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Wednesday, May 7

High school softball

[MAY 7, 2003] 

At Stanford

University High     000 000 0 - 0-6-2

Olympia               010 000 x - 1-6-0

Hayley Carpenter (L, 7-5) and Natalie Nybakke; Jessie Shay (W, 19-1) and Amber Lessen.

Olympia (26-1, 7-0) - RBI - Hilary Shaffer. Pitching - Shay (7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO).

At Heyworth

Hartem         102 312 1 - 10-14-1

Heyworth     001 000 1 - 2-5-6

Nicole Buse (W), and Alyssa Moehring; Tiffany Murray (L, 5-3) and Melissa Elderton.

Hitting stars - Hartsburg-Emden - Jenna Bergman (3 hits), Molly Klokkenga (3 hits), Danielle Bergman (2 hits, 2B), Ashley Luken (2 hits).


High school baseball

[MAY 7, 2003] 

At Bloomington

Hartsburg-Emden     202 004 0 - 8-8-2

Central Catholic        010 000 1 - 2-5-5

Blaen Fletcher (W, 3-1), Scott Ubbenga (7) and Matt Gleason; David Demboski (L, 1-2), Garrett Loiselle (4), Paul  Kabbes (6) and Eric Bill.

Hartsburg-Emden (10-5) - 2B - Drew Olson 2, Ryan Anderson. Two hits - Olson, Anderson. RBI - Anderson 2, Olson, Kory Leesman. Pitching - Fletcher (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 4 SO), Ubbenga (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO).

At Bartonville

Olympia        000 022 0 - 4-7-2

Limestone     100 000 0 -1-1-1

Tyler Thornton (W, 7-0) and Rush Olson; Bartell (L, 3-3) and Corpus.

Hitting star - Olympia - Neil Birky (2 hits, RBI).

Pitching star - Olympia - Thornton (16 strikeouts).

Records - Olympia 16-7; Limestone 12-9.

At Mason City

Williamsville     000 001 0 - 1-7-4

Illini Central      430 000 x - 7-6-1

Brayfield (L), Lieb (4) and Urbas; Chris Norton (W, 5-1) and Travis Scott.

Home runs - Illini Central - Trevor Scott (solo in first), Travis Scott (1 on in first).

Hitting stars - Illini Central - Trevor Scott (2 hits), Travis Scott (2 RBIs).

Records - Williamsville 18-6; Illini Central 13-5.

At Athens

Mount Pulaski     103 401 0 -9-14-1

Athens                 100 103 0 - 5-10-5

Colton McClellan (W, 6-2), Josh Blaum (6) and Cameron McClellan; Eric Finley (L, 3-3) and C. Finley.

Home runs - Mount Pulaski - Cameron McClellan (solo in third)

Hitting stars - Mount Pulaski - Colton McClellan (2 hits), Josh Blaum (3 hits, 3 RBIs), Craig Erlenbush (3 hits), Zach Moore (2 hits).

Records - Mount Pulaski 14-5 overall (4-2 in Sangamo Conference.


High school track and field

[MAY 7, 2003] 

Olympia Co-Ed Relays
At Stanford
Called with seven events left
2. Olympia 117; 8. Lincoln 34.

Boys

1,600 meters - 1. McClain (O), 4:31.9; 6. Dietrich (O), 4:51.6

Pole vault - 2. Hish (O), 11-6; Slager (O), 11-0; 5. Edwards (L), 9-6; 6. Valdes (L), 8-0.

Co-ed events

Long jump - 2. Olympia, 62-5 1/4; 5. Lincoln, 43-6 3/4

 High jump - 1. Olympia (Dillenburg 5-8, Shaun 5-6, Crawford 5-0, Rader 4-8), 20-10; 4. Lincoln 15-4

Triple jump - 3. Lincoln, 136-7 1/4

Shot put - 2. Olympia, 155-7 1/2.  Top boy - Schultz (O), 52-11 1/2

Discus - 2. Olympia, 433-1.  Top boy - Schultz (O), 149-11

Relays -- boys

400 - 2 Olympia, 44.5

800 - 2. Olympia, 1:34.9

3,200 - 3. Olympia, 8:48.3; 5. Lincoln, 9:23.6

F-S 400 - 2. Olympia, 46.8

F-S 800 - 4. Olympia, 142.2

F-S 1,600 medley - 1. Olympia (Hodge, Schimmelpfenning, Willard, Neisler), 3.50.0 (meet record)

F-S 3,200 - 1. Olympia (Willard, Small, Springer, J. Neisler), 8:47.8.

Relays -- girls

400 - 3. Lincoln, 52.5

800 - 5. Lincoln, 1:52.5

800 medley - 5. Lincoln 1:57.8

3,200 - 3. Olympia, 10:26.8

F-S 400 - 4. Olympia 55.1

F-S 800 - 6. Lincoln 2:01.0

F-S 3,200 - 5. Olympia, 11:54.5


Articles from the past week

Tuesday:

  • High school baseball

  • High school softball

  • Lincoln College cross country signs Wombles

Monday:

  • Mayfield's Mutterings...: How 'bout those Cardinals
  • High school baseball

  • High school softball

  • High school track and field

  • Redbird baseball wins first game of doubleheader

  • Double forfeit ruled in baseball brawl

  • Redbird baseball drops Sunday game to Indiana State

  • 'An Evening With the Redbirds' moves to spring date

Saturday:

  • High school baseball

  • High school softball

  • High school track and field

  • Lincoln College softball

  • Redbirds win first Friday Valley game, 8-5, over Indiana State

  • Lightning strike cancels WJBC webcasts for weekend games

  • Larson steps down as coach of Redbird gymnastics

Friday:

  • High school softball

  • High school baseball

  • Johnson inks new deal

Thursday:

  • High school baseball

  • Lincoln College softball vs. Lewis & Clark

  • Guest speaker Dick Vitale inspires Redbird student-athletes and coaches

  • Bruce Weber named UI basketball coach

Wednesday:

  • High school baseball

  • High school softball

  • High school track and field

  • LCC signs Clinton player


How 'bout those Cardinals

By Jeff Mayfield

[MAY 5, 2003]  I think they're up to something like seven in a row? With all the injuries that they've had, can you believe it? They have really been playing some good ball of late. Lots of people want to talk about their hitting. Others want to talk about their defense. I think I will start with what seems to be getting the job done: their starting pitching.

You knew going into the thing that probably Matt Morris and Woody Williams were going to shine. But did you count on much from Brett Tomko, Jason Simontacci or even Garrett Stevenson? How 'bout the outing Simontacci delivered in Busch Stadium Friday night to 41,000-plus delirious redbird backers sporting their FREE new T-shirts? He completely dominated Montreal almost from start to finish. And to get an outing from him like that now, when the Cards' bullpen is completely dismantled, couldn't be bigger. Then follow that up with a huge performance by Stevenson and then another rock steady show by Morris, and the Birds are covering up a multitude of deficiencies.

How can I say that? Look at what the pen has provided over the last couple of weeks… or should I say, what they HAVEN'T provided? Two or three times over that span they have blown huge leads in the ninth! Great or even good teams canNOT survive on a steady diet of that. I guess you could say that the good news is that somehow St. Louis has weathered most of those storms. But as the old adage goes, where there's smoke there is fire; and our hurlers have spent more time tossing gas on the flames than getting the fires out! Hopefully, as injuries begin to heal up, so will the bullpen's woes. If not, the Birds may just tease their fans along all year.

You do have to be happy with the everyday lineup, as I really wasn't trying to downplay it all that much. Fernando Vina has been on a holy tear since shaving off his Fu Manchu! He's even hit his first two homers in something like his last thousand at-bats. He's also made a few spectacular plays in the field. Tino Martinez has delivered a few times as well, after a woeful start last season. Scott Rolen continues to show why he was one of the best pickups in baseball over the last few years, and he plays a very stingy third base as well. And what can you say about Edgar Renteria? He may be the Cards' MVP over the long haul, when you consider how consistent he has been with both the bat and glove; he is nothing short of amazing.

 

As you roam the Cardinals' outfield you are not stunned by the names save one: Albert Pujols. Pujols is simply and easily one of the five best players in the game right now. And to think just a couple of hundred games ago he was playing Class A baseball. Is baseball a funny game or what? Who knows what will happen with J.D. Drew? Labeled as a can't-miss superstar, injuries have slowed him almost continually. Now he is making solid contact but hitting the ball right at people. He can't seem to buy a break. Don't know if the Cards will wait him out to see what he can do when and if he ever gets healthy, or if they will continue to shop him and maybe continue to shore up the pitching corps. You'd have to say that Eduardo Perez, Eli Marrero and Orlando Palmiero have done an excellent job for St. Louis. Without that trio and some of the work by Kerry Robinson, the Birds could have been in a hole by now that they may never have been able to climb out of.

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Despite their stellar play so far, one concern remains. This is NOT the speediest outfield that you will ever lay eyes on! From a defensive standpoint this concerns me greatly, when you consider how much long relief and stoppers have struggled up to this point in the proceedings.Mike Matheny continues to cover a multitude of sins for the Cardinals. Obviously one of the best defensive catchers in all of baseball, he's gotten some big hits along the way too. And the way he works with pitchers has really helped guide St. Louis to a share of first place as of today. That is a huge factor in the Cards' meteoric rise over the last two weeks. It is also a critical component of how far they can go and whether they can withstand the rash of injuries that have beset them in the early going.

It is still way too early to predict how these redbirds will fare. Though Card fans throughout the region are hoping for a return to the glory of the 1982 season!

Cardinal fastballs

--Former pitching great Danny Cox will be managing in the independent league.

--Another former redbird hurler, Ricky Horton is now serving as the director of the St. Louis area Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

--The secret weapon, Jose Oquendo, is getting so aggressive as the Birds' third base coach, he's beginning to remind longtime fans of Hal Lanier. Remember the awesome job Lanier used to do for the Cards?

--The Cards outscored the Expos and the Mets 48-16 during the homestand.

--The last time the redbirds swept a homestand of six or more games was Aug. 13-19, 2001, when they swept Cincinnati and Philadelphia for seven games.

--The last time they swept Montreal was Sept. 28-30, 1992.

--St. Louis will play only NL Central opponents for the next month.

--The Cardinals will get their first look at the Reds' new Great American Ball Park starting tonight in Cincinnati.

[Jeff Mayfield]

Editorial note: The LDN sports staff plans to bring you some other baseball updates on the Chicago Cubs, White Sox and others over the next few months…

 

 


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