Livingston County Daily Press and Argus from Howell, Michigan • 52

Wednesday, May 16, 1990 THE LIVINGSTON-COUNTY PRESS Pirates top Puddle Jumper mmeet By Rick Byrne SPORTS EDITOR jjc Rick Byrne tiA Sports Editor a A fl' The 3.200 relay team of Gar Eddings. Eric Kaiser. John Graham and Reason was a winner. In the 1.600 meters. Eddings was first and Graham third.

Reason also won the 400. -r The Pirates scored with three top-five finishers In the 3.200 run. Eddings won the event with Jayson Shore taking third and Demian Rose fifth. The Pinckney girls also competed, taking fifth of five teams. The Pirates came home With 18 medals for high finishes, however "We had a lot of young girls who got Continued on 7 the discus.

Carl MontaKo, third In the discus, was second in the shot put Van-Gorden was third in that event and Rocky Minghini sixth for the Pirates. Pinckney also placed two boys in the long Jump, with Tom Reason taking third and Nick Karfonta sixth. able to score In any event at an invitational is a good goal and a good accomplishment 1 was proud of our field events to perform in those conditions. They started early when it hadn't warmed up any. Rain kept up throughout the field events The Pirates had four more wins on Saturday, three of them in distance events.

efl. The name sure is appropriate. It doesn't matter when we run that meet-March, April or May. It always The Pirates racked up 1 1314 points, while Milan and South Lyon tied for second place with 72. The Pirates scored in every event and in eight of the events, Pinckney scored twice.

Pinckney got off to a 24V4 -point lead through the field events, and never looked back. The Pirates' Clayton Nikanowicz won the high Jump at 6-3, and Just missed a school record of 6-4. Third went to teammate Steve Liebert. The rain-slicked pole vault was won by Nick Dimltroff. and Jim VanGorden won Saturday's Milan Puddle Jumper Invitational certainly lived up to its name, but the wet conditions didnt slow the Plnc-kney High boys' track team.

The Pirates successfully defended their title in the meet which was run in a different format this season. Previously a relay meet the Puddle Jumper was changed to an invitational meet this season. The date was also moved from the former one in April The only thing that remained the same was the weather. "It rained the whole time we were down there, said Pinckney Coach Dave Mltch- Highlanders win Ann Arbor again v. --SgHW I II, I 1 I By Rick Byrne sports editor It was anything but a watered-down victory for the Howell High baseball team, as the Highlanders won their division in the Rawlings Ann Arbor Huron baseball tournament for the second year in a row Saturday.

Rain halted the proceedings, preventing Howell from playing its final game, but that didn't diminish the victory for the Highlanders. "We were the only team in the tournament with an undefeated record," said Howell Coach Tom Burkert "We ended up bringing the trophy home. That was one of the goals the kids had set for themselves this year to go to Ann Arbor and win our division again." Before the rain started. Howell got in one last victory over Manchester Saturday morning, defeating the Frying Dutchmea 7-1. Bill McCann blasted a three-run homer in the first inning to give the Highlanders a head start and Don Banfleld limited the me Howell as the Wildcats scored three runs on a two-run homer and a solo shot The Highlanders had the chance to regain the lead in the bottom half of the Inning.

Howell had runners on second and third with one out The Highlanders scored once, and Novfs pitcher walked the bases loaded be-1 fore striking out the final batter. "It was a pretty well-played ball-, game," said Burkert "We were swinging the bat pretty well but it seems like catching the ball has been a mystery to us." Howell won the second game, but gave up a shot at mercying the Wild- cats in the top of the fifth. With the Highlanders up 10-0 and three outs away from a mercy, Novi came on for two runs in the fifth' and two in the sixth to keep things interesting. McCann homered twice and doubled to go 3-for-4. Ford Nicholson -also homered, and Chad Sexton and Bill Neathamer each doubled.

On Friday, the Highlanders swept Lakeland. 16-12 and 11-2. but like everything else Howell accomplished last week, it didn't come easy. The opener took three hours and 10 minutes to play. The Highlanders trailed 12-10 going into the seventh Inning, and scored six times.

Trahey, Nicholson and Darby Scott each had two RBIs in the Inning. That was one of the ugliest games -I think rve ever seen," said Burkert "It's one of those things were it Just goes back and forth and whoever has the last run wins. The kids did a nice job coming back, though." In the nightcap, Howell revived its defenses, and kept up the solid hit- ting for a convincing win. Sexton tossed for the victory. McCann, Sex- ton, Trahey and Chris Monet were all 2-for-3 in the game, and Roger Nl- cholson was 3-for-4.

Continued on 7 Dutch to Just two hits to secure igto title. Not everything went according Photo by JANET COX Talking baseball with the area professionals Tm one of those nutty people who likes to scan the scoreboard pages of the sports section. We're easy to spot When we haven't got our noses burled In the boxscores, well squint at you a lot That's what happens when you devote yourself to the fine print. Til read anything if it's in that little print that we newspaper people call agate (rhymes with maggot). I got started on this kick when I was about 12 and had a subscription to The Sporting News.

The only thing I loved better than following my beloved New York Mets was reading the batting averages and ERAs of their minor league prospects. I can still remember showing a friend the averages from Class AA Jackson and asking "What kind of a name is Strawberry?" So it was with great interest that I discovered some local talent among the minor league listings last week in one of, the Detroit papers. Two Livingston County residents are at this moment paying their dues in the minor leagues, coincldentalry both in the New York Yankees farm system. Doug Go-golewskl of Brighton and Paul Oster of Hamburg are both hoping for that day when they get the call from the big club. Cogolewskl, a pitcher, was on the road when I tried to reach him at the Yanks' Albany, N.Y., club in the Class AA Eastern League.

Unfortunately, Go-Go's had a tough time of it this season. He's progressed steadily through the system to reach this point Just two steps away from the majors, but needs to "settle down after the Jump to AA, according to the Yanks' public relations man in Albany. Through May 6, he's 1-2 in four starts. In 1 1V4 innings, he's surrendered nine hits and 15 runs, 13 of them earned, for an ERA of 10.32. He does, however, have 15 strikeouts.

Last year in Class A ball, Gogolewski pitched for Ft Lauderdale of the Florida State League. He was 6-12, With a 3.63 ERA. Anyone who followed Brighton High baseball a few years back could remember Gogolewski. I last talked to Him after he'd been drafted in the spring of 1988, fresh 4ut of Michigan State University. But when I came to the name Paul Oster of Hamburg, I drew a blank.

Nobody around this office had heard of him. He was bom In Detroit prepped at Inkster High, and played college ball at the University of Oklahoma. An impressive set of credentials. As Oster explains it his parents always had a cabin on Zukey Lake when he was growing up. and now they live thereyear-round.

When baseball season is over, he ctames home to Hamburg. 'j caught up with Oster, a centerflelder, while he was traveling with the Prince William Cannons, a Class A tfjam in the Carolina League. The Cannons play in Woodbridge, which is in Prince William County. i It was mid-afternoon, and Oster was in his hotel room in Frederick, when I reached him by phone, there were a couple of other players talking in the background, and I got the impression everyone was taking it easy before a night game. "We're on the road right now." Oster said, "but we'll be home tomorrow." He said it was a hectic schedule of 140 games in the Carolina League.

That was one of the biggest adjustments he's had to make since coming out of college ball in 1989. "Coming from a major college to pro ball you have to getjised to playing every day." he said. That and the wooden bat You know, in college everybody uses aluminum. With the wooden bat you cant hit doubles In the gap off your hands. You've got to hit the ball with the fat part of the bat" Oster speaks like a baseball purist though, when he says he prefers the wooden bat now that he's being forced to use it "I like the wooden bat so much now.

I wish Td never picked up an aluminum bat. Oster said. "It's a lot bet-tersoundlng. You know, that 'crack' it makes whenyou hit it right With the aluminum, you get that ting' and it sounds kind of funny. "And when pitchers throw inside to you.

It's a lot more of a challenge to make good contact Once you get used to it though, it's like, I dont know it's like it fee right" asked Oster about his future goals, and he said. "Right now, my goal is to get out of this slump Tm in." Through the first 15 games. Oster Is 5-for-41 for a 122 average. Among those five hits, though, are a double! triple and home run. and three RBIs.

Oster Is optimistic. have a lot of goals," he said. "Right now. Tm struggling, but my goals will change as I improve." As our conversation drew to a close, Oster lamented thel fact that he was going to miss most of the fishing season here. 1 won't be back until It's almost winter he said.

"About all HI get to do is go ice fishing." I assured him that that wasn't all bad. since the ice fishing Is still pretty good here as long as we get some Ice.i also thought about telling him to forget about ice, and to think warm thoughts to heat up his bat I figured, though, that he'd know better what to do about tha than I would. words about the wooden bats hit home with me; Although he had a little trouble finding the right words to describe the feeling of hitting with a wooden baC I knew exactly what he meant There's a certain mystique to the game that makes the. words "baseball" and "tradition go together like peanuts and Cracker Jack. Whether it's a wooden bat you're holding in your hands, or Just the scoreboard page of the newspaper, you can understand the feeling.

Something tells me this kid's going to make It Howell's Kathy Klauzertberg chases Lakeland's Megan Evans Friday Howell strikers fumble in OT plan for the Highlanders last week, however. Last Monday, Howell split a double-header at Milford. The Highlanders won the opener, 5-2, behind the pitching of Brian Trahey. Trahey had been unavailable for mound duty lately due to arm soreness. He came back strong to hold the Redskins to five hits.

McCann helped him out with 2-for-4 hitting. In the second game, the Redskins inflicted the mercy rule on Howell, 1 1-1. McCann homered for the only Highlander run, but Howell committed a slew of errors. "We didnt play very well, said Burkert "We had 10 errors. It was not very impressive." Howell also split Wednesday's twinbill with Novi.

The Highlanders lost the opener, 5-4, despite leading by a 3-2 margin going into the seventh inning. The long ball doomed speration, but they ended up beating us." Last Monday, the Highlanders lost to Milford, 4-0. They were shut out against Lakeland on Friday. 13-0. "We're beginning to hold our own, said Novak.

"We're playing a good, dean game. They're beginning to work together better." Howell stands at 1 -13. and 1 -9 in the Kensington Valley Conference. Coming up. Howell plays South Lyon at home this afternoon.

The Highlanders were scheduled to meet Hartland Monday, and to travel to East Lansing Tuesday. District play begins Monday. Sometimes, the harder you try, the more you get behind. That was the case last Wednesday as the Howell High soccer team lost a tough battle to Novl in overtime. 5-2.

The teams were deadlocked, 2-2, through regulation. Colleen Mahoney and Darlene Joki had scored solo shots for the Highlanders. In the first 10 minutes of the overtime period, the teams stayed even. In the latter part of overtime, the Highlanders pulled out all the stops, but the plan backfired. "With the inexperience and everything, we let a couple go in the last 10 minutes, said Howell Coach Bruce Novak.

"We tried everything in de Streaking Highlanders sweep Milford and Novi 1 By Rick Byrne SPORTS EDITOR "Now as long as we can keep scoring runs, it will be nice to keep putting those black marks in the scorebook." Howell Coach Wil Gaffner The ball is starting to bounce the right way for the Howell High Softball team. The Highlanders swept a pair of double-headers last week to go on a short winning streak, before coming back to Earth on Friday against Lakeland. The high point came on Wednesday as Howell scored two 10-0 victories over Novl, with both games lasting only five Innings. Howell's Mary Munsell set the tone for the opener, ripping a home run in the first inning. She went 3-for-3 with four RBIs.

Molly Helkklnen and Debbie Quackenbush were both 2-fbr-3. Pitcher Allyson Hirschman allowed Just two hits, both in the first inning. She struck out three and walked one. In the nightcap. Kim Eckerle blasted two homers and was 3-for-3.

Hirschman gave up three hits and walked Just one batter. "We've realty started hitting the ball better the last week and a half, said Howell Coach WllGaf-fher. "WeVe always played good defense and Airy son has thrown welL It's Just that everybody outscored us. We're hoping to finish strong after; a rocky start" The Highlanders picked up a twlnblll sweep last Monday as well. They defeated Milford.

5-2 and 7-2. Hirschman walked Just one batter In 14 innings. "When you can keep them off the bases, you don't give them the free ones said Gaffner. "Now as long as we can keep scoring runs, it will be nice to keep putting those black marks in the scorebook. Unfortunately, there weren't enough black marks In the book on Friday as the Highlanders were swept by Lakeland.

9-4 and 4-3. The nightcap was decided in the 10th Inning as a bunt turned into a four-base error, scoring the winning rim. Howell is now 6-13 on the season, and 5-1 1 in the Kensington Valley Conference. The Highlanders were slated to meet South Lyon Monday, and will face Hartland this afternoon. Howell will be in the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor tournament Friday and Saturday.

Photo by RICK BYRNE Howell's Mary Munsell applies the tag at third.