Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 21

I 1 SCOREBOARD lRD 2 LL3 (U 16-16 BASEBALL LA1U CLASSIFIED' THE CLARION-LEDGER I JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI SATURDAY.AUGUST17.1991 mmA Mm ji mm Generals capitalize on errors Jackson takes a 9-5 win from bumbling Arkansas to stay tied for first. From Wire and Special Reports LITTLE ROCK Howard hit a two-run single and belt-Jed his ninth homer of the season to spark Jackson to an error-marred Texas League East victory over Arkansas on Friday night. The Generals remain in a virtual tie for first in the TL East with 'Shreveport. i Jackson and Arkansas combined nine errors, seven by the Travelers. Generals reliever Pete Bauer picked up his third win of the season against seven losses.

He worked hitless innings after taking over for starter Shane Reynolds in the Ififth. I Arkansas starter Dennis fell to 6-13. Jackson jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Frank Kellner singled to extend his hitting streak to six games. Joe Mikulik reached base when Arkansas second baseman Jeff Shireman misplayed the ball.

Kellner was safe at third when Mike Ross booted the relay from center fielder Ric Christian. Prager's single knocked in both runners. Arkansas got a run in the bottom of the inning and scored two more in the second when Tripp Cromer singled, Charlie White doubled and Christian doubled to score both runners. The Travelers made it 4-2 in the third when Ross was hit by pitch, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly. But the Generals took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth, another in the fifth on Prager's solo shot and a run in the ninth.

The homer was Prager's eighth of the second half. Prager and Bert Hunter each went 3-for-4 for Jackson. Arkansas' Jose Fernandez added solo homer of his own in the bottom of the ninth, his 10th of the season. Outfielder Kevin Dean was promoted to Triple-A Tucson on Friday. His roster spot was not immediately filled.

,) ij if If I If 4 i i Grand slam and shoving umpire tell story of Americans' day. By Mike Knobler Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer HAVANA American baseball got pushed around Friday, first by Puerto Rico and then by an umpire. First baseman Efrain Garcia hit a third-innning grand slam as Puerto Rico shocked the United States 7-1, knocking the Americans out of the hunt for the Pan American Games gold medal. And first base umpire Nelson Diaz Blanco pushed U.S. coach Ron Polk during a sixth-inning argument that resulted in Polk's ejection.

The U.S. team had beaten Puerto Rico 10-3 last Saturday night, and players, coaches and experts were expecting a gold-medal rematch against Cuba. Garcia's grand slam hit the U.S. team hard. "They were looking for Cuba," said Puerto Rico pitcher Wilfredo Velez.

"They were playing with pressure. You could see it on their faces when they were comingto hit." Velez, 25, threw a seven-hitter and held the Americans to their lowest run total of the tournament. Velez had some personal motivation. Though he was a two-time NAIA All-American at Union University in Jackson, he was never drafted. A $12,000 free agent offer from the Chicago Cubs wasn't high enough for Velez.

So Velez, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound left-hander, made his point here. A first-inning home run by Chris Roberts provided all the U.S. offense. Puerto Rico plays for the gold medal today against Cuba, which beat the Dominican Republic 14-5. The U.S.

plays the Dominican Republic for the bronze. "The two best teams will not play for the gold," U.S. first baseman Dan Melendez said. But Puerto Rico was good enough to beat America's ace. Old Domin-; ion right-hander Jeff Ware, the man who faced Cuba Sunday, couldn't get out of the third inning.

With two outs and the bases load ed, his spikes got caught in the rubber while he was delivering a fast-; ball. He thought about holding onto the ball but steadied himself and threw. "I didn't want a balk," Ware "I didn't think he'd hit it out. Unfor-: tunately, he did." The pitch was a fastball right at the belly. Garcia, a 27-year-old clean-up hitter, did what he was supposed to do.

The dispirited Americans re-; sponded with three hitless innings. Then came the top of the sixth and the disputed balk call that cost the U.S. a run. With two outs and runners at the corners, pitcher Ken-nie Steenstra had faked to third and thrown to first, a pickoff play so old it very rarely works. It seemed to work this time, and Melendez had started the rundown when Blanco made his call.

Melendez and Steenstra ran at Blanco and started to plead their case. Polk rushed in from the dugout, pushed his players away and got chin to chin with Blanco. That's when Blanco pushed Polk away twice with his right arm. "We weren't in a fight out there," Polk said. "I was just yelling at him, 'What's the call? What's the When I got irritated is when he started pushing me in the chest." Polk never pushed back, but he did get livid.

Netherlands Antilles umpire Franklin Giricori pulled him away from behind. Polk was through for the day. Three innings later, his team's gold-medal chances were finished, too. Cuba finds gold in pool, 5C if The Associated Press An umpire restrains USA coach Ron Polk (left) during an argument with first base ump Nelson Diaz Blanco (right). i Williams bears pain to play final season lit' Colts need win for confidence Tonight's exhibition against New Orleans isn't meaningless to Ray Meyer.

JJ it 7 The Southern Mississippi tight end injured both knees in 1 990 and had surgery. The Associated Press By Robert Wilson Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer able. He was a great help in the spring. He helped coach the tight ends with Mac Bryan." "I love his courage," Bryan said. "He always has a big smile on his face.

He'll be important to us this year. "Eric isn't the type of guy that is going to give team speeches. He is a quiet leader. He has a great desire to play." Williams believes the tight end position will play a bigger role this season. He caught 10 passes for 78 yards a year ago.

The tight ends combined for 26 catches a year ago. "With the young quarterbacks, I don't think we'll be throwing deep as much. We graded higher than the other position on the line last year. We'll be using the toss sweep and we'll be responsible for blocking the outside linebackers." Williams injured his knee against Tu-lane last year and missed the last four games of the regular season. But he played "at 60-70 percent" for the Golden Eagles in the All American Bowl.

"I really wanted to play in that game," Williams said. "My family came over from Atlanta. It was important to me." Williams' knees kept him out of practice Friday morning because of swelling. Thursday was USM's first day practic- INDIANAPOLIS It's only a preseason game that no one may remember a month from now, but coach Ron Meyer desperately wants his Indianapolis Colts to beat the New Orleans Saints tonight. The Colts have lost six straight preseason games a seventh would be unprecedented in franchise history.

"Since the mental aspect is such an important part of one's success I really think we need a victory in the worst way in the final two preseason games." Meyer said. "With New Orleans and Philadelphia remaining, that's not going to be an easy task." The Colts have lost to Denver 10-3 and 17-7 to Seattle. New Orleans has won its two preseason games, topping Minnesota 18-3 and Green Bay 31-20. Leading the Saints' attack is Steve Walsh, who has completed 18 of 26 passes for 231 yards in the preseason. "(Walsh) had a real good off-season.

He stayed around New Orleans, he studied, he worked hard, he looked at film, and he's just a much more competent, further advanced player than he was at the end of last year," Saints coach Jim Mora said. "In evaluating your team in the preseason, you don't look so much at the final score, but how your regulars do against their regulars, and I think in both games our guys have done a pretty good job against our opponent," Mora said. Tonight's game will be carried in Jackson on WJNS 92.1-FM, WJXN 1450-AM and WJXN 92.9-FM. Eric Williams knows he won't ever be the same. But that doesn't keep the Southern Mississippi senior tight end off the football field.

"I'll never be 100 percent again-. maybe 80-85 percent, but I'm going to continue to play as hard as I can," said Williams, of Atlanta. "I'm the only senior at my position and I should be a leader. I want to help the team. I want to be able to help motivate my teammates." The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Williams hurt both knees last year and had arthroscopic surgery on each after last season.

He missed the spring but is back this fall to finish his career. Despite Williams' injuries, first-year USM head coach Jeff Bower said Williams is still an important member of the team. "Eric Williams is a great guy to have around," Bower said. "He might not get in but 10-to-12 snaps a game, but his influence on the other players is invalu The Ciarion-Ledger File Pnoio USM's injury-plagued tight end Eric Williams, No. 84, is just happy to be playing.

ing in pads. Swelling is nothing new to the three tailbacks in his Golden Eagle Williams. offense, injured his knee Thursday and "I spend a lot of time in the fieldhouse, could be lost for the season. "Wm, -Warm -n th-t Doug Rouse, USM's team doctor, said -ftT Doing it before Friday Jones would have surgery next and after practice is my normal routine. week examine the eM A It is worth to Williams.

"I love football," Williams said. Junior inside linebacker Keith "There is nothing that will stop me from Loescher reinjured a knee Thursday and being out there." had arthroscopic surgery. Rouse expects Redshirt freshman Ronald Jones, Loescher back for USM's opener with whom Bower was counting on to be one of Delta State Aug. 31 in Hattiesburg. BY TH NUMBERS the hot connsii BEST BET TV TODAY Don Mattingly made things hairy for I the Chicago White Sox, and Roberto Kelly finally beat them with an odd.

1 1 A Mariners 5 Angels 3 Texas League Jackson 9 Arkansas 5 Shreveport 9 Tulsa 1 Wichita 7 El Paso 3 Midland 8 San Antonio 5 iir Is net two-out single in the ninth inning Friday night that gave the New York Yankees a 6-5 victory. Mattingly, benched Thursday because he refused to aet a You can tell football season is close because they play NFL games everyday except Sunday. Two games are on tap today: The Buffalo Bills against the Green Bay Packers at noon on CBS and The New York Giants vs. the New York Jets at 7 p.m. on ESPN, The Pan American Games come to a close Sunday in Havana.

The United States showed mixed results. The USA dominated some of the less glamorous sports, but suffered disappointing defeats in swimming, baseball and basketball. Puerto Rico, a U.S. possession, beat the U.S. in baseball and basketball.

Three Mississippians have been part of the unique Games experience. USA baseball coach Ron Polk, pitcher Tony Phillips of Petal and basketball player Clarence Weatherspoon of Crawford got to spend time in a country few Americans ever see. Which shows sports can be an educational experience. haircut, returned to the lineup and Mattingly helped trim Chicago. His single in the fifth knocked out no-hit pitcher Wilson Alvarez and his single in the eighth started a two-run rally that tied it at 5, 3C National League Cubs 9 Phillies 1 Pirates 8 Mets 2 Cardinals 4 Expos 2 Braves 3 Padres 2 Reds 5 Giants 0 Dodgers 4 Astros 1 American League Rangers 5-9 Indians 3-13 Tigers 5 Blue Jays 2 Red Sox 3 Royals 2 Yankees 6 White Sox 5 Brewers 8 Orioles 5 Twins 5 Athletics 4 The International Ian Baker-Finch 12-9 21 Ken Green 12-3 15 Robert Wrenn 10-4 14 Brad Faxon 9-5 14 Four players tied at 13 British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch is almost certain of reaching the final round of The International if the weather allows the final round to be reached, 4C The Atlanta Braves, second in the NL West, play the Padres in San Diego at 9 p.m.

on TBS. Complete listings, 2C 4 -t 4-.