Sports for July 26, 1999

Pittsburgh Open set to begin today at Pete Dye

By Anthony Hanshew
Sports Editor
Pete Dye Golf Club, no stranger to major golf tournaments, again will host many of the region's top players beginning today.
The Pittsburgh Open migrates south for its final event this century and will take place at the challenging Pete Dye showcase today through Wednesday. The 72-hole event opens with 18-hole play today and Tuesday, followed by a 36-hole finale Wednesday.
The 110-player field will be cut to 40 plus ties after Tuesday's second round.
"It's a unique situation to have this tournament in West Virginia," said Bill Stines, Pete Dye Golf Club's director of golf.
"It's open to the public, and we've love to have people come out and watch."
What they'll witness are many of the tri-state's top professionals and amateurs battling for the largest PGA club prize in the United States -- $100,000.
Although this annual tournament traditionally takes place in the Pittsburgh region, Stines many players have grown familiar with Pete Dye Golf Club's sprawling layout.
In the past two years, Pete Dye has hosted the CPC Championship and a CPC regional event.
But, "for the guys who haven't had an opportunity to play here it will be very tough," Stines said. "A lot courses in the Pittsburgh area are traditional courses.
"I think even par will be a great score. We'll be playing a lot of championship tees. The course will play fast, and that's the way I like it to play."
Many of North Central West Virginia's best, including Stines, will compete. Also participating are Clarksburg Country Club professional Fred Swisher, V.J. Valdino of Bridgeport County Club and The Pines' Brad Westfall.
Scott Davis, a four-time West Virginia Open champion from Edgewood Country Club in Sissonville, also will play.
He and several other Pittsburgh Open participants have qualified for the PGA Championship later this season. Among them are Bob Ford of Oakland Country Club and Pittsburgh's John Mazza, who has played in the past three PGA Championships and U.S. Open's.

Huntington overcomes huge Beckley rally

By Mike Nutter
Sports Writer
With hands on hips and drenched with sweat, Huntington Southeast coach Greg Thomas tried to put his team's marathon win over Beckley into perspective.
"It was a typical Huntington Southeastern game," Thomas said. "We play ball well for six innings and let the other team in it in one.
"That's the way it's usually been for us this year and tonight was no different."
Thomas watched as his team squandered an eight-run, sixth-inning lead only to come back in the top of the seventh for an 11-10 win in the first round of the 14-Year Old State Babe Ruth Tournament in a game which lasted nearly four hours.
Huntington Southeast will now play the winner of the Elkins and Mid-Ohio Valley game tonight at 8 p.m.
Mid-Ohio Valley held a 7-4 lead in the middle of the fourth inning at press time.
Trailing 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Beckley rallied for nine runs to take a 10-9 lead.
With the bases loaded and one out, David Farley scored on an error to start the rally for Beckley.
Three consecutive singles resulted in three runs to cut the lead to 9-5, before Beckley got the offense started with four RBI singles in a row to take the lead.
David Farley, Zack Michem and Nick Ross each brought in a run, while Jeremy Manning scored two on his single for Beckley.
However, Chris Thomas hit a leadoff single and later scored on an error to tie the game at 10.
Trey Curtis' RBI single scored Robbie Crickard to give Huntington the lead for good.
"Overall, I think we did pretty well tonight," Thomas said. "Last year we didn't make it here so I'm happy for these kids. They're all a bunch of good players and deserve to be here.
"Tomorrow our pitching and defense will be key. Offensively we'll be all right. It's those two areas that are going to be important."
Beckley looked to stage another rally in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out.
On an attempted squeeze play, Thomas fielded the bunt and fired the ball home to record the second out and Zack Henshaw struck out the next batter to end the game.
Thomas finished with three hits to lead Huntington Southeast.