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Show Sports editor: Brandon Rodak WSU women's softball club pitches in to help kids By Brandon Rodak sports editor-Signpost For the women who participate in Weber State University's fastpitch soft-ball club, true sportsmanship is more than performing well on the diamond. It is about contributing to the community through selfless service. The club has struggled throughout their 1997 campaign but have put their 0-24 season behind them and looked to rendering good deeds for community youth. Recently, the team has been actively involved in softball clinics at Ogden's Marshall White Center and Melba Lerner Children's School on WSU's campus. "We want to give back what we can to the community," WSU head softball coach Boyd Nelson said. "Local area businesses helped get our team going this year, and we wanted to say thank you," Nelson said. Faculty advisor Cherrie Nelson agreed that the community youth clinics were a positive way to aid youth athletics in Ogden. "The players give the kids the love for the game that they have themselves," Nelson said. The players help the kids in a variety of skills drills to help them improve and polish their games. Tossing softballs to the kids to help them improve their hitting coordination, fielding ground balls and simply one-on-one instruction in throwing the ball are drills used by the WSU players to teach the youth players. During their own season the fledgling WSU team found the season to be a rough and rocky road. This past weekend at Clinton City Park the club experienced heartbreak with a defeat at the hands and bats of Snow College. Heading into the Thursday May 8 games, National League New York Hou aston Winning pitcher Mike Hampton (2-3) Pittsburgh Colorado Winning pitcher Esteban Loaiza (4-0) 2 4 10 Atlanta i Fori da 5 Winning pitcher: Tony Saunders (2-0) Philadelphia 2 St. Louis 6 Winning pitcher Andy Benes (2-1) Chicago 6 San Diego 2 Winning pitcher Terry MullhoIIand (1-1) American League Cleveland 3 Toronto 4 Winning pitcher Juan Guzman (3-2) top of the seventh inning with a 4-3 lead, the Wildcats blew their slim lead losing in the bottom of the inning to the pesky Badgers. Cherrie Nelson attributed much of the team's problems this season to a lack of pitching proficiency. "We've had growing pains all year but we have improved. We are going to get our pitchers working hard. This year we practiced a couple of times a week. We probably need to practice three times a week," Nelson said. Regardless of all the troubles endured by the team, it is just content to have one. WSU cut NCAA intercollegiate women's softball 15 years ago because of funding problems, but now the team is back on the club level and according to Nelson, happy to be there. The team will be having open tryouts May 3 1 beginning at 9 a.m. on the playing field adjacent to the HPEC and Wilderness Recreation Center. Anyone interested in playing should attend and be s Detroit Kansas City Winning pitcher Tim Belcher (4-3) Boston Minnesota Winning pitcher Rich Robertson (3-1) New York Texas Winning pitcher: Andy Petitte (6-1) Chicago Oakland Winning pitcher James Baldwin (1-3) Baltimore Seattle Winning pitcher Mike Mussina (4-1) 0 4 7 10 10 6 13 3 Thursday May 8, NBA Playoff games Atlanta Chicago High scorer Steve Smith, 27 points 103 95 ready to play. WSU 1997 women's softball club: Teri Hennessy, shortstop, outfield Stephanie Bishop, outfield Kami Merchant, 3rd base, 2nd base, shortstop Kerry Hymas, 2nd base, outfield Wendy Russell, pitcher Heather Schwarz, 1st base, utility Deanna Hinton, infield Liz Leatham, 3rd base, 2nd base Julianna Pearson, pitcher, 1 st base Celeste Silver, outfield Denise Smith, 2nd base, 3rd base Marci Poulson, outfield, 1 st base Carrie Tarrant, 1 st base, 2nd base Kristi Edwards, 2nd base, outfield Melissa Nelson, catcher Andee Hales, pitcher, 2nd base Kristen Blodgett, pitcher, 1st base Denise Nelson, pitcher, infield Trish Nebeker, 1 st base Natalie Nelson, catcher, 1 st base Jennifer Butz, outfield Lindsay Moore, pitcher, 1 st base Los Angeles Utah High scorer Jeff Hornacek, 27 points 104 84 Thursday NHL games NY Rangers 3 New Jersey 0 NY Rangers lead series (3-1) Three stars: Mike Richter, Rangers . Wayne Gretzky, Rangers Brian Leetch, Rangers Detroit 3 Anaheim 2 Detroit wins series (4-0) Three stars: Mikhail Shtalenkov, Anaheim Brendan Shanahan, Detroit Sergei Federov, Detroit Monday's probable starters: American League Toronto Robert Person (0-2) Minnesota Brad Radke (2-2) Seattle BobWolcott (2-1) Milwaukee JeffDAmico (0-2) Cleveland Jack McDowell (3-2) llHlS-iifii 1 , m WSU fastpitch softball club pitcher attempts to hurl the ball toward the plate at extraordinary speeds in last weekend's action at Clinton City Park. After leading 4-3, the Wildcats lost a nailbiter in the seventh inning to Snow College. Texas John Burkett (1-2) Baltimore Jimmy Key (6-0) Oakland Steve Karsay (0-3) Chicago Danny Darwin (0-2) Anaheim Allen Watson (1-3) National League Atlanta Greg Maddux (3-1) Pittsburgh Jason Schmidt (1-1) Colorado John Thomson (0-0) Philadelphia Bobby Munoz (1-4) Houston Shane Reynolds (4-2) Florida Pat Rapp (2-2) IHL Playoffs Long Beach Ice Dogs 3 Utah Grizzlies 2 Long Beach wins series (4-0) Three stars: Nicholas Vachon, Long Beach Andy Brickley, Utah Pederson, Utah NHL Playoffs Buffalo 5 Philadelphia 4 (OT) Philadelphia leads series (3-1) miiifi iff i Three stars: Derek Plante, Buffalo Dale Hawerchuk, Flyers Steve Shields, Buffalo Colorado 3 Edmonton 2 (OT) Colorado leads series (3-1) Three stars: Claude Lemieux, Colorado Curtis Joseph, Edmonton Valeri Kamensky, Colorado Friday's NBA Playoffs Houston 97 Seattle 93 High scorer: Shawn Kemp Gary Payton 28 points High rebounders: Charles Barkley 1 7 rebounds Miami gg New York g4 High scorer: Tim Hardaway 34 points High rebounders: Alonzo Mourning 1 3 rebounds : mm 1 |