8B
BASEBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2007
Sarah Leonard/KANSAN
Ryne Price, junior infielder, slides back into first base after a hit is caught by Oral Roberts during the game in Oklahoma Tuesday. Oral Roberts scored seven runs in the first two innings and beat Kansas 9-1.
Morrison was right. Regardless of the call, Oral Roberts batted its entire order to put up four runs in the first, creating an uphill battle for the lajwhaws. This was their fourth-straight loss this season.
"Its starting to be a little bit worrisome," coach Ritch Price said. "We give up a three-run homer in the first inning against Stanford on Friday. We give up the four-run homer against Stanford on Sunday, then we turn around and give these two home runs up early. We're putting ourselves in a hole, there's no doubt about that."
The Golden Eagles, however, used right hander Chance Chapman (1-0) as a shield to score runs at their leisure. The senior lasted seven innings without surrendering a single run or walk, but striking out nine.
Oral Roberts' offensive attack was relentless as well. Scoring in each of the first three innings, the Golden Eagles scored again in the bottom of the third increasing the lead 8-0.
The hill grew closer to mountain status just one inning later, as Van Kirk blasted a home run to left.
trying to do with our younger guys," Morrison said. "Keep their confidence level up and not let the big immy like that hurt us."
That ended the day for Marcel (1-1), the shortest appearance by a starter this season. The freshman left after 1 1/3 innings, surrendering six runs on six hits.
Price said, although he praised his players for taking Chapman's first pitch breaking ball for a ball in most instances. "But when the count went 3-2 or 2-2, he was still able to throw it for a strike and that's why I thought he was so effective."
"We've inst got to not lose focus with what we're
"I thought he's the one guy right now that's given us a lot of trouble?"
Although Kansas' pitching held tight for the remainder of the game, Oral Roberts still found a way to score in the sixth.
BASEBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"I think we're close. We're progressing.I think next time we face them we're going to be a different team."
the afternoon, Kahaleleho's lead-off triple stood and a groundout RBI that followed nixed Marcin's no-runs allowed streak.
Freshman right-hander Thomas Marcin relieved Esquibel only to give up the third controversial hit of
Jeremy Hefner's pitch to left field. Freshman third baseman Rob Price knocked Murphy, in finally stringing a set of hits together in the top of the eighth, giving Kansas hope of a game opposite to Tuesday's when Oral. Roberts
Refusing the shut out, senior center fielder Kyle Murphy held up at second after smacking relief pitcher
KYLE MURPHY Senior center fielder
visits Kansas on April 10.
"I think we're close," Murphy said. "We're progressing. I think next time we face them we're going to be a different team."
- Henry T's · Henry T's ·
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
Henry Ts • Henry Ts • Henry Ts • Henry Ts • Henry Ts • Henry Ts • Hen
Edited by Stacey Couch
Henry T's • Henry T's •
Little goes right in fourth-straight loss
BY SHAWN SHROYER
TULSA, Okla. — By the bottom of the sixth inning, coach Ritch Price had had enough.
No sooner had third-base umpire Terry Harrison let out a sate call, than Price, a normally reserved presence in the Kansas dugout, was on his way to vehemently object to Harrison's face. Price, though, stopped himself short of getting ejected.
On the play, Oral Roberts' Jake Kahauelio dove into third base and appeared to be tagged just before reaching the bag. Harrison, however, ruled Kahauelio safe for a triple.
Price declined to comment on the play after the game.
In reality, the play had little impact on the final result - a 9-1 score in the Golden Eagle.
- but it was symbolic of a game
in which little went right for the jayhawks.
Just three innings earlier, in the bottom of the third, a seemingly harmless pop fly by Oral Roberts catcher Brian Van Kirk to shallow right field led to a bizarre play at the plate.
With Oral Roberts' Brendan Duffy standing on third, Kansas junior right fielder Brock Simpson caught the ball clearly, but his throw toward home plate to keep Duffy on third wasn't as smooth.
Simpson's throw skipped in front of senior catcher Dylan Parzyk and glanced off his mask, flying to the backstop. That allowed Duffy to cross the plate and add to Oral Roberts' bloated lead.
At the plate, the Jayhawks managed just eight hits and struck out 14 times.
'There’s definitely some guys struggling, no doubt about it' junior
shortstop Erik Morrison said, "Guys are going to struggle, especially with the young team that we have, and you just have to be the first one there to pat them on the butt and tell them. 'You can do it.'"
The loss extended Kansas' losing streak to four games its longest since April 2005. Although three close losses to Stanford last week-end were respectable, the one-sided loss to Oral Roberts on Tuesday afternoon offered some proof that Kansas was still recovering from its inability to practice outside and an 11-day break caused by poor field conditions.
Senior right handed pitcher Chance Chapman started for Oral Roberts and recorded nine strikeouts thanks to an effective mix of breaking balls. Price said his players mainly struggled against Chapman because they hadn't had many chances to face live pitching outside
this season.
"The more we get outside, the better job we'll do handling the breaking ball." Price said.
However, Morrison didn't want to fault Kansas' performance on the poor weather in Lawrence.
"I don't want to think that," Morrison said. "It definitely hurts not being able to go outside for four weeks, but there's no excuses."
Luckily for the Jayhawks, their home opener is on the horizon. Kansas is scheduled to play a three-game set with Western Illinois at Hoglund Ballpark this weekend, and the players believe it could be what they need to break out of their recent funk.
"Hopetfully we can get home, get some good work in these next few days, get our confidence level up this weekend and play some good baseball." Morrison said. "That should carry us into Arkansas and College
Oral Roberts 9, Kansas 1
Kansas 000 000 010 — 1 8 1
Oral Roberts 431 001 00 X — 9 13 0
W — Chapman (1-0)
L — Marceliel, W (1-1)
HR — ORU: Van Kirk; McQuigg
Station and we should be right on track."
For Price, the home series will almost be a bonus compared to having the opportunity to practice regularly outside.
"It's crucial," Price said. "The most important thing is we need to get outside on our field and be able to take batting practice and play a home game."
Kansan senior sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@kansan.com
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