The Greenville News du lieu suivant : Greenville, South Carolina • Page 25

i 'MB jm mrm State 42, No. 20 N.C. State 11 Jaguars at Carolina i i 23, No. 2 Tennessee 21 State 27. No.

8 Miami 23 20, Southern Mississippi 13 Cardinals at Dolphins, 1 p.m., Fox Jaguars at Panthers, 1 p.m., CBS Broncos at Chiefs, 4 p.m., CBS IAlliillimlli III On Monday Falcons at Cowboys, 9 p.m., ABC Today's complete Bstings, lit 14 IT 11 SportsSuMay Kkkoff; 1 p.m. HTV: CBS (Ch. 7) Radio: 98.1 I'M EJ Preview: 14C E.S!l.mH.W.-l Player, year Homers sa readies agaeei No. j) Wisconsin 12 29, No. 18 Alabama 28 tate" 23, No." 24 Notre Dame Complete CI mm.

1 The Associated Press Club 60: Sammy Sosa (21) gets hugs from his teammates Saturday after becoming the first baseball player with two 60-homer seasons. Mark McGwire, 1998 70 Sammy Sosa, 1998 66 Roger Maris, 1961 61 Babe Ruth, 1927 60 Sammy Sosa, 1999 60 mSosa has 14 games left in '99 6 because everybody was waiting for this moment," Sosa said Saturday after hitting his 60th off Milwaukee's Jason Bere in what turned out to be another loss for the Cubs, 7-4 in 14 innings. wanted to get it done and that's why I was out of control. Now I can relax." Sosa, who hit 66 homers last season but fell four short of Mark McGwire, said reaching 60 again is more satisfying. "Of all the players that have played this game, for me to be the first one, I'm proud," Sosa said.

(0) Ms ninds BID aft MM No. 1 Florida tS" No. 4 Florida No. 3 Penn 1 Cincinnati Ix)uisiana Midlikran. Sunday September 19, 1999 New York moves one game behind By Willie! Smith III Atlanta Bureau ATLANTA The Atlanta Braves stole a game from the Montreal Expos on Friday night.

On Saturday, they gave it back. The Expos scored a 4-3 come-from- behind vic tory on a TODAY n'ght when Atlanta's Expos at Greg Maddux Braves 1:10 pitched a p.m., Ch. 62. complete Braves report game and 3C didn't allow an earned run. The Braves' normally sure-handed defense was anything but.

Two errors by second baseman Bret Boone and one by Maddux led to Atlanta's downfall in front of Turner Field sellout crowd of 47,576. "We didn't play a clean ball game," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "We've played great all year. Tonight, we just didn't play a good defensive game." Atlanta fell to 92-57, and the New York Mets defeated Philadelphia 11-1 to pull one game behind in the National League East race. Atlanta took a 2-0 lead in the third on a Boone home run and an RBI double by Ryan Klesko.

Montreal scored one in the fourth after Boone made two throwing errors. The Braves countered with another run in the fourth. Montreal scored three in its next at-bat. With two outs, Peter Bergeron singled. Jose Vidro then grounded weakly up the first-base line.

Maddux got to the ball quickly but bobbled it. He finally flipped it to Klesko at first. But Klesko couldn't hold it, putting runners on first and second. Doubles by Vladimir Guerrero and Brad Fulmer allowed three runs to score. Maddux (18-8) admitted this defeat was harder to take than most.

"Yeah, because you feel like you beat yourself," he said. "The hard part is throwing good, quality strikes consistently. The easiest part is fielding your position. I felt I pitched good enough to win. But I didn't make the defensive play." Expos edge sloppy Braves NOj4 Nebraska 17, Tech v.

A 1 i -'J 1 Dan Foster Siors Mtor USC crowds 'deserve better' year OLUMBIA It may sound like a but it is nonetheless true. No college football team, and few, if any, pro teams get the fan support in ratio to team success that the University of South Carolina does. The sellout crowd of 82,605 here Saturday night was the biggest home-opening game crowd in USC history and its fifth-largest crowd ever. But even that display of hopes and support was not enough to prevent the Gamecocks' third loss of a season with no victories. East Carolina beat the Gamecocks 21-3, and USC has only one touchdown to show for its first three games.

USC did not initiate a down closer than the ECU 16, when the Gamecocks took a 3-0 lead on their second possession. Lou Holtz, disgusted with turnovers and the offensive failures, said his response to the huge crowd for his home debut as head coach was, "They are loyal fans, unbelievable. I tell you right now I'd go lay down in front of a bus if I thought that would change things. I really would. Those people deserve better." Watson impresses Derek Watson, the irrepressible freshman out of Williamston's Palmetto High, gave another great performance, making some impressive yardage when the holes simply weren't there.

Corey Atkins, John Abraham, Kenney Harney and Ray Green were among the defenders whose play deserved more, but the Gamecocks faltered on too many key plays to make Holtz's home opener happy. Counting the 10-game losing streak the team inherited from 1998, USC's losing streak has reached 13 games. Although Saturday night's game was only the third since Holtz returned (he was an assistant here in 1966) he had called it "critical." And he was not only dejected but angry at USC's kicking game, its three pass interceptions and a goal-line fumble that gave ECU its first touchdown. Dealing with a large number of players who experienced that 1-10 record a year ago, Holtz undoubtedly has given much thought to what could happen to their basic outlook if they don't have something to increase their confidence as the season gets older. There were discouraging reports from other points.

Two of the most likely victims for USC were Kentucky and Vanderbilt, but on Saturday, Kentucky upset Indiana and Vandy upset Ole Miss. 'Here we go' The ECU game looked like it might be the basis for a lift in the early stages. But a USC fumble of a punt at the 1-yard line that ECU's Kevin Monroe covered for a touchdown seemed a bad omen, and it was. USC never threatened after that. Holtz said that gave ECU a lift, adding, "One of the problems we have is when something goes wrong, it's sort of like, 'Here we go and there isn't that attitude of, 'That's one play and we've got 2lA quarters to make it Holtz sounded both punitive and hopeful when he said he would have both the offense and defense watch each other's performances and their own in a film today, "and then we'll have a team meeting." He wants to get his points across and then get the taste of Saturday night out of their and his-mouths and the sooner the better.

jor league history to reach 60 homers twice, the relief was obvious. "I was getting a bit anxious up there, a little out of control, swinging at everything OMAR ALI Staff der water. But Furman (1-1) did its part, rushing for 509 yards and sweeping away a string of Tribe victories over Southern Conference opponents as easily as confetti in a wind storm. Furman tailback Louis Ivory had 151 yards rushing, flanker Desmond Kitchings had 117, and quarterback Justin Hill had 94. "We ran the ball extremely well," Furman coach Bobby SECTION Outdoors 12C Motorsports.

13C "Pretty much last year, when I hit 62, Mark was already the first guy there, and that was the record everybody was looking for. This year to be the first to reach 60, I have to say I enjoy this one a little more." Sosa's historic homer came on a 2-2 pitch in the sixth, a drive that just went over the wall in center field and produced an ovation that lasted several minutes. Included in the crowd were his wife, his mother and his son, Michael, who was celebrating his second birthday. Box score, 2C ing you the way I feel right now." His players echoed Holtz's despair after extending the nation's second-longest losing streak. "It's a very, very difficult loss," tight end Trey Pennington said.

"But we can't let doubts slip in." Quarterback Phil E3EEZ3 INSIDE Pirates top USC after overcoming hurricane 4C Petty, who completed 12 of 31 passes for 134 yards, said the team is frustrated. "We've got to find answers," he said. "Obviously when you lose, you can do one of two things: You can put your head down and pout about it and then (the doubts) could happen. Or you could fight back and try to get better. We See MSZonpageHZ is 0-3, including early losses to Delaware and N.C.

State refused to blame a hurricane-battered practice schedule. But he noted, "It wasn't our typical game week. Wednesday we practiced in a rain storm." Johnson, who had an extra week to get his team ready for the Tribe after an 24-22 upset by Elon College in the See FURMAN on page SC lung where it's broken." Mougros, 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds from Tarpon Springs, started the Marshall game at one guard spot with left tackle TJ. Watkins out and had been competitive with Merritt at the position. "I feel very comfortable with Theo," offensive line coach Ron West said.

"We just need to stay healthy. That's the key for us. We can't afford to keep losing people." Clemson has lost second-team tackles Jermyn Chester and Nate Gillespie for the season because of torn knee ligaments. Watkins and center Kyle Young both missed practice time this week because of sprained ankles but returned See TIGERS page 5C He is first player to hit mark twice By Rick Gano The Associated Press CHICAGO Sammy So-sa's 60th was a long time coming. History was waiting for the Chicago Cubs star and he knew it.

So for more than a week, he labored, felt the expectations of himself and others scrutinizing every swing. That's why, when he finally became the first player in ma- cane Floyd. And in a way, it had. Floyd disrupted the Tribe's practice schedule, left the campus without power until Friday and rendered its INSIDE Ivory relishes his big day 5C football field a soggy mess as flooding put much of eastern Virginia un- Tigers' Injury could cost guard six weeks By Marc Weiszer Staff Writer CLEMSON The Clem-son football team has lost starting right guard Will Merritt for four to six weeks because of a broken collarbone, thinning the offensive line during a week it may need all the help it can get. Clemson will face one of the nation's top defensive lines Thursday night when it plays at No.

10 Virginia Tech. Last year, the Hokies limited Clemson to 102 yards and sacked quarterback Brandon Streeter three timys while pressuring him many NL- V. 1 A If II' 111 Wrap party: South Carolina defensive end Kalimba Edwards tries to slow down East Carolina quarterback David Garrard during a first-quarter run Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. Paladins run all over Mary Pirates ruin Holtz's debut at Williams-Brice By Rick Scoppe Columbia Bureau COLUMBIA In coach Lou Holtz's home debut Saturday night, South Carolina gave its fans what they have come to expect. A loss.

Another loss. Make it 13 straight and counting. USC continued to have problems on offense and in the kicking game, and the defense couldn't stop East Carolina's combo of quarterback David Garrard and fullback Jamie Wilson. The result: ECU 21, USC 3. "I could envision being 0-11," Holtz said.

"And that would bother me. But I'm tell- Johnson said. "Justin Hill did a great job of getting us in the right play at the right time. And then we did a good job of executing the play when we had the chance to take advantage of what we saw defensively." Furman's defense, praised equally by Johnson, limited the Tribe's possessions and created fumbles on key plays. William Mary coach Jim-mye Laycock whose team "I'm extremely disappointed," said Merritt, who was wearing a harness Saturday.

"It's very frustrating, but I know the Lord's in control of every situation and He only allows things to happen for a certain reason and whatever His plan is that's exactly what I'm concerned about right now." If Merritt misses four weeks, he could be back for the Oct. 16 game at Maryland. The Tigers play Florida State Oct. 23 and Wake Forest Oct. 30.

Merritt said he plans to be back earlier than expected. "I'm going to see how fast I can get back," Merritt said. "I know it's a serious injury, and the risk factor. If I were to copie back too soon and break it again, it could puncture a imam Merritt breaks collarbone Furman rushes for 509 yards By Ann Green Staff Writer WILLIAMSBURG, Va. When Furman was done Saturday and the scoreboard flashed 52-6, the William Mary football team looked like it had been hit by Hurri ti PATRICK C0LLARD The Associated Press more on a day he threw four interceptions in a 37-0 Hokies rout.

"It's a physical game against this defense," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said Saturday. "That's not 7m i Merritt the position in this game you want to be thin. We re thin anyway." Junior Theo Mougros becomes the starter at right guard with redshirt freshman Gary Byrd backing him up. Merritt, a sophomore from Wren High School, broke the collarbone Friday when a defender's helmet hit between Merritt's helmet and shoulder pads. Ice checks: Florida's Jaroslav Spacek, left, gets checked into the boards by Boston's Andre Savage during the first period of an NHL exhibition game Saturday at the Bi-Lo Center.

The Bijuins won, 4-3. See story, 3C.