Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page B03

THE HARTFORD COURANT SATURDAY, APRIL 1 1 2009 B3 BASEBALL Cantu's 9th-Inning Single Wins It COLLEGE BASKETBALL Moore Adds Wooden To Haul METS By JOHN ALTAVILLA jaltavillacourant.com Marlins 4-0 For First Time Associated Press MIAMI Jorge Cantu singled with two out in the ninth to score Emilio Bonifacio, and the Marlins remained unbeaten through four games by defeating the Mets 5-4 on Friday night. MARLINS 5 The one-run METS 4 margin was the first this season for Florida, the only unbeaten team in the majors. "Man, there's a lot of excitement out there," Cantu said. "We're having fun. We're off to a great Darren O'Day walked Hanley Ramirez, and Cantu singled to left on an 0-and-l pitch, with Bonifacio sliding home ahead of the throw.

O'Day was a minor league teammate last year of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, who died early Thursday in a car crash. "It hasn't been a normal week for sure," O'Day said. "But when I went out there I was focused on one thing doing my job." Marlins newcomer Bonifacio went 3-for-5 for his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, raising his average to .579 (ll-for-19). He scored three times and has nine runs this season. Bonifacio also used his speed to give Florida a 4-3 lead.

He reached on a two-out bunt single in the seventh against Bobby Parnell, went to third on a bloop single by John Baker and came home on Ramirez's single. Ramirez and Dan Uggla each hit a solo homer for Florida. Ramirez is batting .500 with eight RBI, and the team average is .309. The Mets scored once in the ninth off closer Matt Lindstrom (1-0) to tie the score. Carlos Beltran, who homered in the sixth, and Ryan Church singled, and pinch hitter Jeremy Reed hit a two-out RBI single, but pinch hitter Alex Cora grounded out to end the inning.

Mets starter John Maine allowed homers to two of the first five batters but those were the only hits he gave up before leaving for a pinch hitter after five innings. start, and hopefully it will set the tone for the rest of the season." While the Marlins are 4-0 for the first time in franchise history, manager Fredi Gonzalez said 162 victories are unlikely "We may kick one. Maybe 161," he said with a laugh. "No, it's a good start." The Mets fell to 2-2 because they left 14 runners on base, stranding at least one every inning. "A couple of hits here and there, and we could have broken it open," manager Jerry Manuel said.

After the Mets tied the score in the top of the ninth, Bonifacio reached on an infield single off Pedro Feliciano (0-1) with one out. A final exclamation point was added to Maya Moore's season of accomplishment Friday, when the UConn I 1 sophomore was named winner of the John R. Wooden Award as the top player in women's college basketball. Moore, the Big East player of the year for the second consecutive season and most outstanding player of the Big East tournament, was also a consensus first-team Ail-American and winner of both the Moore Pettitte Is Sharp ft Wade and Naismith having hip surgery March 9, Girardi said A-Rod's target date to return is still May 15. "So far it's went very well and you just hope there's no setbacks and he continues to progress," Girardi said Festivities marking the $250 million renovation of the 36-year-old stadium and the start of the Royals' 40th season delayed the start for 32 minutes.

There are new new restaurants and suites, wider concourses, more seats beyond the left field wall and a multitude of other additions. A statue of Dick Howser, who managed Kansas City to its only World Series title in 1985, is in the new outfield area alongside those of George Brett and Frank White Jose Guillen, who led the Royals with 20 homers and 93 RBI last season, was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a partially torn hip flexor. Farnsworth Booed Former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth was booed during pregame ceremonies after giving up the game-deciding three-run homer to Jim Thome of the White Sox in Tuesday's opener. But Farnsworth pitched the seventh Friday and struck out the side Ponson's strikeout of Brett Gardner in the second inning was the of his career. Pettitte has beaten the Royals more than any other non-AL East team Fifty-six of Rivera's 483 saves have come in Pettitte wins.

Associated Press and MLB.com reports are included in this story. CONTINUED FROM Bl shadows in the late-afternoon game and the wind. Running with two out, Butler scored from first for the Royals' only run. "I was really upset because I did let the run score," Swisher said. "I kept telling Andy, 'I'm going to get it back for It just seems like every time I come to the plate, Cano is standing on first or second base.

And the way Mr. Pettitte pitched today was just unbelievable. Tremendous." This offseason, Pettitte took a $10.5 million pay cut in base salary, going from $16 million to $5.5 million plus incentives. That was because he finished 2-7 with a 6.23 ERA in his final II starts last season while experiencing left shoulder soreness. But the lefty has had no problems this spring, contentedly sliding back into the rotation.

"I wanted to come back and help this organization win again," Pettitte said. Although Pettitte repeatedly said he wanted to return to the Yankees, he and the team could not agree on terms until Jan. 26. For a while, it looked as if they might never meet in the middle. Girardi said he didn't know if Pettitte feels a need to prove anything, but said: "I know one thing: He believes that he can still compete at a high level.

And Andy's a fierce competitor." Same Target Date Though Alex Rodriguez is scheduled to resume baseball activities Monday after fcjB player of the year Griffin trophies. Moore is the first UConn player to win the Wooden since it was first given to women in 2004. She beat out Oklahoma's Courtney Paris, the first four-time Ail-American, with 176 votes to Paris' 133. Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin, who declared for the NBA draft earlier this week, won the Wooden for men's basketball. De Juan Blair and Tyler Hansbrough, two other finalists, did not attend the ceremony, which was held at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Like Moore, Griffin basically swept this season's individual honors, winning The Associated Press player of the year earlier this month as well as the Naismith. He was also picked by Sporting News as player of the year. Griffin, the first Oklahoma player to win the Wooden, led the nation with 30 double-doubles. More than 300 voters choose the women's award winner and more than 1,000 voters select the men's winner. The awards are named for the former UCLA coach who led the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships in 12 years before retiring in 1975.

Wooden didn't attend the ceremony His family announced in August 2005 that he would no longer participate because of a trademark dispute concerning the use of his name. An Associated Press report is included in thic ctnn UCONN WOMEN Fourth Junior Commits Associated Press BILL WATERS, with son Eric, 3, looks at a makeshift memorial for pitcher Nick Adenhart at Angel Stadium on Friday before the Angels played the Red Sox. Teams Still In Mourning By JOHN ALTAVILLA jaltavillacourant.com Rock Cats' Nine Hits Add Up To No Runs Staff Reports MANCHESTER, N.H. Three New Hampshire pitchers combined on a nine-hitter as the Fisher Cats won their third in a row over "You're supposed to show up and have fun going to the ballpark, but it doesn't seem like that is appropriate today," he said. Adenhart made his fourth major league start Wednesday night.

His father, Jim, had flown from Maryland to sit in the stands and watch, because Adenhart had told him "something special is going to happen." Adenhart threw six scoreless innings against Oakland, the best performance of his burgeoning career. He sat at his locker afterward, and pitching coach Mike Butcher approached him. "How'd it feel?" Butcher asked him. "Are you feeling the ball coming off your fingertips like it's supposed to?" "Butch," Adenhart said, "I got it. About two hours later, Butcher received a call.

The ID on his cellphone said Nick Adenhart. Butcher figured Adenhart had celebrated too hard, and he would have to retrieve him. "In a good way," Butcher said. Butcher answered his phone and heard the voice of Adenhart's father. Jim Adenhart told Butcher that Nick had been in a car accident and was in critical condition.

An Associated Press report is included in this story CONTINUED FROM Bl toward center field, headed to the black-and-white picture of Adenhart on the wall. Hunter touched the photo next to No. 34 and Adenhart's name, then took his usual position to start the game. Angels players wore a No. 34 patch on their uniforms.

Adenhart's number also was painted in red on the back slope of the pitcher's mound. Earlier Friday, Andrew Thomas Gallo, a 22-year-old from San Gabriel, was charged with three counts of murder by the Orange County district attorney Gallo ran a red light in his minivan and broadsided a car carrying Adenhart and three friends, police said. Gallo had nearly triple the legal blood-alcohol level and could get nearly 55 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges, police said. Angels owner Arte Moreno strolled behind the pregame batting cage, shaking hands and hugging players. "I don't know if we can ever turn the page," he said.

"But tonight, we're playing baseball." Red Sox manager Terry Francona and his coaches, usually joking or talking about the upcoming game, instead were silent as their cab approached the stadium. FISHER CATS ROCK CATS 5 0 The national champion UConn women have received an oral commitment from a fourth high school junior. Laguna Hills (Calif.) wing Lauren Engeln announced Thursday that she will attend UConn. Engeln was at the Final Four with her parents to watch the Huskies win their sixth national title. Her decision apparently was made weeks ago, but the family didn't want to make it official until after the tournament.

Engeln, 5 feet 11, averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and three steals for Laguna Hills this season. The Lady Hawks finished 23-6. Engeln joins 6-5 Stefanie Dolson of Minisink Valley in Slate Hill, NY; 6-2 Michala Johnson of Montini Catholic in Lombard, and 6-1 Samarie Walker of Chaminade Julienne High in Dayton, Ohio, as high school juniors who have committed to UConn. The Huskies have offered a scholarship to 5-10 guard Bria Hartley of North Babylon High, who was named Gatorade player of the year in New York as a junior. Mullins gave up three runs (two earned) and six hits in 4M innings.

He walked three and struck out three. The teams conclude their season-opening, four-game series today The Fisher Cats went ahead 2-0 when Kyle Phillips sent Mullins' first pitch of the second inning over the right field wall for a home run. Brian Jeroloman later drove in Chris Gutierrez with a single. In the fifth, Jeroloman doubled and scored when Rock Cats first baseman Whit Robbins mishandled a chopper off the bat of Brad Emaus, who added an RBI groundout in the seventh the New Britain Rock Cats, 5-0 on Friday night. Lefthander Fabio Castro (1-0) held the Rock Cats to six hits all singles in 5 innings.

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