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Mnusimi ißaily HJmmuil TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2006 The Home Journal’s SANPLOT ON DECK Today Major League Baseball ■ Florida at Atlanta, 7:35 p.m., TBS BRAVES CORNER BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 1 PHILADELPHIA - Playing every day without the Joneses, Chipper and Andruw, in the line up? Not something the Braves would welcome, certainly. Bobby Cox might tender his resignation effective immediately. But Atlanta got away with it here Sunday night. A good thing, since the team might have to do it again tonight. With their two best hitters on the bench nursing minor injuries, the Braves scored four runs in the ninth off two of Philadelphia’s toughest pitchers for a 5-1 victory against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. In the ninth, Edgar Renteria’s double off tiring Phillies starter Brett Myers scored Marcus Giles from first to break a 1 -1 stalemate. The shortstop's ultimate game winning hit came after he twice failed to put down a bunt to move Giles along to second and into scoring position. Renteria had homered off Myers (6-4) in the fourth, his sec ond of the series and 11th of the year, to tie the game. Two batters after Renteria’s double, Jeff Francoeur hit his sec ond home run of the series to seal the game. With a four-run lead, new clos er Bob Wickman wasn’t in line for his first save, but he did make his Braves debut in the ninth. And the 37-year-old owner of 229 career saves got a strikeout and two groundouts in a perfect inning. Although he wasn’t involved in the decision - lefty Macay Mcßride (2-1) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth - Horacio Ramirez deserved plenty of credit for the Braves’ victory. Ramirez had his best start since June 27, when he didn’t allow an earned run in eight innings in a win at Yankee Stadium. He gave up just a run in seven innings Sunday. - R. Travis Haney Morris News Service IN BRIEF Soccer association preps for its Fall session The Central Georgia Soccer Association is gearing up for its Fall session. All children ages 4- 19 are invited to join. Online Registration has already begun. The website is: www.gasoccer. org/cgsa. For those who don’t have inter net access, the office will be open Friday from 4-8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon and Monday 31 from 4-8 p.m., for registration. In addition you can come by and register during their normal office hours Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Registration closes Monday. Contact CGSA’s Association Administrator, Bette Dillon, at 987-2455 or email her at playcgsa@alltel.net for more. Jim Herrin Memorial Stampede set The 2006 Jim Herrin Memorial Stampede takes place Aug. 12. The 5K and 10K runs start at 7:30 a.m., and the 1 Mile Fun Run starts 8:15 at the Galleria Mall in Centerville. Entry fees are sls postmarked on or before Aug. 7, $lO for par ticipants 19 and younger (any time), $lB for race day registra tion from 6:15-7:15, and $lO for the one-mile fun (un (any time). There are awards for overall top three male and female finish ers in 5K and 10K, overall top male and female masters in 5K and 10K, top three finishers in the following 5K and 10K age categories: 9 and under, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35- 39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-plus, and over all top male and female runner in the 1 Mile Fun Run See robinspacers.org for additional race information and results. Warriors pick up weather-shortened win Special to the Journal The International Warriors took to the field Saturday night in Macon, according Co-owner/ General Manager James Hamp, “hungry for a win” against the 2005 ojjjnjg Warriors 7, South Georgia Stars 0 Southern Football League Defending Champions, the South Georgia Stars from Americus. And, they got it, 7-0, despite an attempt by Mother Nature to take it away. The two teams, Hamp said, began play in a light drizzle and lightning in the distant skies. As play grew fierce, he said, the teams taunted each other in hopes of getting the opposing team to abandon ;jp» llpllT" ? " ; i jo* MHHBfIK 5 dH ■; m W \k \t 8 A i m mm l -• m mm % wms * .. 1 .. tSMfcl Y -v . .-fife-*-- * -W.: - ' -- • ■ r-.-. ■■■ —-———a : — —■ Journal/Don Moncnef Tigers runner Mark Irwin scores on a passed ball as Eagles pitcher Eddie Sasser leaps to avoid him. The play was part of action in the two teams’ Middle Georgia Baseball League championship series Sunday in Macon. Eagles draw first blood Tigers rally in nightcap to set up championship showdown By DON MONCRIEF Journal Sports Editor First Eddie Sasser showed off his bat, then his arm. Sasser, of the Eagles, won the Middle Georgia Baseball League’s home run derby. That was Friday at the Bibb County Sports Complex. Sunday he led the team <s, Rosenberg Championship Series Eagles 13, Tigers 11 on the mound and past the Tigers 13-11 in the first game of a best-of-three for the league championship. The Tigers rebounded in the late nightcap (no score was reported but look for details in Wednesday’s Journal) to set up a show down Monday (results pend ing on that, too). The two teams.were slated to play the first game of the series Saturday but that was rained out. For a long time Sunday it looked as if it would be an easy win for Sasser and company. The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Mark Irwin of Houston County High School fame Sports their game. “The rain began to pour, the grass became puddles, the sky darkened and light ning arched across the sky at random,” Hamp said. But, with about four and a half minutes to play in the first quarter, defensive line backer, DeFrance Leary forced a fumble by the South Georgia Stars. Teammate, J.J. Thomas, recovered it and trudged 28 yards for a touchdown. Javon “Kick” Tyler, for mer Middle Georgia Stallion and rated one of the best kickers in the league, then took to the field and effort lessly punched in the extra point making the score 7-0. “The weather was the primary factor of quite a few turnovers,” said Hamp. “Tackles became slides and the balls were con stantly wiped down in an See WIN, page 6B .» HI ■ xT;;.T '■ ' • iXmmr W ■ Vr ' hh y, “T-x ... . && ■* % v ■ 1 ■ 1 ' "v‘ ‘ * Journal Don Moncrief Tigers starter Nick Shelton delivers to the plate against Eagles leadoff hitter Ted Jones. delivered an infield single and then came around to score when the next hit ter, Troy Varnadoe, hit a grounder to short that was thrown away - ending up in the vicinity of right field. Eagles left fielder William Alexander kept that from being more of a lead in the a| - jW Wm/L ■WgHT j| b Hr vb v jLJ ENI/Gary Harmon Warrior defenders bring down a South Georgia player during their game Saturday in Macon. second when he gunned down Lance Portivent for the third out. Potivent had reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to spcond on a walk, then tried to score on Michah Smith’s single. The Tigers’ lead evapo rated in the third when the Eagles - aided by a pair of singles, a walk and three errors - scored four. Scott Simpson cut it to 4- 3 in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run home run that cleared the 320-foot mark in left but the Eagles then added six more in the fourth. Chad Melvin, the No. 8 hitter, and Sam Lilley See FIRST, page 3B SECTION 1B Locals to contend in Atlanta Special to the Journal Ben Kishigian and Chris Wolfe of Warner Robins and Jon Kennedy of Hawkinsville are among those listed to contend In a U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifier through today - with Monday added in - at the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta. The total field listed is 144. They are slated to compete over 36 holes for six qualifying spots and two alternate positions in the 106th U.S. Amateur Championship. That is scheduled to be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., Aug. 21-27. The U.S. Amateur is one of 13 national champion ships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association. Entries were open to amateur golfers who have USGA Handicap Indexes not exceeding 2.4. After 18 holes, the field for the event Kishigian, Wolfe and Kennedy will be competing at will be cut to the low 30 percent and ties, as well as any one within eight strokes of the lowest score. A second U.S. Amateur qualifier will take See LOCALS, page 3B Gibbs, Clark finish 1,2 Special to the Journal “I think our Perry Horseshoe Pitchers Club is experiencing Ground Hog Day in Mid-July.” So said Dane Clark of the organization, who added: “Our horseshoe pitching tournament adventure” went to Jasper this week end to compete. Clark was one of thosS competitors. Mary Ann Gibbs was the other. Both competed in Class B and both finished quite well. Gibbs was first. She posted a 5-0 record, aver aging a 52 percent ringer percentage. Clark was second fin ishing 4-1 and posting a 39 percent ringer per centage. “It was another great showing for our local Perry Horseshoe Pitcher’s Club,” he said of the effort.