University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, October 10, 1990
Sports
13
A's ease into 3-0 playoff lead
The Associated Press
BOSTON — If the s all seems familiar, it is. The Oakland A's are winning with ease and are on the verge of another sweep.
For the third straight game, Boston took its obligatory early lead yesterday. And for the third straight game, the Athletics came back to win – not with home runs, but by combo of three Red Sox mistakes for a 4-1 victory.
Willie Randolph, filling in for injured Walt Weiss, hit a pair of RBI singles and Dave Henderson, the new Mr. October, made the most of his first start since an injury, with a sacrifice fly as the Athletes took a 3-0 lead in the American League playoffs.
All previous 17 teams that took a 3-0 edge in postseason play went on win, 13 by sweeps. The Athletics will get their chance today when they
place Dave Stewart against Roger Clemens in a rematch of Game 1 starters.
The Athletics, who swept Boston in the 1988 playoffs and won last year's World Series over San Francisco in four straight games, have now nown nine in a row in the postseason. The Red Sox have lost nine straight, and their seventh consecutive playoff defeat set a new record.
Mike Moore, who struggled all season, shut down Boston on one run on four hits for six innings. Oakland's bulpen then extended its scoreless streak to 69 innings in the series. He had only eight key hits, the mornth for his second save.
Mike Boddicker pitched well in defeat as the Red Sox again washed another strong effort by a starter. Boddicker gave up just six singles, but three errors, three walks and two hit batters hurt his game. Boston's
The Red Sox were 56-21 when scoring first in games during the regular season, but are 0-3 in the last week. Tom Brunanasky's sacrifice飞投 but Boston ahead in the second, but the Red Sox could not extend it. They held them there and streak with runners on base to 17 at-bats in the series.
bullpen never got a chance to blow it
Henderson's sacrifice fly and Randolph's single in the fourth put Oakland ahead, and the Athletics added two more in the sixth on an error by shortstop Luis Rivera and another by catcher Toney Pena, who had the ball jarred loose from his mitt by Terry Steinbach.
PITTSBURGH — Eric Davis had trouble picking his finest moment last night after the Pittsburgh Pirates into their darkest pit.
It was perhaps the most significant play of Davis' career, even if he was reluctant to admit it.
Davis threw out a belly-flipping Bobby Bonilla at third base as he desperately tried to stretch an eight-inning double in a one-run game. The fourth playoff putout by a Cincinnati outfielder saved a 5-3 victory that put the Reds just one victory away from a World Series.
"I've won three Gold Gloves. I've taken homers away by going over the fence. I've dove and made catches." He picked up one and pick out one most significant play."
Tennis duo finishing on upswing
Cincinnati wins 5-3
Walker, Wildey seek national doubles title
By Juli Watkins
Kansan sportswriter
Seniors Chris Walker and Craig Wilde have had more than their share of ups and downs in their tennis careers at Kansas.
Walker had to sit out the 88-89 season with a medical hardship. He had a bolt with ulnar neuritis (tennis elbow) and had surgery on the elbow. Wilde suffered the same injury has not been able to compete.
Before their injuries, both Walker and Wildey, who were recruited as a double team, did not even get to compete together in the Big Eight.
"Initially it was my intention to have them play doubles together, but then I felt that for the good of the team, they needed to be split up."
Coach Scott Perelman said.
Separating the two created more opportunities for Kansas to advance further in doubles tournaments, Walker said.
"It's unfortunate our team didn't have the depth to allow us to do that (play as a doubles team), but what was important was what was best for the team. Walker said, "We needed to win points, so we could have played together for two, three or even four years, though."
The two did play as a team a few times, however, and last year were ranked No. 5 by the Volvo Tennis/ Collegiate Rankings in a preseason
Wilde said that this season may present them with the chance to finally play together all year.
Walker and Wildey were recruited by Kansas as a doubles team out of Michigan. Walker is from Grand Rapids and was an academic All-American for two years. Widow of Michael Walker, who resides in Spring Lake, a town 30 miles away.
The two met at a tennis club in Grand Rapids and started competing in junior tournaments as a doubles team when they were 15 years old
"We had a mutual coach," Wildley said. "At the beginning we weren't very good as a team. We got better and better and our friendship grew."
The two were ranked almost consistently in the top five nationally during their last two years of high school, Wildey said.
Although they wanted to play together in college, Wildey said that they agreed not to tell each other which school they had selected until after their separate decisions had been made.
Their decisions proved to be valuable ones for the Kansas tennis program.
"I think you can trace a big part of our recent success to them." Perelman said. "It is directly related to the two of them and their abilities."
Walker and Wildy are currently ranked 20th in the Volvo Tennis/Collegiate Rankings. Last week they played together for the first time in 18 months and won the doubles title at the Rolex Mid-American Men's Collegiate Tennis Championships in Wichita. Their victory qualified them for the nationals, which will be held Feb. 7-10 in Minneapolis.
"Our goals are pretty lofty," Wildey said. "We want to do the best we can, and we really want to win the championships for the team and for us."
As for the rest of the season, the two are optimistic.
Jump!
Mike Martz. Leawood junior, soars high before diving below the three-meter board at the Robinson Center pool. Martz, a member of the Kansas dive team, was practicing yesterday.
Tomas Stargardter/KANSAN
Miami contest will bring some players back home
Kansan sportswriter
By Rob Wheat
Kenny and Michael were the best of friends.
They used to go over to each other's house all the time, they saw a lot of movies together, and they even played on the same high school football team in Homestead, Fla.
Football
The two split up, however, when Michael went south to the University of Miami and Kenny left for the Midwest
Homestead is a rough place, but playing football helped them earn an chance for a better way of life. They've also got a college on football scholarships.
Wide receiver Kenny Drayton and Hurricane linebacker Michael Barrow still keep in touch, but Drayton will want to stay far away from Baron on the field Saturday when Kansas plays the Hurricanes.
Drayton is one of several Jayhawks from Florida who have ties to the University of Miami.
"He picked on me for going to Kansas and told me to click my heels three times if I wanted to come home," Drayton said. "I know if he tackles me, he'll talk that up too.
"But I'll turn around and laugh at him, saying, 'You couldn't keep me from catching the ball.' "
Drayton was eight years old in 1978, the last time Kansas played Miami, but he played in the Orange Bowl in 6th grade and 6th grade while playing for Miami's Pop Warner league.
Drayton celebrates a touchdown during the Iowa State game.
Drayton said that Homestead was a tough city and that he could often hear gunfire echoing through his neighborhood.
Running back Tony Sands said he also came from a tough neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He said he decided to make football his career after several of his friends were shot.
"My neighborhood was tough," Drayton said. "It wasn't any Lawrence or Alvamar. You had to fight your way out."
"When a couple of my friends got shot, I got smart," Sands said. "You either wind up dead or in training around the neighborhood."
Sands said that he still goes back to see his friends and that they respect the separate paths each have chosen.
"They're still my friends, and they respect me for what I do." Sands said "They wouldn't do anything to get me mixed up with
Sands said he was excited about playing in the Orange Bowl where his uncle, Dallas Cowboy receiver Jason Kidd, played during his career as a Hurricane
"I've been to the Orange Bowl many times to watch my uncle play." Sands said. "I always used to dream of playing there with thousands of people watching me from my hometown."
drugs or violence and jeopardize my career."
There may not be thousands, but Sands expects there to be about 200 family members and friends watching him.
Sands, who has a family reunion the same weekend, said he hoped to make his family proud.
"This is one time an alum will not be upset if his alma mater loses," Ruel said. "As a matter of fact, I might jump for joy so high I might touch those Orange Bowl lights."
Offensive coordinator Pat Ruel also played for the Hurricanes in 1971 for two seasons and coached for three seasons after graduation.
Ruel said that back when he was at Miami, it was not a very strong football team and that the school bought dropping its football program.
Sands passed Kerwin Bell when he took fourth on the career rushing list after gaining more than 2,000 yards rushing.
'Hawks hungry for win on road; depth will help
Volleyball team ready for action at K-State tonight
By Chris Oster
Kansan sportswriter
Heading into tonight's match with Kansas State, the Kansas volleyball team is looking for a victory to put the Jayhawks on pace to quality for Big Eight Conference postseason play.
Volleyball
**nassau is currently 1-2 in the**
**conference, and Coach Frankie**
Albrit is already picking out must-
ers. The Hawks 12-game
Bap Fight schedule.
"If we could have beaten Iowa State at home, that would have helped," she said about Kansas. "We could do some things. I don't think we can just keep doing."
winning at home. We have to beat some teams home and away."
one or the teams that Albizt is hoping to beat twice this season is K-State. The Wildcats finished seventh in the conference last year, and Albizt said she considers them an important road target. The Jayhawks beat K-State in both meetings last year.
On Friday the Wildcats took Iowa State to five games before losing. Kansas lasted only three games with the Cyclones.
"I talked to the Iowa State coach," Albitz said. "She said that K-State was blasting the ball right through the block, just like her team did to us."
Sophomore Julie Larkin said the Jayhawks were hungry for a win against their cross-state rivals.
"We're definitely ready to play," she said. "KState is a big rival, and every big Eight match is important. We'd win there, it would be a big win."
Larkin is a player Albitz is consid-
engined putting in the starting lineup for tonight's match. While Albiz said it was a difficult decision, she said it was not an unfortunate situation.
"It's a great problem to have," she said.
Larkin said that it was not a problem not knowing whether she was going to start.
Yesterday, Albizt said she was debating whether to start Larkin or junior Kris Kleinschmidt at one of the hitting positions. She said she also had hurt her wrist. Jake Platt also hurt freshman Shelby Lelder would start as the setter.
what I've got is two different types of setters. "Ahhizt said, 'Juice has more experience at setter Shepherd.' Juice has setter I have to decide what I need. I usually go with what works well in practice."
"At the beginning of the year there was a lot of pressure to see who was going to start," she said. "But as the coach on, we I’ve learned to be really flexible."
Kansas softball coach expects strong team, season in spring
Haack predicts Kansas will make top 20 in February rankings
By Derek Simmons
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas softball machine had its ups and downs during the fall season, and except for the order — an odd number of teams — Kalam Haack liked what he saw.
Softball
"It was just in the wrong order," he said. "I expected to make some mistakes early in the schedule, and we didn't. About the time I figured we were in good shape, we dropped some games."
The Jayhawks jumped out to a 4-1 record with a second place finish in a tournament Sept. 15-16 at Iowa State. The tournament opener to Illinois State.
"In that one loss, we made some mental errors," Hack said. "But it was good to get that one under our belts."
Nassau added five victories Sept. 22-23, winning its annual junior college tournament. At 9-1, Haack and the team were up.
Haack was not pleased.
Then came the down. The Jaya-
hawkes went 3-2 while playing host to
a tournament for major colleges in
Missouri, Arkansas State and
Southwest Missouri State.
"We just played badly," he said after the tournament. "We played poor defense, had poor pitching and poor hitting.
"Some people would say you should be happy with a 12-3 count. Well, we should have won at least two games and be happy, happy losing games you should win."
The Jayhaws returned to form for a tournament Saturday at Creighton, compiling a 5-0 record for first place and finishing the fall season with a 6-1 record.
Kansas played without the services of All-American third baseman Camille Spiatileri, who had cartilage damage before the season began.
Spitaleri was unable to throw and played only as a pinch-runner during the fall schedule. She is expected to play in the spring season.
Haeck said the biggest surprise on the team was catcher Erin Wahaus. She played in the 1988-89 season
Another injured Jayahawk, pitcher Jill Bailley, had surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament Sept. 4 and may not be able to play this spring.
"She's ahead of schedule, but she still hasn't taken the brace off." Haack said. "We'll just keep her in therapy."
before rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.
Wahua returned and was second on the team with a .333 batting average for the fall.
"After the surgery she just came back really strong." Haack said.
Shortstop Chrisity Arterburn burned Kansas on offense, batting .441 with 16 stolen bases on 16 attempts during the fall.
Haack said Arterburn contributed more than batting skills and speed to the team.
"Christy really stepped in and took a leadership role in the infield. With Camille out, she kept the young team together, he held everything together," he said.
When the spring season begins in February, Kansas probably will be ranked among the elite in the nation. Haack said after being elected to the senate at the end of the past spring, he said he expected even greater things from this team.
Haack said although the NCAA didn't acknowledge the fall season, the team returned most of its players from last spring.
"We're strong," he said. "And having Spitfire back will just have a tremendous impact on both her life and her career if we weren't in the top 20."