English hits a go-ahead homer in the eighth and Kansas holds off TCU to advance to Big 12 semifinals

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kodey Shojinaga had a three-run double to cap a nine-run first inning, Jake English hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth and No. 7 seed Kansas held on to beat ninth-seeded TCU 11-10 on Friday to advance to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.

Kansas (31-22) will play top-seeded Oklahoma for a spot in the championship game. On Thursday the Sooners rallied from an early two-run deficit and a season-high seven errors to beat Kansas 7-5 for their 10th victory in the last 11 games.

Kansas sent 14 batters to the plate in the first, scoring nine runs on five hits — three of them extra-base hits.

English opened the scoring with a two-run single, then Kansas scored seven more runs with two outs. Chase Diggins hit a bloop single to center to score two, John Nett lined a shot to left for two more runs and Shojinaga added a bases-clearing double.

TCU answered with two home runs in the second and added a three-run shot in the third to get within 9-6. The Horned Frogs tied it at 10-all in the seventh on Luke Boyers' two-run homer.

Hunter Cranton (4-3) picked up the win after retiring the side in order in the eighth, with two strikeouts, and getting a double play in the ninth after allowing two singles.

TCU (33-21), which was eliminated, will wait for the NCAA bids to be announced on Monday.

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The Associated Press