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| Gators champs again Wed, 21 May 2008 10:54:19 -0500 It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but the Greenwood baseball team did just enough to outlast Bowling Green 10-9 in the District 14 Championship game on Tuesday at Warren East High School. In a game that featured nine errors, 10 walks and four hit batters, Greenwood (22-6) scored in each of the first five innings and held back a late rally by Bowling Green (18-9) to run its winning streak to nine games and claim its first district title since 2005. “I told (BG coach Matt Logic) and their guys, ‘I don’t think Cooperstown is going to call and want a film of this game,’ ” Greenwood coach Chris Decker said. “At the same time, no matter how bad we played, we’re not going to give that trophy back.” Bowling Green came in as the defending District 14 champ, but the Purples were done in by shaky defense. BG committed six errors, leading to five unearned runs for the Gators. “That scoreboard tells a lot of different stories,” Logic said. “When you commit six errors, you don’t deserve to win. They were very routine plays. You can’t do that. Luckily, you can get away with it in this game and still be playing, but if you do it again it will be a quick exit.” Four errors came in the first two innings, allowing Greenwood to build a 5-2 lead. Bowling Green briefly took control in the bottom of the second with three straight singles by Brandon Higdon, Ben Rauh and LaVance Anderson that fueled a four-run rally and gave the Purples a 6-5 advantage. The Gators avoided further damage when reliever Shane Wood came in and struck out Caleb Hanes to end the inning. Wood stifled the Purples’ bats for three innings, allowing three hits and no runs. “He did a great job in the middle innings to get us some goose eggs,” Decker said. “He’s definitely not going to strike many out, but we kind of settled in and made some plays behind him.” Wood said he just wanted to give his offense a chance to take over. “It was ugly out there,” Wood said. “I just tried to throw strikes, do my job and get my work done.” With Wood in control, Greenwood’s offense regained the momentum - tying the score with an unearned run in the third and adding a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings to make the score 10-6. Bowling Green tried to rally, loading the bases in the fifth, but were unable to score. The Purples got three runs in the sixth, cutting the deficit to one, but stranded two runners. Bowling Green then got the tying run on with one out in the seventh, but starter Brandon Miller - who came back in to pitch the seventh after being chased in the second - retired the final two batters to seal the victory. “I can’t say enough about the effort of our boys,” Decker said. “It definitely wasn’t our best game of the year, but we hung in there.” Wood picked up the victory, while Miller got the save. Bowling Green outhit Greenwood 10-7, but the Purples left 10 runners on base. Higdon paced the BG offense with three hits and an RBI, while Rauh had one hit and three RBIs. Ty Downing had three hits and Bradley Vanderglas and Chris Page had two RBIs each for Greenwood. Both teams advance to the Region 4 Tournament, which begins Monday at Nick Denes Field at Western Kentucky University. The region draw will be held Saturday, but Greenwood knows it will face Logan County or the runner-up in District 15 or District 16. Bowling Green will face Franklin-Simpson or the champion of District 15 or District 16. “Who knows how the other districts are going to play out,” Decker said. “Everybody is going to be good and you have to be on top of your game. You have a bigger field to contend with. We have a lot of things we have to improve on between now and next week.” |
| Washington, Eaton claim regional titles Wed, 21 May 2008 10:54:20 -0500 BENTON — After hustling through the last leg of the boys’ 4x400 relay, Logan County sophomore Thomas Washington crumpled in a heap on the Marshall County High School track. Washington capped a big day at the Class 3A, Region 1 track and field meet by pushing the Cougars to a victory by 45-hundredths of a second in the 4x400. Logan County coaches and teammates carried Washington - who won three regional titles and qualified for state in a fourth - into the bleachers, but it wasn’t an entirely celebratory assist. “You ought to see the bottoms of his feet,” Logan County coach Greg Howard said about the severe blisters that hampered his star. “It’s not pretty. We’ve iced them, we’ve done everything. In the 4x400, we had an alternate, and he said, ‘Coach, I’m going. We’re gonna give it a try.’ ” Washington earned region titles in the 400-meter dash and the long jump, qualified for next week’s state meet with a second-place finish in the triple jump, and turned in an intense final lap in the 4x400 to help the Cougars claim a third-place finish overall. “(It was) just the feeling of, ‘Don’t let my teammates down and give it all I got,’” Washington said, still breathless from the 4x400 finish. As expected, Greenwood sophomore Ryan Eaton won regional titles in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs, winning the races by roughly five and 11 seconds, respectively. “I was expecting some competition in the mile, and (Apollo’s) Tyler Dickinson gave me that,” Eaton said. “He was actually pretty close to me until the third lap. And the two-mile pretty much went to plan. I was going to take it out a little bit harder than the norm and just hang on from there.” Apollo won the boys competition with 118 points, edging Henderson County’s 117. Logan County was third with 50, while Greenwood was seventh with 34. On the girls’ side, Owensboro ran away with 135 points, far outdistancing Daviess County’s 75. Bowling Green was fourth with 60 points, and Warren Central was 12th with five. Including Eaton’s two victories, athletes from Bowling Green and Warren County schools qualified for next weekend’s state meet at the University of Louisville in nine events: |
| Lady Rebels stick together for first-ever district crown Wed, 21 May 2008 10:54:20 -0500 ELKTON - With a chance to secure its first district championship in school history Tuesday, the Todd County Central softball team did what’s it’s done all season - it’s members fed off one another. That persistence and attitude paid off for the host Lady Rebels as they turned a close game into a blowout with nine runs in the final three innings to capture the District 13 championship 10-4 over Logan County. “I’m just so proud of the girls, they worked so hard and played so hard all year and have come together as a team,” Todd County coach Troy Winders said. “We’ve had a lot of close ball games this year and they’ve stuck together, they’ve worked hard, they get along well and played as a team. “And as you saw tonight, it was a team effort - everybody hit, everyone played and we made mistakes, but when someone makes mistakes we’ve learned to pick them up.” Hitting became contagious for the Lady Rebels in the fifth inning, as Shirley Case and Danielle Chester both notched RBI singles to lead a four-run rally that turned a 2-1 Lady Cougar lead into a 5-2 Todd County advantage. The Lady Rebels added another run in the sixth, but shortstop Evie Turner delivered the closing blow with a one-out grand slam in the seventh to make it 10-2. Logan County added two more in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough. “It’s crazy,” Turner said. “We came out playing hard and we really wanted this bad and we had a good game last night. We came out tonight focused and it just feels amazing. “We’ve come a long way - at the beginning of the year we just weren’t very good, but we’ve come a real long way.” Winders said the runs-in-bunches theme has been a constant for his team. “That’s the way it’s been all year,” Winders said. “They just kind of feed off each other, and that’s just part of being a team. “I think that when you kind of feed off each other good things happen, we’ve done that all year and I hope we can do it just a little bit longer.” Logan County, meanwhile, had opportunities as the Lady Cougars jumped out to a 2-1 lead and made it stand up before the late offensive barrage by Todd County. But five errors and nine runners stranded on base proved too much to overcome. “Coming in as the number one seed you expect to win, but we knew it was going to be a tough fight and that’s exactly what we got,” Logan Couny coach Toby Turpin said. “In a district game, anything can happen. “You either have to stay up or let them take it from you and our biggest thing is to make sure we make them take it to us and not just give it to them.” But things aren’t all bad for Logan County - the Lady Cougars still get a chance to make some noise during next week’s Region 4 Tournament. “We’re going to give it a run and we’ll give it a try,” Turpin said. “It depends on who we draw, you never can tell as the region has a lot of good teams. “But we’re going there for a reason, so obviously we’re a pretty good team, too.” Nicole Aikens went the distance for the Lady Rebels (17-9), allowing four runs on six hits while fanning seven. Taking the loss for Logan County (11-12) was Courtney Rogers, who allowed two runs in relief of starter Aeren Birdwell before giving way to Brooke Yokley. With its first district trophy now ready for the trophy case - the first case other than Franklin-Simpson’s to hold it since 1996 - Winders said he hopes this won’t be the last piece of hardware the Lady Rebels bring home. “It feels wonderful,” Winders said. “We went to my first region last year and this year we got the district championship, so I just hope we’re starting to build a little tradition here - that’s what I want to do.” TCCHS 100 041 4 — 10 10 3 LCHS 101 000 2 — 4 6 5 WP: Aikens; LP: Rogers |
| Wildcats win third title in four seasons Wed, 21 May 2008 10:54:22 -0500 FRANKLIN — If Franklin-Simpson’s Preston Dallas learned anything prior to his seventh inning at-bat, it was to keep the ball on the ground. Dallas was robbed in the fifth inning on a diving catch from Logan County center fielder Tyler Johnson, which prevented at least one runner from scoring. But with a chance at redemption, Dallas delivered the Wildcats a 4-3 come-from-behind District 13 championship victory Tuesday at Franklin-Simpson High School. His game-winning single through a drawn-in infield scored a pair of runs and capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh. “I thought I had it (in my previous at-bat), but it was a good catch,” Dallas said. “I was just nervous and tried to keep it on the ground the next time.” Dallas’ hard grounder found a hole through the left side of the infield, scored Dillon Satterly and Adam Sliger and set off a wild Wildcats celebration as they won their third district title in the last four years. “I’m speechless right now,” Dallas said. “It hasn’t sunk in yet.” The Wildcats’ seventh-inning rally ended what was mostly a night of heavy frustration and missed opportunities. Franklin-Simpson put the leadoff runner on in every inning, but didn’t score until the sixth, when Hayden Williams’ single scored Drew Burrell and cut Logan County’s lead to 3-1. But three straight singles in the seventh from the Wildcats’ 2-3-4 hitters - Preston Johnson, Satterly and Sliger - set up Dallas’ game-winning hit. “It was very frustrating, but I told them to stay positive,” Franklin-Simpson coach Craig Delk said. “(The heart of our order) struggled but they were coming up in the bottom of the seventh when we needed them the most. I just wanted them to stop letting the pressure build, let those at-bats go away and they did.” “We showed some heart and desire at the end.” Franklin-Simpson also took advantage of four Logan County errors - three in the last two innings - and a likely tired Cobey Adler on the mound. Adler suffered the hard-luck loss while going the distance. “He battled and threw a lot of pitches,” Logan County coach Ethan Meguiar said. “But that’s his ballgame because that’s the best we have in that situation. Up 3-1 in the seventh against Franklin-Simpson, I’ll take that all day. We just didn’t get it done. We can’t commit four errors.” Adler and the Cougars’ best escape act came in the bottom of the third when Franklin-Simpson loaded the bases with nobody out. Despite facing the heart of the Wildcats’ order, Adler kept the game scoreless by getting an infield pop-up, a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning. “We were out of jams, out of jams, out of jams,” Meguiar said. “We were playing with fire the whole game.” Immediately after getting out of the third-inning game, Logan County took advantage. It took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth when Tyler Spain doubled and scored on a groundout and Adler added an RBI double. The lead grew to 3-0 in the fifth on Brett Sowell’s solo home run. “People don’t think the game of baseball has a lot of momentum to it, but every time they stopped us, it took a little wind out of our sails,” Delk said. Relief pitcher Zack Herrington earned the win by throwing 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after following Dallas. Both Logan County and Franklin-Simpson will play in next week’s Region 4 Tournament, which begins Monday at Western Kentucky’s Nick Denes Field. After Tuesday’s victory, the Wildcats have some momentum. “The region is wide open,” Delk said. “And we definitely have some momentum on our side.” |
| WKU wins Bubas Cup Wed, 21 May 2008 10:54:23 -0500 SANDESTIN, Fla. — Capping off one of the most successful academic years in school history, Western Kentucky claimed the Vic Bubas Cup along with three individual awards at the Sun Belt Conference’s annual spring meetings Tuesday. WKU was presented the Bubas Cup, given to the school gaining the most cumulative points in the league’s 19 sponsored sports, for the fourth time in the last seven years on the strength of a conference-record nine championships. In fact, WKU became the first Sun Belt school to win the conference in 50 percent of the sports it participated in (nine of 18), after claiming or sharing SBC titles in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s cross country, women’s swimming and diving, and soccer. The Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers also recorded upper division finishes in volleyball (second in the East Division and runner-up at the league tournament), men’s swimming and diving (third), men’s cross country and golf (both fourth) and baseball (tied for fifth). WKU finished with 142.5 points, seven more than runner-up Middle Tennessee. North Texas (105.5) was the only other school to surpass the century mark in the standings. WKU joins South Alabama and former league member South Florida as the only schools to win the Bubas Cup five or more times. The school also recorded another league first by having a student-athlete win one of each of the three end-of-season awards. Crystal Kelly was chosen the Female Student-Athlete of the Year, which is based on outstanding leadership, achievement and character. Meredith Goodson claimed the Female Postgraduate Scholarship and Wes Brown was selected the Male Sporting Behavior Award winner. Kelly, a native of Louisville, was named the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and holds the league’s career scoring record with 2,803 points, the 12th-highest total in NCAA history. A Newnan, Ga., resident, Goodson earned $2,000 towards her postgraduate education in recognition of her superior academic achievement. The two-time team captain was a first-team all-Sun Belt selection in 2007 after helping the Lady Toppers claim their first ever regular season championship. Brown, a Bowling Green product, was recognized for his outstanding leadership and achievement in the classroom, on the field of play and in the community. During his final season, he ranked third on the squad in the 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley - in addition to ending the year sixth in the SBC in the fly, his time of 1:50.40 in the event put him fifth on the all-time top performer list on the Hill. |
| Three Toppers named to All-SBC baseball Wed, 21 May 2008 10:54:23 -0500 At Lafayette, La., three members of the Western Kentucky baseball team received all-Sun Belt Conference honors Tuesday night in advance of the 2008 SBC Tournament. Junior designated hitter Chad Cregar - who was also named the league’s Newcomer of the Year - was named to the first team, while sophomore starting pitcher Matt Ridings and sophomore third baseman Wade Gaynor took second-team honors. Cregar has put together one of the best offensive seasons in recent WKU history in his first year on the Hill after transferring from Northwest Mississippi Community College. He currently leads the Sun Belt in home runs with 19, and ranks second in the league with 72 RBIs - just two behind Florida Atlantic’s Mike McKenna, who was named the conference Player of the Year. His home-run total stands tied for sixth on the WKU single-season list, and his 72 RBIs are the fifth most ever in a season by a Hilltopper. He enters postseason play just seven RBIs shy of Mike William’s record of 79 set during the 1980 season. While Cregar has been leading the Hilltoppers at the plate, Ridings has been getting it done on the mound, as he enters his start in today’s tournament opener against Florida Atlantic with a 9-2 record, and a 6-2 mark against Sun Belt Conference teams. He is vying to become just the fifth Hilltopper pitcher to ever win double-figure games in a season. After a solid freshman campaign, Gaynor continued to be a constant in the WKU lineup during his second year on the Hill, starting all 53 games of the regular season. A .338 hitter on the year, he enters postseason play tied with Cregar for the team lead with 77 hits. He has seen 34 of those go for extra bases, including 21 doubles and 12 home runs. His doubles total is tied for seventh on the single-season list, and is just three shy of Chris Turner’s record of 24 set during the 1991 campaign. He also joins Cregar as the only other Hilltopper with double-figure homers on the season. The Hilltoppers enter the postseason with a 29-24 record, and finished tied for fifth in the Sun Belt standings with a 16-14 mark. That is the most overall wins, and the highest league finish, for WKU since 2004. The Toppers opened tournament play at 9 a.m. today, taking on FAU in game one of the tournament. |
| Throw-in shows he also can throw Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Danny Herrera is used to being the "short guy," so being the "other guy" in a major trade wasn't new. The Louisville Bats reliever was the unknown factor the Cincinnati Reds acquired in their December trade with Texas. |
| Piazza, 39, catcher with an all-time bat, retires Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Mike Piazza retired from baseball yesterday after a 16-season career in which he became one of the top hitting catchers in history. |
| Indians' slam beats Bats 5-2 Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Neil Walker hit a grand slam in the first inning, and the Indianapolis Indians defeated the Louisville Bats 5-2 last night. |
| State panel weighs steroid use in horses Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Members of a Kentucky panel that oversees drug rules for horse racing got into a lively discussion yesterday about whether the state should tighten the reins on steroid use on horses. |
| These days politics steal sports' lingo Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Most of The Courier-Journal staff must have been on vacation that week in the summer of 1992, because President George H.W. Bush was coming to a Louisville Redbirds game and I, a lowly clerk and part-time writer, was assigned to cover the game. |
| U of L's Childs and Childs in NCAAs Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST University of Louisville freshman Austen Childs will face UCLA's Harel Srugo in the first round of the NCAA Singles Tennis Championship today in Tulsa, Okla. |
| Cards defeat Pirates in first round Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Matt Lea allowed one run and five hits over 52/3 innings, and Chris Dominguez drove in three runs to lead the University of Louisville in a 12-3 victory over Seton Hall in the opening round of the Big East Conference championship yesterday. |
| Cats must face Tide on its home turf Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST The University of Kentucky baseball team has a chance to play at home when the NCAA Tournament opens next week. |
| Kentucky schools get 4 semifinalists for Golden Spikes Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST University of Kentucky outfielders Collin Cowgill and Sawyer Carroll, Eastern Kentucky University pitcher Christian Friedrich and University of Louisville third baseman Chris Dominguez are among 50 semifinalists for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, which honors the nation's best college player. |
| Trinity advances to district final, 5-1 Wed, 21 May 2008 04:53:00 EST Since losing to Ballard 5-2 on April 15, Trinity's baseball team has been on a roll, and it continued with a 5-1 victory over Seneca last night in a 27th District semifinal at Waggener. |
| Churchill Meet Leaders Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST |
| PREP BASEBALL: Elizabethtown upends Central Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:08 -0500 ELIZABETHTOWN What a difference two weeks can make. |
| PREP BASEBALL: John Hardin sweeps North Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500 RADCLIFF It’s been said that hitting is contagious and the John Hardin Bulldogs certainly had a bad case of it spread through the team Thursday night. |
| PREP SOFTBALL: Krupinski, Central Hardin shut out John Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500 CECILIA Having been shut out in their previous two games, the Central Hardin Lady Bruins were in a little bit of a funk. |
| PREP SOFTBALL/BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Lady Panthers fall; Mayfield moves to 7-1 Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500 The slumping Elizabethtown Lady Panthers lost for the 10th time in 13 games, falling to visiting Warren Central on Thursday, 3-1. |
| BOYS'/GIRLS' PREP TENNIS RESULTS: Thursday's Matches Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500 Results from Thursday's area high school tennis matches: |
| John Clay: Cats must answer point-guard question Wed, 21 May 2008 19:53 EDT The hottest question on UK's summer sports plate was supposed to concern which quarterback will direct Rich Brooks' offense this fall. A tougher question might be, who exactly is going to quarterback Billy Gillispie's offense come November? Tuesday's news that DeAndre Liggins, the highly touted guard out of Chicago, is down to his last shot at freshman eligibility turns the spotlight on what could be the missing link to Kentucky's chances at making some Southeastern Conference and national noise when Gillispie's second season here rolls around. After all, Ramel Bradley, who made the transformation from shaky to solid, if not spectacular, in his senior season as the UK point guard, has moved on to mashing pro basketball possibilities with a rap career. And Bradley's expected replacement, junior-to-be Derrick Jasper, is back home in California, plotting his next move. Even Gillispie admitted two weeks back that Jasper would "most likely" transfer. There has been no official update since Billy G. paid the Jaspers a home visit in hopes of talking the 6-foot-6 veteran into returning to the Bluegrass. |
| LSU beats South Carolina 5-4 in 10 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:59 EDT Blake Dean hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to cap a late comeback and give LSU a 5-4 victory over South Carolina on Wednesday in the opening game of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament. With the victory, the Tigers (40-16-1) extended their winning streak to 17 games. LSU has not lost since April 19. Jared Bradford (10-4) pitched a scoreless 10th inning after giving up a leadoff walk to get the win for the Tigers. LSU trailed 4-0 entering the bottom of the ninth. But two walks set up a three-run homer by Matt Clark off Will Atwood, cutting the lead to 4-3. With two outs in the ninth, Ryan Schimpf blooped a hit that barely landed inside the left-field line, allowing D.J. LeMahieu to score from first base and send the game into extra innings. |
| UK baseball games in SEC Tournament to be televised live in Lexington Wed, 21 May 2008 12:39 EDT The University of Kentucky's first two games in the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament will be televised live in Lexington on Insight Cable Channel 17. Kentucky opens play in the double-elimination event Wednesday at 9 p.m. vs. Alabama at Hoover, Ala. If Kentucky beats Alabama, it will play Thursday at 9 p.m. against the Mississippi-Georgia winner. If Kentucky loses to Alabama, it will play Thursday at 2 p.m. against the Mississippi-Georgia loser. All tournament games Friday through Sunday can be seen on FSN South (Insight Cable Channel 52). |
| Liggins still working on academics Wed, 21 May 2008 02:05 EDT The coach of star Kentucky recruit DeAndre Liggins expressed confidence in the player's ability to gain his initial college eligibility while acknowledging that the latest attempt fell short. Mike Peck, the coach at Findlay Prep in the Las Vegas area, said that Liggins planned to take the SAT on June 7 and the ACT on June 14. "If he's going to take it again, obviously we're not comfortable with how he scored (on tests earlier this spring)," Peck said on Tuesday. Peck declined to say directly that Liggins would meet the core-classes component required for freshman eligibility by the NCAA. But he suggested that only the college entrance exam remained as an academic hurdle. "He's going to graduate next week," Peck said. "We look at it as one thing at a time. He'll graduate and have a diploma. |
| Big Brown no cinch, but close Wed, 21 May 2008 02:05 EDT Random notes: .. While Big Brown appears a prohibitive favorite to win the Triple Crown, there are never any guarantees in the final jewel. For starters, the Japanese import Casino Drive is certainly an enticing contender. And, you never know how a 3-year-old, even one as talented as Big Brown, but especially one who has made just five lifetime starts, will react to running three races in such a short amount of time. .. All that said, you're not going to see me bet against Big Brown. .. After taking two of three from Mississippi over the weekend, the UK baseball team climbed from 35th to 30th in the latest college baseball RPI. That probably reinforces that John Cohen's club needs to win at least one or two games in the conference tournament to earn a regional host designation for the NCAA Tournament. |
| Losses in '06 remind Cats to relax Wed, 21 May 2008 07:37 EDT A costly lesson, to be sure. But Kentucky's 0-2 trip to the 2006 Southeastern Conference baseball tournament could pay dividends as the Wildcats return to Hoover, Ala., Wednesday. Fourth-seeded UK (41-15 overall, 16-14 SEC) will meet No. 5 Alabama (32-14, 16-14) in the last of Wednesday's four first-round games at Regions Park. If the earlier games finish on schedule, the Cats will play at 9 p.m.; otherwise, later. Alabama is in the tourney for the 28th time, UK the 14th. Collin Cowgill, a fourth-year junior out of Henry Clay High School, learned plenty during the 2006 tourney. |
| Kevin Garnett leads Celtics past Pistons, 88-79 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:11 EDT Not even a week of rest could prepare the Detroit Pistons for the hottest home team in the NBA. Kevin Garnett had 26 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce scored 22 points Tuesday night to lead Boston to an 88-79 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics' 15th straight home win. Kendrick Perkins had 10 rebounds and Rajon Rondo added 11 points and seven assists for Boston, which earned home court through the playoffs with a league-best 66-16 regular season record. The Celtics rode that advantage to seven-game series victories over Atlanta and Cleveland and held serve in the opener against Detroit. Game 2 is in Boston on Thursday night. Tayshaun Prince scored 16 points, and Antonio McDyess added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons. Chauncey Billups, who missed most of the last three games of Detroit's Eastern Conference semifinal against Orlando because of a strained right hamstring, had nine points and two assists and went about 40 minutes between baskets. |
| Billingsley shuts down Reds, Dodgers win 4-1 Wed, 21 May 2008 01:29 EDT Chad Billingsley pitched seven scoreless innings and singled home a run, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-1 victory over Cincinnati on Tuesday night and sending the Reds to their eighth straight loss at Chavez Ravine. Billingsley (4-5) won for the fourth time in five starts, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven. The right-hander has given up seven earned runs in 32 innings during that stretch, taking a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning of his previous start last Thursday at Milwaukee. Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect eighth inning and Joe Beimel gave up a two-out RBI single in the ninth before Takashi Saito nailed it down for his seventh save in nine chances. Adam Dunn's home-run streak ended at five games, leaving him in a tie with Ken Griffey Jr., Ted Kluszewski and Johnny Bench for the Reds' franchise record. The 6-foot-6 left fielder struck out twice and walked in his three plate apearances against Billingsley, who hasn't allowed a homer in 36 innings spanning his last six starts. Dunn's RBI streak also ended at eight games, three shy of the club record set by Joe Morgan in 1976. |
| 43rd District baseball: Dunbar rips past Lafayette 9-2 Wed, 21 May 2008 00:24 EDT Paul Dunbar is still the reigning state baseball champ, and the Bulldogs hope to make that clear as they try to defend their crown this post-season. "It's our state title, and if somebody wants it, they're going to have to take it from us," senior Josh Burke said after helping 17th-ranked Dunbar beat Lafayette 9-2 in the 43rd District semifinals at Tates Creek Tuesday night. The Bulldogs face Lexington Catholic in Thursday's district finals. Both teams will move on to the region tournament at Dunbar next week. The Bulldogs got solid pitching and great hitting as they earned their 20th win of the season. Chad Richie, a senior right-hander, went six innings, gave up four hits, struck out three and walked three before giving way to Tyler Jones in the seventh. |
| Knights get A+ for team effort Wed, 21 May 2008 02:05 EDT After Lexington Catholic held off Lexington Christian Academy 6-2 in the 43rd District baseball semifinals Tuesday night, Knights ace Nick Maronde was asked to grade his pitching performance. "As a team, I'd give us an A+ for sure," Maronde said, sidestepping the spotlight after striking out 11 and outdueling LCA's Robbie Ross in a showdown of star senior left-handers. Maronde was right. It was a team effort that carried 10th-ranked Lexington Catholic into Thursday's district finals and a guaranteed spot in next week's region tournament. Defending state champion Paul Dunbar beat Lafayette 9-2 in Tuesday's other semifinal game. Last month, Ross led LCA to a 2-1 win over the Knights, holding them to four hits and ringing up 14 strikeouts. |
| Manchester United wins European Champions League Wed, 21 May 2008 20:03 EDT Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 in a rain-soaked penalty shootout to win the European Champions League title Wednesday night following a 1-1 tie. In the first final between two English teams, Edwin van der Sar batted away Nicolas Anelka's drive on the 14th kick to give Manchester United its third Champions League title. This championship, following titles in 1968 and 1999, came in the 50th anniversary year of the plane crash that killed eight United players in Munich, Germany. Cristiano Ronaldo had scored in the 26th minute for Manchester United, his 42nd goal of the season. Frank Lampard tied it for Chelsea in the 45th at Luzhniki Stadium, pointing both hands skyward in honor of his mother, who died last month. Ronaldo, considered by many Europe's top player this season, was stopped by goalkeeper Petr Cech on United's third penalty kick. That gave the advantage to Chelsea, which has never won Europe's top club title. "When we missed the penalty kick, we thought we were in trouble," said United's Alex Ferguson, who led the club to its 22nd title overall since he became manager in September 1986. |
| Ties between Dolphins, Jason Taylor all but severed Wed, 21 May 2008 20:03 EDT The feud between Jason Taylor and Bill Parcells intensified Wednesday, making it likely the six-time Pro Bowl defensive end has played his last game for the Miami Dolphins. Coach Tony Sparano said Taylor isn't expected to take part in any team activities through training camp. The revelation came less than 24 hours after Taylor finished second to Kristi Yamaguchi in the finals of "Dancing With the Stars" in Los Angeles. For weeks the new Dolphins regime, led by Parcells, has fumed while Taylor spent his offseason focused on his budding Hollywood career rather than back in South Florida working out with teammates. Following a voluntary team practice Wednesday - with only Taylor missing - Sparano signaled the Dolphins are ready to move on without their top defender. "I'm glad we know this. We've gotten the information, and that's important," Sparano said. "I know that Jason is not going to be in any minicamps, and I know that right now Jason is not going to be at training camp. |
| Mets' Randolph apologizes for creating distraction Wed, 21 May 2008 20:38 EDT New York Mets manager Willie Randolph issued an apology Wednesday to team ownership, the club's TV network and his players "for the unnecessary distraction" he created by suggesting he was portrayed in a different manner than white managers. Randolph, the Mets' first black manager, created a stir with comments he made that appeared Monday in The Record of Hackensack, N.J. Randolph brought up race when he questioned the way he has been presented by SNY, the team's TV network. "Is it racial?" Randolph was quoted in the story. "Huh? It smells a little bit. ... I don't know how to put my finger on it, but I think there's something there." Before the Mets played the Braves on Wednesday, Randolph began by saying, "I just wrote down some notes I want to share with you guys." |
| Andrew Bynum undergoes knee surgery in New York Wed, 21 May 2008 20:18 EDT Center Andrew Bynum underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday in New York, and the Los Angeles Lakers said they expect him to make a full recovery by the start of training camp next fall. The 30-minute procedure, performed by Dr. David Altchek, consisted of removing some cartilage debris and smoothing some rough spots on the underside of Bynum's left kneecap, the team said. Bynum had the operation on the same day the Lakers opened the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. "Everything seemed to go well," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, adding that from what he had heard, Bynum should be 100 percent in about three months. "I think Andrew's glad he did it." Bynum hasn't played since suffering a bone bruise in his knee and a subluxation of the kneecap - a brief dislocation that popped back into place - in the third quarter of a 100-99 victory over Memphis on Jan. 13. He was having a breakout season, averaging 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots in 35 games. |
| Online tickets available for women's Final Four Wed, 21 May 2008 20:03 EDT The NCAA women's Final Four returns to St. Louis next year, and ticket applications are now available online. The 2009 women's Final Four is April 5th and April 7th at Scottrade Center. The NCAA says Wednesday that all-session tickets costing $162 will be good for both games. Ticket applications are available at http://www.ncaa.com through May 31st. Applications are also available through the same time period for the men's Final Four in Detroit April 4th and April 6th. The NCAA will conduct a random, computerized drawing in July to determine who gets the tickets. Those people will be notified by the end of August. The women's Final Four was last in St. Louis in 2001. Notre Dame beat Purdue 68-66 in the title game. |
| Jeremy Roenick agrees to return to Sharks Wed, 21 May 2008 20:03 EDT Jeremy Roenick agreed to a one-year contract Wednesday to return to the San Jose Sharks after his revitalizing comeback season with the club. Roenick, a 19-year veteran, had 14 goals and 19 assists for the Sharks after coming out of semi-retirement for another shot at the Stanley Cup. The nine-time All-Star became the third American-born player to score 500 career goals in early November, and the sometimes outspoken forward earned praise for his quiet veteran leadership and steady play. Roenick, who finished second in the NHL with 10 game-winning goals, had a career-best four-point playoff performance in San Jose's first-round victory over Calgary in Game 7 before the Sharks were eliminated in the second round by Dallas. Roenick all but confirmed he would return for his 20th NHL season after the Sharks lost to the Stars in six games. The Sharks didn't announce terms of his deal, but Roenick said two weeks ago that he expected to sign for around $1 million. |
| Scott expects to return as Hornets coach Wed, 21 May 2008 19:58 EDT NBA coach of the year Byron Scott, who has the right to buy out the remainder of his contract and go to the highest bidder next season, showed little interest in leaving the Hornets on Wednesday. "I expect to be here," Scott said. "In my mind right now I hope to be here unless something crazy happens." The Hornets pay Scott about $3.5 million a year and the team's majority owner, George Shinn, said he intends to make a fair extension offer that would make Scott one of the highest paid coaches in the league. "Byron has done an outstanding job for us," Shinn said. "I'm tired of flip-flopping and firing coaches. I want somebody to stay that I like. ... I'm not going to be stupid. I'll be as fair as I can to get him to stay with us." When Scott took over as coach following the 2003-04 season, he was the Hornets' third coach in three seasons. |
| Cust homers twice as A's beat Rays 9-1 Wed, 21 May 2008 19:58 EDT The Oakland Athletics suddenly have found some power - and Dana Eveland did a stellar job shutting down Tampa Bay's talented lineup. Eveland pitched a three-hitter for his first career complete game, Jack Cust homered twice and the A's avoided being swept a home by the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time with a 9-1 win Wednesday. Jack Hannahan also connected for Oakland, in a game that lasted just 2 hours, 6 minutes. But this was Eveland's day all the way. Eveland (4-3) outpitched Andy Sonnanstine to end a four-start winless stretch as the A's ended a five-game losing streak in the series. It was Oakland's third victory in 12 games. The A's have only two complete games this season, and when Carlos Pena popped out to end it, Eveland pumped his fist on the mound. |
| Youth serves Pens, experience paces Red Wings Wed, 21 May 2008 19:58 EDT While the Detroit Red Wings count postseason victories on the tentacles of octopi, both they and the Pittsburgh Penguins can chart their playoff losses on the fingers of one hand - and still have some left over. It's been quite a run to the Stanley Cup finals for this year's NHL conference champions, who have combined for 24 wins and only six losses along the way. Back when it took only eight wins to claim the Cup in the Original Six era, octopi starting hitting the ice in Detroit to provide a symbolic squid-like countdown of tentacles to the championship. Even though the necessary win total has doubled, the tradition still exists at Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings rolled through the Western Conference playoffs with a 12-4 mark, sandwiching six-game victories over Nashville and Dallas around a sweep of Colorado. Pittsburgh stormed through the East, grabbing 3-0 leads against Ottawa, the New York Rangers and Philadelphia. New York and Philadelphia both managed home wins in Game 4 to stay alive only to be eliminated two days later in Pittsburgh. The Penguins are 8-0 in the playoffs at home and have a 16-game winning streak there dating to a shootout loss to San Jose on Feb. 24. |
| Giants rally late for 3-2 win over Rockies Wed, 21 May 2008 19:53 EDT Omar Vizquel doubled to start a game-tying rally in the ninth and then drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Brian Wilson struck out Omar Quintanilla looking for the final out in the 10th to pick up his 14th save in 16 chances. Tyler Walker (2-2) got the win after setting down the Rockies in the ninth. Ray Durham led off the 10th with a single and Rich Aurilia drew a walk off Matt Herges (2-1). After Fred Lewis' fielder's choice moved Durham to third, Vizquel lifted a fly to left, easily scoring Durham with the go-ahead run. The Giants scored twice in the ninth off closer Brian Fuentes to tie the game. Vizquel led off with a double and came home on Bengie Molina's one-out single to center. |
| Jeter in Yankees' lineup; Wang has calf strain Wed, 21 May 2008 19:53 EDT Derek Jeter was in the New York Yankees' lineup Wednesday against Baltimore, one night after getting hit on the left hand by a pitch. "I'm fine," the star shortstop said. "Everything's good." In other injury news, Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang has a mild strain of his right calf but is not expected to miss a turn in the rotation. Jeter left Tuesday night's 12-2 loss to the Orioles in the third inning when he was plunked by right-hander Daniel Cabrera. X-rays were negative, and Jeter was considered day to day with a bruised hand. "I feared the worst when he got hit last night because it was a loud noise," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "We were fortunate." |
| Tigers' Willis coming back, but not to rotation Wed, 21 May 2008 19:53 EDT The Tigers recalled pitcher Dontrelle Willis shortly before their game against Seattle on Wednesday night and placed reliever Clay Rapada on the 15-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis. Manager Jim Leyland said Willis will pitch out of the bullpen initially, and eventually return to the rotation. Right-hander Armando Galarraga - the man who replaced him - will remain in the starting rotation. Willis, on the disabled list because of a hyperextended right knee since April 12, went 1-1 with 4.41 ERA in three rehab starts at Triple-A Toledo. He won his most recent start after allowing a run and five hits while striking out four in six innings Saturday at Columbus. He came to the Tigers in an offseason trade along with slugger Miguel Cabrera, but has pitched just five innings for the club. He left during the first inning of his second start at Chicago after he slipped off the mound while delivering a pitch. Leyland said he hoped the time in the bullpen would give the lefty time to "get Dontrelle Willis back to the Dontrelle Willis we know." |
| Martinez returns home to be with ailing father Wed, 21 May 2008 19:48 EDT Pedro Martinez returned to the Dominican Republic to be with his sick father on Wednesday, delaying plans to test his ailing hamstring. Martinez had planned to rejoin the New York Mets for a bullpen session Wednesday. But Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Martinez, intending to fly to Atlanta, left a flight in Miami on Wednesday after he received word through an e-mail that his father, Pablo Jaime, sustained a medical setback that morning. Jaime, 78, has a form of brain cancer. Martinez told The Associated Press that he doesn't know how long he will stay in the Dominican Republic. Mets manager Willie Randolph said the trip to the Dominican Republic may not affect plans for Martinez to return before the end of the month, possibly for a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers from May 29-31. |
| Steroids dealer: Got drugs for Graham's athletes Wed, 21 May 2008 19:48 EDT An admitted steroids dealer testified Wednesday that he set up Marion Jones with a three-drug cocktail of banned substances to boost her bid to win five medals at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Angel "Memo" Heredia said track coach Trevor Graham ask him to overnight mail the oxygen-boosting EPO, growth hormone and insulin for Jones' use. Graham is on trial after pleading not guilty to three charges of lying to federal agents about his relationship with Heredia. Heredia testified for the second day at Graham's trial that, at the coach's behest, he also sold banned drugs to Olympic gold medal sprinters Antonio Pettigrew, Jerome Young, Tim Montgomery and Dennis Mitchell. Pettigrew, who won a gold medal in Sydney and never tested positive during competition, is expected to testify against Graham on Thursday. Elite runners Ramon Clay, Duane Ross and Garfield Ellenwood also were customers, Heredia said. |
| Lowe's Motor Speedway chief Humpy Wheeler retiring Wed, 21 May 2008 15:50 EDT Humpy Wheeler announced his retirement as president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway on Wednesday, ending a 33-year career as one of NASCAR's top promoters. Wheeler will step down after Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at the track near Charlotte. No replacement was selected for the 69-year-old Wheeler, who plans to write a book and host a television show. Wheeler said he first considered retirement about a year ago, although he sidestepped a question on whether the decision to leave was completely his. Wheeler's boss is Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith, who hired Wheeler in 1975 and made him track president a year later. Smith was not present at Wednesday's news conference. "Some of it is on my own terms. I won't say it all is," Wheeler said. "Some of it is and I'll let it rest at that." Reached at his office Wednesday afternoon, Smith denied he forced Wheeler out. |
| Charles Grant still training with Saints Wed, 21 May 2008 15:45 EDT Charles Grant participated in an offseason training session at the New Orleans Saints' suburban headquarters Wednesday, a day after being indicted by a grand jury in Georgia on an involuntary manslaughter charge. "Obviously it's something we take very seriously and certainly our condolences go out to the family" of the victim, Saints coach Sean Payton said. "What's most important is the justice system taking it's process. It's something the league will handle and certainly the state of Georgia will handle." The charges stem from a February altercation at a nightclub. Grant, who was stabbed in the neck during the fracas, was charged by an Early County grand jury that also charged Laquient Macklin with felony murder and feticide in the shooting death of Korynda Reed, 23. Reed died after being taken to the Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan, after the fight early Feb. 3. Grant, a starting defensive end who was taken by the Saints in the first round of the 2002 draft, was not available for comment. The Saints planned to open their locker room for player comments later Wednesday afternoon but it was not clear if Grant would be there. |
| Spurs, Lakers renew their postseason rivalry Wed, 21 May 2008 20:08 EDT The Spurs-Lakers rivalry has been on hiatus since 2004 for one simple reason: The Lakers haven't been very good. They are now. So the NBA's dominant teams of the past decade meet again starting tonight, with the winner taking a giant step toward another possible championship. "As far as the playoffs go, it's San Antonio," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Tuesday when asked if the Spurs were his team's biggest rival. "We've had our battles. We've had some great matchups," Lakers star Kobe Bryant said. "It feels great to be back at that level, matching up with San Antonio." Game 1 of the Western Conference finals is Wednesday night at Staples Center, where the Lakers are 6-0 in the postseason and winners of 12 straight overall including a 106-85 victory over the Spurs in their next-to-last game of the regular season. The teams have combined to win seven of the last nine championships, with the Spurs prevailing in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 and the Lakers doing so from 2000-02. They lost to Detroit in the NBA finals in 2004. |
| U.S. beats Argentina at World Team Championship Wed, 21 May 2008 14:40 EDT The United States got a doubles victory from Wayne Odesnik and Bobby Reynolds on Wednesday, as the Americans surprised the reigning champion Argentines 2-1 in round-robin action at the $2.34 million ATP World Team Championship, a clay-court French Open tuneup. After the U.S. and Argentina split singles matches here on Tuesday, Wednesday's doubles bout decided the outcome, as Odesnik and Reynolds topped a duo of Lucas Arnold and Sebastian Prieto 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 10-7. The Americans are now 2-0 in the four-nation Red Group and have secured a spot in the semifinals, while Argentina is 0-2 and will not compete in the final four this week. The Argentines beat the Czech Republic in last year's World Team finale, while the U.S. hasn't won this event since 1993. Sweden, which is also 2-0 in the Red Group and will play in the semis, finished off the Czechs (0-2) with a 3-0 decision. After winning a pair of singles matches on Tuesday, the Swedes got a 6-4, 7-5 doubles victory from Robert Lindstedt and Robin Soderling over an Czech tandem of Michal Tabara and Pavel Vizner on Day 4. |
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