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Show - -~ THE UNIVERSITY JOURNAL• SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY • MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1998 'BIRD SPORTS Il33l SU softball splits another series in Mid-Con By CHAD LAMB JOURNAL SPORTS EDITOR The Lady 'Bird softball squad split both of its doubleheaders with Valparaiso in Mid-Con action Friday and Saturday. SUU had the upperhand in the first game, blanking the Lady Crusaders 11-0 with Valpo coming back in game two with a 14-hit . attack in taking a 9-3 decision. Saturday's games eneded in the same result with the 'Birds taking the first game 4-3 and the Crusaders coming back once again, claiming an 11-3 victory in the nightcap. Christy Burge and Cami Niko played well for the 'Birds throughout the series, including two triples and three RBI for Burge in the 'Birds' 11-0 rout of the Crusaders. Niko added a double and scored three runs. The 'Birds opened up with a 5-0 lead to start the game, and by the end of the fourth inning were ahead with an 11-0 advantage. SU scored six runs in the fourth inning and shut out the Crusaders in the fifth to claim their fourth victory of the season. Jennifer Kerr pitched five complete innings, allowing just three hits and striking out three. It was Kerr's third win of the season on the mound. Seven different players scored in Friday's shut0ut as the game was shortened by the 10run mercy rule. Valpo came right back in the second game of the day, wasting no time in jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first. SU never recovered as the Crusaders added two more in the third for put more runs on the board. The Crusaders were led by second baseman Kari Wiseman, who scored three times and finished with three hits. SUU's Sarah Adams finished with three RBI and added one hit and one run. Saturday's games, which were scheduled to play at Thunderbird Field, were once again moved to St. George due to inclement weather. The 'Birds picked up where they left off Friday, edging the Crusaders in the first game 4-3 which included two homers from Niko and Burge that accounted for all of the 'Birds runs. Valpo took the early lead with a single in the first and another in the second, but the 'Birds responded after Surge's solo shot in the bottom of the seco~d to pull within 2-1. Niko put the 'Birds ahead for good with a three-run blast in the fourth for a 4-2 lead. The Crusaders scored one more run in the fifth before being shut down in the final two innings. Valpo rallied once again in the nightcap in using eight bases on balls and five 'Bird errors in the 11-3 victory to tie the four:;! game series. Kerr gave up just six hits the z entire game, but the errors prove costly as ~ the Crusaders added four unearned runs. . ~ ~ The SU offense was unable to get into ~ gear, scoring just three runs off of five hits. ::& Saturday's games were the only two that Gcounted toward Mid-Con play, leaving the i 'Birds with a 2-2 mark in the league and a L_-=._::..:::!!llm!..__ _ _ _.::....J.:::::...._____:_....:....______..JQ.5.1 mark overall. League play continues for - the ladies Thursday as they face Western Christy Burge rounds second base in Saturday's dobleheader against IlLinois in a doubleheader. Valparaiso. Burge slammed a solo-shot home run against the Crusaders. the deciding run, and held the 'Birds to six hits in .the 9-3 win that tied up the series. Valpo's Christine Boufard pitched all seven innings, giving up just three earned runs and picking up two stikeouts. Three Crusader errors allowed the 'Birds to Turley finishes 16th at regionals SU all-American Oklahoma (193.125) and Utah State (191.175). SU's Tamara Turley fini shed first among the at· This was the third year in a row that Turley had large competitors and 16th overall at the NCAA qualified to participate in the midwest regionals. Last Midwest Regional gymnastics meet, held Saturday year she fi nished fourth among the at-large night at Arizona State University. participants, and has been Turley, who finished 23rd r--::-~~~:-==-----=--,-----:---.,-,::::--~,---, one of the steadiest athletes in each of the last two for the 'Birds over the last regionals, had SU's highest three seasons. fi nish since Stacy Cather also Turley led the team this fi nished 16th in 1996. season with the highest allT he 16th-place fi nish around average, and has represents the second-highest competed in every event of finish in school history, every meet since soming to behind Angie Gunnell's SUU. She was the secondninth-place finish in 1995. highest scoring freshman allGunnell, who was married arounder in SU history in and transferred to BYU 1996, when she won one following the 1995 season, meet's all-around title and finished third in the allconsistently finished among around this year. SU's top-three in all four · Turley performed a careerevent in her first year of high 9.825 beam routine and a competition as a solid 9.650 on floor. On bars Thunderbird. she picked up a 9.375 and a Her careeroests include a fall-marred 9.075 on vault. 9.750 on the uneven bars, a She finished 14th on beam, 9.725 on vault, a 9.775 on the 30th on bars, 31st on floor floor and a 9 .825 on the and 46th on vault. "Tamara beam. had a great meet," SU Head Before coming to SU, Coach Scott Bauman. 11 Aside Turley was a two-time from not landing her vaults, Arizona level-10 beam she was outstanding. Her champion while competig for beam routine was absolutely Tamara Turley finished 16th at Saturday's Midwest regional meet, where she scored a American Starfires. She was beautiful, without a wobble, also a member of the 1995 and she did a nice job on floor career-high 9.825 on the beam. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Arizona level-10 and bars as well." championship squad. The University of Utah won Last year Turley received NACGC Academic allthe team competition with a 195.575, edging BYU at 195.500. Host Arizona State finished third at 195.025, America recognition after postin a 3.810 GPA in business administration. followed by Arizona (194.750), Nebraska (194.275), to play ball in European league Michah Deckert, a former all-America tight end from Southern Utah University, agreed to a contract with the Eidsvoll J 814's of Norway for the 1998 spring football season. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The 1814's, which are pan of a European football league, finished with a 2-8 record last season and are looking for Deckhart to help jump start an offense which has ranked near the bottom in points scored and total offense. "We are very excited to have Michah ·joining our club," said 1814's Head Coach Rex Stapleton. "We expect some exciting things from Michah, and he should elevate the level of play of the people around him." Deckhart, a two-time all-American West Conference selection at wide receiver in 1994 and tight end in 1995, had 68 catches for 1152 yards and nine TD's during his two seasons with the Thunderbird footbal program. Following the '95 season, in which he had 39 catches for 681 yards and four TD's, Deckhart was named first team all-America in division I-AA by American Football Quarterly. Prior to attending Southern Utah, Deckhart playd at Dixie Junior College in 1992 and 1993. He was named first team all-Western States' Football Leauge following a season that included 56 catches for 1061 yards and nine TDs. Deckhart's 20.4 yards per catch while at Dixie led the nation, and his 1061 yards was second nationally. |