Most college baseball teams send out their No. 3 starting pitcher in the last game of their weekend series. Kansas University senior Frank Duncan isn’t a typical No. 3 starter.

Duncan, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, struck out seven and gave up just one run on five hits over 8 1/3 innings to help the Jayhawks avoid being swept by TCU with a 5-1 victory Saturday night at Hoglund Ballpark.

KU lost the first game of a unscheduled doubleheader, 3-1. The series finale set for today was moved up because of an unfavorable forecast.

TCU’s five hits in the nightcap were its second lowest total of the season and Duncan exited to a standing ovation after throwing 116 pitches. He’s allowed no more than one run in seven of his last eight starts, posting a 0.98 ERA in that span.

“The maturity he’s shown in the four years he’s been at our place has been incredible,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “When he first got here, he wasn’t tough enough to walk out there and finish what he started and get that deep into a game. It’s been a pleasure to watch him mature and grow and learn how to compete and how to finish.”

Duncan has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the Big 12 throughout the season. He leads the conference in innings pitched and is among the conference leaders in nearly every other pitching category. He also sounds like a typical senior and doesn’t want to take all of the credit.

“When you have a defense as spectacularly as we did tonight — Colby (Wright) on (a diving stop at second base in the eighth), plays all over the field — it gives you a lot of confidence on the mound just to pitch to contact and miss barrels,” Duncan said. “That’s just what I was trying to do tonight.”

KU junior Connor McKay launched a home run in the second inning to give the Jayhawks (22-15, 6-6 Big 12) an early lead. Later, in the eighth, McKay hit a solo homer — his third of the day and his Big 12-leading ninth of the season.

“TCU’s pitching staff is phenomenal. Those guys mix real well,” said McKay, who got his arms extended on a hanging curveball, a slider and a fastball. “I tried to make my adjustments against them and obviously I made some good ones today.”

After TCU (22-13, 7-5) tied the game in the third inning, Dakota Smith singled home Colby Wright, who hit a leadoff double.

Smith, who sat out the first game Saturday because of recent struggles at the plate, drove in Wright and Michael Suiter with a triple to the right field wall in the sixth.

McKay broke out of a slump with a home run against Iowa on Wednesday, snapping an eight-game streak without an RBI.

“I had this conversation with our players at (Kansas) State last weekend. The reason we’re struggling scoring runs is we’re not getting production … from Dakota Smith, Connor McKay and Michael Suiter — your best players,” Price said. “If you hit in the three, four, five hole, you’ve got to be productive. Tonight, Dakota Smith knocks in three runs, who’s really been struggling, and Connor hit the two home runs. They directly knocked in five runs and we won 5-1.”

In Game 1, the Jayhawks couldn’t touch TCU right-hander Preston Morrison, who gave up just one run on four hits in 8 1/3 innings. Morrison, a 6-foot-2 starter with a dominant slider and changeup to go along with his sidearm delivery, outdueled Jayhawks starter Robert Kahana, who allowed three runs on nine hits in a complete game.

Junior Michael Suiter hit a one-out double in the ninth before the Horned Frogs brought in sophomore closer Riley Ferrell, who struck out two to earn the save.

KU will play host to Grand Canyon for a two-game series beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Game One

TCU 002 001 000 — 3 9 0

Kansas 000 000 100 — 1 4 0

W — Preston Morrison, 4-3. L — Robert Kahana, 2-5. SV — Riley Ferrell, 6.

2B — Derek Odell, Kevin Cron, TCU; Ryan Pidhaichuk, Michael Suiter, KU. 3B — Garrett Crain, TCU. HR — Connor McKay, KU.

Game Two

TCU 001 000 000 — 1 5 0

Kansas 010 102 01x — 5 8 0

W — Frank Duncan, 4-1. L — Alex Young, 1-3. SV — Stephen Villines, 4.

2B — Colby Wright, KU. 3B — Dakota Smith, KU. HR — McKay (2), KU.

KU highlights — Duncan, 8.1 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 7 Ks; McKay, 2-for-4, 2 RBI; Smith, 2-for-4, 3 RBI.