The Marshall News Messenger from Marshall, Texas • 9

The Marshall News Messenger Saturday, April 1,2006 SECTION Mavs on fire, Bobcats in deep freeze By NANCY NILES Sports Editor Corey Brown pitched a no-hitter Friday night, making quick and efficient work of cross-county rival Hallsville in the Marshall High School baseball team's 11-0 run-rule win. After hitting two and walking one to load the bases in the first inning, Brown buckled down for the third and final out, stranding three of Hallsville's only four baserunners of the night. "This was payback for last year when I got massacred," admitted Brown who took the loss a year ago. "I wanted this one bad because they got me so good last year. I had a grudge to settle." Brown admitted he also had a second reason for wanting the win.

"My last start against Kilgore didn't go to (well)," Brown said of the team's 6-1 mid-March loss at Driller Park. "I'm trying to let everybody in district know that I can start, not just close." The 11-run win was a bit of deja-vu for the senior hurler, who got the win in relief on Tuesday after the Mavs came back from an seventh-inning 2-2 tie to win 11-2 in the eighth. Head coach' Todd Hammack said his team was focused after Tuesday night's confidence booster. "We had a great two days of practice," Hammack said. "We got a lot of confidence coming out of Pine Tree and we performed really well.

(Brown) improves every time he gets on the mound." While Brown kept the Bobcats' bats on ice, the Marshall bats were on fire as six batters combined for 10 Maverick hits. Casey Barton led the scoring assault with 3-of-3 from the plate, including a lead-off home run in the second inning and a two-RBI single in the third. Coltpn McGee's pair of singles and an RBI single and two-run double from Matt Jones rounded out the multi-hit batters. Each went 2-for-3 in the contest. McGee had an RBI and stolen base while Scott Adair went l-for-3 with a pair of Brown helped his own' cause with a stand-up double in the second inning and Michael Wood-fin knocked a double out to deep left field, joining Jones as the only other extra-base hits of the night.

Seven Mavs crossed home plate in the winning effort. Marshall and Hallsville entered the game in a tie for second-place in the district. The win gave Marshall sole possession of that coveted second spot behind undefeated Kilgore. The Mavs hit the field 7 p.m. Tuesday in Whitehouse to conclude the first half of district play.

Marshall kicks off the second half with a trip to Jacksonville Friday. Contact sports editor Nancy Niles via e- a il at mnmsportscoxnews.com; or by phone at (903) 927-5968. Scott BrunnerNews Messenger MARSHALL SHORTSTOP Scott Adair makes a throw, to first baseman Matt Jones for the final out of Marshall's 11-0 win over Hallsville Friday. Florida Mav Lady cnompiii! tracksters place second for bite Mason Pats By DAVE GEORGE Cox Newsservice INDIANAPOLIS -The whole thing has a real April Fools' Day feel to it, this Final Four without a single No.l seed, this heartland hoops party with George Mason, unranked all season long, on the special invite list. No wonder the Florida Gators are a little testy going into tonight's national semifinal game at the RCA Dome.

Suddenly, everybody thinks they're really good, and in the 2006 NCAA Tournament that has proven to be really bad. "With all the hype surrounding George Mason," said Florida point guard Taurean Green, "wtillrfeel w'tr-ttw 4 Scott BrannerNews Messenger MARSHALL BASERUNNER Kelly Skelton gets past Hallsville's Jessica Russell to make it safe at second base Friday. Skelton later in the inning scored Marshall's only run giving the Lady Mavs a 1-0 win. to prove to everybody' Unexpected strategy there. Outbark the dogs.

Hide in plain sight. Make the Patriots, Final Four moles, into a mountain of men that the SEC Tournament champions must somehow scale. That's one way to go, but here's another. "We have everything going for us this weekend," said center Al Horford. "We're not intimidated by them and all Single run clinches win for Lady Mavs over Hallsville that magic stuff.

I wouldn't. Staff Reports The Marshall High School girl's track team brought home three gold medals in the Mt. Pleasant Tigers Relay Fri- day afternoon, placing second overall as a team. finished behind North Lamar, who just had too many folks for us to combat, especially in the distance, races," said Marshall Coach Jenny Coon. The 400-meter relay of Kay-lee Waskom, Carleisha Wilson, Tynesia Mack, and Thomas ran a season-best 49.3 seconds, good enough for first place.

The 800-meter relay team of Thomas, LaKreecia Logan, Mack, and Waskom also finished first, coming across the line with a time of 1:44.6 seconds. Wilson sprinted to a gold-medal season-best time of 12.36 seconds in the 100-meter dash as well, while Waskom added a third place time of 12.6 seconds. Jessica Rasberry finished second in the 3200-meter run and third in the 1600-meter run. Jacquietta Rasberry placed third in the shot put and second in the discus. Brianca Thomas jumped to a third place spot in the long jump while Nicky Pipkins tripled jumped to a second place finish and Logan tied for sixth.

Ashley Jackson picked up third in the 100-meter hurdles and third in the 300-meter hurdles while Natasha Roach added a fifth place spot in the 300-meter hurdles. Logan and Leshia Pipkin went first and second in the 200-meter dash, finishing with times of 26,7 and 27.3 respectively. The 1600-meter relay team finished second with a time of 4:08.88. Contact the Marshall News Messenger sports department i a e-mail at mnmsportscoxnews.com; or by phone at (903) 927-5968. Astros fall HOUSTON (AP) Despite a shaky spring, Brandon Backe is confident he can fill his significant role in the Houston Astros' rotation.

With Roger Clemens out of the mix at least for now Backe is the No. 3 starter behind Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte. And the right-hander knows he'U have to pitch better than he did Friday night, when he allowed four runs in the first four innings of the Astros' 6-5 loss to Kansas City at Minute Maid Park. Scott BrunnerNews Messenger HALLSVILLE PITCHER Kayla Jackson winds up for a throw during the Lady-cats' 1-0 loss to Marshall in Marshall. forced nine ground outs as well, benefitting greatly from a large dose of superb defensive play from her Lady Mav counterparts.

"It was a heck of a job defensively tonight," said Purifoy. "(Second baseman) Kasey Hudson and (third baseman) Allison Horsley both did great jobs. We were making unbelievable plays all night." Hallsville head coach Pat Eitel agreed. "They made they plays when they needed to," said Eitel. "We had plenty of chances tonight, by far more than (Marshall) did but I give credit to Marshall, they stepped up.

I hate to say it, but Marshall just has our number right now." After their first six batters were retired in order, the Ladycats proceeded to strand two base runners in each of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings while also leaving one stranded in the seventh. Five of those nine runners were left in scoring position. Although the Lady Mavs did not have as many chances, they did capitalize on one of their opportunities in the first frame when catcher Allison Shepperd led off with a single. Skelton then came on as a courtesy runner for Shepperd, stole second base, and scored two batters later on an RBI-double down the left field line from Horsley. Marshall managed only one more hit for the rest of the game, that being a By JON DUSTIN BROOKS Sports Writer It was a single run that stood the test of seven innings for the Marshall High School softball team Friday night at Lady Mav Field.

Luckily for the Lady Mavs, it was on their side of the scoreboard. An early first-inning tally from courtesy runner Kelly Skelton was all that senior pitcher Dora Buchanan required in her complete game, two-hit shut out effort of cross-county rival Hallsville. With two outs in the top of the seventh frame, and Lady cat center fielder Brittany Denton representing the tying run at second base, Buchanan filled the count on short stop Jerrica Russell before coercing her into a harmless ground out back to the mound. Buchanan then squeezed the ball and softly tossed it to first baseman Cara DiGiovanni td solidify the 1-0 victory for Marshall its fourth straight District 17-4A victory. "What a performance from Dora tonight," said Marshall head coach Jon Purifoy.

"What more can you say? She held her composure and got the outs when she needed to. What a ball game." Despite walking six batters, Buchanan kept the Ladycat hitters off balance for much of the evening by sporting a wide array of pitches. "I just had to stay calm and remain focused," said Buchanan. "I had to block put all of the people yelling and just concentrate." Buchanan (12-6) fanned six and want to play anybody else right now. Just get that over with." Nice misdirection move, Big Al, with just a touch of anger.

Stand up tall and dare anyone to say they're better. But, wait, in the other corner of the Florida locker room comes just the right note, neither villainous nor shy. "A lot of people don't want to play George Mason right now," said Corey Brewer, the grinning, string-bean forward who seems to grow a little each game. "I'm kind of happy for that. Everybody's gotten their shot at George Mason and now we get our shot.

"It's time to kiss Cinderella and take her home." North Carolina, the defending national champion, tried and failed to send the Patriots back to their sprawling commuter campus in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. So did Michigan State, the program that thumped Florida in the 2000 championship game. GMU made mid-major snack food of all of them, including Connecticut, a sed that was supposed to win it all this year but couldn't get past coach Jim Larranaga's roster of Maryland kids who didn't catch on elsewhere, Who never grew past 6-feet-7, who weren't even supposed to qualify for the tournament but are getting increasingly accustomed to owning it. Well, it ends tonight. The Gators advance, breaking millions of hearts the world over, because they are the team that is playing the best when it counts the most.

What's more, there is a sense of destiny that works both ways here. single up the middle by Buchanan in the fifth. Kayla Jackson (11-3) took the loss on the mound for Hallsville, allowing one run on three hits while striking out four. Jackson and first baseman Danielle Jones accounted for the Ladycats' two hits. With the win, the Lady Mavs kept Hallsville from moving into a possible three-way tie for second place in league play, Marshall entered the game tied with Whitehouse for second place.

The Lady Mavs will travel to White-house Tuesday for a 6 p.m. contest. Contact sports writer Jon Dustin Brooks i a e-mai I a mnmsportscoxnews.com or by phone at (903) 927-5968. Teixeria hits homer, helps life Rangers over Marlins, 4-1 homers last season, hit a two-run shot in the third to give Texas a 3-0 lead. He had not homered in his first 31 at-bats this spring before going on his out two in four innings.

He current streak. have up three hits and walked Texas starter Kameron Loe two. Florida starter Brian allowed one run and struck Moehler yielded four runs. FRISCO (AP) Mark. Teix-eira homered for the third straight game, and Brad Wilk-erson and David Dellucci also connected to lead the Texas Rangers past the Florida Mar1 lins 4-1 Friday night.

Teixeira, who had 43 I.