Sports Beat column - April 24, 2008

Sports Beat

April 24, 2008

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

In DC, they are wondering where the baseball fans needed to fill the new Nationals stadium are, but hey all they have to look at is where its located that ought to tell the folks that actually believed the saying ³you build it and they will come². No parking around the stadium, park at RFK and take the shuttle bus over or take the Metro to the stadium. Let¹s look at that, no parking at the stadium is a big hurt no matter how you cut it, park at RFK will your car be there when you return, take the Metro will you be an instant bank, will you get beat up and why do you think Metro is always in the red? The location of the stadium is terrible!

When I was growing up, it was Griffith stadium and I loved the place. Sit in the bleachers 60 cents, free tickets from Mrs. Griffith or Mr. Baines (whose family owned Browning and Baines Oriental Coffee) and the company had a sign on the right field wall thus they got free tickets. I remember the Briggs hot dogs and barbeque sandwiches, peanuts and cokes (later they put in the beer garden). I was there when Mickey Mantle jacked a home run 555 feet over the bleachers off Chuck Stobbs. The first game I saw at Griffith Stadium was in 1944 against the American League champs that year the St. Louis Browns (later they became the Baltimore Orioles). I use to take Georgia Avenue street car to the game or the 14th Street one and transfer at 14th and U and go over to the stadium.

Two of the guys who were there with me for the Mantle home run were Chuck Enterline and Cal Cobbs. Others who I use to go to Griffith stadium with were John Pavlides, Phil Kapneck, Terry Maher, Don Saccardi, Phil Sullivan, the late Jack Funerburk, Shirley Carr, Courtland Buell, Jr. and Jeanette Bode. I also saw Georgetown , GW, the annual St. John¹s vs. Gonzaga football games and the Redskins play there. I loved the place with memories of Mickey Vernon Buddy Lewis, Stan Spence, Dutch Leonard, Roger Wolff, Early Wynn, Walt Masterson, Bob Porterfield, Jackie Jensen, Jim Busby, Bobo Newsom, Connie Marrero, Pete Ramos, Jake Early, Harlond Clift, Roy Sievers, Eddie ³The Walking Man² Yost, George Myatt, Nick Altrok, Sid Hudson and others.

Then it was on to RFK (a stadium that really was built for the Redskins) and Cal ³Fatso² Griffith moved the Senators to Minnesota and an expansion team came to DC with Mickey Vernon managing the new Nats. Tommy Brown hit a home run for the Nats on opening day and from there on it was all downhill for Brown (but he bounced back with the Packers and football) but for the Nat it was downhill until they moved to Texas. I use to sit in the broadcast booth with Ron Menchine, Tony Roberts, and Johnny Holiday and eat cheese and crackers and watch the likes of Frank ³Hondo² Howard, Claude Osteen, ³Bobo² Osborne, Don Lock, Eddie Brinkman, Dick Bosman, and Joe Coleman. Bob Short and ³panty hose² nights soon were gone when Short took off for Texas.

I don¹t know if the new stadium was built to fail but I do know that Gifford¹s ice cream, metro and a lack of parking isn¹t going to save baseball in DC. I hope it makes it but I do know I liked old Griffith stadium better and it was much safer riding street cars in those days. But Baltimore is learning their fans will not support losing baseball, even ³The New York Times² is talking about the Orioles and their falling attendance. Yes I know they had big crowds for the Yankee series but you know it was the Yankee fans that they came to see and not the Orioles. Even Ironhead, TT, PP and P. Weasel are not taking in Oriole games.

JOCKS REUNION

I was invited to this year¹s Jocks reunion by Joe Warren and I had a great time. It was held at the Greenbelt American Legion and Jock¹s Chairman Charlie Brotman did a great job as the MC. This year¹s inductees were: Eli Blank, Lou Chacos, Alfred E. Berling, Dr. Robert Bickford, Thomas A. Dean, Willie Goff, Aaron ³Ernie² Silverman, and a special award went to Herbie ³Biff² Jones. I knew Eli Blank, Lou Chacos was my second football coach and his mother and sister lived around the corner from me (1500 block of Allison St. N.W.). Bob Bickford was Ed Cole¹s coach in high school and I met him when he was President of P.G. Community College. I knew ³Biff² Jones from the Takoma Pool when he took up for young kids like me against bullies and later I ran into him when he was a bouncer at ³Gus and Johns² in Camp Springs . Sitting at my table were Ritchie Hite, Buzzy Young, and Sam Habib (who I have known for a long time and owned ³Sam¹s Crab House). Others who I talked to were Bickford, Dave Prinkert, Bob Summers, ³Cully² Cullinane, Jim Panor, Jack Hoffman, and Jack Baumgartner.

ORIOLES OUTLOOK

Well the Orioles got a boost in attendance when the Yankees visited the ³Yard² and the Orioles took 2 out of 3 from the Bronx Bombers. I hope you Oriole fans don¹t get to excited because the wins are going to become scarce and attendance will continue to slide. Adam Jones has shown signs he may be better than I thought. Luke Scott, Nick Markakis and Jones seem to be a good fit in the outfield. The Orioles still don¹t have a stopper in their arm department.

Nared Signs NLI with Maryland Women's Basketball
High school senior is the daughter of a former Terrapin

Terrapin head coach Brenda Frese has announced that Jackie Nared, a 6-1 guard/forward, has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Maryland beginning the 2008-09 campaign. Nared is a standout player in the state of Oregon and the daughter of former Terrapin Greg Nared, who played basketball at Maryland from 1986-89. "When we learned Jackie was interested in Maryland and knowing her parents were already part of the Maryland family, it was a no-brainer bringing her on board," said Frese, who has been at the Terrapin helm for six years and has won 200-career games. "She's a versatile, athletic player who has played all five positions at the high school level. Jackie has shown she can score in a variety of ways and has a real chance to help us." As a senior at Westview High in Portland , Ore., Nared was the state's Class 6A leading scorer, averaging over 22 points per game, while grabbing eight rebounds per game. She led her high school squad to its first state tournament win since 2000, recording 13 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks to advance to the second round. An all-state first team selection, she was among the top 10 players in the state to be selected to play in the annual Oregon-Washington Northwest Shootout, pitting the top players in both states. Nared is a two-time All-Metro first team pick, recording games of 41 points, 39 points and 31 points in her career. She has also been selected the Oregon Athlete of the Week several times. Nared is the daughter of Reiko Williams and Greg Nared. Both are Maryland graduates. Greg was a four-year letterwinner in basketball, leading the Terps in assists (135) and steals (46) during the 1988-89 campaign. Jackie Nared joins Potomac High School 's Lynetta Kizer and Gulf Coast Community College 's Demauria Liles as members of next year's incoming class. As a pair, Kizer and Liles ranked 10th in the nation among the country's recruiting classes. Kizer is a McDonald's and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American, while Liles was recently named the WBCA Junior College National Player of the Year.

HOWE, MCNAIR SELECTED FOR NCAA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Bowie State University ¹s Anthony Howe and Jasmine McNair have been selected to take part in the 2008 NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference to be held May 25-29 at Walt Disney¹s Yacht and Beach Club Resort in Lake Buena Vista , Florida . Howe and McNair are two of 700 student-athletes selected from 462 institutions within the NCAA to participate in the conference. There will be two sessions of the conference, May 25-27 and 27-29. Howe is a junior psychology major who is a member on the football team and on the dean¹s list while McNair is a junior nursing major on the women¹s volleyball and women¹s tennis teams. McNair is also a member of Bowie State University ¹s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

TONEY MAKES MAJOR PLAY TO SEND LADY BULLDOGS TO TITLE GAME

It is tough to beat a team three times in one season and that was validated as Bowie State defeated Virginia State 5-3 in thrilling fashion to advance to Saturday¹s (4/19) CIAA Softball Championship game for the second straight season. The VSU loss sent the Lady Trojans to the double-elimination loser¹s bracket to face Johnson C. Smith. Bowie State (23-8) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning. Senior Erin Gray led off the game with a free pass after being hit by a pitch. Junior pitcher Heather Enders reached on an error by Virginia State right fielder Nikita Allmond, scoring Gray on the play. Sophomore Annette Makle doubled and recorded two RBI, scoring Enders and junior Virginia Hockey. Virginia State (22-9) cut into the Bowie State lead in the bottom of the 5th inning on a single by Tiffany Coggins, scoring Allmond. VSU¹s Lady Trojans tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the 6th inning on just one hit. Allmond reached on a Bowie State error that scored Kristen Rountree and Judy Hatch singled, scoring Allmond. Bowie State went down in order in the top of the 7th inning as senior Jillian Willey, junior Tiffany Toney and Gray all popped up. Virginia State threatened in their half of the seventh, but left two runners on base. Coggins walked in her order of the lineup and Sharron Lipford reached on an error by Bowie State .

BSU junior Tricia Corbin led off the 8th inning with a bunt single and advanced to second after an error by the VSU catcher. Virginia State pitcher Kjirsten Beckstead got Enders to fly out to left and sent Hockey to the dugout with a strike out looking. Makle singled and advanced all the way around to third, scoring Corbin. Senior Bethany Sloat singled, scoring Makle and gave Bowie State a 5-3 cushion. Allmond lined out the center to began the Virginia State half of the 8th inning. Toni Jones reached base on an error and Judy Hatch joined her by way of a base-on-balls with one out. VSU¹s Geneva Washington grounded out to the pitcher, but advanced Jones and Hatch to third and second respectively. Beckstead stepped up to the plate and hit a soft line drive to the backhand of Toney that would have scored two. However, Toney, the CIAA Player of the Year, made probably the best athletic play of the championships by snaring Beckstead¹s liner to end the game. Virginia State was led by Hatch with three hits. As a team, the Lady Trojans had seven hits in the setback but committed three errors. Makle was Bowie State ¹s top offensive producer, tallying a team-high three hits and a game-high three RBI. BSU¹s Lady Bulldogs recorded nine hits on the afternoon, but was bitten by the error bug as well, committing four in the game. Virginia State defeated Johnson C. Smith 9-8 in eight innings to remain in the championship race. VSU and BSU are no strangers to championship match-ups as the two met last year ( 4/21/07 ) with Bowie State winning 9-4 to capture its first CIAA softball title in school history.

BOWIE STATE WINS 2008 CIAA SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Bowie State completed an undefeated run through the bracket by shutting out Virginia State , 5-0, in the championship game to capture the 2008 CIAA Softball Championship for the second consecutive year.

Riding the arms of starting pitcher Heather Enders and reliever Jillian Willey, the Lady Bulldogs only allowed VSU two hits in the seven inning contest. Tiffany Toney and Annette Makle supplied the necessary offense going a combined 4 for 7 with three RBI and two runs scored.

After giving up a leadoff double to Jessica Hatch in the top of the first, Enders held the Lady Trojans hitless until Amber Hoop led off the seventh inning with a single. BSU coach Fred Burroughs then brought in Willey, who retired the next three batters to preserve the shutout and championship victory.

BSU gave Enders all the cushion she needed in the first inning.

Erin Gray walked to start the inning followed by a single by Toney. Both women scored on Makle¹s single to take a 2-0 lead.

BSU got three more runs in the fourth inning that featured a double by Makle and a triple by Toney.

The win gives the regionally ranked Lady Bulldogs (24-8) their eighth straight victory and 20th win in their last 22 contests. They also earn an automatic bid to the Division II Softball Playoffs and await the announcement of pairings.

All-Tournament Team
Allycia Watanabe P Johnson C. Smith
Alicia Frank P Fayetteville State
Kjirsten Beckstead P- Virginia State
Cekea Cox SS Elizabeth City State
Nicole Villareal P Johnson C. Smith
Stephany Newkirk SS Saint Augustine's
Tricia Corbin C Bowie State
Monica Grimmage 1B Shaw
Tiffany Coggins SS Virginia State
Heather Enders P Bowie State
Tiffany Toney SS Bowie State
Annette Makle 3B Bowie State

Tournament MVP Annette Makle Bowie State University

It's another CIAA title sweep for the Saint Augustine 's College track and field team, but the Bowie State University Lady Bulldogs had a good weekend, finishing third overall. The Falcon women beat Virginia State 181 to 170.5 for the crown. Bowie State was third (152.5) followed by Shaw (63), Johnson C. Smith (27), Saint Paul 's (11) and Virginia Union (4). Pierre, 2007 100 national outdoor champion, won the 100 and 200 and was on the winning 4x100 relay team to lead the Lady Falcons. Other women winners were Sharona Brown of Saint Augustine's (800, 1500), Erica Young of Saint Augustine's (400), Candice Brown of Virginia State (3000), Shermaine Williams of Johnson C. Smith (100 hurdles), Aisha George of Saint Augustine's (400 hurdles), the Saint Augustine's 4x400 relay team, Elaine Rhoades of Bowie State (high jump), DaMara Parrish of Bowie State (long jump, triple jump), Deltress Searcey of Virginia State (shot put), Lakisha Carney of Bowie State (discus) and Brynn Rosser of Virginia State (javelin). Parrish was named women's field MVP.

The Falcons of St. Augustine's College successfully defended their men's outdoor crown at Virginia State on Saturday (April 19) with Virginia State placing second and Bowie State rounded out the top three. Dion Rodriguez and Malcolm Womack# played key roles by placing first in the 100 meter and 400 hurdles respectivley.

St. Augustine's Ken Samoi (track) and Joe Kindred (field) were named MVP's. The St. Augustine 's Falcon men amassed 261 points, the most since they scored 332 points in 1993. The 148-point winning margin was the biggest since the Falcons won by 157 points in 1999. Virginia State was second with 113 points followed by Bowie State (95), Virginia Union (59), Johnson C. Smith (43), Shaw (28), Livingstone (17) and Saint Paul 's ( 15).

Samoei won the 1500 and 5000 runs and finished second in the 800 run while Kindred won the long jump, high jump and placed third in the triple jump. Other men winners were Josh Scott of Saint Augustine's (200, 400), Chayce Smith of Saint Augustine's (800), Jermaine Baker of Saint Augustine's (110 hurdles), the Virginia State 4x100 relay team, the Saint Augustine's 4x400 relay team, Brandon Quarles (triple jump), Marquis Davis of Virginia Union (shot put, discus) and Coleman McNeil of Johnson C. Smith (javelin).

SeaWolves Befuddled By Waters Day After Rainout

Both Bowie and Erie were rained out on Sunday, on Monday it was Baysox starter Chris Waters who ruined the SeaWolves day. Waters did not allow a run and allowed only one hit and two walks in 5.2 innings pitched to earn his second win of the season, and lowering his ERA to 0.66.

Lou Montanez had a big offensive night for the Baysox. With one out in the top of the first and no one on base, Montanez homered to right-center field. The Baysox would never trail in the game. The Baysox would score two more runs in the 6th inning. Mike Rodriguez reached on a bunt single, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher. After a Nolan Reimold pop out, Jeff Nettles hit a homerun to left field. In the 8th inning Lou Montanez was hit by a pitch and went to second on a groundout by Reimold. After a Jeff Nettles walk, Ben Davis singled to left field. Montanez scored on the single, Nettles would score from first on the play on a fielding error by Jeff Frazier and Ben Davis would end up at third on the play. Kennard Jones then doubled to left, scoring Davis , but he was thrown out at third trying to stretch the double into a triple.

Jonathan Tucker got the offense going again in the ninth inning. He singled to start the inning and scored on a Blake Davis triple. Davis scored on a Mike Rodriguez single up the middle. With two runs already in and nobody out, Lou Montanez hit his second homerun of the game, putting the Baysox up 10-0. The SeaWolves scored three runs on a homerun by catcher Dusty Ryan, but it wasn't enough and the Baysox won 10-3.

Baysox Capitalize on SeaWolves Mistakes Early, Hang on to Win 6-5

The Baysox scored a pair of unearned runs early and held on late to beat the Erie SeaWolves 6-5. Zach Dillon went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI's and two runs scored to lead the Baysox. The Baysox took the lead in the second inning. With one out, Nolan Reimold singled and Ryan Finan drew a walk. Zach Dillon hit an RBI single, scoring Reimold. Jonathan Tucker hit a groundball to third, Kody Kirkland fielded it and stepped on third base for an out, but then his throw to first was wild. Dillon went to third on the throw and Tucker wound up on second. Blake Davis hit a flyball to left that should have ended the inning, but left fielder Wilkin Ramirez dropped it, and both Dillon and Tucker scored.

The Baysox scored two more runs in the sixth inning. Ryan Finan led off with a double to right field. The next batter, Zach Dillon, doubled to right, scoring Finan. Dillon went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jonathan Tucker and he scored on a Blake Davis sacrifice fly. The Baysox would add another run in the 7th on a Ryan Finan sacrifice fly to left field. Jeff Frazier led off the bottom of the eighth inning for the SeaWolves with the Baysox leading 6-2. Frazier hit a single to left field. Catcher Max St. Pierre hit a ball down the left-field line that was ruled a ground-rule double because of fan interference. Frazier went to third. Baysox reliever Felix Romero got Danny Worth to hit a pop-up to third baseman Jeff Nettles, and then struck out Ryan Roberson. With two outs in the inning, Kody Kirkland drew a walk and Freddy Guzman hit a double to right field. Frazier and St. Pierre scored, but Kirkland was held at third. Romero got the next batter to fly out to end the inning with the Baysox still leadi ng 6-4.

Julio Manon came into the game for the Baysox in the bottom of the ninth, looking for his third save of the season. Wilkin Ramirez led off the inning with a triple to left field, and scored on a Deik Scram groundout. Manon then struck out the next two batters to end the game and record his third save. Chorye Spoone earned the win and is now 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA on the season. Spoone allowed one run on two hits and four walks while striking out four over five innings.

Baysox Rally Back From Big Deficit, Fall to SeaWolves 11-10

Today's starters combined to give up 16 runs over the first five innings of this morning's game. After two innings, the SeaWolves led 7-1. Erie scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on a Max St. Pierre single to come away with the win. The SeaWolves scored first, in the bottom of the first inning. Dusty Ryan hit a two-RBI double to left-center field, and Max St. Pierre hit another two-RBI double to left field. In the bottom of the second inning, Deik Scram hit a three-run homerun and the Baysox trailed 7-1.

Blake Davis got the Baysox going in the top of the third. Davis drew a walk to start the inning and stole second base. Davis scored two batters later, when Lou Montanez hit his third homerun of the year. With two outs in the inning, Jeff Nettles hit a double to left-center field and scored on a Ben Davis single. Mike Rodriguez led off the top of the fifth inning with the Baysox trailing 8-4. Rodriguez tripled to center field and scored on a Lou Montanez groundout. Two batters later Jeff Nettles hit a solo homerun to left-center field. Ben Davis and Ryan Finan both drew walks and scored on a Kennard Jones triple to left-center field, tying the score at 8-8.

Nolan Reimold hit an RBI triple in the top of the sixth inning to give the Baysox their only lead of the game, but the SeaWolves scored in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Freddy Guzman. The SeaWolves took the lead again in the bottom of the eighth inning when Danny Worth scored on a Will Rhymes sacrifice fly, but the Baysox tied the game in the top of the ninth with another solo homerun by Jeff Nettles. The SeaWolves put the game away in the bottom of the ninth when Max St. Pierre singled in Dusty Ryan to end the game. Danny Zell picked up his second win of the season, Jim Miller was charged with the loss.

Baysox Drop Series Opener to Akron, 5-1

The Baysox racked up 10 hits, but were only able to score one run in tonight's game against the Akron Aeros. Aeros starter Frank Hermann pitched 5.2 shutout innings, allowing seven hits with no walks and no strikeouts to earn the win. Jeff Nettles had three hits and Ben Davis and Sebastien Boucher each had a pair of hits for the Baysox. Jason Berken started for the Baysox and got into trouble in the second inning. Michael Aubrey singled to right field, Matt Whitney was hit by a pitch and Chris Jiminez hit a single into left field. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Nathan Panther hit a single to left, scoring Aubrey. Berken got himself out of the jam by striking out Ryan Goleski and getting Jose Constanza to ground into a double play. Berken would allow one more run in his six innings pitched, when Jose Constanza scored on an RBI double by Brandon Chaves in the top of the fifth.

The Baysox lone run came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jonathan Tucker drew a walk with one out and scored on a Blake Davis double to left-center field. The Baysox had another opportunity to score in the bottom of the eighth inning, trailing 3-1. With one out, Jeff Nettles lined a single into center field. He moved to third on a Ben Davis double to the right field corner. Ryan Finan flew out to short-center field, and Nettles tagged up and tried to score. He was thrown out at home by Jose Constanza to end the inning. The Aeros scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth. With one out in the ninth, Chris Giminez drew a walk. The next batter, Nathan Panther, hit a pop-up just foul of first base that Ryan Finan couldn't handle. Finan was charged with an error, and Panther went on to hit a single to right field. After a Ryan Goleski strikeout, Jose Constanza hit an RBI single to left, scoring Giminez. Brandon Chaves drove in the last run on a single to right, scoring Panther.

With the loss, the Baysox fall to 5-9 and the Aeros improve to 6-7. The teams will play again Friday night with Baysox RHP Chris Tillman (0-0, 2.57 ERA) starting against Aeros LHP Ryan Edell (0-0, 2.53 ERA). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Baysox Walk Off After Wild Finish

Travis Brown had two RBI in his first game with the Baysox, and Jonathan Tucker reached base four times, but it wasn't enough to seal a victory in nine innings. After letting a two run lead slip away with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Baysox capped a wild finish with a walk-off homerun from Lou Montanez. The Baysox got on the board first in the bottom of the second when Jeff Nettles hit a homerun to left field on a 2-2 pitch. The Baysox would add another run in the inning when Nolan Reimold scored on an RBI single by Travis Brown. Chris Tillman retired the first seven batters he saw, extending his hitless innings streak to eight before allowing a Ryan Goleski single in the third. Tillman found himself in trouble in the fourth inning when he suddenly ran into issues with his control. He walked Chris de la Cruz and Wes Hodges, each on four pitches, to start the inning. A Michael Aubrey double scored both runners, and Tillman retired the next batter before walking two more batters to load the bases with one out. Tillman got out of the jam by getting Ryan Goleski to bounce into an inning-ending double play.

Tillman went 4.1 innings and did not earn a decision. Jonathan Tucker tripled to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, and scored on Travis Brown's second RBI single to give the Baysox the lead again. Ben Davis singled in Lou Montanez in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Baysox a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth. Julio Manon came in to pitch the top of the ninth, looking for his third save. He retired the first two batters before Jose Constanza hit a 1-2 pitch into left field for a single. Brandon Chaves hit a triple to center field, and would score on a Chris de la Cruz single to center. Manon struck out Wes Hodges to end the inning. Jonathan Tucker led off the bottom of the ninth. He hit a groundball between third base and the shortstop. Shortstop Brandon Chaves made a great play fielding the ball on the edge of the outfield grass, but his throw to first was not in time. Tucker noticed that no one was covering second base, and he hustled into second. The play was officially ruled a double. Tucker went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Travis Brown, but was stranded there when Blake Davis and Sebastien Boucher both struck out to end the inning.

With one out in the top of the tenth, Joshua Rodriguez drew a walk. Baysox catcher Ben Davis was ejected for arguing ball four, and Zach Dillon had to come in mid-inning to catch. After a Jeff Nettles throwing error, Akron had runners on first and third with one out, but Nathan Panther grounded into a double play to end the inning. With one out in the bottom of the tenth, Lou Montanez hit a walk-off solo homerun down the left field line to give the Baysox the win, 5-4. The teams will meet again Saturday at 7 p.m. in the third game of a four game series. LHP Chris Waters is scheduled to pitch for the Baysox, he will be opposed by Aeros RHP Kevin Dixon.

Waters Runs Deep, Bullpen Barely Stays Afloat in 5-3 Victory

Baysox starter Chris Waters threw seven outstanding innings for the Baysox and earned his third win of the season. Waters allowed only one run on four hits and one walk while striking out four. The Baysox scored first in the third inning. With one out, Blake Davis reached on an infield single to the shortstop. Davis then stole second base, and advanced to third on a groundout by Sebastien Boucher. Davis scored on a Jonathan Tucker single. Tucker's RBI single was his sixth consecutive trip to the plate where he reached base. The Baysox added another run in the fourth when Kennard Jones drew a bases loaded walk. The Baysox biggest blow came with two outs in the sixth. With Jeff Nettles on first, Ryan Finan connected on an 0-1 pitch, launching it over the wall in right-center field for a two run homer. The Baysox would add their final run in the eight when Finan hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Reimold. Jim Miller relieved Chris Waters to start the eighth inning and retired the first batter he faced. It was the only out he recorded in the inning. The next batter, Brandon Pinckney, hit a solo homerun to left center field. Miller then allowed a single to Brandon Chaves, and Chaves scored on a Josh Rodriguez double. Miller hit the next batter and was relieved by Gerardo Casadiego. Casadiego came into the game with one out and two runners on in a 4-3 game. He allowed a single to left to load the bases before striking out Matt Whitney and Ryan Goleski to get out of the inning. Casadiego pitched a scoreless ninth to record his first save of the season.

Baysox, Aeros Suspeded in Third Inning

Bowie's Sunday game vs. Akron was suspended in the top of the third inning due to rain. The game will resume as a part of a double-header on Friday, May 2nd starting at 6:05 pm . The regularly scheduled game will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. In accordance with Minor League Baseball rules, the second game will be 7 innings. The Aero's led 5-1 when the game was postponed after scoring five runs in the top of the second. Michael Aubrey doubled to lead off the inning, and moved to third on a passed ball. Chris Gimenez reached on an infield single to short, scoring Aubrey. After a balk by Chorey Spoone moved Giminez to second, Nathan Panther drew a walk. Brandon Pinckney tried to execute a sacrifice bunt toward third, and Chorye Spoone fielded the ball and attempted to throw out the lead runner. If the throw had been on target, the runner would have been out, but Spoone threw wildly past Greg Nettles and Giminez scored on the play. Now with runners on second and third with nobody out, Ryan Goleski hit a triple to center field, scoring Panther and Pinckney. Goleski scored on a Chris de la Cruz single down the left field line. Jeff Nettles scored the Baysox lone run in the bottom of the second. Nettles doubled to left to lead off the inning and scored on a Ryan Finan single to center. When play resumes on May 2nd, Nathan Panther will be batting with a 1-0 count, with one out and a runner on first in the top of the third inning. Chorye Spoone will not be available to pitch, he came out the game with an injury before play was suspended.

OFFENSIVE DROUGHT DAY AFTER THE RAINS

The Baysox had a pair of hits in the first inning, but managed only one more hit and a walk in the first of a three game series against Connecticut . Both teams struggled offensively, without a run being scored until the bottom of the ninth. Baysox starter David Hernandez allowed only two hits and two walks over 6.1 innings while striking out eight. He was relieved with one out in the seventh inning after walking Josh Witter. Ryan Keefer came into the game and retired the first two batters he faced. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning before allowing a leadoff single to Ben Copeland in the ninth. A sacrifice bunt moved Copeland to second, and Keefer intentionally walked Josh Witter. Keefer was then relieved by Rommie Lewis. Lewis hit Simon Klink to load the bases with one out, and then Olmo Rosario singled to left to drive in the game-winning run. Ryan Keefer was charged with the loss and is now 0-3 on the season. Defenders starter Dave McKae was outstanding, allowing the two hits in the first inning and one walk through seven innings pitched. Ronnie Ray earned the win pitching two scoreless innings of relief.

Berken Gets Run Support, Victory

Jason Berken allowed two earned runs in 5.2 innings Tuesday, and earned his first win of the season in the Baysox 7-3 victory. Berken has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his four starts this season. After being shut out Monday, the Baysox didn¹t waste any time scoring on Tuesday. Kennard Jones led off the game with a walk, went from first to third on a Lou Montanez single and scored when Ryan Finan hit into a double play. The Defenders took the lead when they scored three runs off Berken. Eddy Martinez-Esteve walked and went to second on an Olmo Rosario single. Ben Copeland laid down a sacrifice bunt, Berken fielded it, but threw the ball well over Ryan Finan¹s head for an error. Martinez-Esteve scored on the play, Rosario went to third and Copeland wound up at second. Travis Denker singled to left, scoring Rosario and moving Copeland to third. With one out and runners on the corners, Berken struck out Simon Klink swinging, and Ben Copeland stole home on th e play for the Defenders third run.

The Baysox would get one run back in the top of the fourth when Sebastien Boucher doubled in Nolan Reimold, and would add three more in the sixth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Jonathan Tucker hit a pop up behind the plate that should have ended the inning, but catcher Josh Witters dropped the ball. Tucker capitalized on the error, hitting a single to left-center field. Ben Davis, Nolan Reimold and Sebastien Boucher would all score on the play. Tucker would wind up on third with two RBI after a throwing error by third baseman David Maroul. Kennard Jones kept things rolling in the seventh inning. He led off the inning with a walk, then stole second and third base with Ryan Finan batting. Finan drew a walk, and both runners would score on a Ben Davis double to right. Three of the Baysox seven runs were unearned. Kam Mickolio and Julio Manon combined to throw 3.1 scoreless innings in relief. The Baysox improve to 8-10 with the win, the Defenders fall to 10-9.

NICKLOW WINS

Jake Smith¹s Baltimore Pro Boxing held an outstanding pro show at the Pikesville Armory before a good crowd. Jessie Nicklow ran his record to 17-0-1 with a 3rd round TKO over Chad Greenleaf ( 10-10-1 ). Mike Dietrich lost his first fight in a return to the ring and his record is now 10-1-0 , he was sent to sleep by Wes Taylor at 0:23 of the 3rd round. Other results: Mark Tucker, Jr. stopped Gary Lavender at 1:25 of the first round by TKO. Tony Jeter scored a 1st round TKO at 1:15 over Peter Guthy. Willie Williams ran his record to 10-2-0 with an unanimous 6th round decision over Edward Andre Hemphill. Ray Gant upped his record to 12-1-0 with a 6 round majority decision over Mike Miller. Upcoming fights: May 29th Pro Am Ballroom Boxing at Michael¹s 8th Avenue June 13th Jake Smith¹s Pro AM event at ³Du²Burns Arena August 3rd Gene Molovinsky Keystone Boxing at District Heights Municipal Center Bernard Hopkins lost a split decision to Calzaghe, but I thought he had won.

SPORTS NOTES

The Virginia Caps put up a good fight but the Philadelphia Flyers were not to be denied and took the series 4-3. Allyson Hamlin (QB) is leading the DC Divas in a drive for another title. Their 32 straight victory streak was stopped by Boston but April 26 they are hosting the Baltimore Night Hawks and are looking to start a new streak.

Divas remaining home games:
April 26th          Baltimore
May 24th           Central Pennsylvania
May 31             Baltimore
June 14                        Pittsburgh

Altoona outfielder James Boone is the winner of the Bank of America Eastern League Player of the Week Award and Bowie left-hander Chris Waters is the winner of the Bank of America Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Award. The worse TV commercial I have seen is the lottery commission¹s double bubble with Harpo Marx, what a waste of tax payers money. I hope she did it for free. Jeri Porter moves from Radford to George Mason as Women¹s head basketball coach. Her father John Wiley is men¹s head coach at PGCC and her brother John Wiley, Jr. is head boys basketball coach at Bowie High School . Rumor has Col. Phil at the ³Talk House² in the Hamptons recently. Look for Southern Marylander Jared Gaither to replace Jonathan Ogden as the Ravens left offensive tackle. Dave Prinkert is an honorary member of the DC Roller girls fan club and reminds all to come to their next home game at the DC Armory on May 3rd.

RAVENS HOME SCHEDULE 2008

Sept. 7             Cincinnati , 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 21           Cleveland , 4:15 p.m.
Oct. 5               Tennessee , 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 26             Oakland , 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 6              BYE
Nov. 23            Philadelphia , 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 7              REDSKINS, 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 14            Pittsburgh , 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 28            Jacksonville , 1:00 p.m.

REDSKINS HOME SCHEDULE

Sept. 14           New Orleans , 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 21           Arizona , 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 12             St. Louis , 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 19             Cleveland , 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 3              Pittsburgh , 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 6              BYE
Nov. 16            Dallas , 8:15p.m.
Nov. 30            NY Giants, 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 21            Philadelphia , 1:00 p.m.

In golf at Bowie in the Ladies 18-hole league in the Bakers Dozen Tournament the results were:
A-Flight 1- Ina Rae Foskey 2- Carolyn Hudson 3- Karen Wood Low Putts Foskey and Hudson 33 each tie

B-Flight 1- Helen Shin 2- Pat Podoley 3- Mary Schossler Low Putts went to Georgia McGraw at 34

C-Flight 1- Marguerite Spetrini 2- Sally Collins 3- Tie with Lillian Kulick and Robby Smith

I wonder where they are now: Pat Smith, Reba Wilson, Jane Ruman, George Lacey, Joan CHaillet, Ruth Estelle, Dottie Smith, Billy Gosnell, Linda Herbert, Fred Sherman, Leon Bibbett, and George Malloy.

Our deepest sympathy goes to the families of the following:
Dennis J. Reilly, Jr. (Gonzaga HS grad)
John Marzano (former major league and baseball broadcaster)
Wally Kleine (former Notre Dame and Redskin defensive tackle)
Curtis D. Miller (W-L HS and U of Maryland grad)
Kevin Lee Knight, Sr. (GWHS grad and retired DC police captain)
Louis A. Costantino, Jr. (Eastern (DC) HS grad and door keeper at the House of Representatives)
Edie Mulholland (Georgetown Vistation HS grad & vice president at Gonzaga college HS)
Shelby Ellen Posner Horenberg (Coolidge (DC) HS grad)
Patricia Ann ³Pat² Tucker (Bladensburg HS grad)
Danny Federici (keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band)
Churchill J. Gibson, Jr. (Episcopal HS and Episcopal Priest)
Anita Flood Mitchell (B-CC HS grad)
Tommy Holmes (former major leaguer who hit in 37 straight games for the Boston Braves in 1945, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers)
Stanley Kamel (Doctor on the TV show ³Monk²)
Freddie Howard ³Fred² Myers (retired C&P Telephone employee)
William Henry Shaw ³Bill² Wallace (Central DC HS grad)
Bruce Daniel Garber (Wilson HS grad)
Patrick Hillery (former President of Ireland)
Ervin W. Ornstein (graduate of Central (DC) HS)
Karen Elizabeth Cannon (Wheaton HS grad)

Did you know the ³Bloomingdale² section of DC was? North Capital Street is on the East, Florida Avenue NW on the South, Second Street NW on the West and Bryant and Channing Streets on the North. I sure didn¹t know that area was called ³Bloomingdale², the piano player, Eddie Brown in my father¹s band and his wife Virginia lived on Bryant Street and had two very beautiful daughters Beverly and Betty Brown. I often wonder what happened to them.

Look-a-Likes:
Michael Wilbur and Charles Barkley Bette Dixon and Dorothy Lamour Are the New York Knicks looking at the Wizards Eddie Jordan for their coach? Steve McNair has retired from the Ravens.

I wonder who remembers the phrase ³He sounds like a snake oil salesman² Watch for the new sport of ³Slamball² coming your way soon. I am still waiting for Bobby Flay to accept a throwdown on a sweet potato pie contest to be held at Henry¹s Soul Café between Flay, Bernard Brooks and Angie Council.

WE GET LETTERS

Gosh Bill, you have over 130 people in your address book? They say a man is known by his friends and you have more friends than anyone I know. And I mean friends, not just acquaintances. Every one of these people feels like they are one of your best friends I am sure. As I do and we have only met twice - during our 2002 Roosevelt reunion weekend. These things are so much fun to go back and remember that charmed time of our youth in the 40s and 50s. I remember one of my cousins got his arm caught in my mother's wringer washer that was in our basement (with the coal shute, indoor clothes line for rainy days, train city my father would set up for my brother every Christmas (and the tiny little towns around the track would grab my imagination, etc.) My roller skate key on a shoestri ng around my neck to skate up and down my block on 5th street , N.W. between Hamilton and Ingraham was a coveted possession and you could never lose it, no sirree. Drive-in movies where for some odd reason the windows of the cars would cloud up and you could not see inside???? Same thing would happen at Hains Point??? Coca cola ditty " two full glasses, that's a lot, nickel, nickel, nickel, nickel", McDonalds first restaurant we went to was in Marlow Heights, Maryland . My brother and I went there when two quarters would get you change back for a burger, fries and a coke. And my Emanon sorority sister at Roosevelt, Carol Clark Marks, could get 16 of us packed into her dad's Studebaker. For a few seconds anyway until we needed to breathe, whew. That was the top number and the smallest and skin n iest gals were on top of the pile, we just could not drive anywhere, ha ha ha. Loved Jiffypop, but it always got burnt on the stove, and a bag of penny candy lasted you all day at the local movie theater on Saturdays. Anyone else remember any of these great things? Will have to add a section on our website for a trip down memory lane, maybe call it " Penny Lane ". Blessings and love to all, Dale

Bill, Thanks for the wonderful post of Central High School . You know I was not a student at Central but it sure was great reading all about the school and the students and their reunions. Again, I and I¹m sure many others, will thank you for passing it on to we ³foreign school students². Bob

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