Baseball Drops Midweek Doubleheader At Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Texas Southern Tiger baseball team dropped a midweek road doubleheader at the Big 12’s Kansas Jayhawks on Tuesday.

KANSAS 8, TEXAS SOUTHERN 1
Although the Tigers started the series in equal terms with the Jayhawks for the first two innings, the hosting team eventually went ahead in the bottom of the third through their three runs scored, forcing TSU starter Alex Olguin to exit the game.

He was replaced by Tyler Hansen from the bullpen, who made his season debut on the mound after appearing twice in relief for the shortened 2020 season. Hansen pitched the fourth inning with ease, but he allowed five runs to the Jayhawks in the fifth from a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Jack Wagner, a fielding error from third baseman Nic Garza during the first play on the return throw to the infield, and a Maui Ahuna RBI double. By the second out of the fifth, he was pulled for Adam Dearinger to end the threat.

Texas Southern’s sole run arrived in the top of the eighth when Oscar Ponce cracked a first-pitch single to left field with outs that sent Justin Cooper home to score from second base. Their consecutive hits ended a 21-plate appearance hitless stretch that started with Herbert Watts’ single in the second.

Cooper reached base three times with his extra-base hit and two walks as the two-hole in the Tigers’ lineup in addition to his seventh and eighth stolen base of the year. He was followed by his infield mate Ponce whose two hits and his aforementioned RBI. Rounding out TSU’s offense were Tyrese Clayborne and Watts with a base hit made between each player.

Helping the Tigers stall the Jayhawk bats for the latter half of the game were Adam Dearinger and Jaiden Beck as they combined to strikeout three batters out while allowing two hits and two walks in 3.1 total innings.

Everhett Hazelwood earned the win on his three-hit ball game which included two walks and four strikeouts. Ahuna was Kansas’ leading player from the other side of the ball as his three-for-five performance led the team’s offense.

KANSAS 8, TEXAS SOUTHERN 0
The Tigers were shutout for the third time this year off the back of Kansas starter Steve Washilewski’s one-hit outing after five innings and his supporting bullpen staff.

As a result, TSU was held to four total hits, with Ponce, Garza, Jordan Vidato, and Michael Goudeau serving as those responsible for generating them. 

Meanwhile, Kansas took clear advantage of the momentum that their pitching created as they scored eight full runs after the opening two innings. Brett Vosik opened the scoring with a 3-RBI triple to left-center field in the first and Anthony Tulimero followed with a sac fly to right field that made it 4-0.

The Tigers’ allowed the first five Kansas batters to reach on base, thereby creating the latter’s next batch of runs and accelerating the end of starter Jordan Martinez’s day. By the end, Martinez was stymied with a line of five hits, two walks, and two hit batsmen in correspondence to the eight earned runs.

Following a rough start, the TSU bullpen managed to steady the ship as their quartet of throwers didn’t allow another run to blow past them through to the end of the game. Led by Adolf Castillo, Caleb DuBois, A.J. Winger, and Bryson Armstrong, the pitching staff combined to allow five hits and two walks and struck seven out. Castillo distinguished himself as the leading figure in spite of the defeat as he threw for four innings on three hits, a walk, and three punch-outs.

The Tigers head to Prairie View A&M where they will face the hosting Panthers for a three-game set starting on Friday at 3 p.m.