2B SPORTS THE UNIVERSITY OF HAIRY KANSAN MONDAY APRIL 2, 2007 SOFTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B) first five-plus innings." Bunge said. Freshman second baseman Sara Ramirez led off the inning, and the one hit came off her bat and sailed over the left field wall for a home run for the jayhawks. Ramirez, who is only 5-foot-1-inch, credits mechanics to her power behind her small frame. After the home run, the bats went cold as Baylor pitcher Kirsten Shortridge struck out the next two Jayhawk batters and forced a ground out to end the inning. Shortridge went six innings, striking out seven Jayhawks and allowing only four hits. "Their kid did a great job," Bunge said of Shortridge. "She pitched exactly to what we were swinging at". Bunge said that the team was not aggressive enough against Shorttridge until later in the game. "I felt that we were passive, we were swinging at pitches outside of the zone. We were really chasing the drop ball, and there was no reason with the umpire not having a low zone to go out and chase," Bunge said. As the layhawks were hoping to make a comeback after Ramirez's home run in the bottom of the third, the Bears struck right back in the fourth. The Bears hit a two-run home run off Humphreys, putting the lavwhays down 5-1. Humphreys was pulled after the home run and sophomore pitcher Valerie George came into relief. George struck out the first batter she faced, the first of her six strikeouts on the day. "It felt good to go out there and stay solid for the team." George said. "The last four or five games, George has been throwing really well," Bunge said. "Her confidence is way up and she's come a long way." In her 3 2/3 innings in the circle, she gave up one hit, zero runs and walked two. George said after the game that she felt really good about her pitches. Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@ansan.com. Edited by Carissa Pedigo Baylor 5, Kansas 3 Baylor 012 200 0 — 5 6 0 Kansas 001 000 2 — 3 4 0 Shortridge, Ferguson (7) and Oberg; Humphreys, George (4) and Potterf. W — Shortridge 11-3. L— Humphreys 12-5. S — Ferguson. 2B — BU: Reagan; KU: Washburn, HR -BU: Sage; KU: Potterf, Ramirez. RECORDS Baylor 34-9, 4-0 Big 12, 2-2. Kansas 25-11-1, Big 12, 2-2. Kansas loses 8-2 in home opener The Jayhawks couldn't hold up against the Baylor Bears in wet and cold conditions Saturday at Arrocha Ballpark. The loss ended the Jayhawks four-game winning streak. The Bears used three home runs to beat the Jayhawks during their first time at home in 10 games,8-2. Baylor put two runs on the board in the third inning off a throwing error by freshman second baseman Sara Ramirez. Senior pitcher Kassie Humphreys pitched five innings allowing five hits, five earned runs, and striking out two. Humphreys gave up a two-run home run in the fourth inning putting the score 4-0. The next inning Humphreys gave up a three-run home run with two outs. Although she struck the next batter out to end the inning, she was replaced by freshman pitcher Sarah Vertleka. Evan Kafarakis ROWING Tulsa, Drake regatta canceled due to current The Kansas rowing team's regatta against Tulsa and Drake was canceled last weekend because of river conditions. The regatta was initially rescheduled for Sunday because of high water and a fast current in the Kansas River. It was canceled Saturday afternoon because the conditions did not look like they would improve. The Jayhawks play host to the Kansas State Wildcats for the Kansas Cup on Saturday. The races begin at 10 a.m. on the Kansas River near Burcham Park, Second and Indiana streets. Catherine Odson Softball vs. Arkansas, 2 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark athletics calendar TUESDAY Softball vs. Arkansas, 4 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark Softball vs. Arkansa Baseball at Kansas State, 7 p.m., Manhattan WEDNESDAY Softball vs. Nebraska, 3 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark THURSDAY Track at Texas Relays, all day, Austin, Texas Soccer vs. Washburn, 5 p.m., Jayhawk Soccer Complex Soccer vs. Washburn, Baseball vs. Texas, 7 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark FRIDAY Track at Texas Relays all day, Austin, Texas Baseball vs. Texas, 7 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark SATURDAY Track at Texas Relays, all day, Austin, Texas Rowing vs. Kansas State, 10 a.m., Kansas River Baseball vs. Texas, 1 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark Softball at Texas, 1 p.m., Austin, Texas Tennis at Missouri, 1 p.m., Columbia, Mo. SUNDAY LPGA **Women's golf at Susie Maxwell Berning Classic, all day, Norman, Okla.** Softball at Texas, 1 p.m. Austin, Texas Teenager prevails in major 18-year-old holds on to lead as other players falter in final round of Nabisco Championship BY DOUG FERGUSON ASSOCIATED PRESS RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Morgan Pressel became the youngest major champion in LPGA Tour history Sunday with a game well beyond her 18 years, closing with a 3-under 69 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship as everyone around her self-destructed. Pressel played her final 24 holes over Mission Hills without a bogey, finishing the round with a 10-foot birdie dutp that looked as though it would be only good enough for second place. Then came a shocking collapse from Suzann Pettersen, the latest and most significant on a sun-baked afternoon in the desert. Pettersen, a fiery 25-year-old from Norway, had a four-shot lead with four holes to play when she started hitting tee shots into the ankle deep rough and missing putts Previously, the youngest major champion was Sandra Post, who was 20 years, 19 days when she won the 1968 LPGA Championship. On the men's tour, Young Tom Morris was 17 when he won the 1868 British Open. Pressel, who finished at 3-under 285, was on the practice range when she entered the history books at 18 years, 11 months, 22 days. The kid broke down in tears again, this time over the shock and euphoria of winning a major 10 months after graduating high school. "I said yesterday that a little help never hurts," Pressel said. "That rang true today." on the crusty greens. She went bogey-double bogey-bogey to fall one shot behind, and needing a birdie on the par-5 18th, she hit wedge some 25 feet beyond the hole and missed the putt. "Oh my God! Oh my god!" was all she could manage. Catriona Matthew of Scotland, playing only her second event since becoming a mother three months ago, had a 30-foot birdie put to reach 4 under when she three-putted for a bogey that left her in a tie for second with Pettersen and Brittany Linicome (72). Se Ri Pak, needing to win this major to complete the career Grand Slam, had a three-shot on the front nine until Pettersen took charge with a four-shot swing over three holes. Pak bogeyed five of the last six holes for a 77. Then came the sweetest pool party she ever attended. Keeping with tradition at the Kraft Nabisco, Pressel jumped into the pond surrounding the 18th green with her caddie and grandmother, Evelyn Krickstein. Pressel said. "I knew I had to play solid golf. I couldn't make mistakes, I had to stay cool and be ready for whatever came." It was hard to believe — not only at that age, but how it all unfolded. Herb Krickstein, her grandfather and the father of former tennis player Aaron Krickstein, watched with a broad smile. Pressel came out of the water and slipped into a white robe that read, "2007 Kraft Nabisco Champion" on the back. "This is a dream come true," But no one threw this tournament away more than Pettersen. "I said yesterday that the one who made the fewest mistakes would win," she said. "I did a few too many." It started with a tee shot into the right rough on the 15th, keeping her from reaching the green and taking bogey. She went right again on the next hole, clipping a branch on her second shot that left her short of the green. Her wedge spun off the front of the green, and she used putter to ram it 8 feet by. The bogey putt caught the lip, and suddenly she was down to 3 under. Pressel watched workers change Pettersen's score under par from a "5" to a "3" and couldn't believe it. Pettersen then came up short on the 17th, chipped to 10 feet and missed again, falling one shot behind. Stacy Lewis was low amateur after a 71 that put her in tie for fifth. "This time, I felt like I lost the tournament," she said. "Last week, I felt like I won second place. Apparently, it wasn't my week. I just didn't finish it off. All credit to Pressel." A week ago, Pettersen was runner-up to Lorena Ochoa outside Phoenix. The tears flowed when it ended, the first precipitation all week in the Coachella Valley — joy for Pressel, despair for Pettersen. Pressel became the first American to win this major since Dottie Pepper in 1999. And it atoned for Cherry Hills two years ago, when she was poised to win the U.S. Women's Open until Birdie Kim holed a bunker shot for birdie as Pressel watched in disbelief from the fairway. Ochoa, who needed a victory to supplant Annika Sorenstam at No. 1 in the women's world ranking, tied for 10th after closing with a 72. Her hopes were ruined Saturday with a quadruple bogey on the 17th, and while she promised to attack in the final round, the 25-year-old Mexican star didn't make her first birdie until No.11. Sorenstam shot 75 and finished at 296, here highest 72-hole score in a major since the '98 U.S. Women's Open at Blackwolf Run. ...now more than ever! Antigone by Sophocles · Adapted by Bettolt Brecht · Translated by Judith Malina Reconceived & Directed by Paul Stephen Lim Set & Lighting Design by Lee Taylor • Costume Design by Ione Unruh Original Artwork & Music by Karl Ramberg Sound by Nick Mosher • Choreography by Jerel Hilding 8 PM April 5-7 2:30 PM April 8 Arts Center • 940 New Hampshire Tickets (785) 843-2787 • 843-2787 • $6 Students • $8 Seniors • $10 Others