Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 33

ffifte Arizona gaitg Star Tucson, Sunday, May 14, 1989 Scorecard4D Motor sports 1 ID Sunday Notebook 12D Fa-10 rafi mu, wim Sou9i ffil For Arizona, 'due' means deserving 9 -f lr vVHNif Six-run ninth-assures Cats of triumph By Jack Magruder The Arizona Dally Star TEMPE For all its national glory! the UA finally became king of its own backyard last night. The UA, a three-time College World Se ries champion, won its first outright Pacific-10 Southern Division title with a 9-4 victory over ASU before 8,209 at Packard Stadium: "I'm just ecstatic," said UA senior captain Kevin Long, after a UA team mugging at the pitcher's mound after the game. "We realize this is not the end of the sea; son, but we're very happy. This was one of our goals." The UA, 40-14 overall and 22-7 in the Pac-10, is expected to be offered a bid to play host to one of eight NCAA regional tournaments, to be played May 25-29. The Pac-JO South winner has played host to a regional in all 10 seasons of the league's "If they don't put a regional in Sancet Field, there ought to be an investigation-," ASU Coach Jim Brock said.

"I don't care if they bid a dollar eighty or two hundred thousand dollars. That ball club has earned the right to host regional." ASU, too, is expected to submit a six-figure bid today the final day bid proposals can be submitted. I The UA won the Pac-10 South wilji fa pitcher who stayed on the edge almost every Inning and a hitter who spent the morning in cap and gown. UA left-hander Lance Dickson, 5-5, pitched his fourth complete game in his last six starts. Dickson struck out eight and left See UA, Page lOD The Associated Press UA teammates after his second-inning, two-run homer against ASU which the '89 Wildcats made a commitment to win their first outright championship.

It was after ASU defeated the Wildcats, 3-2, in the second game of the series in Tucson two months ago. See HANSEN, Page 10D their 3rd straight win TEMPE -Being "due" in baseball is hot always Alan Winter at bat with he bases loaded, in a one-for-16 slump. And losing 13 of 16 games in Tempe Is not really being f'due." I mean, inost teams lose 13 of 16 at Arizona Greg Hansen fctate. But the best definition of "due" in college baseball may be the almost unfathomable fact that Arizona, Jerry Kindall, had never won a Pac-10 championship outright. Kindall has won three national titles but the only conference championship that had Arizona's name and Arizona's name only on it was in the WAC.

That was 1 974. And the only competition then was UTEP, New Mexico and Arizona State. I That's being due. So when the Wildcats laid waste to ASU at Packard Stadium last night, winning 9-4 to clinch their first Six-Pac championship, it wasn't exactly downplayed. "I'm going to call my mom, I'm going to call my dad, I'm going to call everybody," a Wildcat told Zinter in the dugout moments after someone had separated a pile of celebrating Wildcats from the infield at Packard Stadium.

"It's awesome, awesome," said Zinter, the school's all-American catcher. "I'm just ecstatic. There's no better way to have won than the way we won it." i How good is the UA? Good enough. Good enough to have its best record ever in the Pac-10, 22-7 Arizona had never been better than 18-12 in its first 10 seasons in the league and good enough to say that it wasn't just due, but good. Put it this way.

It was the top of the ninth Cats to see Eiffel Tower, lots of zone By Mike Downs The Arizona Dally Star Brian David laced up a new pair of size 14 sneakers provided by the shoe company sending him and the other University of Arizona basketball players to Europe. "Maybe they should supply us with some dictionaries or something, too," he said, knowing well that the Wildcats' grasp of German, French and Spanish is tenuous. I "We're gonna just try and hack it out," said senior Harvey Mason, who has visited Europe. "If you pick up a few basic words like 'beef and 'chicken' you can get along." Mason toured Europe with his father, Harvey Mason who was performing in concerts. It was a seven-day, seven-city trip that Mason said was "sweet." "This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," he said.

The Wildcats will board a plane around noon today and will land in Paris tomorrow. They begin playing a nine-game schedule the next day, but the nine dates are spread over three weeks. It will allow plenty of time to see how people live on the other side of the world. "Hopefully we won't have to do all the sightseeing," Mason said. "I want to see things, but hopefully we can see them See EIFFEL Page 6D Scoreboard American League Twins 10, Blue Jays 8 Indians 3, Tigers 1 Angels 6, Yankees 1 Athletics 4, Brewers 3 White Sox 8, Orioles 2 Royals 4, Rangers 1 Red Sox at Mariners, late Roundup, Page 3D National League Astros l.CubsO Expos 5, Giants 4 Phillies 2, Dodgers 0 Pirates 8, Braves 3 Reds 3, Cardinals 2 Roundup, Page 3D NBA playoffs Conference semifinals Bulls 111, Knicks 88 Suns 135, Warriors, 99 Story, Page 10D Todd Devereaux (1 1) is greeted by inning at ASU, with the Pac-10 title at stake, and the score is 3-2, Arizona.

The Wildcats have had one hit since the third inning. And starting pitcher Lance Dickson had pitched all of 2 innings in the last two weeks. "It's a situation that brings out the best in the best teams," said Zinter. "And we responded." Toros beat By Ron Somers The Arizona Daily Star Carlo Colombino got what he said he was looking for a fastball that he could drive to get on base. He sent Jim Davins' fastball to center for a two-out triple in the 10th inning last night.

That set up Steve Lombardozzi's winning single to left in a 6-5 Tucson Toros' victory over the Portland Beavers. A crowd of 4,120 at Hi Corbett Field saw not only the Famous Chicken do his shtick, but the Toros won their third straight game for the first time this season. Colombino said he figured once he got on base, someone would drive him home. "(Scott) Jordan was hot, and Lombo Phoenix defeats Warriors Suns go up, 3-1, in playoff series By Dave Carpenter The Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. The Phoenix Suns felt right at home on the road.

As a result, they're going back to Arizona with a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals after a 135-99 victory yesterday. And Golden State is a game away from heading home for the summer. The hero in the Suns' Game 4 victory was sixth man Eddie Johnson, who scored 34 points. He and Tom Chambers led a second-half runaway. The Suns have won nine straight away from home.

"With the combination of offense and defense, I don't think we can play much better. We just feel confident," said Johnson. "I can't explain it. We just feel like we're at home." Even Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons is marveled by his team's ability to buck a longstanding NBA trend. "To win nine straight on the road is really something," he said.

"I've never coached a team that did that." Johnson was the designated shooter on offense, hitting six three-pointers four during a 20-point second quarter, and two more In the third when the Suns broke open the game. He and Chambers, who finished with 28 points, each had 10 in a third-quarter run that saw the Suns stretch a six-point half- Arizona not only scored six runs in the ninth, but Dickson persevered with a complete game victory. Not due. Good. "This team isn't haughty or arrogant or cocky," Kindall said after the celebration subsided.

"But they are self-confident. I really like that about this ball club." Kindall could even pin-point the stage at Portland for Japanese scouts check out the Toros. Page 3D. (Lombardozzi) was coming up behind him," Colombino said. Sure enough, Lombardozzi singled off the wall in left, scoring Colombino.

But not before a momentary scare for the Toros. Left-fielder John Christensen raced back for the ball and got his glove on it but could not make the catch. "I didn't think he was going to catch it. He was playing way in," Colombino said. The Beavers might have held Colombino to a double, but the ball went under the glove of right fielder Brad Bierley, who tried to cut it off.

"As soon as I saw it go by him I knew I had 1 i 4 i Tom Chambers loses control of the time lead to 102-83. Defensively, the Suns chipped in to double-team the Warriors, limiting them to 27 percent shooting in the second half. Phoenix, which tied a team record for most points in a playoff game, outscored Golden State, 68-38, after the half. "We didn't play bad, but anything we tried they countered like we were a high school team," said Warriors Coach Don Nelson. "They play better inside, and they shoot better.

"They're awful good against us, defensively, because they have the smaller good defenders like Tyrone Corbin and Dan Majerle that can really stay with our scorers." i it rf I I 5 I 7, 17 II I 1 XWh' b' TODAY'S GAME Arizona (Jim Richardson, 4-2) vs. Arizona State (Kip Yaughn, 4-0), 4:30 p.m., Packard Stadium. TOROS REPORT LAST NIGHT: Tucson Toros 6, Portland Bea-vers 5. KEY PERFORMANCES: Steve Lombardozzi singled home the winning run in the 10th inning. Carlo Colombino scored the winner a two-out triple.

NEXT GAME: Doubleheader tonight beginning at 6. Portland Beavers (Manny Hernandez, 1-3, and Fred Toliver, O-O) vs. Tucson Toros (Jeff Heathcock, 3-2, and Roger Mason, 1 -2). All women admitted free. RECORD: Division.

14-22, last place in PCL Southern COMING ATTRACTION: The Houston Astros play the Toros tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Hi Corbett Field. Pima ends its season with 2 losses By Jay Gonzales The Arizona Dally Star It was a duel that lasted from high noon to sundown yesterday, and Cochise College was left standing in its junior college regional playoff series against Pima Community College. The Apaches rallied from a six-run deficit to win the first game, 14-12, and tie the best-of-three series in a 3 '2 -hour affair. Cochise held off the Aztecs in the four-hour second game, 12-9, to advance to next week's second round against Mesa Community College.

The winner of that best-of-three series advances to the National Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, beginning May 27. The Aztecs, champions of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, finished the season with a 40-16 record. They were ranked second in the nation among junior college teams going into the series. "We had a great year," Pima Coach Rich Alday said. "We weren't supposed to be in the playoffs, and we ended up state champions.

I really feel good about the kids. They busted their butts." Sophomore Troy Bradford drove in six runs to lead Cochise in the second game. Mike Jones pitched il3 innings in relief for the victory, and Martin Martinez earned a save, his second of the day. Bradford, who has signed a letter of intent with the University of Arizona, is a pitcher who was relegated to playing first base because of a sore arm that has bothered him for nearly a month. See PIMA, Page5D third base," he said.

Toros Manager Bob Skinner said the hit was particularly beneficial to Colombino, who came into the game hitting .177 in his first season in Class AAA. "He's been struggling some, and he needs something like that," Skinner said. "Maybe this will relax him a bit. "He's been a little hard on himself. He's been trying so hard." Colombino had a hit in the second, an infield single.

The Toros appeared to have the game in hand, leading, 5-0, after seven innings. But Victor Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in a three-run Portland eighth. In the ninth, Brian Meyer was one strike See TOROS, Page 3D The Associated Press ball while attempting to score 1 SUNS VS. WARRIORS Game 1: Suns 130, Warriors 103. Game 2: Warriors 127, Suns 122.

Game 3: Suns 1 13, Warriors 104. Game 4: Suns 135, Warriors 99. Suns lead series, 3-1. Game 5: Tuesday at Phoenix, 7:30 p.m., WTBS. Game 6: Thursday at Golden State, if necessary, 7:30 p.m., WTBS.

Game 7: Saturday at Phoenix, if neces-sary, time TBA. Phoenix can end the series with a victory at home Tuesday night. And Kevin Johnson, who had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight See SUNS, Page 5D MA if 'A 1.