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Show t - The Daily Utah Chroaide I. TwtsiMj. April CHRONICLE On Their Night, Seniors Carry Utes to Season High Kentucky Crushes Syracuse's Hopes OfGnderella Title JAMES EDWARD Chronicle Assistant Sports Editor EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ. (AP) Kentucky has its first national championship in 18 years, the one it was supposed to win all season. The Wildcats got it with a - victory over Syracuse on Monday night, a loss that earned the Orangemen the respect few The Utah gymnastics team discovered something very important in its meet against Southern Utah University Saturday night: It is just as capable as Georgia and Alabama of scoring a 197. The only difference is, the Utes didn't want to waste their big score during the regular season when they can gave them going in. save it for Nationals. 76-6- 7 The sixth national title in school history, second only to UCLA's 11, came through the scoring of senior Tony Delk and freshman Ron Mercer. And, of course, the famed pressure defense and the ability to e basketball's deepest roster. "We're a little bit like the Green Bay Packers," Kentucky coach Rick Pitino said. "The entire state of Kentucky owns our basketball team." underSyracuse, a dog, has the most NCAA tournament victories without a title. A 36th NCAA win would have meant a first national champi14-poi- onship. Now, this Syracuse team Utah took advantage of a strong early start at Senior Night on its way to a victory over SUU. "We're saving it for Nationals," Utc senior Alysa Frenz jokingly said after 196.400-194.20- 0 Utah's collapse on its floor routine. Following their third rotation, the Utes owned a 147.950 score, and all they needed to do was hit a 49.05 on floor to crack the 197 mark. Considering Utah had scored a 49 or better in its first three events, it appeared a lock. However, on an "Sometimes we're not inspiring on Utah coach Greg Marsden said. "But we've never missed like that" Even though the Utc gymnasts were able to joke about their floor disaster after the meet, for die seniors, k would floor," emotio- Senior Night, that score would have to wait. nal-filled Sarah Northrop, Kclley Delaney and Angic Leonard all fell on floor as Utah scored a 48.450, its lowest score of the season. have been nice to end their home careers on a rccordlircaking night rv While three gymnasts stumbled, die other three were almost perfect Frenz scored a 9.875, Trad Sommer hit a 9.90 and Megan Caudle was the closest Utc to perfection. She earned a 9.975 competing on floor for the first time since Feb. 12. While the crowd felt the judges were too picky, Caudle agreed with the almost 10. "I'm pretty critical of myself," she said. "I wouldn't have given myself a 10." Caudle was also skeptical of her identical 9.975 vault score, saying it also could'vc been better. Caudle wasn't the only Utc senior who shined on Senior Night Sandy Woolscy did what she has done so many times this season. She flipped and tumbled her way to a 9.95 on bars and a 9.90 on beam. "I had mixed feelings out there," Woolscy said about her last home hurrah. sec "Gymnastics on page 7 losers to joins the Indiana in the 1987 champi- a- 9 Chkonor Photo Ted McKinley Thank You: Utah seniors Alysa Frenz, Jennifer Merder, Sandy Woolscy and Megan Caudle were the center of attention Saturday evening at Senior Night The foursome carried the Utes to a new season high 196.400. one-poi- Ute Hardballers Open Home Season by Sweeping Air Force onship game. "Wc knew it would be tough," Syracuse coach Jim Bocheim said. "Kentucky made a couple of great plays when they had to. Dclk is a great senior and a great player." Delk, voted the outstanding player, finished with 24 points and tied the championship game record with seven The Wildcats finished with rone. Kentucky tied the 3 time. championship game record for 3s by a team. Mercer came up with a career-hig-h 20 points, all but six of the points the deep Kentucky bench provided. More important, the extra bodies - Iff : Wildcats to keep up the defensive pressure. Syracuse finished the game with 24 turnovers. John Wallace, the senior who enter the NBA last year, finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds. But he left the game in tears when he fouled out with 1:06 to play and Kentucky leading The blowout that most people expected looked like a distinct 72-6- possibility when Delk's play with 11:12 left gave four-poi- lead, their point less than the point spread. But the Orangemen came up with a 12-- 3 run and Wallace's three-poiplay got them within 62-5- 8 with 7:58 left. - "They showed tremendous heart and guts," Pitino said. Wallace made two free throws with 4:46 left to make it 64-6Syracuse was there long after it had been expected to fold up and go away. "I'm proud of my guys," Bocheim said. 'They came back. My kids had so much heart all year and in this tournament, and I think they gained respect. "I told them at halftime, it is enough when you give thing you have." ' ' v every- JIMO'CONNELL : e v) t g three-hitte- e 5-- 1 4--0 CmoNOt Photo Spencer Young Utah hurler Ed Markey fires another strike during action Saturday at Franklin Quest Field. Markey collected the win in the second game of the Utes' doubleheader sweep of Air Force. Despite his team's success, Coach Kihneberg saw areas in which improvement could be made. "We're still too sporadic on offense," Kinneberg said "We have to be consis' tent in order to win." Kinneberg's words proved true on Monday as the Utes suffered through inconsistent batting and lost both ends of a doubleheader to WAC foe New Bill Mexico. Utah finishes the series today. 7-- 4 Death of Umpire McSherry Casts Pall Over Baseball's Opening Day nt 5946 largest of the game and one the Wildcats a The Utes opened their 1996 home season at Franklin Quest Field last weekend by sweeping a series against Air Force. In the opener, freshman hurler Doug r Dent tossed a complete-gamto give Utah a victory. In the afternooncap, the Utes fell behind but erupted for 7 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Outfielder Casey Child and catcher Jared Larsen both recorded homers in the frame, and senior Ed Markey pitched a complete win. game to notch a Saturday-mornin- , g Senior Mike Sagas pitched 9 13 strong innings but left the game in the top of the tenth with the bases loaded. Reliever Cris Taylor pitched out of the jam, and in the bottom of the frame, designated hitter Travis Flint hit a monhomer to lift the Utes to strous two-ru- n win. a "It was high and away," Flint said of the fatal Falcon pitch. 1 got all of it" 5-- 3 three-gam- enabled the returned to school rather than extra-innin- In die midst of what is supposed to be a rebuilding year, the University of Utah baseball team is looking more and more like a team that is ready for prime 12 3s, critical in cracking Syracuse's 2-- The Utes completed the sweep thriller. Sunday with an ' GREGBEACHAM Chronicle Sports Writer AP Basketball Writer. 'the Associated Press On a day when it dearly wanted to celebrate, baseball mourned instead for a beloved figure. The death of umpire John McSherry, who collapsed Monday while calling balls and strikes in the first inning of the Expos-Red- s game in what a cast over Cincinnati, pall many had counted on to be a warm breath of life after a long, cold winter and two strike-shortene- d seasons. . The game, which under a more traditional baseball calendar would have been the first of the season, was postponed until Tuesday McSherry's death from an apparent heart attack was the most tragic event of a day when snow and rain forced postponement of three other games. A storm that dumped up to 7 inches of snow on the Cleveland area caused a day's delay in the opener for the Yankees and Indians at Jacobs Field. Cold rain and wet grounds did City at Baltimore and Colorado at Philadelphia. National League Roundup Braves 10, Giants 8 ATLANTA (AP) Greg Maddux wasn't at his best, but he was still good enough. And so were the Braves. Maddux allowed nine hits and four runs in 5 innings Monday as the Braves opened defense of their World victoSeries championship with a Francisco Giants. San the over ry The Braves, who received their World Series rings before the game from National League president Leonard Coleman, hit five homers off three San Francisco pitchers. But Adanta barely held on in the ninth. Trailing-10-5the Giants scored three times off Mark Wbhlers on Mel Hall's RBI single and Glenallen Hill's homer before Pedro Borbon in came to get the save. . Mets 7, Cardinals 6 , NEW YORK (AP) The New York Mets thrilled their opening-dan crowd of 42,060 by rallying from a deficit Monday to defeat the St. Held to four hits by Andy Benes through six innings, the Mets strung together five singles and a sacrifice fly to score four times in die seventh and spoil Tony LaRussa's debut as St Louis' manager. Dodgers 4, Astros 3 HOUSTON (AP) Todd Hollandsworth began the Los Angeles Dodgers' chase for a fifth straight NL Rookie of the Year award, hitting a three-rudouble Monday in a opening day victory over the Houston Pirates 4, Marlins 0 Paul Wagner scoreless innings and pitched 6 rookie Jason Kendall drove in two runs Monday, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a opening day win over the Astros. their season opener. Twins 8, Tigers 6 Louis Cardinals game in nearly two years. - 2-- 3 10-- 8 , two-ru- n , - y six-ru- 7-- and trailing 6-- 3 2-- 4-- 0 American League Roundup Rangers 5, Red Sox 3 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Ken Hill, malting his debut for Texas, led die Rangers over the Boston Red Sox and Roger Clemens Monday in - 4-- 3 Cubs 5, Padres 4, 10 innings CHICAGO (AP- )- Ryne Sandberg warmed Cubs fans at frosty Wrigley Field with his return to baseball, and Mark Grace made the celebration complete with a single that a gave Chicago victory Monday over the San Diego Padres. Sandberg, the National League's MVP in 1984, went with two walks, but at second base handled seven chances flawlessly in his first lOth-innin- g 5-- 4 3 Florida Marlins. - n - MIAMI (AP) 5-- 3 . - MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Brad Radke struck out a career-higeight and Matt Lawton had two hits and two RBIs in Kirby Piickett's place as ' the Twins beat the Detroit Tigers h 8-- Vision Droblems kent Kirhv Piirkptt opening-dalineup for the first time since 1984. out of the y Blue Jays at Athletics The OaklandTbronto game played at Las Vegas' Cashman Field was still going on at press time |