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| Third time’s the charm Thu, 22 May 2008 10:33:06 -0500 Laura Creek silenced Bowling Green’s bats all Wednesday night. That way, her bat rang out the loudest. The Warren East pitcher tossed a one-hit shutout and slapped the game-winning hit - a two-run double in the top of the seventh inning - to push the third-seeded Lady Raiders past No. 2 Bowling Green 2-0 in the semifinals of the District 14 Softball Tournament at the Western Kentucky University Softball Complex. Creek was quick to choose which heroics she enjoyed most. “I like pitching a lot better than hitting, and I’m more relaxed when I pitch, so it kinda worked out that way,” said Creek, who guided the Lady Raiders to their eighth straight victory and their first over the Lady Purples in three tries this season. More important, the victory sends Warren East (16-17) to next week’s Region 4 Tournament for the second straight season. The Lady Raiders face top-seeded Greenwood, a 6-0 winner over Warren Central on Wednesday, in tonight’s championship game at 6 p.m. “It’s going to be a tough one, but we can relax,” said Warren East coach Phil Burkeen. “We’re in the regional tournament. ... We’ll give it our best shot. We’re looking to win and be district champions when we draw for the regional tournament.” Creek faced 23 Bowling Green (21-8) batters, allowing only four baserunners and collecting six strikeouts against one walk. “Obviously we didn’t hit the ball well tonight,” said Bowling Green coach Roscoe Echols. “We’d been doing it all season, but Laura Creek ... took care of us.” Still, her effort was only slightly better than that of Bowling Green pitcher Kathryn Downing, who gave up all three of her hits over the last three innings while striking out two and walking three for the game. “(Downing’s) thrown 21 innings against us and we’ve scored six runs,” Burkeen said. “We’ve scored in three innings. ... She’s just a special talent.” Warren East catcher Natalie Duncan set up the decisive seventh inning with a one-out single to right-center field, and shortstop Kate Holmes followed with a walk. That brought up Creek, who ripped a shot deep to right-center for a stand-up double that scored both runners. “Laura Creek’s been swinging the bat well,” Burkeen said. “I let her swing away. (Runners at) first and second with one out - (we could) bunt in that situation. A lot of teams do. But we wanted to let her hit.” Creek hit Bowling Green’s Lauren Logsdon with a pitch to put a runner at first with one out in the bottom of the seventh. But Marilyn Kallstrom flew out to right field, and Lady Raider outfielder Sarah Coulter then threw an advancing Logsdon out at first for a game-ending double play. Center fielder Katie Moats contributed the only hit for Bowling Green, a single to left field in the second inning. The loss was a tough one for the Lady Purples to swallow, especially after picking up 2-1 and 5-3 victories over Warren East during the regular season. “Unfortunately, we’ve been up on them in two games, so they probably felt like they had to be a little bit more motivated than us tonight,” Echols said. WEHS 000 000 2 - 2 3 1 BGHS 000 000 0 - 0 1 1 WP: Creek; LP: Downing |
| Greenwood’s Riley too much for Lady Dragons Thu, 22 May 2008 10:33:08 -0500 Prior to the District 14 Softball Tournament opener, Greenwood coach Penny Reece said she spent much of her day campaigning for pitcher Rachel Riley to win Miss Softball in Kentucky. Riley showed why her coach was politicking as Greenwood cruised past Warren Central 6-0 on Wednesday at the Western Kentucky University Softball Complex. Riley struck out 13 of the 16 batters she faced - including the first eight - while Greenwood (28-9) secured a spot in next week’s Region 4 Tournament and moved into today’s championship game against Warren East. It was another step in the right direction for Riley, whose season was thrown into flux when she suffered what originally looked like a season-ending knee injury. “I felt back to me,” Riley said. While her playing time has been limited, Reece pointed to Riley’s comeback - and to her entire career - as justifications for Riley to win Miss Softball. Riley has already signed with the University of Kentucky and led the Lady Gators to a state title last season. “The way she fought back when a lot of peoples’ careers may have ended, to me that makes her even more of a representative of what high school softball is all about,” Reece said. “It is always a career award and she’s had to fight back to even have a senior year.” Riley also won Warren Central’s admiration after the Lady Dragons saw her for the first time this year. “I’m going to be honest - I knew she was fast, but I didn’t think she’d be that fast (on the mound),” Central coach Glenn Woodard said. “She’s pretty quick and we had problems getting around on her. That was the biggest detriment today.” Central (12-12) changed its philosophy in an attempt to find success against Riley. After she struck out the first eight batters, Central’s Lauren Edison ended the streak with a bunt single. “And we’re not a bunting team,” Woodard said. “We don’t do a lot of bunting.” Following the single, Riley promptly retired the final seven batters she saw - five by strikeouts and two by failed bunt attempts. “Rachel takes things very to heart,” Reece said. “When she sees something like that (bunt) it just makes her mad. I wouldn’t want to be the next batter. They’re going to see something nasty and some heat.” Riley was taken off the mound with a comfortable 6-0 lead heading into the sixth inning. She contributed to the lead by going 3-for-4 at the plate. Her two-run single in the fourth inning scored Ali Hart and Laura Smith to give Greenwood a 5-0 lead. Amanda Walden followed with an RBI triple for a 6-0 advantage. Catcher Lindsey Green also had a pair of doubles for Greenwood. After her leadoff double in the second, courtesy runner Amy Hockstedler scored on Amanda Bailey’s single. Green doubled and knocked in courtesy runner Elizabeth Jordan in the third. Hockstedler - once again in place of Green - then scored when Bailey reached on an error. Greenwood could have done more damage, but left nine runners on base. “It’s hard for them not to look ahead,” Reece said. “It’s not pleasing as a coach to see them come out like that. We left a lot of baserunners on and didn’t hit the ball real well, but what can I say? I’m not going to lose sleep over that at all. We’ll be ready (tonight).” WCHS 000 000 0 - 0 4 4 GHS 012 300 x - 6 11 1 WP: Riley; LP: Stanfield |
| Rival’s field kind to Trojans Thu, 22 May 2008 10:33:09 -0500 GLASGOW — Behind home plate at Richardson Field hangs a pair of banners that highlight Glasgow High School’s success on the baseball diamond. But it wasn’t the Scotties who celebrated a District 15 Tournament Championship on Wednesday. It was crosstown rival Barren County who hoisted the trophy once again with a 6-2 win over Allen County-Scottsville. The Trojans didn’t get a hit until the fifth inning, but hung around and pulled away in the final two innings to seal their second consecutive district crown. Barren County coach Scott Gillon had a hard time fighting back emotions following the win. “This district win was bigger (than last year’s win),” he said. “With all of the injuries we’ve had, we’ve battled. We fought through all the injuries and kept winning. We had guys who stepped up and kept playing. This is real big for our program. It’s on its way up.” Pitcher Tyler Richardson, who went the distance and had two hits for Barren County, agreed this victory was special. “It feels really good,” Richardson said. “We have battled a lot of injuries and adversity, but we’ve come together as a team. It’s been a team effort all year and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.” Allen County-Scottsville (12-15) came in as the top seed and jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Cory Cooper, but Barren County (24-10) tied the score in the third without getting a hit. Matthew Riley drew a leadoff walk, stole second and came around to score when designated hitter Michael Fields reached on an error. Richardson finally got the Trojans in the hit column with a one-out single to left in the top of the fifth inning. Two batters later, Mohan delivered an RBI single to gave Barren County its first lead 2-1. “We’ve done a good job all year long of putting the ball in play,” Gillon said. “I kept telling our guys that as long as we kept putting the ball in play good things will happen.” Allen County-Scottsville quickly answered in the bottom of the inning with Cooper’s second RBI single of the game. Barren County struck for three in the sixth, but not without a little controversy. The Trojans drew a leadoff walk and Tyler Edmunds followed with a double to right center, but courtesy runner Josh Crews was tagged out at the plate. After a walk and a steal put runners at second and third, Riley lined a hard shot to third base on which Colter Weaver made a leaping catch. After a walk to pinch hitter Seth Phelps loaded the bases, Richardson followed with an RBI single to right that made the score 3-2. Blake Crabtree then hit a ball deep to center field that appeared to end the inning, but the home plate umpire ruled catcher’s interference - keeping the inning alive and forcing in a run. Mohan then drew a walk with the bases loaded that made the score 5-2, before reliever Brandon Oliver struck out Tyler Miller to end the inning. “High school baseball is about momentum,” Allen County-Scottsville coach Kerry Harwood said. “It was going back and back and forth, but then we had a blow we couldn’t overcome. You can’t make excuses for things you can’t control and you can’t control umpires’ calls.” Barren County added an unearned run in the top of the seventh and Allen County-Scottsville couldn’t rally in the bottom of the inning. Richardson went the distance to pick up the win. The right-hander allowed two runs and struck out five while walking three. “He started out as our number three pitcher and I told him before this season, ‘You are the best number three pitcher in this region,’ ” Gillon said. “When Blake (Crabtree) got hurt, he moved into the number two spot and he’s done a good job all year.” Both teams finished with six hits, but Allen County-Scottsville committed five errors that led to four unearned runs. Barren County and Allen County-Scottsville both advance to the Region 4 Tournament which begins Monday at Nick Denes Field at Western Kentucky University. The Trojans will make their second straight appearance in the region tournament. Last season, Barren County fell to Franklin-Simpson 9-4 in the opening round. “Last year I think was the first time we’d been to the region in seven or eight years,” Gillon said. “I really don’t think our guys knew what to expect. But I told our guys today that the game we played (Tuesday) against Glasgow, that was our pressure game.” Allen County-Scottsville returns to the region tournament after a one-year absence. The Patriots won back-to-back region titles in 2005-06. “We’re getting to play and one of our goals this year was to get to the region tournament,” Harwood said. “We’re going to go play and we’re going to go compete. This ball team really grew up tonight. We needed a good, close tournament atmosphere game like this.” BCHS 001 013 1 - 6 6 2 ACSHS 100 001 0 - 2 6 5 WP: Richardson; LP: De. Stovall |
| Tops unload on FAU, advance to face Warhawks Thu, 22 May 2008 10:33:10 -0500 LAFAYETTE, La. — Matt Ridings and Adam Balcom held Florida Atlantic to six hits and Western Kentucky got eight early runs to beat the Owls 9-0 Wednesday in the the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship opening game. Tonight, the fifth-seeded Hilltoppers (30-24) will face top-seeded Louisiana-Monroe - an 8-7 winner over Middle Tennessee - at 7:30 p.m. Florida Atlantic (29-26-1), the fourth seed, faced Middle Tennessee at 9 a.m. today. Ridings (10-2) allowed four singles and retired the last 11 batters he faced, and Belsom gave up two hits in the eighth but retired FAU’s final five batters. “Matt Ridings was just outstanding,” WKU coach Chris Finwood said. ”We know what a good offense Florida Atlantic has and for him to come out there and keep them to I think four hits in seven innings and no runs - that was just a fabulous performance from him without a doubt.” FAU starter Jeff Beliveau (4-4) gave up eight hits to the Hilltoppers’ first 14 hitters and Western Kentucky had eight runs before Florida Atlantic got a runner past second base. Jake Wells’ two-out two-run double down the left-field line followed RBI singles by Terrance Dayleg and Matt Rice in a five-run first-inning. WKU added three runs on four hits in the second inning before reliever Brandon Kloess came on to keep the Hilltoppers in check the rest of the game. Chad Cregar’s leadoff homer in the fourth gave Western Kentucky its final run. |
| Derrick Caracter is not coming back - period Thu, 22 May 2008 04:19:00 EST U of L basketball coach Rick Pitino said yesterday that Caracter has been declared academically ineligible, all but ending any possibility that the wayward 6-foot-8 center would be welcomed back for his junior year. |
| Jockey is riding straight Thu, 22 May 2008 04:21:00 EST Miguel Mena didn't travel to a new continent from his native Peru to become the King of Bourbon Street. But he was headed that way during the winter meet at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. |
| Horse lover gets the gift of a lifetime Thu, 22 May 2008 04:08:00 EST Nearly every summer he'd toss his belongings into his Honda Civic and drive the 800 miles to Saratoga (N.Y.) Race Course. It's the most idyllic -- and expensive -- address in racing, where the beautiful people gather. |
| Dominguez propels Cards to 14-3 rout Thu, 22 May 2008 04:09:00 EST The University of Louisville's top five hitters combined for 10 runs and 12 of the Cardinals' 15 hits as they whipped Villanova 14-3 yesterday in the Big East Conference baseball championship. |
| U of L's Childs falls in NCAA tennis Thu, 22 May 2008 04:09:00 EST University of Louisville freshman Austen Childs fell to UCLA's Harel Srugo 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the NCAA Singles Tennis Championship yesterday at the University of Tulsa. |
| Mallett's strong pitching, Colina's homer lift Bats Thu, 22 May 2008 04:09:00 EST Justin Mallett pitched five strong innings and Alvin Colina hit a two-run home run yesterday to lead the Louisville Bats past the Indianapolis Indians 2-0. |
| Weekend Warriors headed to Kimmel Enduro Thu, 22 May 2008 04:10:00 EST Todd Kempf will haul his 1982 Monte Carlo from Huntingburg, Ind., to the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, where he and more than 80 other weekend warriors from short tracks as far away as Washington and Florida plan to test their driving limits Saturday. |
| 'Major announcement' set, reportedly for Ky. Speedway Thu, 22 May 2008 04:10:00 EST The future of Kentucky Speedway is expected to be addressed during a "major announcement" scheduled this afternoon in Concord, N.C. |
| Teammates Wheldon, Dixon like glue now Thu, 22 May 2008 04:11:00 EST The personalities of Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon are worlds apart. Dixon prefers playing the subdued star, while Wheldon embraces his role as the gregarious gentleman. |
| Castroneves refutes story that he's considering bolting to NASCAR Thu, 22 May 2008 04:11:00 EST Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves said yesterday he doesn't plan to leave the Indy Racing League for NASCAR anytime soon. |
| Churchill cuts out Over/Under bet Thu, 22 May 2008 04:13:00 EST Effective yesterday, Churchill Downs has dropped its Over/Under wager and the guaranteed pools for its late Pick 4. |
| Churchill Downs Results Thu, 22 May 2008 04:13:00 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: |
| Pointed question for Cats Thu, 22 May 2008 02:04 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. |
| Cats beat Bama 9-3 in SEC Tournament Thu, 22 May 2008 09:42 EDT HOOVER, Ala. . By the time Kentucky completed Wednesday's first-round game in the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament it was 2:54 EDT Thursday morning. And well worth the wait. The fourth-seeded Wildcats had the most decisive win of the opening round, 9-3, over fifth-seeded Alabama. UK also swept Alabama in mid-March, the opening three-game series of the conference season. But that was in Lexington. This was in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover. A pro-Bama capacity crowd of 11,967 at Regions Park had dwindled to no more than a thousand by game's end. |
| Kuroda pitches Dodgers to 5-2 win over Reds Thu, 22 May 2008 02:04 EDT Hiroki Kuroda pitched eight solid innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers scored four of their runs on a wild pitch, a suicide squeeze, a passed ball and a bad pickoff throw to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 on Wednesday night. James Loney completed the scoring with a home run, helping the Dodgers win for the sixth time in eight games following a five-game losing streak and complete their third consecutive three-game sweep of the Reds at Chavez Ravine. Kuroda (2-3) allowed two runs and five hits, struck out three and walked two. The right-hander won for the first time in nine starts since beating San Diego on the road in his major league debut. He was only the second Dodger to pitch eight innings this season, after Derek Lowe did it on April 12 in a win against San Diego. Takashi Saito pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save in nine attempts. Johnny Cueto (2-5) threw 114 pitches over five innings, giving up four runs - two earned - and seven hits. He walked three and struck out two. |
| Kobe, Lakers come back to win Game 1 over Spurs Thu, 22 May 2008 16:30 EDT Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers waited until the third quarter to get going. Once they did, the San Antonio Spurs couldn't stop them. Bryant scored all but two of his 27 points after halftime, including a go-ahead, 10-foot jumper in the lane with 23.9 seconds remaining, and the Lakers rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat the Spurs 89-85 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Game 2 will be played Friday night before the best-of-seven series shifts to San Antonio for the third and fourth games. The Lakers are 7-0 in the postseason at Staples Center, where they've won 13 straight games overall. Bryant's jumper put the Lakers ahead for good after two free throws by Manu Ginobili with 1:22 remaining and a follow shot by Tim Duncan with 41 seconds left tied the game at 85. After Bryant's game-winner, Ginobili missed a 3-pointer and Sasha Vujacic made two free throws with 7.3 seconds to go, completing the scoring. The Lakers outscored the Spurs 24-13 in the fourth quarter, when San Antonio shot 3-for-21, including 1-for-9 from 3-point range. "We almost gave up home-court advantage to a great effort by the Spurs," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "That was a big comeback. We were deep in the hole, there was no doubt about it. Twenty down and half the quarter gone in the third period. It was a struggle to fight back into the ballgame by the end of the third quarter." |
| Marlins stop Webb's streak at nine Thu, 22 May 2008 02:04 EDT Desperate for a breakthrough run against Brandon Webb, Florida Marlins Manager Fredi Gonzalez gave the sign for a suicide squeeze. "I was scared when I saw it," said Luis Gonzalez, who was standing at third base. "It's a dangerous play," said Matt Treanor, the batter. The Marlins have been a surprise all season, and they pulled off another one Wednesday night, using the brazen bunt to help end Webb's winning streak. Treanor squeezed home Florida's first run, and Ricky Nolasco allowed only three hits over seven innings to beat Webb and the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1. |
| Dogs and pup tents: a winning combo Thu, 22 May 2008 07:41 EDT Somewhere near the end of the season, Paul Dunbar lost its focus. Of all places, the Bulldogs found their focus in the dark while pitching pup tents. They found it just in time to win their second straight 43rd District title, 11-3 over Lexington Catholic on Wednesday night. After a bruising loss to Henry Clay late in the regular season, the Bulldogs' seniors called for a team camping/bonding trip. |
| Catcher's death inspires Scott Co.'s stifling pitching Thu, 22 May 2008 07:15 EDT Scott County's baseball team and its fans celebrated a big upset after the Cardinals stunned second-ranked Henry Clay 2-1 in the 42nd District title game Wednesday night. The victory was more than numbers on a scoreboard or a championship trophy, though. It was a tribute to Jeremy Disney, who would have been Scott County's senior starting catcher this spring. Disney was killed in an automobile accident last fall. "It's been real emotional, real tough for these guys, to lose one of their teammates," Coach Scott Willard said. "Hopefully, Jeremy was looking down on us tonight, helping us out." Because he was a two-year starter behind the plate, Disney would have had a special appreciation for how Scott County won the district -- with great pitching. |
| 42nd District baseball: Scott Co. upsets No. 2 Henry Clay in finals Wed, 21 May 2008 23:23 EDT Scott County's baseball team and its fans celebrated a big upset after the Cardinals stunned second-ranked Henry Clay 2-1 in the 42nd District title game Wednesday night. The victory was more than numbers on a scoreboard or a championship trophy, though. It was a tribute to Jeremy Disney, who would have been Scott County's senior starting catcher this spring. Disney was killed in an automobile accident last fall. "It's been real emotional, real tough for these guys, to lose one of their teammates," Coach Scott Willard said. "Hopefully, Jeremy was looking down on us tonight, helping us out." Because he was a two-year starter behind the plate, Disney would have had a special appreciation for how Scott County won the district -- with great pitching. |
| 43rd District softball: Dunbar routs LexCath in finals Wed, 21 May 2008 23:38 EDT Somewhere near the end of the season, Paul Dunbar lost its focus. Of all places, the Bulldogs found their focus in the dark while pitching pup tents. They found it just in time to win their second straight 43rd District title, 11-3 over Lexington Catholic on Wednesday night. After a bruising loss to Henry Clay late in the regular season, the Bulldogs' seniors called for a team camping/bonding trip. "It was like 10 o'clock at night, and we couldn't see anything," pitcher Casey Cravens said. "Some people forgot poles for their tents." |
| State tennis: LexCath relying on extended family Wed, 21 May 2008 22:28 EDT It has been a magical high school tennis season, the only one possible for the Maddox sisters and their cousins, Audrey Akers and her brother Austin. This is the only year the four could play on Lexington Catholic's teams. The Lady Knights enter the state tournament Thursday among the favorites to claim the team title. Austin Akers, a semifinalist in the boys' regional, will be cheering them on. Their mothers -- Lynn Maddox and Sherry Akers -- captured six consecutive state singles titles at Stonewall Jackson High School in Charleston, W.Va., Sherry Shores winning from 1974-76 and Lynn from 1977-79. Sherry played tennis at Florida State and married a Kentuckian, Mike Akers. Lynn played at the University of Kentucky and married John Maddox, co-captain of the UK football team in 1982. His parents and Hoppy and Bronson Shores attended high school together. The couples settled in Lexington, and the youngest child, Samantha Maddox, reached high school this year. Older sister Tayler and Audrey Akers are seniors. Austin Akers is a sophomore. |
| Drew, Lowell hit slams, Bosox top Royals 11-8 Thu, 22 May 2008 20:15 EDT J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell hit grand slams to help Diasuke Matsuzaka remain unbeaten, and the Boston Red Sox completed a sweep of their seven-game homestand with an 11-8 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. Drew and Lowell were the first Red Sox players to hit slams in the same game at Fenway Park since Tony Armas and Bill Buckner did it Aug. 7, 1984. The last time Boston had two slams in a game was when the switch-hitting Bill Mueller hit both - one from each side - at Texas on July 29, 2003. Boston's seven wins comes after it dropped the final four of a 4-6 road trip. The Red Sox open a 10-game trip in Oakland on Friday night. Lowell also had a double and single as the Red Sox finished their four-game sweep of the Royals after taking three from Milwaukee over the weekend. Jose Guillen went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and three RBIs, and Miguel Olivo had three hits and five RBIs for Kansas City. |
| Granato returns as Avalanche head coach Thu, 22 May 2008 19:14 EDT Tony Granato returned as coach of the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, four years after he was demoted from the job. Granato will take over from Joel Quenneville, who parted ways with the Avalanche two weeks ago by mutual agreement. Granato was 72-33-17-11 when he led the team from 2002 to 2004. He has been an assistant coach since July 2004, when the Avs hired Quenneville. "Tony has gained tremendous coaching experience over the last five seasons behind the Avalanche bench," general manager Francois Giguere said. Giguere said Granato knows the depth chart well, admires the team and enjoys working with the younger players. |
| Cano's 2-out single in 9th lifts Yanks over O's Thu, 22 May 2008 22:25 EDT Robinson Cano singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees, moments after manager Joe Girardi was ejected during a theatrical argument, beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 Thursday night. Hideki Matsui led off the ninth with a single and later scored from second base, beating left fielder Jay Payton's high throw. With their revamped bullpen allowing only one runner in three innings, the last-place Yankees posted their first two-game winning streak in 2 1/2 weeks. Cano's opposite-field hit ended what began as a neat duel between Baltimore lefty Brian Burres and struggling Ian Kennedy. Mariano Rivera (1-1), in the game earlier than usual as the Yankees convert Joba Chamberlain into a starter, pitched a perfect ninth. Rivera, Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth combined to shut out the Orioles. |
| Hudson, Braves complete 4-game sweep of Mets Thu, 22 May 2008 22:15 EDT Even Johan Santana couldn't stop Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves from completing a four-game sweep of the Mets. Jones drove in the go-ahead run during a three-run seventh inning and Atlanta beat New York 4-2 on Thursday night behind Tim Hudson to complete its first four-game sweep of the Mets in five years. Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado homered on consecutive pitches from Hudson in the second inning. But Santana (5-3) couldn't hold the 2-0 lead while giving up a career-high 12 hits and four runs, three earned, in seven innings. The left-hander did not walk a batter but had only one strikeout, a season low, while losing for the first time since April 12. The struggling Mets fell to 22-23 with their seventh loss in 10 games, a frustrating stretch that has led to speculation about manager Willie Randolph being fired. New York dropped below .500 for the first time since April 13. |
| Man dies after fall during game at Turner Field Thu, 22 May 2008 21:55 EDT Alcohol was a factor in the death of a 25-year-old man who fell down a stairwell at Turner Field during the game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets on Wednesday night. Justin Hayes of Cumming, Ga., suffered head injuries and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. The investigation is "pointing toward drinking. Alcohol was a factor," Atlanta police spokesman Ronald Campbell said Thursday. Hayes' parents said Justin Hayes had "a couple of beers." "According to his friends, he had a couple of beers like most people at a game," said John and Cindy Hayes in a statement released Thursday. "They were leaving and having fun, and he did what he does at home - tried to slide down the railing. Unfortunately, he just slipped over." |
| Sprinter Antonio Pettigrew admits doping Thu, 22 May 2008 21:32 EDT Olympic gold medalist Antonio Pettigrew admitted publicly for the first time Thursday that he used performance-enhancing substances during a long, successful sprinting career in which he passed all drug tests. The admission came during the last day of testimony for the government in the trial of his former coach, Trevor Graham, who is accused of lying to federal authorities investigating doping in sports. Graham has pleaded not guilty. It was also revealed Thursday that Olympic sprint champion Justin Gatlin worked undercover for authorities investigating doping in sports, according to the testimony of IRS agent Erwin Rogers. Rogers testified that Gatlin, who once shared the world record in the 100 meters, secretly recorded several telephone calls with Graham. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston barred Rogers from disclosing any more details of the calls. Gatlin, who has served half of a four-year ban for doping, tested positive for excessive testosterone at the Kansas Relays in 2006, his second doping violation. He has maintained he never knowingly took a performance-enhancing drug. |
| Blasberg leads Corning Classic Thu, 22 May 2008 21:00 EDT Erica Blasberg fired a seven-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead of the LPGA Corning Classic at a windy and cold Corning Country Club. Na On Min and Karine Icher are knotted in second place at five-under 67. Sherri Turner, Na Yeon Choi, Sandra Gal and Jimin Kang share fourth place at minus-four. This week could see the fifth different winner this season on the LPGA Tour. Lorena Ochoa, who owns six wins already this year, Annika Sorenstam, a three- time champion in 2008, the unlikely Louise Friberg and Paula Creamer are the only players to visit the winner's circle this year. |
| Haas shoots 1-under for 1st-round lead at Sr. PGA Thu, 22 May 2008 20:00 EDT Jay Haas withstood wet, bone-chilling and eventually windy conditions by shooting the only sub-par round Thursday to take the lead at the Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill. Wearing a heavy wind-breaker buttoned to his neck, Haas finished the first round with a 1-under 69 to hold a one-shot lead over local favorite Jeff Sluman and New Jersey golf pro Bill Britton. There's a group of nine, including Bernhard Langer, Scott Hoch and Ian Woosnam, two shots off the lead at 71. Greg Norman, setting aside his many business ventures to make a rare competitive appearance, shot 72 in only his fourth tournament this year to sit in a nine-way tie in a group that includes defending Senior PGA champion Denis Watson. Oak Hill's East Course lived up to its stingy reputation with help from the elements once the $2 million tournament got under way. The course gave up only one eagle when Britton carded a 2 on the par 4 No. 16. Haas was part of the morning groups that faced a light drizzle and temperatures in the low 40s. Things didn't improve much by noon, when temperatures shot into the relatively balmy 50s. Trouble was, once the sun poked through the gray clouds, the winds also followed, gusting above 20-mph to create additional havoc on the narrow fairways. |
| Davydenko, Monaco, Ljubicic reach QFs in Austria Thu, 22 May 2008 19:39 EDT This week's top-three seeds -- Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Argentine Juan Monaco and Croat Ivan Ljubicic -- were among Thursday's quarterfinal winners at the Hypo Group International tennis tournament, a final clay-court French Open tuneup. Davydenko won a pair of matches on Day 5 here, as the Russian opened his day with a 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 second-round victory over 6-foot-9 American John Isner and capped it with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 quarterfinal decision against sixth- seeded Italian Andreas Seppi at Werzer Arena. The world No. 4 Davydenko captured this event back-to-back in 2005 and 2006. Davydenko's semifinal opponent on Friday will be Russian Igor Kunitsyn, who also won a pair of matches on Thursday. Kunitsyn cut down Slovenian qualifier Blaz Kavcic 6-1, 6-4 in the second round and then dismissed Austrian crowd favorite Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarters. Friday's other semi will pit the reigning Portschach champion Monaco against Ljubicic. Monaco drilled Czech Jiri Vanek 6-2, 6-2 in a second-rounder on Day 5 and then stopped American Robby Ginepri 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) in a quarterfinal matchup. Monaco beat Frenchman Gael Monfils in last year's finale here. |
| Dementieva, Radwanska reach Istanbul semis Thu, 22 May 2008 19:39 EDT Top-seeded and defending champion Elena Dementieva and second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska highlighted Thursday's quarterfinal winners at the $200,000 Istanbul Cup tennis event, a final clay-court French Open tuneup. The two-time Grand Slam runner-up Dementieva dropped seventh-seeded American Jill Craybas 6-1, 6-4, while Radwanska came from behind to beat Slovenian Andreja Klepac 1-6, 6-2, 6-4. Dementieva, who beat France's Aravane Rezai in last year's Istanbul finale, will face sixth-seeded Uzbekistanian Akgul Amanmuradova in Friday's semifinals, while Radwanska will take on eighth-seeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova. Amanmuradova ousted third-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 7-6 (7-0), 1-6, 6-4 on Thursday, while Pironkova upended fourth-seeded Belarusian Olga Govortsova 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2). The 2008 Istanbul titlist will collect $30,500. |
| Swedes beat Americans to reach World Team final Thu, 22 May 2008 19:39 EDT Sweden got a pair of singles wins from Robin Soderling and Thomas Johansson on Thursday, as it beat the United States in round-robin play to reach Saturday's final at the $2.34 million ATP World Team Championship, a final clay-court French Open tuneup. Both Sweden and the U.S. headed into Thursday's action at 2-0 in the four- nation Red Group, but the Swedes captured the group by virtue of an insurmountable 2-0 lead in their best-of-three showdown heading into Friday's doubles match. Soderling came back to top James Blake 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 and the 2002 Australian Open champion Johansson outlasted American Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 to propel Sweden into the finale at Rochusclub. The Swedes haven't won this event since 1995, while the U.S. last won it in 1993. Also in Red Group action on Day 5, 2007 champion Argentina (0-2) and the Czech Republic (0-2) split a pair of singles matches, as Czech Tomas Berdych held off Guillermo Canas 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela charged past Michal Tabara 6-0, 6-4. A doubles bout will decide their matchup on Friday. The Argentines beat the Czechs in last year's finale. |
| Tsonga, Calleri move into Casablanca semis Thu, 22 May 2008 19:34 EDT Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and third-seeded Argentine Agustin Calleri secured berths in Friday's semifinals at the $575,000 Grand Prix Hassan II tennis event. The top-seeded Tsonga spanked Spaniard Santiago Ventura 6-3, 6-3, while Calleri received a walkover into the final four when 36-year-old Moroccan wild card Younes El Aynaoui pulled out of their scheduled quarterfinal on Thursday, citing a left calf injury. Ventura titled here in 2004, while El Aynaoui was the champ back in 2002. Tsonga's opponent here on Friday will be French qualifier Gilles Simon, while Calleri will take on fifth-seeded Frenchman Julien Benneteau. Simon ousted fourth-seeded fellow Frenchman Marc Gicquel 6-3, 6-2, while Benneteau took out Spaniard Oscar Hernandez 6-3, 5-2, as Hernandez retired with a right foot problem at Complexe Sportif al Amal. Casablanca serves as a final tuneup for the French Open, which will get underway Sunday in Paris. |
| Colon makes successful return for Red Sox Thu, 22 May 2008 18:55 EDT Bartolo Colon felt as if it were 11 years ago and he was on the mound at Fenway Park. Making his first start since elbow problems ended his season last September, the burly right-hander allowed two runs and six hits in five innings, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Wednesday night. Colon's first of 147 major league victories came on that same mound in 1997 when he beat the Red Sox for Cleveland. "I thought about that tonight after the game and reminisced about that great moment and kind of compared this to that moment," Colon, who signed a minor league contract with Boston on Feb. 25, said through a translator. Even though his 35th birthday is just days away, Colon felt like a kid in the 307th start of a career that includes a Cy Young award. |
| Celtics, Pistons to play Game 2 of NBA East finals Thu, 22 May 2008 18:55 EDT The Celtics and Pistons play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals this evening in Boston. The home team won Tuesday's opener in Beantown, 88-79. Detroit is hoping to get a better game from Chauncey Billups. The veteran point guard returned to the lineup after sitting out two games and most of a third with a hamstring injury and had just nine points and two assists in Game 1. The Boston Celtics expect Ray Allen to rediscover his shooting touch before the Big Three becomes the Big Two and championship No. 17 becomes a pipe dream. The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals and took a 1-0 lead over the Detroit Pistons without much scoring from Allen, an eight-time All-Star closing in on 20,000 career points. In Boston's 88-79 victory on Tuesday night, Allen had just nine points - none of them on outside shots. "I've scored a lot in my career," Allen said after staying late, as usual, to practice his jumpers at the Celtics' practice facility in Waltham on Wednesday. "But it's good to be in this position, where I'm not going to let it" affect the rest of the game. |
| Red Wings' Lidstrom has a shot at hockey history Thu, 22 May 2008 18:55 EDT Nicklas Lidstrom is on the cusp of hockey history. The Swedish defenseman would be the first European captain to win a Stanley Cup if the Detroit Red Wings get past Pittsburgh. "It would mean a lot," Lidstrom acknowledged Thursday. "But it's still secondary to being able to win the Cup again and getting another ring." The three-time champion, who became the first European to win a Conn Smythe Trophy during the 2002 finals, would break a tie with Ray Bourque if he wins a sixth Norris Trophy as expected this summer. Bobby Orr set the mark among defensemen by winning the Norris eight times, and Doug Harvey won seven. Those tuning in to watch Lidstrom face the Sidney Crosby-led Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals, which start Saturday night, might not be awed by his greatness. |
| Inge, Joyce lead Tigers past Mariners 9-2 in sweep Thu, 22 May 2008 18:50 EDT Brandon Inge and Matt Joyce homered, and the Detroit Tigers continued their offensive resurgence with a 9-2 victory over Seattle on Thursday to complete their first three-game home sweep of the Mariners since 1995. After scoring 14 runs in their previous seven games - six of them losses - the Tigers scored 30 in the series against Seattle. Jeremy Bonderman (3-4) won for the first time in four May starts, allowing two runs and eight hits with two walks in six innings. He struck out two. Freddy Dolsi picked up his first major-league save with three shutout innings. Miguel Batista (3-6) fell to 1-4 in his last six starts, giving up five runs - four earned - on seven hits in three innings. |
| Red Wings clear Franzen to practice Thu, 22 May 2008 18:50 EDT Johan Franzen is nearly back for the Detroit Red Wings. He is expected to miss Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, but Detroit coach Mike Babcock says he will return at some point in the series. Franzen skated with his teammates Thursday and was cleared to practice Friday. The center known as "Mule" leads the NHL with 12 goals in the playoffs despite being scratched for the last five games of the second-round series against Dallas because of concussion-like symptoms. Babcock says Franzen looks ready to play after watching him tip pucks in the net toward the end of Thursday's workout, but doctors will decide when he will return. |
| Bryant bides time before taking charge Thu, 22 May 2008 19:05 EDT Even Spurs coach Gregg Popovich knew the Lakers' Kobe Bryant was just biding his time. "Kobe, he was doing a trust-his-teammates thing in the first half," Popovich said. "He was checking it all out and seeing where his territory was going to be. In the second half, he went to work." With just two points on 1-of-3 shooting at halftime, Bryant finished with 27 points Wednesday night to rally Los Angeles to an 89-85 victory over San Antonio in the opening game of the Western Conference finals. "I just tried to see the flow of the game, tried to manage the game," Bryant said of the first two quarters. "I can get it off any time, and in the second half, I did that. "I know I can make that push and I knew once I did, I could get the game back under control, get it under 10 where we knew we could be in striking distance," he added. |
| Erica Blasberg survives the cold, leads at Corning Thu, 22 May 2008 18:50 EDT Nothing slowed Erica Blasberg, not even all the layers she was wearing at the start of the LPGA Corning Classic. Blasberg shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday, a raw day more like early March than late May, to take a two-shot lead over Na On Min of South Korea and Karine Icher of France after the first round. If this is the final Corning Classic for 51-year-old Sherri Turner, who's contemplating retirement, she seems determined to leave her favorite tour stop on a positive note. The 1988 Corning champ shot a 4-under 68, only her second round in the 60s in six events this year, and was tied for fourth with Na Yeon Choi, Sandra Gal, and 2005 Corning champ Jimin Kang. Another shot back among seven players was surprising Australian rookie Anna Rawson in only her fifth LPGA event. Rawson, who also is a model, equaled her best round this year - she also opened last week's Sybase Classic with a 69 before a second-day 84 sent her packing. Paula Creamer, runner-up here last year and the only player competing with a victory in 2008, never got her game going in tough conditions and finished at 2-under 70, four shots better than defending champ Young Kim. |
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