Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2005)
10 • ^t^LACKAMASPri,flt May 18, 2005 Sport Cougars advance to NWAACC’ Frank Jordan The Clackamas Print The Clackamas softball team wrapped up the regular season last Saturday with a doubleheader split against Mt. Hood CC, winning game one 2-1 and losing the second game by a score of 14-2. The first game was a clas sic pitcher’s duel, as the Cougars’ Chelsea Koch threw, in the words of her coach, “possibly the best game of her collegiate career.” Koch allowed only five singles while striking out three and walking only two Saints. The Cougars took the lead in the third as Casey Middagh reached base on an error, took third on a single by Lanea Hyland, then scored on the back end of a double steal to give Clackamas the early 1-0 lead. The Saints tied the game in the bottom of the third on a single, a fielder’s choice and a Cougar error. Clackamas came back in the sixth as Hyland was hit by a pitch, then stole her seventh base of the season. Nikki Winkley then came through with an RBI single on a hit-and-run play, scoring Hyland, who avoided the catcher’s tag on a masterful slide with the winning run. “It was a great game to be involved in; it seemed like that with every pitch, there was something on the line,” said Head Coach Paul Fiskum. “We needed this sort of game to show the girls that they really are NWAACC contenders. We faced arguably Mt. Hood’s best pitcher and we came through with a big win.” Game two did not fare as well for the Cougars, as it was pitching by committee, and it showed in the 14-2 loss. Staff ace Holly Marlow was not at the ballpark as she had a personal commitment she had to attend to. “We knew beforehand that Holly would not be there on Saturday, so we put Caitlin Ooley on the mound to start the game, and she really gave us a great effort,” said Fiskum. “We had Chelsea [Koch] come in after three innings, but she clearly gave all she had in game one, so she really had nothing left in the tank, The Cougars’ Chelsea Koch thi in both games |< week, al earned the victi in game one. She seen her deliverin a pitch, shortsto Erin Sny (back ground) gets into position make thi play. Thr Cougars split the double header versus M Hood. and she got pounded.” Middagh also tossed an inning of relief, but the Cougar staff gave up four home runs in the loss. Cijay Koanui and Erin Snyder each had two hits in game two, with Snyder driving in both Cougar runs. _ The Cougars finished the regular season with a 29-11 record, including a 25-7 mark in the Southern Division of the NWAACC. Their third place finish in the division means that they will open the NWAACC tournament on Friday against Spokane CC at Delta Park in North Portland. The Cougars’ opening game is slated to begin at 1 p.m. “We know that we have a group of girls that can win the NWAACC championship. We have improved so much in die last few weeks; our hitting is outstanding and our pitch ing is rounding into great form,” said Fiskum. “We will work on continuing to improve our defense this week in practice, but we have a great attitude from top to bottom. The girls now believe that they can win the whole thing. We just need to do it on the field, and I believe that we will.” Jeff Sorensen Clackamas Print NBA needs to look no further than the NEL for he Lebron James (left) and Carmelo Anthony (right) are two current NBA players who came into the league before they had turned 20 years old. If the league establishes an age limit this summer in their nego tiations, high school players, such as James, will not be allowed into the league until their 20th birthday. With labor talks coming up this summer, the NBA may be in jeopardy . Frank Jordan I [ The Clackamas Print Photo courtesy of Huntkjnc.com The National Basketball Association is on the very exciting road to the end of its season, as the conference semifinals are well under way. But as soon as this season ends, it could be an ugly summer as talks continue to hash out another contract between the league and its player’s association and the latest American professional sports league undergoes the collective bargaining process. All of the sides involved are hope ful of coming to an agreement soon after the season ends, but storm clouds are on the horizon. One of the big gest issues in the news lately has been the league trying to institute an age minimum for its players, some thing the players are overwhelmingly against—and for good reason. The players’ arguments are cut- and-dry. Why should there be an age limit? After all, this is America, land of fiee enterprise; a land where a citizen should be able to have a dream job, no matter their age. The league employs teenagers now, why change? The league says that these young sters should not be able to play in their league until they are at least 20 years of age, so this will give them a chance to grow up a little and be able to better handle their newfound millions when they sign that first big pro contract The players counter that baseball and hockey draft teenagers for their sports, but the problem with that argu ment is that those two sports have a well-established minor league system in place, and the total amount of under-21-year-olds in the big show is very, very small. I wish the NBA would go the way of the National Football League, where the 20-year-old age limit is in place, and that the contracts, 1 large, of NFL players are not g teed This way, the basketball p would realize how privileged th to be getting paid big bucks tt a game for a living, and if the) that $50 million contract, they at have to go out and earn it I hope that the NBA and its p look at the current National H League situation and realize that strife could hurt or possibly ruin sport The NHL was forced to; the entire 2004-05 season, a fit the major sports in this count] all due to the fact that the owna the players couldn’t pull their it five heads out of their asses and to an agreement that bob sides live with. Because of this, who reall; missed professional hockey in th few months? Not many people! a few diehard fens like me, bn is it Could the NBA suffer the fete? Yes, people could learn ti without the NBA, just as they with the NHL. Let us hope does not come to that SUMMER WORK GREAT PAY & FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES Can start after finals, Customer sales & service No experience necessary, we train, all majors welcome All ages 17 & older, conditions apply Clackamas 503-353-7507 Beaverton 503-203-1103
