The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 24

Sports THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN 25 THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1993 Sonics End Road Skid, Upend Suns SMIt Photo by Jim Becltei Pitchers (from left) Maria Looper, Susie Parra and Kyla Hal! try out the colored balls that will be used in this year's NCAA Softball Tournament. PHOENIX (AP) The Seattle SuperSon-ics finally found life on the road Wednesday night. After dropping their first four playoff games away from home, the Sonics beat the Phoenix "Suns 103-99 to even the Western Conference finals at l-l, with the best-of-7 series now shifting to Seattle. The Sonics won on a gutsy 3-pointer by Sam Perkins with 9.8 seconds to play and 34 points by guard Ricky Pierce. Perkins was in a dreadful shooting slump before hitting the winning basket.

On Seattle's previous possession, he forced a fadeaway 3-pointer with sufficient time left on the shot clock. But this time his shot was true. Danny Ainge of the Suns then attempted a floating one-hander from the baseline. Charles Barkley of Phoenix elbowed Shawn Kemp underneath, and Kemp hit both foul shots with 1.7 seconds left to make it 103-99. Game 3 will be Friday night in Seattle, where the Suns did not win a game during the regular season.

Pierce scored eight points after Phoenix took an 80-70 lead with 11:17 left on Dan Ma-jerle's 3-pointer. Perkins finished with 19 points and Kemp with 16. Majerle led the Suns with 29 points, and Barkley added 24. Both DIVISION I SOFTBALL BRACKET ma Spiked Ball Adds Punch to the Party MAY 27-31 1. UCLA (46-3) Tt-iursday, 6 p.m.

8. Connecticut (44-12) 5. Florida St. (52-7) Phoenix forward Charles Barkley (34) shoots over Seattle's Sam Perkins (14) during Wednesday night's playoff game in Phoenix. -t Bye Thursday, 8 p.

4. Oklahoma St. Sundav. 3 D.m.Mf 1 I 1 I 6. Long Beach St.

(45-19) M3pndmay' I M3)lf neccessary I Sunday, 8 p.m. JL. jjg') Friday, 6 p.m. 3 3. Mnzona iwu I rMATinMAL i Saturdays 8 wnnerotuoriv i I 7.

sw Louisiana tao-oi p.m. i i Hmr tun Friday, 8 p.m. 2. Cal St Northrldaa By Berry Tramel Staff Writer The NCAA's new yellow softball does not glow in the dark. It doesn't have to.

The glow from gleeful hitters could light any field. NCAA softball remains a pitcher's sport, and the Women's College World Series which begins at 6 tonight at Hall of Fame Stadium is a who's who of great collegiate pitchers. Seven of the top eight earned-run averages nationally belong to pitchers in the 8-team field. Of the five pitchers named first-team Ail-American, four Oklahoma State's Melanie Roche, UCLA's Lisa Fernandez, Arizona's Susie Parra and Southwestern Louisiana's Kyla Hall are in the An. Loser of fl Jr- Monday, '1 p.m.7N I mrofl Sunday, Hfn zJ Losarofl Sundav Pitching, Hitting Statistics Page 33 But the game has changed since last May, when UCLA won its fourth NCAA title in the last five years.

The white, Dudley ball with a cork core has been replaced by a yellow, Wilson ball with a polyure-thane center. The ball is harder, jumps off the bat quicker and travels farther. "This ball is exactly what softball needs," said Cal State-Northridge coach Gary Torgeson, whose team has hit 40 home runs this season, double its 1992 total. "You'll still sep great-pitched games. But it used to be one run and it's over.

Well, See SOFTBALL, Page 33 Saturday. 11 a.mj il i p.m. throws, and Perkins dropped in a 3-pointer with 1:58 remaining to cut the deficit to 97-96. Kemp's second pair of foul shots gave Seattle a 98-97 lead with 1:23 to play. With a minute to go, Miller gave the Suns a 99-98 lead with a layup after Ainge's scoop assist, and the Suns missed a chance to put the game away when Barkley rebounded a See SONICS, Page 29 had 10 rebounds.

Phoenix held 6-point leads after the first, second and third quarters but was unable to fend off the Sonics in the final 12 minutes. Majerle, who had 10 points in the fourth period, appeared to save the team with three clutch shots. The last, a 10-foot clock-beater with 3:06 to go, gave Phoenix a 95-90 lead. However, Kemp hit his last six free ounuay, p.m. i Loser of 2 loser of 4 Loser or 77 r- I '1 Saturday, Loser of 7 89er Pitching Puts Out Fire With 4-1 Victory Over Indians first innine: two doubles in the fifths nnrninfT in and rhrowine strikes for us." Boxscore, Standings Page 30 leadoff double in the sixth; and a two-out double in the ninth.

The Indians' only run came in the fourth, and Brown also worked out of jams in that inning. Indy had three hits in the fourth, then grounded into an inning-ending double play, "He got the ground ball double play when we reallv needed it." Jones said. "Good which over the previous three games had lasted only 10V3 innings and been shelled for 28 hits and 22 runs. Previously-winless starter Rob Brown (1-4) pitched out of several jams, allowing eight hits, but just one run and no walks, over six innings. Relievers Mark Lee and Mike Schooler, who earned his third save, finished the victory with three shutout innings.

The 89ers' relief corps, which had an unbelievably bad 8.44 earned run average But the relievers had to share the spotlight with Brown on Thursday night, as the right-hander tied his longest outing of the season. "Brown was outstanding. He had his split-finger fastball working tonight and he was moving his fastball around, He did a heckuva job," said Jones, Brown answered several Indy challenges, The Indians were held scoreless despite consecutive game-opening singles in the By Bob Hersom Staff Writer The 89ers used some expected and unexpected relief to stop their three-game losing streak and Indianapolis' tliree-game winning sreak Wednesday night. In a 4-1 victory before 2,711 at All Sports Stadium, the Niners got: Expected relief from their bullpen, which hasn't allowed an earned run in 21 Va innings. Bonus relief from their starting staff, through 29 games, has a 0.64 ERA in 12 subsequent games.

During the current stretch, 89er relievers have allowed just three earned runs in 42 Va innings, "They're throwing the ball well and really going after the hitters," said 89er manager Bobby Jones. "They're all doing the job, pitching stops good hitting any day." See 89ERS, Page 30 Sooners Swooned in '92-'93 Cowboys' Rivera Ideal Leadoff Man Record (Conference NCAA Finish) Record (Conference NCAA Finish) jSBeIMSBISeP I But OU Officials Aren't Pushing the Panic Button FOOTBALL BASEBALL WRESTLING in the top two at the Big Eight 9-3 (3rd Gator Bowl) 43-24 (2nd CWS) 12-7 (4th 13th) 15-13 (3rd) 40-26 (6th) 21-8 (T-2nd) 5-4-2 (4th) 31-24 (5th) 11-7 (3rd 21st) 13-17 (3rd) 22-28 (6th) 20-12 (T-5th) 12-15 (6th) (4th) (2nd 16-10 (4th) 18-7 (3rd) 13- 7 (2noV 4th) 14- 6 (1st 7th) (3rd) (4th) (5th) (4th) (rth) (6th) By Mike Baldwin Staff Writer STILLWATER Ernesto Rivera is your consummate leadoff hitter. It's not often you see a 5-7, 165-pound leadoff man who leads the team in almost every offensive category, but Rivera has put up some solid statistics heading into the Midwest Regional, which begins Friday in Stillwater. Rivera leads Oklahoma State in RBIs (55), doubles (17), runs (71), VOLLEYBALL SOFTBALL MEN'8 BASKETBALL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MEN'S GOLF WOMEN'S GOLF MEN'8 TENNIS WOMEN'S TENNIS MEN'S OYMNAST.CS WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS MEN'S INDOOR TRACK WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK JOHN 17-12 (T-4th) (1st 14th) 2nd) 20-4 (1st) 9-11 (7th) 8-4 (2nd) 12-4 (3rd 7th) 4th) (4th) (3rd) The 1992-93 school year was not the best of times for University of Oklahoma athletics. In 19 sports 10 men, nine women the Sooners claimed one Big Eight Conference title.

That same in women's gymnastics, which has only four conference ieams. Eight of OU's 19 programs had lower conference finishes than in 1991-92, Only four programs placed Mghcr. The football team won five james, its lowest total since 1965, For the first time since 1925, the football team failed to have a all-conference selection. Championships. The Sooners placed fourth.

The baseball program, which last year advanced to the College World Series, had a conference record and wasn't considered for a post-season berth. The women's basketball coach resigned in midseason. The wrestling coach resigned and was reassigned, Football players refused to prscticB There's more, but you get the point. Mercifully, the 1992-93 season ended for OU athletics last Saturday afternoon with a baseball game See OU, Page 27 Jjjjjjjj ROHDE Ernesto Rivera hits (69) and triples (5) is tied for second in home runs (11) and is third in stolen bases 4th) For the second time in 12 seasons, the mon's basketball team had no first-team all-conference selection. For the first time in 11 years, the men's golf team failed to finish MEN'S CR088 COUNTRY (6th) WOMENS CROSS COUNTRY (6th) (12).

See OSU, Page SO Th Oklnhaman Graphic 'NCAA raiulu ponding Outdoors Oklahoma lake patrolman want boaters to know: The changes In state boating laws are significant. State parks prepare lor the Baseball Ball) more 6 Baseoan New York 2 Milwaukee 8 American League Toronto 1 Boston 2 Kansas City ...4 Detroit 4 Chicago 3 Minnesota 12 California 0 Oakland ..,,11 Seattle 2 Texas 6 Cleveland 7 Furthermore More players suspended from Texaa football team. Page 26. Wednesday's Remington Park results. Pag 28.

Boris Becker ouated In French Open. Page 20. High schools. Pago 29, Indy 5O0. Page 29.

Cavalry Oklahoma City Cavalry season tickets (or the 1993-84 season will so on sale to the public at 9 a.m. on June 1. Story, Page 29 National League Colorado San Francisco 2 HouBton 2 Chicago 4 Sfln Dj0go St. Louis 0 Los Angeles Montreal ,6 New York 5 Pag. 30 Philadelphia 4 American Assoc.

Florida ,5 Indianapolis 1 Pittsburgh 4 69ara 4 Pae 30 holiday weekend. Fishing report; lake levels, 8torlea, Page 31.