Major League Baseball
Diamond Dust
Friday, June 8, 2012
Tampa Bay 7, N.Y. Yankees 3 Boston 7, Baltimore 0 L.A. Dodgers 8, Philadelphia 3 N.Y. Mets 3, Washington 1
Milwaukee 4, Chicago Cubs 3, 10 innings Detroit 7, Cleveland 5 Oakland 7, Texas 1
San Francisco 8, San Diego 3 Atlanta 8, Miami 2 Pittsburgh 5, Cincinnati 4, 10 innings Chicago White Sox 4, Toronto 3
PORTS
B1
Check us out online at www.ehextra.com
Locked & loaded for a big year A.
i, ' '
I 414
it
in
0,1.
By JODY KORCH
....
EagleHerald sports editor jkorch@eagleherald. corn
,
'415-
I
AV'
illr
i .
. ..
Marinette Legion has experience, depth
I I1
•. I
.
iI.
.. .
Special to the EagleHerald/Dana Johnson
Into the game Addy Johnson, 4, is fired up for this M&M Youth Soccer Association match, held on May 29 at UW-Marinette. She plays for the Cardinals.
Brewers win series from Cubs Aoki goes deep twice, then gets creamed By CHRIS JENKINS
AP Sports Writer MILWAUKEE — Norichika Aoki got a taste of a traditional big league game-winning home run celebration — a shaving cream pie in the face during his postgame television interview. His translator got one, too. The former Japanese batting champion hit a pair of home runs, including one to lead off the 10th inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Thursday. "They don't do the shaving cream to the face in Japan," Aoki said through his translator, who still had globs of shaving cream on his shirt. "You get dirty, but it's a good feeling." Aoki also hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. "I still can't believe that I was able to hit two today, and I'm really happy that it was in an important situation," Aoki said. Aoki was mobbed by his teammates at home plate after hitting the game winner. "It was fun to see," Brewers closer John Axford said. "I personally just enjoyed the smile on his face when he
was coming in from third. He was definitely ecstatic, and so were all we." Aoki won three Japanese Central League batting championships before signing with the Brewers this offseason, but he hasn't been known for his power. Aoki entered the game with just one home run this season, an inside-the-park homer on April 20. But Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said Aoki has good bat speed and makes solid contact, so the two home runs weren't a complete shock. "He squares up the ball, and it takes off," Roenicke said. "It's not soft liners. So yeah, I can see him doing this." Roenicke acknowledged that Aoki is making a strong case for more playing time — and may get it in the Brewers' outfield if they continue to use Corey Hart at first base. "He's seeing the ball well," Roenicke said. "He's confident, playing good defense. He's fun to watch." Hart hit a game-tying RBI double in the eighth for the Brewers, who took two out of three games from their NL Central rivals. "We need to start winning a lot of (series)," Roenicke said. "It was important, but it's also important, I think, that we played a good game."
Bryan LaHair temporarily gave Chicago the lead with a pinch-hit home run in the eighth and Koyie Hill added an RBI double for the Cubs. Casey Coleman (0-1) took the loss. "He'd been locked-in this game, this series and really swinging the bat well," Coleman said. "When you leave one up to a professional hitter especially in a tight situation like that, they're going to make you pay. That's what happened. I'll take the same approach if I face the guy again, just hopefully better execution." Axford (1-2) earned the win, pitching the ninth and 10th. Brewers starter Randy Wolf gave up four hits and two walks, striking out six, rebounding after getting roughed up in his last outing. "He's frustrated," Roenicke said. "He wants to get this thing going, and get locked in like he was." Cubs starter Matt Garza went six innings, giving up four hits and two runs with a walk and six strikeouts. "You just keep going forward, keep getting ready and just keep playing," Garza said. "We knew coming in that this was going to be tough. It is what it is. Just keep going, keep playing and keep getting ready."
Among the best over and under the bridge
MARINETTE — Marinette Legion has everything it needs except guarantees this summer. Post 39 has uncommon pitching depth, and solid players and solid backups at every position. The hitting should be good, too. While the team is primed for a big summer baseball season, there are no guarantees. "I think our expectations will be to vie for first place in the division and certainly play consistent, solid baseball all summer and peak toward the end," Marinette coach Brian Lesandrini said. "We have a good nucleus of players. I am impressed with their knowledge of the game." Post 39 returns six players from last year's team which finished 14-10 overall and took second in the Fox River Valley Legion League North Division. Center fielder /pitcher Heath Rowe is back after a season of baseball at Kishwaukee College. The other returning varsity Legion players are outfielder Aaron Pettit, second baseman/pitcher Max Hipke, pitcher/catcher/first baseman Austin Belonga, pitcher /first baseman Luke Kelly and Scott Eldredge, a catcher and outfielder. The first-year varsity players are third-baseman/pitcher Jake McMahon, infielder /pitcher Derek Klegin, second baseman /pitcher Ty Bebo, outfielder Quentin Ellie, infielder /pitcher Mike Mergener and Oconto High School product Trent Mehlberg at first base. Nate Kallestad and Austin Wright might get some varsity playing time. For now, at least, Rowe will be relegated to the designated hitter role due to a tender elbow. Mergener is the shortstop for the Coleman Cougars, who will compete in the state tourney next week, so he won't be available for four scheduled games this weekend. Kelly, McMahon and Belonga all had impressive spring seasons with the Marinette Marines. Rowe
•
• '
can be dominant on the mound, and Hipke is dependable. "With the amount of games, every single pitcher is going to be expected to give us a good, solid five or six innings a night," Lesandrini said. "Throw strikes, hit your spots and change speeds." Post 39 has quality starters and backups at every position on the field. "We've got a lot of versatility, which you need because of so many games," Lesandrini said. "For the most part they're very baseball savvy. They know the game. That's the kind of confidence I need to see throughout the year." Marinette struggled at the plate much of this spring but there is reason to believe the Legion team will hit this summer. Pettit won the division batting title with a .583 average last season. Rowe batted .320. Mergener has been crushing the ball all spring. Mehlberg earned first team all-Packerland Conference honors while batting .400 this spring. "We should have a pretty consistent lineup," according to Lesandrini said. A nationwide rule changed the composition of bats, and that resulted in much less scoring this spring. Lesandrini expects much the same this summer. "Small ball is definitely gonna be a play," Lesandrini said. "The biggest thing is we need to make contact and be consistent. Opportunities might not happen very often, so you've got to take advantage. You've got to be able to make things happen, especially when the facet of the game has changed with the different bats. The games are a lot more competitive." Oconto Falls, the defending division champion, will play at Marinette tonight at 7:30. "I would certainly think Oconto Falls and Menominee are frontrunners," Lesandrini said. Lesandrini's varsity assistants are Dave Klegin, Shawn McMahon and Jordan Kinney. The junior varsity coaches are Billy Betts, Lee Schuchart, Josh Plansky, Terry Powers and Jim Bebo.
. i
rlill '
U.P. athletes would have done well in L.P. KINGSFORD, Mich. — Jared Theisen, Bryan Hines and Menominee's 800meter relay team would have earned top-eight medals the MHSAA Division 3 state track & field meet held last weekend. Upper Peninsula athletes compete in the U.P. Finals but do not compete in the MHSAA state track meet. Theisen's time of 11.44 in the 100 at Saturday's U.P. Finals would have earned a seventh-place medal. Hines would have placed eighth in the 300 hurdles with his time of 41.54 and the Maroons' gold-medal 800 relay team of Elijah Mojzych, Shaun Sullivan, Bobby Olsen and Leonard Briggs would have placed eighth with its time
of 1:32.33. Maria Croup of Mason County Eastern won the U.P. 100 dash champion 100 hurdles, 200 hurdles, Paul Frantti of Calumet's 800 and long jump in 1979. time of 11.11 would have earned a third-place medal Ten records were broken at the state meet. at the U.P. Finals. Chelsea Jacques of Division 1 Boys: 300 hurdles — Calumet, who broke the Kenner Broullire, Manistique, 39.74 Division 1 girls' 100-meter Divison 2 Boys: High Jump — dash record at the U.P. James Sutton, Newberry, 6 feet, 3% Finals with her time of inches Division 3 Boys: Discus — Brett 12.55, would have earned a Branstrom, Mid Pen, 154-8 second-place medal at the Division 1 Girls: Long Jump — Adestate Division 3 meet. Sami Mitchell of Reed City became just the second female to win four individual events at the state Division 3 meet. She set state records in the 100 hurdles (13.84), 300 hurdles (42.23) and long jump (18 feet, 6 1/2 inches) and also won the 200 (25.28).
line Grier-Welch, Houghton, 17-3%2; 100-Meter Dash — Chelsea Jacques, Calumet, 12.55
Division 2 Girls: Discus — Hunter Perry, Rudyard, 122-101/4; High Jump — Nicole Vanderlin, Norway, 5-4 (ties own record); 200 — Dani Gagne, Norway, 26.42 Division 3 Girls: Long Jump — Olivia Soumis, Ontonagon, 16-7%2; 200 — Jamie Domeier, Chassell, 26.36
--------.__
f
,
.
.__ 11
-
40
EOUR
NE (WORK
..a.
_
....Nft .1N..
, . .
The Associated Press
Grapple in the Apple Andrey Valiev of Russia throws Keith Gavin during a bout at 185 pounds in a freestyle wrestling event in New York's Times Square on Thursday. Valiev won.