THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 1B
SOFTBALL
Team splits with Bears
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
erschneider@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWITHER
One-run games haven't been kind to the Kansas softball team this season, and Sunday's game was no exception.
Kansas dropped its 12th one-run game of the season, losing 2-1 to Baylor in Waco, Texas.
"The most frustrating thing in the last couple weeks is not getting a key hit when we need it," Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said.
about her team s struggles in one-run games.
Jayhawk batters struggled with Baylor pitcher Ashley Monceau, who allowed only two hits in six and one-third. James Kesey
and one-third Humphreys innings. Kansas'
offense finally found its rhythm in the top of the seventh, but it wasn't enough.
After senior second baseman Jessica Moppin scored on senior shortstop Destiny Frankenstein's sacrifice fly to center field, the Jayhawks had a runner on third base with two outs, trailing by one. Freshman center fielder Stevie Crisosto moved to first after being hit by a pitch. With runners on first and third with two outs, junior first baseman Nicole Washburn had a chance to tie the game with a single, but filed out to right field, ending the game.
Kansas senior pitcher Serena Settlemier (12-5) pitched four innings, allowed two runs out two hits, and struck out four batters.
"What Kassie has been doing the last couple weeks is throwing the ball among the best in the country." Bunge said. "She dominated a really good Baylor lineup."
Junior pitcher Kassie Humphreys pitched two innings in relief, allowing two hits and striking out three batters. She has allowed just four hits in her last 33 innings on the mound
Before leaving on a four-game road trip, Bunge told her team it was "crunch time," if it wanted to qualify for postseason play.
"I think they've played wen, Bunge said. "Yesterday was a big game for us. We continue to impress. We're a team nobody in the country wants to see."
Kansas won Saturday's game 2-1 in 11 innings. Humphreys pitched the complete game, tying a career-high with 13 strikeouts. She held the Bears scoreless through the first 10 innings
At the top of the 11th inning, senior outfielder Nettie Pierros was placed on second base by international softball rule. Pierros moved to third after a bunt by Moppin and scored on Settlemier's two-run home run.
Moppin and Settlemier each had two hits for the Hawkways.
Kansas is off until Wednesday, when it travels to Missouri for the first of two games this season against the Tigers. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
Settlemier's home run Saturday was her 17th of the season, second best in the nation.
Softball notes:
Saturday's victory was Kansas' third against a ranked opponent this season.
Anthony Mattingly/KANSAN
Pitching key to KU victory
BASEBALL: 5-3
- Edited by Timon Veach
Sophomore third baseman Erik Morrison slides safe into third base during Saturday's game against Texas Tech. The 24th ranked Jayhawks had a disappointing 8-6 loss to the 26th ranked Red Raiders but managed to win the three-game series with their victories on Friday and Sunday.
Anthony Mattingly/KANSAN
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Leaving off where they did the night before, Kansas and Texas Tech kicked off the game scoring a run apiece in the first innning.
Senior right-hander Kodiak Quick struggled briefly.
Two weeks ago, Kansas (22
13, 6-6) returned home from
Nebraska 2-4 in the Big 12 Con-
ference. Coach Ritch Price said
that his team was trying to survive,
just making it through the tough part of its schedule with an injury-plagued lineup.
What they must do, he said then, was win the series against Missouri and Texas Tech.
On Sunday, Kansas, ranked No. 24 by Baseball America, clinched the series victory against No. 26 Texas Tech (23-13, 5-6). It was the second series victory in a row. Nowadays, no series victory is complete without a new record or milestone attained by senior closer Don Czyz. Sunday's game was no different, as the closer and co-captain recorded his Big 12 leading and Kansas baseball single-season record 12th save.
"Coach Price is a good motivator," sophomore John Allman said. "Everyone wants to play for him. He really gets us going, every game is the biggest game of the year."
Win he said, and win they did.
Drew Evans on a two-RBI double were not enough to tamper with Quick obtaining his team-leading sixth victory. He finished his outing tagged for three runs on six hits and struck out six Red Raiders, tying his season high.
What is sometimes not so certain is the team's hitting, but Czyz and the rest of the pitching staff, had their hitters behind them on Sunday.
The pair of runs he surrendered to freshman outfielder
"I'm not the ra-ra guy that Matt is. He's perfect for that role. He also leads by example on the field," Czyz said of his fellow captain Matt Baty. "Ritchie does with his defense and his hitting. I've just got to do my part and slam the door at the end."
"I'm really proud of our pitching," Price said. "Until we get all of our players back offensively and we're clicking on all cylinders, our pitching's been carrying us."
Back in the lead off spot, sophomore designated hitter Brock Simpson led off the Jayhawk's half of the first, singling up the middle and later scoring on a senior outfielder Gus Milner ground out.
On Sunday afternoon, Kansas tacked on a run in each inning for the first three innings, keeping a consistent mix of base hits, walks and Texas Tech errors to build a 3-1 lead.
Although struggling with slugging numbers as of late, Milner broke out with a triple four innings later, highlighting a two-run fifth that doubled as winning runs.
After the game, Price took time to thank the fans who he said were giving his team a home field advantage the team had not experienced since he arrived at Kansas four years ago. But Allman's attribution to Price's motivation might be the actual key to the Jayhawks success.
Freshman right-hander Paul Smyth and Czyz threw 3.1 scoreless innings in Quick's relief.
The Jayhawks took a small rest from their consecutive inning scoring in the fourth but revived their wints in the fifth.
"I got on them pretty good before the game today. I kind of challenged them about this being the biggest game of the year." Price said. "I'm really proud of them. Every time we've been challenged in the face of adversity, we find a way to win."
- Edited by Janiece Gatson
ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
NCAA punishes baseball team
BY ERIC JORGENSEN
ejorgensen@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The Kansas baseball team will lose .24 of a scholarship for the 2007-08 academic school year.
In February, the Athletics Department sent appeals to the NCAA regarding low Academic Progress Rate scores for the football and baseball teams. Saturday, it learned the football appeal was accepted but the other appeal was not.
Baseball coach Ritchie Price already committed next year's scholarships to players, so the .24 of a scholarship will not go into effect for another year. The NCAA will not take away a scholarship from a player who was already promised one.
According to Paul Buskirk, associate athletics director of student athlete support services, the baseball team is allotted 11.7 scholarships per year. Following the NCAA appeal, that number will drop to 11.46 scholarships for 2007-08.
The football and baseball teams had players transfer and players that were academically ineligible. Those circumstances caused the NCAA to administer
Baseball, football and women's basketball all finished below the Academic Progress Rate minimum standard. Women's basketball, however, did not receive punishment because it did not have enough players to constitute a fair number in regards to the progress rate.
punishment.
The department appealed the baseball and football rulings, because it said the circumstances in which the players left were beyond its control. The NCAA agreed with it for football, but not baseball.
Buskirk originally said he thought both appeals would go through.
As for losing part of a scholarship, Buskirk said the NCAA would give a harsher punishment to programs that finished the past two years below a score of 900 than ones that finished between 900 and 925. Baseball finished less than 900 the past two years.
Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director of external affairs, said the department had not held discussions with the coaches besidesnotifying them of the NCAA rulings. He said no further talks were needed.
Academic Progress Rate scores for the current academic year will not be tallied until September. The department will then submit the numbers to the NCAA, which will determine where Kansas stands in its academic achievement.
"We can only assume the NCAA is holding very tightly to the standards they appointed," Buskirk said. "But we are moving forward."
"There isn't a coach who who is not aware of how important the APR is," Marchiony said. "All our coaches are aware of what needs to be done.
- Edited by Janiece Gatson
David Noffsinger/KANSAN
'Hawks lose Kansas Cup
ROWING
Kansas wins one of four races
BY DANIEL C. WEIXELDORFER
dweixeldorfer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The First Varsity Eight carries its beat on the dock Saturday after winning a race against Kansas State's varsity team at Burcham Park. The First Varsity Eight beat the Wildcats by 2.1 seconds with a final time of 6:14.8 for its only win of the day. The Kansas Cup went to Kansas State with an overall score of 13-8.
Seniors on the Kansas rowing team were recognized with flowers and announcements on senior day, but many still showed sorrow despite the celebration.
Kansas lost the Kansas Cup against Kansas State on Saturday, 13-8, in the seniors' last home race on the Kansas River.
"Each race is a building block for the future and we are going to get better throughout the year and work on style and technique," senior captain Jennifer Ebel said.
Each of the seven varsity seniors — Ebel, Alexis Boston, Tayler Eldridge, Ardis Johnson, Kris Lazar, Paige Phillips and Gillan Van Ruyven — were honored after the race.
"Their work ethic, compassion and showing that they care for all of the younger girls means so much to this team," Kansas coach Rob Catloth said. "They set the standard each and every day in practice and in matches and also hate to lose, which helps out when it comes down to it."
The Jayhawks lost the first three races of the event, but
Catloth told his team after the race in a huddle that he was pleased with their competitiveness.
finished on a good note by winning the final race of the day. The team still fell to the Wildcats for the second straight year.
Kansas State and Texas are the only other universities in the Big 12 with a rowing team.
"Kansas State was and is always really good competition," Catloth said. "They are ahead of us competitively with races at Texas and San Diego so their schedule puts them ahead of us a little bit right now."
"For the rest of the season the races are going to get bigger and tougher as we move ahead," Lazar said. "We needed a close race today to motivate us during
the next few weeks to get better, which is what we are going to do."
Kansas will travel to Tennessee Friday and Saturday for the Southern IRA's and to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota the following week. The team will wrap up the regular season in Kansas City, Kan., for the Big 12 invitational.
Despite the loss, Catloth said the team's focus was on the future.
"This race meant a lot to our seniors but we are just going to get better every day," Catloth said. "We still have some things to decide with our boat selections and how things are going with our team so it is still early. All we want to do is peak at the right time."
Edited by Lindsey Gold
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