2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ROWING
All boats lose to Gophers
Loss exposes team's weaknesses, helps prepare for Big 12 Invitational
BY CATHERINE ODSON
The Kansas rowing team was over-manned in its loss at Minnesota on Saturday.
Kansas coach Rob Catloth said the Gophers' size and experience helped them sweep the lajahaws in windy conditions on Lake Phalen in St. Paul, Minn. The Gophers first varsity eight boat is ranked No. 8 in the country, and Catloth said their other boats, especially the second varsity eight, were equally strong.
Kansas' first varsity eight fell behind early in the race and Minnesota continued to pull away as the race progressed. The Gophers finished the race in 7 minutes, 1.10 seconds, 24.4 seconds ahead of the Jayhawks, who finished in 7:25.50.
Catloth said Minnesota's lead helped the boat build on it.
"As you're rowing, you can see what's going on behind you and it sort of gives you an emotional lift," he said. "You know they're behind you. You don't have to look over your shoulder to see where they are. It spurs you on to add
more to the race or to the lead."
The closest race was the first novice eight, where Kansas lost by 12.2 seconds. Kansas' first novice eight won grand finals at the Knecht Cup in Camden, N.J., the week before.
Kansas' second novice eight finished nearly 17 seconds behind Minnesota but convincingly ahead of the novice boat from the St. Thomas club team. Minnesota finished in 8:17.35, Kansas in 8:34.00 and St. Thomas in 9:51.60. Minnesota also raced an extra varsity eight against St. Thomas.
The regatta was Kansas' last before Sunday's Big 12 Invitational against Kansas State and Texas in Kansas City, Kan.
Catloth said the team was "too up" for the race and didn't race together as a group, something they would work on before the Big 12 Invitational. Minnesota exposed the team's weaknesses, he said, giving the Jayhawks something to focus on this week.
"Sometimes when you race a team faster than you, it really puts the pressure on you, and you learn real fast what you need to do to compete
at that level," Catloth said.
— Edited by Jyl Unruh
Kansan senior sportswriter Catherine Odson can be contacted at codon.kansan.com.
Second Varsity Eight:
Kansas at Minnesota
2 Second Valley, 1, Minnesota, 7:20.30.2, Kansas, 7:53.63.
1, Minnesota, 7:01, 10.2, Kansas,
7:25, 50.
First Varsity Four:
First Varsity Eight:
1. Minnesota, 8:23.25.2. Kansas,
8:43.54.
Second Varsity Four:
1, Minnesota, 8:18.00, 2, Kansas,
9:09.05.
First Novice Eight:
Eight:
1, Minnesota, 7:38.9, 2, Kansas,
7:51.7.
Second Novice Eight:
1, Minnesota, 8:17.35, 2, Kansas,
8:34.00, 3, St. Thomas, 9:51.60.
》 MLB
Royals redeem themselves
After loading bases in the first, pitcher retires 16, allows only one run
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jorge De La Rosa got into a groove after working out of a jam in the first inning.
De La Rosa pitched a career-high eight innings Sunday and retired 16 in a row during one stretch to lead Kansas City to a 3-1 victory against the Minnesota Twins, helping the Royals win their first series of the year.
De La Rosa (2-1) worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first, striking out Justin Morneau with a curveball and getting Torii Hunter to fly out to the warning track in center to end the inning.
"I thought that was the biggest out of the game," De La Rosa said of striking out Morneau.
Maybe he fed off of that. Whatever he had going, I like it. I'd like to see more of it."
The Twins did not get another base runner until the sixth.
De La Rosa allowed five hits, struck out four and walked one. He entered the game 0-3 with a 7.02 ERA in five career outings, including three starts, against the Twins.
"No doubt that was a huge moment," Royals catcher John Buck said. "A couple of games past, it seems like we came out of that the other way. That was a crucial point and it happened to be in the first.
"After the first inning he was as good as anybody we saw this year for us or against us," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "He pitched outstanding."
Mike Sweeney went 3-for-4 for Kansas City and Ross Gload hit a two-run home run in the third, his first of the season.
"I took one good swing today and got us two runs and De La Rosa pitched great," Gload said.
De La Rosa retired 16 in a row after the Twins loaded the bases in the first. Joe Mauer, who went 2-for-4 to raise his average to .393, singled with two outs in the sixth, went to second on a passed ball charged to Buck and scored on Michael Cuddyer's double down the left-field line.
"We had a chance to get to him in
the first inning with the bases loaded, but after that not much out there," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He was starting guys off with fastballs and changeups. After the first inning, he got into a nice little groove. His changeup got better as the game went along. His fastball was jumping out of his hand. You could see his confidence growing."
Ramon Ortiz (3-1) limited the Royals to seven hits and three runs over seven innings.
"Gload hit a good pitch, a changeup, but he hit it," Ortiz said. "Everything was working, my fastball and my slider down and away. It was nothing different from my previous starts. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."
Gload homered to center on a 1-1 pitch from Ortiz with Tony Pena Jr. in the third. Sweeney's twoout single in the fifth scored Esteban German, who led off the inning with a double.
Rookie Joakim Soria, a Rule 5 pick from San Diego, worked the ninth to pick up his second save in as many opportunities.
PUBLIC FORUM
Wed, April 25, 2007
7:00 pm
Lawrence Public Library
Free and open to the public
Sponsored by the Douglas County American Civil Liberties Union
MEN'S GOLF Second set of Jayhawks heads to Big 12 tourney
The Kansas men's golf team begins the Big 12 Championship today at Prairie Dunes Golf Club in Hutchinson. The tournament is a
Senior Gary Woodland, who finished seventh at last year's tournament, will lead the Jay-hawks. This season Woodland has three victories and five other top-10 finishes. Fellow senior Tyler Docking looks to build off his
two-day, 54-hole event.
careerbest 20th place finish. This
career-best, he has six top-10 finishes.
Senior Barrett Martens, junior Joey Mundy and sophomore Walt Koelbel will be making their first appearances at the tournament.
athletics calendar
TODAY
Kansan staff report
Men's golf at Big 12 Championship, All day, Hutchinson
Tennis at Big 12 Championships, All day, Kansas City, Mo.
TUESDAY
Men's golf at Big 12 Championship, All day, Hutchinson
WEDNESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Softball vs. Nebraska,
6:30 p.m. Lincoln, Neb.
Baseball vs. Missouri,
7 p.m. Kansas City, Mo.
THURSDAY
Softball vs. Creighton, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. Omaha, Neb.
FRIDAY
Baseball vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m. Norman, Okla.
Tennis at Big 12 Championships, All day, Kansas City, Mo.
Track at Drake Relays, All day,
Des Moines, Iowa
SATURDAY
Softball vs. Oklahoma, 2 p.m. Arrocha Ballpark
Baseball vs. Oklahoma, 7
Track at Drake Relays, All day, Des Moines, Iowa
p.m. Norman, Okla.
Tennis at Big 12 Championships, All day, Kansas City,
Mo.
SUNDAY
Rowing at Big 12 Invita-
Baseball vs. Oklahoma, 1 p.m. Norman, Okla.
Softball vs. Oklahoma, 1 p.m. Arrocha Ballpark
Running at Big 12 Invitational, TBA, Kansas City, Kan.
Tennis at Big 12 Championships, All day, Kansas City, Mo.
》 TENNIS
No.2 doubles secures lone victory
Aggies dominate matches, coach still positive about remaining season
BY RUSTIN DODD
It it didnt feel like this team had just lost its eighth-straight match.
Moments after Kansas fell 7-0 to Texas A&M to fall to 4-16 and 2-9 in the Big 12 Conference, the team broke the post-game huddle with an overly enthusiastic "lajahwacks." It wasn't just the players, coach Amy Hall-Holt gave her players a thumbs up for effort after playing the No. 21st ranked team in the country.
"A&M is ranked 21st in the nation, and we were out there and we competed with them today," Hall-Holt said. "It's been a trying year, but ending it today the way we did, I couldn't be happier."
"We're clicking now," Hommell said, "We won a couple matches, and we just had nothing to lose today."
Kansas secured its lone victory against Texas A&M with a victory from junior Lauren Hommell and freshman Kunigunda Dorn at the No.2 doubles spot. With newfound confidence Hommell and Dorn picked up an 8-7 victory in a close tiebreaker.
The Jayhawks were unable to gain a point from doubles when both the No.1 and No.3 doubles duos were defeated. Junior Elizaveta Avdeeva and sophomore Edina Horvath fell 8-4 at the No.1 spot, and junior Stephanie Smith and sophomore Yuliana Svistun lost 8-4.
Down 1-0 going into the singles portion of the match, Kansas watched as Texas A&M turned up the intensity and won six singles matches in a row. Horvath and Smith both lost hard-fought three-set matches at No. 2 and No. 6 singles respectively. Horvath dropped the first set 6-2, but fought back to even the match with a 6-2 victory in the second set. Horvath ran out of gas in the decisive third set, falling 6-4.
"In the third set I played hard." Horvath said. "But I felt I was a little bit tired, and I just started to
miss a little bit."
The closest match of the day came in the last one, with Stephanie Smith falling in a 3rd set tie breaker. In a back and forth tie breaker, Smith fell just short falling 11-9 in the tie breaker after splitting the first two sets.
In the other singles matches, Svistun had a rare loss at No. 5 singles, dropping her Big 12 record to 9-3. Avdeeva, Dorn and Hommell all fell in straight sets at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 respectively.
MLB
Despite the lopsided 7-0 score, Hall-Holt expressed delight in the fresh start the team has in Thursday's Big 12 Championships.
"I told all the girls that if we take this energy level in to the Big 12 Championships, we can do some damage," she said.
Kansan sportswriter Rustin Dodd can be contacted at rdodd@kansan.com.
Edited by Lisa Tilson
BY RICK GANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cardinals win high-scoring game
CHICAGO — Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning. Scott Rolen had a career-best five hits and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 12-9 Sunday after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth.
Preston Wilson singled to start the 10th against Ryan Dempster (0-1). One out later, David Eckstein singled off Aramis Ramirez's glove at third. Pujols then a drove a long homer to center field, his fifth of the season.
The Cubs tied the score in the ninth on Mark DeRosa's two-out, two-run bloop single off closer Jason Isringhausen (1-0). It was
Isringhausen's first blown save in five chances.
Michael Barrett singled and, two outs later, pinch-hitter Alfonso Soriano — who had missed five straight games with a strained hamstring — hit a double past third on an 0-2 pitch.
DeRosa's fly ball down the rightfield line fell beyond the reach of second baseman Aaron Miles and in front of right fielder Preston Wilson for a two-run single.
Tyler Johnson and Russ Springer combined to pitch a hitless 10th for St. Louis.
Rolen's two-run triple in the ninth gave the Cardinals a 9-7 lead. Rolen finished 5-for-6.
Ramirez's three-run homer off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright
tied the score at 7 in the sixth
On a 75-degree day with the wind blowing out at 18 mph, it was a home run hitter's delight.
Duncan hit a two-run shot in the fifth off Wade Miller, giving St. Louis a 6-4 lead. One out later, Rolen hit to left-center, his second homer of the season.
Adam Kennedy, batting .196 with just two RBIs entering play, hit a two-out, two-run double on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth to tie it at 4.
Barrett hit a two-run drive to center that made it 4-2 Chicago in the third.
Jim Edmonds' first homer of the season, a two-run shot in the second, tied it at 2 and matched Edmonds' RBI total coming into the game.
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