Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/501282
ByJeffLarson jlarson@paradisepost.com @jtlarson on Twitter PARADISE With hitters up and down the order, the Para- dise High varsity softball team has the ability to be extremely dangerous offensively. This week was a good start, capped by an 8-4 win Thurs- day at home over Eastern Ath- letic-Sacramento River League foe Red Bluff in the first go- around in league with the Spartans. The star with the bat was Baylee Thayer, as the junior clean-up hitter stroked a pair of inside-the-park home runs, including a one-out fifth-in- ning grand slam, to put Para- dise ahead, 4-3. "People ask me about Baylee a lot and I always (say), 'She's going to give you one hit a game and it's normally a good one,'" Bobcats coach Lennie Dean said. "She gave us two today and they were both big." Thayer, the younger sister of Paradise High product and fu- ture San Diego State football player Austin Thayer, finished 2 for 4 with two home runs and a game-high seven runs batted in. Her offensive charge also helped spark an eight-run rally in the Bobcats' last two at-bats. "We came up here ready to fight, it's always a good game (between) us and Para- dise," Red Bluff coach Aubrie Thomas said. "(In) the bases- loaded (situation), it was mis- PREP SOFTBALL Thayer,Bobcatshitit bigagainstRedBluff Paradise wins round one over Spartans 8-4 as Thayer hits 2 homers with 7 RBIs PHOTOSBYEDDIESALTZMAN—CONTRIBUTED Paradise High's JoJo Kelly eyes a pitch as it crosses the plate on Thursday against Red Bluff. Para- dise High's Baylee Thayer (4) jumps back as Red Bluff's Allyson Drury slides into third during the first inning Thurs- day night. By Tim Dahlberg The Associated Press LAS VEGAS Tommy Hearns un- derstood what was expected from him the night 30 years ago when he stepped into the ring to face Marvin Hagler for the mid- dleweight title. There would be no running. There wouldn't even be that much boxing. "I knew before I got in the ring I had to put a show on for the people," Hearns said. "I knew I had to get him or they would say something is wrong with Tommy." Ring history was made that night in April 1985 in what may have been the best first round ever in a major title fight. Hearns and Hagler went toe-to- toe in fearsome exchanges that bloodied Hagler and eventually sapped the vaunted punching power of Hearns. There's no evidence that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pac- quiao will put on anything close to the epic three-rounder that was Hagler-Hearns. Mayweather has only one knockout in the last eight years, Pacquiao hasn't stopped anyone in nearly six, and there's a far better chance of them both fighting to the fi- nal bell of the 12th round than any other outcome. BOXING Don'texpectaknockoutduringbigfight Neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao has had many stoppages in past 6 to 8 years fighting ISAAC BREKKEN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, throws a punch against Canelo Alvarez during a 152-pound title fight in Las Vegas on Sept. 14, 2013. By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press RICHMOND, VA. Clint Bowyer is having a terrible year. Tony Stew- art, too. The veteran drivers have strug- gled through most of the first eight races this year before break- through performances last week- end at Bristol. Neither driver be- lieves they've turned a corner, but both believe they can be competi- tive Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. Why? Because the current NASCAR rules package both are struggling with doesn't necessar- ily dictate their fate at Richmond, another short track where driver ability can still trump aerody- namics, horsepower and ill-han- dling race cars. Bowyer was on pace for his sec- ond top-10 finish last week before he was caught in a late accident; Stewart was sixth, his first top-10 finish this season. "It just seems like this package that we keep migrating to with our sport, it just kind of keeps painting you in a corner of you are only as good as your equipment," Bowyer said Friday at Richmond. "It's too bad because the only dif- ferential right now is when you get to some short tracks, it's still NASCAR SPRINT CUP Bowyer, Stewart looking for good runs Both have enjoyed success at Richmond's short track STEVE HELBER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Driver Tony Stewart gets into his car prior to the start of qualifying Friday for Saturday's race. By Pat Graham The Associated Press DENVER Pinch-hitter Rafael Ynoa snapped a sixth-inning tie with an RBI double, Eddie Butler was backed by stellar defense over six shaky innings and the Colo- rado Rockies beat the San Fran- cisco Giants 6-4 on Friday night. Charlie Blackmon added a solo homer and D.J. LeMahieu drove in two runs as Colorado beat the de- fending World Series champions for a fourth straight time this sea- son. The Rockies swept a three- game series last week in which they limited the Giants to three runs. San Francisco matched that total by the third inning. Butler (2-1) labored most of the way with only one clean inning. He allowed four runs, but worked his way out of trouble thanks to some nifty fielding, especially from Nolan Arenado and Black- mon. Chris Heston (2-2) gave up six runs over 5 1/3 innings in his first appearance at Coors Field, raising his ERA from 0.87 to 2.77. Heston had yielded two earned runs in his past three starts. Ynoa gave the Rockies a 5-4 lead when he hit a double to left that brought home LeMahieu, BASEBALL Ynoa, Butler send Rockies to 6-4 win over Giants The accidental killing of two hostages in a U.S. operation against al-Qaida has put a new spotlight on the Obama administration's reliance on drones in the battle against terrorism. DRONE STRIKE A erkillings,pressure for hostage strategy FULLSTORYONPAGEB8 Excitement, spiritual anoint- ing, family-emphasis and mu- sical excellence are what you can expect during an evening of family worship and praise with the Collingsworth Family on Thursday, May 7. FREE CONCERT Collingsworth Family performance set May 7 FULL STORY ON PAGE B4 Red Bluff High School's var- sity baseball team is sched- uled to play at Pleasant Valley at 4p.m. Tuesday, and the school's varsity so ball team is scheduled to visit Shasta at 4p.m. Tuesday. RED BLUFF Baseball, so ball teams back in action Tuesday Pitch, Hit & Run, the official youth skills competition of Major League Baseball, is scheduled to have an event at Trainor Park in Red Bluff on May 1. Those interested can register at pitchhitrun.com. COMMUNITY MLB youth skills event planned for May 1 SOFTBALL PAGE 2 FIGHT PAGE 2 NASCAR PAGE 2 GIANTS PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, April 25, 2015 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1