Bobcats

Mount Hebron pushed across an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning and squeezed out a 4-3 victory over Bel Air in a Class 3A state semifinal at Randazzo Park last night.Bel Air, top seeded for the four-team event, had rallied for three unearned runs in the fifth inning to tie the score.There was a mild threat by Mount Hebron when it had a runner on second with one out in the eighth, but otherwise the sixth, seventh and eighth innings were uneventful. The ninth made up for it.Two errors by the usually sure-handed Sherry Godbee at third base -- a throwing error and an error when the ball bounced off the heel of her glove -- were sandwiched around an out, with the second one allowing Kathy Kiersarsky to score the winning run.Bel Air had one last gasp.

WASHINGTON -- Sophomore Grant Burrough threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to junior Tim Wilkins in overtime to give Frostburg State a 30-27 win over rival Salisbury in the third annual Regents' Cup game yesterday before 2,240 at RFK Stadium. The Bobcats, who concluded their season at 5-4 overall and 2-1 in the Allegheny Mountain College Conference, took a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Sea Gulls tied the game on junior Tony Ellis' 3-yard run with 2:36 left in regulation. Salisbury (4-6, 1-2)

Who can blame the girls on Bel Air's basketball team if they just want to get this year over with and look to next year?For the Bobcats, defending co-county champs and Class 3A regional runners-up last year, this season has been rough.Their overall record dropped to 4-10 with Tuesday's 47-29 loss toFallston. Their league record dropped to 5-6. They are out of contention for postseason play."I don't like to say we're giving up, because we never give up in any of our games," said junior point guard Lisa Thomas.

In many ways, yesterday's Class 3A North regional semifinal game between Bel Air and Franklin was a matchup of similar teams.Both teams have only one proven scorer -- Todd Tabor for Bel Air and Gene Balbir for Franklin -- and thus have relied all season, on their defenses to keep them in games. Each also has been a part of several one-goal games. More important however, if either team hoped to continue on in the playoffs, someone else would have to step up and score.Mike Steinen, Chris Chumley and Billy Nelson, all juniors, made sure the host Bobcats (9-4-1)

Dave Selway of Bel Air scored three minutes and 58 seconds into the game, and his Bobcat teammates made that goal stand up in a 1-0 season-opening victory over host Poly on Friday.Bel Air, which had never played Poly before, dominated the game.The Bobcats outshot Poly, 25-7, including 17-4 in the second half, but only scored the single goal.Selway nailed that goal with a little help from teammate Rob Smallwood. Selway took a throw-in from Smallwood and put a first-touch volley past Poly goalie Craig Maki (16 saves)

C. Milton Wright's Mustangs remained undefeated with an 8-2 win overthe Bel Air Bobcats in county boys lacrosse action Friday night.The Bobcat remain winless in seven matches with the loss.Playing great defensively but remaining punchless on offense has been the story this year for the Bobcat's varsity boys lacrosse team,said Bel Air second-year head coach Bruce Riley.At halftime Friday, the Bobcats (0-7, 0-3 county), trailed 3-1. C. Milton Wright (9-0, 3-0 county) got an early jump on the Bobcats with goals from Mustang midfielders Rich Heckner and Scott Panowitzand attackman Brian Moen.

Bel Air made its point.The fourth-ranked Bobcats entered last night's game with No. 8 Aberdeen determined to show they belonged in the same class with the visiting Eagles, who had won or shared the Harford County title the past five years.Bel Air quarterback Adam Rafalski was the hammer in driving that point home, running for 202 yards and four touchdowns as the Bobcats routed Aberdeen, 43-6, in a Harford County game.The victory in heavy rain improved Bel Air to 6-0 overall (5-0 in the county)

FROSTBURG -- For one of the few times in recent years, Frostburg State didn't need to beat Waynesburg to maintain an undefeated season and get into the NCAA Division III playoffs. Those hopes were --ed long before yesterday's game.What mattered most to the Bobcats were toppling an opponent that has given them trouble and making the last home game for coach Mike McGlinchey something special.A loss wasn't supposed to figure in the equation, but it did. Unable to throw the ball or take advantage of good field position until late, Frostburg was turned away, 20-14, before 1,128 at Bobcat Stadium.

The winds of today's expansion draft that will stock the NBA's new Charlotte Bobcats may sweep Baltimore native Juan Dixon out of the area. The Bobcats will begin compiling their roster for play this fall with today's draft, selecting up to 14 players from the 29 other NBA teams, which were permitted to protect eight players under contract for next season. That process began last night with a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Bobcats shipped their fourth overall pick in Thursday's amateur draft and a second-round pick, the 33rd overall, to the Clippers for the second pick Thursday and a promise that Charlotte will take center Predrag Drobnjak in the expansion draft.