SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesdav. April 27,1994
11
Kansas baseball walks through Valley
21
By Andrew Gilman Kansan sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team is leading the Missouri Valley Conference.
For the third time in three weeks
kansas took a break from its Big Eight
Conference schedule to beat up on a
MVC team. Kansas outscored Southwest Missouri State 9-5 yesterday at Hofgladmau Stadium.
Kansas has beaten Creighton twice this year and conference leader Wichita State once to move its record to 4-0 against the MVC.
Kansas freshman Robert Garola pitched six innings and junior shortstop Dan Rude went three-for-three with a pair of FBL to pace Kansas to its fourth consecutive victory.
$ ^{b} $Kansas moved to 31-13. The Bears dropped to 25-16 and lost their second consecutive game.
carola, 1-1, making only his second college start, gave up two runs — neither of them earned — in the first inning, and limited the Bears to five
hits. Garola also struck out four.
"He's getting a lot better," Kansas coach Dave Bingham said about Garola's performance. "He had much better noise tonight."
Bingham was speaking of Garola's outing against Nebraska on April 19. Garola lasted only four and two-thirds innings and took the loss.
Melissa Lacey / KANSAN
"Tonight when he got into some tough situations he made better pitches." Bingham said.
But even though Bingham said Garola pitched better, Garola sald he didn't even know he was going to be throwing yesterday.
"Coach Bingham never told me anything," he said. "The day before, my dad was listening to a talk show and heard it on the radio."
Garola showed very few signs of not being ready.
After the first inning, where he walked three and was the victim of an error, Garola settled down and did not walk another batter and did not allow another runner to score.
Kansas freshman Tim Lyons pitched two innings of relief, and freshman Jason Schreiber pitched a perfect ninth to secure the victory.
After Kansas fell behind 2-0 after one inning, the Jayhawks scored in six of their final seven innings.
Kansas scored two runs in the fourth inning after junior left fielder Josh Igou walked and sophomore second baseman Brian Turney doubled. A sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Alex King drove in Igou and Rude doubled-in Turnery.
Rude added another hit in the seventh when he hit a bases-loaded pitch up the middle that hit the umpire.
When a batted ball hits an umpire in the infield, runners advance only if they are forced. With the bases loaded, Headley was forced in.
Kansas returns to conference play today when it takes on league leader Oklahoma State in a doubleheader.
The first game starts at 3 p.m. at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium, with the second game at 6 p.m.
Lawrence little leagers have their hats signed by freshmen pitchers Tim Lyons, left, and Casey Barrett during last night's game against Southwest Missouri State. The Jayhawks defeated the Bears 9-5.
Jayhawks, Bears split doubleheader
Consistency, big hitters will earn postseason play
By Matt Siegel
Senior third baseman Kim Newbern, left, calls off junior first baseman Lora Richardson and senior pitcher Stephani Williams as Newbern catches a fly ball.
Kansan sportswriter
Martin Altstaedten / KANSAN
The Kansas and Southwest Missouri State softball teams both seemed to have the same problem yesterday at Hawk Field. Neither team could find its offense.
"I'm very disappointed in the way we came out and played," Kansas coach Kalum Haack said. "Before the ballgame, I tried to explain every scenario to make sure that we get to the playoffs and what we need to do to get there."
In the first game it looked as though senior pitcher Stephani Williams was missing in on the Big Eight Conference record for victories. Williams tied the record with her 102nd victory against Oklahoma State on Saturday. Despite Williams pitching nine scoreless innings, the Bears hung tough and shut down the Kansas offense completely, limiting them to four hits.
The Jayhawks split a doubleheader with Southwest Missouri State yesterday, losing the first game and winning the second.
When a tied softball game reaches the 10-inning mark, the batter who made the last out of the previous inning is placed on second. According to softball rules, this is done to speed up the game. The Bears took immediate advantage of this when right fielder Heather Andersen belted a two-run homer off of Williams. The Jayhawks were unable to score in the bottom of the 10th, giving Southwest Missouri State a 2-0 victory.
Haack said that a Kansas loss during any of its last six games would hurt the team's postseason chances.
"But if we were going to lose one, this is where it needed to happen," he said. "I thought we were going to come out and pound the ball, but I always think that."
The second game saw more anemic offenses. The Jayhawks entered the game on a four-game losing streak, and for awhile it looked as though it might become five. The Jayhawks didn't score a run in the first five innings, giving them 15 consecutive innings where they hadn't scored a run. But in the bottom of the fifth
Kansas got a spark from a home run by senior Kim Newborn, who plays third base. It was her first home run of the season. The Jayhawks managed to scratch out another run and take a 2-0 victory, narrowly avoiding getting swept in back-to-back games. Sophomore pitcher Beth Robinson recorded the shutout.
"I have talked and talked and talked until I'm blue in the face," Haack said. "I guess as a coach I'm trying to find the right buttons to push."
Haack said he had better find them soon. The Jayhawks play a double-header against Creighton tomorrow
at Jayhawk Field, and they play a doubleheader against Iowa State this weekend. Haack said if the team loses a single game against either opponent, it could be disastrous for the Jayhawks.
"We are in a great position because we can control our own destiny," Haack said. "I think if we lose one game to Creighton and Iowa State then our season could be over, so I think we will have to sweep."
One thing that may help the Jayhawks' chances to do that is their pitching. Williams is regarded as one of the top pitchers in the conference,
and Haack said that Robinson would emerge again next season at the top. But the fact that Robinson pitched a good second game and the Jayhawks bounced back and gained a victory didn't please Haack.
"Our big hitters are frustrated right now," Haack said. "They are not being consistent. They will come out and bust the ball for a few games, and then they will go silent for a few games. We just need to be consistent, and we are not getting there right now."
Kansas will play the Creighton Blue-
jays today at 2 p.m. at Jayhawk Field.
Kalum Haack
Kansas softball coach
Conference golf meet has mixed results
By Andrew Gilman
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas men's golf team shot its best round of the Big Eight Conference tournament yesterday in Hutchinson, but Oklahoma State shot six strokes better and beat the Jayhawks to capture the 1994 title.
Kansas, when nailed a one-stroke advantage over the Cowboys after the second round, shot a final-round 296 to finish with 888 strokes. Oklahoma State fired a 290 on the final round to finish ahead of Kansas with an 883.
Oklahoma State won its 34 conference title in the last 37 years. The Cowboys beat Kansas by one stroke for the conference title in 1993.
The Kansas women did not fare as well as the men.
"We had our chances to win it, but we just couldn't," Kansas men's coach Ross Randall said. "We played well, but I'm disappointed with second place."
Playing at the conference tournament in Oklahoma City, the women finished sixth out of seven teams, with 978 strokes.
Colorado did not compete because it does not have a team.
Kansas checked in 59 strokes behind winner Oklahoma State, and 15 strokes behind fifth-place Missouri.
"The third round we didn't perform well." Kansas women's coach Jerry Waugh said. "One of our problems for us this year is that we have not sustained ourselves for three rounds. We have been a mystery in that respect.
The Kansas women were led by senior Holly Reynolds, who finished 10th out of 35 golfers with a three-round total of 232. She finished sixth in the 1992 conference tournament. Reynolds was the victim of a two-stroke penalty when she was found to be inadvertently carrying an extra club in her bag, one past the maximum 14 allowed.
"Holly has been one of the better women's golfers." Waugh said. "She has been a good squad leader and we are proud of her."
The men were paced by senior John Hess.
"Today, John just played okay."
Randall said. "Both Casey and John played well, but they missed a lot of short putts and that hurt us."
Senior Matt Gogel finished four shots behind Kalinowski to tie for sixth, and senior Casey Brozek, the 1991 conference champion, shot a 224 to tie for eighth.
Senior Jay Helper tied for 14th and junior Tom Sims shot a final-round 74 to tie for 23rd.
Hess, Gogel and Brozek made the All-Big Eight team.
On the women's side, the highest Jayhawk finisher after Reynolds was junior Michelle Uher, who tied for 21st.
Sophomore Lynn Williamson finished in a tie for 23rd place, and sophomore Anne Clark came in 33rd. Junior Tracy Bellisle rounded out the Javawk performers coming in 34th.
The men will compete May 19-21 in Oklahoma City at the NCAA Midwest Regionals. The women will compete May 13-15 in Albuquerque, N.M., at the NCAA Regional Qualifying tournament.
Kansas sportswriter Matt Siegel contributed information to this story.