10B
SPORTS / MONDAY, APRIL 19,2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
SOFTBALL
Kansas makes mistakes,swept by Oklahoma State
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
twitter.com/zgetz
Kansas fought, coach Megan Smith said, but the Jayhawks could not overcome mistakes. In turn, Kansas was swept by No. 9 Oklahoma State 11-3 and 4-3 this week. Kansas fell to 18-26 (1-10) while Oklahoma State improved its winning streak to 16 and moved to 39-7 (9-0).
Smith said she liked that Kansas fought no matter what the score was, and it was a good mentality for the team to have.
"When we carry this fight through every game, we are going to win some games because of it, so I want them to keep it up," Smith said. "We're just fighters. Some days it works in our favor, and some days it doesn't."
In the past three series, Kansas has had a pattern of producing a poor showing in its first game, then having a very close second game. Smith said it's a combination of the team getting the feel of its opponent, and her motivating the team to perform has helped Kansas have a better second game.
"In second games they come out with a fire and determination that is fueled by the first game," Smith said.
In game one Oklahoma State came out and scored four in the top of the first. Kansas tried to answer in the bottom of the first, having the bases loaded with no outs, but failed to score a run. Oklahoma State scored another run in the third to put it up 8-0.
Kansas scored a lone run in the third, but Oklahoma State score 3 in the fifth to go up 10 runs. Kansas scored two more in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to prevent Kansas from being run-ruled as Kansas fell to Oklahoma State 11-3 in five innings.
Game two started ugly for Kansas, which committed three errors in the first two innings, helping the Cowgirls build a three-run lead. Kansas struggled to get hits throughout the game, but sophomore infielder Marissa Ingle got things rolling for Kansas as she belted her fifth home run of the season into left-center in the bottom of the fifth to pull Kansas within two. The home run was the first earned run Oklahoma State pitcher Kat Espinosa had given up in 45 innings.
Ingle said those sort of hits are exactly what a team needs when it is being shut out.
"We'll have girls striking out, and they'll be like 'dang, she got me,' but if teammates are hitting, it'll be like 'oh, if she is hitting her, I'm going to
SOFTBALL TEAM SWEPT BY OKLAHOMA STATE
The Jayhawks continue a pattern: Get blown out in the first game, and a close loss in the second game.
RECAP:
Game 1
No. 9 Oklahoma State 11, Kansas 3
Game 2
No. 9 Oklahoma State 4, Kansas 3
UP NEXT:
Kansas Vs. Nebraska
When: 5 p.m. Thursday
Where: Bowlin Stadium, Lincoln,
Neb.
hit her too," Ingle said. "It really gets everyone pumped up and excited.
Oklahoma State quickly responded with a run in the sixth, but Kansas went back to work, scoring two runs on a dropped two-out fly ball. Kansas had an opportunity to tie or take the lead, but instead stranded runners on the corners at the end of the inning. Neither team would make a move in the seventh, and Kansas' upset bid fell short as Oklahoma State escaped Kansas 4-3.
The Jayhawks' bad start was the difference in the game.
"Defensively we had some miscues, and if our defense was on point, we would've won," Smith said.
"They're a solid team all the way around." Smith said. "The thing
Senior second basebman
Sara Ramirez attempts to tag a runner stealing second Saturday at Arrocha Ballpark. Kansas fell to No 9 Oklahoma State 11-3 in innings.
about Oklahoma State is they don't stand out in one thing. They're just very solid in the three aspects of the game."
After playing five games in five days, Kansas will only play one game in the next five days. Junior catcher Brittany Hile said she is happy to get a little time to rest.
"It's going to be nice to not have to
Mike Gunnell/KANSAN
travel and on our home field for a couple of days." Hite said.
Kansas will see action again this Thursday when it plays one game against Nebraska in Lincoln. Nebraska defeated Kansas 2-0 when the two teams played last Wednesday.
— Edited by Jesse Rangel
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Junior Maria Martinez makes a two handled return in her doubles match against No. 59 Oklahoma state. Martinez lost both her singles and doubles matches.
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TENNIS
Team struggles but individuals shine
BY KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
twitter.com/kqier
Despite the tennis team losing 6-1 to No. 59 Oklahoma State and 5-2 to No. 43 Oklahoma, freshman Vika Khaneskaya fought through a third set tiebreak to continue her four-match win streak and set her singles record at 11-9. Khaneskaya won 6-4, 6-7(9), 11-9.
"I think I was lucky," Khanevskaya said. "Because when she missed the volley on her match ball I just couldn't believe it. I just played my game. I just made balls and everything."
She was the last finisher after sophomore Erin Wilbert also won a third set tiebreaker one court over. Wilbert won 6-4, 4-6, 10-5.
"It was a little nerve racking for me just because I have had a lot of matches where it could go either way like I have been up and had trouble closing out the match," Wilbert said. "I went into it with the
attitude that I was going to jump on her really fast and try to get up really quick and go as hard as I could and that is how I got up. I started to get nervous again and started choking and she started coming back and then all I needed was one more point to get my confidence back and that was all it took."
At one point when both Khanevskaya and Wilbert were in their tiebreakers they turned to each other and said a couple words of encouragement.
"It is always nice to know that someone is in the same position that you are and to have someone out there supporting you and you being there for the other person," Wilbert said. "It helps me a lot when I hear my teammate getting loud and just the team in general getting loud because I think that is what we need. We all feed off of each other and it is really important even when we are all on the court to be cheering each other on."
Since Khanevskava and Wilbert
were the last two matches of the day, the rest of the team gathered on the next court to cheer them on.
"It is so good to have someone
cheering for you, so I was glad to have everyone cheering for me, it helped me a lot," Wilbert said.
Against Oklahoma State, Wilbert and sophomore Kate Morozova achieved a doubles victory to go along with Khanevskaya's singles victory.
The Jayhawks dropped to 9-12 overall and 1-8 in conference with two losses this weekend. Kansas will return to action next weekend as they close out the regular season with a match against Texas Tech on Friday and a senior day matchup against No. 2 Baylor on Sunday.
— Edited by Kate Larrabee
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