The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 73

2C Monday, April 29, 2002 THE TENNESSEAN www.tennessean.com SPORTS AM Tennessean Seirs Services 1 Fanfare TjJTJJ1 What's the most sur- fJJTfrV What does Juicy Locke's IT prising development letter to UT booster of the week? fU17rJ David Parsons mean? All of the above: 7.0 dJulL Lake's trusted: 36.4 No harm, no foul: 2.8 e. Vanderbilt's baseball shutout. SSFw f. Women's basketball job at Vandy still open. 6'0 trusted: 12 Vote at www.tennessean.com 11 01 votes as of 10 p.m.

yesterday I I baseball Insider Mm. 29 Tues.30 Wed.1 at at at Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, 7:05 p.m. 10:30 a.m. 12:05 p.m. Sounds Radio: 98.9-FM Tickets: 242-4371 Capriati-less American team upset Kicking Jennifer Capriati off the Fed Cup team cost the United States a chance at the title and led to an embarrassing first-round defeat to Austria The Americans, winners of a record 17 titles, were eliminated yesterday in Charlotte, N.G, when Barbara Schwartz upset Fed Cup rookie Meghann Shaughnessy, the fill-in at No.

1 singles following Capriati's ouster for breaking a team rule prohibiting her from practicing on herowa "They were obviously the underdogs here and a lot of things went their way from the beginning with Capriati," Shaughnessy said. "I'm disappointed it came to this, there's no reason why we shouldn't have had four people here with the same goal in mind" Schwartz, ranked 75th in the world, followed Saturday's victory over Monica Seles with a 4-6, 7-6 (7), 9-7 win over Shaughnessy to give Austria its clinching third win in the best-of-frve match. Roddick beats Sampras to defend title: Andy Roddick outslugged Pete Sampras to successfully defend his title in the US. Men's Clay Court Championship, rolling to a 7-6 (9), 6-3 victory in Houstoa The 19-year-old Roddick had 13 aces to 12 for Sampras, who was trying to win a tournament for the first time since his seventh Wimbledon title in 2000. Sam Home games shaded Belmont vs.

TSU PH), 5 p.m. Wednesday Baseball: Austin Peay at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. Tomorrow Baseball: Belmont vs. Tennessee Tech, Greer Stadium, 6 p.m. Softball: Austin Peay at Lipscomb (DH), 2 p.m.

Fever pitch: No-hitter bids highlight weekend pras is winless in 25 events. 1 TOP FIVE 1. Seattle Mariners: Hitting .320 with runners in scoring position. 2. San Francisco Giants: Starters' 2.30 ERA best in NL 3.

Boston Red Sox: Starters' 3.34 ERA best in AL 4. New York Yankees: LHP Sterling Hitchcock nears return 5. Arizona Diamondbacks: Eurbiel Durazo expected back next week BOTTOM FIVE game. That is a decrease of 35377 from a year ago and puts Montreal on a pace that would leave it below 700,000 for the season. The Twins, meanwhile, have seen their attendance during their first nine home dates increase by 50,007, the second-best increase on a per-game basis in baseball behind only the defending world champion Arizona Diamondbacks (up 63,594 through nine dates).

But the Twins still are ninth among the 14 AL teams with an average crowd of 22,934. American League stinks Seven American League teams already are en route to playing their way out of things; that's half the league eliminated by May. "I wish we were in the American League. In the National Event Time Station COLLEGES VolCalls 7 p.m. 1510-AM NBA PLAYOFFS Toronto at Detroit 6:30 p.m.

TNT Sacramento at Utah 9 p.m. TNT NHL PLAYOFFS Boston at Montreal 6 p.m. ESPN Los Angeles at Colorado 8:30 p.m. ESPN PRO BASEBALL Phtedelphia at San Francisco 9p.m. ESPN2 Event Time Station NFL Titans Weekly 6 p.m.

104.5-FM NHL PLAYOFFS Montreal at Boston 6 p.m. ESPN N.Y. Islanders at Toronto 6 p.m. ESPN2 PRO BASEBALL Atlanta at Milwaukee 7 p.m. Turner S.

560-AM Arguments heat up before hearing Two key American witnesses in the Olympic figure skating scandal want the U.S. member of the International Seating Union council disqualified from a hearing today, claiming she prejudged the case in favor of the French judge and federation chief. Referee Ron Pfenning and Jon Jacksoa a skating judge who testified that he witnessed a confession of vote-fixing by Marie-Reine Le Gougne in Salt Lake City, have asked the ISU council to bar Claire Ferguson from the hearing. On the eve of a two-day hearing at which the ISU hopes to resolve the controversy that dominated the Winter Games, French federation chief Didier Gailh-aguet said he was the victim of a plot and he threatened to go to court if he's not cleared. "We will go to the end to defend our rights and the reputation of our federation," said Gailhaguet, an ISU council member.

Le Gougne argued that her admission came under emotional distress and that she voted for the Russians in good conscience. She said she is a "scapegoat" and is threatening to take the case to the Court for Arbitration of Sport. Gailhaguet said he was the target of a plot within the world federation led by British and North American factions. "If you want to kill a dog, you say it has rabies," he said. "But watch out, the dog can turn into a wolf.

I will not be done in by Anglo-Saxon lobbying." 26. Baltimore Orioles: RHP Jason Johnson breaks finger in bullpen 27. Kansas City: Interim closer Jason Grimsley has 1.17 ERA 28. Milwaukee Brewers: Paul Rigdon, Curtis Leskanic close to returning 29. Colorado Rockies: Worst start in franchise history (9-16) 30.

Detroit Tigers: Seth Greisinger back in majors after 3-12 years BY THE NUMBERS From Fenway Park to Wrigley Field, at Shea Stadium and Seattle, fans around the majors were captivated this weekend by the high drama of low-hit pitching. With one no-hitter and four near misses, it seemed as if every few minutes the TV broadcast of one game was interrupted to cut to another for a no-hit update. "I can't figure it," said Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, who threw a no-hitter for the Cincinnati Reds and is now an analyst on New York Mets' telecasts. "I mean, if you had Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux all pitching on the same day, then maybe you could explain it. "When you look at the trend in baseball the last few years, the way hitting and scoring and offense are up, what's happening this weekend is an aberratioa But, I like to see it." Pitchers are always ahead of the hitters in April, the old saying goes.

Still, this was a little extreme. In a remarkable two-day span, five starters held opponents hit-less into at least the seventh inning, although only Boston's Derek Lowe finished the job. "I was rooting for him. Good for him," said Florida's AJ. Burnett, who pitched his own no-hitter last year and watched the final three outs of Lowe's no-no in the Marlins' clubhouse.

"It's an awesome feeling." The top performances were turned in by No. 3 starters such as Odalis Perez and Pedro Astacio. They came from a converted closer, a spot starter and the often-erratic left arm of Shawn Estes. Lowe, a bust out of the bullpen last season, pitched Fenway's first no-hitter since 1965 and the first in the majors this seasoa leading the Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10-0 Saturday. Perez and Estes flirted with perfection Friday.

Astacio shut down Milwaukee for 6-13 innings Saturday afternoon. And Yankees lefty Ted Lilly took perhaps the most unlikely gem into the eighth against Seattle on Saturday night Just hours after Lowe's no-hitter ended, Lilly's bid brought back memories of that incredible summer night in 1990, the only time in modern major league history that two no-hitters were thrown in one day. On June 29 of that year, Oakland's Dave Stewart beat Toronto 5-0, and Dodgers lefty Fernando Ohio State LB facing charges Ohio State linebacker Marco Cooper was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and drug abuse after university police pulled him over for running a red light late Saturday. A 9 mm handgun and a bag containing 12 white pills, which officers later determined was Ecstasy, were found in the center console of Cooper's sport utility vehicle, police said yesterday. The 19-year-old Cooper was stopped late Saturday, just hours after playing in the Buckeyes' intrasquad spring scrimmage.

League, we're going to fight for survival," Giants General Manager Brian Sabean said The AL has three great or near-great teams (Seattle, Oakland and the Yankees), four good ones (Chicago, Boston, Minnesota and Cleveland) and the rest, which explains how one team, Seattle, a deep club that plays hard every day, could win 116 games again. Said Sabean: "Seattle and Oakland are really National League teams, with their pitching and defense. They wear people down." Sabean ticked off the bad AL teams: "There's Tampa, Detroit, Kansas City There's Texas, Anaheim, Baltimore and Toronto, too. Said Sabean: "All the good young pitching in the National League." Even the have-nots-have somebody. The Cubs have Kerry Wood, plus Jon Lieber made it 13 straight victories at Wrigley with a 2-1 victory over the Giants.

The Brewers possess two pitchers on the rise, Ben Sheets and Nick Neugebauer, who pitched well in a 2-1 defeat to the Mets Saturday. The Expos have Javier Vazquez and Tony Armas Jr. The Marlins have four good ones, starting with Josh Beckett. The Rockies look like the weak link, but maybe Mike Hampton (8.88 ERA) will wake up. 5 Big-league managers who grew up in the Sacramento, Calif, area: Dusty Baker (San Francisco), Jerry Manuel (Chicago White Sox), Jerry Royster (Milwaukee), Larry Bowa (Philadelphia) and Buck Martinez (Toronto).

4)IZA At-bats for Chicago y9nr Cubs second baseman Eric Young without a grand slam, more than any other active major league player since Mark McLemore of Seattle ended his drought last Monday at 5,296. The record is held by Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, who never hit a slam in 9,396 at-bats. 0 No-hitters thrown by a New York Mets pitcher. The team has played 6,374 games since joining the NL in 1962. The other four teams that dont have a no-hitter are San Diego, Colorado, Arizona and Tampa Bay.

SOUND BYTES A look at what's new, fun or thought-provoking in the wide world of sports. Midway's Soccer keeps it real What Red Card Soccer 2003 by Midway for PlayStation Where: Most video game retailers. When: Available now. The skinny: Those looking for a soccer version of NHL Hitz or NFL Blitz might be disappointed in Red Card Soccer 2003, the latest sports game from Midway. Red Card features elements of Midway's signature "no-rules" style of arcade sports action, but it is significantly toned down in comparison to its distant cousins.

While Red Card features turbo speed and some very aggressive tackling, what you don't have is soccer players bursting into flame or body slamming and hog piling opponents. But that's not a bad thing. Red Card has other strengths that compare it favorably against more "realistic" soccer games like EA Sports' FIFA series. It's easy to learn, but challenging to play, and includes enough of the crazy Midway touch that has made its brand of sport game so much fun. Red Card features an ample variety of play modes.

The most notable is conquest mode, which requires you to beat every team one by one to unlock fantasy teams and arenas. Players can also set up tournaments and play friendly exhibition matches with one of a great number of professional teams in five continents. The game itself is both easy to learn and challenging. As in the real game, scores don't come easy, thanks to the aggressive nature of defensive play. Worth It retails for $49.99.

Midway's direction away from some of the over-the-top tendencies of its previous titles is a good one. Red Card puts on a good show, and soccer fans should give it a try. -SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE Swedes, Czechs win after trailing 1-0 Sweden and the Czech Republic bounced back from early 1-0 deficits against decided underdogs yesterday in Karlstad, Sweden, to stay unbeaten at the World Hockey Championships. Sweden fell behind with just 1:41 gone when Solve-nia's Marcel Rodman converted a power-play goal but came back to win 8-2 against a team making its debut in hockey's elite group. The Czechs, winner of three straight world titles, rallied to beat Japan 5-3 win as Jaromir Jagr got his first two goals in the tournament i rm Jose Rijo, Cincinnati pitcher after receiving a congratulatory telegram from Dr.

James Andrews, who performed five elbow surgeries on Rijo, follow Falcons L8 pulls man from vehicle RIJO Atlanta Falcons linebacker Chris Draft helped pull a man from a burning car early yesterday. A man lost control of his car on Interstate 85 at about 330 am, and the car struck a wall and began rolling backward, police said. Draft saw the injured driver unconscious and called 91L When he and a friend noticed the vehicle burning, they pulled the man to safety, authorities said. 1 ing the pitcher's first win in nearly seven years last week: "He made enough money off me to buy a boat; he better be happy for me." Mike Hampton, Colorado pitcher who is 0-3 with an 8.88 ERA, after being told that Manager Buddy Bell had been fired: "If you fire anybody, you should have fired me." Jay Gibbons, Orioles power hitter on his approach: "I call myself a "stupid' hitter. I'll swing at any pitch, any time." Sounds hit road after a rainout By MAURICE PATTON 1 Stu ff Writer Afternoon rains yesterday forced the postponement of the Nashville Sounds' series-ending contest with Memphis.

The game will be made up during the Aug. 22-25 series when the Redbirds return to Greer Stadium. Valenzuela shut out St Louis 6-0. Lilly eventually lost his no-hit bid and the game, too, as Freddy Garcia and Kazuhiro Sasaki combined to shut out New York. Desi Relaford singled on a 2-2 pitch with one out in the eighth, driving in the game's only run and giving the Mariners their lone hit in a 1-0 victory.

Winning games, losing Much has been made about the April on-field success of the Montreal Expos and Minnesota Twins, the two teams that won a stay of execution after commissioner Bud Selig targeted them for contraction in November. The Expos are atop the National League East The Twins have been in a battle for the top spot in the American League Central. And that has given skeptics an opportunity to beat their Cycling: Three-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong failed to overtake the leaders in the final sprint and placed fourth in the Amstel Gold Race in Maastricht, Netherlands. Grand Prix: Michael Schumacher, driving a backup car after his regular ride failed in practice, won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona his fourth victory in five races this seasoa Drag racing: Whit Bazemore raced to his first Funny Car victory of the year, beating Gary Densham in the final of the Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Raceway. AREA DIGEST Tennessean Staff Reports Open and shut Curt Schilling has asked Arizona Diamondbacks officials to close the roof at Bank One Ballpark when he pitches.

It seems the ball does not carry off the bat as well at the park when the roof is closed. Schilling's request apparently came in the wake of his giving up an April 17 grand slam to Jim Edmonds. Since the start of last season, Schilling is 7-2 with a 2.83 ERA at home when the roof is closed, and 5-3 with a 3.58 ERA when the roof is open. He has allowed a home run every 63 innings with the roof closed, as opposed to one every 53 innings with it opea Schilling's next scheduled home start is Friday. If the Diamondbacks do close the roof, what message is that sending to their hitters, who would likely benefit more from the roof being open? The message, of course, would be that pitching wins championships.

Lofton's leverage The Chicago White Sox got a bargain by signing outfielder Kenny Lofton, who still was looking for work in late January and signed for $1,025 millioa He has played so well the White Sox are ready to talk about a contract extension. "I haven't been stupid since the fifth grade, so yeah," GM Kenny Williams said of the idea. Loftoa 34, started a weekend series at Oakland leading the maior Prep tennis kicks off district tourneys The Sounds (10-13) begin a 12-game road trip today at Oklahoma, and come back to Nashville on May 11 to face New Orleans in the first of a 12-game homcstand. Up and out Sounds reliever Josias Manzanillo can officially rejoin the Pittsburgh IHrates on Wednesday. A free agent following the conclusion of last season, Manzanillo had to sign a minor-league contract with the Pirates because he was not offered a major-league deal by the team within the allotted time frame.

Under those conditions, he can not appear on their 25-man active roster before MayL Manzanillo is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA in nine appearances for Nashville, going unscored upon in his first seven outings before allowing single runs in his List two games. Last year as a Pirate, he posted a team-leading 71 appearances. year was the result of injuries. Gosing the Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are happy to have found a closer in Eric Gagne, who has eight saves in as many chances. Batters are hitting J00 (4 for 40) against him.

Not bad for a team that broke spring training without a closer after the team didn't pick up the option on Jeff Shaw's contract Gagne made the adjustment from starter to closer with the help of an improving pitch that is so good that scouts were arguing whether it was a changeup or a split-fingered fastball because the ball has so much late movement "Ifs just unbelievable right now," Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca said. "It's a straight change, so it looks like a fastbaU. It comes in with the same rotatioa Sounds tonight Who: at Oklahoma When: 7:05 p.m. Pitchers: Sounds RHP Matt Guerrier(0- 3, 6.62 ERA) vs. RedHawks RHP Joaquin Benoit(1-2, 3.38).

xiH. ianu i.ijjaiuuiu uuya aiiu uuuciMJii nnstian Academy girls are top seeds for the District 11-AAA tournament that gets under way today with four matches at Centennial Sportsplex. DCA plays Franklin Road Academy and Lipscomb meets Hume-Fogg (girls) at 330 p.m, followed by Lip-scomb-DCA and Christ Presbyterian vs. Hume-Fogg (boys). Finals are tomorrow.

The District 11-AAA tournament opens tomorrow at Franklin Recreation Center, with finals Wednesday. CoBege softbal: Austin Peay (19-32-1, 8-10-1 OVC) rallied from a 5-1 deficit to pull within one, but dropped a 5-4 conference game to Eastern Illinois, preventing a home sweep by the Lady Govs. Misty Claude had two RBI and two hits for Austin Peay. TSU (9-3L 3-17 OVC) dropped both games of a dou-bleheader, 4-3 and 2-L at Eastern Kentucky (30-11, 16-2). For TSU, Courtney Jones went 2-for-7 with and RBI and three runs.

chests and wonder how anybody could have thought about eliminating the franchises. Truth Ls, what has happened has only reinforced the questions about the viability of the franchises, particularly the Expos. The issue of contraction had, and has, nothing to do with the talent level of the franchises. It's all about finances, long-term viability and the potential for the franchises to be self-sufficient someday, instead of having to rely on bottom-line budgets and handouts from other teams to survive While the Expos have become a feel-good story, their already bleak following has faded even more in Montreal. AtterRiance for their first 12 home games is 102J69, an average of 8,514 a "Ifs a Bugs Bunny changeup.

Ifs leagues in batting average (398), strike one, strike two, strike three, Speed-up rates Back-to-back games played in less than three hours dropped the Sounds' average time of Greer Stadium contests to 3:02. With a couple of lengthy extra-inning affairs one of 452 and another of 4:45 the figure was around 3:17. However, the last two losses against Memphis re quick; Friday's 3-1 game took 2:03, and Saturday's 6-0 came 2:24. PCL standings on 7C. runs and stolen bases, proving to you re out If that devastating.

I the Cleveland Indians and others think ifs the best stuff in the league as far is a closer right now." This report was compiled from Tennessean news services. that his falloff of the last two years a career-low 278 in 2000 followed by an even lower 261 last The last name of MTSU Athletic Director Boots Donnelly was misspelled in yesterday's editions. The Tennessean regrets the error..