Monday, April 14, 2008
In scoring 18 runs to win the first two games of its series with Texas Tech, Kansas took advantage of gusting winds and erratic Red Raider pitching. But on Sunday, the Jayhawks relied on strong defense and savvy pitching – which has suddenly become commonplace – to complete its first Big 12 sweep since 2006.
The game wasn’t all pitching and defense, though, as Kansas (22-16, 4-8) capitalized on three home runs in its 5-2 victory against Texas Tech (17-19, 4-11). The victory lifted Kansas from 10th place to seventh in the Big 12.
Senior left-fielder John Allman lunges to make a catch during Sunday's game against Texas Tech at Hoglund Ballpark. The Hawks defeated the Red Raiders 5-2. Kansas improved to 22-16 on the season and 4-8 in the Big 12 with the victory.
“When you’re in last place in this conference, and you’ve got nine teams standing in front of you, and you’re trying to get into the Big 12 tournament, it was going to take a special weekend for us to get back in it,” Kansas coach Ritch Price said.
Freshman right hander T.J. Walz got the first weekend start of his Kansas career and while he flirted with disaster throughout the afternoon, he kept the Jayhawks in the game.
Walz lasted 5.1 innings, and in five of six innings, he allowed Texas Tech’s leadoff hitter to reach base – three times walking Red Raider second baseman Willie Rueda. But after walking Rueda to lead off the third, Walz promptly picked him off at first base. Senior left fielder John Allman got Walz out of the inning with a diving catch on a shallow fly ball hit by Texas Tech third baseman Joey Kenworthy.
In the fourth, Texas Tech right fielder Roger Kieschnick led off the inning with a base hit, but Kansas junior catcher Buck Afenir nailed Kieschnick when he attempted to steal second base. The next inning Walz faced the minimum for the third straight time, aided by a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
However, Walz’s final walk to Rueda cost him the decision. Nursing a 1-0 lead that came on a solo home run by freshman designated hitter Jimmy Waters in the third inning, Walz put Rueda on to lead off the sixth inning and was taken out after Rueda moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Junior catcher Buck Afenir is greeted by teammates as he touches home plate after a two-run homerun shot to center in the sixth. Afenir's homerun was the first of two in the four-run inning for the Hawks.
“It’s the first time that we’ve gotten three quality starts all year on the same weekend,” Price said. “We’ve scored enough runs in every series to win two out of three, but our pitching didn’t quite get it done.”
Junior reliever Paul Smyth (2-3) came in for Walz and allowed the Red Raiders to knot the game, 1-1, surrendering a two-out single to Texas Tech left fielder Doug Thennis that drove Rueda home.
But after scoring just one run in the first five innings, the Kansas offense exploded for four runs in the sixth to retake the lead.
After a one-out walk by Allman, Afenir sent his fifth home run of the season into the batter’s eye above the center field wall. With that, Texas Tech right hander Chad Bettis (3-3) exited after 5.1, otherwise solid, innings.
Right hander Zach Stewart entered for Bettis, and after two batters, he coughed up a two-run home run to junior first baseman Preston Land that sailed just inside the left field foul pole and extended Kansas’ lead to 5-1. The home run was Land’s second of the series after hitting one Friday and gave the Jayhawks their second three-home run game of the series.
“Our offense this whole year has done a pretty good job of answering back when the other teams scored, and it showed really well this weekend,” Land said.
Texas Tech tacked on another run in the eighth to cut Kansas’ lead to 5-2. But Smyth, in 3.2 innings of relief, held the lead and sealed the sweep for Kansas.
With its pitching staff coming together, Kansas’ offense isn’t feeling the same stress it has felt so far in Big 12 play.
“When you get three quality starts like we had this weekend, it takes the pressure off the hitters,” Land said. “We know that if we put up four or five runs, then we’ve got a pretty good chance of winning. When our pitchers pitch like they did this weekend, it’s just huge for the offense and the defense.”
— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird
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