The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page C3

3 www.tennessean.com THE TENNESSEAN Thursday, July 8, 2004 3C CYANMAGYELBLK TennesseanBroadsheet Master TennesseanBroadsheet Master 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 5 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 5 TennesseanBroadsheet Master TennesseanBroadsheet Master 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 3C SPORTS Pacific Coast League AMERICAN CONFERENCE Central DivisionWLPct.GB Iowa Col. Springs Albuquerque Omaha Eastern DivisionWLPct.GB Oklahoma Nashville New Orleans Memphis PACIFIC CONFERENCE Northern DivisionWLPct.GB Tacoma Edmonton Portland Salt Lake Southern DivisionWLPct.GB Sacramento Tucson Las Vegas Fresno results Iowa 6, Albuquerque 5 Nashville 3, Memphis 1 (10) New Orleans 9, Oklahoma 4 Colo. Springs 12, Omaha 6 Edmonton at Portland Las Vegas at Tucson Sacramento at Fresno Tacoma at Salt Lake games Fresno at Tacoma Memphis at Albuquerque New Orleans at Iowa Oklahoma at Colo. Springs Omaha at Nashville Portland at Sacramento Salt Lake at Las Vegas Tucson at Edmonton games Fresno at Tacoma Memphis at Albuquerque New Orleans at Iowa Oklahoma at Colo. Springs Omaha at Nashville Portland at Sacramento Salt Lake at Las Vegas Game at a glance Winning pitcher: Luther Hackman (1-2).

Big sticks: Luke Allen, Mike Moriarty and Tomas de la Rosa each hit a solo home run. How they won: Moriarty and de la Rosa hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the 10th inning. Hackman threw two innings in relief to earn his first win this season, and Chris Fussell earned his first save this year. pitchers: Sounds RHP Nelson Figueroa (8-5, 4.60 ERA) vs. Royals RHP Jamey Wright (7-5, 4.08).

REPORTS Upcoming series at a glance Next up: Omaha Royals (36-48). Key players: 1B Calvin Pickering (.332, 26 HR, 61 RBI), RHP Jamey Wright (7-5, 4.08 ERA, 61 Dates: Today through Sunday. Special promotions: Tonight is Thirsty Thursday, with $1 draft beverages through the first five innings. Tomorrow night Christian recording artist Shaun Groves will perform a 5:30 concert as part of the fourth Faith Night. There also will be a Skeeter Barnes figurine giveaway to the first 2,000 fans and postgame fireworks.

On Saturday, The Famous Chicken will make his first Greer Stadium appearance of the season, and fireworks will follow. Upcoming Sounds schedule July 8 vs. Omaha, 7 p.m. July 9 vs. Omaha, 7 p.m.

July 10 vs. Omaha, 6 p.m. July 11 vs. Omaha, 6 p.m. July 15 at Omaha, 7:05 p.m.

July 16 at Omaha, 7:05 p.m. July 17 at Omaha, 6:05 p.m. July 18 at Omaha, 1:35 p.m. July 19 vs. Iowa, 7 p.m.

July 20 vs. Iowa, 7 p.m. July 21 vs. Iowa, 7 p.m. July 22 vs.

Iowa, 7 p.m. July 23 at Oklahoma, 7:05 p.m. July 24 at Oklahoma, 7:05 p.m. July 25 at Oklahoma, 2:05 p.m. July 26 at Oklahoma, 7:05 p.m.

July 27 vs. Salt Lake, 7 p.m. MINOR LEAGUES Nashville 3, Memphis 1 (10 innings) Next: Today, vs. Omaha When: 7 p.m. NASHVILLE 3, MEMPHIS 1 (10 INNINGS) MemphisabrhbiNashvilleabrhbi Prieto cf5031Allen rf5121 Hart 2b5130Thomson cf5020 Gall lf4000Truby 3b 4000 Seabol 3b5010Sheldon 2b4010 Porter rf4010Abad lf2000 Mahoney c3000House 1b3000 Ortiz 1b4000McDonald 2000 Bowers ss1000Moriarty ss 4111 Alviso ss2000de la Rosa 2111 Rodriguez p1000Figueroa 3b1000 Witt ph1000Williams p2010 Totals37181Totals34383 Nashville 001 000000 38 0 Memphis 000000 100 Rodriguez.

10, Nashville 6. Hart 2, Porter. (12), Moriarty (6), de la Rosa (2). Prieto. Memphis 4, Nashville 1.

Nashvilleiphrerbbso Williams550015 Stein221131 Hackman 1-2200001 Fussell 1110000 Memphisiphrerbbso Rodriguez651135 Paronto.200010 Creek.110000 Stemle200010 Pearson 1-4122201 PCL scoreboard Sounds: Lack ofsupport hurts stats To this point, he ranks third on the team in ERA, innings pitched (93) and strikeouts (69). However, his three victories are fewer than six other teammates. had some bad luck with run Pirates Scouting Director Ed Creech said. says keeping his head up. He keeps having good performances.

doing all he can do. often have that one guy it happen on purpose that whenever the not hitting, more than just a little ironic, too, that the Sounds struggle so on offense when VanBenschoten is on the mound. At the outset of the draft, VanBenschoten was projected as an outfield prospect after hitting .440 with 84 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in addition to his 31 homers. Baseball America rated him as the athletic college and power His pitching had been little more than an afterthought, as he went 2-2 with a 2.77 ERA, eight saves and 63 strikeouts in 21 appearances innings) as a junior to raise his career collegiate record to 10-5. guess maybe they thought guy even concentrating on pitching, and done this; if he does concentrate on it, see how good he can he said.

that surprised at Coming into this season, Van- Benschoten had made the decision look good. He had been 24-12, 3.02 since turning pro, pitched in last All-Star Futures Game and was listed during the offseason as the No. 38 overall minor-league prospect by Baseball America. competition has he said of becoming a fulltime pitcher. of going out every day, now got to find something else to do.

But it really take long to get used to Although he tried to support his own cause in game with a solo home run his first of the season the only other thing he can do about the offensive lapses is keep his sense of humor. just chuckle about he said. not like bitter. some- thing you control, and you worry about stuff you control. I just want to give up any runs.

You just want to throw a solid six or seven innings. not worried about my Maurice Patton covers the Sounds for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8018 or FROM PAGE 1C FILE Despite a losing career record, the Pittsburgh Pirates still consider Sounds starting pitcher John VanBenschoten a solid prospect. Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui and Bobby Abreu earned the final spots on the All-Star teams in Internet fan voting completed yesterday. Matsui became the seventh member of the Yankees to make the 32-man AL squad.

He has been an All-Star in both of his seasons since leaving Japan. Matsui is batting .282 with 16 home runs and 54 RBIs. be chosen as part of the All- Star game is one of the great achievements you can have as a Matsui said through a translator earlier in the day. Abreu made the All-Star team for the first time. The right fielder was batting .301 with 17 homers and 57 RBIs going into last game against the New York Mets.

Matsui beat out Lew Ford, Travis Hafner, and Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko of the White Sox for the last spot. Abreu topped Steve Finley, Jason Kendall, Juan Pierre and the Aramis Ramirez for the final NL slot. Johnson report denied: Calling it Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein vehemently denied the latest round of Randy Johnson rumors. Bob Lobel said on the Boston Globe SportsPlus show, which aired after last Red Sox game, that Epstein planned to go to Houston next week to sell Johnson at the All-Star Game on the idea of waiving his no-trade clause in order to come to Boston. Any direct contact between the Sox GM and the Arizona Diamondbacks lefthander, without the permission of Major League Baseball, would constitute tampering, one reason Epstein would be particularly sensitive to the report.

nothing going on with Randy Johnson, said an agitated Epstein, who also refuted the Johnson report on pregame show in strong terms. Pudge peeved over ejection: Ivan Rodriguez felt badly for himself, his team and the people watching at home when he was ejected in the first inning of 10-8 win over the New York Yankees yesterday. think it was the All-Star catcher said. lot of people want to see me on Jack Wilson sidelined: All-Star shortstop Jack Wilson of the Pittsburgh Pirates was removed from the lineup against the Florida Marlins because of an irritated left knee. Mientkiewicz out: Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz was scratched from the lineup after he sustained a bruised left wrist when a ball hit him during batting practice.

Vance Wilson activated: New York Mets catcher Vance Wilson was activated from the disabled list before the game against the Phillies. Matsui, Abreu win All-Star fan voting inside pitch MATSUI By JESSICA HOPP StaffWriter Bowling earned Gary Martineau more than a spot on the professional tour and a position in the International Bowling Hall of Fame. It also helped him convince a pretty girl in Tennessee to have breakfast with him after an all-night bowling session. She eventually became his wife. thought he was just so Kay Martineau said of her husband, who died on July 1 at the age of 65.

was all-night bowling so when it was over it was daytime. He came over and asked if we wanted to have breakfast. I had just bowled a huge split and I said, been striking a lot. If you tell me how to pick this split up we will go out to He did and a year later the Fort Campbell soldier and his bowling- alley beauty were married. It was a bond that lasted 41 years.

The couple began their life together traveling with the Professional Bowling Association tour. They drove across the United States from alley to alley. Kay loved it. never could have seen the country like I did if I been married to Kay said. It was in Nashville in 1965 that Gary collected his only PBA tour win, at Tusculum Lanes.

A growing family forced Gary to retire and settle in Nashville where he worked in the maintenance department of the Metro Board of Education for 25 years. At the same time he reacquainted himself with another sporting passion softball. He was good enough to earn a spot in the Nashville Fast-Pitch Softball Hall of Fame. Then he became a pitching coach. are in the same business, but he was here long before I said Cheri Kempf, owner of the Worth Club fast-pitch softball training facility in Antioch.

was not someone who charged a whole lot for his lessons, and when you do that you do it because you love coaching the kids and a great testimony to how he lived his It was while driving home following lessons last week that he suffered the heart attack that caused his death. Visitation will be from 5-9 p.m. today at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Lane. A memorial service is slated for 3 p.m. tomorrow, also at Woodlawn.

The family is asking that donations be made in memory to Am South Bank (100 Oaks). The money will be used to place memorials at two local softball parks where students play. loved them Kay said. they would listen to him and would say, you so much for teaching And he would say, teach you. You had the skills.

I just showed you how to use Just like he showed his future wife how to pick up that split. Two-sport star dies at age 65 Martineau in bowling, fast-pitch softball Halls MARTINEAU LOCAL SPORTS inside slant KNOXVILLE recruiting momentum for the 2005 class has received another boost with the verbal commitment of Wes Brown of Athens, Ala. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Brown had 24 tackles for loss, including 10 sacks, last season at defensive tackle. But also played defensive end, offensive guard and tight end in high school. (John) Chavis said going to do what he can to keep him on the defensive side of the said mother, Patricia.

said he care where he played. just honored to be getting this opportunity. To run through that has been a lifelong dream of parents both graduated from Loretto High and are lifelong Tennessee fans. They moved to Alabama just prior to birth. Brown is rated by Rivals.com as the 19th best defensive tackle prospect.

He also had offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. He visited Tennessee unofficially last week with his parents and called Chavis this past weekend to tell him that he had settled on the Vols. Brown is also a left-handed pitcher in baseball. He carries a 3.8 GPA and scored a 19 on the ACT. The Vols now have four commitments for the 2005 class.

Brown joins running back LaMar- cus Coker of Antioch, cornerback Marsalous Johnson of Smyrna and quarterback Jonathan Crompton of Waynesville, N.C. New merchandise company: The Tennessee athletics department has decided to get out of the retail business and hand over sales of apparel, souvenirs and other merchandise to an outside company. Dallas-based eSports Partners will market and sell UT and Lady Vols products under a five-year contract ready to be signed over the next several days, Athletics Director Mike Hamilton said. The and athletic departments will receive 20 percent of gross sales. eSports Partners has guaranteed Tennessee a minimum return of $529,500 in the first year and projects it to reach $4 million by the end of the contract.

The return last year was about $375,000, Hamilton said. guarantees us a revenue stream that is higher than what been he said. think bring an element of professionalism to our operation and the The Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys also have agreements with eSports Partners. As part of the agreement, the athletic Tennessee Traditions store in Stokely Athletics Center will close and reopen Aug. 1 under eSports Partners management.

Merchandise will be sold differently at football games. There will be manned kiosks with more items to replace existing locations. CHRIS LOW, ASSOCIATED PRESS Tackle from Alabama commits to UT The clock is timeouts. got just two days 2004 Titans single-game tickets go on sale! You can purchase up to a maximum of 4 tickets per game for as many as 2 games. Get your tickets at the Coliseum or by calling Ticketmaster at (615) 255-9600, visiting any Ticketmaster outlet or logging on to the Ticketmaster website at www.ticketmaster.com.

Ten area Kroger stores will be giving away 50 total pairs of tickets from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday. See your local Kroger for the locations nearest you. TITANS SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE 10A.M., JULY 10 www.titansonline.com WITH OVER 8,500 NAMES ALREADY ON THE TITANS SEASON TICKET WAITING LIST, SIGN UP NOW AT WWW.TITANSONLINE.COM Tickets for guests with disabilities who desire accommodations for wheelchair seating on platforms will also be available. Davidson.