LAWRENCE, Kan. - The University of Arizona baseball team narrowly fell at No. 11 Kansas on Friday night, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Jayhawks after Kansas answered with three runs across the fifth and seventh innings.
The Wildcats (16-28, 7-15 Big 12) recorded six hits, including two home runs, while Kansas (35-11, 18-4 Big 12) finished with seven hits.
Owen Kramkowski was charged with the loss despite a strong outing in which he tossed 5.0 innings and allowed three runs on four hits while striking out 11. Dominic Voegele earned the win for Kansas after throwing a complete game.
Individually, Beau Sylvester, Mathis Meurant, and Nate Novitske led the way for Arizona. Sylvester continued his strong stretch in Big 12 play, going 3-for-4 with a double while extending his hitting streak to 15 games. Meurant went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, while Novitske finished 1-for-4 with a solo homer of his own. Tony Lira added a double in a 1-for-4 night at the plate.
Lira doubled with two outs in the top of the first, but Arizona was unable to capitalize. Kramkowski was dialed in from the start, retiring the side in order in the bottom of the inning with two strikeouts.
Sylvester led off the second with a double, but Arizona was once again unable to push across a run.
Kramkowski worked around a leadoff double in the bottom of the second by striking out three batters, as the two teams remained scoreless through two innings.
With two outs in the third, Novitske blasted a solo home run to right field to put Arizona ahead 1-0.
Kansas answered in the bottom half of the inning with a solo homer of its own to even the score.
After a scoreless fourth, Meurant led off the fifth with a 413-foot solo homer off the scoreboard in right field as Arizona reclaimed a 2-1 advantage.
The Jayhawks responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 lead.
Kansas added an insurance run in the seventh, and Arizona was unable to rally late as the Wildcats ultimately fell 4-2.
Arizona returns to the field on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. (MST) for the second game of the series against Kansas.
