THE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2007
3B
BASEBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
After falling behind 8-0 in the fourth inning, Kansas pulled ahead 9-8 in the top of the ninth. A Missouri walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth gave the game and the series to the Tigers. The last time the Jayhawks won a series at Missouri was 1983. The Jayhawks are now 16-17 overall and 3-6 in the Big 12 Conference.
when you play Missouri it's going to be a war. The things that are said in the stands are nasty, and it's a great rivalry."
A great rivalry produced a great series. All three of the weekend games went down to the wire as neither of Kansas' losses were decided by more than one run. None were shorter than three hours long, and each had an element of comeback, although none as dramatic as Sundav's.
"We pulled this one out on Friday. We pulled it out and had a chance yesterday, and we took the lead today so maybe we got what was coming for us," Murphy said.
By the end of the fourth inning, the series-deciding game looked more than grim. Between the walks, a balk, trouble throwing back to the pitcher and a huge home run, Kansas was down 8-0 less than halfway through the game.
Sophomore lefty Andy Marks' struggle to get the lead-off man out took its toll in the opening innings. The Tigers went in order in the bottom of the first. But the lead-off
But the rivalry isn't named the Border Showdown for nothing, and this one wouldn't end without a fight.
"I thought it was one of the most competitive weekends we've played this season," Murphy said. "I was really pleased with it. That way to end the game doesn't tell the story of how well we played."
Right-handed starter Greg Folgia was dominate for the Tigers to open the game. His three straight strikeouts in the top of the second led to a string of consecutive strikeouts. However, by the top of the fifth Folgia's effectiveness had worn thin. The Jayhawks loaded the bases with just one hit, scoring all three. Still facing a big sixth to tighten the 8-3 gap. Price kicked it off with a solo homer to right field, his second of the series. Younger brother Robby Price, freshman infielder, drove in the second run of the inning, inching the Jayhawks closer.
Two runs in the top of the eighth, highlighted by Murphy's double off the right field wall, pulled the Jayhawks within one and set up the dramatic ninth.
Smyth entered the ninth on his terms. Known for his unshakable mentality, the closer needed to hold on for only one more out. The home run he surrendered to Frey was Smyth's first of the season. Though Smyth took his first loss of the season, that wasn't the most important thing the Jayhawks took away from the weekend.
"It shows that we've got a lot of heart," Murphy said. "Everyone was kind of questioning it a couple of weeks ago, when we're dropping games to Missouri State and that sort of thing. I thought we really came out and showed what we were made of this weekend."
BASEBALL
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
Quality offense fails to bring needed series victory
— Edited by Sharla Shivers
BY SHAWN SHROYER
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Erik Morrison offered his philosophical approach to hitting after Friday's game. The junior shortstop's message was simple: "Sometimes you run into one. Sometimes you don't."
Despite dropping the baseball chapter of the Border Showdown to Missouri two games to one, Kansas'
bats ran into almost everything Missouri's pitchers offered up.
Friday night, Kansas trailed Missouri 5-4 entering the ninth inning. For the Jayhawks from the beginning of the season, a loss would have been set in stone.
The layhawks who came out in Columbia, though, turned the deficit into an advantage with back-to-back home runs by Morrison and junior
second baseman Ryne Price.
The back-to-back homers carried Kansas to a 7-5 victory; its first ninth-inning comeback of the season.
"This weekend did wonders for us confidence-wise, knowing that we're in every game" senior center fielder Kyle Murphy said. "We had a lot of hitters welcoming the challenge of hitting in the top of the ninth with two outs and two strikes. A couple
Saturday nearly produced a second straight ninth-inning comeback. Missouri posted eight runs in the first six innings, but Kansas hacked away at the Tigers' lead.
weeks ago, we might have backed away from that, but to see guys are accepting that challenge is definitely a confidence booster for us all."
The Jayhawks failed to rally for the victory, falling both Saturday and
Sunday to the Tigers.
Despite losing its third straight Big 12 Conference series, Kansas tallied 23 runs in the series, one of its best offensive showings of the season.
Kansan senior sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@kansan.com.
— Edited by Mark Vierthaler
Kansas-Missouri series recap
Friday's game
COLUMBIA, Mo. — After a rocky start in conference play, junior shortstop Erik Morrison's two-run homer erased a 5-4 deficit In the top of the ninth to lift the Jayhawks past the Tigers 7-5.
Fellow junior Ryne Price's solo shot that followed only sweetened the deal for Kansas (16-15, 3-4) on the opening day of the series.
Despite being outhit 15-7 by the Tigers (20-8, 2-2), the Jayhawks found a way to put runs across. Starter Aaron Crow nearly doubled his season walk total in his 6 2/3 inning outing. Crow entered the game with 11 walks. He walked eight Jayhawks on Friday night.
Saturday's game
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Sophomore Preston Land's double slammed into the left field bullpen just inches from clearing the fence in the top of the ninth. The first baseman's hit scored two, but Kansas still came up shy of the comeback victory, losing to Missouri 8-7.
Looking not at all like the Jayhawks who have lately struggled offensively, sophomore Buck Afenir belted two home runs in back-to-back at bats. Although Kansas kept close pace with Missouri in game two — each had 12 hits and struck out just five times — Missouri held on.
— Alissa Bauer
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