THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY MARCH 15 2007
BASEBALL
WICHITA STATE 18, KANSAS 3
9B
Rivalry continues with blowout
John Allman, senior outfielder, slides into second base during Wednesday night's game. Wichita state blew out Kansas 18-3
BY ALISSA BAUER
In the Ritch Price era at Kansas the Jayhawk and No. 12 Shocker rivalry has been one for the ages.
With tight games and great crowds, rarely do those watching know who will get the victory before the final out.
Before Wednesday night's 18-3 blowout, five runs marked the biggest margin of defeat at the hands of the Shockers.
"I don't think there's a positive thing that happened in the game, to be honest with you," Price said. "That's the first time since I've been here that we've been boat raced at home by Wichita State. I think we've split every series we played with them since I've been here. They took us apart in every phase of the game."
The dismantling began with the very first at bat.
Shocker second baseman Damon Sublett extended his hit streak to 13 games with the Shockers first at bat of the game.
The All-American then put the first run of the evening on the board two batters later, when he scored on a sacrifice fly.
Off handedly, Sublett also played a key role in the Jayhawks' first run. In the bottom of the second, sophomore first baseman Preston Land popped a Rob Musgrave delivery high above second. Sublette couldn't track it, the ball hit the ground and Land had the single.
Wichita State first baseman Derek Schermhorn threw home, attempting to get junior second baseman Ryne Price out at the plate, but to no avail as the lavihaws tied the game.
Unfazed, the Shockers took back their lead with their next at bat, using a string of unearned runs.
Schermerhorn started the rally with a single to center. A Jayhawk error put two runners on.
Shocker designated hitter Danny Jackson took one for his team for the first time to load the bases, which were unloaded by the inning, giving the Shocks a 4-1 edge.
When Kansas put another up to narrow the gap to 4-2, Price pulled starter Wally Marceli.
The true freshman left-hander
Ashwood kept Wichita State off the board for a whole innery.
lasted three innings against the top-
25 powerhouse before being lifted for
weekend starter junior left-hander
Zach Ashwood.
After striking out the side in the top of the fourth, the Shockers scored in all of the five innings that followed, starting with a four-run fifth.
Making his first career start, Wichita State outfielder Bret Bascue recorded his first career hit, which led to the first RBI of his career in the fifth inning.
Besides setting the first milestones of Bascue's career, the fifth inning marked the first time Wichita State batted around.
The seven-run eighth inning marked the second.
Physical is one thing, dominating is another.
Wichita State out hit Kansas 18-8, crushed three home runs and tied the 1992 Shocker squad for the biggest blowout in the 55-year series history.
club, they've been a good ball club since I've played them," junior shortstop Erik Morrison said. "We knew they were going to come in here and give us a good game. You've got to give them credit, they came up here to our home, swung the bats well and pitched well — they earned the 'W for sure.'"
"I told Coach Stephenson that's the most physical they've been with the bat since I've been here," Price said. "They hit three or four bombs out of the park, that's something I haven't seen from them."
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
BASEBALL
Edited by Mark Vierthaler
BY SHAWN SHROYER
Sometimes a move to the bullpen pays off and sometimes it doesn't. Both Kansas and Wichita State went to their bullpens in the fourth inning.
The move worked for the Shockers, but backfired on the Jayhawks.
"Coach was trying to piece the game together after that, an inning or two at a time with guys," Kansas coach Ritch Price said of pitching coach Ryan Graves' strategy with his bullpen after freshman left-hander Wally Marcel struggled through the first three innings.
Entering the fourth inning, Kansas trailed Wichita State just 4-2, but the Shockers posted a three-spot in the third, so Price brought in junior left-hander Zach Ashwood.
In his first inning, Ashwood struck out the side. However, his day ended abruptly.
Ashwood gave up a leadoff walk to Derek Schermerhorn in the fifth and Schermerhorn was soon on third after Ashwood balked and threw a wild pitch. Schermerhorn scored on a groundout.
Ashwood then hit the third batter of the inning, give up a single to the fourth batter and hit the fifth batter to load the bases. He was then pulled from the game and replaced by junior right-hander Hiarali Garcia, but Garcia couldn't keep the three Shockers from scoring. Ashwood was charged with four earned runs in 1.1 innings and the Kansas offense never overcame the deficit.
It didn't get much better as four more Kansas relievers entered the game to allow 10 more runs. Things got so bad
that Kansas closer sophomore Paul Smyth gave up his first earned run of the season.
The Shockers' move to the bullpen, though, proved to be lights out for the lajhawks.
Right hander Khol Nanney was the first Wichita State reliever to enter the game and it appeared he might fair as well as Ashwood after he hit the first batter he faced and threw a wild pitch. But he recovered, retiring the side thereafter.
After Nanney surrendered the first of only three hits Kansas recorded against Wichita State relievers and walked the next batter in the fifth inning, he was replaced by lefthander Anthony Capra.
Nanney, Capra and right-handers Kyle Touchatt and Jared Simon combined to shut out the Jayhawks over 5.2 innings. Kansas' reserves managed to plate one run with two outs in the ninth.
"We've got a lot of confidence going right now. It's our mentality that whenever Gene comes to bring one of us in, we're going to throw strikes," Capra said, referring to Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson.
As for the layhaws, Price said they were already in the process of putting Wednesday's debacle behind them.
"There's a great line in 'Bull Durham' by Crash Davis where he says, 'This is the most humbling game in the world,' and today we got absolutely humbled, big time," Price said. "Our bullpen's been fabulous. We're going to flush today and go back to work. Some guys who got knocked around today have been doing an outstanding job for us."
Kansan senior sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@kansan.com.
Wichita State 18, Kansas 3
- Edited bv Jvl Unruh
GOALS
Kansas
Wichita State
RHE
001 000 001 -3.8.2
103 041 171 -18 180
Muscrage, Nanney (4), Capra (5), Touchatt (8), Simon (9) and Weber; Marcel, Ashwood (3), Garcia, Hayakawa (7), Marcin (7), Smyth (8) and Anferr, Parzyk. W-Mercur 4-0, L-1—Marcel 2-2, 2-8 —WSU: Sublett, Workman, Hill; KU: Murphy, Faunce. 38 —WSU: Jones. HR —WSU: Brown, Workman, Bascue.
RECORDS
Kansas
Wichita State
12-9
14-4
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