Jayhawks Take Finale with 6-1 Win

Lincoln – Jimmy Waters belted two homers and drove in four runs, leading Kansas to a 6-1 victory over Nebraska in the rubber game of the three-game series at Hawks Field.

Waters went 2-for-4, including a three-run homer in the third inning off of Nebraska starter Tom Lemke, that spotted the Jayhawks (22-14-1, 5-6-1 Big 12) a 4-0 lead. Robby Price and Brian Heere also had two hits apiece, while Heere scored twice in helping KU to a series win.

The Huskers (18-18, 5-10 Big 12) manage just five hits off of four Kansas pitchers, including two each by Cade Thompson and DJ Belfonte, as Tanner Poppe and three relievers kept NU sticks at bay most of the day.

“Obviously it was a pretty disappointing day from all aspects,” Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. “We didn’t pitch well early and they played well. In the first three or four innings, we had a lot of at-em balls and line drives that I told our team to keep swinging it and good things are going to happen. After about the fifth inning, I thought our office got a little lackluster with that, and they continued to pitch well.”

Kansas got off to a fast start, loading the bases in the top of the first on two singles sandwiched between a walk. Tony Thompson made it 1-0 with an RBI single to right, but Lemke worked out of trouble and struck out the next three hitters to end the frame.

The top of the order got KU going in the third, as back-to-back singles by Price and Heere put two on before Waters staked KU a four-run cushion two batters later with a three-run homer to right.

That was enough for Poppe, who scattered four hits over six innings to improve to 3-2 on the season. The freshman right-hander walked two and retired the side in order only once, but made pitches when he had to, as NU hit into three double plays and had only one runner get back second.

Lemke (4-3) allowed four runs on six hits over 3.0 innings to take the loss.

The Huskers pulled to within 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, as Belfonte doubled and eventually scored on Adam Bailey’s sacrifice fly, but Kansas would get an unearned run in the seventh before Waters’ second homer of the day in the eighth capped off the scoring

Nebraska will look to bounce back on Tuesday night when the Huskers take on Creighton. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be on the Husker Sports Network and on Huskers.com.