BOXSCORE: at Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Northern Colorado suffered one of its most devastating losses of the season on Tuesday afternoon at the University of Kansas. The Bears took a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth and surrendered four runs, including a two-run walk-off home run by Nick Faunce to fall 8-6.

It is the fifth time this year the Bears have had a lead after the seventh inning and lost the game as they move to 8-16. The Jayhawks remain perfect at home and have now won 13 straight, the third longest streak in school history, to improve to 16-10 on the year.

Junior left-handed hurler James Quisenberry pitched 7.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out three in his longest performance at Northern Colorado. Forbes Scott faced just one batter and freshman Joe Willman pitched the final frame, allowing four runs on five hits with one strikeout to take the loss and move to 1-3 in 2009.

Northern Colorado scored its six runs on 11 hits and was aided by one Kansas error, while the Jayhawks scored eight runs on 14 hits and the Bears tallied four errors, including one in the ninth which scored the tying run.

Senior designated hitter Kevin Sandberg went 3-for-5 on the afternoon with his 11th home run of the season. With his double in the seventh inning down the left field line, he also tied the school record with his 47th career double. He knots Chris Kirgan (1992-94) for the career record. Sophomore T.J. Berge was the other Bear to notch multiple hits as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

"Quisenberry pitched well enough to win," said Head Coach Kevin Smallcomb. He had them off balance all day, he'd put a little something on it, take a little something off. He pitched a good game today. After combining for just three errors in the two games at Nebraska, we came back and made four today, including one in the outfield."

Paul Smyth gets credit for the win for KU, as he pitched the final inning allowing two runs on two hits with one strikeout. The Jayhawks used five hurlers in the victory after Cameron Selik got the starting nod and threw 4.2 frames, allowing three runs on six hits. The five combined for 13 strikeouts and just three walks.

"That's a good Kansas team," said Smallcomb. "We have to learn to finish hitters when we have two strikes, finish innings when we have two outs and then we'll finish games. We continue to struggle at the end of the game, but we continue to execute offensively through the middle of the game."

Northern Colorado broke the zeros on the scoreboard first, tallying three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Andy Mees started things off with a walk and with one out, senior Erik Hegstad doubled to left center. Junior Seth Budde hit a foul ball that KU second baseman Robby Price grabbed at the fence to the bullpen along the first-base side. The Bears then had a rally with two outs as Berge doubled down the right field line to score two and he scored on a single to left field by senior Phil Santucci.

Kansas answered with one run in the bottom of the fourth on two hits and an NC error. Quisenberry did strand two Jayhawks on the base paths.

After three scoreless innings, Budde hit a ball out to left center that bounced off the trees to extend the Bears lead to 4-1. Kansas scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score at 4-4 off three hits - all to the outfield -and all with two outs.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, Mees hit his seventh home run of the year, going over the batters eye in centerfield on the first pitch to give the lead back to the Bears and Sandberg extended it crushing a tree in left field for the 6-4 advantage. It is the second time this season the two senior captains have gone back-to-back as they also did so at Utah Valley on March 7. As they did all day, the Jayhawks had a response to the Bears' offense as they scored four runs in the final inning. The home run off the bat of Faunce came with two outs, as did 13 of the 14 runs scored on the day (home run by Budde).

The two teams meet again tomorrow at Hoglund Ballpark with the first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (Central)