The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 31, 1987, Image 12

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    Page 12/The Battalion/Tuesday, March 31, 1987
Lady Vols arrive home
with Ist NCAA trophy
Lanier to go with 4-man rotation
but wherever it is, we want him to
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —
Tennessee’s Lady Volunteers pa
raded into the airport Monday hold
ing one NCAA women’s national
championship trophy and at least a
dozen ears of corn.
The trophy was for their 67-44
basketball victory over Louisiana
Tech on Sunday, which broke a
string of seven Tennessee appear
ances in the women’s Final Four
without a championship.
The corn, supplied by a local
farmer as they arrived from Austin,
was a joke stemming from a post
game comment by Cindy Brown of
Long Beach State, the Lady Vols’
semifinal victim.
Referring to the Lady Vols’ physi
cal style of play, Brown complained
about some “cheap shots out there.
But what do you expect from big,
corn-fed chicks like that?”
Kathy Spinks, Tennessee’s 6-foot-
2, 175-pound forward, was first into
the airport lobby and, with corn held
high, said, “If that’s what it takes to
get a championship, I’ll eat it all
year.”
The Lady Vols feasted on their
postseason opponents after weather
ing a 2-3 stretch in late January and
early February and being bumped
from the Southeastern Conference
Tourney by Auburn.
The championship was the first
for Coach Pat Head Summitt in
eight trips to the women’s Final Four
and ranks up there with the Olympic
gold medal team she coached in
1984. (
“They’ve experienced a great,
growing opportunity, emotionally
and mentally,” said Summitt, who
loses one starter and one reserve but
has recruited two of the top prep
players in the country for her 1988
squad.
“Physically, I knew we were one of
the best teams in the country all
year. But what they did the last three
weeks showed me how they’ve ma
tured, how poised they’ve become,”
Summitt said.
She credited the team’s defense
for clinching the Lady Vols’ 28th vic
tory in 34 games.
“We stayed up until 3 o’clock
looking for ways to stop Lousiana
Tech. We thought we found one,
but it was something else making the
plan work.”
Tennessee sopped the inside pass
to Louisiana Tech, which held a
nine-game winning streak over the
Lady Vols, and held the frustrated
Lady Techsters to their second-
worst defeat ever.
Tonya Edwards, a freshman from
Flint, Mich., who was voted the tour
ney’s most valuable player, said the
team’s sense of togetherness helped
her from becoming a midseason cas
ualty to homesickness.
“They helped me hang in there
when Pat would yell,” said Edwards,
who had 13 points in the
championship game.
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston
Manager Hal Lanier is beginning
what he calls his toughest week as
a manager by announcing a four-
man pitching rotation and send
ing relief pitcher Rob Mallicoat to
the minor leagues.
“This is the toughest week I
have in baseball,” Lanier said.
“Some of the guys have worked
hard during the offseason and
played in winter leagues trying to
get ready.”
Lanier must cut 12 players to
reach the 24-man roster limit
prior to Monday’s season opener
in the Astrodome against the Los
Angeles Dcxlgers.
PONTE VEDRA, Fla. (AP) —
Sandy Lyle seems to attract the big
titles and the goofy spectators.
“It was very much like the British
Open,” Lyle said after his victory
Sunday in the Tournament Players
Championship.
“I was just trying to make a lot of
pars and maybe now and then get
the odd birdie.”
He did that. And just like the Brit
ish Open he got the odd spectator,
too.
A naked male romped across the
green during the final round of the
1985 British Open that Lyle won at
Royal St. George’s.
On Sunday, an unidentified man
leaped into a lake and splashed
Lanier termed finding a left-
handed relief pitcher his No. I
priority in spring training.
Mallicoat was among the favor
ites to earn the spot.
After starting the spring with
six prospects, Lanier now will
choose between Jeff Calhoun and
rookie Dave Meads.
“Right now Meads has the
edge, but Calhoun has thrown
well,” Lanier said. “It still could
change this week.”
Mallicoat compiled a 1-2 re
cord and a 6.94 earned-run aver
age in eight games. He allowed 10
hits and 10 runs in 1 1% innings.
“I’m not sure where he’ll go.
around during Lyle’s playoff victory
over Jeff Sluman.
The young man went into the wa
ter when Sluman was lining up a po
tential winning putt, about an 8-
footer, on the island green of the
17th hole, the second playoff hole.
Sluman, who never before had
finished higher than fifth in a regu
lar PGA Tour event, backed away
from the biggest putt of his life.
The man was taken from the wa
ter and escorted away by security
personnel, who later said the fellow
apparently had been been drinking.
However, the man somehow slipped
away and disappeared into the
crowd.
Sluman, meanwhile, tried to re-
be a starter,” Lmier said.
Cy Young Award winner Mike
Scott will lx* the Astros’ opening
day starter against the Dodgers’
Orel Hershier.
Bob Knepper, Nolan Ryan and
Jim Deshaies will follow in the ro
tation, with Danny Darwin work
ing in the hiill|X‘n to start the sea
son.
Lanier had considered a five-
man rotation lx*cause ol uncer
tainty over Ryan’s right elbow, in
jured in spring training a year
ago.
group on the green. He again
stepped up to the putt and missed
the hole by a few inches.
“1 may have been a little quick on
the trigger,” Sluman said. “If I'd hit
it a little firmer, it (the playoff),
might have had a different outcome.
“I’m not saying it hurt, but it sure
didn’t help,” he said of the distrac
tion.
Sluman made par and they went
to the 18th tee to continue the play
off.
“One more hole than 1 wanted to
go,” Sluman said.
It was there, on the third extra
hole, that Lyle scored the 18th vic
tory of his globe-trotting career with
a one-putt par.
Lyle’s victory interrupted by fan’s splash
WHIN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO
CALL YOUR PARENTS?
a) When you’re stuck in your room because
someone “pennied” your door.
-fe 3 V7\ < ' - i ' - L: ti,
b) When you spent all your money playing
video games and you still have to buy books
for Developmental Psych.
c) When you just miss hearing their voices and
telling them what you’ve been doing.
One thing about parents: they love to hear what you’ve been up to
But you should call them anyway.
And when they ask where you were last night, tell them that
you always call using AT&T Long Distance Service
because of AT&T’s high quality service and
exceptional value.
When they ask how your studies
are going, remind them that AT&T
gives you immediate credit if you
dial a wrong number.
And when they ask about your
plans for the weekend, note that you
can count on AT&T for clear long
distance connections.
And when, at last, they praise
you for using AT&T, then—and only
then—you might want to mention
those Psych books.
ATgT
The right choice.
Rangers tot-
6-1 victory
from Pirates
FOR 1 CHARLOTTE, Fla.I
— Mike M ason became ttitf
Texas pitcher to go eight i
Monday, and the Rangers ton]
vantage of shoddy Pittsburgh
ing lot a 6-1 victory againstli
rates.
Mason gave up seven hitsanS
walks, allowing the Pirates'oiil
in the t hire!. R.J. Reynoldsl|
the inning with a single,stoltjj
and scored on a two-out sm;
Barry Bonds.
The Rangers, however, j
had scored Four unearned r.
Bob Patterson in the second
Imaviglia led off with a sitiM
took third on a double by Lam
ris h. With one out, Don Sy
ground ball was booted bf
baseman Jim Morrison, alio
caviglia to score.
Steve buechele then
grounder that Morrison rtc
two errors on, one forbobbi
hall, allowing Parrish to:
another on the throw thau
Slaught to take third, andBk
second.
Alter a walk to BobbyBrovi
strikeouts of Oddibe Mch
Scott Fletcher was given alii
shortstop Ralael Beiliarddrai
throw from Johnny Rav f«
would have been an inning-c
fieldet s choice.
1
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