The Messenger from Madisonville, Kentucky • 7

Sports The Messenger Madisonville, Thursday July 22, 1982 7 This weekend finds class events in towns ports platter By Jim Griesch called Orange Crush. Butchs Babes are back, coached by Frank Gibson. They are girls from the host YAA. Orange Crush is back, but playing under the name Sprite this year. Tournament manager Amp Sisk says hes heard that Sprite is better than the Orange Crush team, having played in all tournaments this summer.

And, Hopkinsville is back, hoping to defend its title. While out-of-towners could walk away with the championships this weekend, this could be a time for some good, ole fashioned, sports-oriented civic pride. While die little softball players and the swimmers will be on display, so will the sports town of Madisonville. The town has hosted state-wide sports events before, but not two at the same time. Whatever, it should be fun.

Rain either Friday or Saturday could complicate either events schedule, but luck has held most of the summer with rain, etc. The softball teams are coming from as far away as Maysville and Benton, but most of the 19 teams are from the county and neighboring counties such as Caldwell, Christian, Muhlenberg, and McLean. Of the 19 teams, 16 come from within 65 miles of town. This will be the third year in a row that Madisonville has hosted this age group tournament. Two years ago, the United States Slo-Pitch Softball Association (USSSA) held a tournament here.

A local team finished second. Last year, the ASA held a tournament here, and a team from Hopkinsville won, followed by Franks Fireballs and Butchs Babes, then a team from Marshall County The swimmers are even more numerous. Coming from as far away as Bowling Green (two teams), Hopkinsville, Russellville, and Greenville, local motels have already confirmed several multi-room reservations. MCC swim coach Lairy Nofsinger estimates that between 600-800 swimmers, parents, and friends will be here for the SCC meet. The country club will host several social functions in conjunction with the swimming, and action will focus clearly on the pool at MCC.

Nofsinger said that the fence surrounding the pool will be temporarily removed, and bleachers aligned along the sides and ends of the just to handle the expected crowd. While the softballers are battling for survival right from Friday night, the swim meet will be conducted in three By JIM GRIESCH Sports Editor The two premier sports events for Madisonville and Hopkins County are coming this weekend. Together. At the same time. Friday through Saturday night, the Amateur Softball Associations state tournament for preeen age girls 12-and-under) will take place on three fields at the Youth Athletic Association on Outer W.

Main. Friday through Sunday, Madisonville Country Club is hosting the South Central Swim Conferences annual meet. The softball tourney will draw over 300 players, probably another 200 parents and fans to the qity. Many of the teams are within driving distance of town, and will probably spend their nights at home. But, theyll play plenty of ball, drink plenty of soda and tea, and eat plenty of food.

stages. Friday, the diving will be completed (weather permitting) and on Saturday, medley relay finals and individual stroke elimination heats will be held, with stroke and freestyle relay finals coming Sunday. If the softball teams can stay on schedule, the first games will begin at 6:30 Friday night, resume at 9 a.m., Saturday, and end by perhaps 9 p.m. Reds fire McNamara, promote Russ Nixon usually the man in charge on the field. I think Mac felt it (the firing) was coming, that it was not too far away during the last few days.

McNamara would not talk to reporters Wednesday. He is the third major league manager fired this season, along with Milwaukees Buck Rodgers and the New York Yankees Bob Lemon. A manager is only as good as his players, said Anderson, manager of the Detroit Tigers. Hes a kind of a watchdog. He has to have control over his club, but he cant win ballgames.

This is no black mark against John McNamara. Nixon, who has spent 12 years in the Reds organization as minor league manager and a third base coach, is considered more of a disciplinarian than the soft-spoken McNamara. He promised a more wide-open style of baseball. CINCINNATI (AP) Russ Nixon, elevated to his first major league managing job, says his top priority is to spice up the Cincinnati Reds style of play. I think were very uninteresting, said Nixon, 47, named Wednesday to replace John McNamara as manager.

I think people will come to see us if we go out there a little cocky and interesting. Cincinnati was beaten by the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Wednesday night in Nixons debut. Reds President Dick Wagner didnt mention whether he, too, found the team boring Wednesday when he fired McNamara. But Wagner made no secret that he wasnt pleased that the club with the best record in the major leagues in 1981 has the second-worst record this year. The bottom line in this case is that I feel we are a better ballclub than our record of 34 and 58 indicates, Wagner said, in an nouncing McNamaras firing.

We have 70 games remaining in the season, and our work is cut out for us. Im not going to say much more than that. The new-look Reds built with an emphasis on speed, pitching and defense never panned out, and McNamara ended up constantly shuffling his lineup to find a winning combination. The Reds lack of run production and power persisted, and the team has not been able to win more than three straight games this season. We didnt put -a winning ballclub on the field, and Im responsible for that, too, maybe more so than other people, said third baseman Johnny Bench, batting just .227.

Its not been a good, productive year for several people. When you lose, the end result is there are a lot of people to Marne," Bench said. The guy who gets most of the blame is New boss Russ Nixon was in a pensive mood as he studied the game action last night in Cincinnati. It was his debut as the new manager of the Reds, and it was a losing proposition, 3-2. (AP Laserphoto) Stargell ruins Reds, Nixon's debut, 3-2 Cards blank Braves ST.

LOUIS (AP) For a pitcher who had just manufactured his second career shutout, righthander Steve Mura of the St. Louis Cardinals ranked as subdued. I really prefer it be a little closer, said Mura, the author Wednesday night of an 8-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves. I felt a little strange going opt there and throwing fastballs. The 6-foot-2 Mura, notably a curveballer, employed his specialty infrequently while silencing Atlanta on five hits.

I didnt pitch that well. I was all over the place, the St. Louis hurler said. I was just trying to throw it right down the middle. They knew what was coming.

Braves batters, however, found foreknowledge a small advantage as the Cards snapped their winning streak at four games. When you have a big lead like that, its a whole different game, said Dale Murphy of Atlanta in respect to Muras advantage. You just throw strikes. Theyve got a peat defense. Mura, who walked one and fanned two, was staked to a 7-0 lead in the first two innings and afterward rationed the Braves to Joe Cowleys one-out single in the third and two-out singles by Murphy and Bob Homer an inning later.

Chris Chambliss fanned on a 0-2 curve for the key out following the hits by Murphy and Horner. From that point on, Mura faced only 16 batters the minimum while squaring his record at 7-7. On the strength of his 102-pitch performance, Mura posted his first shutout since compiling a four-hit victory Oct. 3, 1980 over the San Francisco Giants. It was also St.

Louis first shutout success in 53 games since June 2. When your pitchers pitch and your hitters hit, it makes it easier, said Cards Manager Whitey Herzog. Contrasting steeply with the pitching fortunes enjoyed by Mura at the outset was the fate suffered by Atlanta right-hander Bob Walk, 8-7. Keith Hernandez two-run double, an RBI double by Darrell Porter and Ken OberkfeUs RBI single keyed a four-run Cards uprising in the first. An inning later, George Hendrick slugged a two-run triple and scored on Porters second double.

Despite losing, the Braves retained their six-game lead in the National League West over the San Diego Padres, who lost 7-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies. victory for Pittsburgi. Kent Tekulve retired the last six batters in order for his 15th save and his third in as many nights. since Ive been here, even the year we won the pennant. I think hes more effective this year.

I think he (Tekulve) is throwing as well has he ever has, Tanner said. Hes been so effective the most effective CINCINNATI (AP) This is the way Willie Stargell would like to take his final bow in ballparks across the country. If you could sit down and say just how youd like to do it, this Is the kind of thing youd like to do in every ballpark, said Stargell, who slammed a game-winning, league season. He said hed know when the time was to retire, and this is that time, Tanner said. Hed like to go out with a bang.

Stargells bang Wednesday will go down in the record books for two other reasons: it tied him with Stan Musials 475 career home runs, 14th on the all-time list, and gave Cincinnatis Russ Nixon his first loss as a major league manager. Nixon, formerly a Reds third base coach, was named to replace the fired John McNamara on Wednesday. Although the Reds lost their sixth straight game, suffered their 21st defeat in their last 25 games, and fell to 34-59, Nixon was pleased with his teams performance, I know we got beat, but I think the guys played their butts off, Nixon said. Thats all were asking of them. Dale Berras solo homer off starter Bob Shirley gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead in the third, but Reds rookie Paul Householder hit a two-run homer in the fourth.

The Pirates tied the game in the seventh when Bill Madlock led off with an infield hit, stole second, took third on a ground out and scored on Tony Penas two-out double off the left-field wall just over the reach of a leaping Eddie Milner. Larry McWilliams, 6-4, pitched the first seven innings to post the his last game at Riverfront Stadium to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. It doesnt always work out that way. In Houston, I struck out twice. On the day when the moribund Reds made a managerial change of course to try to change their fortunes, Stargell pulled himself even with one of the games greatest hitters.

Stargell, 41, who plans to retire at the end of the season, came off the bench with one out in the eighth inning and the score tied 2-2. Reliever Tom Hume, 2-6, got a 1-1 count and then threw a breaking ball that Stargell drilled into the seats in right field for his third homer, all of them as a pinch-hitter. It means a lot because it means youre making a contribution to the ballclub, Stargell said. Thats what I wanted to do this year. Pirate Manager Chuck Tanner said he still marvels at Stargells ability in his 20th full major He's safe a down night of action in Cincy, That's Johnny Ray of the Pirates making a tag attempt on the sliding Red.

(AP Laserphoto) Paul Householder of the Reds slides safely into second base in this second inning action last night. Householder was the bright spot ini Update Madisonville Jones heads to Georgetown; Sr. Babes play I feel I can play as a freshman because of the new coach coming in, and that hes got a lot of fresh-men coming in. Georgetown plays Division football, and has been playing Evansville in recent years. Stan Jones said that his son had had inquiries from 14 different schools, and many larger schools had indicated theyd like to have the player walk on, earn his way toward a scholarship.

Apparently, the chance to play, the academics and financial considerations, plus the location (close to Madisonville) were solidifying factors in Jones choosing Georgetown. Donley coached last year at Anderson College in Indiana. Jones becomes the second 1981 Maroon to sign a football grant. Star running back Terry Mimms signed with Western in February. Two other Maroons will walk on in college this year.

Mike Morrison, who had first opted for Kentucky State, will attend Murray State and walk on. Earl Nicholson is headed to Western with Mimms, and will walk on. Additionally, a third 1981 Maroon, defensive back and punter Dwight Carney, will also attend Murray. But, he is said to be thinking of running track only as a walk on. Carney finished fifth in the state in the 300-meter low hurdles in May.

The swim meet with Madisonville Country Club at Oak Meadows yesterday afternoon was rained out. Word is that the meet, in Evansville, will perhaps be rescheduled. But MCC has the South Central Conference meet this weekend, another meet next Wednesday, and another conference meet in early August. The Madisonville Miners, the local Senior Babe Ruth team, plays in Hopkinsville at 5:30 p.m., against Murray, in the opening game of the district tournament. If the Miners win in this double elimination tourney, they play again at 10 a.m., Saturday against Owensboro.

If they lose, theyd play at 12:30 Saturday, against either opkinsville or Three Rivers. Hop town and Three Rivers play at 5:30, Friday. The finals will be played at 5:30 p.m., Monday. From Staff Reports Tim Jones, the Madisonville-North Hopkins split end of 1981 who led the Maroons in pass receptions, has signed a national letter of intent to play this year at Georgetown College. Jones said be signed last weekend with first-year coach Kevin Donley.

Jones and his father, Stan, visited the campus along with about 50 other freshman hopefuls, who went through a series of 40-yard sprints, some weight lifting and other agility drills. Jones said, He (Donley) told me Id be doing all wide receiver work. Tim Jones.