6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY HARLY KANSAN
MONDAY APRIL 13 2009
BASEBALL
Kansas sweeps Oklahoma State in weekend series
BY JOSH BOWE
Sophomore left fielder Casey Lytle runs down a fly ball to retire the side Saturday against Oklahoma State. Kansas won 13-6.
ibowe@kansan.com
Sunday's game shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone in Hoglund Ballpark. Down one run in the bottom of the ninth, Buck Afenir and Tony Thompson were due up with only one out and the bases loaded.
Afenir, a senior catcher, and Thompson, a sophomore third baseman, did what they've done all year for the layhawks; they produced.
Kansas (23-12, 7-5) walked off in victorious fashion Sunday, winning 4-3 in extra innings against No. 17 Oklahoma State, completing the Kansas' first three-game sweep of the Cowboys (21-14, 4-8) since 1993.
Thompson and Afenir collected all four Jayhawk RBIs with Thompson's second hit of the day bringing home the winning run after Afenir was hit by a pitch to tie the game. But both were quick to give recognition to the top of the order.
The 1-2-3 hitters of junior shortstop David Narodowski, junior second baseman Roby Price, and sophomore outfielder Brian Heere were on base five times in 12 plate appearances and scored three of the four runs.
"They're amazingly skilled guys up there at the top." Thompson said. "They're all fast, they bunt, they can run, they can hit. They get on base and set the table for us.
Afenir collect all the RBIs for Kansas, but they also had four of its nine hits. It's been a tough stretch in the lineup for opposing pitchers, and not too many can say they've escaped without a scratch.
Not only did Thompson and
"The top of our lineup's really tough, those first three guys do a really nice job of working counts, getting on base," coach Ritch Price said. "Were 35 games into it and Afenir and Thompson have had great great years."
team on their shoulders, it was fitting for the game to end in dramatic form. Neither the Cowboys nor Jayhawks backed down in what were miserable playing conditions.
Not only was it fitting for Thompson and Atenir to have the
On again, off again drizzling rain wet the field and made balls
take awkward rolls and bounces. The game was competitive, tough and close throughout with neither team taking more than a one-run lead.
"A lot of guys showed a lot of heart out there." Afenir said. "Then Tony clutched up in the end. It showed a lot of heart. I was really proud to be a layhawk today."
Unlike the Baylor game from a week ago when the weather and wind produced more home runs than there should have been, the rain and wind Sunday knocked down a lot of balls that were hit
hard into the air.
"A lot of guys showed a lot of heart out there. I was really proud to be a Jayhawk today."
Senior first baseman Preston Land almost made extra innings an afterthought when he crushed a ball to deep left field in the fourth inning, but the combination of rain and wind reduced the play to a simple fly out.
"It was a tough day to play, obviously, with the weather and the way the wind was blowing." Ritch Price said. "I thought we hit three balls right on the button that stayed in the ballpark that I couldn't believe. The ball Land hit, I don't know
BUCK AFENIR Senior catcher
how that thing didn't get out of the park."
Kansas now sits tied for fourth in the Big 12. The lajhawks received votes in the national polls last week, but weren't ranked.
And just as performance on or be here.
Thompson's performance on Sunday should not have been a surprise, he thinks everyone watching this team shouldn't be surprised when looking at the standings. Just like Thompson, the Jayhawks have been successful all season.
"I think we have an awesome team this year, and we can go out and compete with anyone out there and we've shown that," he said. "I think we're going to do it for the rest of the year too."
Edited by Liz Schubauer
Royals score three runs in eighth to beat Yankees
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joba Chamberlain's season debut went just fine. It was the pitchers who followed him that cost the New York Yankees.
John Buck homered and drove in three runs, helping the Kansas City Royals rally past New York 6-4 on a rainy Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
The Royals scored three runs with two outs in the eighth inning off relievers Jose Veras and Phil Coke (0-1), spoiling a solid start by Chamberlain.
"I still have to be more consistent. I let fastballs get up. When the weather started getting out of control, you have to slow the game down and not get ahead of yourself," Chamberlain said. "The bullpen has done a good job so far. There's no second-guessing the bullpen."
With the Yankees clinging to a 4-3 lead, Damaso Marte retired the first two Kansas City batters in the eighth before Veras was brought in to face pinch-hitter Billy Butler.
Veras walked Butler and was lifted for Coke, who gave up a double to Brayan Pena that scored pinch-runner Tony Pena Jr. with the tying run.
Alberto Callaspo added an RBI single. Buck, who had three hits, doubled home Callaspo with the
final run.
"We came back and got it done." Royals starter Gil Meche said.
"I blew the game." Coke said. "I didn't give myself a chance by getting ahead of the hitters. When you don't do that, you give them a chance. I don't have any excuses. I stunk it up pretty bad and ended up costing Joba a win."
Kansas City Royals' *Rayen Pana* (3) is greeted at the dugout after run during the eight inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees; in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday. The Royals beat the Yankees 6-4.
Chamberlain, who made 12 starts last season before going on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis and then going back to the bullpen, held the Royals to three runs — two earned — and four hits in six innings. He struck out five, walked one and hit two batters with pitches.
The right-hander came out after throwing 88 pitches, 56 for strikes.
Joakim Soria earned his third save by striking out the side in the ninth. Juan Cruz (1-0) worked a perfect eighth for the win, helped by a diving catch in right field from Willie Bloomquist.
The Yankees took a 4-3 lead with a three-run seventh. Nick Swisher and Hideki Matsui opened the inning with singles, followed by Xavier Nady's RBI
"Joba was pretty good," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "His velocity was great. Joba could have gone out again, but we thought that we had it set up. We just never got to Mo (Mariano Rivera)"
double. Royals first baseman Mike Jacobs committed an error on Robinson Cano's bouncer, allowing another run to score, Nady came around with the goahead run when Melky Cabrera grounded into a double play.
Meche held New York to three hits through six innings before giving up three runs in the seventh.
"For me, a 3-1 lead going into the seventh inning, it's a situation we should have the game under control, especially the way I was rolling for a while," he said. "They just started hacking first pitch, got some balls in play. Swisher didn't hit the ball too hard, broke his bat, base hit. Then Matsui rolls over in the hole. Nady just hooked it down the line. I just tried to keep it under control as much as I could. I knew they were going to get some runs."
The Royals took a 3-1 lead with two unearned runs in the fourth thanks to Swisher's two-out error at first base. Callaspo's grounder went between Swisher's legs, scoring David Diesus, who led the inning with a walk. Buck singled home Mark Teahen, who was hit by Chamberlain's pitch, for the other run.
Buck had a solo homer in the third.
"Me and Brayan have an advantage already because we are catchers, so we're cool already," Buck
said, laughing.
Brett Gardner, who led off the game with a single and stole second, scored the first Yankees run
on Meche's wild pitch.
Mchee went seven innings, allowing four runs and six hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
"It was a great feeling just to help my team win. I'm very happy," Brayan Pena said.