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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1996)
THURSDAY October 24,1996 Leyritz’s three-run blast ties game and series ■ SERIES: Yan kees win in extra innings; series will go back to New York HK4 Willi MIES By Ben Walker The Associated Press ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves took one of the biggest gambles in baseball history. The New York Yankees turned it into one of the biggest comebacks in World Series history. Pinch-hitter Wade Boggs drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 10th inning after a ques tionable intentional walk to Bernie Williams, and the Yankees beat Atlanta 8-6 Wednesday night to even the Series at two games each. The strategy, though, went awry when losing pitcher Steve Avery walked Boggs on a full count, forcing home the go-ahead run. Boggs has a bad back and is in a postseason slump that saw him sit the last two games against left-handers, but is a fu ture Hall of Fame with 2,697 hits. “You don’t want Bemie Williams to beat you,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “I don’t think this was anything to second guess.” A three-run homer by Jim Leyritz in the eighth in ning tied the game as the Yankees rallied from a 6-0 deficit. Two innings later, they matched the second biggest comeback in Series play with a win that made them 7-0 on the road in this postseason. The win in the longest game in World Series his tory — 4 hours, 17 minutes — ensured New York would return to Yankee Stadium this weekend. With two outs in the 10th, Tim Raines drew a walk from Avery and moved to second on a single by Derek Jeter. Cox went to the mound and elected to walk Williams, the MVP of the AL championship series and a hero in the Yankees’ victory the previ ous night. Rookie Andy Fox was on deck, but Cox clearly knew that Boggs was left on the bench. Still, he walked Williams. Avery, now with no margin for error, got ahead in the count 1-2, but Boggs, with one of the best eyes in the game, then took three straight balls for the walk that put New York ahead. Charlie Hayes fol Tum to SERIES, Page 13 Saints seek turnaround under Venturi ■ NFL: New Orleans linebackers’ coach Rick Venturi named new head coach of 2-6 Saints By Mary Foster The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — His record isn’t im pressive, nor is the team he’ll coach the next eight games. Rick Venturi’s goal, how ever, is rather grand. He wants the New Or leans Saints to go 8-0 and make the play offs. Venturi, until now the linebackers coach for the Saints, is the head coach. He got his battlefield promotion Wednesday, two days after Jim Mora suddenly resigned, shocking players and coaches. The hiring came one day after the gener al manager’s first choice as a replacement, pro personnel director Chet Franklin, de cided not to take the job, having detected displeasure with the choice among the as sistant coaches. The Saints then turned to Venturi, who said the team is up to the challenge. This despite: ■ the worst rushing defense in the league. ■ an offense that’s only three spots from the bottom. ■ a 2-6 record. ■ a Sunday afternoon loss to the Caroli na Panthers that was so embarrassing, it provoked an expletive-filled tirade from Mora on Sunday and his resignation Mon day. It all made for a confusing, tumultuous two days. “This program is absolutely not in disar ray, regardless of the perception,” Venturi said Wednesday. “This team has won the last two out of three football games. It ap proaches the last eight weeks with opti mism and commitment. We want to make this last eight weeks the best weeks of our Turn to NFL, Page 13 229 CHAD PATTESON/Emerald Oregon runner Karl Keska has won four-straight cross-country meets this year and has led the Ducks to a fourth-place national ranking. Oregon harrier Karl Keska has his mind set on one thing - lead ing his team to the championships By Ryan Halvorsen Sports Reporter Karl Keska is shooting for the top one last time, and his aim is dead on. The Wolverhampton, England native, is in his last year as a long-distance runner at Oregon and hasn’t lost this season. The defending Pacific-10 Conference cross country champion didn’t lose any races last season until the NCAA Championships, when he ran sick and finished 34th in the nation. Not exactly a storybook ending to a suc cessful season, but Keska has picked up where he left off last season and plans to write a new ending to his novel. “That was a disappoint ment last year,” Keska said. “My goals are still the same as last year. You just have to learn from races like that, and I like to think that I’m very competitive with the top guys.” Competitive indeed. STATS ■ REGULAR SEASON WIN NING STEAK: 8 ■ TITLES: Pac 10 champ 94, 95; NCAA Ois- j trict 8 champ 95 j ■ BEST TIME ! THIS SEASON: 23:48.6(8,000 ! meters) Last weekend at the Oregon Invitational, Keska outdistanced Irish Olympian Cormac Finnerty by more than 12 seconds for the win on the 8,000-me ter course in record time. Although a nice victory for Keska, he still maintains his focus on the goal. “That was a real confidence booster,” Keska said. “He’s an elite runner, but you can only reach so much into things like that; you have to try to maintain focus on what is important to you. I know I’m running well, but I still have five weeks to go until the national championships which is where my individual and team goals lie.” Keska has finished first in every meet he’s been in this year, improving his times along the way and breaking course records as well. He started off the season by winning the Mountain West In Turn to KESKA, Page 12 Late-tournament rally drives Oregon golf team to 13-stroke victory ■ WOMEN’S GOLF: Oregon places three players in top 5 of tournament for victory By Ryan Halvorsen Sports Reporter The Oregon women’s golf team finished the season on a positive note Tuesday, win ning the Lady Cardinal Invitational in Beau mont, Texas. The Ducks trailed by seven shots after the first round of the tournament, but played consistently strong through the final two to pick up a 13-stroke win against second-place Baylor. The Ducks shot a 928 through 54 holes for the tournament that was held at the par-72,6,093-yard Beaumont Country Club. Oregon remained consistent throughout the lineup, placing three players in the top five and seven in the top 20. Leading the way for Oregon was Paula Patterson, who shot a 228 and placed third in the tournament. Freshman Anika Heuser placed fourth with a 230, including a second-round 73 that was low for the tournament. Sophomore Karen Bristow rounded out the Ducks in the top five with a 231. “Conditions were tough with lots of wind and rain, but we ended the fall season on a high note with our third victory in the four tournaments we played,” Oregon coach Re nee Baumgartner stated in a press release Tuesday. “This is not just a good U of O team, but almost a very good team. We’re looking forward to working hard this winter and expect a great spring season." Kylie Wilson led the rest of the Ducks in the top 20 at 14th place. Wilson shot a 242. Angie Rizzo tied for 20th, shooting a 246 to round out the Oregon scorers. Two members of the Ducks team were at the tournament playing as independents. Tara Keller tied for 17th with a 244 and Brooke Taylor tied with Rizzo for 20th. Mary Coleman Hornsby of Baylor won the tournament, shootinga 224, two shots ahead of second-place finisher, Lotte Moeller of Lamar. The sixth-ranked Ducks wrapped up a strong fall season with three wins in four tournaments, including two individual win ners. Oregon moved from 19th to sixth after a strong fifth-place showing at the Rolex Fall Preview. Oregon will pick up its spring schedule Feb. 24.