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(Mcrusknt jßatljt TJnurtutl The Home Journal’s SANDLOT ON DECK Today Major League Baseball ■ Philadelphia at Atlanta, 1:05 p.m., TBS BRAVES CORNER PHILLIES 9, BRAVES 6 ATLANTA - A fired-up John Smoltz said Sunday that the Atlanta Braves had better “wake up" on the current homestand. The veteran’s terminology seems apropos since they appear to be caught in a nightmare lately -- especially at Turner Field. After a 9-6 loss to Philadelphia on Monday, Atlanta is now 1-6 in its past seven home games. And the team lost another start ing pitcher when lefty Horacio Ramirez left in the fifth with a mysterious injury to the middle finger on his pitching hand. The preliminary diagnosis by the Braves' medical staff was an “an injury to the soft tissue," something eerily similar an injury that cost John Thomson three months last season. Ramirez is expected to have an MRI exam as soon as possible to determine the extent of the damage. Oscar Villarreal spelled Ramirez in what was a 2-1 game, and then he spelled disaster for holding the Phillies. He warmed deliberately, but didn't look loose as he gave up four runs of his own, and an inherited one from Ramirez (5-5), in Philadelphia’s five-run fifth that shoved the Braves into a six run deficit from which they could never recover. Francoeur had a game-tying two-run triple and then scored the winning run Sunday in Cincinnati. - By R. Travis Haney Morris News Sen/ice IN BRIEF CGSA begins late registration Late registration for the Central Georgia Soccer Association began today. All children ages 4-19 are invited by the organiza tion to, according to a release, “join the ‘spectacular’ game of soccer.” Online registration can be found at www.gasoccer.org/cgsa or those interested can go by their office during the hours of 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact CGSA Association Administrator Bette Dillon, at 478-987-2455 or email her at playcgsa@alltel.net for further information. Landings sets dates for Linkup2golf program The Landings golf course will be holding its Linkup2golf pro gram for new and re-newing golf ers today-Aug. 31. The group will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. for early classes and 5:30-6:30 p.m. for evening classes. The cost is $129 which includes clubs. Call Bill Goggin at 923-5222. Or e-mail him at Bill@goggingolf.com. Check out website at www.goggingolf.com. Rec volleyball signups set; cheerleaders needed The Warner Robins Recreation Department will begin registra tion for volleyball Monday. It will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and is open to girls and boys 13-18. The age control date is Aug. 31. A birth certificate is required upon registration unless it is cur rently on file. Participants must also have the required fee at the time of registration. Registration fees are as fol lows: $25 for city of Warner Robins residents, SSO for coun ty residents and SBS for out of county residents. Call 929-1916 for more information. Jim Herrin Memorial Stampede set The 2006 Jim Herrin Memorial Stampede takes place Saturday. 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. For more information, contactontact David Erpelding at 328-3208. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2006 PY taking It the proverbial: 'One game at a time' By MATTHEW BROWN Journal Sports Writer The Perry High Lady Panthers plan on playing softball as long as the Georgia High School Association allows them. That’s the thinking coach Jeff Sans is instilling with such usual preseason questions popping up as, w3MKnaH|4, ls la- % - mxf aH m aNgsaHHl ■By <USSp i Journal/Matthew Brown Perry head fast-pitch softball coach Jeff Sans goes over with the Lady Panthers “how to prevent doubles” and other fundamentals during practice at the school Monday. Westfield hopes history repeats itself SEASON PREVIEW WESTFIELD - By MATTHEW BROWN Journal Sports Writer Rodney Culverhouse, when he looked over the players who showed up to be a part of the 2006 Westfield softball team, may have looked over the bunch and thought, “Oh good, one senior.” , And not in a worried or pessimistic manner. When Westfield won the first GISA AAA state cham pionship for fastpitch soft ball, Culverhouse only had one senior that season. Not that he wouldn’t mind hav ing a roster like in 2005 when two of the Hornet players had the scouting eye of a few NCAA Division I colleges. As the 2006 campaign draws closer with this week end’s Freedom Park tourna ment in Macon, Culverhouse is presented with the prob lem of replacing not just catcher Anna Johnson (South Carolina) and pitcher Lana Mackey (Furman), but a senior class that numbered five total. Then again, the youth at Football, court is now in session I can always tell when football season nears by the police reports. Arkansas lost SEC 2005 Freshman of the Year Darren McFadden to injury. Joe Sersey HDJ Correspondent “From Left Field” eleMiorHe@an.nei Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville suspended linebackers Kevin Sears and Tray Blackmon for “several games” because of their legal SEASON PREVIEW PERRY “How far can this team go?” Right now, the goal is to be 1-0 at the end of the day on ■ Jl I y^BK^M||aMBffBB^^WBWB|^BWBM ■II - .IT ■»»■> ■ * ■■—”****—" irrr~"* ,,l> ' a 1 jtft jP .JH| wß^% .;., p g K fejgfig _ *ir - Jr*'' ’ v* ~ faLk I v? ■ftwrafe'.* Journal/Matthew Brown Westfield head fast-pitch softball coach Rodney Culverhouse, who moved Monday’s practice into the gymatorium due to lightning concerns, goes over hand signals with his players. strong clubs from Tiftarea and Southland. She does have that No. 1 role this season for Westfield, which It seems that McFadden dislocated a toe during a fight outside a club in Little Rock. His offensive coordinator said McFadden: “knows he made a mistake, and he’ll be a better person for it.” My question: “Why did he have to injure himself to become a better person?” His mistake was not leading with his head. It’s hard to hurt a rock. Sports problems. Sears was recently convicted of public intoxication, leaving the scene of an acci dent and driving while legally intoxicated. Blackmon has to participate in a 90-day pretrial program after his arrest for under age drinking stemming from an incident in May. So much for Gatorade at summer prac tices. What are these guys’ majors? Does Auburn have a degree in malted hops? Miami suspended four players for its sea son opening game against Florida A&M. Tyrone Moss, Ryan Moore, James Bryant and Rashaun Jones will miss the Sept. 4 game for violating unspecified team rules. I’m guessing they missed meetings with their parole officers. Miami coach Larry Coker picked a good See SESSION, page 6B Aug. 15, which is the season opener against Americus- Sumter County at home. “We’re going to be down a little bit because we lost five seniors, and they all started,” said Sans, who led Perry to the second-best record in the old Region 4- AAA alignment and had one of the top 16 finishers in of 2005 was Johnson, who even though she played the receiver position never saw a base she couldn’t steal. the state after sectional play. “We have some girls playing some different positions ... you want to see how that works out. It’s been some hard work, but it’s working out pretty well.” An example of such a switch is Jessica Wright moving from second base to third base. That then opened Hannah Jones is now the full time shortstop after Rachel Wrye’s departure. Darryl Ann Thompson is back as Entries being accepted (or GSGA's 85th annual Match Play tourney Special to the Journal MARIETTA - Entries are now being accepted for the 85th annual Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship, which takes place Oct. 5-8 at White Columns Country Club in Alpharetta. This event is open to male ama teur golfers who are GSGA members and Georgia resi dents. The format of the event is 18 holes of stroke play with the low 31 players and the event’s defending champion advancing to match play. SECTION B the door for a younger play er to step in and play the vacated spot at second. “I think we’re going to win some games,” said Sans. The coach has every reason to believe Perry can be a contender. It all starts in the pitching circle where two young throwers gained loads of varsity experience. “Our pitchers are a year older, and they’ll be a year smarter,” said Sans. “We have three pitchers, two who will get most of the pitching time: Erica Smith and Jenna Clark. “Erica started the year for us last year and Jenna fin ished it. They’re not over powering, but they both do well on their own arena. Erica knows how to get outs. Jenna has a great drop ball that gets a lot of ground balls and gets a lot of strike outs. “We’re going to use See ONE, page 6B ’We’re going to be down a little bit because we lost five seniors, and they all started.’ - Perry head fast-pitch coach Jeff Sans few years. Culverhouse still expects them to be the team to beat, saying that See HISTORY, page 6B Last year, Dalton’s David Noll Jr. dispatched five opponents on his way to capturing the Atlanta Amateur Match Play title. Noll advanced to match play after firing a 76 in the stroke play round. Patrick Phillips of Athens, a former Stanford University golfer and 2000 GSGA Junior Co-Player of the Year, fought through four matches to meet Noll in the final round of the Championship. Noll went on to defeat Phillips 5 and 4. See ENTRIES, page 6B