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University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, March 24, 1992
SPORTS
Kansas shortstop Christy Arterburn slides safely into third base ahead of the tag by Washburn's Jenny Klamm during the Jayhawks victory.
Softball team shells Washburn
Bv Chris Jenson
Kansan sportswriter
It was an afternoon of big hits and solid defense that sparked the Kansas softball team to a doubleheader sweep of the Washburn Ichabods at Jayhawk Field yesterday.
The 14-2 Jayhawks used consistent offense and solid pitching and defense to spark the team to a 9-0 victory in the first game and a 3-1 decision in the second.
Senior Camille Spitaleri, a two time All-American, sparked the offense in the first game.
"We had good pitching and good defense in the first game," Kansascoach Calum Haack said. "We scored nine runs too. I wish we could do that every game."
In the bottom of the third inning, Spitalier's triple off the left field wall scored senior Christy Arterburn and put the 'Hawks up 2-0. Kansas scored another run in the inning to make it 3-0.
Sophomore pitcher Stephani Williams kept the Ichabod's offense from getting started. She improved her record to 8-1 while pitching a three
hit, 10 strike out shutout for the Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks then used a strong sixth inning, scoring six runs, to put the game in their control.
Freshman Lora Richardson led off the inning with a double and scored on a sacrifice bunt by junior Erin Wahaus. Freshman Leah Rogers added another double to score senior Shelly Sack while freshman Krissy Carpenter got hit, scoring Rogers.
Arterburn then added a single that left runners on first and second.
Junior Shanna Cole put the finishing touches on the Ichabod turning a triple into an in-the-park home run after a throwing error by the Ichabod's right fielder
In the second game Haack said the team lacked the intensity they had in the first game.
"We had a slight let down in the second game," he said. "We are trying to be more consistent."
second triple of the afternoon to lead off the bottom of the third inning.
Junior JI Bailley pitched a four hit, three strike-out second game for the 'Hawks. But the Jayhawks offensive flurry from the first game died down in the second. The only spark came when Cole hit her
"I've been hitting the ball well on and off this year," Cole said. She added that she needed to play with more solidity.
"Consistency is a key for myself as well as the rest of the team," she said.
Haack said he was disappointed with the offensive let-down in the second game.
"We had six different battes that missed scoring opportunities," he said. "We have to improve our intensity. We have to be more mentally prepared to play."
But where the Kansas offense dropped off, its defense compensated with the help of third baseman Suitaleri and shortstop Arterburn.
"We've probably got the best left side of the infield in the country," Haack said of Arterburn and Spitaleri. "Rarely does a ball get through the left side."
The Jayhawks will travel to San Jose, California on Thursday for the National Invitational Softball Tournament.
Kansas loses second baseman to injury
By Jerry Schmidt
Kansan sportswriter
Only four games into a rugged Big Eight Conference schedule, the Kansas baseball team will have to play most of its remaining games without second team all-conference second baseman Jeff Burlinger.
Berblinger, a junior from Goddard, is expected to miss about four weeks due to an injury to his right thumb on his throwing hand. The injury occurred in the second inning of Sunday's game with Kansas State. If the four week diagnosis is accurate, Berblinger could return to the line-up for the Iowa State series April 24-26 in Ames, Iowa.
Berblinger fielded a ground ball by the Wildcats' Terry Hipp and tagged out K-State baserunner Jason Spallio on his way to second. In the process,
"Initiallyhe is going to have to fight the pain." Odum said. "We'll have to
Berlinger fractured the second metacarpal of his thumb close to his wrist, trainer Darren Odum said.
Berblinger was hitting. 267 with 12 RBI and 13 stolen bases before the injury. He seemed to be on his way out of an early season slump after being moved to the lead-off spot in the Jayawhacks' batting order 11 games ago. He hit .316 in the lead-off spot. Last
let it heal and then work on the strength and range of motion."
Jeff Berblinger
"It's my understanding that he's going to be out for a while," Kansas coach Dave Bingham said. "To lose him puts a heavy burden on others to pick up the slack. It was an unfortunate situation."
Now Bingham will have to look for an immediate replacement. Freshman Chris Kokaly replaced Berblering Sunday and went for-3: Before Sunday's game Kokaly had seen action in four games and had one win against Freshman Dan Rude. He will also play an integral part in finding a successor.
season he hit. 354 and broke the Kansas single-season record for hits in a season with 81.
"Kokaly played like a freshman," Bingham said. "We were hoping we wouldn't have to put him in a situation like that. We had hoped to develop our
"Rude is going to be our utility guy," he said. "He could end up starting at an admin desk."
Bingham said Rude was drafted as a second baseman out of Skyview High.
depth on our own time table, now we
n'thave that luxury."
One bright spot for Kansas will be the return of outfielder Rory Tarquinio. Tarquinio, a junior transfer from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College, broke the little finger on his right hand in the fifth game of the season against Arkansas. He is taking batting practice and is expected to be back within the next week. In the five games he played, all in a starting role, Tarquinio hit .263 with one home run and two doubles.
"About the time we get one guy back we lose another." Bingham said.
Injuries hound tennis team's tourney efforts
Kansas loses two matches at Rice
By Lyle Niedens
Kansan sportswriter
Injuries and illness caught up with the No. 17 ranked Kansas Jayhawks' men's tennis team this weekend at the Rice Invitational at Houston.
The Jayhawks were without three of their top eight players as they dropped two of three matches. Sophomore Rhain Buth, freshman Manny Ortiz and sophomore Ian Goodman did not make the trip to Kansas fell to Rice 1-5 and Tennessee 4-1 Saturday before coming back with a 4-1 victory against Michigan.
Buth, who normally plays No. 5 singles and No. 2 doubles for the Jayhawks, missed the tournament because of a corneal ulcer in his left eye caused by a contact lens. Ortiz, Kansas' No. 6 single player, did not play because of a sprained right wrist and Goodman missed the tournament because of an upper respiratory infection.
As a result, freshman Seth Korey and sophomore Brian Harris filled the No. 5 and 6 singles slots, respectively. Kansas coach Scott Perelman said that he thought his top players tried too hard to make up for the absences of Buth, Ortiz and Goodman.
"Unfortunately, I think our top guys felt more pressure that they had to win," Perelman said. "When it got right down to it, instead of just being loose and letting the spontaneity of their ability come out, they started thinking, 'If I don't win, the team will be in trouble' and that was too much
pressure on them."
However, Kansas' No. 3 singles player, Carlos Fleming, who lost all three of his matches on the weekend and four sets in tiebreakers, said he didn't think that was necessarily the case.
"We try to do our best every time we step on the court," Fleming said. "With me I just think it was mental preparation. Coming into the event I had a couple of things on my mind and I didn't prepare mentally like I should have."
The Jayhawks had to deal with two rain delays against Rice that disrupted their rhythm, Perelman said. After Rice came out playing well early, the first rain delay hit. Then it was Kansas' turn.
"We were hammering them," Perelman said of the period between the first and second rain delays. "Had we been able to stay outside at that point I think it might have been different."
On the up side, No. 4 singles player Patrick Han went 3-0 in the tournament. As for the newcomers, Harris went 1-2 while Korey went 0-2.
"I think they got better each day," Perelman said of Harris and Korev.
But they may not have another chance to play for a while. But was expected to begin hitting again yesterday, Goodman will probably begin hitting today and Ortiz is returning to practice tomorrow, Perelman said, just in time for Kansas' home matches this weekend against Southwest Missouri State, Wichita State and Indiana State.
Jayhawk golfers ahead of coach's expectations
Men's team excels during Spring Break
By Cody Holt
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas men's golf team appears to be swinging into a shape a little sooner than coach Ross Randall anticipated.
Randall said he wanted the Jayhawks to be playing their best golf in late April and in May when they compete in the Big Eight Conference championship and the NCAA regional championship, the qualifying tournament for the NCAA championship.
However, after posting two top three finishes in tournaments during Spring Break, the Jayhawks seem to be coming into form a little early.
Kansas tied for third place in the University of Central Florida Classic, March 9-10 in Orlando, finishing 10 strokes behind champion New Mexico. Bruno led the Jayhawks and finished second in the tournament after shooting three consecutive rounds of 72, five strokes behind Tim Herron of New Mexico.
However, the USF Invitational turned into a showcase for sophomore Matt Gogel. Gogel is the defending Big Eight champion, but he struggled
Three days later, Kansas traveled to Tampa to compete in the University of South Florida Invitational. The Jaya-hawks continued to improve, and Bruno continued his strong play, fInishing 12th in the tournament.
Junior Brad Bruno, leading Kansas with a 73.2 stroke average through three tournaments this spring, said the Jayhawks had a chance to win both tournaments during the break.
"This is the best we've ever done in these tournaments," Randall said. "I'm pleased with the way things are going but we still have to get better as the season goes on."
"I'm pleased with the way things are going,but we still have to get better as the season goes on.
Ross Randall Kansas men's golf coach
through the first two tournaments of the spring semester. Göel returned to form, shooting a 3-under-par 213 for a second place finish.
Gogel's resurgence has his teammates and coach optimistic.
"Matt played real well," said Bruno.
"It's real great to see. That's going to create a lot more opportunities for us."
Kansas took a lead into the final round of the tournament but faltered on the last day to finish two strokes behind Central Florida.
Gogel said losing the tournament on the final day was disappointing, but it showed the Jayhawks still had room to improve.
"We haven't had a tournament where we've all played well," he said. "Once we do that I think we'll surprise some people."
Kansas' dramatic turnaround, from a 15th place finish in the Miami Lakes Invitational, 39 strokes behind champion Texas, to two consecutive top three finishes, does not have Randall concerned with peaking too soon.
"What we hope to do is play a little better with each tournament and gain experience," he said. "We want to play well in every tournament, but the main thing is to get better and do well in regionales."
SPORTS BRIEF
Senior Cathy Palacios earned All-American honors in the one-mile run at the NCAA indoor track and field championships on March 14 in Indianapolis. Palacios set a personal record with 4 minutes, 39 seconds in the preliminaries to qualify for the finals. She ran a 4:45.04 in the finals, finishing 10th.
RunnerwinsU.S. honor
The top six U. S. runners qualify for All-American. Palacios was the sixth.
"She definitely earned and deserves it," Coach Gary Schwartz said.
Palacios said she got the flu after the Big Eight Indoor Championships, where she finished fifth in the mile. She said that she felt good after the preliminary race but that she was too weak to bounce back for a stronger race in the finals.
Notre Dame eliminates K-State from NIT, 64-47
"I guess I was just pooped," she said
From Kansan staff reports
The Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Kansas State kept swinging wild, and Notre Dame ducked the punches for a 64-47 second-round National Invitational Tournament victory yesterday.
"It was a technical knockout, a TKO," said Daimon who so shot it for Notre Dame. "We had to fight them 12 on 10."
the field.
K-State had advanced in the tournament on an 85-74 victory against Western Kentucky, but against Notre Dame the Wildcats played raggedly and were doomed in the first half by 26-percent shooting from
"This was definitely not the way we wanted to end the season," said K-State coach Dana Altman, whose team had a final record of 16-14.
The Wildcats' Askia Jones scored 19 points, and LaPhonso Ellis added 15 for Notre Dame, which beat Western Michigan 63-56 in the first round.
Notre Dame, now 16-14, jumped out to an early lead and kept K-State from reaching double figures
"This is a time to stretch it out mentally," said Notre Dame coach John MacLeod. "They know the next team we play is going to be tough as nails."
until 7:42 in the first half when Jones' first goal made the score 18-11.
But the Irish could build no more than a nine-point lead until the closing 2 minutes, when a 7-0 run, including a three-pointer from Sweet, gave Notre Dame a 33-21 edge at halftime.
In the second half, K-State came no closer than 37-27 with 16:16 remaining after scoring six straight points, including four by Jones.
The Wildcats free-throw shooting collapsed when they made only two of 10 in the final 8 minutes. K-State was outscored 11-6 during that time.