Monday, April 23, 2007
Nearing their first series Big 12 Conference sweep this season, coach Ritch Price and the Jayhawks put their hopes of salvaging the weekend on freshman lefty Wally Maricel.
He came through.
Allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings of work, Marciel (4-2) and the Jayhawks picked up their first series finale victory of the conference season Sunday against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 8-1.
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The big thing about being a head coach, you’ve got to be positive. There’s going to be peaks and valleys in this game, and if you panic the pressure just rises. You’ve got to keep with them.
-coach Ritch Price
“I’ve been really proud of his development,” Price said. “He hasn’t even allowed an earned run in the month of April, except for that home run today. He pitched like the Hawaii high school pitcher of the year today.”
Marciel’s first Big 12 start was decided after fellow left-hander Nick Czyz was taken out of the rotation for the weekend because of a sore tricep. Marciel’s start, however, looked like anything but a first. And with the help of the offense Kansas has been more accustomed to in past seasons, Marciel had plenty of room to get comfy.
Kansas (20-25, 6-12) took its first lead on a two-out rally in the top of the second. With two down, junior second baseman Ryne Price reached on a third strike that got away from catcher Matt Smith. A single from junior utility man Casey Larson, who filled in at first base on Sunday, kept the inning going for junior designated hitter Joe Servais.
Servais took off on a pitch from Cory Large. Large, who made his fourth appearance of the season after being injured for two months, surrendered the first Jayhawk lead of the weekend as Servais’ double scored Price.
The Red Raider designated hitter did some damage of his own in the bottom of the third. The first and only home run of the weekend came when Chris Richburg led off the inning with a solo blast to center field to tie the game.
Using three different Red Raider relievers, three walks, one beaned batter and just one hit, the Jayhawks put three runs on board in the top of the sixth to take back the lead.
Junior left fielder John Allman kicked off the scoring rally and the next four Jayhawks walked safely to base.
A double by Erik Morrison was the only hit of the inning as relievers Chris Ortmeier and Josh Scofield combined to walk three straight Jayhawks, one of which walked in Morrison for Kansas’ third run of the game. Servais chipped in again with an RBI groundout to give him two on the day.
While Kansas continued to build its lead, Texas Tech continued to squander away chances to close the gap. By the end of the sixth, the Jayhawks had pushed the score to 4-1, its largest in their last seven games. Meanwhile, after Richburg’s home run, the Red Raiders left 10 runners on base.
“The big thing about being a head coach, you’ve got to be positive,” Price said. “There’s going to be peaks and valleys in this game, and if you panic the pressure just rises. You’ve got to keep with them.”
The Jayhawk bats plowed forward, scoring twice in the seventh and another pair in the ninth.
A trio of singles from senior center fielder Kyle Murphy, Allman and sophomore catcher Buck Afenir brought yet another Texas Tech pitching change and two more runs for the visiting team.
Choosing to ride it out, Red Raider reliever Brian Cloud remained in the game for its duration, allowing the two ninth inning runs, as well. Murphy led off the ninth with his third consecutive hit of the afternoon before freshman third baseman Robby Price reached on a fluke mistake by left fielder Doug Thennis.
Both players scored on RBI hits from Allman and Afenir to cap off the Jayhawks eight-run day. Despite outscoring the Red Raiders 10-7 on the weekend, the Jayhawks’ 8-1 blowout on Sunday was the only victory they brought home. Although they lost the series, the Sunday victory was immensely important. Entering the weekend, Texas Tech was ranked second to last, with Kansas sitting just below. Avoiding the weekend sweep, the Jayhawks are now keeping their Big 12 Tournament hopes alive.
“I think it saved our season today,” Price said. “When you have your back to the wall you have to come up with a plus performance, and that was one of our best today.”
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
— Edited by Katie Sullivan
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