Messenger-Inquirer from Owensboro, Kentucky • 9

Walsh traded to Saints3B Foreman winsSB WEDNESDAY 0X6 SEPTEMBER 26, 1990 PREPCOLLEGEPROAMATEUR MESSENGER-INQUIRER 1 Spouts South Carolina 12th SEC school Gamecocks happy with all-sports league 0 i By Rick Scoppe Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. South Carolina made it official Tuesday, accepting an invitation to join the South-eastern Conference and accomplishing its goal of becoming a member of an all-sports league. SEC presidents voted unanimously earlier Tuesday in a conference call to ask South Carolina to join the league, which added Arkansas to its roster on Aug. 1. Since adding Arkansas, the SEC had been searching for a 12th member to give it an even number of schools.

South Carolina and Miami of Florida were the front-runners to become the 12th team. "This is an emotional moment for me," said Athletic Director King Dixon, who fought back tears at a news conference at Williams-Brice Stadium. "I am absolutely ecstatic over having the honor of being here at this point and time in our history to join what I consider the foremost conference. "The decision to become a member of the Southeastern Conference will prove to be a milestone in the history of our university," he said. "This is a giant step.

A new era. Let's go 'Cocks." Arthur K. Smith, the university's interim president, had received the authority by the board of trustees to accept the invitation, if it came which it did Tuesday afternoon. "Today is a great day for South Carolina," Smith said. "This decision culminates more than three months of growing expectation during which the university and the SEC See SEC5B Transfer rule may benefit Division II i Apollo beats Owensboro Owensboro's Benji Duvall, foreground, battles Apol- time before Apollo lo's Scott York Tuesday in a match that went into over- first goal in the win.

MARK C. MATHIS Rnnrtcuritor Credit for Cards due, but work unfinished Sometimes a second signature is needed to cash a really big check. Howard Schnellenberger, get out your pen. The University of Louisville beat West Virginia 9-7 last week. It may be the biggest win in the Schnellenberger Era.

The signature victory. That's nice. That's true. To a point. But of needs a co-signer.

The Cardinals need to go out this week and prove themselves all over again. They are on the road at Southern Mississippi this week, for their second "Big Game" in as many weeks. The West Virginia win was important. Don't believe that it wasn't. A team that wins on the road without scoring a touchdown has grit, determination and a good defense.

But it was a win that came with no offense. Even Schnellenberger admits that can't go on. "We're not going to continue to win unless the offense is more productive and able to put points on the board," the of coach said. Regardless, it got the Cardinals back into the "others receiving votes" listing of AP's Top 25. Louisville is 34th in the country.

A win over Southern Mississippi should lift of into that gridiron Nirvana the Top 25 that Schnellenberger has longed for. The math is simple, Schnellenberger says, while downplaying the significance of a ranking in September. As his team stacks up more wins, it has a better chance to earn that all-important national recognition and make the Top 25. "That's not important. We're not even halfway through the season," Schnellenberger said of a Top 25 spot.

"Right now all we're concentrating on is winning this football game. If we do that we'll add to the record we have already established." To beat one team, West Virginia, that isn't having a good year but has a good reputation is enough to turn a few heads. To beat a second team, Southern Mississippi, that has almost collected three Southeastern Conference scalps, could be the catalyst in a fashioning an 9-1-1 record for the season. That would mean, gasp, a bowl game. "Somewhere along the line, if we take care of the business we're supposed to on the field, the ratings will take care of themselves," Schnellenberger said.

What of is into with Southern Mississippi, is a) an emotional game against a foe that hasn't been beaten in eight straight meetings since 1981, and b) a chance to get on a protracted roll. "A win over Southern Mississippi coupled with a win lover West Virginia will have a real effect," said. "The most "important thing about this game is matter of pride. Three years ago we were embarrassed badly (65-6) at home. It will be a very personal game for us." Louisville is a football team showing signs of being good, although it's stood on its defense for four games.

The Cardinals haven't allowed a point to be scored against them in the fourth quarter. It is much the same defense that last year let the deciding points in three losses come on the final play of the game. "Big games are won in the fourth quarter," Schnellenberger said. "Our defense's play in the fourth quarter is the earmark of a solid football team." Earmarks and signatures. It's time of started collecting them.

-v A By Rich Suwanski Messenger-Inquirer Heather Haddix nearly gave up basketball after a year of warming the bench for pr the Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team. But thanks to a new NCAA rule that allows to transfer down one level without sitting out a year, the Lexington native is "DP Heather Haddix Transferred to KWC without wait a prime candidate to start at guard for Kentucky Wesleyan this season, and she couldn't be happier. The "immediate eligibility" rule permits a player to transfer from Division I to Division II without having Boston's Luis Rivera stops a relay Oakland wraps up West title; losses leave Jays IV2 ahead I 2 to sit out a season. Any subsequent transfer would require the player to sit out one year before becoming eligible. Before, all transfers were required to sit out one year.

Kentucky Wesleyan women's coach Mike Simpson said he believes the new rule will start a transfer flood to Division II. "It's going to make a big difference in a kid's playing career," Simpson said. "They're more likely to transfer if they know they don't have to go a year without playing. "Ayear is a long time not to suit up and that would deter a lot of kids." Without the new rule, "I don't think I would've done it," said Haddix, a junior. "I'm in pre-physical therapy and I want to get a degree in four years and then get on to graduate school.

I don't want to spend a fifth year in college." See TRANSFER5B Associated Press by Cleveland's Jerry Browne. done the previous year. He didn't dwell on nostalgia, if you will," Greenberg said. A fan might need some signed statements from ushers and other witnesses to prove the authenticity of the ball. Fielder, trailed by cameras, reporters and autograph hunters every step, seems to have the same attitude Greenberg did about mementoes, Ewald said.

"When we gave him the over-the-roof ball, Ewald said, "he wasn't all that excited. He kept it, but I mean, it was just a baseball." Cincinnati Reds outfielder George Foster hit 52 home runs in 1977, the last major leaguer to hit more than 50 in a season. Braves beat Reds 1 0-04B Rickey Henderson, who was 3-for-3 singled in the seventh inning, stole second and scored the A's third run on Harold Baines' single. Henderson has 63 stolen bases and 934 in his career, four behind Lou Brock's all-time record. Royals rookie Kevin Appier (11-8) lost his fourth straight after a six-game winning streak.

He yielded four runs and 12 hits in eight innings. Brewers 8, Blue Jays 4 B.J. Surhoff drove in four runs, three with a triple, and Robin Yount had a homer and three RBIs as host Milwaukee, with the aid of two disputed calls in a three-run sixth inning, beat the first-place Blue Jays. Toronto's lead over Boston in the American League East remained at IV2 games as the Red Sox lost to Cleveland 5-2. The Brewers wrapped up an end to Gary Emord-Netzley, Messenger-Inquirer won 2-1 York scored the Eagles' Story, Page 4B.

their seven-game losing streak in the eighth when Surhoff tripled off John Candelaria with the bases loaded following an intentional walk to Vaughn. Indians 5, Red Sox 2 Greg Swindell scattered seven hits in eight innings, Sandy Alomar homered and visiting Cleveland dealt Boston's pennant hopes another jolt with a victory over the staggering Red Sox. The Red Sox suffered their third consecutive defeat and 15th in 21 games. Boston and Toronto both have eight games remaining, including a three-game series at Fenway Park this weekend. Swindell (12-8), unbeaten since Aug.

31 but just 2-0 in five starts this month, was in command except for Tony Pena's two-run homer. The left-hander struck out six and didn't issue a walk. Doug Jones pitched a one-hit ninth for his 41st save. See OAKLAND 4B Sell it. Collectors say the ball could be worth $200 or more.

Trade it. Tiger officials say anyone wanting to give it to Fielder would be escorted by an usher to the stadium office, where the fan could meet the first baseman after the game, and possibly trade the ball for another ball, a bat or other item. Keep it, as for what Tom House calls "a vicarious connection" to a star. "A baseball is a physical representation that connects a person of star status with a person of something less than star status," said House, pitching coach of the Texas Rangers. "It ties the two of them together in a way they never would be otherwise.

"That's why people will tear up a Associated Press The Oakland Athletics clinched their third straight American League West championship Tuesday night by defeating the host Kansas City Royals 5-0 as Dave Stewart pitched a five-hitter for his career-high 22nd victory of the season. The A's began play with a magic number of 2 to eliminate Chicago and the White Sox lost to Minnesota 4-3. Oakland has a nine-game lead with eight to play. The A's, who have won the last two AL pennants, became the first team since 1978 to win three division titles in a row. The New York Yankees, Royals and Philadelphia Phillies all won consecutive titles from 1976-78.

Stewart (22-10), who has won at least 21 games the last four years, struck out six and walked two in pitching his 10th complete game and fourth shutout. The 10 complete games tied Detroit's Jack Morris for the AL lead. Cecil Fielder Left-field fans await 50th clout K3 Qq Fan fielding Fielder's 50th homer has options aplenty $500 suit to get a $6 baseball." In 1974, Henry Aaron's 715th home run off Al Downing broke Babe Ruth's career record. House caught it in the Atlanta bullpen. "It made me an answer in Trivial Pursuit," House said.

"I do 10 or 15 clinics every year around the country, and I'm always introduced as the guy who caught Hank Aaron's 715th homer." The last Detroit Tiger to hit 50 homers in a season was Hank Green-berg, who finished with 58 in 1938. He didn't keep the 50th or the 58th, said his son, Steve Greenberg, deputy baseball commissioner. "My dad's philosophy was that he was going to go out and do something even greater next season than he had Associated Press DETROIT Would-be fielders of Cecil's big blast are waiting, and the cheap seats rarely have been so popular. The count is two and holding for Cecil Fielder in the chase for 50 home runs. Fans with gloves in hand have crowded the left field seats since early September in hopes of a catching one of the burly Fielder's prodigious shots.

If it's the 50th homer, a fan could: Donate it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Hall has the record 61st home run ball Roger Maris rocketed into the right field stands of Yankee Stadium in 1961. Fielder's 50th would be part of its 1990 collection that will be displayed through 1992..