KU Athletics
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kansas hit six home runs on Friday afternoon en route to a 12-4 victory over the Samford Bulldogs at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Janson Reeder, Collier Cranford, Chase Jans, Kodey Shojinaga, Michael Brooks and Cole Elvis all hit home runs in the contest.
With the game tied at 2-2, the Jayhawks blasted three home runs in the top of the second inning. That marked the first time since 2010 that Kansas homered three times in a single inning. KU never trailed at any point in the game and improved to 23-27 on the season behind a 20-hit effort from the offense.
Kansas got started right away in the first inning on Friday. Jans doubled with one out and Reeder took an 0-2 pitch out to right field for a 2-run shot to give the Jayhawks a 2-0 lead.
Samford (28-22, 12-6 Southern) was quick to respond and tie Kansas in the bottom of the first. After the first two batters reached base on a double and single, a double play brought in a run and Lucas Steele hit a solo homer to make the game 2-2.
The Jayhawks kept swinging it in the second when Cranford hit a solo homer, Jans had a 2-run blast and Shojinaga blasted a solo shot. The four runs on three homers gave Kansas a 6-2 advantage.
The Bulldogs tightened the game in the bottom of the fourth with a 2-run homer by Josh Rodriguez. The home run made the score 6-4.
In the top of the fifth, Kansas got the two runs back. With two outs, Jake English and Cranford each delivered RBI singles. The run-scoring hits gave Kansas a four-run lead once again at 8-4.
The team stayed quiet offensively until the top of the eighth. Kansas tacked on four more runs in the inning courtesy of a pair of 2-run homers by Michael Brooks and Cole Elvis. That pushed the score to 12-4, which is where it would ultimately end.
Hunter Cashero started and allowed four runs over five innings, while striking out five and walking none. He induced two double plays in his start and earned the win to improve to 3-1 on the season. Ethan Bradford followed Cashero and pitched four scoreless innings of relief to receive his second save of the season.