The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 33

3 www.tennesae4n.com THE TENNESSEAN Friday, May 25, 2001 5U SPORTS: BASEBALL SOUNDS 7, REDSIRDS 3 NASHVIU-E bi MEMPHIS ab Sagmoenlb 4 1 2 Green of Figueroass Bet if Bakettlb Hyzdu1br1 Moms 2b Cotac Hermansen If Wood 3b Lincolnp Garcia ss Ortega Andrews 3b Whrtmorerf Mashorect McDunakJc Oapp2b Ankiel 17 24 26 25 18 23 24 29 Pet .630 .478 .435 .432 Pel .600 .500 .489 456 29 22 20 19 27 23 23 21 Tucson 9. Las Vegas 4 Yesterday's results GB Iowa at Colorado Spnngs 7 New Orleans at Oklahoma 9 Omaha at SaK Lake 9 Portland at Calgary Sacramento at Fresno GS Tacoma at Edmonton Tucson at Las Vegas Wi Today's games 5 Nashville at Oklahoma 6V4 Calgary at Edmonton Colorado Springs at Omaha Las Vegas at Sacramento G8 Memphis at New Otleans Salt Lake at Iowa 2 Tacoma at Portland 2V Tucson at Fresno 3V4 1 1 0 American Conference Central Division Salt Lake (Angels) Iowa (Cuts) Omaha poyals) Col. Springs (Rodcies East Division New Orleans (Aslrosl Memphis (Cardinals) Oklahoma (Rangers) Nashville (Pirates) Pacific Conference South Division Sacramento (Athletics) Las Vegas (Dodgers) Tucson (Diarnondbacks) Fresno (Giants) West Division Hesermanp 1 Zancanaro 1 Lucca ph 1 Hackmanp 0 Poicovichph 1 Totals 36 29 7 000 201 000 3 300 210 01 7 Memphis Nashvie 23 25 26 26 Pet .500 .457 .447 .422 23 21 21 19 Upcoming Sounds games E-Andrews. DP-Memphis 3, Nash 1. LOB Memphis 6.

Nashvrle 8. 2B-Garoia. Andrews. Hermansen, Wood. 3B-Green.

SH-Green. SF-Mermansea SB-Green. CS- Hermansen. ip er bb so Memphis Ankiel 0-2 Heeerman Zancanaro Hackman Nashville Pet GB Day Team Tune Tacoma (Mariners) 32 13 .711 Tomorrow atOklahotna 705p.m. Calgary (Marlins) 25 17 .595 514 Sunday at Oklahoma 205p.m.

Edmonton (Twins) 19 25 .432 12'4 Monday at Oklahoma 205 p.m. Portland (Padres) 19 26 .422 13 Tuesday vs. NEW ORLEANS 7 p.m. Wednesdays results May 30 vs. NEW ORLEANS 7p.m.

May 31 vs. NEW ORLEANS 7p.m. Iowa 12. Colorado Springs 6 Junei at Edmonton 8:05 p.m. New Orleans 10, Otehoma 3 June 2 at Edmonton 8:05 p.m.

Omaha 5. Salt Lake 4 June 3 at Edmonton 2:35 p.m. Calgary 8, Portland 5 June 4 at Edmonton 8:05 p.m. Fresno 6. Sacramento 1 June 5 at Calgary 8:05 p.m.

Tacoma 9. Edmonton 6 June 6 at Calgary 8:06 2i 2V 2 -1 Tfktmti 1 8 9 Lincoln 4-3 WP-Ankiel 5. Heserman. HBP-by Zancanaro (Morris). PB-Cota.

T-242. The Memphis Redbirds' coaching staff watches pitcher Rick Ankiel's performance from the dugout Ankiel lasted just two-thirds of an inning against the Nashville Sounds before being pulled. WM I Ankiel struggles in loss 1 work a complete inning. His earned run average rose to 20.77 since joining the Redbirds. I Ie said the only thing he can do is look forward to his next start.

"Of course you get aaxious. You want to get back out there. But what can you do? You have to wait your five days and hopefully it'll go fast." After Ankiel's departure, the circus-like atmosphere calmed, and so did the game. The 3-0 Sounds lead held until the fourth when the Redbirds pushed two runs across on Nashville starter Mike Lincoln (4-3). The Sounds answered with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth and one more in the fifth to lengthen the lead to 6-2.

After allowing another Red-birds run in the sixth, Lincoln, a former Tennessee pitcher, settled down and regained enough composure to finish out his complete game. "We were saying in the dugout, maybe Ankiel should go and play the outfield. He's a good athlete." Chad Hermansen, Sounds outfielder run average of 7.D and more control problems. His most recent minor league stint, designed to help last year's National League Rookie of the Year runner-up regain his composure, has been, to say the least, unsuccessful. He has yet to get past the third inning in each of his three starts and has walked 17 batters in 4 13 innings.

Last night was the second straight game Ankiel failed to struggles continue. "We were saying in the dugout, maybe he should go and play the outfield," he said. "I Ie's a good athlete. Let him go play Double A or something and try it. "I'm sure, obviously, they want to see if he can get through it.

He's going to be a great pitcher if he does. If not, he might have to try something like that." Ankiel's strike shortage began in last year's National League Divisional Series for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Atlanta Braves when he. unleashed a major league-record five wild pitches in one inning. In his two Championship Series performances against the New York Mets, he walked three more and tossed four wild pitches.

He began 2001 with St. Louis and won his first game of the year before falling to 1-2 with an earned wsBwpawswpMiieiswMeiwwisiwlwsj ft Tjx 1 tiiiim "as RSTSHJ: Pitching key for Raiders 1 i ii i I SunConv Member of the AW WirelMS Network there and be the horse of the staff, so what John had to do is prove himself and he did that," Peterson said. "Jason, on the other hand, weVe kind of had to handle him with kid gloves, and we still watch his pitch count closely. But his arm is perfectly healthy now and at times he looks like a major league pitcher out there." Because there's no rule at the NCAA level that limits how many pitches a pitcher can throw during a scries, Peterson said there's a chance Brazelton could pitch in relief Sunday if the Blue Raiders are still around for the title game. After today, it will be up to players like Williams and Moates to help get them there.

"I think right now, just watching us on tape or on paper, you can see as a pitching staff we have what it takes to get us to the next level, and hopefully we can do that," Moates said. "This team gets along really well together, there's not any little groups here and there, we are all just one big team, one big family. We just all want to win." Tennessean staff writer Jim Wyatt can be reached at 259-8015 or by e-mail at jimwyattl 1 1 hotmail.com. according to our capabilities and not try and overdue it. They can't go out there and do what Dewon Brazelton does, but they have to do what they are capable of dojng." Williams and Moates took different roads to get into MTSU's starting rotation, and both are now standing tall.

Moates transferred to MTSU after first playing at Alabama, where he played on the 1999 Crimson Tide squad that advanced to the College World Series. With MTSU this season he has posted a 6-1 mark with a 2.96 ERA despite the fact he is coming off "Tommy John" surgery. Williams, a freshman, took the more direct route. After starring at Oakland, he quickly earned a spot in the starting rotation with the Blue Raiders. A left-hander, he is 7-1 with a 3.59 ERA and has 60 strikeouts, which ranks him third on the team behind Brazelton (160) and senior Kris Lammers (66), the team's fourth starter.

Jeremy Armstrong has been MTSU's most consistent pitcher out of the bullpen. "At this level of baseball, it is hard for a freshman to walk out "It's not to say that if John and I were at another program that we would be the No. 1 pitcher there, we could, still be the No. 2 or No. 3" Moates said.

"This is just how things have fallen into place. Playing baseball for as many years as we have, we know everybody has their own roles so you have to be satisfied with it and do what you can to help die team." MTSU will need production out of all three pitchers and then some if it wants to advance past this weekend's regional, which also includes top-seeded Wake Forest and Tennessee Tech, the Ohio Valley Conference champ. The regional winner advances into the NCAA Super Regional, and it could take as many as four wins to get there. "I don't think you could get to this level if you only had one good pitcher. He'd have to have a rubber arm and you'd be abusing him," MTSU Coach Steve Peterson said.

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