6B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2007
BASEBALL
Faunce, Snowden invaluable role players
BY SHAWN SHROYER
The Iayhawks role players' performances have been lost in the midst of Kansas's subbar season.
"I've tried to identify what the strengths of those players are and put them in the situations where they can succeed," Kansas coach Ritch Price said. "In the five years I've been here, it been the most productive our bench has been."
In its series with Texas Tech (23-17, 7-10) alone, Kansas (20-25, 6-12) had a handful of bench players step up in place of the team's everyday start.
On Sunday, junior Casey Larson got his first start at first base because health issues kept sophomore first baseman Preston Land from making the trip. Larson went 1-for-2 with an RBI in Kansas three-run sixth that helped salvage the series.
On Saturday, junior infielder Matt Berner was thrown into the starting lineup because junior shortstop Erik Morrison was ejected following Friday's game and couldn't play in game two. Berner went 1-for-3 with a double and scored Kansas' only run of the game.
But performances such as these are nothing new for the hawfaws.
Players like sophomore Nick Faunce and junior Eric Snowden haven't played much this season, with only one start between them, but when Price has called their numbers, Snowden and Faunce have been invaluable.
"Nick Faunce is one of the best teammates and role players I've had in the five years I've been here. He knows what his roles are, he's into the game the whole time and he's not complaining about not getting to start," Price said. "Eric barely played his first three years and now he's been pinch hitting for us at crucial times."
Faunce has predominantly been a
pincher runner and defensive specialist for Kansas, but one of the highlights of his season came in the final game of the Missouri series.
After junior right fielder Broinck Simpson failed to run out an infield pop-up in the first inning, Price replaced him with Faunce.
"It was good that it was that early in the game because I was still warm from the warm-ups and I still had my heart rate going," Faune said.
Faunce went 1-for-4 in the game and his single in the fifth drove in two of Kansas' nine runs.
Snowden, on the other hand,
has been Kansas' top pinch hitter
—a role that suits him just fine. He's
excellent, batting .370 this season
with a home run and seven RBI.
"I like getting into the game in pressure situations. It's a rush," Snowden said.
In the first game of a double header with Northern Colorado,
Snowden had a Roy Hobbs moment,
hitting a game-winning home run in
the sixth at Price's request.
"Coach Price told me to get in the game and put one up in the air for him, and I just put a good swing on a ball and put it out." Snowden said. "There's no better feeling than to come into the game as a pinch hitter and get the job done."
With fewer and fewer games left to qualify for the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas will depend on these role players to reach postseason play.
"They say your team's really defined by your pinch hitters," Faune said. "If they're successful, your team can have a better opportunity to win."
Kansan sportwriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@ kansan.com.
Edited by Lisa Tilson
home runs to lead off the second and fourth innings, sending both home runs over the left-field wall.
On defense, all three pitchers saw some action in the game and secured the victory.
SeniorpitcherKassieHumphreys (15-10) started for the layhawks and threw four innings, allowing three hits and walking two.
SOFTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
She struck out six batters, five of them swinging on the third strike.
She was replaced by sophomore pitcher Valerie George who got her third save of the season, retiring the last three batters of the game.
Humphreys gave up a home run in the bottom of the second inning and showed signs of fatigue from Saturday's game where she threw the complete game.
The weekend victories snapped the jayhawks' five-game losing streak.
Freshman pitcher Sarah Vertelkame in to relieve but struggled, allowing two runs on four hits in her two innings of work.
Up next for Kansas is a meet
Kansas 5, Texas Tech 3
Kansas 211 1000 — 5 6 2
Texas Tech 010 001 1 — 3 7 2
Kassie Humphreys, Sarah Vertelkia (5), Valerie George (7) and Erika Simington and Tiffany Crane; Ashy Jacobs, Sarah Losleben (4) and Robyn Wike. W — Humphreys 15-10. L — Jacobs 13-13. S — George 3. 2B — KU; Stevie Crisoster, TTU: Wike. H — Sara Ramirez 2; TTU: Jennifer Corkin.
Records — Kansas 29-18-1, 5-8
Big 12 Conference; Texas Tech
18-23, 1-9.
ing at Nebraska on Wednesday, followed by a double-header matchup against Creighton on Thursday
Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kansan.com.
Edited by Carissa Pedigo
BASEBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
of which walked in Morrison for
Kansas' third run of the game. Servais
chipped in again with an RBI ground-
out to give him two on the day.
While Kansas continued to build its lead, Texas Tech squandered away chances to close the gap. By the end of the sixth, the jayhawks had pushed the score to 4-1, their largest lead in their
Kansas 8, Texas Tech 1
Karl Anderson/THE DAILY TOREADOR
Kansas 010 003 202 — 8 11 0
Texas Tech 001 000 000 — 1 9 1
last seven games. Meanwhile, after Richburg's home run, the Red Raiders left 10 runners on base.
sophomore catcher Buck Afenir congratulates junior left fielder John Allman at home plate on Sunday. Allman had two runs and two RBI.
"The big thing about being a head coach, you've got to be positive," Price said. "There's going to be peaks and valleys in this game, and if you panic the pressure just rises. You've got to keep with them."
Ortmeier (0-1). 2B — KU: Erik Morrison, Joe Servais; TTU: Roger Kieschnick, Kyle Martin.
Wally Marcel, Hiarali Garcia (6),
Paul Smyth (8) (8) Buck Afenir;
Cory Large, Chris Ortmeier
(6), Paul Gonzalez (6), Josh Scofield
(6), Brian Cloud (7) and
Matt Smith. W — Marcel (4-2). L)
Records — Kansas 20-25, 6-12 Big 12 Conference; Texas Tech 24-17, 7-10.
The Jayhawk bats plowed forward, scoring twice in the seventh and another pair in the ninth.
A trio of singles from senior center fielder Kyle Murphy, Allman and sophomore catcher Buck Afenir brought yet another Texas Tech pitching change and two more runs for the visiting team.
Choosing to ride it out, Red Raider reliever Brian Cloud remained in the game for its duration, allowing the two ninth inning runs. Murphy led off the ninth with his third consecutive hit of the afternoon before freshman third baseman Robby Price reached on a mistake by left field Doug Thennis.
Both players scored on RBI hits from Allman and Afenir to cap off the jayhawks eight-run day. Despite
outscoring the Red Raiders 10-7 on the weekend, the Jayhawks' 8-1 blow-out on Sunday was the only victory they brought home. Although they lost the series, the Sunday victory was immensely important. Entering the weekend, Texas Tech was ranked second to last, with Kansas sitting just below. Avoiding the weekend sweep, the Jayhawks are now keeping their Big 12 Tournament hopes alive.
"I think it saved our season today," Price said. "When you have your back to the wall you have to come up with a plus performance, and that was one of our best today."
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
Edited by Katie Sullivan
game one
Texas Tech 1, Kansas 0 Sophomore lefty Andy Marks (3-5) cruised through almost six scoreless innings after giving up a run in the bottom of the first. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, Texas Tech starter AJ. Ramos (8-2) pitched through nine scoreless innings. Kansas tied a season low when the offense recorded just four hits
in the series opener, Ramos's shut out was the first against Kansas since Missouri's Nathan Culp did the same last March. Right fielder Roger Kicknick did the bulk of the work for the Red Raiders. He went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in the only run of the game.
Alissa Bauer
gametwo
Texas Tech 3, Kansas 1
The Jayhawks were able to get their bats going, in the second game of the series, out hitting the Red Raiders 8-6, but couldn't pull off the victory. Junior Zach Ashwood (3-4) threw the first four while Andres Esquibel came in for the fifth. Senior left Colt Hynes (3-4) took the lead his team gathered in the second into the eighth inning before Travis
Young came in for his second save of the season. Left fielder Doug Thennis knocked in a pair of runs when he took an Ashwood delivery for a triplet. Thennis scored on a ground out. Junior third baseman Matt Bemer doubled in the top of the third. He scored when freshman Robby Price drove him in with a double of his own.
— Alissa Bauer
DAY 2:
also, don't miss...
~Sheikh Ammar Amonette ~ SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ISLAM
04.24.07/TUESDAY/5:30PM
LOCATION: WESCOE, ROOM 3140
islam awareness week
APRIL 23 ~ 26, 2007
DAY 3:
DAY 1
- Imam Mahdi Bray -
WHY I BECAME A MUSLIM ]
04.25.07 / WEDNESDAY / 5:30PM
[ LOCATION: WESCOE, ROOM 3140 ]
04. 23.07 / MOnDaY / 8:00am - 8:00Pm
DAY 4
Come learn about Islam and Muslims in the USA.
[Open house]
get involved in informative discussions, receive FREE books and information booklets, enjoy FREE international food samples from Muslim countries, and take a tour of the Masjid
~Imani Jafar Mohammad~
WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN ISLAM ]
04.26.07 / THURSDAY / 5:30PM
[ LOCATION: WESCOE, ROOM 3140 ]
[1917 NAISMITH DRIVE, LAWRENCE KS]
KU STUDENT SENATE
WWW.Msaku.com THIS EVENT IS ORGANIZED BY MUSLIM STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF KU
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