GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Junior pitcher Drew Morovick throws a curve ball during Kansas' game against Missouri State on April 23. Kansas lost to Missouri State 5-3 in their secon matchup on Wednesday.
WINNING STREAK OVER
Loss to Missouri State breaks Kansas' seven-game winning streak
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Sophomore infielder Colby Wright tags a Missouri State player out at second base on April 23, when Missouri State defeated Kansas 6-5.
SHANE JACKSON sports@kansan.com
Kansas (30-21) bussed down to Springfield, Missouri to take on Missouri State (21-25) of the Missouri Valley Conference riding a sevengame winning streak. The streak would ultimately be snapped by the Bears by a score of 5-3, as Kansas suffered its first defeat since April 23. The victor in that matchup in April, Missouri State.
"We just have to flush this one down, their guy just pitched better than we did," said coach Ritch Price.
In their previous meeting the Jayhawks saw an early lead vanish as their bullpen faltered in a 6-5 loss in Hoglund Ballpark. There would be no early lead as the Bears quickly jumped out on them despite not coming in as hot as their counterpart, losing four of its last five games.
Kansas quickly found themselves in a hole after the Bears jumped on the freshman
starting pitcher Jon Hander. Hander walked the leadoff man, who would later be scored on a ground out, as the Bears took a 1-0 lead off one hit in the home half of the first.
"Those early walks killed him, I still have nothing but praise for Hander in what he has done this season, sometimes you just have to grind games out," said Price on his freshman, who allowed three runs off five hits in 4.1 innings.
"I still have nothing but
You don't have nothing out praise for Hander in what he has done this season, sometimes you just have to grind games out."
RITCH PRICE Coach
Junior designated hitter Dakota Smith singled in the top of the fourth to bring in senior shortstop Justin Protocio, to even it up in the
fourth. That was quickly erased when Hander showed his age giving up a two run shot to right center in the bottom of the fifth, as Kansas fell 3-1.
Sophomore second baseman Colby Wright, continued his terror, with an RBI single through the left side, and Smith scored Protacio on a RBI ground out to tie it up once again in the top of the sixth.
"His command was not good tonight, the home run ball hurt him today," said Price.
Just as it seemed as if Kansas would carry the momentum and make it eight straight, junior reliever Drew Morovick gave up two runs in the sixth off a pair of hits including a home run, as Kansas fell 5-3.
"He left a couple fastballs up, and they just railed them," said Price.
Offensively, during their streak Kansas had outscored its opponents 50-18, but only managed three runs off six hits against Missouri State.
"We weren't disciplined
at the plate, swung at a lot of bad pitches, that usually isn't a good formula for hitting," said Price.
Rather than mourn over their most recent defeat, in what could be inched Kansas closer to their longest win streak of the season at nine. Coach Price and his ball club remain optimistic as they reminisce of their seven game win streak, knowing they
showed glimpses of what kind of team they can be.
They are not the team, that has a record of 4-8 against Midweek opponents, but rather the team that has 12-9 conference record and ranks amongst the best in the Big 12. If they have any NCAA Tournament aspirations they need to be more like the team who swept conference foes for the first time since 1994 during
their seven game win streak rather than the team who won two of their 10 games in mid April.
Kansas will look to be more like the team they are capable of being when they conclude their conference play with West Virginia in Hoglund Ballpark for a three game series.
- Edited by Brook Barnes
SOFTBALL
Jayhawks hope for season turnaround after Texas loss
LAMIE JUST
sports@kansan.com
Kansas softball (30-21) is set to take on Iowa State (23- 28-1) this weekend for its last regular-season series.
The last time the two teams met, the Jayhawks swept the Cyclones in Ames, Iowa. Kansas won all three games by landslides. The first game of the series was only five innings long, as the Jayhawks run ruled the Cyclones 8-0. The second game of the series went into extra innings, but the Jayhawks pulled a six-run lead over the Cyclones to end the game with a score of 12-6. The final game of the series was also run ruled in the fifth inning, with Kansas winning 12-3.
The Jayhawks look to continue their winning streak against Iowa State as they have won six of the past seven matchups.
The Cyclones have some momentum built up. They won their last game against Drake 6-4 at home. Kansas is looking
On the offensive side, Iowa State has seven batters with a batting average over .300. Leading the way for the Cyclones is sophomore utility Brittany Gomez. She's batting 391 over the season with seven hits for extra bases. The home run leader for the Cyclones is sophomore infielder Aly CapPAert. She's hit 10 home runs during the season.
to stop that momentum in its tracks and turn its season around, as it has lost 11 of their past 13 games.
Kansas has four batters with a batting average over .300. At the top of the chart for the Jayhawks is sophomore infielder Chaley Brickey, with a batting average of .383. She has 20 extra base hits, 10 of which are home runs. Brickey is Kansas' home run leader and also leads the team in runs, walks and slugging percentage.
First pitch is scheduled for May 9 at 5 p.m. at Arrocha Ballpark.
- Edited by Alec Weaver
AMIE JUST/KANSAN
Freshman catcher Harli Ridling comes to talk to sophomore pitcher Kelsey Kessler after giving up two hits in a row during the second game against Oklahoma State.
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