Blalock

On October 4, 2008, BRENDA EVELYN, beloved daughter of Charles Blalock, Sr. and the late Mary Clark, dear mother of Patricia and Jesse Dryden, loving sister of Charles, Oscar, Debra and Lillian Blalock. Funeral Service at the W. Dabrowski-Chojacki Funeral Homes, P.A., 1005 Dundalk Ave., Wednesday, 10 A.M. Interment Oak Lawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends Tuesday 4 to 8 P.M.

The Tampa Bay Rays, who will open their season Tuesday night against the Orioles, trimmed their roster to the 25-man limit by placing relief pitcher J.P. Howell on the 15-day disabled list (left shoulder strain) and reassigning pitcher Joaquin Benoit and infielder Hank Blalock to the minor leagues. Blalock, a former Texas Ranger, signed a minor league deal last month; the deal included a clause allowing him to try to sign with other teams if he was not going to be part of the roster coming out of spring training.

Any time an opponent faces Towson State's men's basketball team, the first order of business is containing Scooter Alexander, the junior shooting guard who seems destined to become the school's all-time leading scorer.Based on the way backcourt mate Ralph Blalock has performed lately, though, opponents also are advised to watch the sophomore point guard closely.In his past five games, Blalock has turned into an offensive machine, averaging a team-high 20.8 points and 2.5 assists. He started the stretch by scoring 25 points in an overtime loss to Loyola and capped it by scoring a career-high 26 in Tuesday's 76-63 loss at Coppin State.

Orioles outfielder Felix Pie said he immediately felt a deep sadness when he heard about Tuesday's catastrophic earthquake that rocked Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His emotions quickly turned to worry for his extended family, many of whom live in the Caribbean nation that is considered the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. "It's very sad, and you start, like, worrying. I know my mom has family in Haiti and my pop, too," Pie said. "But my mom called me and told me not to worry, that my family over there is OK. And my pop called me to tell me the same thing."

With Ralph Blalock, what you see is pretty much all you get, since you rarely will hear a peep out of him.Towson State's basketball team gets plenty from Blalock. Midway through his breakthrough sophomore season, all the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has done is play three positions, emerge as the scoring threat the Tigers figured he could become and help Towson State move into position to win its second regular-season Big South Conference title.And Blalock is the last person who would talk about it."

BOSTON -- Ralph Blalock scored 19 points to lead Towson State past Northeastern, 73-67, in a North Atlantic Conference game last night at Matthews Arena.The Tigers (12-6, 8-2) ran off the first 12 points of the game and never trailed in winning their third straight game. Blalock scored 10 points in a 20-9 run to start the second half, a spurt that expanded Towson's nine-point halftime lead to 59-39 with 9 1/2 minutes left.Northeastern (2-18, 1-11) outscored Towson State 28-14 the rest of the way, but got no closer than the game's final margin and lost their third consecutive game.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Junior guard Ralph Blalock scored & &TC career-high 29 points to lead Towson State to an 80-73 Big South Conference victory over league-leading Charleston Southern last night.The win ended the Tigers' three-game losing streak, and ended the Bucs' four-game winning streak.Reserve junior guard Quintin Moody (Cardinal Gibbons) scored 12 for the Tigers (6-6, 1-3). Stevie Thomas (Walbrook) added nine points and nine rebounds.Eric Burks led the Bucs (7-7, 3-1) with 26 points and junior forward Bret Larrick added 19 points.

EMMITSBURG -- Ralph Blalock was just following orders.Blalock, a junior, is the leader of a Towson State team that at the moment doesn't have any seniors. Coach Terry Truax has had to coax Blalock to be less bashful with his shot, and it was that stroke that gave the Tigers a 69-68 victory over Mount St. Mary's before 1,585 at the Knott Arena last night.With 1:30 left, Towson State was down by six and Blalock had a single basket to show for the second half. But he got the Tigers close with two jumpers from the right side, then won it on a three-pointer from the top of the key with four seconds left.

Towson State's men's basketball team typically has been defined by its backcourt. This year, with top-scoring senior guard Scooter Alexander redshirting, the Tigers are relying heavily on junior guard Ralph Blalock, who has responded.Towson State is off to a 3-3 start. Two of those victories resulted from buzzer-beating three-point shots by Blalock, who leads the Tigers with a 17.8-point scoring average.But the Tigers are developing a more interesting look these days, mainly because their young frontcourt -- usually the team's Achilles' heel -- is emerging.

Ralph Blalock was drawn to Towson State by two legacies: the NCAA tournament berths the Tigers earned in 1990 and '91, and the prominent roles backcourt players have had there.Because there won't be an NCAA berth in March, Blalock will inherit Towson State's mantle of shooting star from Scooter Alexander a year earlier than anticipated. A 6-foot-2 junior with a manner as soft as his shooting touch, Blalock will have to usher a young team and persuade the players that, appearances aside, it's not a lost season.

On October 4, 2008, BRENDA EVELYN, beloved daughter of Charles Blalock, Sr. and the late Mary Clark, dear mother of Patricia and Jesse Dryden, loving sister of Charles, Oscar, Debra and Lillian Blalock. Funeral Service at the W. Dabrowski-Chojacki Funeral Homes, P.A., 1005 Dundalk Ave., Wednesday, 10 A.M. Interment Oak Lawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends Tuesday 4 to 8 P.M.

Ellen G. Lally, a former reporter who later became an Eastern Shore caterer, died of cancer Sunday at The Pines, an Easton hospice. She was 73. She was born Ellen Gordon Needles in Baltimore and spent her early years in Buckingham Manor, a Charles Street apartment house. During World War II, she moved with her family to Albany, Ga., where her father was serving in the Army. After returning to Baltimore in 1947, she attended Garrison Forest School, and graduated in 1951 from the Emma Willard School, a Troy, N.Y., boarding school.

When it comes to the Ravens, drafting in the bottom of the first round has been worth the wait. From Ray Lewis to Todd Heap to Ed Reed, the Ravens have watched future Pro Bowl players repeatedly slide down to them. With the 29th overall pick today, the Ravens expect another top prospect to drop - but they just have to be careful where this one lands. All of the Ravens' presumed targets are 300-pound offensive linemen: Southern California center Ryan Kalil, Texas guard-tackle Justin Blalock and Central Michigan offensive tackle Joe Staley.

Felecia Diggs says her mother had to leave school after the third grade to help support her family but has over the years nursed people on their deathbeds and served as a midwife. "It was just something she naturally did," Diggs said. "If she had the money and didn't have to work for her family, she would've been a fantastic nurse." Her 83-year-old mother's determination is one reason Diggs finds inspiration in the story of Vivien Thomas, a surgical assistant who overcame racism, poverty and a lack of education to play crucial roles in several breakthroughs in heart surgery at Johns Hopkins, beginning in the 1940s.

On August 2, 2006 BERNARD "BERNIE" J. RANDALL, SR. beloved husband of Diana M. Randall (nee Smith); devoted father of B.J. Randall, Jr., Rachel Abdelmoumni and Sarah Joyner and her husband Matt, dear grandfather of Mahdy Abdelmoumni. A Funeral Service will be held in the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 York Rd. (beltway exit 26a) on Monday at 11:00 A.M. Interment Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. Friends may call on Sat. 6-8 P.M. and Sunday 2-4 & 6-8 P.M. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Johns Hopkins Hospital c/o V.A.D.

BATTING LINE OF THE DAY Wily Mo Pena, Reds LF AB R H RBI HR 3 2 2 6 2 PITCHING LINE OF THE DAY Jason Vargas, Marlins IP H R BB SO 9 6 1 1 7 WHO'S HOT The Devil Rays are 5-1 on their current homestand and 13-3 at Tropicana Field since the All-Star break. WHO'S NOT Hank Blalock of the Rangers went 0-for-4 and has six hits in his past 41 at-bats. He has not driven in a run in 10 consecutive games.

With Scooter Alexander's return enhancing an already deep Towson State backcourt, and with additional talent gracing the forward and center positions, senior guard Ralph Blalock doesn't mind playing second fiddle on occasion.L He's just grateful to be somewhere in the crowded orchestra.Blalock took center stage when the Tigers needed him most last night, scoring 17 of his 22 points in the second half to lead Towson past Loyola, 66-62, at Reitz Arena.What kind of a clutch performer was he?

Towson State coach Terry Truax said he believes standout guard Ralph Blalock is almost too unselfish about shooting the ball and should become more assertive on offense.But Blalock is certainly not shy about taking game-winning attempts.The junior from Claymont, Del., did not hesitate last night, hitting a 23-footer with four seconds left to repulse Delaware, 84-83, before 1,476 fans at the Towson Center.It was the third game-winning three-pointer of the season for Blalock, who previously drilled long shots to beat Mount St. Mary's, 69-68, and West Virginia, 81-78, both on the road.