Thursday, March 15, 2007
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.
KANSAN
Zach Ashwood launches a pitch. Kansas pitchers struggled to stop Wichita State from having so many hits and home runs.
“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 Marciel 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.
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The Shockers’ move to the bullpen, though, proved to be lights out for the Jayhawks.
Ashwood then hit the third batter of the inning, gave 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 Jayhawks.
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 left-hander 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 Jayhawks, 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
— Edited by Jyl Unruh
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