Show Page Thursday April 26 2001 The Herald Journal Logan Utah" 12 Preston drops first game to Bear Lake Sports snapshot By Darrell Edward Ehrlick ond inning record Despite his RBI starting pitcher Despite the loss the staff writer It's those little things that kill and Preston found that ' around off of a double in the sec-- : High school Indians remain atop District 5 standings despite loss to Bears out the hard way as they not only lost a close baseball game to the Bear Lake Bears by the narrow margin of 1 but the loss also killed their perfect district 2-- Indians are still on top of Idaho District 5 A-- 2 The Tribe has usually blasted their way through opposing pitching However the nor- Kellen Hansen suffered mally potent bats went quiet on Wednesday as only Kellen Hansen would be able to bring a run the tough-luc- k loss as he only gave up three hits However it was AP photo David Regis (6) tries to keep the ball away from Costa Rica forward Steven Bryce (16)' during the first half of their World Cup qualifying match in Kansas City Mo US defender had six strikeouts and each team played flawless defense No errors was good news especially for Preston's infield which had been suffering laps-es Shortstop Caleb Hopkinson fielded 10 hits to short "We had a couple of oppor- tunities" Mike Hansen said "We just let down emotional- iy" Preston has met Bear Lake five times this year and taken four of the five All five games have been decided by one run not die hits that were the problem Though Kellen Hansen would allow three walks two of those would make the circuit and end up scoring the only two Bear Lake runs "Kellen knows he threw well enough' to win but he also knows that walks will hurt you" Preston head coach Mike Hansen said The ballgame was a classic pitching duel which saw Bears pitcher Zac Nate get the complete game win Both pitchers ! ! : i J Aggie Softball Sports briefs Long signs with Jags Utah State offensive tackle Jeff Long has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent The 320-poulineman started all 1 1 games last year and earned All-Bi- g West first-teahonors Long from Thornton Colo was a transfer from Mesa State and spent Nickle’shomerans help lead Aggies over SUU nd m Darrell Edward Ehrlick staff writer two seasons with the Aggies He started one game as a junior and saw action in other games as a backup: Better late than never Though the USU softball team's chance of making the postseason has evaporated for the entire season they have been waiting to string together a couple of games whop everything — hitting pitching baserun-niri- g and defense — just fell together On Wednesday afternoon against intrastate opponent Southern Utah the Aggies had two tremendous softball games and bested the Thunderbirds 2 in game one and 4 in the second For the Aggies the two wins mean their first winning of murder Ali guilty REDWOOD CITY Calif (AP) — of of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff A jury found the man accused killing the daughter of NFL Hall 3-- guilty of first degree murder Mohammed Haroon Ali 23 admitted strangling Tracey Biletnikoff 20 on Feb 13 1999 and demonstrated for police in a videotaped interview how he did it — first with his hands and then with a 9-- streak of the season The Aggies overall record improved to "Everything was there today — pitching and hitting — and it needed to be" USU head coach Pam McCreesh said "We played really good ball today" The story of the game was USU catcher Breanne Nick-le- 's bat Nickle who is also known for her charisma and leadership behind die plate as well as her power with the stick belted what turned out to be the home run in the first game and then later on blasted a towering shot overightitfcr field tQ tie the secood game "Every home rud IVe hit haf been' with two strikes except for die last one" Nickle said "It was nice to finally not come from behind I don't know I'm just feeling it knew they were gone when I hit it" The shots were Niclde's fourth and fifth round tripwith pers of the season She went a combined three runs and seven RBI "I couldn't be prouder of her" McCreesh said In the fust game sophomore Xochitl Ramirez continturnaround as ued to make a remarkable she pitched solidly mixing up her pitches for a comple8-- 35 irt Wednesday's scores game-winni- NBA playoffs Milwaukee 103 Orlando 96 Sacramento 116 Phoenix 90 AL 1 (11) It wasn't the kind of homecoming Crystal Bingham had hoped fqr when her Southern win te-game Utah softball team dropped a doubleheader to "Now it's just the confidence in myself" Ramirez said Utah State on Wednesday but needless to say Ramirez who had been used primarily as a reliever the former West Side star was glad to be back has made five consecutive quality starts in the past on familiar ground month including notching the Aggies' last win last Sat-"It was a lot of fun" Bingham said after the — Cal 0 die shutout a Poly Mustangs against urday 2 and 4 losses "It felt like old times sort "She's doing a great job and its something to continue of" throughout this year and bring next year" McCreesh As'it should considering this year's West She's always been the kind of pitcher that's said " Side softball team was in attendance at John-so- n been able to spot a pitch whenever she wanted Field as well as a whole host of family "At the beginning of the year she wasn't able to do and friends she's her with mental a that It was just Mentally game ' ll "I knew that some of my friends on the got a lot stronger and all the credit goes to her" ' Eli LuceroHerald Journal were last team Bingham coming" year Ramirez scattered seven hits two walks and two the "I were know didn't said bringing they Former West Side player Crystal Bingham waits strikeouts over seven innings while allowing just two ''" whole team for the ball at shortstop during Wednesday's runs in her start on Wednesday ' "It was cool" "I am mixing up my pitches a lot" Ramirez said Tm game both in games for Bingham played shortstop getting diem off balance fm throwing my diangeup a lot" ' ou're playing with everybody that's at your the Thunderbirds and batted in die third spot The Thunderbirds got on the board and took a el" Bingham said " I like challenges" combined freshman went a lead away from the Aggies aS three consecutive hits by The One of the challenges Bingham has been at the plate in the two games Bingham also the Birds to lead off the sixth inning spelled trouble for with faced recently is a broken thumb on her Ramirez The Aggies quickly found themselves down walked once and scored hand Against Brigham Young'a couple right 1 Despite her struggles against the Aggies weeks of ' Bingham was frit by a pitch ago in several Despite the two runs in their half of the sixth Nickle Bingham is leading Southern Utah she hasn't comeback to the then Since stepped to the plate with Shannon Acevedo on board offensive categories mound' pitching and no one out She hit a bomb shot' that cleiued the Coming into Wednesday's games' Bingham "For the past two weeks I haven't been ' was fence field leading Southern Utah with a 345 batting right at all" Bingham said lead was all USU needed to hold average She is also No 1 in doubles and pitching The narrow one-ru-n However Bingham has pitched in five steals with bine and eight respectively on to the victory SUU and has an (M record with a for games In the second game the Aggies continued their offenBingham said her first year with the Thunder-bird- s 203 ERA Opponents are batting just 158 off has been "really good" and that she enjoys sive assault as they combined for 13 hits This is just her Bingham said she will see more action of competing against otiier players of her caliber ' "The best part about playing college (ball) is as a pitcher next year See TWO on Page 13 Atlanta' 1 1 Houston 3 Milwaukee 7 NY Mets 2 St Louis 5 Montreal'2 ’ Colorado 6 Chicago Cubs5 Arizona 10 Florida 7 Philadelphia 5 San Diego 3 Cincinnati 7 San Francisco 5 Lqs Angeles 6 Pittsburgh 5 5-- MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ' soft-ba- pm FOXFAM — Anaheim at Cleveland 7:30 pm FSN r- '" 9-- 3-- - On television 5 By Wade Denniston staff writer mid-seas- on NL ' ' El LucenHerald Jourral home run during the first Breanne Nickle left is congratulated by Amanda Carlson after she hit a from the doubleheader took a The SUU Aggies Wednesday game of a double header against "I '' Toronto 8 Texas 5 Minnesota 6 Boston 4 (10) Anaheim 3'Cleveland t Baltimore 6 Detroit 4 Seattle 7 NY Yankees 5 Tampa Bay 5 Kansas City 3 Chicago White Sox 2 Oakland : ng - Atlanta at Arizona NBA 6pm TNT -t- - Playoffs first round game 2 Toronto at New York " ' 8:30 pm TNT — Playoffs first round game 2 Portland at LA Lakers ' ’ NHL'5 pm 1- -0 2-- ESPN- 2- Playoffs conference game 1 Toronto at New semifinals ''Jersey' 5:30 pm : : ESPN — Playoffs conference semi- -' finals game l Pittsburgh at Buffalo ' 8:30 pm ESPN2 — Playoffs conference semifinals game 1 Los Angeles at Colorado -- -- - Friday ft GOLF 7:30 am TGC — European PGA Tpur Algarve Portuguese Open second round at Algarve Portugal 10:30 am TGC — BUYJCOM Tdur BUYCOM at The Cliffs second Charity Pro-Around at Greenville SC ! want to sweep ' DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks aren’t getting much from their leading seor- er Dirk Nowitzki- Their reserves are giving even less' No wonder Utah’s Bryon Russell is only taking a small ' m 11 am" ESPN2 — LPGA Kathy Ireland '': Championship second round at - ' Austin Texas 1:30 pm FSN TGC — PGA Greater Greensboro Classic second round at GrednsborO NC y Today's giiotb "The record is outstanding1 It’s : ' ' X great to be in a class with Babe Ruth and all that good stuff but I’m the type of person that wantsto win I still feel great about breaking this record by one of the greatest ballplayers who ever played this game’’—: Rickey Henderson who set the major league walks record at 2063 Wednesday night - -- & x- By Gragg staff - “ suitcase to Dallas He’s expecting the Jazz to win after be? announced he wai fearing the University L )MBkePiniMhhipr : X"I'm goihgfcepf Game 3 on Saturday and complete a sweep “I’m packing for ooe night” Russell said “I’m going down there to win I’in not drinking about staying for three days” If the Mavericks are going to become the sixth team to ' climb out of an 0 hole in a series or at least get their first playoff win in 13 years they’ve got to get more out of Nowitzki first-rou- et-Ufr- nd 2-- best-of-five sXOKVHKBJ ' I Then’ in Game 2 Nowitzki After averaging 218 points came out so timid that he didn’t in the regular season the third-yeforward has been off the take a shot until midway mark in die first two games of dirough the second quarter His first field goal came with5:20ft the postseason He’s scored just 35 points on left in the third and Dallas shooting including down by 13 He fouled out with I 15 points eight on free throws T from range The third-yeforward as the Mavericks lost 109-9- 8 “I don’t luiow why we are admitted to lacking the confidence to take the potential missing some of those shots shot at die end but you have to give credit to of Game 1 then spent die days the Jazz” Nowitzki said 3 between games at the gym try“They have good defenders!" and they make it tough for! ing to regain his touch y°u-During practice after pracworkht Nowitzki isn’t the only mis-tice and in a out with his longtime coach ' firing Mav The center tandem ft from Germany the Dallas of Shawn Bradley and Calvin! Mavericks’ leading scorer Booth has barely made an appeared to have gotten the impact and Dallas’ reserves v' kiniks out of his jump shot have nine points in two gamut ar ' ' i 10-of-- 3l int ar game-winni- ng late-nig- : |