News Herald from Port Clinton, Ohio • 7

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 www.portclintonnewsherald.com Savage 5 wants to Bl 3 -y- get team on track By TOM WITHERS EDIT A Cycling Armstrong will retire after Tour de France 5 irmmi Ga. Lance Armstrong is retiring after this year's Tour de a cycling career in which he won his sport's signature six straight times. said he remains "fully committed" to winning his seventh de France this year. Associated Press Lance Armstrong signals "six" during last year's Tour de France. Armstrong said he will retire after this year's race.

He has won the event six straight times. Josh Chapin Sports Editor 419-734-7519 School Roundup Associated Press AUGUSTA, France, ending event a record Armstrong straight Tour to worn Genoa Softball claims SLL victory; Port Clinton baseball tops Clyde News Herald reports The Genoa softball team continues to roll. Shana Szypka threw a complete-game shutout as the Comets earned a 9-0 road victory over Suburban Lakes League foe Lakota Monday. It was Genoa's 11th victory of the season. The Comets also won the Oak Harbor tournament last weekend.

"(The Lakota win) ties this team (for) the most consecutive wins in school history," Genoa coach Tom Szypka ran her season record to 3-0 while striking out nine and allowing two hits. Savu strikes out 10: Sara Savu struck out 10, but Port Clinton fell to Sandusky Bay Conference foe Clyde 84. Danielle Boreman went 1-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for the Redskins (3-8). Clyde's Angie Powell earned the win. Hailey Andrews added three hits for MLB: Cleveland 5, Kansas City 1 Lee sharp on mound for Indians Kontak said.

"Though I really believe we can, and will have to, play better, this group of players has been great to be around." The Comets are now 3-0 in the SLL. Kelsey Vincent went 2-for-3 with two runs scored while teammate Delaney Talmage was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI for Genoa. The Comets' Tracy Ori-ans added a triple, two runs scored and an RBI in the win. JL hits in the Oak Harbor victory. Baseball Redskins rout Clyde: Port Clinton exploded for an eight-run fourth inning on the way to a 15-5 SBC victory over Clyde.

Logan Meisler went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles for the Redskins (11-1, 4-0) while teammate Matt Rhode added two hits and two RBIs. See REDSKINS, B2 Associated Press victory over Kansas City News Herald at a glance Classified B4-5 Cciriss B6 Baseball American League Red Sox 12, Blue Jays 7 Tigers 13, Orioles 3 Yankees 19, Devil Rays 8 Athletics 8, Rangers 3 White Sox 5, Twins 4 Indians 5, Royals 1 Angels 6, Mariners 1 National League Marlins 9, Nationals 4 Cardinals 11, Pirates 1 Phillies 5, Mets 4 Reds 7, Cubs 6 Dodgers 7, Brewers 3 Braves 1, Astros 0 (12) Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 3 Padres 7, Giants 2 NBA Magic 92, Pacers 88 76ers 122, Bucks 106 Grizzlies 94, Spurs 92 T-Wolves 102, Hornets 99 Rockets 115, Clippers 90 Jazz 92, Kings 82 Suns 128, Nuggets 114 Warriors 126, Lakers 99 Briefly WBSA holds first tourney of season John Solecki and Steve Ashley finished first in the Championship two-man team division at last weekend's Triton BoatsEvin-rude E-TEC Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament held by the Western Basin Sport-fishing Association at Coastal Marine II. Keith Condon and Jeff Pawlaczyk finished second while Bobby Johns and Port Clinton's Dick Chicoine were third. Finishing first in the Open Division were Ronnie Rhodes, Craig Klinect and Jack Sparks with five fish weighing 45.9 pounds. John Solecki and Port Clinton's Steve Ashley finished second with five fish weighing 45.45 pounds.

Port Clinton's Steve Carlson, Oak Harbor's Larry Weiss and Jim Stedke of Wapakoneta placed third. There were a total of 23 boats competing in the Championship Division and 16 boats in the Open Division. Monday football heading to ESPN NEW YORK "Monday Night Football," a television institution that over 35 years has helped transform the NFL into a prime-time ratings draw, is leaving ABC and moving to ESPN beginning with the 2006 season. The new broadcast deal also brings the NFL to NBC for the first time in six years. The network gets the Sunday night package which the league now considers its marquee television showcase and will employ a flexible scheduling model.

"In the current media en vironment, Sunday is now the better night for our prime-time broadcast package," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Monday. The move to ESPN, which currently broadcasts Sunday night games, keeps the Monday Night Football brand within the umbrella of The Disney Company. Disney owns both ESPN and ABC. After the coming season, ABC, which reshaped sports broadcasting by turning the NFL into a prime-time rat ings draw, will be the only major network not to carry it. Cull US How to report your event results Call 1-800-766-6397 from 8 p.m.

to 11 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Fax results to 1419-734-1850 or e-mail Spcrts AP Sports Writer BEREA Fond of using the occasional sports metaphor, Cleveland Browns rookie general man ager Phil Savage likens the NFL draft to a 450-yard, par-5 hole at a local golf course. There's trouble everywhere: trees, bunkers, water hazards. So Sav- 97p'c an- i "5 proach two days picking col lege players is simple, steady and straight.

"Just advance the ball," he said. "We want to get as close to the hole as we can. If we can make par all the way through the draft, then I would be satisfied. People are looking for double eagles and birdies, but when you do that you are going to shank one into the lake We don't want to do that." The Browns have already perfected the art of the scramble, missing with a series of first-round picks since their return to the league in 1999, which has hastened the franchise's descent into disarray. Tim Couch.

Courtney Brown. Gerard Warren. William Green. In Savage's scoring system, there's not a birdie in the bunch. He knows it's time to get the Browns back on course.

"This is an important draft for us to get people feeling good about the Browns again," he said. Really, Savage can do no wrong in this weekend's draft. He can't possibly do any worse than his predecessors, who failed miserably in the draft over the past six seasons. Beginning with the No. 3 overall pick on Satur day, the unpretentious 40-year-old Savage can start undoing years of gross incompetence by the likes of Dwight Clark and Butch Davis.

That's what the Browns hired Savage to do. As Baltimore's director of player personnel, Savage had a direct hand in helping the Ravens select 10 Pro Bowlers since 1996. See BROWNS, B2 Cavaliers' collapse is nearly complete By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND LeBron James pressed his back against the wall outside Cleveland's locker room. Drew Gooden sat in the same courtside chair that fired coach Paul Silas favored after practices. Radio and TV commercials for NBA playoff tickets Were still be ing aired.

Soon, the ducats may be worthless. There were symbolic reminders everywhere Monday for the fast-fading Cavaliers, whose soap opera-ish season has dwindled to two games and desperation. "Our backs are against the wall," Gooden said. "We're almost in the wall. I wouldn't have thought we'd be in this situation.

But we're here now. It's reality." And it hurts deeply for the Cavaliers and fed-up Cleveland fans, who spent much of the season fantasizing about whom the team might face in the first round. But by going just 9-19 since Feb. 25 and losing six of eight games the past two weeks, the Cavaliers (4040) no longer control their destiny. See CAVS, Bl' By DOUG TUCKER AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo.

An ailing Cliff Lee held it together just long enough to deal with the woeful Royals. Fighting flulike symptoms and nausea, the Cleveland left-hander shut out Kansas City on two hits through seven innings Monday night and got the win in a 5-1 victory. Lee, who struck out five and walked two, almost became sick several times between innings. "I was trying to fight it the whole game," he said. Then manager Eric Wedge got him off the field just in time.

When Lee finally came out, he vomited in the tunnel entering the visitors clubhouse. "This morning I woke up in a cold sweat, felt real achy," he said. "I felt pretty bad. I was fighting it off the whole game. I guess it gave me something else to worry about." Several of the Indians weren't feeling well.

Pitcher David Riske felt bad enough to go to a local hospital for treatment. He was not kept overnight. "A bunch of the guys here are sick," said Lee (1-0). "I think we've got the flu or something." Casey Blake and Ben Broussard hit consecutive home runs and Jhonny Peralta and Coco Crisp hit consecutive triples for the Indians, who the day before had beaten Minnesota 2-1 while giving up just five hits. Lee did not allow a hit until Angel Berroa's single leading off the fourth.

Ruben Gotay doubled leading off the sixth against the left-hander, who led the Indians last year with 161 strikeouts but struggled in his first two starts this season. Rafael Betancourt allowed one hit over the final two innings to complete the three-hitter. the Fliers, as did Mandy Patton. Oak Harbor edges Perkins: Julie Edge tripled and scored on a passed ball to lead Oak Harbor past SBC rival Perkins 1-0. Edge's run came in the fourth inning for the Rockets.

Brooke Sprouse threw seven strong innings, allowing two hits and striking out six. Sprouse, Kylie Biggert and Emily Croll all added Orioles of homers with leaping catches in center field. Jason Johnson (2-1) was the beneficiary of the Tigers' most productive offensive showing of the season. The former Oriole gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. In his previous start, Johnson was lifted after giving up five runs against Minnesota and getting only one out.

Jay Gibbons homered for the Orioles, who were coming off a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees. Each of those three games was a sellout, but only 16,301 showed up for this one the smallest crowd in the 14-year history of Camden Yards. Baltimore's Brian Roberts wants I think Hopefully, sooner Blake with pitch. his fence Cleveland starter Cliff Lee delivers to home plate during the Indians' 5-1 Monday. Lee held the Royals to two hits over seven innings.

homestand and has scored more than two runs only once in the seven games while batting .202. Typical of the slumping Royals is right fielder Emil Brown, who was 0-for-4 and is now hitless in his last 18 at-bats. "We're kind of in a hitting funk right now, the whole team," Brown said. "And we all know it. No one to go up there and make outs.

we've got to keep swinging. something's got to give or later." led off the Cleveland second his second home run on a 1-2 A few minutes later, Broussard hit Greinke's 3-0 delivery for first, a 419-foot shot over the in right for a 2-0 lead. Zack Greinke (0-1) went five innings and was charged with five runs on seven hits, with three strikeouts and one walk. He also hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. The Royals had consecutive errors in the first inning, though Cleveland didn't score.

The team that lost 104 games last year and cut $11 million in payroll is 1-6 in its first F.1LB: Detroit 13, Baltimore 3 Young homers in Tigers' rout extended his hitting streak to 13 games, but Miguel Teja-da's run of nine straight games with an RBI ended. Erik Bedard (0-1) gave up eight runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings, a performance that raised his ERA from 1.50 to 5.40. Detroit used a three-run fifth inning to go up 8-2. Inge walked and Ivan Rodriguez and Young hit successive RBI doubles before Craig Monroe greeted Rick Bauer with an RBI single. A two-run single by Inge and a two-run homer by Young his first since hitting three on opening day made it 12-2 in the sixth, and backup catcher Vance Wil son hit an RBI single in the By DAVID GINSBURG AP Sports Writer BALTIMORE Dmitri Young went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, leading a 16-hit attack that carried the Detroit Tigers past the Baltimore Orioles 13-3 Monday night.

Omar Infante also homered for the Tigers, who cruised to their first win against Baltimore since May 7, 2003. Detroit went 0-6 against the Orioles last season, scoring a total of 17 runs. Every Detroit starter except Carlos Pena got at least one hit. Brandon Inge went 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs and three runs scored, and Nook Logan got three hits and twice robbed the Associated Press Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez slides safely under the tag of Brian Roberts Monday after hitting a double in the fifth inning against Baltimore. The Tigers defeated the Orioles 13-3.

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