The Times from Munster, Indiana • 35

E.G. 's Williams drives home runs, team van Player of the Week League statistical leaders (Through games of 622) TEAM BATTING AVG. AB MR BB East Chicago .363 223 53 81 2 29 Lafayette .318 233 38 74 6 28 Memllville 272 279 40 76 4 25 Anderson 232 228 40 53 4 35 BATTING RUNS BATTED IN Williams, Jerrone (EC) Newman, Bruce (EC) Heigle, Brian (AND) Diffenbaugh, Dormie (MER) STOLEN BASES Alferman, Derek (AND) Griffin, Vincent (AND) McClelland, Steve (AND) East Chicago ConQulstadors Name: Jerrone Williams Position: DH OF Age: 26 Hometown: Baldwin, Miss. Highlights: The leading hitter in the Mid-America League with a .481 average, Williams hit for the cycle June 15 in a 9-5 win at PITCHING W-L ERA IP BBSO Rucker, Shannon (LAF) 0-0 0.00 12 9 2 2 Ginder, Dave (AND) 1-0 1.23 15 16 2 4 Young, Mike (AND) 1-1 2.40 15 20 2 16 Towns, Brad (LAF) 0-0 2.40 15 11 5 3 Swank, Gary (LAF) 1-0 2.45 11 8 4 4 Wagner, Eric (AND) 0-0 2.57 7 5 4 2 Lewis, Michael (EC) 1-1 2.63 14 12 114 Snure, Jeremy (EC) 2-0 2.81 16 14 2 12 Lichtenstein. R.C.

(MER) 1-0 3.77 14 12 3 5 White, David (EC) 0-0 4.32 8 10 4 4 ---'J AVG. AB Williams, Jerrone (EC) .481 6 27 6 13 Allen. Branoen (LAF) .480 7 25 8 12 Hisle, Larry (EC) .474 6 19 5 9 Fisk, Casey (LAF) 474 7 19 4 9 King, Tiger (LAF) .440 7 25 3 11 Martin, Lyle (MER) .433 8 30 7 13 D'Auteuil. Ron (EC) .364 6 22 10 8 Gonzalez, Augie (MER) .353 8 34 6 12 Shirley, Mike (AND) .348 6 23 2 8 Cherry, Steve (MER) .333 6 21 3 7 Simmons, Brian (AND) Green, Damo (EC) TEAM PITCHING W-L ERA Lafayette 3-4 2.68 East Chicago 5-1 3.50 Anderson 4-3 3 69 Memllville 2-6 8.09 CG SHO 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 Anderson. He drove in five Jerrone runs with five hits (two dou- Williams bles).

In six games, he was 13 of 27 at the plate. Williams leads the league in RBIs with nine, and had a league-best slugging percentage of .963 as the team posted a 5-1 record. STRIKEOUTS Young, Mike (AND) 15 Snure, Jeremy (EC) 12 Riggs, Dustin (AND) 8 Schwader, Dan (MER) 7 Hanyard, Bill (MER) 7 HOME RUNS Payne, Kenny (AND) 3 Allen, Branoen (LAF) 2 Fisk, Casey (LAF) 2 SAVES Smith, Lester (EC) Przespolewski, Steve (MER) BY MATT YOUMANS Times Sports Writer Jerrone Williams drove in five runs and hit for the cycle June 15 in East Chicagb's 9-5 win at Anderson. So what was his reward? He got to drive one of the three ConQuistador team vans home on the three-hour trip. "Man, I was tired," said Williams.

He hasn't been too tired to tear up opposing pitchers. Williams entered Friday night's game as the leading hitter in the Mid-America League with a .481 average. "Hopefully this will continue. You never can telL" said Williams, tops in the league in RBIs after one week with nine. Williams never played high school baseball and was signed by the Chicago Cubs as a free agent after his junior year at Jackson State.

He played for six years in the Cub organization, topping out at Double-A Charlotte. "I would love to get back," he said, "and you've got to start somewhere." An injury to his right shoulder, which required surgery, sidetracked his career. Williams then went to work for the Cubs for two years as an instructor in the Florida State League. "I continued to play and it just continued to get worse," Williams said. "It still needs a lot of work and that's what Fm doing right now." He has been limited to a designated hitting role, though he said his shoulder should be in suffi-cient shape for him to play left field soon.

Williams was working out daily at his home in Baldwin, and was contacted by ConQuista-dors owner Richard Grottanelli. The 26-year-old hopes a hot summer will revive his career. "It just takes someone to give me the opportunity. I love to work hard, that's been my main from injury eight months ago. "I hated to let him go," Grottanelli said.

"If he was healthy, he would be a helluva lot of help to the team." The Muddogs were forced to place pitcher Tom Jordan on the injured reserve after he pulled a muscle in his right shoulder Tuesday. Muddogs designated hitter Curt Parham was -suspended for missing a workout. A former Thorn-ridge High School star, the 30-year-old Parham has more minor league experience than anyone on the team. FISK FIGHTING BACK: He needed eight stitches after a season-opening brawl against Anderson, but the son of Carlton Fisk is doing some damage of his own at the plate. Casey Fisk, a third baseman for the Lafayette Leopards, is batting .474 with two home runs and four RBIs.

thing since the Cubs picked me up. They liked my work habits." The only -thing Williams doesn't like is the sleeping habits of his roommates, who happen to be teammates Darrio Green (his cousin), Ger-maine Mayberry, Jackie Robinson and Lester Smith. The five share an apartment in Griffith. "They snore a lot, but I can deal with that," Williams said. SOME NEW FACES: A slow start caused a few roster changes this week at Memllville.

The Mud-dogs released pitcher Josh Poll (0-1, 15.75 ERA, 4 UP) and outfielders Tony Gonzalez (0 for 18) and Mark Traino (5 for 10, 2 RBI). The team signed right-handed pitcher Chris Hall and infielder Melesio Salazar, a pair of former Eastern Illinois players. Hall pitched six strong innings and got a no-decision in the Mud-dogs' loss to Lafayette on Thursday. And expect a few more additions soon. "Fve been waiting for these guys for a while," Muddogs manager Ron Kittle said.

"They waited for the amateur draft, and they didn't get drafted. So our team morale is going to pick up tremendously. "But the hardest part is releasing these young kids who bust their butt, but I don't think they're really going to climb the ladder. But I've got to put a good product on the field. "Fve got a feeling every roster is going to be minus four or five guys from the start of the year.

Fm going to have to learn these guys' names over and over again. In the long run we're going to have a pretty talented team." MORE MOVES: Former Bishop Noll star Joe Jumonville's (1-0, 2.08 ERA) release by the Con-Quistadors this week was apparently due to his right shoulder not being completely rehabilitated W1 Muddogs fall hard again East Chicago skid a short -lived one -V -4 4 LAFAYETTE The Merril-lville Muddogs lost for the seventh time in nine Mid-America League games, 6-2, Friday night to the Lafayette Leopards Leopards starter Chad Johnson loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning, before reliever Aaron Magdeleno (1-0) struck out the next two Muddogs on six straight pitches. Lafayette scored four runs in bottom of eight. Dan Schwader (1-3) took the loss, his second in two nights, for Merrillville. Tiger King, who had tripled and scored the tying the run in the seventh, hit a two-run single past a drawn-in infield in the eighth.

Mid-America League Pet. GB East Chicago 6 1 .857 Anderson 4 4 .500 2 12 Lafayette 4 4 .500 212 Merrillville 2 7 .222 5 results East Chicago 6, Anderson 5 Lafayette 6, Merrillville 2 Today's games Merrillville at E. Chicago, 7:30 p.m. Anderson at Lafayette, 6:30 p.m. The Muddogs scored two unearned runs in the first, as Skip Moore drove collected a two-RBI double.

The team had just five hits the rest of the night. Aldino Gaixo The Times Anderson's Bill Richart slides safely home as East Chicago catcher Dan Casas is late with the tag Friday night in the ConQuistadors' 6-5 win. BY JEFF CARROLL Times Correspondent EAST CHICAGO ConQuistador fans can breathe easily. The losing streak is over. The Q's, who lost for the first time this season Thursday at Anderson, made amends by defeating the Lawmen at Block Stadium on Friday 6-5 in front of 524 fans.

The win put East Chicago 2 12 games in front on the Mid-America League standings. "That's the way we're gonna keep them all year," said ConQuistador manager Drayton Patterson, referring to the shortlived losing streak. "Only one game." The ConQuistadors took charge of the affair in the seventh inning. Tony Webster reached on an error by Lawmen third baseman Brian Simmons. He was balked to third, which resulted in a heated, albeit enter- ConQuistadors 6 Anderson Darrio Green hit a home run to center in the seventh inning.

taining argument between Anderson and the home plate umpire. Perhaps frazzled by the happenings of the inning, Anderson pitcher Dean Morehead served up a pitch that Darrio Green smacked over the center field fence for a 6-3 ConQuistadors cushion. "Our guys certainly came through in the clutch," Patterson said. "Darrio hit that big home run." But the Lawmen weren't finished. They picked up a pair of runs in the eighth to tighten the gap, and had the bases loaded with only one out.

Patterson brought in big Lester Smith to close the job, and he did. The first batter he faced, Brian Cain, grounded into a 4-3 double play to end the inning. Then, fueled by the support of a chanting E.C. crowd, Smith set the Lawmen down in the ninth to secure the victory. "We got our big man in there and he got us out of trouble," explained Patterson.

"Les has done a great job. He's done everything I've asked of him. He just came right at them tonight no messing around." The ConQuistadors lit up the scoreboard for a trio of runs before there was an out in the bottom of the first. Green led off the inning with a line single to right. Jerrone Williams walked to load the bases for cleanup man Ger-maine Mayberry.

He sent a rocket into the deepest part of the ballpark, where it deflected off the glove of Lawmen center fielder Mike Shirley for a two-run error. The throw in got past the catcher, and Williams took advantage by crossing the plate with the third E.C. run. Anderson touched East Chicago right-hander David White in the third and fourth innings to tie the game. After surrendering a single run in the third on Derrick Alferman's sacrifice fly, White Lawmen pitcher Eric Wagner held the ConQuistadors in check for the next five innings.

He was replaced in the sixth by Morehead. East Chicago's Bruce Newman greeted More-head with a first-pitch homer into the trees beyond the fence in right for a 4-3 lead. began to have some control problems in the fourth, leading to the tying runs. White walked three batters in the inning, including Alferman with two outs. That free pass forced in Brian Simmons with the inning's second run, and made it a new ballgame.

While Anderson caught up, Astros outlast Cubs in 12 Appier's 1 1th win makes history By The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kevin Appier reached 11 victories quicker than any pitcher in Kansas City history, allowing only three hits in 7 13 innings as the Royals shut out Minnesota 4-0 Friday night. Appier (11-2), who had two walks and two strikeouts while notching his fifth straight win, gave up singles to Matt Merullo in the second and Kirby Puckett in the seventh. He was relieved after giving up a one-out double to Scott Stahoviak in the eighth. New York 6 Toronto 2 NEW YORK Jack McDowell outpitched an unusually wild David Cone in a matchup of the AL's last two Cy Young Award spite lasting only five innings tying his second-shortest outing of the season.

He allowed three runs and four hits as Texas won its sixth in a row and 15th of its last 18 at home. Baltimore 7 Boston 5 BALTIMORE Mike Mussina rebounded from two straight miserable performances with 6 23 solid innings as the Orioles beat the error-prone Red Sox. Detroit 5 Milwaukee 2 DETROIT David Wells stayed undefeated at Tiger Stadium this season and came within one out of a complete game as the Tigers, who hit four home runs, beat the Brewers. out five and walked three. Walker allowed four hits in 1 23 innings.

"It was a fastball away, he just went with it and put it right where nobody was," Walker said. "He did his job. It was 3-2. 1 didn't want to walk him and I didn't want to give him a pitch he could knock the heck out of. I left it down and away and he went with it." The Astros tied it in the ninth against Randy Myers when Bell led off with a single, their fifth hit of the game.

After one out, pinch-hitter Tony Eusebio singled to right sending Bell to third. Craig Shipley then hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-2. The Cubs got only three hits off Mike Hampton, who retired the next 16 batters after Mark Grace's ninth homer in the third. Hampton struck out six and didn't have a walk over eight innings. BY MICHAEL LUTZ AP Sports Writer HOUSTON Derek Bell helped save the game in the outfield and then he won it at the plate.

Bell's single to right in the 12th innings gave the Houston Astros a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night, snapping their seven-game home losing streak. In the top of the inning, Bell made a diving catch in right on a fly ball by Shawon Dunston for the first out. The Astros escaped and went on to improve their home record to 8-16. "I told myself I had to go and get a piece of the ball," Bell said. "I got in my two-strike stance and concentrated on putting the ball in play and hitting it to right field." With one out, Brian Hunter had an infield single off Mike winners, leading the New York Yankees past the Toronto Blue Jays in a light drizzle.

Paul O'Neill homered and had three RBIs and and Randy Velarde had three hits for the Yankees. The Blue Jays, playing without suspended Roberto Alomar and injured Devon White, matched a season high with their fourth loss in a row. Texas 7 Oakland 4 ARLINGTON, Texas Will Clark's two-run single keyed a four-run fourth inning and the Texas Rangers took advantage of Dave Stewart's wildness in a victory over the Athletics. Kenny Rogers (8-3) got his fifth straight home victory de Houston 3, Cubs 2, 12 inn. Mark Grace hit his ninth home run of the season for Chicago.

Next: Today at Houston, 7 p.m., WGN(Ch. 9) Walker (1-2) and he went to second on a single by Craig Biggio. Jeff Bagwell hit into a force play that left runners at first and third and Bell followed with his game-winning hit on a 3-2 pitch. "A lot of people don't get a good read on that guy (Bell), the truth is, he really loves to play, he's a heck of a hitter," Astros manager Terry Collins said. "I don't know where we'd be without him." The Astros lost at home Thursday night to the Cubs, their first game after returning from a 7-2 road trip.

Todd Jones (4-1) allowed one hit over two innings and struck Morgan helps Cards stop Phils Sox By The Associated Press ST. LOUIS Mike Morgan allowed nine hits and came within two outs of his 11th career shutout as the St. Louis Cardinals nded the Phillies' six-game winning streak with a 7-1 victory Friday night. The Phillies had a season-high 19 hits on Thursday night at New York, but had trouble with Morgan (3-2), who struck out four and walked none as the Cardinals also ended the Phillies' eight-game road winning streak. Florida 16 Cincinnati 4 CINCINNATI Charles Johnson drove in six runs as the Marlins set a club record for Merced, and a single in the sixth.

New York 9 Atlanta 3 ATLANTA -Light-hitting Tim Bogar drove in four runs, three on a seventh-inning homer that broke the game's final tie, and the Mets snapped a four-game losing streak. The Mets have an NL-worst road record of 9-16. The Braves lost their third straight. San Diego 3 Colorado 2 SAN DIEGO Andy Ashby pitched eight strong innings as the Padres ended a four-game losing streak against the Rockies. The Padres trail the first-place Rockies by 1 12 games in the NL West.

Cleveland, three Sox relievers held the Indians scoreless for the final three innings. "It's just been a matter of things not going the bullpen's way," said reliever Tim Fortug-no, who pitched two of those scoreless innings. "We've always had confidence, but maybe this game will give us confidence in the form of momentum." The word is something the Sox haven't been able to utter all year. "I said back in California that there's gonna be a time we're going to win nine or 10 in a row," Bere said. "Maybe it'll start now." It may be wishful thinking, but a positive attitude never hurts anyone.

Especially in this imperfect world. very rarely happens and Indians starter Charles Nagy has given us problems in the past." Nagy (4-4), who took the loss, gave up 10 hits and five runs in 4 23 innings. Bere (3-6), who won his first game since May 6, held the potent Cleveland offense to two runs through six innings before giving up a three-run homer to Kenny Lofton which ended his night in the sev: nth. "Bere actually pitched pretty good," Bevington said. "It shouldn't happen, but when a pitcher sits in the dugout for a long inning, he sometimes loses his stuff.

And that's what happened to Jason tonight." Then, unlike the 6-0 lead the pitching staff couldn't hold in the opener of the four-game sweep in runs in handing the Reds their most lopsided loss in two seasons. Pittsburgh 2 Montreal 6 MONTREAL Denny Neagle pitched a two-hitter to become the National League's first eight-game winner as Pittsburgh beat Montreal 2-0 Friday night. Neagle (8-3) struck out six, walked one and hit one batter to win his third straight, while dealing the Expos their sixth straight loss. The left-hander gave up two bloop hits to David Segui, a double in the third that crossed up second baseman Nelson Liriano and right fielder Orlando Continued from Page D-l The Sox cranked out 20 hits for the game and, after scoring five runs in the fifth inning, scored seven in the sixth. Every starter in the Sox lineup had a hit and eight batters had at least two.

"It's the first time all year we've had back-to-back big innings in the same game," said Robin Ventura, the only starter not to get two hits. "Hopefully it won't be the last." Thomas' 16th homer of the season pushed his RBI total to 40. Ozzie Guillen went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, designated hitter John Kruk had a 3-for-4 outing with an RBI and rookie Ray Durham was 3 for 5 with two runs scored. "If always nice to get 20 hits in a game," Bevington said. "It 7.