The Knoxville News-Sentinel from Knoxville, Tennessee • 35

iJSF IIV1 FRIDAY LV 13 2007 D5 SOFTBALL Nothing slow about classic hitters MISCELLANY IN BRIEF WNBA Former Lady Vol Snow ties career high with 24 points Former Tfennessee Lady Vfol McMe Snow tied a career high with 24 points and had nine rebounds to lead fee Houston Comets to an 8777 win over Minnesota on Thursday when fee Lynx Top-ranked Resmondo powers 30-team field BY JOHN SHEARS sportMknMMcom Hie skies over Blount County will be Et up again this weekend as fee 39th annual Smoky Mountain Classic slow-pitch softball tournament begins this eveniiup As a qualifying tnnmimvnt Sr rtvTTnitip States Specialty Sports Association world tournaments the competition which usually features plenty of long towering home is expected to be intense and of high caliber will have 14 offee 15 top-ranked teams in toe said tournament director Joe Huff of the MaryvilleAlcoa-Blount County Parks and Recreation Department still considered one of the best slow-pitch tournaments in the country as far as quality Amraig die 30 teams conmeting are top-ranked Resmondo Softball from Winter Hawn Fla which won last yearti tournament According tn ResmrmHn marbmanggpr Rank Webb this team has added two players shortstop Donnie DeDonatis and utility man Vince as well as coach John Rector They came to shore us up" said Webb adding mat DeDonatis is one of die best dxxt-stops in the slaw-pitch game On a team like Resmondo which is Hadfagfort An MRI confirmed feat Handing this year's Ndl pick out of Duke has a tom anterior miriate ligament in her left knee: She injured the knee Tuesday in Washington Snow was 8-fbr44 from fee field 8-tor-8 fixxn fee fiee-ferow line and had nine rebounds In other WNBA news: Reserve guard fan White scored 16 points to lead fee Indiana Fever to a 79-63 win over fee New Yak liberty for IS1 College basketball Romy Thompson a son of Hall of Fame coach John Thompson has told Ball State he will resign after one season as coach Thompson led fee Cardinals to a 972 record last season and fee school has said he and his staff broke NCAA rules by bring at voluntary offseason team workouts NBA Only 21 years old Dwight Howard already says he wants to retire in Orlando: He committed to sticking around for a while longp as the former No lover-all pick signed a five-year contract extension worth approxi-mately $80 million and Mickey Mouse will be here forever" Howard joked Softball HOysfl Bustos and Kdy Kretschman hit two-run homers and fee United States opened its tide defense at the Wbrid Cup of Softball wife a 94 win against Venezuela in Oklahoma City It was fee 17fe straight win for the US lends Utter gave up a home run to fee first battier she faced and up three hits in four e-i- aa-sa I DelOxc MCw FKMOWti pitched a scoreless fifth inning to finish fee game Soccer MMMmlBmfcy scored in fee 107th minute and fee United States rallied Uruguay 24 in Tbronto to advance to fee quarterfinals of fee FIFA Under-20 World Cup: NFL A judge has ordered Chiraon KnAarlepr fcfaa IHadwr and the mother of his 2-yearld son to take a three-hour parentirK class Uriacher and his ex-girlfriend fana Robertson are in a legal battle over Uriachertparmtal visits The San Diego Chargers sdected tad Olvwr ftom Georgia and fee Baltimore Ravens chose Jared Gaither from Maryland in the supplemental draft Oakland cut defensive end fcyant McNeaL who was arrested last week on an outstanding warrant following a traffic stop: -C0MP1ED FROM WRK REPORTS -V nn- wear irRTifniscsreoorQ consecutive victory Indiana Q5-4) enters fee All-Star break wife fee best record Former Lady Vbl Tanka Catchngs sat out the fourth quarter and fell one point short of her seventh double-double finishing wife nine paints and 10 rebounds Former Lady Val Lores Moore had 12 points for New York Auto racing FI return to bxfianapofisin2008 Formula One latest attempt at owner TYavis Resmondo several of the laCTfotmerfplayed minor league pro- tell diem what time to play and where we are playing" said Vfebb with a laugh is kind of a turnkey Knoxville area teams competing include Floor FashionsScreen Prince Sports of Se-vierville Carpet HeadquartersQuaker Steak and Lube of Maryville and Valley Excavat-ing3N2 of Philadelphia Huff said tournament officials received re- a A quests nomaouiiiGnai teams wanting to compete but the bracket had to be limited due to the number of fields suitable for the level of Although the meift slowitch game has developed a equitation for being a home run derby or offensive showcase Huff said that has changed somewhat in recent years due to the United States has been put cm hold because fee US Grand Prix wont be back at fee Indianapolis Motor Speedway next yean to updates in balls and equipment and the lengthening of die distance between bases But one aspect feat has not changed much is that the Smoky Mountain Classic remains one of the more mUyffiendly tournaments saidVfebtx All our players bring their families to this one" he said adding that the tournament also is efficiently run And fee-competition of the tournament is second to Huff added that fee tournament also has an economic impact of nearly $1 million on fee community Play begins at 5 pm today at Sandy Park Everett Pane Springbrook Park and Maryville College It continues Saturday at 8 am with the semifinals Sunday at 10 am at Sandy Spring? Park followed by the finals at 2 pan at fee same rite The cost of admission is $5 today and $6 on Saturday CYCLING bo- i'P i-rt: L-C 1 fi 1 ur Lr rt Sir' i si 'R to-T rr yo i rtjf I i-j bv 'jl Jr- vVi 4 il hi: i-c 'n ui rl' Crashes stifle Swiss team riders The and FI boss Hernia Ecdestm nni1 to schedule fee event for 2008 The only US race on fee FI schedule had a troubled eight years induding a 2005 fiasco when most drivers didnt start fee race It drew by far fee smallest crowds of fee speedway's events Georgy who had set Thursday as fee deadline for reaching an agreement to extend fee contract wife FL said he did not believe a US Grand Prix would be held dsewhere next year but feat such a decision would be up to hccratone Bresse fee injuries could make town yiilrvrahli and ahalcpiip the cast of race favorites Vinokouroy seen by many as the man to beat in this Tbur tumbled off Ins bike with 15 miles left and had deep cuts in his knees Assoctatsd Press WTO Ranee -Item Astana missed last year's Tburde Ranee over a doping probe: Now its star riders have another problem: crashes on the course The Swiss top two ti trek from Chablis to Autun and Fabian Canrallara of Tfeam CSC retained the race yellow jersey lor a sixth day Even if Vinokourov and Hoe-den join the pack for mostly flat 124-mile ride from Se-mur-en-Auxois to Bourg-en- tle contenders Alexandre Vi-nokourov and Andreas Kloedea were injured in separate spills in the bumpy fifth stage Thursday through the Burgundy winemaking region Filippo Fozzato won a sprint at the aid of fee 113-mile TELEVISION More Tennessee for WVLT: Vol Network gets new TV home said Russo who's entering his 21st season covering fee Vais "Now feat we have fee Vbl Network another step in our simulcast statewide on MyVLTT That gives us an opportunity to provide analysis right away Packer said fans will have everything they could want to look back at the game from fee day Steve Early vice president and general manager of Host Com-municatknuVol Network said fee fins are the biggest winners inthedeaL This new partnership with WVLT encompasses far more opportunities to bring the Big Orange into living Early said This is a first-ofw-kind partnership wife aired oenem id hk lennessee The fact feat WVIT has a second channel is key as Baker said it allow for second and third airbus of the coaches shows akmg with other special Tennessee programming UT athletic director Mike Hamilton can see the vision could not ask for a better partner to help us grow our exposure" Hamilton srid "Wife WVLT we're ready to take the next step in providing unbeatable in-depth coverage to Tfennessee fans our many supporters WVIT possesses an unquench-abte thirst for Big Orange lYMKEGHRlH knsgrifftgaaLcom The trievisiem station feat bills itself as Vol All The Hme" has positkmed itself to live iqi to its moniker The University of Tfennessee has joined Host Commumcatiotis announcing Thursday that CBS affiliate WVLT has become fee official outlet for fee Vol Network for fee next 10 years Previously WBIR owned the television limits in Knoxville WVLT has carried mote hours Phillip Fulmer show in fee fall and later the Pat Summit show and the Bruce Pearl show will be broadcast 940 pun Sunday nights The partnership provides a strong lead4n for Mark Parkert Sunday night show which is indal Sports on Saturday and SEC basketball came here almost eight years ago and we decided then feat one of the things we wanted to build here was the sports franchise at this said Chris Baker executive vioe president and general manager at WVLT always fell (fee Vol Network) was fee missing link the crown jewel we were looking for was fee flagship status for the University of Tfennessee" WVLT sports director Rick Russo is anxious for fee new opportunities "WsVe always felt we were fee place for people to get their Tta-nessee football and Tfennessee any station for many years 1 to The SEC on CBS" and fee affiliation wife Lincoln FI- Talk radio youlf want to listen Tune in and hear the latest from award-winning News Sentinel sportswriters Give them a call at 6569900 or email at sportspageknewscom jComemeets The Summer Spectacular Cool Golf Package Very Hot Price Package Includes: Two rounds of dumpioiuhip golf with cart 8C one night lodging Up te a $193 wlut! Call Today For Rtstrmtionf! (931) 484-3731 PkJup MM W9 Pf pmc Pm tawd wwwutaachcntrgDlfcaa ai ioubir ocofmcf fct Swdar-Tlaadw an San Mar 21 tfiroiifi Aupi JI2007 StonehengE "l-Ratei Resort golf club Course in Tennessee AT FAIRFIELD GLADE LLS Ceferiar 8401 IQngstoo Fik -1 vyi 4'- it! Via Ti) ifj jf W5! -V'- (a eff (kmfttcttt Hal itit 03.