sports
^Commentary —
It looks like a race
in the northern division
V_-Mike Marino^
It makes it an easier spring when Oregon baseball is doing well. It
renews your faith in the game, and you realize that baseball isn't a game
played by Keystone Cops in knickers.
When the Ducks flounder, you don’t give a damn. But when they
are doing better — like now — everyone's a critic. A few bum plays and
everyone’s moaning. Last year, when Oregon made mistakes, it hurt,
just as it hurt anyone in the Northern Division of the Pac-8 except
Washington State.
But this year, a few little mistakes don’t hurt as much. “This year,
the league is down,” said Oregon State head coach Jack Riley over the
weekend. “But it makes it a lot more balanced — and a little more
exciting.”
As a result, the fact that the
Ducks dropped two of three to the
Beavers in the three-game set
Sunday and Monday isn't the
end of the world. They stand at
5-3, in second place behind the
Cougars—whom, rain permitting,
Oregon will face in a stint at home
this weekend.
One has to hope, though, that
a few of the little errors that
Oregon has seen crop up recently
don’t appear when the Cougars
come to town. This weekend a few
little things made for at least a bit of
Dean Kegler
One of the leaders
a chuckle. Sunday, in the doubleheader that Oregon split with the
Beavers, both teams made some mistakes that begged an explanation.
In particular, there was the play that allowed the Beavers their first run.
Oregon State’s Gary Richter had taken third base on a fly ball to the
outfield, but the Ducks appealed the play saying he’d left before the ball
was caught. It didn’t help, though, when pitcher Dean Kegler threw the
ball into center field, allowing Richter to cross the plate. But on the other
hand, Kegler won the game, 5-4, his seventh against no losses, and that
at least is a plus. The freshman from Eugene’s Sheldon High has
responded well to being forced into the “act-of-the-staff" role — you
don’t make bones about a 7-0 record.
Typical of the season, however, dumb things happen . Adam Berlin,
the walk-on hurler in whom the Ducks hold high regard, forgot to make
the trip to Corvallis with the team Sunday, and as a result was sus
pended yesterday by Krause on the day he was to pitch.
“He thought,” said Krause, “that because he was pitching today he
didn't have to go (to Corvallis).” Instant pitching problems, right? Not
really, as the resilient Ducks offered Ron Sloy, the guy with the big bat,
who threw three innings of no-hit ball before running into some trouble in
the fourth and fifth.
“I figured to get five or six good innings out of Sloy,” Krause said.
“And I wanted to bring in the experience at the end with John Lazarich.”
The latter saved Kegler’s win in Sunday’s nightcap, but the righthander
from San Diego wasn't warmed up when Sloy faltered after four-and-a
third — so Krause went with inexperience in freshman Mark Thompson
from Carlsbad, Calif. “He’d been throwing well on the JV’s,” Krause
said, “and he had a good slider and a fastball that tails in well to a hitter.
And, he’s a kid with a lot of confidence in his ability.”
Only one thing ruined it — a Jerry Yung homer for OSU in the
eighth, good for three runs and the game. And Oregon lost ground to the
Cougars, who lambasted Washington in Seattle on Sunday, 9-4, and
20-2. Therefore, this upcoming weekend the three games with WSU
might just decide who wants to lay claim to the division title.
At least the Cougs aren’t infallible anymore. Only one player of their
incredible seven on the Northern Division all-star team returns — Dave
Elder. “They aren’t as good as last year,” Krause said, “because they
don’t have those all-league guys back. And we re a little bit better than
last year. We just have to continually improve with each game."
Despite some occasional snickers that may indicate the contrary,
Oregon is improving, and has a darn good chance of upsetting WSU.
They’ll play either three or four games, depending on how the ND
coaches vote on the 2-2 tie that happened between the Ducks and
Cougs in Pullman two weeks ago.
“Our destiny is still in our own hands," Krause stressed. “All we
have to do to win is beat the people that are contenders for the champ
ionship.”
Realistically, it is hard to expect the Ducks to bounce back from
their worst season ever to a division championship. But even if they
don’t — and that's not certain by any means — at least Oregon has the
ability to bounce back from little annoyances.
Someone once said that if you can handle the little problems, the
big ones are easier to handle. For Oregon baseball, that might be a
motto.
Ducks drop out of division lead
as Yung’s blow gives OSU win
By MIKE GRADY
Of the Emerald
A three-run home run by
Oregon State’s Jerry Yung pow
ered the Beavers to a 6-4 baseball
victory over Oregon Monday af
ternoon. The loss dropped the
Ducks out of first place in the
Pac-Eight’s Northern Division for
the first time this year.
Oregon stands 5-3 in league
play, one game behind Washing
ton State. Oregon State is now
within one game of Mel Krause’s
Ducks at 4-3.
Before Yung’s 370-foot shot in
the eighth, the Ducks appeared to
have their second victory in as
many days against OSU wrapped
up. Back to back doubles by Glen
Baggerly and Jerry Rinella in
Oregon’s fifth, followed by singles
by Jeff Heaton and Tom Dodd,
had given the Ducks a 4-3 lead.
And while Beaver starter Ken
Noble settled down after giving up
the big inning to Oregon, the
Duck’s Mark Thompson also
seemed to have control on the
mound. Thompson, a freshman
making his first varsity appear
ance, had entered in relief of
starter Ron Sloy in the fifth inning.
After giving up two singles in
that frame, the righthander from
Carlsbad, Calif, allowed only three
hits the rest of the way. However,
one of those was Yung’s homer.
OSU shortstop Jeff Boyd
started the eighth inning rally for
the Beavers with a double just in
side the right field foul line. Ken
Rolfe followed with a bloop single
to left, just out of the reach of Duck
shortstop Glen Baggerly, setting
the scene for Yung.
"Just one bad pitch,” lamented
Krause afterwards. "One swing
made a one run deficit into a two
run lead for them. It was a break
ing pitch that hung.”
After going down in order in the
Women sign
with Oregon
Oregon has signed four more
women athletes for next year, in
cluding three field hockey players
and a softball player.
Vicki Hogan, an outfielder from
Hillsboro, is a three-year letter
winner. Last year she led Hillsboro
to the Metro League champion
ship while hitting .508. She hit five
home runs, five triples, six dou
bles and had 48 runs batted in
last year.
Nancy Pedrotti, a forward and
Maureen Sullivan, a goalie,
signed letters of intent to Oregon
after leading Deanza Junior Col
lege to a second place finish
among California state commun
ity colleges.
Forward Nancy Berry led
Oh lone College to the California
state field hockey championship
for the second straight year.
PSYCHIC
Advises on business,
love & personal direction
Jamil
P.0. Box 10154
Eugene, Oregon 97401
Phone anytime:
342-2210 484-2441
eighth, the Ducks managed to
start a small rally in the ninth.
Baggerly drew a base on bails
from Noble to start the inning.
OSU coach Jack Riley brought in
Pat Barry to relieve his starter and
Barry responded by getting
Rinella to ground into a double
play.
Heaton managed to reach base
on an error, but it proved to be
insignificant as Mike Connelly
grounded into a force play to end
the game.
“Noble throws all breaking stuff
and keeps it down,” said Krause
explaining why the Ducks could
only put together one big inning
against the senior right hander.
"We scored four runs against him
and you should be able to beat
him with that many.”
Oregon, 17-12 overall, travels
to Portland State today before re
turning home on Wednesday for a
game against Oregon College of
Education.
3SU 000 120 030 — 6 7 3
O®90n 000 130 000 — 4 6 1
Noble, Barry (9) and Harper; Stay. Thompson (5)
andTabtar W— Noble(5-4). L—Thompson(0-1).
Home runs — Oregon-Bam (7); Oregon State
rung (2)
blazers noping to survive
playoff on teamwork, guts
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Bill
Walton is out for the rest of the
season with a broken foot, but the
Portland Trail Blazers are count
ing on chutzpah to make up for the
loss of their star forward.
The break in Walton’s left foot
was discovered when it was
x-rayed Saturday. Blazer team
doctor Robert Cook said the break
occurred during Friday night’s
96-93 playoff victory over the
Seattle Super Sorties at Memorial
Coliseum.
Coach Jack Ramsay told the
rest of the Blazers of Walton’s loss
before a practice session at the
coliseum.
“They took it well,” Ramsay
said. “The attitude was positive.
They showed a ‘let’s do it anyway’
attitude.”
EUGENE TRAVEL
GET THOSE SUMMER
SUPER-SAVERS NOW!
Call us, were glad to help
687-2823
Peace Corps - VISTA.
New recruit!nq candidates
J~or volunteer positions
starciYuj this summer.
b&7-bf 9J Condon 3/ii//, T\pom
AAmir Frr University of- Oregon
Tired of the same old tune?
Spice up your life with a
SPRING FLING
Coming May 10th.