KANSAN COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 / SPORTS
SOCCER
3B
Liebetrau saves all but one in split
Dalton Gomez/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Sophomore goalkeeper, Kat Liebetrau takes a goal kick during Kansas' game against Eastern Kentucky. Liebetrau didn't allow a goal in the 3-0 win.
BY JACKSON DELAY idelay@kansan
jdelay@kansan.com
After a 1-0 loss on a Cal State Northridge goal in the 102nd minute of double overtime on Friday and a 1-0 win over Oregon on Sunday, one thing is apparent from the layhawks' trip to Las Vegas to compete in UNLV's
Liebetrau
Rebel Classic: Their defense is strong.
That defense was led by sophomore goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau, who racked up 17 saves between the two games and only allowed one goal in 191 minutes of play.
earning the title of Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
"I always go in with the saying, my job is to give the team the best opportunity to win," Liebetrau said. "I go into each game knowing my team is there. I got their back, they have my back, going in for a win."
The shutout against Oregon was Liebetrau's fifth career shutout. She said she was proud of the defense and that organization was key in keeping Oregon from putting one in the net. She also said that being aggressive and controlling the box was important in keeping Oregon scoreless. Being aggressive is something that Liebetrau is convinced she has improved on.
"Last year I think I was a little skittish on when to come out of the box and when to stay back. I think this year I am doing a pretty good job controlling the whole box," she said.
A week from Friday, Kansas opens conference play with an away match against Missouri. Liebetrau said playing in the tournament was good practice for the level of play the Jayhawks will see throughout Big 12 play.
"It was good competition for us knowing we had two really good teams back to back, Friday and Sunday," she said. "Once we get in conference, every team is going to be 100 percent."
Liebetrau currently leads the Big 12 with 40 saves. She is also averaging the second-most saves per game in the Big 12 with 6.67.
Last year Liebetrau was awarded the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honor. Receiving an award again this year shows her dedication to continue improving.
"It just shows that I keep working, and I haven't let off," she said. "It is an honor."
Edited by Kelsey Nill
Homers help the Indians top L.A.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MLB
CLEVELAND — Shelley Duncan hit two home runs and tied a career high with four RBIs as the Cleveland Indians beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Duncan's second career multi-homer game helped Josh Tomlin (4-3) earn his third win in four starts since Aug. 27. The right-hander allowed three runs and seven hits over 6 2-3 innings as Cleveland broke the Angels' four-game winning streak. Six of the hits were for extra bases.
Duncan hit his 10th homer, a two-run shot off Scott Kazmir (8-14) in the sixth inning for a 4-1 lead. He had a game-tying RBI single in the first and put Cleveland ahead 2-1 with a leadoff homer in the fourth.
Chris Perez pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 24 chances. The right-hander got Peter Bourjos on a called third strike with runners on first and third. A pass ball put Angels on second and third, but Perez retired Alberto Callaspo on a fly ball for his seventh straight save. He has not allowed a run in his last 13 appearances.
Duncan had two homers and
four RBIs on July 22, 2007, for the New York Yankees against Tampa Bay.
Kazmir dropped to 0-5 in seven starts since Aug. 13 and is 1-9 since June 24. The Angels have totaled four runs in his last three losses.
The left-hander gave up four runs and seven hits over 5 2-3 innings. He fell to 1-3 in his career against Cleveland with a 6.13 ERA—the highest by any AL team against him.
Trailing 2-1 in the sixth. Hunter was thrown out trying to score from first on a two-out double to left-center by Hideki Matsui. Shortstop Asdrubil Cabrera took the throw from left fielder Duncan and his relay to Lou Marson was in plenty of time. Hunter bowled over Marson in an attempt to jar the ball loose, but the catcher hung on for the third out.
The Angels, whose winning streak started Thursday with a 4-3 home win over the Indians in 16 innings, took a 1-0 lead in the first. Bobby Abreu doubled with one out and scored on a double by Torii Hunter.
The Angels' winning streak was their longest since winning six straight June 2-7.
MLB
Yankees back in East's first place
Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez also homered for the Yankees, who squandered a six-run lead before tying it at 7 in the sixth on Cano's RBI double. Posada drove a 2-0 pitch from Dan Wheeler (2-3) over the center field wall.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jorge Posada led off the 10th inning with a pinch-hit homer, lifting the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7 and back into first place in the AL East on Tuesday night.
The Rays erased the 6-0
deficit with a seven-run fifth inning that Willy Aybar finished with a three-run, pinch-hit homer off Boone Logan. Slumping slugger Carlos Pena began the rally.
David Robertson (4-4) pitched the ninth and Mariano Rivera finished up for his 30th save in 33 opportunities. A night after Reid Brignac's 11th-inning homer gave Tampa Bay a lead and put the Rays atop the standings by one half-game, the Yankees stopped a season-high four-game losing streak and regained the division lead.
The Phils have won 16 of their past 19 road games.
MLB
Hamels'srikeouts push Phillies to a win
Florida rookie Adalberto Mendez (1-1) allowed two runs in 4 1-3 innings. He pitched six shutout innings to beat the Phillies in his major-league debut last week,
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Associated Press
Hamels (11-10) threw a career-high 127 pitches and allowed only one run. The left-hander won his fourth consecutive start and won for the first time in seven career starts in Miami.
MIAMI — Cole Hamels had a season-high 13 strikeouts in 6 $^{2/3}$ innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies increased their lead in the NL East to two games by beating Florida 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Philadelphia beat Florida for the fourth time in a row and improved to 12-5 against the Marlins. The Philies have won 12 of their past 13 series, and ace Roy Halladay will help them try for a three-game sweep Wednesday.
6 Philadelphia increased its cushion in the division when secondplace Atlanta lost to Washington 6-0.
Florida ended Hamels' streak of 25 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings in the first, bunching three hits, including Dan Uggla's RBI infield single. But the Marlins managed only three hits the rest of the way.
Shane Victorino scored both runs for the Phillies, who totaled only five hits and won despite going 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
Brad Lidge, pitching for the first time since Sept. 6, earned his 22nd save in 27 chances with a perfect ninth.
but this time they needed only four pitches to score. Victorino led off with a single and came home on Placido Polanco's double.
Philadelphia went ahead to stay in the fifth. Victorino led off with a double and later scored from third on Jayson Werth's groundout.