Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 24

Newcomer's pinch-hit single caps a two-run eighth as Atlanta wins 3-2. 4C The Clarion-Ledger Tuesday, May 15, 1990 Capsules of Metro baseball tournament teams: Cincinnati Coach: Jim Schmitz, 100-99 in fourth year at Cincinnati, 161-161 In seventh year overall. Seaeon record: 20-27. Conference record: 5-10. Team batting average: .279.

Team ERA: 5.36. Probable atartere: Mike Mottice (.325 6 HR, 34 RBIs), 1B Tony Elsbrock 2B Chria Newton SS Jamie Baker 3B Chuck Barlage LF Ken Schneider CF Mike Chumbley or Andy Deitschel RF Dave Abbott DH Abbott, Chumbley or Deitschel. Top pitchers: RH Tim Malone (1-3, 2.92), RH Pat Murphy (2-3, 3.93, 2 saves), LH Ken Osterkamp (3-3, 4.76), George Glinatsis (3-4, 5.89), RH Everett Brackett (4-6, 5.30). Top reserves: DH-OF Tim Farrell DH Rusty Moore Tourney outlook: The Bearcats are streaky team, mostly when they lose. Cincinnati ia on a four-game losing skid.

South Carolina ace Brian Williams should keep the streak intact Wednesday. Cincinnati is last in the Metro in scoring, 5. 1 per game. Gannett News Service Braves manager Rues Nixon countered with switch-hitter Francisco Cabrera, who was called up from Class AAA Richmond on Monday. Cabrera responded with his first major-league RBI, stroking a soft single to right to score Presley.

After Boever loaded the bases in the ninth, Hesketh got Domingo Ramos on a grounder to first, then struck out Jerome Walton. There Nixon went by the book, bringing Kerfield in to pitch to Ryne Sandberg with two outs. Sandberg grounded to third to end the game. "I can't get upset at Mitch," Lancaster said. "I feel comfortable with him coming in behind me.

Zim made the call he thought he should make. We just got beat." The Cubs recalled pitcher Jeff Pico from Triple-A Iowa Monday night and announced that he would start tonight's game against the Braves. ever in the ninth, but Joe Hesketh got two quick outs before turning it over to Charles Kerfield, who got Ryne Sandberg on a grounder to end the game. "That was no doubt the best game we have played all year," Nixon said. "There were a lot of great plays on both sides.

Except for that little lapse in the ninth, we played great." Chicago starter Les Lancaster handcuffed Atlanta with just six hits and one run through seven innings, and the Cubs held a 2-1 lead. But with one out and a 2-2 count on Tommy Gregg, Chicago manager Don Zimmer pulled Lancaster in favor of Williams. Williams promptly walked Gregg before Jim Presley drilled an RBI double to right-center. Williams walked Dale Murphy intentionally, and Zimmer called on Bill Long to face catcher Ernie Whitt. ATLANTA Not only did baseball purists see a rare defensive classic at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Monday night, they saw something almost as rare: an Atlanta Braves victory.

The struggling Braves rallied for two eighth-inning runs to beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2, and they did it by fashioning a come-from-behind win off Cubs reliever Mitch Williams, 0-4. The Braves couldn't wrap it up there, though, as they kept the season's largest home crowd of 16,417 in suspense for another 20 minutes before locking it away. Chicago loaded the bases off Atlanta reliever Joe Bo- Florida State NATIONAL Coach: Mike Martin, 600-237-3 in 1 1th season at Florida State. 1 1th season overall. Season record: 48-12.

Conference record: 17-4. Team batting average: .306. Team ERA: 3. 14. Probable starters: Pete Grifol 1B Eddie Perez 2B Allen Bevis SS Rocky Rau 3B Rob Bargas LF Marc Ronan CF Chris Roberts RF Chris Brock 1) or Brad Parker DH Buddy Cribb or Parker.

Top pitchers: RH Gar Finnvold (12-3, 3.06), RH Brad Gregory (2-1, 1.82, 11 saves), RH Ricky Kimball (7-3, 3.53, 5 saves), RH Roger Bailey (7-1, 2.61), LH Mike Brady (6-1. 2.96). Top reserves: OF-3B-1B John Marc Tamayo DH-OF Kenny Felder SS Brian Gilliland OF Garrett Blanton Tourney outlook: The Seminoles have won the last seven Metro tournaments and their last 17 Metro tournament games. Florida State's deep pitching staff will make the difference. FSU's team earned run average is 3.

14, far below second-place USM's 3.96. AS if Larkin delivers for Reds Jack Armstrong gains sixth win with help from Randy Myers. a'w-afc 3-. WWII Louisville The Associated Press Coach: John Mason, 109-184 in sixth season at Louisville, sixth season overall. Season record: 15-27-1.

Conference record: 4-10. Team batting average: .266. Team ERA: 5.29. Probable starters: Kevin Mings 1B Richie Hawks 2B David Vogt SS Greg Graham 3B Charlie Allen LF Guy Wallace CF Kevin Curry RF Rob Newman DH Greg Gooding or Darren Oppel Top pitchers: LH Rod Beihl (4-5, 4.04), RH Richie Winebrenner (3-2, 4.02), RH Jimmy Downs (2-4, 5.92, 1 save), RH Troy Patterson (2-5, 5.30, 1 save), RH Rick Arnold (2-5, 5.79). Top reserves: Charlie Allen OF Butch Brown (.

131-3-4), 2B Craig Shirley (. 100-0-1). Tourney outlook: Louisville is on a two-game roll with a double-header sweep of Memphis State Sunday. It will probably end Wednesday against USM. The Cardinals are last in the Metro in batting average and next to last in fielding.

is State The Associated Press Detroit's Gary Ward slides safely into second base as Toronto shortstop Tony Fernandez takes a pickoff throw in the fifth inning. Gruber leaves Tigers seeing double Coach: Bobby Kilpatrick, 597-289-2 in 19th season at Memphis State, 19th season overall. Season record: 30-23. Conference record: 7-12. Team batting average: .285.

Team ERA: 4.22. Probable starters: Terry Rooker or Chris Carter 1B Bart Freeman 2B Ron Clement SS Brian Noack 1), 3B Brad Seitzer 1-33), LF Dan King CF Chris Kross RF Jeff Cottam DH Steve Moss Top pitchers: RH Jarrett Kilpatrick (6-4, 3.68), RH Steve Jones (8-6, 4.39), LH Mike Greckel (2-1 2.55, 2 saves), RH Freeman (0- 0. 2.30, 4 saves), RH Moss (4-0, 3.42). Top reserves: OF Clint Sewell OF Richard Bledsoe OF Jeff Hoekstra Tourney outlook: The Tigers have lost four in a row and seven of their last nine games. Memphis State has scored five runs in its last nine games.

It's a bad time to be struggling at the plate. AMERICAN CINCINNATI Barry Larkin'a bases-loaded single helped the Cincinnati Reds overcome an early three-run deficit to beat the Pitts-; burgh Pirates 5-3 Monday night and maintain the best record in the National League. Larkin's two-run single put the Reds ahead 4-3 in the second inning. Jack Armstrong, 6-1, won for the sixth time in seven starts by al-j lowing seven hits in six innings. Cincinnati leads the NL West with a 22-7 record, the best in the league.

The start mirrors the 1970 club for best this century by a Reds' team. Pittsburgh, at 22-10, leads the NL East and is off to its best start since 1977. Padres 5, Phillies 1: Andy Be-nes pitched a two-hitter for his first major league complete game and Joe Carter and Tony Gwynn each hit two-run homers, leading host San Diego past Philadelphia. Giants 4, Mets 2: Bob Knepper allowed two runs in 6 23 innings to beat New York for the second time in a week, and Will Clark hit a two-run homer as San Francisco won at home for only the third time in 14 games. Dodgers 3, Expos 2: Fernando Valenzuela allowed two runs in eight-plus innings and sparked a three-run third with his eighth career homer as host Los Angeles beat Montreal to snap a six-game losing streak.

Valenzuela, 3-3, allowed a third-inning homer by Expos starter Kevin Gross, but he responded in the bottom of the inning with a homer of his own. Toronto's third baseman twice delivers the go-ahead runs as the Blue Jays win 8-3. From Wire Service Reports South Carolina Royals 9, Red Sox Rey Palacios, who entered the game in the ninth inning as a pinch runner, hit a grand slam with two out in the 10th, his first hit of the season, as host Kansas City beat Boston. Boston relief ace Jeff Reardon, 1-1, gave up two-out singles to George Brett and Jim Eisenreich and walked Willie Wilson. Palacios, who had been 0-for-5, then hammered a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence.

Twins 6, Athletics 2: Allan Anderson pitched a four-hitter and Kirby Puckett had five of Minnesota's 15 hits as the Twins beat visiting Oakland, handing Dave Stewart his first loss of the season. The loss was the A's third straight. The Twins rocked Stewart, 6-1, for six runs on 10 hits in four innings to win for the 10th time in their last 12 games. Stewart entered the game second in the AL with a 1.46 ERA that rose to 2.36. Fred Manrique hit a two-run homer in the second inning, and Kent Hrbek's two-run double keyed a four-run fourth that chased Stewart.

is as simple as that." In the 10th, Junior Felix led off with a walk and went to third on Tony Fernandez's single. Mookie Wilson then bounced into a fielder's choice to the pitcher and stole second. Both runners scored on Gruber's second two-run single of the game. After George Bell singled, Jerry Don Gleaton relieved Henneman. Fred McGriff hit his first pitch into the center-field bleachers.

After giving up a first-inning run, Tigers starter Frank Tanana dominated the Blue Jays, retiring 1 1 in a row, before faltering in the eighth. The Tigers almost won the game in the ninth. Alan Trammell singled, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch, but was stranded when Cecil Fielder, Gary Ward and Mark Salas struck out. Kelly Gruber had to be wondering how many game-winning hits he could come up with Monday in Detroit. With Toronto trailing the Tigers 2-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Gruber hit a two-run single off Mike Henneman.

But Detroit tied the game, forcing Gruber to hit another two-run single in the 10th, again off Henneman, as Toronto won 8-3. Gruber said he was upset with himself for failing to advance a runner early in the game. "I was trying a little harder after the first." he said. "I didn't get the runner over, so I had to do something." "I didn't throw the ball where I wanted to," said Henneman, 0-3. "I screwed up.

It Coach: June Raines, 549-237-1 in 14th season at South Carolina, 14th season overall. Season record: 32-22. Conference record: 10-6. Team batting average: .290. Team ERA: 4.43.

Probable starters: Dave Willman 1B Jeff Parnell SS Burke Cromer 2B-3B Sandy Rickett 1B-OF Brian Williams LF Skeets Thomas CF Mike McGee RF D.T. Cromer Top pitchers: RH Brian Beatson (1-3, 2.40, 1 1 saves), RH Williams (7-4, 3.06), LF Will Lewis (5-4, 4.53), RH Charlie Young (7-1, 4.74), LH Rich Pratt (3-5, 6.23). Top reserves: George Rush 3B-C Jovi McAndrew 2B Mike Adams 3B Brian Lawler Tourney outlook: The Gamecocks' chances ride with Thomas and Williams. As they go, so goes South Carolina. There aren't enough to carry the Gamecocks to the title.

Southern Mississippi Coach: Hill Denson, 220-205-2 in seventh season at USM, seventh season overall. Season record: 39-21. Conference record: 16-5. Team batting average: .289. Team ERA: 3.96.

Probable starters: Doug Benefiel 1B Andy Woo-dard 2B Scotty Jurich SS Brent Covington 3B Kevin Young LF Larry Wesson (.32 1-0-19), CF Chad Hebert RF Todd Nace DH Chris lobbins Top pitchers: RH Damon Pollard (12-2, 2.81), RH John Gilligan (11-2, 3.16), RH Mark Carson (6-3, 3.21. 4 saves), RH Frankie McLendon (5-7, 4 60), RH Mark Kubicki (5-4, 3.84, 4 saves). Top reserves: OF Kerry Valrie (.2 19-1-17), DH Greg Cole Chriq Logan 1B Scotty Bonds Bubba Hall Tourney outlook: The Golden Eagles must get quality starts from Damon Pollard and John Gilligan. USM and Florida State are close in ability except for pitching depth. Missions exploit JaxMets' bullpen NOTES sx- I Tulane runner-up Mississippi Gulf Coast, Region 7 winner Cleveland State (Tenn.) and Region 10 winner Louisburg (N.C.).

The first round Friday pits the Trojans against Louisburg at 1 p.m. and Gulf Coast against Cleveland State at 4. Eagles sign three, Bulldogs one: Southern Mississippi added three sig-nees, and Mississippi State one Monday. The three Golden Eagles are Derek Quails from Jackson, Chris Richie from Madison and Bill Selby from Walls. Quails, a 5-foot-ll, 170-pound infielder, lettered five years at Northwest Rankin High School.

He hit .390 with four home runs and 29 RBIs. Richie, a 6-3, 170-pound pitcher-outfielder, played at Madison-Ridgeland High School. The last two seasons he won 15 games and had over 100 strikeouts each season. Selby, a 5-9, 185-pound second baseman from Horn Lake, played two seasons at Northwest Community College. Jeff Duncan, a 6-0, 185-pound infielder from Memphis, has become Mississippi State's seventh signee of the recruiting season.

He played two years at Jackson (Tenn.) State Community College. Reds' Duncan goes on DL: The Cincinnati Reds put second baseman Mariano Duncan on the 15-day disabled list Monday, extended outfielder Eric Davis' The Associated Press man pitched the last two innings for San Antonio to gain his second save. McDaniel had to come out of the game in the fifth inning with a hamstring injury-Left-hander joins JaxMets: Pitcher Pete Schourek has been called up to the Jackson Mets from Port St. Lucie of the Florida State League. The left-hander will start Wednesday's series opener at Wichita.

Schourek, who was on New York's 40-man roster this spring, had a 4-1 record at Port St. Lucie. Pitcher Dave Proctor, who was expected to be in Jackson's starting rotation before the season began, will have surgery on his right elbow Thursday. The right-hander, who was New York's No. 1 pick in the 1988 summer draft, will be out for the season.

Delta CC to host Eastern District: Mississippi Delta's Trojans, after following up their state championship by capturing the NJCAA Region 23 title, next host the Eastern District tournament. The winner of the four-team playoff Friday through Sunday at Moorhead advances to the national tourney at Grand Junction, May 25-June 2. Taking part in addition to Delta are Region 23 San Antonio scores three times in the seventh inning for a 5-4 victory. From Special and Wire Reports Trailing 4-2, San Antonio rallied for three runs in the seventh inning Monday night to beat Jackson 5-4 in a Texas League game at San Antonio, Texas. The Missions victimized relief pitcher Steve LaRose, who had taken over for starter Rocky Elli at the start of the seventh.

After the first run scored on Eddie Pye's ground out, Jerry Brooks tied it with a two-out RBI single and Eric Karros followed with an RBI double. LaRose fell to 0-3 and the Mets' bullpen to 2-8. The Missions took a 1-0 lead in the first on Karros' sacrifice fly. The Mets scored an unearned run in the second on Crucito Lara's ground out. The Mets scored three times without benefit of a hit in the third.

Missions starter Dennis Springer, 1-0, walked three and made a two-run throwing error on Terry McDaniel's ground ball. Howie Freiling delivered a sacrifice fly. Brooks' third-inning sacrifice fly made it 4-2. Ex-Amite Academy star Dale Cole- Metro From 1C Cincinnati's Mariano Duncan was placed on the 15-day disabled list. departure from the lineup and acquired infielder Paul Noce from the Class AAA Nashville Sounds.

Duncan, who has an abdominal muscle strain on his right side, was hitting .382 with four homers and 15 RBIs. Davis was transferred from the 15-day to the 21-day disabled list. LaCoss has surgery: San Francisco right-hander Mike LaCoss underwent surgery on his left knee, and team officials said he will probably miss three months. Coach: Joe Brockoff, 543-285-2 in 16th season at Tulane, 16th season overall. Season record: 19-33.

Conference record: 4-16. Team batting average: .278. Team ERA: 6.70. Probable starters: Donald Loupe -24), 1 Marty Posey 328 12-49), 2B Rick Chanove SS Andy Sheets 274-0-16), 3B Darrin Dares LF Bryan Brown 9-33). CF Larry Laurent or Jeff Riviere RF Rob Gerdes or Darryl Gilevich DH GerdesorGilevich.

Top pitchers: RH Jeff Blum (2-4, 5.42), RH Chris Smigliani (5-3, 5. 18, 2 saves), RH Henri Saunders (4-1 1, 6.59), RH Chanove (4-4, 7.02), RH Gilevich (2-4, 8.02). Top reserves: IF Kirk Randazzo OF Steve Shepherd INF Alfredo Mesa Tourney outlook: The Green Wave's bats are on fire, hitting .340 for the past 13 games. But Tulane has played just one game in May. It's too bad Tulane plays Florida State first.

Florida State leads the league in hitting; Tulane is last in ERA. Virginia Tech Coach: Chuck Hartman, 459-196-2 in 12th season at Virginia Tech, 942-421-2 in 31st season overall. Season record: 33-20. Conference record: 9-9. Team batting average: .299.

Team ERA: 4.36. Probable starters: Clint Creed 291-1-9), 1B Les Jennette 2B-3B Fred Hatfield SS David Dallas 3B-2B Len Wentz LF Steve Render CF Shaun Thomas RF Rod Emmons 333-8-51), DH R. Hawkins Top pitchers: RH Mike Williams (10-2. 3.42), RH Kirk Goodson (5-5. 3 84), LH Greg Margheim (4-4.

4.64), RH Jamie Patteson (2- 0, 4 58), RH Tim Fenn (2-1, 2.70. 3 saves). Top reserves: OF Mike Reedy John Creasy (. 167- 0-10), 1B Jay Honse (. 146-0-5).

Tourney outlook: Since exams, the Hokies' bats have been silent. Wentz said Tech hasn't played together in the past nine games. Tech, which ranks fourth in the nation in runs scored, needs to pick up the pace to stay alive. Bob-rt Wi(on Gilligan have to win and go a long way," Hartman said. "But if they get beat they'll be in real trouble." Pollard is 12-2 with a 2.81 ERA.

Gilligan is 11-2 and 3.16. The two have combined for 18 complete games. "South Carolina is the darkhorse," Hartman said. "They have probably the most pitching depth other than Florida State, and they've played a tough schedule. But their pitchers are young.

You never know what they are going to do." No. 3 seed South Carolina meets No. 6 seed Cincinnati at 5 p.m. and No. 4 seed Virginia Tech faces No.

5 seed Memphis State at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the other two first-round games. i USM is in a different situation. The Golden Eagles, who face No. 7 seed Louisville Wednesday at 8 p.m.

in the first round, need to win the tournament or at least win a few games. USM has 39 wins, one short of the so-called magic 40. "If someone made a call to (USM coach) Hill Denson and said he was in, those guys would be on top of the world," Hartman said. "But they need some wins in this tournament to assure them of a berth. And then, they still may not get in." The only way USM can assure itself a berth in the tournament is to win it.

Hartman said the key for USM is the first two games. "(Senior right-handers) Damon Pollard and John 1 right-hander Roger Bailey is first in winning percentage (7-1, Nine of FSU's 11 pitchers are under 3.63 ERA. Florida State has won this tournament the past seven years. The Seminoles begin their defense of the title in a 1 p.m. first-round game against No.

8 seed Tulane. Florida State has won 17 consecutive Metro tournament games. "These guys (the Seminoles) are going to come in here relaxed and confident," Hartman said. "There is no pressure on them. They are sitting on the fence waiting for an NCAA bid.

They could get behind by four or five runs and come back and win. They don't panic." I 1.