8B SPORTS THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN BASEBALL MONDAY MARCH 26 2007 Anna Faltermeyer/KANSAN The Jawhaws hitting was stretched thin during the weekend series against the Cowboys. Left fielder John Allman hit 1- for 3 during Sunday's loss. Inconsistent play hurts Kansas BY SHAWN SHROYER For the second straight weekend, Kansas entered Sunday with the opportunity for a series victory and let it slip away. After the game, Erik Morrison, junior infielder, said peaks and valleys were common place in baseball. As it turned out, Kansas series with No. 14 Oklahoma State was representative of those peaks and valleys, with valleys bordering the jayhaws' peak on Saturday. In the second game of the series, Kansas junior left-hander Zach Ashwood stared down an Oklahoma State squad that had just pounded out 14 runs on 17 hits the day before and quieted its bats. After nearly losing his spot in the weekend rotation the week before, Ashwood (3-2) solidified his role as a weekend starter against the Cowboys. He lasted six innings, striking out four and holding the Cowboys to three runs — only one of which was earned. "There's no doubt that was Zachs best start of the year," sophomore closer Paul Smyth said. "We haven't seen our starters really go as deep as wed like yet. For Zach to go out there and produce the way that he did, it hypes you up as a closer." When Ashwood excited after the sixth inning, he made way for Smyth with the score in Kansas' favor, 6-3. Given the three-run cushion, Smyth refused to surrender the lead. "Today was such a day that we needed a win that I was just going to do everything I could to try to keep that three-run lead." Smyth said. There was no doubt in coach Ritch Price's mind that Smyth was going to slam the door shut on Oklahoma State for his fifth save of the season. "That's what we needed because we had nobody else." Price said. "He clutched up big-time for us. He made a huge step forward from his freshman year to his sophomore year? Price said the bullpen has been stretched to its limit because of injuries to two key right handers. Price said junior Hiarali Garcia, who hasn't pitched since March 14, hurt his back lifting weights. Because he's been out of commission, fellow junior Andres Esquibel has had to pitch extra innings of relief. Price said Esquibel's arm was feeling "tender" and he hoped to lessen his workload until Garcia returns. Price said Garcia was scheduled to throw a bulpen session on Tuesday and could return as early as this weekend. As the seasons ramps up, things have to improve if Kansas wants consistent play. "Were not getting the big hits and that's what were lacking right Kansas 010 100 001 — 3 6 1 Oklahoma State 20 030 100 — 7 11 1 *** Oklahoma State 7, Kansas 3 Oliver, Odie (6), Mercer (7) and Fiavelli, Marks, Hayakawa (8), Marcel (9), W — Oliver 5-0 L. — Marks 3: 2/2B — OSU; Brown, Mangini, Ridling, Klu, Allman; Larson, HR — OSU; Machi, KU; Morrison. Oklahoma 19-6, 2:1 Big 12 Confer- ence, Kansas 15-14, 2-4. RECORDS now" Morrison said. "so, I guess you could say we're close, but at the same time, we were not" Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshoyer@kansan.com. Edited by Mark Vierthaler BASEBALL Jayhawks get roped BY ALISSA BAUER Cowboys take series with Sunday victory, 7-3 Price would not have thought his Jayhawks would lose both the game and the series in Sunday's 7-3 loss. Had coach Ritch Price been told that sophomore lefty Andy Marks would perform like he did against No. 14 Oklahoma State, he would've thought Sunday's results to turn out differently. "No doubt it was crucial — it could've got us back to 500 in league and wed be done with two of the three best teams in our league," Price said. "I actually thought Marks gave us enough to win. If you told me that he would go out there with the wind blowing out like that and hold them to six or seven runs — I probably would've took that." Although Marks (3-3) threw a career-high 10 strikeouts and just one walk in his seven-inning start, the seven runs he surrendered to the Cowboys (19-6, 2-1) were more than enough for them to seal the victory. Center fielder Keanon Simon haunted Kansas' pitching all week end, going 7-for-15 in three games. The Cowboys again scored first in the series finale. Without missing a step. Simon singled to lead off the game and scored two batters later on a RBI single by right fielder Corey Brown. The Cowboys led off with a hit for the second time in as many innings in their next at bat. First baseman Rebel Rebell doubled to lead off. A pair of singles and a four pitch walk followed to allow him and shortstop Jordy Mercer to score. Kansas (15-14, 2-4) answered its 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the sec ond. Junior shortstop Erik Morrison crushed the first pitch of his at bat over the left field wall for the Jayhawks' first run of the afternoon. "I happen to get a good swing on it and I've got a home run, but you look up there — it's one out of six hits; it's one out of three runs and they got seven runs," Morrison said. In the bottom of the fourth, freshman third baseman Robby Price led off the running with a walk. Junior left fielder Allian Alimani followed with a double past Brown in right field. With runners on second and third without an out and Morrison at the plate. Kansas sat in position to tie the game. A balk during Morrison's at bat that brought Price home was all the offense could muster. The layhawks went down in order to end any threat. "That guy was really tough on the left-handed hitters," Price said of OSU starter Andrew Oliver (5-0). "I thought we had enough opportunities for a base knock to get back in the ball game when we were down. It seemed like every time we got somebody in scoring position, he came back with a big strike out. He's a pretty good looking freshman." Oklahoma State made up for Kansas' lack of scoring by widening the gap in the following inning. Although the Jayhawk pitchers kept last season's Big 12 Conference C-Player of the Year fairly quiet, OSU second baseman Tyler Mach made plenty of noise in the series finale. "His first couple of outs he hit it up into the wind a little bit. He's obviously got a swing that hits the ball in the air," Marks said. "I tried to go in on him and left it over the plate a little bit. He'll make you pay every time." Mach went 2-for-7 in the first two games of the series. By the fifth inning of game three, Mach was due. After two leadoff hits, he used the wind and his own power to knock the three-run hit over left field. "Anytime you lose it you're going to be deflating to the club." Morrison said. "But it's not a sprint. It's a marathon. It's 62 games, you've got to stay in it the whole time. If you stay in it the whole time and battling through that adversity, good things will happen to your club. You've got to walk out of here with your head high." A leadoff double from junior pinch hitter Casey Larson's bat couldn't spark enough of a comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Although Larson found his way to the plate, it was the last run the lavwhaws would score. Kansas was practically silent from then on out. Kansan sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com. NBA - Edited by Stacey Couch Bulls win against Pacers with last-second shot INDIANAPOLIS — Ben Gordon's spinning fadeaway from just inside Gordon drove right, spun in toward the lane and launched the the paint with 2.8 seconds left lifted the Chicago Bulls to a 92-90 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. SPECTACULAR SUMMER SESSIONS CHOOSE FROM MORE THAN THAN 300 SUMMER COURSES Associated Press EARLY SESSION: May 29-June 28 FULL SESSION: May 29-July 19 LATE SESSION: July 2-August 2 NBA MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Garnett's 15-foot fadeaway jumper at the buzzer lifted Minnesota. www.washburn.edu/schedule/summer He finished with 39 points, the second-highest total of his career, and had 14 rebounds. He scored Indiana's last 14 points. shot over the taller Mike Dunleavy. After LaMarcus Aldridge tipped in a miss by Jarrett Jack to give Portland a 93-92 lead, Garnett took a hurried inbounds pass with 2.2 seconds to go, wheeled and dropped a jumper over Aldridge at. Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal had a chance to force overtime, but missed a jumper from near the free-throw line as time expired. in its past 12 games and quaranteet itself at least a.500 season with its 41st win. Chicago won for the ninth time Luool Deng finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Ben Wallace added 13 rebounds for the Bulls. Dunleavy scored 23 points for the Pacers. Minnesota wins by one with late fadeaway The Amity Corporation is interviewing in Denver. CO on April 21th. Amity English Schools offer salaried positions at each of our 70+ schools. Dedicated professionals who have a BA/BS degree and an expert command of English grammar. Please submit a resume & 500 word essay titled, "Why I Want to Teach Children & Live in Japan." online at www.ajteachers.com to us online at www.amityteachers.com Email your questions to us at amitychi@aeonet.com amity Brandon Roy had 22 points and five rebounds and Aldridge added 13 points and six rebounds for the Blazers, who had won three in a row. Garnett finished with 22 points and nine rebounds, but 30 year-old veteran was overshadowed for most of the game by three impressive rookies. the other end to give the Wolves the win. Not to be outdone, Wolves rookie Randy Foye scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Wolves from a five-point deficit. 2 for 1 admission tonight! Associated Press THINK KU FOR SUMMER ENROLL NOW! for the Lawrence and Edwards Campuses See your advisor for more information!