2B
Monday, April 24, 1995
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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Jayhawks lose despite tough play
By Jenni Carlson
Kansan sportswriter
It looked like two heavyweight boxers instead of two softball teams on Jayhawk Field this weekend.
Kansas and Oklahoma State battled through four games Saturday and yesterday, but in all four, the Cowboys were victorious. They won 4-1 and 6-5 on Saturday and 4-1 and 7-3 yesterday.
In yesterday's first game, both teams were scoreless until the top of the fourth inning. Kansas junior pitcher Beth Robinson and Oklahoma State senior pitcher Kim Ward allowed only two hits until then.
"Robinson pitched a heck of a ball game," Kansas softball coach Kalum Haack said. "She pitched well enough to win that ball game. It was maybe the best game she's had all season."
The Cowboys were the first to make noise on offense. With one out in the fourth inning, Ward hit a single to left and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ward came around to score on a Kari Langelier double to center field. The Jayhawks avoided even more damage after the Cowboys loaded the bases. Kansas caught a runner on first who failed to tag up after a fly ball to right field, which ended the inning.
Edmee Rodriguez / KANSAN
Kansas did not answer until the fifth inning. With two out and runners on first and third, the Jayhawks executed a perfect delayed steal. Kansas sophomore Heather Richins' movement from first drew a throw to second. At the same time, freshman Rebecca Fitzmorris took off for home and slid in safely under the tag.
The score remained 1-1, sending the game into extra innings. Oklahoma State broke the game open in the eighth inning. Langelier hit an RBI-double to center, scoring two runs. The Cowboys managed another run and shut the Jayhawks down in the bottom of the eighth.
"We had our chances," Haack said. "I dream of chances where we have runners on second and third and our clean-up hitter up with a full count. You know that pitch is going to be right down the middle. But we grounded out and struck out."
Kansas tried to rebound in the second game and got an early 1-0 lead. Kansas senior Lora Richardson hit an RBI triple that allowed freshman Michelle Hubler to score.
"I did a much better job today than I'd been doing in the past," said Richardson, who played her final game at Jayhawk Field yesterday. "Whenever you end something, it's going to be sad. I wish we could have ended it on a better note."
But the Oklahoma State pitching and hitting was too much for Kansas. In the second inning, the Cowboys got a two-run home run off the bat of Langelier, who was 3-of-3 for the afternoon. They added three runs in the fourth, and one in both the fifth and sixth innings.
The Jayhawks challenged in the sixth inning, though. Kansas loaded the bases with one out, but struck out and hit a deep fly ball to center field.
Yesterday's games marked the final home games for Richardson, Joy Herrera and Sally Kirkwood. Despite the losses, the team was motivated by the occasion.
"They know how important the seniors are," Haack said. "I'm sure they were a little more emotionally charged today than in the past."
Kansas junior center fieldier Charlene Reyes slides into second base in the first game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Jayhawks lost all four weekend games against the Cowboys.
GAME 1
Oklahoma St, 4, Kansas 1
JAYHAWKS (17-20) ab r h rbli
c Johnson 3 0 2
b3 McCann 4 0 1
ss Huber 4 0 1
1b Richardson 3 0 0
dh Wenger 3 0 0
rf Herrera 3 0 2
cf Reyes 2 0 0
2b Richins 3 0 1
lf Kirwood 1 0 0
p Robinson 0 0 0
pr Fitzmosir 0 1 0
lf Holland 2 0 0
Totals 28 1 7 0
COWBOYS (32-14) ab r hrbil
cf Kelly 5 0 0 0
ss Stephenson 5 0 1 0
2b Ruedalfores 4 0 1 0
dlnittle 4 0 0 0
p Ward 2 2 1 0
c langerley 3 1 3 3
1b Brown 2 0 1 0
3b Attebury 2 0 0 0
lfirby 3 0 1 1
rf Lerch 0 0 0 0
pr Higgins 0 1 0 0
Totals 30 4 8 4
Kansas IP H R ER BB SO
Robinson 7.1 8 4 3 5 3
Hamer .2 0 0 0
Oklahoma St. IP H R ER BB SO
Ward 8.0 7 1 1 11
Oklahoma St. 7, Kansas 3
E Hubler DP Kansas 1 LOB Kansas 4,
Oak. St. 11. 28 Langelier SB Johnson,
McCann. Flizmors, Richins
GAME 2
JAYHAWKS (17-21) ab r hbI
c Johnson 4 1 1 0
3b McCann 4 1 2 1
s Huber 4 1 2 1
1b Richardson 2 1 1 1
rf Herrera 2 0 1 0
d Wenger 3 0 2 0
p Blood 2 0 0 0
f Holland 3 0 0 0
2b Richins 3 0 0 0
cf Fitzmorris 0 0 0 0
ph Reyes 0 0 0 0
Totals 27 3 9 2
**COWBOYS (33-14)** ab r h rol
cf Kelly 3 1 2 0
ss Stephenson 2 0 0 0
2b Ruedafores 3 0 0 1
c little 2 1 1 0
dh/p Ward 2 1 1 0
rf Langelier 3 2 2 3
1b Brown 3 0 2 1
3b Attebury 3 0 1 1
irfiry 3 0 0 0
p Lauer 0 0 0 0
pr Lerch 0 1 0 0
pr Higgins 0 1 0 0
Totals 24 7 8 6
Kansas          IP H R 8 ER BB SO
Blood        4.1  8 1 R 5 1 0
Hamer        1.2  1 1 1 0 0
Oklahoma St.
I P H R 1 1 0
Lauer        5.1  8 3 2 1 2
Ward        1.2  0 0 1 0
E Lauer, Little, McCann DP Kansas 2.108 Ksana 6, Kola. St. 2KBelle, Little, McCann, Hernera 3B Richardson RH Langlierd SB Kelly
Baseball rained out
By Tom Erickson Kansan sportswriter
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Kansas and Missouri were set to break a 1-1 tie in a three-game weekend series yesterday — until threatening rains showed up.
Stormy conditions caused the cancellation of the game between the Jayhawks and Tigers at Simmons Field. Kansas (16-29, 7-15) will spend today and tomorrow in Lawrence before heading to Ames, Iowa, on Wednesday for a doubleheader with Iowa State.
The Jayhawks won the opening game on Friday 1-9. Junior pitcher Jamie Splittorff (4-5) struck out eight and walked only two in his second complete game of the season.
Kansas' offense provided eight hits, including two from sophomore catcher Justin Headley, who also had four RBI.
"This was our brand of baseball tonight, Kansas coach Dave Bingham said following Friday's victory. "The game lasted just over two hours, Splittor made his pitches and we made them swing the bat."
Saturday's game turned into a pitching duel, with Missouri coming out a winner by a 3-2 count. Missouri starter Brian Barnes (3-2) threw a complete game, allowing just two hits.
Kansas junior Clay Baird (3-7) also gave up two hits, but two walks in the fifth inning allowed the Tigers to break a 2-2 tie and score the winning run.
The Jayhawks were unable to get a runner past first base after the second inning.
"He threw a lot of fastball look-alike stuff," Bingham said of Missouri's Barnes. "Then he would throw us a curve with a little variation on it. He mixed up those two pitches very well, and he kept us off balance. He did a great job."
Baird left the game in the sixth inning and freshman Robert Keens then finished up, striking out two while holding Missouri scoreless for the final three innings.
"Robert was very deceptive," Bingham said. "He's been a fine, young pitcher for us, and he's only going to get better."
Golf teams ready for Big Eights
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
After nearly two weeks off, the Kansas men's and women's golf teams begin play today in the Big Eight Conference Championships.
Both teams agree they are ready to play again after playing their last tournaments on April 10 and 11.
The men are competing at the Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, while the women have traveled to Stillwater, Okla., to compete at the Stillwater Country Club.
The weather and all else aside, the men will be facing two of the nation's top teams today and tomorrow. Oklahoma State is No. 1 and Oklahoma is No. 6.
"They're ready to go." Kansas men's golf coach Ross Randall said. "They're frustrated with the weather, though. I would say this is probably the worst spring we've had to work on our games."
All five Oklahoma State golfers are All-Americans.
Even with that caliber of players, the Jayhawks aren't backing down.
"We're trying to win the tournament," Kansas senior Tyler Shelton said. "If you don't do that, you shouldn't be playing in the tournament. We've just got to play up to our potential."
In the past, Kansas has competed well in the Big Eight tournament, Randall said. The Jayhawks led the competition last year going into the final day.
But Oklahoma State made a late charge and won by five strokes.
"I hope we can compete that well," Randall said. "But at this point, I really don't know."
While the men face two of the nation's best teams, the women will have their hands full as well.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are considered perennial powers in the conference, Kansas women's golf coach Jerry Waugh said.
The Stillwater Country Club course is one that none of the Javhawks have played.
The only information they have on the course is from Dan Rooney, a junior on the Kansas men's golf team.
The Jayhawks will have to compete against that lack of experience, the two perennial powers and two up-and-coming teams in the Big Eight, Nebraska and Iowa State.
Those two teams and the Oklahoma schools likely will comprise the top four teams in the tournament.
But Kansas senior Michelle Uher said the Jayhawks might finish in the top four if they play as a team.
"We need to post four good scores at the same time," Uher said. "We are all playing well. I think everyone really wants to play well."
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