CLEBURNE, Texas – Tallying four extra-base hits in the frame, the Kansas Jayhawks scored three times in the first inning and defeated the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 4-1, on Saturday, February 25 at The Depot at Cleburne Station.

Residing in the ultra-competitive Big 12 Conference, the Jayhawks improve to 4-1, while Oakland falls to 0-5.

Redshirt senior right-hander Brett Hagen took the loss for the Golden Grizzlies, allowing three runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts over 4.1 innings.

Taking over for Hagen in the fifth and facing only one hitter, junior southpaw Jake Matthaidess made his Oakland debut and struck out left-handed sophomore right fielder Luke Leto.

Also making his first appearance as a Golden Grizzly, senior righty Noah Stants recorded the final 13 outs, giving up just an unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts on 37 pitches.

Highlands Ranch, Colorado native and Minnesota Golden Gophers transfer Sam Ireland earned the win for Kansas, working five frames of three-hit, one-run baseball with five punchouts. Kalamazoo sophomore lefty Gavin Brasosky, a Portage Central Mustang and former Tennessee Volunteer, handled the final four innings for his second save of the year.

The Jayhawks outhit Oakland, 8-4, with two of the Golden Grizzlies' knocks coming from leadoff hitter and graduate student first baseman Gabe Lux and second baseman Peter Jelenic and third baseman Brandon Nigh, both of whom are sophomores, tallying one each.

Leto started the scoring by plating redshirt junior shortstop Collier Cranford with a double to right center and he came around to score on another double by freshman left fielder Jackson Kline two batters later.

Redshirt sophomore third baseman Michael Brooks followed Kline's two-bagger with a double of his own and Kansas added their final run on another two-base hit in the seventh inning, this one off the bat of center fielder Mike Koszewski, a fellow redshirt sophomore.

Oakland's run occurred on a double steal in the sixth when Lux came home and Nigh swiped second.



UP NEXT
These two will square off in Game 3 of this four-game set on Sunday, February 26 at 2 p.m.

Broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network, redshirt senior right-hander Sean Fekete will go for the Golden Grizzlies, while redshirt junior righty Hunter Cranton will start for the Jayhawks.