Show I ports Sports briefs Salt Lake edges Fresno SAIT LAKE CITY (AP) — Salt Lake catcher AJ Pierzx nski knocked in three runs with a pair of doubles as the Buzz beat the Grizzlies 9-- 7 Wednesday nihl Both teams scored single tallies in the first and second inning before the Grizzlies grabbed a lead in the top of the tilth on a Raul Marxal RBI single Salt Lake scored three runs in the bot( three more tom of the inning and runs in the bottom of (lie sixth highlighted bx a Pierzxnski two-ru- n double I lesito scored again in the (op of the eighth hut Pierzxnski doubled in another run in (Ik' bottom of the inning Dan ('ey had thice hits for Salt Lake 3-- 2 Vandal pleads guilty lit )ISL Idaho (AIM — I'niverxity of Idaho freshman nose guard Wil Beck has been lined and placed on probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from a disturbance after the Vandal's Humanitarian Bowl victory last December Beck 19 of Vcrudalc Wash pleaded guilty to illegal consumption of alcohol and lesistmg and obstructing police in exchange lor a charge of disorderly conduct being dropped Beck will pay a $27830 fine and serve a year's probation His driver's license was also suspended About 100 people were involved in the disturbance outside a downtown Boise luxern hours alter the Vandal's 42-3- 3 NCAA howl victory in their first-evgame An assistant coach was fired because of his involvement in the incident The school also acknow ledged the coach violated NCAA rules by providing personal money to the Beck and a second player so they could make hail Charges against the other player are still pending er Wednesday's scores WNBA Charlotte 84 Detroit 65 AL No changes made in Big West— yet “We really have nothing to report" By Shawn Harrison sports writer Big West commissioner Dennis Farrell BOISE Idaho — Earlier this week Utah Slate's brand new athletic director Ranee Pugmire said llk're was no reason for Aggie fans to panic about the Big West Conference That was Monday afternoon as he prepared to leave for league meetings this week with the II oilier Big West athletic director Today I'ugmire is still singing the same song after two days of nk'ctings at Ilk1 DouhleTrec Riverside "I don't think any thing is going to happen for two or three years" I’ugmire said ‘‘We are not going to make any hasty decisions We have to think ex cry - told The Idaho Statesman “We might not come out of these meetings with any definitive plans Instead we may have some things that are interesting and that we need to explore further and really look into the issues “Really this is not going to he an easy solution We discussed these things and we realized that we weren't going to get out of there w ith a definite plan" Tuesday was the first lime all 12 athletic directors got together since Nevada announced it was leaving for the Western Athletic Conference effective next June The meetings also come shortly after Farrell has mentioned the league Lxaclly what was discussed between the athletic directors Tuesday and is not being released to the media The 12 ADs met behind closed dixus and Ilk Big West mandated a policy pertaining the meetings Wednesday Marcus Jensen's three-ru- n 3-- 3-- AP photo USA baserunner Jason Hardtke left reacts after being called out by umpire Vincente Troudart while Cuba's third baseman Omar Linares looks on at the Pan Am Games Games on Wednesday in Winnipeg Manitoba The USA upset Cuba 10-- 5 “When wc first started our concern was how quickly wc could come together'' said manager Buddy Bell who was ejected for arguing a call in the ninth right before Jensen sent his long blast over the right field fence “I very much believe this has to do with the game we had with Canada on Monday That hurt a lot and wc were Ogden 2 MLS CALGARY Alberta (AP) — Juli Inkster sparkled under the bright lights of television cameras courtesy of a second set of Los Angeles 0 On television diamond earrings “They thought I needed an upgrade" Inkster said Wednes- SD day The diamonds only accentuate her brilliant play the past three Noon WGN — Major League Baseball NY Yankees at Chicago White Sox ESPN — LPGA Golf du Maurier Classic first round at Calgary Alberta Canada FSR — PGA Golf Canon Greater Hartford Open first round at Cromwell Conn TGC — PGA Golf Canon Greater Hartford Open first round at Cromwell Conn 5:30 pm ESPN — Major League Soccer Tampa Bay at Miami 8 pm Arizona at San Diego o a iii TGC — European Tour Golf Smurfit European Open first round at Dublin Ireland 11 months pm FSR — Major League Baseball her two daughters want her to wear am TGC — NIKE Tour Golf NIKE Dakota Dunes Open first round at Dakota Dunes 2 It also made us understand what we were up against Cuba is so fundamentally sound They were even belter than what I had read and what I hud seen” The Cuhans using many of the same players split two exhibition games with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this year Their last loss to the United States was disappointed on July 4 1996 4 in Norfolk Va tour during a But the last significant loss was in the 1987 Pan Ams at Indianapolis a 4 American win in the preliminary round Cuba went on to win the gold there beating the Americans in the final 8-- ic 6-- See PAN AM on Page 13 Inkster shoots for triple Pioneer 11 See BIG WEST on Page 13 homer ninth Wednesday us the sparked a five-ru- n US team stunned Cuba 10--3 in the pool round of the Pan American Games It was the Americans' first victory oxer the world power in a major competition in 12 years “Right now the guys are finally understanding the importance of these games Each one is so critical This is the way baseball should be played on a regular basis" Jensen said after the US clinched a berth in the quarterfinals The victory also soothed some of the pain from an opening 6 loss to Canada a game the Americans led 6-- 3 in the 11th inning And it showed the United States has us good a shot as anyone to make the baseball finals here which would secure a berth in the 2(XX) Olympics The Americans and Cubans are both 1 e in the pool series with the quarterfinals Saturday Canada leads the group with a 0 mark after heating Mexico 1 Had the US team lost Wednesday it probably would have faced Cuba again before next Monday's finals Now the Americans feel good about their chances PCL 1 No decision has to be made until June 30 of 2(XX) the deadline for Big West membership changes Any recommendations made by the athletic directors this week are not final WINNIPEG Manitoba (AIM — Iw one day Cuha was conquered in baseball By a group of minor leaguers from the United States no less By guys who'xc been playing together for ail of two weeks Salt Lake 9 Fresno 7 Colorado out of the meetings was the word “patience” stuns Cubans four-gam- New York 9 Pittsburgh 2 St Louis 6 San Francisco 3 Montreal 8 Chicago 2 Philadelphia 9 Florida 4 Milwaukee 10 Atlanta 4 Houston 16 Colorado 8 Arizona 7 San Diego 4 Los Angeles 9 Cincinnati 1 1 football have at least two years to decide they are going to do down the road Despite the tension that must have been present in the meetings all athletic directors were wearing smiles and getting along in public Wednesday afternoon at a golf outing W'hal did come w hat USA 2-- NL 1 max not sponsor football beyond the 2xi2 season So the schools that cany 7-- Minnesota 5 Oakland 3 Tampa Bay 4 Anaheim 1 Boston 8 Toronto 0 Cleveland 7 Detroit 2 Kansas City 5 Seattle 3 Baltimore 8 Texas 6 Chicago 1 1 New York 3 Idaho Falls Page 10 Thursday July 29 1999 The Herald Journal Logan Utah am TGC — NIKE Tour Golf NIKE Dakota Dunes Open second round at Dakota Dunes SD Noon ESPN — LPGA Golf du Maurier Classic second round at Calgary Alberta Canada 1:20 pm WGN — Major League Baseball NY Mets at Chicago Cubs 2 pm ESPN — Senior PGA Golf Novell Utah Showdown first round at Park City Utah FSR — PGA Golf Canon Greater Hartford Open second round at Cromwell Conn TGC — PGA Goff Canon Greater Hartford Open second round at Cromwell Conn which has brought Inkster to the threshold of history heading into the du Maurier Classic the final major championship of the year AP photo Inkster achieved a lifelong dream by winning the US Open Three weeks later she hirdied the last three holes to Juli Inkster watches her tee shot on the first hole during Pro-Aaction at the du Maurier Classic golf tournament at Priddis Greens near Calgary on Wednesday m win the LPGA Championship and become only the second woman to complete the modem career Grand Slam She arrived at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club with even higher aspirations A victory in the du Maurier would make her only the fifth golfer to win three majors in a season and it would make her the 17th member of the LPGA Hall of Fame Pressure? “None” Inkster said “I've already had a great year If I keep playing the way I'm playing I'm going to have a chance on Sunday And that's all I'm trying to do" Nobody not even five-tim- e winner Karric Webb has done it as well as Inkster lately Since the Chick-Fil-Charity Classic on April 23 Inkster has played 23 consecutive rounds at par or better including one stretch of 19 straight rounds under par She A has not finished lower than sixth and her two victories happened to be majors “If I win this tournament great' Inkster said “I have as good a chance as anybody" The final major could be the most demanding this year Scoring records were set in the Dinah Shore par) and US (19-und- cr Open (16 under) and Inkster won the LPGA with a 268 one stroke off the record er Monson accepts challenge Jim Abbott New coach must rebuild Minnesota on and off court MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — New Golden Gophers men's basketball coach Dan Monson is gearing up for one of the biggest challenges of his career: making a team shaken by an academic scandal into a winner in the classroom as well as on the court Monson is under pressure to preserve Minnesota's winning ways despite the departure of coach Clem Haskins and the likelihood of NCAA sanctions over an academic fraud scan- Today's quote dal But university officials are also “I don't know how anybody could not have rooted for a guy like Jim To overcome what he did what an unbelievable guy and what a great athlete" — Cleveland Indians pitcher Mark Langston on fanner teammate Jim Ahhott Abbott who overcame a handicap to pitch for 10 years in the Major Leagues announced his retirement Wednesday going to hold hitn accountable for how his players perform off the court Minnesota signed Monson on Saturday to a seven-yecontract worth about $700(XX) per year including outside income He had stood to make about $200000 a year all deal he signed in told under the April at the much smaller Gonzaga University in Spokane Wash ar 10-ye- ar Dan Monson Still some people might say he was crazy to leave a secure job at Gonzaga which he led to the final eight of the NCAA tournament and step into an uncertain situation “If it was a short-terdecision they'd be correct” Monson said “But for me it's a long-terdecision If I can get through these first couple years of the problems I have a job at one of the greatest universities in America in the best league in America” Monson said he secs himself as the head of a family that's met with adversity and his job is to make sure everybody keeps moving forward The Gophers' fate within the NCAA isn't expected to be resolved before spring But the school is likely (u impose preemptive sanctions on itself Monson said he isn't worrying about sanctions because he can't control what the NCAA might do “I tell my teams all the time to focus on what you can control” he said “You can't control the NCAA investigation you can't control the officiating you can't control what the crowd is doing All you can control is how hard you play how well you concentrate and how much you can comm m pete" hangs it up LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jim Ahhott horn without a right hand set fierce standards for himself in becoming a major league pitcher And he knows he is no longer the pitcher he wants to be Now after struggling through a comeback the last six months he has quit baseball at age 3 1 “Any time you don't measure up to the standards that you'd like to it's time to look at what you're doing” he said Wednesday “So with my inconsistency over the past few months I've had the chance to think about this” His decision to retire without fanfare comes less than a week after being released by the Milwaukee Brewers Abbott pitched for a decade including a against Cleveland in 1993 at Yankee Stadium no-hitl-er See ABBOTT on Page 13 t f i AP Me photo Recently retired Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jim Abbott throws against the St Louis Cardinals on April 19 |