Section B·Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, March 15, 1999
Kansas pitcher Colin Call throws a pitch to an Iowa State battler. Catch collected 7 strikeouts in the Jayhawks' 7-6 victory against the Cyclones yesterday. Photo by Matt J. Daugherty/KANSAN
Jayhawks earn first Big 12 victory
By Matt Tait
mtait@kansan.com
By Matt Tait
mtait@kansan.com
Kanson sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team ran its way to victory yesterday and earned the Jayhawks' first Big 12 Conference win when it defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 7-6 at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Jayhawks, 4-12 overall and 1-6 in Big 12 play, used eight stolen bases and good defense to defeat the Cyclones (5-9, 0-4) in the series' opening game.
This series was scheduled to be played in Ames, Iowa, but bad weather forced a move to Lawrence. As if that change wasn't drastic enough, the games then were moved to Sunday and Monday, as opposed to the rescheduled Saturday and Sunday.
The only change that came in the Jayhawks' play was improvement on defense, as well as offense.
After putting the scheduling quirks behind them, the Jayhawks still had to face one more obstacle. Even though the game was played in Lawrence, the 'Hawks took the field as the visiting team while Iowa State was considered the home team to compensate for the changes.
"It was kind of an oddity," senior infielder Chad King said. "But I don't think it changed the way anyone played."
"We've been working on our defense, and a lot of that is pitching, but I'm pleased with how we played."
coach Bobby Randall said. "It's always good when you win, but we won and I know we can play better. That's nice."
Kansas jumped out on the Cyclones in the second innning when King led off the inning with a solo home run to right field. Iowa State put up three runs in the fourth inning on two home runs, knocking starting pitcher Chris Williams out of the game
"Chris pitched great, he just lost his control in the fourth." Randall said.
"We weren't scoring enough runs to leave him in there so he could get back on track."
The scoring
trought didn't
last long as
Kansas countered the Cyclone fourth with a two-run sixth and a four-run eighth.
Highlighting the Kansas offense was the play of junior outfielder Brett Kappelmann. Kappelmann, out early in the year with a hamstring injury, slowly has been working his way back into the lineup. Yesterday's performance signified that he was all the way back.
Kappelmann went two for four, scored two runs, and stole four bases, but his catch at the left-field warning
“It’s been kind of slow getting back, but I’m real excited that I can get back out there and run. That’s how I help the team win,” Kappelmann said.
track in the seventh innning may have been his biggest contribution.
"I knew it was hit over me, and I didn't take the best route to it, but I kept my eye on it and managed to make the catch," Kappelmann said.
Randall acknowledged that the catch was a big play in the game, but said that having Kappelmann back in the lineup really helped the Kansas offense.
"He had a big day for us," Randall said. "He stole a bunch of bases and that was a big lift."
The Jayhawks trailed or were tied as they continued to leave runners in scoring position, until the eighth inning, when freshman outfielder Jason Appuhn delivered a two-run double.
The hit gave the 'Hawks the lead and senior reliever Colin Call enough insurance to turn away a Cyclone rally.
Randall was pleased with the team's perseverance and said that he hoped the win was a step in the right direction.
"One thing baseball teaches you is never to give up," he said. "There's no time limit, no shot clock, and I think in certain situations we were trying too hard. In baseball that works against you like in basketball with free throws."
The series concludes today with a doubleheader at Hoglund Ballpark, in which the Cyclones again will be the host team. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Edited by Darrin Peschka
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