The Times-News from Twin Falls, Idaho • 13

cs I sends playoff to rabber match By LARRY HOVEY Times-News writer coaches wondering where he will find pitchers, will start at 1 p.m. with CSI being the visiting team. The winner of the game will play its first appearance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the national finals in Grand Junction, Colo. CSI Coach Jim Walker was half correct in his prediction that it would take "Jimmybair in this series against Trinidad to carry CSI past its pitching problems.

His Eagles banged out two home runs and lost a third on the old don't-touch-'em-before-they-cross-home plate rule in winning the nightcap with 13 hits. But Jimmyball, that which is defined by home runs, belonged to the Region 9 champions in the opener when Carl Smith hit two, in- eluding a three-run homer in seventh inning, and a grand-slam by Gary Corbin in a game-breaking fifth inning. Looking toward today's game, Walker said, "we have no arms left. We have to come back with (sophomore right-hander David) Carter (Monday's first-game loser. Left-hander Tony) Mortenson can't throw.

We just have to go out and hit the heck out of it." Mortenson worked an inning of relief in the nightcap, but had to retire due to a recurrent groin muscle pull. "I'm proud of the way our guys battled back," said Walker of his Region 18 champs. "I felt we were out of sync today in just about everything, our fielding and our hit ting especially. We had too manay outs in our batting order and we're just going to have to come out better prepared mentally tomorrow. "But you can't say enough good words about John Braase," Walker continued.

Braase entered the nightcap after Trinidad had jumped into a five-run lead, most of that on Keith Mitchell's three-run homer in the second inning. From that point, Braase held the Trojans at bay except for a meaningless run he wild-pitched home in the eighth inning. But the key here was in the sixth inning, when another of those rain squalls that never occur on the desert hit the Helper city field, laid down a heavy amount of moisture and forced postponement of the game for nearly two hours. Braase said during the long delay he would prefer to "ice it (his right arm) now, get some rest and come back tomorrow. It's cold and tight now and I don't know if I could come back." But he did come back, striking out five Trinidad batters in the last four innings and staying away from major rally threats.

"I pitched through the pain," said Braase. "My arm was stiff and it Just didn't hurt. I can go tomorrow. Everybody has to be ready for tomorrow." The first game was a matter of an uenarned run in the first inning and Smith's first solo homer in the fourth. But Trinidad, which was See CSI on Page C2 HELPER, Utah Whether the College of Southern Idaho's baseball team returns to the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series for the fifth time in six years will depend upon how the Eagles do today against the Trinidad State Trojans.

But whatever the outcome, mark the fact that the season has gone into Tuesday, a tribute to CSI sophomore relief specialist John Braase. For the second time in four days, the right-hander from Idaho Falls shook off the ill effects of a long rain delay to come back and beat Trinidad 11-7 Monday night and send the best-of-three Northwest district junior college playoffs to a third game today on the Helper Municipal Park field. The Trojans had showed awesome power in winning Monday's opener, 11-3. Today's final, which has both Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho Tuesday, May 19, 1987 Baseball roundup C3 6 Prep rodeo C4 Classified C4-8 NBA Bone-tired Celts now must befoul Pistons By HOWARD ULMAN The Associated Press BOSTON There's little rest for the weary and wounded Boston Celtics. Two days after their intense NBA playoff series finale against Milwaukee, they must battle the bruising Detroit Pistons, who will have had five days off.

The Pistons preferred to play the Celtics rather than the Bucks. The Celtics are just interested in who will be healthy enough to play for them in tonight night's opener of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final. Forward Kevin McHale has a broken bone in his right foot, a sprained right ankle and a hyperextended left knee. Center Robert Parish has a sprained left ankle. Guard Danny Ainge suffered a sprained right knee one day after dislocating his right index finger.

"I don't worry about how my feet are," McHale said. "I just go out there thinking about doing what I have to do. No one on this team worries about how other people are feeling or doing. But we just expect them to do what they're capable of." McHale and Parish overcame the pain and starred in the Celtics' 119-113 victory Sunday that gave them a 4-3 triumph in the conference semifinal. Ainge was hurt with 4:46 left in the third quarter, missed the rest of the game and is questionable for Tuesday night.

"My father always said that the most dangerous bear is a wounded bear and I believe him," McHale said. "We're wounded all right." The Pistons are rested. They finished a 4-1 conquest of the Atlanta Hawks See EAST on Page C2 Offense-mind Magic named league's MVP INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) Earvin "Magic" Johnson, asked by his coach to contribute more on offense before the season began, responded with his best-ever year and as a result was named Monday the NBA's Most Valuable Player. Johnson, who averaged a career-high 23.9 points a "game and led the league in assists for the fourth time in the last five years with a 12.2 average, received 65 first-place votes and a total of 733 points from the panel of media members.

Michael Jordan of Chicago, the NBA's leading scorer, had 10 first-place votes and 449 points to finish second. Larry Bird of Boston, the MVP the last three years, had one first-place vote and 271 points to place third. The only other first-place votes went to Charles Barkley of Philadelphia, who finished sixth in the voting and Akeem Olajuwon of Houston, who was seventh. The 6-foot-9 Johnson is the first guard to win the award in 23 years and only the third since the award was first made in 1956. The others were Boston's Bob Cousy in 1957 and Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson in 1964.

"This award I dedicate it belongs to my father," Johnson said at a news conference at the Forum, where the Lakers will face Seattle in the second game of the Western Conference finals Tuesday night. "I'm living for him, in a sense, playing in the NBA. I'm going to give this to him. I hope he'll be proud. I know he See MAGIC on Page C2 Times-News photo ANDY ARENZ Tory Thornton, seen here playing in a singles match against Jerome earlier this season, will be seeking her second straight title KSV's Thornton goes to state a fourth time durance to force a fast game even though Voris likes an action-packed match as well.

Both are the sort of players who "want to play hard and aggressive," as Voris put it. "For me, I want to get out there and win and win fast." But Thornton is also a speed demon. "For me, the only way to play the game is to be aggressive," said the Community School ace. "There is no other way to win." And, of course, the match that sticks in both players minds is last year's championship match. It went three sets, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5, in favor of Thornton.

In tennis, it's impossible to be any closer. The first set, in what was "the longest match I think I've ever played," said Thornton, was a fast one. Thornton, who had lost to Voris in the finals the year before, came out more determined than ever; smashing her serves, controlling the net and taking everything Voris gave her. Her concentration was high and "i knew I was in for a match," said Voris. Realizing that this wasn't going to be easy, the Vallivue senior came on just as strong in the second set and won by the same tight score, 7-5.

That second See THORNTON on Page C2 By MICHAEL VANAUSDELN Times-News writer KETCHUM Last year at the Idaho State Class high school tennis singles championship match, Tory Thornton of the Ketchum-Sun Valley Community School defeated Linda Voris of Caldwell's Vallivue High School. This season, with an undefeated record, Thornton has been making sure that that happens again. "I've been working pretty hard," she said. "I worry a little about state but I think I'll do pretty well. The finals are all I'm shooting for; it's all I think about." She shouldn't need to worry, though.

The Community School senior has gone through this season like a shark through a rubber raft one chomp and she's off to the next one. Thornton led her school to its first District 4 championship in history last weekend, upsetting defending state champion and archrival Wood River High School in the process. Ever since the championship win, her first-ever victory over Voris, Thornton's confidence has become a contributing factor to her success. "I know I can do it now," she said. "That, more than anything, has helped my game." She'll be making her fourth trip to the state high school tournament in Sun Valley this weekend, which although not unprecedented is extremely rare in the annals of the Idaho High School Activities Association.

She's been to the state finals two years in a row, winning last year for the Community School after getting there the year before as a Wood River sophomore. (She also went to state as a ninth-grader at Wood River Junior High). She ran into to a snag last summer, after the season was over, when she faced Voris again and lost to the Vallivue senior. And now, all she's thinking about is beating Voris again at state. And the idea of strutting away the champion with Voris walking away with a second-place finish again is revenge served best.

"I would be really content if I beat Linda in the finals," said Thornton. "Yes, it's a rivalry. It would be very pleasurable to beat her as I'm sure it would be for her. She'll be out to get me." "Yeah, I'd like to beat her," said Voris. "I'd like to see her in the finals one more time." To beat Voris again, Thornton will have to do a few things.

For one, she'll have to use her speed and en Alysheba a triple winner? Don't bet against it CSI men's rodeo team gets still another regional title 'At this point, with Belmont's table being set so lavishly, it matters little that Alysheba appears to be much less than a horse for the tunity to win the title denied his sire. What matters is that Alysheba, with a victory, would become the second-leading money winner in history, behind John Henry, because he would have earned $5 million in combined purses and bonuses for the Triple Crown sweep. "People who don't know much about the Belmont Stakes know what the Triple Crown is about," NYRA president Gerard McKeon said Monday. "We've got two colorful guys (Van Berg and Stephens) who will add some glitz. And people understand money." Before it is run, the Belmont will ByPAULMORAN Newsday Racing could use a hero, a four-legged, bullish, mercurial superstar in the mold of Secretariat or Seattle Slew.

Alysheba, largely unknown before the Kentucky Derby, is not that animal, although he is a victory away from becoming only the 12th Triple Crown winner in history. Racing could use a bitterly contested rivalry in the style of Alydar and Affirmed. None of that here, either. Alydar always left the impression that he would turn the tables on his rival. Bet Twice has been within a length of Alysheba in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but he has been soundly beaten both times.

Despite lack of both superstar and rivalry, the 119th Belmont Stakes is already the most keenly anticipated Triple Crown final since 1979, the year Spectacular Bid stepped on a safety pin and was beaten by Coastal. The script for this Belmont reads like a television miniseries, steeped in intrigue, rife with subplots. Racing needs this Belmont more, perhaps, than it needs a star the same order in saddle bronc riding, but Frank Norcutt won the team roping and Wayne placed second. CSI's Richie Hamilton placed second in bareback riding and teammate Ted Hegy was third in steer wrestling while Darren Shaw was fourth. At the Utah Valley rodeo in Provo which concluded the regular season, Frank Norcutt won the saddle bronc riding, while Wayne Norcutt placed second.

Hamilton- finished second in bareback riding and Shaw and Dave Thacker took the team roping. Pete Jones was third in calf roping, while Hobie Peterson finished fourth. For the CSI women, Gina Quigley took fourth place in goat tying and barrel racing and second in the all-around standings. The Eagles will complete in the nationals in Bozeman, on June 15-20. By The Times-News TWIN FALLS The College of Southern Idaho's men's rodeo team clinched the Intermountain regional title in the final intercollegiate rodeo of the season last weekend in Provo.

Utah. The Eagles collected 2,170 points for the season, far ahead of runnerup Utah Valley with 1,460 and third-place Utah State with 1,400. CSI's men's team has won the regional championship nine of the last 11 years and finished second the other two years. The team has finished out of the top 10 at the National Intercollegiate Rodeo just one of those years. Among individuals, CSI sophomore Wayne Norcutt won the all-around title for the region, while his brother, Frank Norcutt, was second.

The siblings from Battle Mountain, finished in happening. Stephens will attempt to extend his dominance of the Belmont into the realm of science fiction while standing squarely in the path of Alysheba's attempt to win the Triple Crown, racing's most coveted, most elusive and most marketable title. At this point, with Belmont's table being set so lavishly, it matters little that Alysheba appears to be much less than a horse for the ages. What matters is that he is a son of Alydar, who battled Affirmed in all three legs of the 1978 Triple Crown and was denied in each case, by a combined margin of less than two lengths. Racing has been without a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed eight years ago.

Now a son of his rival comes to at Belmont with an oppor 3-year-old or a dramatic, two-horse race. What racing really needs are stronger television ratings and exposure to segments of the sports audience not usually attuned to the game. This Belmont promises to deliver both. It will deliver Jack Van Berg, win-ningest trainer of all time, vs. Woody Stephens, the Wizard of El-mont both Hall of Famers.

By the time Alysheba departed the Pimlico winner's circle on Saturday, Stephens already had dusted off his favorite all-purpose caveat, the one about the buildings being taller on this side of the Hudson. It is the side on which Stephens has won the Belmont Stakes for the last five years. When Alysheba won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness for Van Berg, the June 6 Belmont became a have given racing at least one thing it sorely needs. The bonus, established primarily to hype declining television ratings for the series and make it more attractive to potential commercial sponsors, may be won in the first year of its existence. "I've got to think the odds were 20-1 against that happening," said McKeon, who sits on the board of Triple Crown Productions, the organization formed two years ago to promote the series as a single.