Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • Page 71

1 I Cook wins Mid-Am 2H Sportscope 4H Pioneer League statistics 5Hl Major League statistics 6H Great Falls Tribune Sunday, August 19, 1990 gents Maim proves spoiler Dodgers must wait to clinch division CI Suspended BILLINGS obrhbl Riggs 3b 3 111 Rlotel 3b 3 0 0 0 Gillum rf 3 111 game in which he's had a hit, was a record-breaker. The hit streak breaks the previous Pioneer mark, -set by Helena's Gary Sheffield in 1986. Kevin Riggs and Roy Ham- -margren slapped RBI doubles in the third as the Mustangs Dodgers' starter Pedro Martinez for I an early lead. The Dodgers scored once in the, first, when Mike Busch hit into a double play with the bases loaded. But in the second, with the sacks again full, Eric Blackwell's long drive to left centerfield was hauled in at the warning track.

The Dodgers rallied in the sixth as Busch singled and Don Meyers followed with a single to center. Keoki Farrish's infield hit scored Busch, and the Dodgers tied the game on the same play as the Mustangs made an error. Then it rained. It was not a wasted outing for" Martinez, however. The diminutive right-hander struck out nine and walked just two.

"His potential is unlimited," said Dodgers' pitching coach Guy Conti I of Martinez, whose fastball was clocked in the low 90s. Great Falls manager Joe Vavra! See DODGERS, 2H By SCOTT MANSCH Tribune Sports Writer There were all kinds of streaks Saturday night at Legion Park. The Dodgers, although they didn't win, kept their 13-game winning streak intact. Billings outfielder K.C. Gillum, although his team didn't win, kept his hit streak intact and made Pioneer League history at the same time.

And for the second straight night, the game was rained out. Saturday, unlike Friday, the contest at least got started. But more than 3,000 fans, expecting to see a double-header, went home wet instead. Great Falls scratched out a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth amid ominous clouds and a fast-approaching thunderstorm to tie Billings 3-3. A heavy downpour then suspended play in the first of two scheduled seven-inning games The game will be picked up at that point with two out and one on in bottom of the sixth inning when the teams meet Tuesday night in Billings.

The rain has delayed the Dodgers' march to the Pioner League's Northern Division championship. I jryvV.0 4 iu 71 Tribune Photo by Thomas Bauer Great Falls Dodgers' right-hander Pedro Martinez fires toward the plate against the Billings Mustangs, before heavy rains suspended the Pioneer League double-header at Legion Park. The first game was tied 3-3 in the sixth inning when play was suspended. QBs star in first scmimages GREAT FALLS abrhbl Ingram dh Blackwell rf 2 10 0 2 0 0 0 Maurer ss Busch lb Smith If Meyers 3b Bohringer pr Forrlsh cf Grave 3 0 10 3 0 2 0 3 10 0 3 0 10 0 10 0 2011 2 0 0 0 Hammargren 2 0 1 1 Quinones If 2 0 0 0 3 0 10 2 0 0 0 2 110 2 0 0 0 vosauez cl Jones lb Gordon ss Burroughs dh Fra'nhoffer 2b 2 0 0 0 Totals 22 3 5 Totals 22 1 1 Play suspended because of rain with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning Billings 003 000 -3 Great Falls 100 002 -3 E-Fllotel, Riggs. OP-Bllllngs 1.

LOB-BII-lings 3, Great Falls S. 2B-Riggs, Hammargren, Buscn. 3B Goraon. 5B Farnsn. IP ER BB SO Billings Robinson Berry Great Falls Martinez 51-3 4 1-3 1 5 3 3 2 Great Falls leads second-place Billings by 1 1 games with 14 left to play.

Because the Mustangs have 16 games left on the schedule, the Dodgers' magic number to clinch the title is five, instead of four as previously thought. Any combination of Great Falls wins and Billings losses equalling five gives the Dodgers a third straight Northern Division title. The washout came after the fifth inning, so the records will be counted. Thus Gillum's RBI single in the third inning, the 27th straight second in me on the field." Gillum, a fifth-round pick by Cincinnati in the amateur draft in 1988, is with the Mustangs for a second straight summer. He batted just .242 with the Reds' entry in the Gulf Coast League in 1988, then hit just .225 with 3 homers and 22 RBI last summer in Billings.

But things have changed. Gillum is batting .370 this season, with 5 homers and league-leading 43 RBI. The left-handed hitter slapped a fastball up the middle for Tetrault solid for Bobcats By The Associated Press BOZEMAN John Tetrault guided Montana State on a 65-yard, nine-play scoring drive to highlight Saturday's scrimmage in Bozeman. Tetrault, a senior quarterback from Apple Valley, connected with senior flanker Rob Stoltz of Glendive on a 43-yard pass to set up the day's lone touchdown. Sophomore fullback Si Ryan of Billings scored on a 1-yard run.

"Offensively, we wanted to see how John (Tetrault) and Joe (Volek) could move the ball, and I thought both did a solid job," MSU coach Earle Solomonson said. "I also was very pleased with the performance of Tim Stoppa from his fullback position." Stoppa, a freshman redshirt from Havre, had a 33-yard run and accounted for 49 yards on three carries. Defensively, junior tackle Corey our games and the kind of talent they've acquired since then. "You look at Colorado's team last year and their team for this upcoming year and you see truly some of the outstanding players in the country." You can start with Hagan. As a sophomore last season, he became only the sixth player to run and throw for more than 1,000 yards in a The Baseball Page -6H Gillum's life his record-breaking hit in the third inning Saturday night.

i It was an emotional moment for the Ohio native, a 5-foot-ll, 175- pounder. He punched the air with i his fist as he approached first base and then acknowledged the ap-1 plause of the Great Falls fans. "I always sit on the fastball and try to react to the curve," he saidj, "(Pedro Martinez) is a good It was a good fastball." See GILLUM, 2H Montana State's John Tetrault Widmer of Bozeman and junior'. Jason Hakert of Billings both had a quarterback sack during their limited playing time. "We simply have a very mature, group throughout the defense," said Solomonson, who is in his fourth season at MSU.

"I don't see The Bobcats move into their final week of practice in preparation for the Sept 1 opener at Idaho. Big Eight season. "They've been good," Oklahoma' State coach Pat Jones said. "You throw in one exceptional skill player Hagan and I think that's a great example of what one real good one, can do for you." Williams teams with Kanavis McGhee to give Colorado two of the best outside linebackers in country. Both were all-conference choices last year.

I Last year's success hasn't changed Coach Bill McCartney's cautious way of looking at things. McCartney is concerned about the See PLAINS, 2H I ft Bennett sharp with air game By The Associated Press MISSOULA Grady Bennett completed 7 of 13 passes for 178 yards to highlight Montana's first scrimmage Saturday in Missoula. Bennett, the senior quarterback who led the Grizzlies to an 11-3 record last season, connected with junior wide receiver Shannon Cab-unoc on a 54-yard pass. Two plays later sophomore Tony Rice scored on a 4-yard run. Bennett also hit freshman redshirt Bill Cockhill on a 54-yard pass, setting up sophomore Marc Mone-stime's 1-yard touchdown run.

"Grady's our leader and looked good passing the ball and running the team," UM coach Don Read said. "But, I also thought the protection we had for our quarterbacks was excellent. We had plenty of time to throw the ball." Junior Kirk Duce booted a 32-yard field goal to round out the scoring. in lXjMHl AtfHagyem Bosox front office when asked about Fisk. After all, he never really has been replaced in the Boston lineup since leaving via free-agent route in 1981.

Fisk batted .289 with 18 homers and 62 RBI in 1980, his last year Boston. He has approached those numbers consistently since with the White Sox. And he's been consistently missed in Boston, especially lately. It's not as if Boston lacked for solid catching in the 1980s, or this year for that matter. But Tony Pena, the team's regular this summer, is for the first time in three years giving the Red Sox some consistent pop behind the plate.

Rich Gedman, who caught most Boston's games in the 1980s, had three solid years in 1984-86, hitting 58 homers while driving in 217 runs. But he dropped off considerably thereafter and is now long gone. And the Boston farm system couldn't come up with an adequate replacement, unless you call John Marzano adequate. Meanwhile, Fisk keeps rolling along. He had a career year in 1985, clouting 37 homers and knocking in 107.

Last year, at age 41, he managed 13 homers and 68 RBI while batting .293. This year he is again making headlines. The Red Sox, fighting for another division title, could use his hefty bat in the lineup. Hit streak is By SCOTT MANSCH Tribune Sports Writer Saturday was a great night for K.C. Gillum, and not just because the Billings outfielder set a Pioneer League record by slapping a hit in a 27th consecutive game.

Gillum also got through the day without a drink. "I'm a recovering alcoholic," said the 20-year-old Gillum. "It's been eight months since I had anything. It's been the most important thing in my life. Secondly, it's really helped Montana's Grady Bennett "The one thing that really jumped out was that our game tempo was much better today," said Read, now in his fifth year at Montana.

"In a game you have to battle the opponent and the clock, and that really picked up today." The Grizzlies play Thursday in another game-type scrimmage at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Montana opens the season Sept. 1, at Oregon State. Sixth in a series the league's top offensive and defensive players, quarterback Darian Hagan and linebacker Alfred Williams. The Buffaloes, it seems, are in the picture for good.

"They've obviously established a very solid foundation," Oklahoma coach Gary Gibbs said. "When you go back to the '85, '86, '87 years and see how competitive they were in 0 St 1 III Buffs hope to be Big One in 11 lllll Illir i Ti 1" lillMlTlMllfl TnilMMll Ml BmIMMMWI MfT Fisk left big gap in Boston Editor's note: This week the Tribune features the Boston Red Sox, a club battling with the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League's Eastern Division championship. By Tribune Staff It is a testament to the swift passage of time that Carlton Fisk has now hit more home runs for the Chicago White Sox than the Boston Red Sox. In fact, Fisk, who starred in Boston from 1971-80, gaining a measure of immortality with a dramatic home run in the eivfrV rfn a rf the 1975 tlsK World Series, has already hit 25 more long ones for the Chisox than the Bosox. Fisk had another dramatic blast Friday night, of course, passing Johnny Bench as the most prolific home-run hitting catcher of all time.

He has 349 career homers, 187 of which have come in a White Sox uniform. Primarily because NBC-TV replayed it over and over as part of its opening on the long-running Game of the Week program, Fisk's homer against Cincinnati in the sixth game of the '75 series is what many baseball fans think of first when considering the durable catcher. Or, if you're a Boston fan, perhaps you think of ineptitude in Golf, tennis roundups -3H the the in of By OWEN CANFIELD AP Sports Writer For the longest time, the Big Eight Conference was jokingly called the Big Two because of the dominance of Nebraska and Oklahoma. Now it's being called the Big Three, and it's no joke. Colorado, which had been making a move in recent years, won the Big Eight title last season with a 7-0 record.

The Buffaloes were unbeaten after the regular season, but lost their chance for a national title when Notre Dame beat them 21-6 in the Orange Bowl. Now Colorado has 13 starters back from that 11-1 team, including NFL exhibition roundup -4H 4k 'A rivN si.