LAWRENCE, Kan. -- No. 13 Kansas used three early home runs and a four-hit eighth inning to pull away from the Northeastern Huskies, 6-3, in the opening round of the NCAA Lawrence Regional on Friday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Huskies (38-21) clawed back from a 4-1 deficit to pull within 4-3 by the sixth inning, but were never able to get the tying run across, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Luc Rising (5-5) took the loss, surrendering four runs on four hits in 3.2 innings, settling in after the offensive onslaught to keep the game close in the fourth. The Huskies will face the loser of Friday's late game between No. 14 Arkansas and Missouri State in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon.
- Rising set down the side in order in the first, striking out two, but Kansas broke through in a big way in the second. A one-out walk set the table for a two-run homer that gave the Jayhawks a 2-0 lead. Two batters later, a solo shot to left made it 3-0. Rising struck out the final batter of the inning to limit the damage.
- Will Fosberg answered with a solo homer of his own in the top of the third, a 383-foot blast to right-center on a 0-1 count for his third home run of the season to cut the lead to 3-1.
- Kansas responded immediately in the bottom of the third with a leadoff solo shot to restore the three-run cushion at 4-1.Â
- Ryan Gerety tripled to deep center to lead off the fourth, but the Huskies could not bring him home with the sac fly or a base hit.
- The Huskies scratched across a run in the fifth to make it 4-2. Charlie Criscola doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on a fly ball to center. After a Fosberg walk, Henry DiGiorgio reached on a fielder's choice that scored Criscola, with a throwing error allowing Fosberg to advance to third and DiGiorgio to second.
- Northeastern pulled within one in the sixth. Gerety singled to right and Aschettino singled through the right side to put runners at first and third. Criscola then grounded out to third, driving in Gerety to make it 4-3.
- David McSweeney took over for Rising in the fourth and delivered 2.2 scoreless innings in relief, allowing two hits and three walks while keeping the Jayhawks off the board. Andrew Wertz entered in the seventh and struck out the first batter he faced to strand an inherited runner, keeping it a one-run game.
- Kansas put the game away in the eighth with a four-hit rally against Wertz. A pair of singles put two on, and consecutive RBI singles made it 6-3. Wertz got a popup to end the inning, but the damage was done. It was the first runs Wertz had allowed since mid-March.
- Gerety led the Huskies with a 3-for-4 day that included a triple and two singles, while Criscola went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Fosberg's homer accounted for the Huskies' other run. Northeastern struck out 12 times against the Kansas pitching staff.
Northeastern will face the loser of No. 14 Arkansas and Missouri State in an elimination game on Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark. Game time is currently scheduled for 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on ESPN+.
