Jayhawks downed the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 10-5, to stay alive in the chase for the 2006 Big 12 Championship on Friday at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.

Kansas (40-23) now moves to 2-0 in this year's championships while Oklahoma State (40-16) drops to 0-2.

Kansas struck first with an Erik Morrison home run in the bottom of the second inning. It was the sophomore's 12th home run of the season.

In the third, KU converted two Matt Gardner walks into runs to extended the Jayhawk lead to 3-0.

The Jayhawks got their second long ball of the game when Matt Baty hit a solo shot in the fourth. The scoring in the inning continued when Gus Milner drove in Ritchie Price with a double.

The Cowboys got it going in the sixth when Shelby Ford hit a three-run blast to get the Pokes on the scoreboard. Matt Clarkson and Corey Brown, who both got on base by way of walks, scored on the play. O-State tied it up with singles by Deik Scram and Keanon Simon that drove in two runs.

Kansas quickly retook the lead in the next inning when Baty scored on a Jared Schweitzer single. The Jayhawks would score four more runs in the inning to extend their lead to 10-5.

Morrison continued to display his hot bat with his second home run of the game in the eighth to make the final score 11-6 Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks will play Missouri on Saturday at 8 p.m., for the right to advance to Sunday's Big 12 Championship game. The Cowboy will face Bedlam-rival Oklahoma at 5 p.m.

No. 2 Oklahoma State    No. 6 Kansas  (May 26, 2006)
Oklahoma State  0 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 0       6    10   1
Kansas          0 1 2 2 0 5 0 1 X       11  14  3
WP: Smyth (5-1) LP: Breedlove (2-1)
HR: Morrison 2 (13); Baty (2); Ford (12)
Time: 3:14   Attendance: 5594