Kansas dominated the game through six innings, building a 3-0 lead that seemed much larger. Jayhawk starter Ricky Fairchild was really cruising, but ran into trouble in the 7th, allowing a leadoff double to Derek Chambers, a run-scoring single to Zane Taylor, and another run-scoring single to Hunter Mense, who shrugged off his separated shoulder injury to pinch-hit. At that point, national saves leader Don Czyz came into the game and got the Jayhawks out of the inning.

Czyz blew his first save of the season, however, in the top of the eighth, as Chambers delivered a two-out game-tying single.

Kansas re-took the lead in the next inning thanks to shoddy Missouri infield defense. Preston Land reached on a one-out infield single, then was sacrificed to second. The next batter hit what should have been an inning-ending grounder to third, but backup 3Bman Kyle Mach let the ball play him and took it off his chest. Then with runners on the corners, SS Gary Arndt cleanly fielded a slow roller, but snagged his spikes and stumbled while setting up to throw. His throw was late and the go-ahead run scored.

Given a second lead, Czyz set down the Tigers in the ninth, and Kansas earned the right to play Nebraska in tomorrow’s title game.

The Big 12 committee also finally reached their ruling on the brawl. Only KU’s Price and Missouri’s Bond will draw suspensions. No one was suspended for leaving the benches. The committee cited these sections of the rulebook:

PENALTY—
(1) All team personnel, including coaches, who leave their positions
and participate in a fight shall be ejected and suspended for the
team’s next three contests.

A.R. 2—If a player or coach makes physical contact with another player in an obvious
attempt to prevent a fight or confrontation, that individual shall not be ejected or suspended.

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The committee stated that “based on a review of available evidence no additional players engaged in a physical confrontation.”

Several people in the press box are reading that line with disbelieving amusement.