Show B2 —The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday April 2 2004 iesoftoall toady to play home v ' v V ' ' j I " ' that the 2004 Ags "'! have the talent to do just that ' “I absolutely expect Aggle noftbag more out of this team because they ! we capable of more” Bilbao said “I've been waiting to have a team like this one for a long time We talk about winning ball games and we talk about getting bock to a winning history here and these kids definitely want to win a conference title And I think it's within our reach” Utah State has shown glimmers of greatness toppling two top 23 teams during nonconference play On March 19 it was sophomore Leslie Higley ' and leading the tossing a Aggies to a 1 upset over Iowa “Leslie Higley has really been able to hit her spots and keep the ' jf’ road wins at home after being on the By Thomaa Manning sports writer for the past month and a half “I really think we’re just waiting to have a breakout weekend and we certainlyhope it’s this weekend ' Bilbao said The Aggies have straggled thus far especially mi the offensive end and are looking to better last year’s ' record Coach disappointing Bilbao has watched several Aggies batting averages slowly drop below 300 and sees the recent hitting woes as a key contributor to the Aggies’ lackluster performance “We have a tremendous hitting line- up and that's why it's been really finis- -' trating as a team to not be hitting the Utah State's softball team opens ig West play on Saturday against al State Fullerton The Aggies Wei- wjme the Titans to LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field for a double--f header beginning at 1 pm and will play them again on Sunday at noon ‘They've struggled a little bit this year but Fullerton is always a tough team" USU coach Debbie Bilbao said They're going to come in here wand- ng to get conference started off right! is looking to snap Utah State e a losing streak against an 1 1 20 Titan team picked to finish second in the Big West The Aggies' who were picked to finish last in the same preseason poll are hoping to start the season off with a couple of 8-- (4-2- 2) four-gam-- ball like we should be” Bilbao said In fact the lady AggieS are aiming v for nothing less than a Big West Title and coach Bilbao firmly believes ' - ball in the infield and get pofMips season with eight straight losses when she needs them” Bilbao r while producing a mere 13 runs and said “She has our four wins but J giving up an atrocious81 runs her record really does not show before finally getting its first win n how well she’s pitched” against Saint Mary’s The Aggies Two weeks later the Aggies have managed to keep die losing sparkled again dumping yet another ' streaks to a minimum since then by Oregon coming up with wins every three top 23 team the Ducks This time senjor Haven four or five games but the holes Vance ly provided must be plugged if this team wants ample offensive firepower with four overcome its recent history of to RBIs including a two-radinger ' ' losing games “We've had a couple of Tbp 25 Utah State has yet to even claim wins which really shows the brfc consecutive victories in 2004 two liance of our team” Bilbao said “Our games have all been close as I think “But unfortunately we have a Bilbao said “Our pitchers of late” to fluctuate tendency offensively have been doing a good job I think we’re who on depending playing” our defense could make-- few more The Aggies have yet to display the consistent solid play that is nec-- : plays and we really need to hit the ball better — that’s really where' essary to take a legitimate shot at a we’re struggling the most right now” conference title USU opened the ' - 19tn-rank- p single-handed- n a six-hitt- er 2-- wM Aw aft ed ©soft Lightning secure top playoff position West Side blanks Butte Jeff Hunter sports writer By SMITH FI ELD Things never got hairy for Sky View during its 10-- 1 rout of Logan Thursday afternoon but that didn’t stop the Bobcats from breaking out a razor and some shaving cream moments after the final out Their target? Coach Shane Jones “I started growing a little beard out and my wife doesn’t like it” Jones explained “I told her I wasn't going to shave until we won and She had the we finally won one razor and shav- Sky View ing cream here softball ready to go” After winning its first region game of the season Jones’ overly enthusi-asti- c By Tha Associated i Martin St Louis scored twice in the third period helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 3 Thursday night and clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference Brad Richards also scored for the Southeast Division champions St Louis Scored his second goal and 37th overall from just below the off a pass through the slot by Cory 4-- left-circ- players Photos by Mitch MascwWHwald Journal Logan baserunner Kaylee Snow slides safely into second base as Sky View shortstop Lacy Naylor awaits the throw Thursday afternoon in Smithfiekf Below Logan second baseman Heather Anderson tosses the bad to first for the out 3-- 2-- in the bottom of the third The line drive rolled all the way to the fence in and Griffin was cross- the ing plate just about the time the man throw was reaching the cut-oT was just ahead in the count and taking a big swing” Griffin Said of ' blast “I knew I her was going to score when I came around second and picked up coach at third going ‘Get in! Get in!’” with a Naylor also went walk and scored two runs for the Cats While first baseman Michelle Finley drove in a pair of runs with two singles West Side 12 Butte 0 The Pirates won their first district game of the season with ease behind 1 1 basehits and a Darcie Olson by “It was a pretty good show” WS coach Stan Bingham said “Darcie pitched really well” " (1-- 4-- 3) left-cent- er 9-- ff inside-the-pa- J-- 9) left-hand- er rk ' : one-hitt- er right-hand- er : first-peri- 2-- : 1- -0 -1 It was somewhat of a rough day on the road for the Cache Valley boys tennis teams as Sky View was the only school to come away vie- -: tbrious Thursday Bobcats 5 Royals 0 At Roy Sky View was Only tested at the No 2 doubles position 'improving to 0 on the season with its tout of the Royals r Russell Ward David Watts and the No 1 doubles tandem of pen Phillips and PhillipWhiteleymade surethe road trip was a short one for them r— at least when it caine to court time! Although all three players competed outside their normal posi- - i ’ : : ! X Bees 4 Mustang 1 At Box Elder the Bees played an aggressive brand of tennis and it paid dividends against the Mus- - from beating the Lakers Austin Burton’s three-se- t victory over Scott Odell at No 2 singles ended up being the difference for ' j ' Bonneville:' “It was a lot of good experience 'Even more important however for our younger players” Grizz Alexander said the young No 2 duo of David Nelson (sophomore) coach Dave Reynolds said “They and Kyle Trimble (freshman ) were really got a taste for what vanity : able to pick up valuable experience tennis is like” in winning a close match Nelson was Reynolds especially arid Trimble were victorious in pleased witb Alex Mortenseri V" three sets! who picked up a 2 6-- l win over Xj ' T felttltoy were getting a sense Troy Leniriger at the No! 1 singles' arid doubles how to of points day spot Logan sophomore Cory : that was really gratifying to see” Nielsen was victorious at the No ! Alexandersaid y vV 3' position Both Mortensen arid Nielsen Laken 3 Grizzlies 2 AtBonneville Logan used a line-u- p along with Odell are among tfaloite entity comprised of junior var- ' in the running for a varsity spot at -No2 doubles sity players and was one set away (£16-0-) 0- secon- 6) znapaaaszn tions it didn't shqw as Ward was the only one to drop a single game second-perio- -- and Mt Crest fall By Jason Ttirnar sports writer od 2-- 0 V Bo Cobunwlhmniiy Uigaese Tenielle Beckstead and Andrea Richards all had two hits each and Becky Rider racked up four RBIs on a three-ru- n triple and a fielder’s choice Already up 5-- 0 in the bottom Of the fifth West Side ( in Fifth District 6-- 2 overall) plated Seven runs ' to bring the game to an early end en 6-- Stillman to put the Lightning ahead with 2:20 remaining The Panthers had tied it at 3 on Ly le Odelein’s goal from the blue line at 14:14 of tto third Olli Jokinen and Donald Audette had the other Florida goals Bruins 3 Capitals 3 Joe Thornton assisted on a game-tyigoal and then left the game with an injury while Boston held on to tie Washington Thornton was slashed on the right wrist by Todd Rohloff as he crashed the net 3:23 into die third period He left the ice with a trainer but came back for another shift and threaded a crossice pass to Glen Murray to set up a goal that inade it 2 at the 5:23 mark A few minutes later Thornton left the batch and did not return Andrew Ray croft stopped 24 shots for the Bruins who played their 30th overtime game of the season to extend their NHL record Dan McGillis had a goal and an assist and Nick Boynton also scored for Boston : Red Wings 3 Blues 2 Marc Lamothe won iri his second start of the season and Chris Chelios had two assists helping Detroit clinch first place overall in the NHL with a victory over St Louis ' The Blues missed a chance to clinch their 23th straight playoff berth which would extend die longest current streak in professional sports Instead the loss in their regular-seaso-n home finale put them iri a three-wa-y tie with the Oilers and Predators for seventh in die Western Conference with two games to go Boyd Devereaux and SteVe Thomas scored goals to give die Red Wings ari esriy lead Ray Whitney’s 14di goal of the season d broke a 2 tie ! 2CanadiensO Flyers Simon Gagne arid Michal Handzus scored and Philadelphia strengthened their hold on first place in the Atlantic Division with a win over shopping Montreal ' Sean Burke made 24 saves for his second shutout of the season and 35th of his career Philadelphia had lost its previous two games with Robert Esche in goal The victory gave’ the Flyers (40-214-lOO points two more than d-place New Jersey in the division Both teams have two games left ng coach's entire head disregarding his hair mouth eyes and nostrils not to mention the rather frigid conditions at Forrester Acres “I’m freezing” declared Jones who fortunately did the actual shaving himself “But hopefully this will give us some momentum” The Bobcats 3 in Region 4 7 ' overall) will play their fourth game of the week today against Mountain Crest The Mustangs 3 are tied with their valley rivals after being shut out at Bon- neville Thursday 0 In Idaho West Side notched a shutout of its own clobbering Butte 12-- 0 iii just five innings avoided being Logan (0--3 blanked by Sky View by plating a ran in the second inning on a base on balls and an RBI single by Jill Jorgensen That infield hit however would be the Grizzlies’ lone safety of the day against Natalie Gunnell who The sophomore fellow in the start to order give got sophomore Tracy fteece a day off this week walked six but stranded five “We told (Gunnell) to just throw strikes and let the defense do the work and she did a great job” Jones said ‘T think what really helped her was herchangeup She got a lot of easy pop flies” While Logan committed a half-dozerrors the Cats made just two miscues and got some great defense from Allison Thomas in center field and Lacy Naylor at shortstop ' At the plate meanwhile Megan 'Griffin delivered the biggest blow a three-ru- n tie homer that broke a le ms proceeded to lather up their (1-- Press - 6-- ’ X:-XX- - Predators 3Blackhawks tangs' They 'krere more aggressive than we were today” Mountain Crest ' coach Dle Swan said T Was kind of surprised with how aggressive (the Bms) were”" Nevertheless the Mustangs had : their chances to possibly escape ' with a crucial road winr but fell short in close matchesat theNQ3 singles arid No 2 doubles posl-v tion Alex Thatcher picked up Mountain Crest's lone win as the No 1 X singles player defeated Brian Braithwaite 3 3 in what Swan called:4 great match” : - : ! 6-- - 6-- 1 ' Steve Sullivan and Jeremy Stevenson had a goal and an assist each apd Tomas v Abkioun made 34 saves for Nashville which moved into a tie for die final play-- " off spot in the Westera Conference with victory oyer Chicago The victory gave the Predators 89 ! I points as diey try for their first post- - : season berth iq their sixth year in the NHL Nashville is tied with idle Edmonton and St Louis a 2 loser to Detroit! The Predators and Blues have twogames remaining the Oilers one rAdam Hall had die other Nashville goal and Scott Walker added two assists TriomoRuutu scored for last- - ! place Chicago which got 26 saves Jrom Jocelyn thibault V' 3-- ’ |