HHS SOFTBALL-BASEBALL CANCELLATIONS 5/6/13

Hopkinsville High's baseball and softball games scheduled for today have been cancelled. The Lady Tigers home game with Christian County scheduled for 5:30 will not be made up.

Meanwhile, the baseball game at Fort Campbell has been postponed until Wednesday, meaning the first game of the two game 8th district series will begin tomorrow at HHS.

Because of the cancellation of the softball game, News/Talk WHOP will carry the first game of the three game series between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta, with air time at 5:40 pm.

SPORTS UPDATE 5/6/13

College Football: WKYT reports Kentucky safety Ashley Lowery’s condition has been upgraded. A family spokesman says the extent of a neck injury suffered in a traffic accident early Saturday morning in Georgia is not known, but there is no significant head or brain damage. Lowery was thrown from the vehicle he was driving, with Georgia State Patrol noting Lowery was not wearing a seat belt.

Conner High School quarterback Drew Barker will announce Friday where he plans to play college football. The final three choices are all in the SEC, with Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee in the group. Notre Dame is also likely to be in the mix if they offer Barker a scholarship.

Horse Racing: Kentucky Derby winner Orb is back in New York to begin preparations for the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes on May 18^th. The Preakness field is expected to include Oxbow, Will Take Charge and Goldenscents. Golden Soul and Revolutionary are skipping the Run for the Blackeyed Susans and are pointing toward the Belmont Stakes.

MLB: National League action includes Cincinnati opening a three game series with the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ballpark. Other action has the Chicago Cubs meeting the Texas Rangers in interleague play.

NBA: The Miami Heat have been idle for more than a week, but they'll need to get back to business, tonight when they take on the Chicago Bulls in game one of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The San Antonio Spurs have also been home resting for more than a week, and this evening they face the upstart Golden State Warriors in game one of the Western Conference semifinals, in the Alamo City.

NHL: The Toronto Maple Leafs will host their first playoff game in nine years as they battle the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of a deadlocked Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. The series is tied at 1-1.

The New York Rangers hope a change of venue can get them back into the Eastern Conference quarterfinals when they host the Washington Capitals in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. The Capitals lead the series 2-0.

The second-seeded Anaheim Ducks will try to push Detroit to the brink of elimination, as they visit the Red Wings for Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals at Joe Louis Arena. The Ducks lead the series 2-1.

The Los Angeles Kings hope to even the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals as they host the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 at Staples Center. The Blues lead the series 2-1.

Golf: The 2013 class for the World Golf Hall of Fame will be inducted in ceremonies this evening in St. Augustine, FL. Among this year’s honorees are Fred Couples, Colin Montgomerie and former US Open champion and long time CBS golf commentator Ken Venturi.

SPORTS HEADLINES 5/6/13

High School Softball(WEATHER PERMITTING): Christian County and Hopkinsville are scheduled to meet for the second time this afternoon at Lady Tiger Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30, with the Heritage Bank pre game show airing at 5:15 on News/Talk WHOP and online at whopam.com.

Other games today have University Heights hosting Ohio County, Dawson Springs at Todd Central, Trigg County hosts Mayfield, Caldwell County goes to Lyon County, Logan County travels to Hart County, Hopkins Central at Henderson County, Madisonville at Daviess County, Webster County at Crittenden County, Muhlenberg County hosts McLean County, Calloway County is at Massac County, IL.

High School Baseball(WEATHER PERMITTING): Hopkinsville opens a two day 8^th district series at Fort Campbell, University Heights goes to Lyon County, Dawson Springs is at Madisonville, Hopkins Central hosts Ohio County, Union County hosts Livingston Central, Mayfield at Paducah Tilghman, Murray hosts Carlisle County, Marshall County at Heath.

High School Tennis: 2^nd region action begins for the girls today at Henderson County, with boys action to begin tomorrow.

Christian County student/athlete Kory Polley will sign a collegiate letter for wrestling today. The ceremony will take place at 2:30 at Christian County High School.

Golf: Former Hopkinsville High standout Dayton Jones fired an opening round 75 for Rend Lake Community College Sunday at the NJCAA Division Two Regional tournament in Bloomington, IL. Jones continues play today with hopes of making the national championship later this month in Scottsboro, AL.

College Football: University of Kentucky safety Ashley Lowery is hospitalized following a traffic accident early Saturday morning in White County, GA. The Georgia State Patrol says Lowery was not wearing a seat belt when he wrecked and was ejected from the vehicle.

A family friend tells the Courier Journal Lowery was responsive Sunday and recognized family members. Lowery started eight games as a sophomore in the 2012 season and ranked fifth on the team with 43 tackles.

College Baseball: Ohio Valley Conference action saw Austin Peay defeat Morehead State 9-3 Sunday, with Murray State dropping the series finale to Southeast Missouri 7-4.

Western Kentucky defeated Louisiana Monroe 9-1 and got a solid pitching performance from former Hopkinsville High hurler Justin Hageman. Hageman went seven innings, allowing one earned run on six hits. It was Hageman’s first Sun Belt Conference start of the season.

College Softball: Murray State swept a doubleheader from Austin Peay 6-4 and 10-9. Former Christian County standout Casey Castille was 0-3 in the opener, then went 2-4 in the nightcap with 3 rbi for Murray State.

Former Christian County standout Griffin Joiner tied a career high with four hits as Kentucky defeated 7th ranked Alabama 9-5 Sunday.  Joiner had a home run, two singles along with a double and an RBI.  Joiner went 4-5 in the game.

Minor League Baseball: The Bowling Green Hot Rods lost at the Clinton Lumberkings 5-2 Sunday. The two teams close out the series this evening.  The Nashville Sounds lost at Round Rock 5-1, with the teams playing the series finale this afternoon.

PGA Tour: Rookie Derek Ernst won the rain soaked Wells Fargo Championship Sunday in a playoff over David Lynn. Both finished regulation at eight under par. Phil Mickelson led most of the day before bogies at 15 and 16 cost him the tournament. Mickleson finished third.

Champions Tour: Esteban Toledo topped Mike Goodes and Gene Sauers in a three hole playoff to win the Insperity Open. Franklin’s Kenny Perry finished the three day event with a 221 total and collected $16,050. Paducah’s Russ Cochran finished the event at 10 over par.

SPORTS HEADLINES 5/4/13

The YMCA has announced that HCCYL t-ball, baseball, and softball games scheduled for Saturday, May 4, have been cancelled due to the high percentage chance of rain and low temperatures. Those games and pictures have been moved to Saturday, May 18, at the same time and field. Teams will need to show up one hour early on field 2 for pictures on Saturday, May 18.

High School Baseball-Friday scores: Christian County edged Caldwell County 3-2, Hopkinsville over Trigg County 10-4, University Heights got by Crittenden County 9-7, Union County blanked Madisonville 3-0, Logan County edged Muhlenberg County 4-3 in 9 innings, Hopkins Central shut out McLean County 4-0, Henderson County drilled Webster County 16-5.

High School Softball-Friday scores: Dawson Springs run ruled Hopkinsville 11-1 in 6 innings.

College Football: Austin Peay announced the signing of four players, including three junior college transfers Friday. They are quarterback Andrew Spivey from the College of San Francisco, wide receiver Earlzo Singleton from Rochester Community and Tech College, Derien Stephens out of Detroit—who did not play collegiately last fall and offensive lineman Travis Williams from Arizona Eastern Junior College.

Coach Kirby Cannon called the four signees a “mini” recruiting class and say that all four have the chance to earn a starting position for the Govenors this fall.

College Baseball: Austin Peay defeated Morehead State 9-8 in 10 innings, with Murray State getting a 4-0 victory over Southeast Missouri. Western Kentucky lost to Louisiana Monroe 3-2.

Minor League Baseball: The Bowling Green Hot Rods were swept in a doubleheader by Kane County 4-2 and 3-1. The Hot Rods open a three game series at Clinton this evening.  The Nashville Sounds lost at Round Rock 5-4 in 12 innings, with game two of the series this evening.

Major League Baseball: The Cincinnati Reds held off the Chicago Cubs 6-5 Friday, with the NY Mets defeating Atlanta 7-5 in 10 innings and St. Louis defeated Milwaukee 6-1.

The Reds and Cubs play game two of their weekend series this afternoon at Wrigley Field, with pre game coverage beginning at 11:35 this morning on News/Talk WHOP. St. Louis and Milwaukee also have an afternoon game, with Atlanta hosting New York this evening.

St. Louis right-hander Jason Motte will have season-ending Tommy John surgery next week.The Cardinals reliever was placed on the disabled list on March 29, and eventually diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right elbow. He had been rehabbing and playing catch in an effort to avoid surgery.
   
However, he had discomfort during a throwing session and it was decided that Motte would have the ligament replacement surgery.

Horse Racing: With four of the 10 horses entered in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs Friday, trainer Todd Pletcher had a good chance to win the race. One of his fillies did, as longshot Princess of Sylmar took the Run for the Lillies.

Meanwhile, Pletcher has five colts entered in the 20 horse field for today’s 139^th Kentucky Derby. Early betters are liking Revolutionary and Goldenscents, the horse whose ownership includes Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. Orb was the morning line favorite when post positions were drawn earlier this week.

NFL: The Tennessee Titans brought their annual Titans Caravan to Paducah last night. Among those appearing at the visit was former Paducah Tilghman standout George Wilson, one of the Titans acquisitions in the off season after being released by the Buffalo Bills. The safety told WPSD he was excited about the opportunity to play for the Titans and expects an outstanding 2013 season.

NBA: All four teams leading their series in playoff action last night clinched berths to the next round. In Eastern Conference action, the NY Knicks defeated Boston 88-80, Indiana defeated Atlanta 81-73. Western Conference action saw Oklahoma City defeat Houston 103-94 and Memphis finish off the LA Clippers 118-105.

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson isn't having too much trouble at all with the choppy greens at Quail Hollow. Mickelson opened with two birdies and made back-to-back birdies late in his second round for a 5-under 67 that gave him a two-shot lead going into the third round of the Wells Fargo Championship.

Nick Watney, playing alongside Mickelson, made a few key par putts for a 70 and was in the group two shots behind with George McNeill and 37-year-old tour rookie Scott Gardiner. Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood are another shot back.

Champions Tour: Mike Goodes shot a 3-under 69 in winds that gusted to 30 mph to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Champions Tour's Insperity Championship. Goodes birdied two of the last three holes.

Gene Sauers had the lead at 4 under going into the par 4 17th, but hit a 9-iron into the water for a double bogey and finished at 70. Brian Henninger, Mark Brooks, Hal Sutton, Michael Allen and Mark Bucek were two strokes back at 71.

Franklin’s Kenny Perry fired a two over par 74, while Paducah’s Russ Cochran had a seven over 79. Only seven players in the 81-man field broke par on an unseasonably cold and blustery day at The Woodlands Country Club near Houston.

SPORTS UPDATE 5/3/13

College Basketball: The Lexington Herald Leader reports longtime official John Cahill is retiring. The 60-year-old Cahill who has officiated games for 40 years, will still be involved with officiating as the supervisor of officials of the new Big East Conference. Cahill worked 11 Final Fours and was on the national championship game this year when Louisville defeated Michigan. The Albany, New York native is a lawyer by trade.

College Football: One of the newest members of the SEC is expanding its stadium. Texas A&M plans to expand Kyle Field from its current capacity of over 82,000 to 102,500, making it the largest stadium in the SEC and the third largest in the nation behind Michigan and Penn State. The expansion will begin following the 2013 season and be completed before the start of the 2015 season.

MLB: The Cincinnati Reds open a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs this afternoon at Wrigley Field, St. Louis continues its series at Milwaukee this evening, with Atlanta opening a weekend series with the NY Mets.

NBA: The playoff schedule features four possible closeout games, as four teams can all advance with Game 6 wins. 

In Eastern Conference play, the Pacers will visit Atlanta with a 3-2 lead while the Knicks are in Boston and will try for a third time to finish off the Celtics.

Western Conference action has the Thunder in the same position as the Knicks, having won the first three games of their West quarterfinal against Houston, only to see the Rockets win the last two. The Grizzlies have won three straight over the Clippers and will try to finish off LA in Memphis.

NHL: Tonight’s playoff schedule features four games. The Pittsburgh Penguins will
try to build a 2-0 lead on the New York Islanders following a Game 1 win on Wednesday. Also in the East, Ottawa will try to grab a 2-0 series lead against Montreal.

In the West, the Chicago Blackhawks take a 1-0 series advantage into a home game against the Minnesota Wild and the San Jose Sharks will try for another victory following a home win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 on Wednesday