The Daily News Leader from Staunton, Virginia • 11

Sunday News Leader, October 29, 1995 o) fo DDHDSlnl Cigar goes undefeated Si DTI inaiuuiim a ii mm. .1. 1 wiui jn mmmm ju By ANDREW BEYER The Washington Post Glavine hurls Braves to World Series title Metrodome. That was the last 1-0 game in a World Series. Five of the games were decided by one run, a record for a six-game Series.

For the Indians, who dominated the majors with 100 wins in a strike-shortened season, the loss finished out a Series in which they could never really catch up with Atlanta's awesome pitching staff. Cleveland seemed to solve three-time Cy Young winner Greg Maddux in winning Game 5 a Jacobs Field, but did not figure out how to hit Glavine's off-speed stuff. ATLANTA (AP) Chokers no more, the Atlanta Braves are World Series champions at last. Five years of frustration ended Saturday night when Tom Glavine pitched one-hit ball for eight innings and David Justice homered, bringing the city of Atlanta its first major sports title with a 1-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 6 of the World Series. "This has been a long time coming," Glavine said.

"This organization and this group of guys has worked so hard to get here and we've come up short. "That bitterness of losing the World Series games is real fresh in everyone's mouth." Now, the sweet taste of "We've been close before, but we finally got it," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Our players, from day one, wanted to win this thing." Glavine and Mark Wohlers combined on the fifth one-hitter in Series history and first since Jim Lonborg for Boston in 1967, allowing only a soft single by Tony Pena starting the sixth inning. Glavine reprised his win in Game 2 by again using his changeups and breaking balls to fool the best-hitting team in the game, and was voted Series MVP. More than anything, that was the theme this October great pitching stopping great hitting.

Cleveland, which led the majors in batting, scoring and home runs, was held to a .179 average by Atlanta's aces. Justice, who had criticized Braves fans for being too quiet, gave them reason to cheer when he homered leading off the sixth against reliever Jim Poole. "I was really a nervous wreck coming in today because I'd been in this situation before, where you're up 3-2," Justice said. "I was never so nervous in my life. "I really had a good feeling that it was our time.

We had suffered enough. It was time for our club and time for our city." Series losers in 1991 and 1992 and NL playoff losers in 1993, Atlanta won its first title since moving from Milwaukee to open the 1966 season. The Braves also became the first franchise to win the World Series in three cities, having done it as the so-called Miracle Braves in Boston in 1914 and in Milwaukee in 1957. Fittingly, it was Glavine who ended the elusive quest. He'd been with the Braves longer than any player on their postseason roster, be- ginning his career in 1987 at the start of a four-year span in which Atlanta was the worst team in baseball, averaging 98 losses per season.

Glavine struck out eight and walked three. Wohlers, filling the closer role that had been the Braves' biggest bug-a-boo in postseasons past, finished it out, retiring the side in order. The crowd was on its feet for the ninth inning, a lot with their tomahawks chopping. As soon as Marquis Grissom caught Carlos Baerga's fly ball to left-center, a few fans took to the field but they were quickly escorted by police as the rest of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium stood and cheered to the song "We are the Champions" by the group Queen. Properly, perhaps, the Braves won by a 1-0 score.

In 1991, in their first try at clinching the title, they blew a three games to two lead over Minnesota, dropping Game 7 by a 1-0 score to Jack Morris in 10 innings at the a i f. JinmrfnHmtfii WINNING PITCHER Tom Glavine pitched eight innings and allowed just one hit to pick up the win in Game 6 Saturday. (AP Photo) got up in the fourth and Alan Em-bree was tossing in the sixth. Helped by one of the prettiest double plays in a long time, plus some relief by Poole, Martinez kept the game scoreless through the fifth. Martinez struck out Fred McGriff with two runners on to end the first, but walked the first two batters in the second.

An out later, Rafael Belliard hit a bouncer that two-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel fielded behind the bag and flipped, with his glove, to second Baerga, who barehanded the toss and completed the double play. In the fourth, with runners on first and second, Martinez pitched carefully to Javier Lopez, who hit a key home run off him in Game 2. Lopez drew a walk that loaded the bases and brought up Belliard. In Game 5, Cox pinch-hit for Belliard in the fifth inning of a tight game. This time, he let him hit, and Belliard dropped to 0-for-14 in the Series with an easy fly ball.

-J m. if THE GAME-WINNER Atlanta's David Justice belted a solo homer for the game's only run as the Braves clinched the World Series with a 1-0 win in Game 6 Saturday. -(AP Photo) Spiders 'sluri SVilU ELMONT, N.Y. As Cigar sought to complete a perfect season in the Breeders' Cup Classic, all the conditions were against him. He was running over a muddv Belmont Park racing sur face that he didn't figure to like.

He was breaking from post posi tion 10 on a day when all the win ners had stayed near the ran. In the face of adversity, Cigar Droved himself a champion. Ac celerating strongly on the turn, he overpowered his rivals and ran the fastest 1 miles in the history of the Breeders' Cup. With his 12th straight victory -10 of them this year he became the first horse since Spectacular Bid to go unde feated on the way to the horse of the year title. His triumph eclipsed everything else than happened on this rainy afternoon, even the stunning per formance by Inside Information, who scored a 13-length runaway over an exceptional group of fillies and mares in the Distatl.

the z- year-old Unbridled's Song also delivered a top performance, stamping himself as a star of the future with his victory over three Wayne Lukas-trained colts in the Juvenile. Other winners on the sport's bieeest day were My Flag in the Juvenile Fillies, Desert Stormer in the Sprint, Ridgewood Pearl in the Mile and Northern Spur in the Turf. Cigar's victory might appear al most inevitable with the benefit of hindsight, but when Jerry Bailey broke from his outside post ne knew there was reason to worry. The Belmont track had been packed hard to prepare it for the heavy rains that came early tms morning, and, Bailey observed, The rail was a pretty good place to be today." He knew he couldn't afford to be tentative or passive as so many jockeys tend to be when they are riding an odds-on favorite. "If I didn't rush mm trom the 10 post, I might be eight- or ten-wide and get hung there all the way.

When the gate opened, Bailey showed why he is the best big-race rider in America, one who now has won four of the past five run- nines of the Classic. He hustled Cigar, and within a matter of a few strides got him into pertect position, sitting third behind the dueling leaders, L'Carriere and Star Standard. He maintained that position down the backstretch, but it was obvious that his mount was bursting with energy, ready to ac celerate when the jockey turned him loose. The crowd of 37,246 roared as Bailey unleashed Cigar on the turn, blasted past the leaders and angled him toward the rail. The Classic was as good as over.

The 3-to-5 favorite drew away to 212-length victory over L'Carriere, who held gamely to finish sec ond, in front of the mud-loving Unaccounted For, another benefi ciary of a rail trip. Last year's Classic winner, Concern, never got untracked and fimshed eighth. The much-acclaimed foreign in vader, Hailing, who came to Bel mont with an eight-race winning streak, fmished last, 43 lengths be hind the winner. Cigar covered the 1 miles in the excellent time of 1:59 25. His final quarter mile was clocked in 22.91 seconds, which is literally too good to be true, suggestmg the possibil ity of a malfunction by the electric timer.

Cigar finished his 1995 season with earnings of more than $4.8 million, more than an American thoroughbred has ever won in a single season. He has accomplished so much that most ownere would declare that their horse has proved all they have to prove and whisk them off to stud. (This Breeders' Cup had lost some lus ter when Europe's best horse, Lammtarra, was retired after four-race career.) But Allen Paul son connrmea arter tne Classic that his horse will stay in training as a 6-year-old next season. His next main objective, Paulson and trainer Bill Mott agreed, will be the first running of the Dubai Cup in March; a victory in that $4 million race would make him the top money-winning horse of all time. Mott seemed unintimidated about preparing Cigar for a race over a sandy track in an unfamiliar country.

"This horse showed today," the trainer said, "that he can overcome everything they throw at him. The Indians remained without a World Series title since 1948, when they beat the Boston Braves. Cleveland's last Series appearance was 1954, when it got swept by the New York Giants. "I told them they played well and they're champions," Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove said. "We played hard and they should feel good about that.

"We pitched well enough to win. It just didn't work for us. We've got to get ready to dedicate ourselves to do it again." Justice, without an extra-base hit in 42 at-bats during the expanded playoffs this season, doubled off Dennis Martinez in the fourth. Poole bailed out the Indians in the fifth, but Justice tagged him for a deep drive on a 1-1 pitch to start the sixth, his first homer since Sept. 22 and his fourth in World Series play.

While Glavine was keeping Cleveland hitless for five innings, Indians starter Dennis Martinez was working in and out of trouble. The surest sign that Martinez was struggling and the best signal that this was a big game came in the bullpen. Rookie Chad Ogea, who had not pitched in the Series, began warming up three batters into the game, Ken Hill and Poole began throwing in the second, Eric Plunk J) first time. The Hokies are in second place behind Syracuse (6-1, 3-0). Virginia Tech is home against the Orangemen next Saturday.

"We haven't talked much about bowls," Beamer said. "We're going to go play Syracuse, then Temple, and see what happens. We've done a good job of not getting ahead of ourselves." West Virginia (3-5, 2-2) was shut out twice in a row for the first time in 340 regular-season games. The Gene Corum-coached Mountaineers were beaten 24-0 by Rice on Oct. 3, 1964, and 14-0 by Pitt the next week.

West Virginia was beaten 22-0 last week by Syracuse. "We don't have anybody on this football team that when something goes wrong will come off the field and own up to their own mistakes," said West Virginia senior offensive tackle Joe DeLong, a captain. "You can't come off this field without someone pointing a finger, saying, 'You did this, you did No one wants to own up to their responsibilities." Virginia Tech's defense had a lot to do with the shutout. Larry Green returned an interception 37 yards for QUARTERBACK KEEPER James Madison option as Richmond defensive back Keith Mid-quarterback Mike Cawley keeps the ball on the dleton moves in for the tackle. H.

(Photo by Ken Bosserman) Hokies hammer West Virginia Richmond then recovered the on-sides kick and Elrod moved the Spiders to the JMU 10. The Dukes defense came up big once again as it recovered a fumble at the 9 to turn away the Spiders threat with 2:55 remaining. JMU then committed the first of two crucial turnovers when Townes was stripped of the football and and linebacker Bryan Leibrand picked up the loose ball and returned it 7 yards for the touchdown. Greyson Masters kicked the PAT to trim JMU's lead to 33-27 with 2:48 to play. Richmond elected to kick the ball deep and the kickoff sailed out of the end zone, giving the Dukes the ball at the 20.

On second down, backup tailback Damon Roberts broke loose for a 15-yard gain, but he fumbled at the JMU 35 and Richmond linebacker Art Blanchard came away with the recovery. Masters kicked the PAT to give Richmond the lead, 34-33. JMU has made a habit of pulling out a win in the final minute and the Dukes and almost made a miraculous play to snatch the victory from the Spiders. Cawley connected with Juan Dorsey for 17 yards to the JMU 44 and, on a fourth-and-10 play, Cawley scrambled for 13 yards to pick up the first down and keep the drive alive. The Spiders defense came up with a sack for a 10-yard loss with 10 seconds left to play, forcing JMU into a "Hail Mary" situation.

Cawley scrambled to his right to avoid the rush and lofted a pass down the sideline in the direction of receiver Macey Brooks. Brooks gathered in the 51-yard pass at the Spider 2-yard line, but was kept out of the end zone as time expired as the Spiders left the Bridgeforth Stadium field with the shocking one-point win. "This is very disappointing," JMU head coach Alex Wood said. "The onsides kick gave them a little momentum and the two turnovers where we fumbled the football were crucial. "We gave them too many opportunities to win the football game, and they won it.

You have to be able to protect the football and we didn't do it." The loss drops the Dukes to 6-3 overall and puts the team on the bubble as far as the Division I-AA playoffs are concerned. JMU will have to regroup in a hurry. as it travels to Northeastern Saturday for another Yankee Conference encounter. By STEVE COX Sports Editor HARRISONBURG Devastat- ing. That one word may most accurately describe James Madison's loss to the University of Richmond Saturday afternoon.

In one of the most improbable fin- Jshes of the 1995 college football season, the Spiders rallied from a 33-14 deficit in the final eight minutes of play to stun the Dukes 34-33 in a key Yankee Conference matchup. The JMU offense struggled 'throughout the day, but superb play -by the special teams in the first half and a huge play by the defense in the fourth quarter staked the Dukes to a gbig lead. JMU led 19-8 at halftime as it took "advantage of Richmond's troubles in the punting game. The Dukes blocked one punt for a safety and a "second Richmond punt went for mi-fnus-2 yards to set up JMU's first touchdown. Late in the half, Richmond fumbled a punt on its 20 to set "the stage for a John Coursey 33-yard a field goal that put JMU on top 19-8 0 at the break.

1 The Spiders trimmed the margin to 19-14 on a 2-yard run by Minoso Rogers, but the Dukes answered with a 73-yard scoring drive. Quarterback Mike Cawley hit Ed Perry 22 yards and an 18-yard completion from Cawley to Jay Jones gave Dukes a first down at the Richmond 33. A procedure penalty pushed the Dukes back 5 yards before D'Artagnan Townes broke iloose for 30 yards to the Richmond 8. nA personal foul against the Spiders moved the ball to the 4 and, on the final play of the third quarter, Tow-nes hit paydirt. Coursey's PAT gave the Dukes a 26-14 lead.

JMU's defense came up with its iJbiggest play of the game midway through the final quarter when Paul i Harris stepped in front of a Jason Gabrels pass and returned the interception 44 yards for the touchdown. Coursey added the PAT and many fans started for the parking lot as the Dukes seemingly had the game un-, der control with a 34-13 lead. Backup quarterback Joe Elrod then entered the game for the Spi-l ders and ignited the stunning come- oacK. Elrod engineered a 13-play, 65- yard drive give the Spiders a chance. Elrod capped the drive with a 16-l yard run on a quarterback draw and 1 with 4:26 left, Richmond trailed MORGANTOWN, W.Va.

(AP) Coach Frank Beamer was still playing for Virginia Tech the last time the Hokies were on this much of a roll. West Virginia's football players weren't even born the last time the Mountaineers were struggling this much to put points on the board. Tech's 27-0 Big East victory over West Virginia on Saturday gave the Hokies (6-2 overall, 4-1 league) six straight wins for the first time since the beginning of 1967. "A lot of things new are happening at Tech," said Beamer, a defensive back who played for the Hokies from 1966 through 1968. "We're going to bowls, some good things are happening, exciting things.

I think our team has continued to get better. It shows good character after going 0-2. 1 feel we're putting it together." Virginia Tech, a loser in the Gator Bowl last season, all but locked up one of the Big East's four automatic bowl berths. West Virginia and Boston College, are just one loss away from elimination. But Virginia Tech also still has a shot to win the league title for the a touchdown, while the Hokies sacked WVU's quarterbacks eight times for the second straight season.

WVU also managed just 15 yards on the ground and 138 yards total offense. West Virginia had one scoring opportunity: A 43-yard field goal attempt by Bryan Baumann that went awry in the second quarter. "Offensively, we couldn't muster anything," said West Virginia coach Don Nehlen. "They controlled the line of scrimmage. Virginia Tech is a good football team, the best team we've played this year by far." But that doesn't mean an automatic win for the Hokies over Syracuse, Nehlen said.

"Tech in my opinion, their defense is more dominant (than Syracuse's)," Nehlen said. "But Syracuse will present them with more problems offensively than we did. Syracuse will pressure this defense more than anyone else because of their big-play capability." Tech's offense had its most impressive drive of the day in the third quarter, marching 91 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown. Quarterback Jim Druckenmiller hit tight end Bryan Jennings for a 37-yard TD..