Funny how the rain can put a damper on an otherwise delightful day.

After a 45-minute rain delay with one out in the ninth inning, Kansas University’s baseball team lost its 3-2 lead against No. 6 Texas, and eventually lost the game, 5-3 in 11 innings, Sunday at Hoglund Ballpark.

With the victory, the Longhorns escape Lawrence with two wins in the three-game series, and still sit atop the Big 12 Conference standings.

Kansas remains in a dogfight for the final two spots to qualify for the Big 12 tournament later this month. The top eight teams make the tournament, and Kansas (33-21 overall, 8-13 Big 12) currently is seventh. But Oklahoma (7-14) swept a three-game series from Texas Tech (7-16) this weekend, putting the three teams in a tight pack for the final two spots in the tournament.

The Jayhawks had yet another solid starting effort Sunday, this time from junior Ryan Knippschild. It wasn’t enough, though. Texas came storming back and gave Kansas its fifth loss in the last six games. Four of those were conference matchups.

“We played pitch for pitch every inning as hard as we could,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “Without question, that’s a devastating way for the weekend to end.”

After the delay, Texas (37-14, 18-6) rode the bat of its No. 9 hitter, outfielder Joe Ferin. With two outs in the ninth, Ferin tied the game with an RBI single. Then in the 11th, Ferin smoked an RBI triple off the center-field wall. Both hits came off KU junior and Free State High graduate Brandon Johnson, who suffered the loss.

“It’s a disappointing loss,” said Johnson, who fell to 7-3 this season. “I just didn’t get the job done today.”

Kansas pitcher Ryan Knippschild, right, tries to tag out Texas' Dustin Majewski after fielding a bunt. The Jayhawks lost to the No. 6-ranked Longhorns, 5-3 in 11 innings, Sunday at Hoglund Ballpark.

The Longhorns once again relied on their phenomenal closer, Huston Street, to shut down a solid KU offense. Street entered the game in the seventh and pitched a career-high five innings, striking out six and allowing just two hits. He improved to 5-0 with his second win in two days.

The five innings Street threw were no doubt a big load for a closer. It wouldn’t have gone any longer, though. It turns out, the game would have ended in a tie had neither team scored in the 11th inning. The length of the game and the rain delay was close to interfering with the Longhorns’ travel plans.

It made the Longhorns’ 11th-inning heroics even more impressive.

“Big-time players make big-time plays,” Price said. “Those guys certainly clutched up at the end.”

Kansas scored two runs in the first inning off Texas All-American Justin Simmons. Simmons was yanked after facing five batters and recording just one out.

Kansas University's Sean Flynn takes a pitch. Flynn and the Jayhawks lost to No. 6 Texas, 5-3 in 11 innings, Sunday at Hoglund Ballpark.

The Longhorn bullpen then stepped up and pitched 10 2/3 innings, and allowed just one unearned run, when Ritchie Price scored on a throwing error in the third.

As the bullpen silenced the KU bats, Texas slowly chipped away at the 3-0 deficit, scoring a run in the sixth and another in the eighth before the rain hit.

After the delay, Texas stole the game — and the series — from the Jayhawks.

“There’s not one thing you can say to make your team feel any better,” Price, KU’s first-year coach, said. “That one hurts.”

Texas 5, Kansas 3, 11 innings

Texas 000 001 011 02 — 5 11 1

Kansas 201 000 000 00 — 3 8 0

W–Huston Street (5-0). L–Brandon Johnson (7-3).

KU highlights: Ritchie Price 2-for-4, 2 R, SB (11); Casey Spanish 2-for-4, RBI; Ryan Knippschild 8 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 K.