El Paso Times from El Paso, Texas • 13

El Paso Times Saturday May 26, 1990 taction 2E Printout 4E Don Henry Baseball Digest Sports Editor: Ray Hagar, (915) 546-6100 ASU surges to lead; UTEP 5 back Arlington 4, Burges 0 Texas League Diablos 10. Arkansas 7 Detroit 2, Chicago 1 Minnesota 16, Boston 0 New York 6, Kansas City 3 Baltimore 12, Texas 2 Milwaukee at California, late Oakland 5, Cleveland 2 Toronto 3, Seattle 1 (11) bl tin as BSk iHFjiB Cincinnati 5, Montreal 0 San Diego 5, New York 4 rnuaueipiHd 5, Atlanta 4 San Francisco 9, Pittsburgh 8 Los Angeles 4, St Louis 1 Houston at Chicago, ppd Miners cool off, fall to 4th place By Jutlo Lujan El Paso Times LAS CRUCES Paul Stan-kowski and Cameron Doan tamed a steady breeze and scored 2-under-par 70s Friday to keep UTEP in contention for the team crown in the NCAA West Men's Regional golf tournament. The Miners used 73s from Jason Nishimoto and David Bishop for a 2-under-par 286, quite a contrast to Thursday's opening-round 274 on the University Golf Course. The 560 total left the Miners five shots behind -first-place Arizona State. It was a hot-cold day for the Miners, but good enough to stay in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth.

The top nine teams will qualify for Please see UTEP 4E NCAAWeat Teem leaders Arizona State 555 Nevada-Las 558 Arizona 559 UTEP 560 NevadaReno 564 tndlvfdua? feoffors J. Furyk, Arizona. 136 H. Goyen, UNLV 136 P.Mfcketeon, ASU 137 T. Ljung, Pacific 137 Four are tied at 138.

Inside New Mexico State shot a 9-over par 297 in Friday's second round, dropping the Aggies to 15th place 4 New Mexico went from shooting a 4-over-par 292 on Thursday to a 9-under-par 279 on Friday, moving the Lotos into ninth place 7 4 Sun Devils three ahead of Rebels By JuHo Luan El Paso Times LAS CRUCES Arizona State and Nevada-Las Vegas made moves to the front Friday in the NCAA West Regional golf tournament. Behind defending NCAA champion Phil Mickelson's 5-under-par 67, Arizona State shot a 9-under-par 279 for its 36-hole total of 555 at the New Mexico State golf course. It gave the second-ranked Sun Devils a 3-shot cushion over the ninth-ranked Rebels. UNLV moved into second when Hub Goyen matched his opening-day 68 for a two-day total of 136. Teammate Warren Schutte helped with a 69, giving him a two-day score of 139.

"Hub got off to a shaky start but played real hard," UNLV Please see ASU 4E Phoenix 123, Portland 89 Rudy Gutierrez El Paso Times Arizona State's Par Johanasson fired a 2-under-par 70 in Friday's round of the NCAA West Regionals at Las Cruces, helping put his team on top going into today's final round. UTEP is in fourth, five shots back. OM boxers bid Graziano adieu NEW YORK -Rocky Graziano left his mark on Frank Szu-zina and Tom O'Shea, and the two old pros were at St. Patrick's Cathedral Friday to say farewell to Graziano, the former middleweight boxing champion who died Tuesday night. "He was my idol," said Szuzina, a former middleweight fighter.

O'Shea, who said he fought as a bantamweight in the early 1950s, said, "I'm here because I loved the guy." Also at the funeral for Graziano was Jake LaMotta, the Bronx Bull as middleweight champion, the Raging Bull as a movie-made folk hero. Suns rise to occasion, blow away Blazers Oannett News Service PHOENIX, Ariz. Before Friday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix guard Kevin Johnson said no Suns' lead would be big enough in the best-of-seven NBA Western Conference final. "If we get 15, we better get 20," he said. "And if we get 20, we better make it 30.

This is do or die time and we can't ever feel safe." From the first Suns' basket of the game, Phoenix was never in anything less than overdrive, building a 46-point third quarter lead in cruising to 123-89 victory. The Blazers have a 2-1 lead in the series which continues Sunday afternoon at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum. Heading into Friday's game, there was never any doubt the Suns could beat the Blazers just whether they could finish them off. In each of the first two games of the series. Phoenix nad held substantial leads that it lost down the stretch, falling in both games in the final 30 seconds.

"We know we let at least one of those games slip away and we were determined not to let them get close," Suns guard Jeff Hornacek said. "They didn't gain any ground on us in the third quarter and that was the key." In fact, the Blazers actually lost ground in the third quarter. The Suns took their 28-point halftime lead and built it to a 46-point edge, primarily by allowing the Blazers just 17 points in the quarter. At that point, Phoenix coach Cotton Fitzsimmons sat his starters and let the the bench get in some quality playing minutes. Associated Press Michael Jordan and his Bulls need a win.

Eastern finals Tonight's game: Detroit travels to Chicago for Game 3 of best-of-seven series. Hint win situation: The Bute, who have been slowed by injuries, are down 2-0 in the series. Television: Can be seen locally on CBS Channel 4. Pre-game at 11:30 a.m., game at noon. iH I LEI bbbiib IIS1" Lbv ami Stephenson plays in the Skins Game FRISCO, Texas Jan Stephenson will play the LPGA's first Skins Game with a mutilated finger.

She was mugged earlier this year. There were rumors she would be replaced in the elite lineup that also includes JoAnne. Carner, Nancy Lopez and Betsy King. "The rumors just made me that much more determined to play," she said before a final practice session for the two-day, 18-hole, made-for-television event that begins today. Schuler: Clippers will win right away LOS ANGELES Mike Schuler, the new coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, expects big changes.

It's a big day in my life to have the opportunity to coach this team, Schuler said at a news conference Friday. "So far this year, there have been seven coaching jobs open in the NBA. I got the best job, there's no doubt about it. There is just no reason why the Los Angeles Clippers won't have a very good team. We're talking right away." Musburger admits talking too much NEW YORK Surprise.

Brent Musburger agrees with the critics who wish he'd shut up once in a while. "When I'm watching tapes of a game I did, there are many times when I get tired of the sound of my own voice," Musburger says in an interview in the June 1 issue of Entertainment Weekly. "I turn the sound off or just shut the damn thing off and walk away." Musburger, for years the sports anchor at CBS, was fired by the network and signed with ABC. Texas schoolboy The 34-point deficit was Portland's largest ever in the playoffs. It added up fast thanks to Phoenix's playoff-shooting record of 61 percent from the field.

"When the going gets good, it Please see Suns 3E Associated Press Phoenix's Mark Wast went over Portland's Kevin Duckworth, left, during the Suns' 123-89 victory over the Trail Blazers. Portland's Clyde Drexler, right, looked on. Burges' back to the wall after 4-0 loss Tonight's game Who: El Paso Diabtos (25-19) vs. Arkansas Travelers (17-24) When, whets: 7:15 p.m. at Dudley Field Radio: KHEY-AM 690, air time 7 pin.

Pitchers: El Paso righthander Cart EJdred (0-1) vs. Arkansas left-hander Isaac ANeyne (1-1) "We lost this game, and It doesn't make a bit of difference. They have a one-game edge and still have to win one more." Surges coach Bob Osborne Diablos down Travelers, now tied for first By Ruben Luna El Paso Times The El Paso Diablos moved back into a tie for first place in the Texas League Western Division with a 10-7 victory over the Arkansas Travelers Friday night. The Diablos' victory at Dudley Field, coupled with Wichita's 6-3 loss to Shreveport put El Paso in a first-place tie with the Wranglers. Both teams are 25-19.

As 3,980 fans watched lured partly to see The Famous Chicken perform the Diablos came from behind against Arkansas, scoring five runs in the first inning and adding another five in the eighth. Two El Paso pitchers starter Mike Ignasiak and Robinson Garces allowed six Arkansas runs, three each in the fourth and fifth innings. But it was little-used Scott May getting the victory. May came on in the seventh to strike out three Travelers to go to 1-0 on the season. Doug Henry pitched the ninth, giving up one run on two hits before striking out Ric Christian to end the game.

pitcher's duel between Muhoz and Parker. Although both teams had chances to score, the pitchers were in command. "To be truthful, I felt Burges hit the ball pretty well," Arlington Coach Gerald Brown said. "But Parker was just on top of his game. We have a lot of respect for El Paso, so I expect them to come back.

"They showed a lot of character just bv making it this far. Mustangs muster four hits off Arlington ace By Rick Cantu El Paso Times ARLINGTON, Texas For the second straight week, the Burges Mustangs will need a doubleheader sweep to advance in the state baseball playoffs. Arlington High pitcher Brian Parker pitched a fqur-hitter Friday to lead the Colts to a 4 0 regional semifinal victory over Burges. The best-of-three series resumes today at 10 a.m. MDT at the University of Texas-Arlington.

Burges Coach Bob Osborne, whose team lost 194 in the opener of last week's area playoffs at Midland High, hopes for another timely rally. The Mustangs swept a pair from Midland last Saturday to reach the, regionals. "We're i not talking about hope or disappointment or any of that baloney," Osborne said with a touch of anger in his voice. "We lost this game, and it doesn't make a bit of difference. They have a one-game edge and still have to win one more.

"We're not looking at hit record Friday's loss was particularly painful because the Mustangs easily could have won. Burges senior Jesse Muhoz pitched five scoreless innings before the Colts rallied for four unearned runs in the sixth. Three Burges errors, a walk, and a two-run double by designated hitter Ken Ferguson gave the Colts the lead for good. Those four runs were more than enough for Parker, who limited Burges to four singles. Only one Mustang hitter Dan Beck reached third base.

"We expected Parker to pitch a good game," Osborne said. "Both pitchers did a great job." Still, this was a tough game to lose, said Muhoz, whose record dropped to 8-4. "I'd rather lose 194 than to lose a game like this," he said. "It's so tough to play a good game, only to lose it at the end." For five innings, it was a Winning this game is a relief, El Paso went ahead for good in the eighth. Catcher Bert Heffernan started the comeback when he walked, and he was quickly singled to second by Mitch Hannahs.

Rafael Skeete, who was hitless in three at-bats before the inning, then lined a double over Arkansas right fielder Joe Hall's head. But on the play, Heffernan was held at third by Manager Dave Huppert. Traveler second baseman Scott Melvin held the ball, though, and Heffernan came home to tie the game at 64 while Hannahs and Skeete advanced. After El Paso's Dee Dixon singled to score another run, Charlie Montoyo lined a two-run single- Those runs gave the Diablos a 9-6 lead before Montoyo scored on a Jesus Alfaro single to make it 10-6. BEAUMONT, Texas -Orangefield High School's Jeff Granger singled in the third inning of a state baseball playoff game Friday night, extending his hitting streak to 42 games, one shy of the national record.

Granger got the hit in his second at-bat against Huffman High after being walked intentionally in the first inning. Granger holds the Texas record. The national hitting mark was set in 1980 by Jim Imhoff of Lansing, Mich. Times fvfrfj reports but the relief is so short-lived. Osborne would not reveal who would start today's opener, but it likely wilsl be senior Eric Vidal, 9-1.

Osborne also could go with junior Robert Barrueta, 7-0. At least one Mustang feels the team can rebound with victories. "We have a lot of character, so we just have to come out and show them," Muhoz said..