SPORTS
The University Daily KANSAN April 9, 1984 Page 16
'Unbelievable' KU tennis team upsets Sooners Wolfe, Center combine for dramatic victory
By JEFF CRAVENS Sports Editor
The KU fans were on their feet, screaming at the top of their lungs. The Oklahoma Sooners were stunned, not being able to comprehend what had just happened.
No, this wasn't a reply of the Big Eight Post-Season basketball tournament but a dual tennis match between the Kansas Jayhawks and OU.
"IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE," head coach Scott Perelman said. "The crowd started to get into the match, and it was like a snowball that got bigger and bigger. People were on their feet screaming.
For the first time in 20 years, the Jayhawks beat Oklahoma 6-3 Saturday at the Alvamar Racquet Club.
"Last year we were basically a bake. We came out eventually ready to win. They just walked out the door."
Although the final count was 6-3, the match was closer than that. After the singles round, each team had three victories. KU then lost the first set in all three doubles matches.
BUT THE JAYHAWKS, who had been beaten 8-1 by Oklahoma State on Friday, did not give up. First, Jim Sirett and Charles Stearns won two doubles match 3-6, 4-6, 3-1 given KUA 4-3 lead.
"I was on the verge of committing suicide," Perelman said. "For half an hour it looked bleak, very bleak."
At No. 1 doubles, Mike Wolfe and Michael Center won the second set 6-3, but the third set was even at 6 games each to force a tebreaker between them. The Sooners had match point at 8-7 and 10-9.
Much to the pleasure of the crowd, Wolfe and Center won the last three points of the tiebreaker to win it 12-10, giving them the match and KU the victory.
Center, who had been sick and hadn't played well all weekend, said that he and Wolfe never gave up.
"IT WAS TIGHT all the way," Center said. "But we got the big points when we needed them. Once, they were serving for the match, and Mike hit a good topspin job."
Scott Alexander and Franco Caciopolini won the No. 3 doubles match for good measure.
Wolfe, the only Jayhawk to win against Oklahoma State on Friday, beat Sam Fotopolous 7.5, 7-6 Saturday to complete a sweep of the Big Fight's two ton players.
Friday, he beat Peter Mallett 6-2, 7-5. In both matches, Wolfe fell behind 5-2 in one set before coming back to win. Wolfe dominated Fotopolous in the tiebreaker.
"WOLFE WAS UNEBELIEVABLE," Perelman said. "His second set went 6-4, and that was when the people started rolling in. In the tiebreaker, he won 7-1 and ripped six winners. The crowd was
Wolfe, a freshman from Blue Valley, was recruited by both OU and Oklahoma State. Needless to say, he was happy with the victories.
"I get a lot of satisfaction by beating them, Wolfe said. "When they were recruiting me, they
'It was unbelievable. The crowd started to get into the match, and it was like a snowball that got bigger and bigger. People were on their feet screaming.'
Scott Perelman KU tennis coach
In proving that he, indeed, was better than that, Wolfe may have earned himself a spot in the NCAA tournament as a freshman.
told me I might be able to play No. 3 or No. 4 for them. I knew I was better than that."
"Unless something disastrous happens, and I start loss left and right, which don't be snatched up," the doctor said.
Stearns, who lost a tough match against Oklahoma State, came back with a solid performance in the singles against the Sooners. The Jayhawks' captain beat Mark Collins 64.
ANOTHER KU PLAYER who responded Saturday was Scott Alexander, who won the No. 5 singles match 6-2, 7-9 over Warren Diamond. Alexander did not play Fridays against the
'Alexander hadn't practiced all week and he
peradman had problems controlling his temper." Peradman said. "But Saturday, he was a totally different person. He played steady and didn't lose his cool."
The victory put KU back in the thick of the Big
Oklahoma State. The dismal performance against
Oklahoma State
"I'm disappointed in a lot of ways about the Oklahoma State match," Perelman said. "Our play was just not acceptable. But I told the guys that it was fine, and I could do about it but get ready for Oklahoma."
"IT SAYS A LOT for the guys to come back and play a match like that less than 24 hours after a disappointing loss. We just had a completely different complexion on Saturday."
The Jayhawks take on K-State tomorrow in Manhattan, and it is important for the team to come out with a good performance, Perelman said.
"I think the kids are starting to believe in themselves, but I just hope they don't get too pumped up." Perelman said. "If you get that high, it's tough to bounce back and play again. But I think I like where we are sitting right now."
Wolfe, although coming off two big individual victories, knows that KU can’t look past anyone.
"Everyone needs to be aware that this is just one victory," Wolfe said. "We still have a long way to go in the conference, and we just have to put it in prospective."
However, Perelman has been aiming for Oklahoma state and Oklahoma since taking over the position.
"WHEN I TOOK the job, I had two goals." Perelman said. "One was to beat Oklahoma and the other was to beat Oklahoma State. At the time, I thought it would take us two or three
The KU women did not fare well over the weekend, falling to Oklahoma State 8-1 and Oregon 9-2.
"I feel like the girls are a year behind the guys." Perelman said. "Last year, Oklahoma beat us 9-0. We also lost two three-set matches to them."
Freshman Janelle Bolen was the only KU player to win a singles match, beating Tracey Olsen.
In doubles action, Barbara Inman and Inman Park won the two 2 doubles, and Cindy Bispoli broke a record.
Pete Halpin/KANSAN
*Mike Wolfe hits a forehand return against Oklahoma's Sam Fotopolous. Wolfe win the No. 1 singles match against Fotopolous and combined with Michael Center to win the No. 1 doubles Saturday, leading KU to a 6-3 victory over the Sooners.*
Buchanon claims first at Kansas State
By GREG DAMMAN Sports Writer
The Kansas men's and women's track teams competed in two meets over the weekend, with members of both teams traveling to either Austin, Tex., for the Texas Relays, or Manhattan for the Kansas State Invitational.
STINE LERDAHL. Anne-Grette Baeras, Rocie Wadman, Connie McKernan and Clint Johnson competed in the Texas meet, while the majority of the men's and women's team members participated in the Kansas State meet.
Lerdahl, defending Texas Relays
McKernan placed fifth and Wadman sixth in the heptathlon. Baeraaes competed in the javelin but did not place.
champion in the shotput, won that event again this year with a KU record distance of 50 feet, five inches. Clint Johnson nearly made it a KU sweep in the shotput, capturing second place in the men's division with a put of 61.8-14.
"I're really pleased with the performances of the girls that went to Texas," KU women's coach Carla Coffe said.
At Kansas State, the Jayhawks had another successful performance in the shotput as Denise Buchanon placed first with a put of 44-73. Kansas receiv
ed second-place finishes from Kris Pilgrim in the high jump and Annette Craighead in the 3,000-meters.
HEATHER STERBENZ finished third in the 5,000 and Renee Goree placed third in the 400. In the 100 hurdies, Yvette Gove placed fourth and Cherise Taylor sixth. Grove also finished sixth in the 100.
coffey said that poor weather caused several events to be scratched and kept the times slow.
Keith, sixth in the 1,500.
"Besides the rain we had a head wind, so the times were not so great."
In the men's division, Greg Leibert won the 1,500, and Fred Lewis placed first in the triple jump. Jim Metzger placed second in the pole vault, which was conducted indoors, with a vault of 16-9 and Tom Hays placed third at 15-9.
Other KU women in the top six in individual events were Jaci Tyma, fourth in the high jump, and Tracey
Torrey Keller finished third in the 1,500 to 4,024. Mike Rich placed fourth in the long jump and Craig Glicken placed sixth in the shotout.
THE MEET WAS marred by an injury to KU high jumper Craig Branstrom. Branstrom landed in the pit after his jump, but suffered a neck and upper back injury and was taken to the hospital. Branstrom was released from the hospital yesterday.
Rain interrupts first KU game. washes out three
By PHIL ELLENBECKER
By PHIL ELLENBECKER Sports Writer
The Kansas Jayhawk baseball team was batting in the bottom of the third inning in the first game of its double-header with Missouri on Saturday when the rains came and wiped out the rest of the day's action at Quigley Field.
Yesterday's doubleheader against the Tigers was postponed as well. The
two teams will try again at noon today.
Saturday's first game, which was
suspended with one out in KU's half of
the third and the score fed 0-0, will be
continued from this point. It will be a
seven-inning game and will be followed
by a seven-inning game.
KU, 16-13 OVERALL and 1-5 in the Big Eight Conference, has had four conference games cancelled because of a snowstorm scheduled with Missouri cannot be
KU was fifth in the conference coming into the weekend. MU, 12-12 overall, lost each of three games with its only contender in its only contest once action so far.
made up. Under conference rules,
Monday is the only makeup day for
conference games that have been
postponed.
starting pitcher Saturday. He allowed three hits and walked one in shutting out MU through three innings
MU STARTER Dave Biscan, 4 with a 2.38 ERA, had allowed one hit, a single by Joe Heeney, and had walked in 2½ innings when the game was over.
Dennis Coplen, who entered the weekend with a 1-2 record and a 4.57 earned run average, was the KU
KU centerfielder Hugh Stanfield will be at bat with a 1-1 count when play resumes today.
KU catcher Kim Cobb swings at a pitch during the Jayhawks' game against Missouri on Saturday. The Tigers scored two unearned runs to
beat the Jayhawks 2-1. KU had another game with MU and two with Kansas State canceled because of the wet grounds.
SPORTS BRIEFS
From Staff and Wire Reports
Royals edge Cleveland 5-4 as Sanchez hits key double
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Orlando Sanchez stroked a pinch hit double in his first American League at-bat yesterday to drive in two eighth-inning runs and give the Kansas City Royals a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
Sanchez, who was selected by the Royals from the St. Louis organization in December's draft, capped a three-run eight inning outburst against Cleveland pitchers Rick Sutcliffe and George Frazier, 0-1, to band the Indians their first defeat in four games.
Hal McRae led off the eighth with a double to chase Sutcliffe and advanced to third when catcher Ron Hassey fell into the dugout catching a pop foul by Steve Balboni.
Frank White then singled off Frazier to score McRae, and Butch Davis doubled White to third Don Slaughter was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Sanchez followed by looping a double into shallow center field to score both White and Davis and give Bud Black his second victory of the season.
Black gave up 10 hits, struck out four and walked two during eight innings, with Dan Quisenberry pitching the ninth to gain his second save.
KU assistant listed in fair condition
KU assistant football coach Bob Valesente is in fair condition at the University of Kansas Medical Center after emergency bypass surgery last week and is expected to be moved out of intensive care today.
Valesente, who was hired a week ago today, was admitted to the Med Center Wednesday after experiencing chest pains. Physicians first diagnosed the problem as a minor blockage of one of the arteries to the heart.
However, Valesente's condition worsened Thursday afternoon, and physicians decided that surgery was necessary.
A Med Center spokesman said Valesente was recovering "very well," and would be moved from intensive care today. The spokesman didn't know when Valesente would be released from the Med Center nor when he would be ready to coach again.
vaesente was hired Monday as quarterback coach. He participated in one workout Tuesday.
Ellis pitched no-hitter while on LSD
PITTSBURGH — Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis said he was under the influence of LSD when he pitched a no-hitter in June of 1979. The Pittsburgh Press reported yesterday.
Ellis, a former drug addict who works as a drug counselor in Los Angeles, said he was so of touch with reality that he did not know he was to pitch the game until six hours before it started.
"I can only remember bits and pieces of the game," Ellis said. "I was psyched. I had a feeling of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the glove. But I didn't hit the glove too much. I remember hitting a couple of batters, and the bases were loaded two or three times."
and the Ellis said he was high on pep pills in May 1974 during a game in Pittsburgh when he hit three Cincinnati Reds players and walked another before being removed from the game.
KU crew finishes second at Purdue
The KU crew placed second to Purdue in this weekend's Purdue Invitational Regatta in Indianapolis.
The team was paced by the second-place finish of the men's heavyweight eight, which finished three seconds behind Purdue.
women's team will come to court on Saturday. Other team is competing in the meet were Notre Dame, Wichita State, Nebraska and Michigan.
Tomorrow the crew team will begin a 48-hour rowing machine marathon in front of Wescoe Hall. Team members will row for one hour each in an effort to raise money for travel and training expenses.