KU's Robby Price slides safely under the tag of the Iowa first baseman during the game on Friday, March 5, 2010, at Hoglund Park. The Jayhawks split a Friday doubleheader with Iowa.

After handling the Hawkeyes, 8-1, in the home opener, the Kansas University baseball team did little right in Game 2 of Friday’s doubleheader, which ended with a 5-3 loss to the University of Iowa at Hoglund Ballpark.

In the first game, Kansas looked every bit like the team that began the season ranked in the Top 25 in the Rivals college baseball poll.

Junior T.J. Walz allowed four hits in eight innings, struck out seven and walked just two to pick up the win. Even the lone Iowa run, which crossed the plate in the top of the second inning after a throwing error by junior shortstop Brandon Macias, was unearned.

“I thought T.J. set the tone in the first game,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “I thought he was absolutely dominant, and he pitched like he’s one of the best pitchers in our conference and in the country. I thought he set the table for everything good that took place.”

After a slow start, Walz picked up the pace in the third inning and began to work faster, which seemed to overpower the Iowa batters.

“I’ve always been a tempo guy,” said Walz, who improved to 2-1 on the season and lowered his earned-run average to 1.29. “I didn’t totally have my rhythm in the first two innings. (They) were definitely a lot slower than the last six. But once I got my rhythm down, I felt a lot more comfortable.”

Offensively, sophomore left fielder Jason Brunansky went 3-for-3 at the plate, including a rocket double down the left-field line that plated KU’s first run. Four different Jayhawks recorded two hits in the game, and KU received RBIs from six different players.

“We had production, one through nine, in our lineup,” Price said. “The tail end of our lineup contributed, and that hasn’t been the case in all of the games we’ve played so far.”

KU’s seven, eight and nine hitters — Chris Manship, Macias and Brunansky — accounted for six of the team’s 13 hits and also added two RBIs.

“In that first game, everything just lit up,” Brunansky said. “So I just stayed with my approach, and it worked out well.”

In the nightcap, very few things went Kansas’ way. Even when they did, mental errors cost the Jayhawks. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, KU scored a run on an RBI single from Casey Lytle and put two runners on base with the potential tying run coming to the plate. But after Manship scored, Lytle was picked off of first base after an aggressive turn toward second.

“Obviously that was a crucial base-running mistake,” Price said. “He’s one of our best players, he got himself going in the second game with three hits, and as soon as it happened he knew he did it, too. That’s something that won’t happen again, and it’s also a good teaching situation for our entire team.”

KU staged a late rally in the bottom of the ninth by loading the bases with one out but came up short. James Stanfield (2-for-4 in Game 2) scored when shortstop Kevin Kuntz grounded out to first. Lytle then struck out looking to end the game.

Despite Friday’s split, the Jayhawks (5-3) were happy to finally play their first games of the season at Hoglund Ballpark.

“It was awesome to be back at home,” Walz said. “All of our pitchers love this mound. Pitching at home, there’s nothing better.”

KU and Iowa will return to the field at 1 p.m. today for Game 3 of the four-game series. Senior Cameron Selik (2-0, 0.68 ERA) is expected to get the start for KU. He’ll square off against Iowa senior Zach Robertson (2-0, 6.43).