Rarely this season has Kansas University’s baseball team strung together timely hits and efficient pitching performances during the same game.

Typically, if the offense was clicking, the pitching has been out of control. When the pitchers have sizzled, the hitters have failed to deliver.

Tuesday night at Hoglund Ballpark, the Jayhawks got both great pitching and a timely hit — but still lost to No. 16 Oral Roberts, 4-3, in 10 innings. The Jayhawks (26-30-1) are 3-10 in games decided by one run.

“I’ve never been involved with as many one-run losses in my entire career as we have this year,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “I think that’s 13 now where we’ve been tied or ahead in the ninth inning. I can’t even put it into words how hard it is to go through.”

After dropping a 2-1 game to the Golden Eagles (38-8) in 10 innings on March 16, the rematch looked destined for extra innings from the beginning. ORU starter Adam Lesko and KU’s Clint Schambach each tossed shutouts through six innings. The Golden Eagles tapped Schambach for three runs in the top of the seventh, however. They strung together five hits in the inning and forced Kansas to delve into its bullpen. Don Czyz finished the inning, and Ryotaro Hayakawa threw the final three innings.

The Jayhawks began their rally in the bottom of the seventh. Shortstop Ritchie Price singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on right fielder Matt Tribble’s single.

Trailing 3-1 in the top of the eighth, designated hitter A.J. Van Slyke reached base on a fielder’s choice. Then sophomore center fielder Matt Baty was replaced by pinch-hitter Travis Dunlap.

“Little Baty hurt his hand,” Ritch Price said, “and obviously I was trying to get one swing to tie the game.”

Dunlap crushed an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left-center field that tied the game at 3. It was just KU’s second pinch-hit homer of the season.

“He stepped up big,” senior first baseman Ryan Baty said, “and that’s exactly what we were looking for from him right there. We’re not looking for him to hit a single. His job is to hit the ball over the fence, and he did that.”

It seemed Dunlap’s timely two-run blast would signify a change in the Jayhawks’ recent stretch of bad luck. Turns out, the break wasn’t lucky enough. Kansas stranded two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth. Dennis Bigley ripped a leadoff double in the 10th for ORU. Bigley scored on Ricky Rivera’s double and gave the Golden Eagles a 4-3 lead.

Kansas is 2-8 in its last 10 games. The Jayhawks next play Missouri in a three-game series at Hoglund Ballpark. Game One is at 6 p.m. Friday.

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