Rain forces cancellation at St. Francois County Raceway
FARMINGTON — Weather claimed another Saturday night at St. Francois County Raceway.

Ginobili, Duncan lead Spurs to Game 6 win
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs’ Big Three came through, but they’ll still have to win one on the road to keep their title defense alive.

Smallen Headed to Culver-Stockton
Derek Smallen of Farmington has decided to play football at Culver-Stockton this Fall. Smallen inked a letter of intention with the Wildcats on Thursday with his parents Dewey and Tracy Smallen sitting alongside. Standing behind the Smallens are (l-r)  Farmington athletic director Pat Burns, head football coach Todd Vaughn, and assistant coaches Derrick Eaves and Mike Loyd. - Donn Adamson / Daily Journal

Pope Newest Addition First Year's Team
Devin Pope of Farmington is Mineral Area College’s newest member to their all-rookie softball team. MAC’s first season will be in the Spring of  2009.

"Racing for Seth" benefit extended to May 17th
BONNE TERRE, MO – What began as a partly sunny, 68-degree day in Bonne Terre soon brought soggy sorrows of a botched benefit and an abrupt end to racing action at Big River Sand Drags.

Big Brown's trainer knows hard times all too well
BALTIMORE (AP) — The man who would save horse racing had to save himself first.

Sorenstam shoots 67 to share lead
CLIFTON, N.J. (AP) — The Annika Sorenstam goodbye tour got off to a great start.

Perry survives wet day for share of lead at AT&T Classic
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Kenny Perry sloshed through the water-logged fairways, ducking under an umbrella every chance he got.

Bay's pinch-hit homer lifts Pirates past Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jason Bay’s first pinch-hit homer delivered the latest jolt of anguish to Jason Isringhausen.

Flyers stay alive, force Game 5 back in Pittsburgh
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins’ road to the Stanley Cup finals along the Pennsylvania Turnpike took an unexpected detour.

Wellemeyer shuts down Pirates in Cardinals' win
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rick Ankiel added a home run-robbing catch to his collection of jaw-dropping defensive plays, earning an assist in Todd Wellemeyer’s most dominating start.

Strong pitching abounds in Bantam League action
FARMINGTON — Brayden Moon hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the Farmington Outlaws notched a 1-0 victory over the Rattlers in Bantam League action on Wednesday night.

No. 1 Justine Henin retires from tennis immediately
LIMELETTE, Belgium (AP) — Justine Henin retired from tennis Wednesday, an abrupt ending to a short and successful career in which she won seven Grand Slam singles titles and leaves while ranked No. 1.

Wednesday's Sports in Brief
Here's a look at sport's in brief around the world.

Verlander loses seventh in Tigers' 2-0 loss
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Luke Hochevar is finally beginning to demonstrate why the Kansas City Royals selected him first overall in the 2006 draft.

Cardinals reliever out for year
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals reliever Tyler Johnson will miss the rest of the season following arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to remove scar tissue in his left shoulder.

Stars avoid sweep, send West finals back to Detroit
DALLAS (AP) — Detroit’s goal with a guy barely in the crease, if at all, didn’t count. Dallas’ goal with a guy clearly in the crease did count.

AJ Foyt was Indy 500 rookie 50 years ago
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Muscles tensed, nerves eating at the pit of his stomach, A.J. Foyt took the green flag at Indianapolis for the first time 50 years ago and soon wasn’t sure he ever wanted to come back.

Oshie says decision on future not easy
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — T.J. Oshie’s welcome to the National Hockey League came from an old friend and soon-to-be foe.

West lifts Hornets to 3-2 lead
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — David West and the New Orleans Hornets sure looked happy to be at home.

Hamilton-led Pistons eliminate Magic in Game 5
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Pistons made just enough shots and stops to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for a sixth straight year.

Grandview pulls shocker against Bulldogs, Bismarck advances
LEADWOOD — One year after a remarkable post-season run culminated at the Class 2 final four in Springfield, the top-seeded West County baseball team failed to advance past the opening round of district play at its home field on Monday.

Newspaper says Spygate story false, apologizes
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Herald has apologized for reporting that the New England Patriots videotaped a walkthrough by the St. Louis Rams one day before the two teams played in the Super Bowl in 2002.

Tuesday's MACRBA Capsules
• Coaches be aware that player’s names cannot be used unless both first and last names are reported and games must be reported the night of their occurrence.

Raiders, Rebels dumped in district semifinals
FARMINGTON — The Festus Tigers capitalized fully on several early scoring chances, and snapped a lengthy string of post-season losses to North County on Tuesday with a 6-3 semifinal win at the Class 3, District 2 Tournament.

Upcoming local sports events
Local sports events will be announced in the Daily Journal on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday for two weeks preceding the event. Please send an announcement of your upcoming event to the sports department no sooner than three weeks before the event or its registration deadline by either phone 431-2010, FAX 431-7640, or drop it off in person at the Daily Journal office in Park Hills.

Ganassi's gamble pays off with Dixon on Indy 500 pole
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Strategy was almost as important as speed Saturday as Scott Dixon won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 with a big gamble by his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team.

New indictment against Barry Bonds unsealed
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Federal prosecutors have unveiled a revamped indictment against Barry Bonds, but the career home run leader’s lawyers say nothing has changed.

McLaurin finishes second, Tigers third in Class 2 golf
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Senior Jordan McLaurin fell slightly short of repeating as individual champion at the Class 2 state golf tournament, but his second-place finish helped Arcadia Valley reach the medal stand for the first time in program history.

Tuesday's Sports in Brief
Here's a look at Tuesday's sports in brief around the country.

Indians shut out in season finale, Warriors escape Vikings upset try
FRANKCLAY — The Bismarck Indians were hoping to build on Monday’s opening round win in the Class 2 District 4 Tournament, but Bourbon Warhawks pitcher Alex Bailey stood in their way on Tuesday. Bailey struck out 12 batters on way to a 5-0, two-hit shut-out.

5th person charged in Redskins safety's killing
MIAMI (AP) — Prosecutors in Miami say a fifth person has been charged in the slaying of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor.

Pirates score four in tenth to beat Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Ronny Paulino was ready when Pittsburgh catcher Ryan Doumit broke his left thumb. It helped that the Pirates were facing the St. Louis Cardinals.

Knights take another step toward state
FARMINGTON — The Farmington Knights tennis team hosted a Regional match with the Potosi Trojans on Tuesday and came out 5-0 winners. The matches were two sets with a tiebreaker if needed.

Monday's Sports in Brief
Here's a look at sports around the country for Monday.

James scores 21, Cavs even series with Celtics
CLEVELAND (AP) — Back to even, and back to Boston — with authority.

Festus and Sikeston take district track honors
FARMINGTON — The Class 3, District 1 track meet was held on Saturday, and for the most part missing the afternoon deluge. The Sikeston boys team captured first as did the Festus girls team. Athletes finishing in the top four of each event qualify to participate in the sectional meet on Friday at Ste. Genevieve. (See full list below.)

Ganassi's gamble pays off with Dixon on Indy 500 pole
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Strategy was almost as important as speed Saturday as Scott Dixon won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 with a big gamble by his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team.

Braun homers twice again as Brewers beat Cards
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have seen just about enough of Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun over the past two days.

Warriors and Vikings to meet in Class 1 semi-final
ANNAPOLIS — The Valle Warriors were supposed to win, the Valley Vikings were not, at least that’s what the seedings represented. Both teams won and they will meet this afternoon in their district’s first semi-final game at 2 p.m.

Upcoming local sports events
Local sports events will be announced in the Daily Journal on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday for two weeks preceding the event. Please send an announcement of your upcoming event to the sports department no sooner than three weeks before the event or its registration deadline by either phone 431-2010, FAX 431-7640, or drop it off in person at the Daily Journal office in Park Hills.

Cal Ripken and Bantam summer baseball get underway
• The Daily Journal will not publish players names unless both first and last name are given.

Rebels will play again, Knights done for the year
FARMINGTON — They were the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Class 3, District 2 tournament, but both the Ste. Genevieve Dragons and the Farmington Knights found formidable foes in the lower seeded teams bringing their seasons to an abrupt end in the opening round of the tournament.

Woods says his rehab is going well
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tiger Woods is chipping and putting again, and he hopes to play in the Memorial in two weeks. But even if he can’t compete until the U.S. Open, he doesn’t expect the same result as his last layoff during a season.

Braun hits 2 HRs, Brewers hold on for 5-3 win
MILWAUKEE (AP) The ninth inning for the Milwaukee Brewers' new closer by committee was as adventurous as some of Eric Gagne's recent outings. There was one difference, though: the Brewers held on for the win.

Talbot's game-winner pushes Penguins past Flyers 4-2
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Max Talbot, a sometimes overlooked fourth-line forward on a team renowned for its stars, scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins took a two-game lead in the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 Sunday night.

Festus and Sikeston take district track honors
FARMINGTON — The Class 3, District 1 track meet was held on Saturday, and for the most part missing the afternoon deluge. The Sikeston boys team captured first as did the Festus girls team. Athletes finishing in the top four of each event qualify to participate in the sectional meet on Friday at Ste. Genevieve. (See full list below.)

Braun hits 2 HRs, Brewers hold on for 5-3 win
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The ninth inning for the Milwaukee Brewers’ new closer by committee was as adventurous as some of Eric Gagne’s recent outings. There was one difference, though: the Brewers held on for the win.

Holt to decide about future
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Despite having two years left on his contract, St. Louis Rams receiver Torry Holt is looking ahead to what might happen at the end of his career.

MAC ends season after valiant comeback
PARK HILLS — The Mineral Area Cardinals were bumped out of the Region 16 play-offs with a devastating 11-10 loss in eight innings by the Maple Woods Monarchs on Sunday. The game which was started on Saturday but was halted in the fifth inning by rain, was restarted for about 10 minutes, enough time for the Monarchs to score one more run to make it 8-4 for Sunday’s second half.

Garcia wins Players in sudden death with clutch putts
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Sergio Garcia summed up his day, his week, maybe even his career, with one small gesture Sunday.

Ryan Ludwick's 2-run single lifts Cards past Brewers 5-3
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Eric Gagne no longer wants to be called the Brewers’ closer. He’s pitching his way out of that role, anyway.

Raiders advance to district semifinals
FARMINGTON — The North County scored three runs with the help of three doubles in the third inning, and received another strong effort from unbeaten pitcher Nick Howlett on Saturday in a 4-2 triumph over Potosi during Class 3, District 2 opening-round action.

Upcoming local sports events
Local sports events will be announced in the Daily Journal on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday for two weeks preceding the event. Please send an announcement of your upcoming event to the sports department no sooner than three weeks before the event or its registration deadline by either phone 431-2010, FAX 431-7640, or drop it off in person at the Daily Journal office in Park Hills.

Farmington trails De Soto in suspended game
FARMINGTON — The Farmington and De Soto baseball teams squared off in the third of four quarterfinal games scheduled in the Class 3, District 2 tournament at Wilson-Rozier Park on Saturday, but sloppy weather would not permit the contest to be completed.

Busch overcomes penalty, car and Darlington stripe in win
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch won the battle of attrition Saturday night as NASCAR’s least popular driver overcame a pit-road penalty and several scrapes with the wall to win at Darlington Raceway.

Sorenstam takes 3-shot lead into final round at Kingsmill
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Rarely spectacular but remarkable for her consistency, Annika Sorenstam shot her third consecutive nearly mistake-free round Saturday, and her 2-under 69 signaled that she may be ready to give Lorena Ochoa a run for No. 1 again.

Ganassi's gamble pays off with Dixon on Indy 500 pole
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Strategy was almost as important as speed Saturday as Scott Dixon won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 with a big gamble by his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team.

Cardinals yank Jason Isringhausen from closer's role
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jason Isringhausen got his wish.

Fans long to be scattered on sporting sites
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Even though he’s only 37 and in good health, Nathan Davis has already made out his will. In it, he bequeaths money to the University of Alabama athletic department and his ashes to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

MAC's Saturday game is deja vu of opener
PARK HILLS — The Mineral Area Cardinals were able to reach the fifth inning on Saturday against the Maple Woods Monarchs when for the second time in four days their game was again suspended because of rain.

Youth gives way at Players
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Hot blasts of wind on a diabolical course made The Players Championship tough enough to turn someone’s hair gray. Not that the leaders needed any help with that Friday.

MAC Cardinals drop opening game to St. Charles
PARK HILLS — The Mineral Area College Cardinals had a hard time hosting the Region 16 Junior College Tournament on Day One  as the faucet for the day’s rain was turned on and off in recurring cycles Wednesday morning. Finally, after a pair of one-hour delays and a fifth-inning downpour, the officials gave notice that the day’s games were canceled and play was finally resumed on Friday from where they had left off.

Clearwater home run takes away Rebels win
PIEDMONT, Mo. — Infielder Jake Hime blasted a game-winning, three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning on Friday, lifting host Clearwater past Central 7-6 in the regular season finale for both teams.

Weeks' 2-run single dumps Isringhausen and Cards
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rickie Weeks hit a bases loaded, two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give Milwaukee a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night and snap the Brewers’ six-game losing streak.

Sorenstam, Ochoa in final group at Kingsmill
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Lorena Ochoa started with a birdie, pulling her even with Annika Sorenstam, the playing partner she replaced as the No. 1 female golfer in the world.

Knights place second at districts, Arnold claims first in singles
SIKESTON — The Class 3 District 1 tennis tournament was held on Friday, and the Farmington Knights finished in second place behind the host team, with the Potosi Trojans taking third and Crystal City fourth.

Malkin's 2 goals lead flyin' Penguins past Flyers, 4-2
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored two dazzling goals 5 minutes apart to give Pittsburgh a two-goal lead, after Sidney Crosby tied it, and the Penguins rode their two big stars to a 4-2 victory over cross-state rival Philadelphia in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday night.

Rams' top draft pick has good first outing
EARTH CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris Long found out early that although he was the St. Louis Rams’ first-round draft choice and the No. 2 selection overall, he is still just a rookie.

MAC prolongs season with six-inning rally
PARK HILLS — Chad Moss belted a pivotal two-run homer, and fellow outfielder Seth Blackwell delivered the decisive two-run single during a chaotic sixth-inning rally, as Mineral Area College extended its baseball season on Friday with a 10-8 victory over North Central at the Region XVI Tournament.

Rockies' gain split of four games with Cards
DENVER (AP) — Matt Holliday had four singles, Jorge De La Rosa scattered five hits over 5 2-3 innings and the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3 Thursday to salvage a split in their four-game series.

Missouri's best senior women golfers to play at Terre Du Lac
On May 20-21 women golfers from around the State of Missouri, including Johnson County, Kansas, will take over the 18-hole Terre Du Lac Country Club to compete in the 16th Senior Championship Tournament put on by the Missouri Women’s Golf Association (MWGA).

Red Wings roll past Stars 4-1 in West finals opener
DETROIT (AP) — Johan Franzen, Brian Rafalski and Tomas Holmstrom scored power-play goals for the Detroit Red Wings, who built a big lead in the second period and coasted to a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.

Richardson To Become Hannibal Runner
North County speedster Adam Richardson will join the Hannibal-La Grange Trojans next year on their track and field team. Richardson signed on Wednesday with his parents Ray and Brenda Richardson alongside. North County track coach Jack Goeller (left) and weightlifting coach Tom Hackworth (right) flank Hannibal’s athletic Director Jason Nichols behind Richardson. - Donn Adamson / Daily Journal

Linehan wants to start team-buiding now
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Rams’ three-day mandatory minicamp that begins Friday is an indication that coach Scott Linehan is not taking the long view.

Upcoming local sports events
Local sports events will be announced in the Daily Journal on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday for two weeks preceding the event. Please send an announcement of your upcoming event to the sports department no sooner than three weeks before the event or its registration deadline by either phone 431-2010, FAX 431-7640, or drop it off in person at the Daily Journal office in Park Hills.

Garcia builds an early lead
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The flag was in a tempting location, back and left on the 13th green at the TPC Sawgrass with a pond running alongside the left side. Sergio Garcia took dead aim with a 7-iron and the ball never left its target.

Pierce, Allen lead Celtics to Game 2 victory
BOSTON (AP) — Paul Pierce scored 19 points and Ray Allen broke out of a seven-quarter scoring drought with 16 points to help Boston beat Cleveland 89-73 on Thursday night and take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Guillen talking himself out of a job
It may be too late for the White Sox to get a refund for the sensitivity training they were ordered to put manager Ozzie Guillen through two summers ago. The man seems more determined than ever to talk his way out of a job.

Thursday's Sports in Brief
Thursday's sports in brief around the country.

Knightettes drop final match of regular season
FARMINGTON — The Farmington girls soccer team successfully limited the number of first-half scoring threats allowed to Notre Dame on Thursday, but the powerful Bulldogs still notched a 3-0 win in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Richardson Outtlifts Them All
Adam Richardson holds the Overall Strongest Competitor Trophy which he won at the Spartan Powerlifting Meet in St. Louis. Richardson won the award for the best total weight in the three-lift event, bench press, squat and dead lift. Standing with Richardson is North County weightlifting coach Tom Hackworth. - Submitted photo

Olympic torch lit on top of Everest
BEIJING (AP) — An Olympic flame reached the top of the world Thursday.

Red Wings sweep, Rangers still alive
DENVER (AP) — Johan Franzen’s second hat trick in three games fueled Detroit’s 8-2 rout of Colorado on Thursday night that completed a sweep of the injury-riddled Avalanche.

Not all progress is academic
The people who run college athletics took time off the other day from counting the millions of dollars top athletes make for their schools to pat themselves on the back because more athletes are actually going to class.

Wednesday's Sports in Brief
Here's a look at Wednesday's sports in brief around the country.

Mark Mulder has rotator cuff strain
DENVER (AP) — Cardinals starter Mark Mulder has a mild rotator cuff strain in his left shoulder, causing St. Louis to stop his injury rehabilitation assignment.

Rockies rally past Cardinals, Izzy blows save
DENVER (AP) — The Rocktober magic returned to Coors Field at least for a night.

Knights escape rain, beat Bluff 6-2
POPLAR BLUFF — The Farmington Knights managed to elude Wednesday’s drenching rains to get in their game against the Poplar Bluff Mules, and they picked up a 6-2 win in the process.

Rockies blast Cardinals 9-3, De La Rosa picks up win
DENVER (AP) -- Matt Holliday had four singles, Jorge De La Rosa scattered five hits over 5 2-3 innings and the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3 Thursday to salvage a split in their four-game series.

Region 16 Tourney put on hold by Wednesday's rains
• Mineral Area Cardinals get four-plus innings in. See Friday’s Daily Journal for the rest of the story.

Burlison and Woods U. To Play In Nationals
Fredericktown High School graduate Mark Burlison holds up his plaques for making First-Team All-Region and All-Conference in golf. Burlison and the William Woods University golf team earned the right to play in the NAIA National Tournament to be played next week at the Indiana National Golf Club in Plymouth, Indiana. - Submitted photo

Warriors pick up 17th win, Blackcats fall to De Soto
STE. GENEVIEVE — The Valle Warriors continued their winning ways on Tuesday with a a 7-4 win over the St. Vincent Indians. After giving up two runs  in the top of the first, the Warriors scored three in the bottom of the inning and never trailed again.

MVP at the buzzer and when the check arrives
Short of leaving town, there are only two ways to make your teammates better. Teach them to make good decisions, share the ball and then hang around long enough to see that trust rewarded — or else threaten to leave until management trades for some better ones.

Tuesday's Sports in Brief
Here's a look at Tuesday's sports in brief around the country.

Looper turns in longest outing of career
DENVER (AP) — Braden Looper pitched into the ninth inning in the longest outing of his career and went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and the St. Louis Cardinals hung on for a 6-5 win over the slumping Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Walks and errors haunt Cougars against Eagles
CADET — The recently-struggling Grandview baseball team scored five unearned runs with the assistance of five Kingston errors, and spoiled the home finale for the Cougars with a 7-6 victory on Tuesday.

Kobe Bryant wins 1st MVP award
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Finally, an MVP award for Kobe Bryant.

Knightettes celebrate Senior Night with win, Lady Cats lose in shoot-out
FARMINGTON   — The Farmington Knightettes soccer team gave their seniors a final home game to remember with a 4-2 win over the Windsor Owls on Tuesday, the Knightettes’ Senior Night.

Celtics hold off LeBron James and beat Cavaliers 76-72
BOSTON (AP) — LeBron James drove to the basket, the lane surprisingly clear. He reached out toward the rim, rolled the ball off his fingertips ...

Knights take tourney crown, McLaurin shoots 67
TERRE DU LAC — The MAAA Conference Tournament was held at the Terre Du Lac Country Club on Monday and when the nine teams had finished their 18-hole rounds, the Farmington Knights stood atop the nine-school standings with a score of 323. The Arcadia Valley Tigers were next in line with a 330, followed by the Fredericktown Blackcats at 346.

Trojans win twin-bill, Knights, Vikings fall in extra frames
POTOSI — The Potosi Trojans added a make-up game with the St. Pius Lancers onto their already scheduled contest with the Union Wildcats on Monday and the Trojans decisively swept both ends of the doubleheader with an offensive display of 23 hits and 25 runs. Potosi defeated Union 14-5 and then crushed St. Pius 11-2.

Big innings fuel two Central wins
PARK HILLS — The Central baseball team highlighted a successful comeback by exploding for nine insurance runs during the sixth inning on Monday, turning a close game into a 13-3 rout over visiting West County.

Lady Raiders use second-half goals to defeat Lady Cats
BONNE TERRE — The North County Raiders picked up their third varsity win in soccer on Monday with a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over the Fredericktown Lady Cats.

Bruns, Francis, Kempin and Dodd grace Victory Lane at SFCR
FARMINGTON — A J Bruns, from Lincoln, IL drove his Bruns Service Center, Honey Hole Outfitters, Eagle Chassis mount to a “hat trick” on Saturday evening, winning his heat, dash and feature events in convincing style.

Busch becomes Public Enemy No. 1 for wrecking Earnhardt
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Three security guards followed Kyle Busch around Lowe’s Motor Speedway, where his safety was presumably still in danger from a victory-starved “Junior Nation” incensed over the late-race accident that cost Dale Earnhardt Jr. a victory.

Pujols scores winning run
DENVER (AP) — A hustling Albert Pujols scored from second base on a groundout in the ninth inning, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.

Monday's Sports in Brief
Here's a look at Monday's sports in brief around the country.

Kim roars to four-shot lead at Wachovia
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Quail Hollow Club’s tree-lined, old-style setup has produced an impressive list of winners, ranging from Vijay Singh to Jim Furyk to last year’s champion, Tiger Woods.

Lady Warrior run away with 15th district title
FULTON — The Valle Lady Warriors continue to dominate their district meets in Class 1 track, having won 15 in all including  14 of the last 16. Their latest, a 135 point runaway of the Class 1 District Meet held on Saturday. New Haven placed second as a team with 73 points and Saxony Lutheran was third at 63. The win is Valle’s second in a row.

Four Area Players Make Coaches Honors Team
Four players were selected for tennis honors by the coaches for their excellent play and good sportsmanship on the courts. From left to right are Frederick Beckmann of North County, Justin Arnold of Farmington and Andrew Blunt of North County. Not pictured is Nathan Payne of Potosi. - Donn Adamson / Daily Journal

Upcoming local sports events
Local sports events will be announced in the Daily Journal on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday for two weeks preceding the event. Please send an announcement of your upcoming event to the sports department no sooner than three weeks before the event or its registration deadline by either phone 431-2010, FAX 431-7640, or drop it off in person at the Daily Journal office in Park Hills.

Mineral Area College Basketball Players In Transition
The Mineral Area College Cardinals basketball team announced recently the signing of three existing players as well as three incoming players. In left photo (from left to right) are Head-coach Corey Tate, sophomores Jerwin Calloway, Barry Wellington and Ryan Lawrence, and assistant coach Chad Kish. Calloway signed with Northern Illinois University, Wellington with SIU-Edwardsville, and Lawrence at University of Missouri-St. Louis. In right photo, signing with MAC (left-right) are Mike Stovall, a transfer from Oregon State, and Kevin Johnson from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Not pictured is Korey McDaniel from Cuba, Missouri. - Donn Adamson / Daily Journal

Creamer finishes strong to win in Tulsa
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (AP) — Paula Creamer blew another lead late in the final round and found herself in another playoff.

Anthony Kim cruises to win at Wachovia Championship
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Knee surgery prevented Tiger Woods from attempting to defend his Wachovia Championship title. Anthony Kim didn’t disappoint fans at Quail Hollow Club looking for Tiger-like brilliance.

Gas prices have race fans rethinking trip to the track
Auto racing is the ultimate in gas-guzzling entertainment. But the prospect of paying $4 a gallon to get to the track has some fans reluctant to start their engines.

No cards for Eight Belles
There won’t be a dramatic fight for life this time around. No national day of mourning for a brave horse who wouldn’t give up.

Sunday's Sports in Brief
Here's a look at Sunday's sports in brief.

Struggling reliever demoted to minors
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Anthony Reyes was demoted to the minor leagues by the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday after sputtering in a relief role with a 5.27 ERA.

Pujols leads Cards past Cubs
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols reached base for the 32nd consecutive game, one shy of his personal best to start the year, and did it with a key two-run double in the fourth inning that was the go-ahead hit in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night.

Cubs' offense backs Lilly in victory over Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (AP) - The top offense in the major leagues surfaced again on Saturday. Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella only asks that his team try to minimize the lows.

McLaurin Completes Four-Year Sweep of District Crowns
Jordan McLaurin has been the medalist a perfect four straight years in Class 2 district tournaments. Monday McLaurin shot a par 72 at Crown Pointe Golf Course to lead his team to a berth in the state play-offs.

MAC Cardinals end regular season on four-game winning streak
PARK HILLS — The MAC Cardinals sunk the North Central Missouri Pirates 6-3 in the first game and 9-0 in the second game to garner wins in both games of Sunday’s doubleheader at Harold Loughary Field.

Knights end lengthy drought in MAAA tournament finals
FARMINGTON - The Farmington baseball program had repeatedly reached the finals of the MAAA Conference Tournament over the past eight years, only to watch its opponents carry the championship plaque away each time.

Seven home runs equal two region wins for MAC
PARK HILLS - The Mineral Area College baseball team took full advantage of an inviting breeze that blew steadily to center field on Saturday, and likely improved its seed for the upcoming Region XVI Tournament.

McLaurin Completes Four-Year Sweep of District Crowns
Donn Adamson / Daily Journal

Bowyer wins wild Richmond race
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Denny Hamlin appeared headed toward an easy victory. Then, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seemed poised to snap his two-year losing streak.

Upcoming local sports events
Local sports events will be announced in the Daily Journal on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday for two weeks preceding the event. Please send an announcement of your upcoming event to the sports department no sooner than three weeks before the event or its registration deadline by either phone 431-2010, FAX 431-7640, or drop it off in person at the Daily Journal office in Park Hills.

Big Brown wins Derby; filly Eight Belles euthanized
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)-Big Brown was pulling away from the field, accelerating with every powerful stride toward the finish line in the Kentucky Derby.

Warriors shut out Trojans for third place
Editor’s Note: The championship game of the MAAA baseball tournament between Farmington and Ste. Genevieve was completed past our deadline for print. Full details of that contest can be found in Sunday’s Daily Journal.

Bohn takes Wachovia Championship lead as Mickelson fades
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - As Phil Mickelson’s round imploded with a series of wayward shots, the Wachovia Championship flew in a different direction.

Knights Run The Table In MAAA Tourney
Donn Adamson / Daily Journal

Big Brown gets chance to prove he's a big-time colt
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - All week, the chatter along the Churchill Downs backstretch has been about Big Brown running away with the Kentucky Derby.

Creamer takes early lead; Ochoa six behind
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (AP) - Paula Creamer and Lorena Ochoa played together for the first 36 holes at the SemGroup Championship, battling a vicious wind that came from two directions and getting two very different results.

Price takes Champions Tour lead
LAKEWAY, Texas (AP) - Nick Price shot a season-best 7-under 65 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead over fellow major champion Mark O’Meara after the first round of the Champions Tour’s FedEx Kinko’s Classic.

Raiders tame Bulldogs for fifth-place finish
FARMINGTON — Jake Cavins provided a dominant performance on the mound, and the North County baseball team displayed sound fundamentals on Thursday to claim a 5-0 victory over West County in the fifth-place game of the MAAA Tournament.

Red Wings sweep, Rangers still alive
DENVER (AP) — Johan Franzen’s second hat trick in three games fueled Detroit’s 8-2 rout of Colorado on Thursday night that completed a sweep of the injury-riddled Avalanche.

Tigers claim conference golf title, tourney next in sight
PARK HILLS — The Arcadia Valley Tigers put a lock on first place in the Mineral Area Activities Association boys golf conference on Thursday with a 182-197 win over the Central Rebels at Crown Pointe Golf Course. Rolin Baker of Central was medalist of the dual meet with a 40.

Rebels beat Cougars to win consolation, Vikings win
FARMINGTON — The Central Rebels let loose a fiery offense on Thursday, scoring six runs in the first inning to defeat the Kingston Cougars 12-2 and win the consolation final of the MAAA Tournament at Wilson Rozier.

A wind-blown start for Ochoa
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (AP) — Lorena Ochoa felt helpless as too many shots ballooned into relentless gusts that reached 36 mph Thursday, sending her to only her second round over par this year.

MAC Cardinals drop pair of close games to Monarchs
PARK HILLS — The Mineral Area College Cardinals could not come up with the right hits at the right time as they lost both ends of a doubleheader to the Maple Woods Monarchs 1-0 and 6-4 on Thursday.

Much more than a trip around the bases
It’s hard to praise sportsmanship without sounding like a chump.

Thursday's Sports in Brief
Sports in brief around the country for Thursday.