Rbi Single

It's become the norm to see catcher Lenny Webster starting each time Scott Erickson takes the mound, but his inclusion in the lineup last night wasn't as routine as usual.Webster had to test his strained left shoulder in batting practice before manager Davey Johnson was comfortable enough to use him. He had been scratched from the lineup Thursday in Kansas City because of the injury, which occurred Sunday against Anaheim at Camden Yards.Webster ran into Angels catcher Chad Kreuter while caught in a rundown.

Austin Smith went 3-for-3, including a bases-loaded, game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Hammond past Wilde Lake, 4-3, in yesterday's Class 2A South Region semifinals.The Bears (13-10), who were regional champs in 1991, are scheduled to play at Great Mills of St. Mary's County today for the region title. The Bears have now won four straight games for the first time."We've been up and down, and I've been struggling most of the season, batting about .280," Smith said.

Kyle Skinner was more worried about where his front foot would land than what was coming on 0-2 when he grounded a single in the bottom of the seventh to give Mount St. Joseph a wild 10-9 victory over Gilman yesterday.Skinner had more than the pitcher, Jay Homa, on his mind when he came through by poking a low, outside curveball through the right side to score Matt O'Donnell with the winning run.In the fourth inning, Skinner singled to center, only to have plate ,, umpire Frank Schwarzman call him out for hitting the ball while out of the batter's box (there was no chalk box there, as is usually the case in high school games)

DENVER -- Just because he got only 75 at-bats all season didn't mean that Atlanta Braves rookie Mike Mordecai wasn't red-hot."We have that big heater in the dugout," Mordecai said last night at chilly Coors Field after hitting a ninth-inning, game-winning pinch-hit single. "I was standing next to that all night."The Braves scored four runs in a wild ninth inning to beat the Colorado Rockies, 7-4, and take a 2-0 lead in this best-of-five division playoff series.Mordecai got his first postseason at-bat with two outs and Colorado right-hander Darren Holmes on the mound.

Firemen's softballWinfield lost its opening game Saturday in the Carroll County Firemen's Softball League Tournament, but swept its next seven games to win the postseason title.After exiting the losers' bracket to beat New Windsor, 8-6, Winfield culminated its seven-game streak by shutting out New Windsor, 4-0, in the title game.After its opening loss, Winfield fell behind Pleasant Valley, 8-2, after three innings, but it narrowed the gap with four runs in the fourth and then scored five in the sixth to win.Tom Gaigalas singled in the tying run, and Tim Legore knocked in the go-ahead run. Rich Hoff doubled home a run and Archie Muller singled in one in the inning.

SoftballThe National Softball Association's Class D men's State championship tournament began Sunday at the Carroll County Sports Complex after rain had washed out Saturday's schedule.Maggie's got off to a fast start, winning its first three games, before going flat in an 8-4 loss to Baltimore County-based Strapp's Sunday evening.Maggie's, which went 24-4 to finish first in the Carroll Men's League's B Division, led all the way to beat the Grizzlies, 7-4, in its opener.Bobby Bowers was 3-for-3 and Jimmy Janowitz, 3-for-4.

COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Sam Hence's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning extended the Columbus Redstixx's winning streak to 10 games last night and halted the visiting Hagerstown Suns' streak at seven in the Redstixx's 4-3 victory.Rickey Cradle's three-run homer in the sixth inning put the Suns ahead 3-2.Columbus (13-8) tied it in the seventh on Damian Jackson's RBI single.

HAGERSTOWN -- Fayetteville scored two runs in the sixth and held off the Hagerstown Suns, 2-1, last night in the first of a four-game series at Municipal Stadium.Carlos Burguillos' RBI single drove in the first run in the sixth for the Generals (8-5). Fayetteville scored its other run on a Hagerstown fielding error.The Suns (6-7) scored in the seventh on Tommy Evans' RBI single.Trevor Miller (4-8) pitched 7 2/3 innings for the win, and John Grimm picked up his 10th save. Losing pitcher Andy Dolson (6-5)

After watching her team leave four runners in scoring position in the first two innings of yesterday's City-Wide championship game, Western catcher Kim Aviles decided it was time for an impromptu team meeting."

The last time Dundalk appeared in the state softball semifinals, members of the current team probably were in kindergarten, and Cal Ripken Jr. was a rookie third baseman.But the wait is over.Sophomore right-hander Katie Marsheck pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11 to lead the host and top-seeded Owls (14-2) to an 8-0 victory over third-seeded Bel Air (14-4) in yesterday's Class 3A, Region II final.Dundalk will make its first trip to the state semifinals since 1982 on Tuesday at Randazzo Park at 5:30 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.