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Friday Baseball — Corning at Anderson, 6 p.m. Baseball — Pleasant Valley at Red Bluff, 1 p.m. Softball — Red Bluff at Anderson Tournament Track — Red Bluff at Eagle Classic Relays, Noon NBA — Kings at Celtics, 4:30 p.m., CSNCA Spring Training — Cubs at A’s, 1 p.m., WGN Sports 1B Friday March 26, 2010 Freshmen spark Spartans By RICHGREENE DNSports Editor A 20-minute lightning delay only seemed to reignite the Red Bluff Lady Spartans, Thursday, who behind the strong play of a couple of freshmen handed the visiting Lassen Grizzlies a 5-1 loss. Freshman Haley Harris drove in Megan McColpin with an RBI triple to open the scoring in the first inning, then doubled in a pair of runs in the fifth inning following a mandatory break for lightning in the area. Meanwhile the Spartans other freshman, Bryce Etzler, allowed just one run over seven quality innings. She struck out five. “They don’t play like freshmen,” coach J Howell said of why Harris and Etzler have been able to step into the Spartans everyday lineup. Young players becoming keys to Red Bluff’s success has been nothing new in recent years. Last season’s sec- tion championship team relied heavily on four freshmen and a pair of sopho- mores. The trend is likely to continue as well with more quality players from Red Bluff’s Little League system on their way. “When we bring these kids up we tell them their coming up here is defi- antly a privilege and with that privilege comes a responsibility — that they have to play at a high level and take on that varsity pressure,” Howell said. Harris has been at a high of a level as anyone, leading the Spartans in bat- ting average through the first 10 games. Etzler has nestled nicely into a rota- tion spot alongside McColpin and Krista Rodriguez. So much so, she was her own biggest critic following Thursday’s win. “I could have done better, but the team backed me up,” Etzler said. In the top of the fourth she did receive some defensive help when Jer- ilynn Purcell and McColpin hooked up on a relay throw from left field to peg Daily News photo by Rich Greene Red Bluff second baseman Haley Harris throws to first,Thursday. a would be Lassen run at home plate. The Spartans had struck twice in the first inning for an early lead. Two batters after Harris tripled, Etzler drew a walk and the fourth ball got past the catcher, allowing another Spartans run. The offense slowed down through the next few innings as a light rain started coming down. But in the fifth inning, following the lightning break, the Spartans turned up the pressure again. Emily McEnaney doubled to start the inning. McColpin then reached base and Harris hit an RBI double and later scored on a Brittany Fletcher bunt. Lassen loaded the bases in the sixth inning with just one out, but only man- aged one run on a groundball out to McColpin. A week ago Red Bluff beat Lassen 8-0, when the Lady Spartans had left a day early for a tournament in Susanville. The Grizzlies had done the same thing Thursday with a tournament set for the weekend in Redding. Red Bluff, 8-2 on the season, will be playing in the Anderson Lady Cubs tournament beginning today. Butler upsets No. 1 Syracuse No. 5 Butler 63, No. 1 Syracuse 59 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Willie Veasley glanced up while running back on defense as his 3- pointer bounced high off the rim like so many of Butler’s shots had before. He paused, though, as the ball drifted back, caromed off the backboard and fell through the net — a huge bounce that helped seal the Bulldogs’ 63-59 upset of top-seeded Syracuse on Thursday night in the West Regional semifinals. Veasley followed his for- tunate 3 with a tip-in as the Bulldogs scored 11 straight points and became the latest mid-major team to knock off a top seed in the NCAA tournament. Now, after reaching the regional finals for the first time in school history, But- ler is one win from going home to Indianapolis for the Final Four. ‘‘I was headed down the court on defense because I figured it was going to go over the top of the back- board. But I looked back and it came down and went through,’’ Veasley said. ‘‘That was a H-O-R-S-E shot. I’ve never made a shot quite like that.’’ Veasley pumped his fist and grinned as he continued toward the other end. It was fitting that he was already headed back on defense. Instead of Syracuse’s vaunt- ed zone controlling the game, Butler’s pesky man- to-man defense was the dif- ference as the Bulldogs scrapped through poor shooting and won their 23rd straight game. ‘‘We said this word over and over in Indianapolis, and that word is ‘resolve.’ These guys have resolve,’’ Butler coach Brad Stevens said. ‘‘It’s hard to measure, but they’ve got it.’’ The Bulldogs (31-4) cer- tainly did in the last five minutes, holding the Orange The Butler bench celebrates its 63-59 victory over Syracuse. without a point from the time Syracuse went up by four with 5:23 left until a too-little-too-late layup with 35 seconds remaining. Gordon Hayward scored 17 points and started the cel- ebration while dribbling out the clock after the Bulldogs forced Syracuse into its 18th turnover. No. 1 Kentucky 62, No. 12 Cornell 45 SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — John Wall and top-seed- ed Kentucky overcame an early deficit with a swarm- ing defense, stopping Cor- nell’s captivating NCAA tournament run with a 62-45 win Thursday night in the East Regional semifinals. With much of the Carrier Dome crowd — and the country — pulling for an upset by the 12th-seeded Ivy Leaguers, Cornell bolted to a 10-2 lead in the opening minutes. But quickly, Wall and the Wildcats (35-2) displayed all the NBA-caliber talent that makes them a tradition- al powerhouse. Kentucky led 32-16 at halftime and made it 38-21 before Cor- nell (29-5) climbed back into it. Ahead by 40-34 with 5 1/2 minutes left, coach John Calipari’s team kept its com- posure and advanced to play No. 2 seed West Virginia on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. No. 2 West Viginia 69, No. 11 Washington 56 SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Da’Sean Butler shook off a sore right hand and helped West Virginia shake off feisty Washington to reach the East Regional finals. Butler kept playing after hurting himself midway through the second half and scored 14 points while Kevin Jones added 18 and eight rebounds in leading the second-seeded Moun- taineers over the 11th-seed- ed Huskies 69-56 Thursday night. Coach Bob Huggins’ Big East champions (30-6) won their ninth in a row and set a school record for victories, surpassing the mark set by the Jerry West-led 1958-59 team that lost in the NCAA championship game. Justin Holiday scored 14 and added eight rebounds for the Huskies (26-10), who were at a disadvantage after leading scorer Quincy Pondexter picked up his third foul with 4:27 left in the first half. Pondexter did- n’t score his first basket until 2:30 into the second half, and finished with seven points. Point guard Isaiah Thomas scored 13 before fouling out with 2:41 left. The Huskies had a nine- game win streak snapped. They were trying to become only the fourth school seed- ed 11th or lower to reach the round of eight. The Mountaineers won their first game since point guard Darryl Bryant broke a bone in his right foot. And it appeared to take an entire half for West Virginia to find its rhythm on offense. Trailing by as many as six points late in the first half, the Mountaineers went ahead for good with 14:14 left when Jones hit a 3- pointer to make it 39-37. That was part of an 11-1 spurt. Youth Archery Tournament The 2nd Annual Youth Archery Tournament will be held Sunday. The event for all youth under the age of 18 is spon- sored by the Ishi Archery Club and will be held at the range on Highway 36 East in Red Bluff. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with shooting starting at 9:30 a.m. There will be a food concession stand serving ham- burgers, hotdogs, drinks or snacks. Shooters may also bring their own picnic lunch. All youth must be sponsored by an adult and partici- pants must bring their own equipment. Adults will not be allowed to shoot. The archery club recommends at least six arrows. There will be 28 targets — 14 field paper targets and 14 3-D targets — plus novelty on the practice range. Awards will be given to the top three in each age group and division and there will be a drawing for lots of door prizes. The cost is $5. If you have any questions, please e-mail or call us at 527-4200 or visit our web site at www.ishiarcheryclub.org. Tehama Tracker Warriors baseball Cameron Vietti led the Warriors both on the mound and at the plate, Wednesday, and Mercy beat Williams 9-1. Vietti pitched a complete game, striking out 12 and allowing three hits and two walks. At the plate, he hit a homer, a double and went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Scott Farmer doubled during a 2-for-4 day. Mitchell Lopez and Chris Bartlett each drove in a run and the Warriors improved to 6-3 on the season. Spartans track and field Taylor Hickson had a big day, Wednesday, at a dual meet with West Valley. Hickson set a school- record in the 110-meter hur- dles and also won the high jump, triple jump and helped Red Bluff to a first place finish in the 4x100-meter relay. Hickson was joined by Grant Blaser, Colin Dahlberg in Jeffrey Foster in running a 45.26 time. Foster also had wins in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints. Distance runner Devin Shoop took first in the 1600 and 3200-meter races. Zak Stroing won the discus event with a toss of 138-07. On the girls side, Roxanne Luppino won the 100 and 200-meter sprints then teamed with Alana Hinkston, Erin Eicholtz and Jessie Slade to win the 4x100-meter relay. Scoreboard MLB Spring Training Thursday’s results Oakland vs San Francisco, late Baltimore 8, N.Y.Yankees 0 Boston 6, Florida 4 Chicago Cubs 7, Arizona 2 Cleveland 3, Seattle (ss) 1 Colorado 10, Cincinnati 6 Detroit (ss) 5, Toronto 1 Detroit (ss) 8, Washington 2 Kansas City 8, Seattle (ss) 7 L.A. Angels 9, Texas 6 L.A. Dodgers 7, Milwaukee 3 Philadelphia 8, Houston 7 Pittsburgh 7, Atlanta 6, 10 innings San Diego 5, Chicago White Sox 3 St. Louis 2, N.Y.Mets 1 Tampa Bay 5, Minnesota 3 MCT photo Today’s Grapefruit League games Detroit vs Atlanta, 10:05 a.m., ESPN N.Y. Mets vs Florida, 10:05 a.m. Pittsburgh vs Houston, 10:05 a.m. St. Louis vs Washington, 10:05 a.m. Tampa Bay vs Toronto (ss), 10:05 a.m. Toronto (ss) vs Boston, 10:05 a.m. Minnesota vs Baltimore, 4:05 p.m. Philadelphia vs N.Y.Yankees, 4:05 p.m. Today’s Cactus League games L.A. Angels vs San Francisco, 1:05 p.m. Oakland (ss) vs Chi.Cubs,1:05 p.m.,WGN Oakland (ss) vs Texas, 1:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox vs Arizona, 1:05 p.m. Cincinnati vs Seattle, 1:05 p.m. Colorado vs Cleveland, 1:05 p.m. Kansas City vs L.A. Dodgers, 1:05 p.m. San Diego vs Milwaukee, 1:05 p.m. NBA Thursday’s results L.A. Clippers 99, Houston 93 Miami 103, Chicago 74 Dallas at Portland, late Today’s games Sacramento at Boston, 4:30 p.m.,MNT-21 Atlanta at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. Denver at Toronto, 4 p.m. Minnesota at Orlando, 4 p.m. Utah at Indiana, 4 p.m. Washington at Charlotte, 4 p.m. Detroit at New Jersey, 5 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m. Cleveland at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m. Miami at Milwaukee, 5:30 p.m. New York at Phoenix, 7 p.m. Wednesday’s late results Golden State 128, Memphis 110 L.A. Lakers 92, San Antonio 83 NCAA EASTREGIONAL Regional Semifinals — Thursday’s results 1) Kentucky 62, 12) Cornell 45 2) West Virginia 69, 11) Washington 56 SOUTH REGIONAL Regional Semifinals — Today’s games,CBS 10) Saint Mary’s vs 3) Baylor, 4:27 p.m. 1) Duke vs 4) Purdue, following MIDWEST REGIONAL Regional Semifinals — Today’s games,CBS CIT Semifinal — Thursday’s result Pacific 64, Appalachian State 56 NHL Thursday’s results Dallas at San Jose, late Carolina 3, Washington 2, SO Columbus 8, Chicago 3 Minnesota 4, Philadelphia 3, OT Montreal 4, Florida 1 Nashville 4, Phoenix 3, SO N.Y. Islanders 3, Calgary 2 N.Y. Rangers 4, New Jersey 3, SO St. Louis 3, Los Angeles 1 Tampa Bay 5, Boston 3 Toronto 2, Atlanta 1, OT Today’s games Ottawa at Buffalo, 4:30 p.m. Minnesota at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Anaheim at Edmonton, 6 p.m. Wednesday’s late result Vancouver 4, Anaheim 1 MLS Thursday’s result Seattle FC 2, Philadelphia 0 Today’s game Colorado at Chivas USA, 7:30 p.m. PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational At Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla. Purse: $6 million Yardage: 7,353;Par 72 (36-36) J.B. Holmes Davis Love III First Round Leader Board 33-33 — 66 -6 Henrik Stenson 33-34 — 67 -5 Mike Weir Ernie Els Kevin Streelman 34-34 — 68 -4 Kevin Na Robert Allenby Chris DiMarco 34-35 — 69 -3 Heath Slocum 35-34 — 69 -3 George McNeill 35-34 — 69 -3 Jason Dufner Steve Stricker Ben Crane D.J.Trahan Nathan Green 35-34 — 69 -3 Pat Perez Steve Marino Paul Goydos 34-35 — 69 -3 35-35 — 70 -2 33-37 — 70 -2 Kevin Sutherland 34-36 — 70 -2 Sean O’Hair John Rollins Boo Weekley Chris Couch Mark Wilson Stuart Appleby Edoardo Molinari 37-33 — 70 -2 J.P.Hayes Marc Leishman 35-35 — 70 -2 Ben Curtis 37-33 — 70 -2 35-35 — 70 -2 36-34 — 70 -2 38-32 — 70 -2 36-34 — 70 -2 35-35 — 70 -2 33-37 — 70 -2 34-36 — 70-2 32-34 — 66 -6 35-32 — 67 -5 33-35 — 68 -4 36-32 — 68 -4 36-32 — 68-4 36-33 — 69 -3 35-34 — 69 -3 33-36 — 69 -3 32-37 — 69 -3 2) Ohio State vs 6) Tennessee, 4:07 p.m. 9) Northern Iowa vs 5) Michigan State, following WESTREGIONAL Regional Semifinals — Thursday’s results 5) Butler 63, 1) Syracuse 59 2) Kansas State 101, 6) Xavier 96, 2OT