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SPORTS OF DAIL Y
Softballers move into finals
Special to the Daily
NORMAN, Okla.- The Michigan women's softball
team advanced to the finals of the winner's bracket at
the AIAW World Series yesterday by beating U.S. In-
ternational of San Diego, 2-1. The victory, which up-
ped Michigan's record to 31-12, assured the
Wolverines of at least a third place finish in the
double-elimination tournament.
Michigan will meet Oklahoma State, 57-14, today at
8p.m.
WOLVERINE coach Bob DeCarolis was ecstatic
over his team's performance. "We're having a great
time out here," he said. "We aren't hitting the ball
real well, but we're getting some great defense and
some outstanding pitching.
"Right now we're living in a dream world. No one
could have told me that we'd finish in the top three in
the country before the season started."
The Wolverines jumped out to a 1-0 lead against
U.S. International in the third inning when Diane
Hatch singled, stole second base, and came home on
Mena Reyman's base hit. Michigan picked up what
proved to be the winning run in the fourth inning,
when Debbie Haines scored from third on a Sandy
Taylor ground out.
U.S. INTERNATIONAL got its only run of the
game in the seventh inning.
Michigan pitcher Laura Reed picked up the win.
The Wolverines, who received a bye in the first
round of the World Series, earned the right to meet
U.S. International with a 4-1 win over Rhode Island on
Thursday.
Tracksiers look for repeat
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)- Michigan and Indiana are
considered to be the top contenders for the Big Ten
team championships in the conference outdoor track
championships to be held today and tomorrow.
The Wolverines will be looking to maintain their
position as the reigning Big Ten outdoor track cham-
pions.
THE SHOT PUT is usually not considered the
highlight event at any championship meet but this
year the event will provide its share of excitement for
track and field aficionados.
"The number one and number two ranked shot put-
ters in the world will be here," Minnesota track coach
Roy Griak said.
The No. 2 man in that event is Tom Lehman of
Illinois, whose throw of 67 feet, 7 inches isa Big Ten
record and longer by 6 inches than that of Ohio
State's Kevin Akins, who is the defending champion.
Akins also is considered the best in the world.
"They take turns beating each other every week,"
Griak said. The finals in the shot put are tomorrow at
1:45 p.m.
Today's events include the long jump, discus and
10,000-meter run and begin at 4 p.m. Tomorrow's
schedule begins at 11:45 a.m. with opening
ceremonies set for 1:30 p.m.
Cummings defeats Nelson
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)- Kathleen Cummings of
Coloradeupset No. 1 seed Vicki Nelson of Rollins 6-4,
6-7, 6-2 Friday during a quarterfinal match of the 1982
NCAA Women's Tennis championships.
The No. 2 seed was also defeated yesterday when
seventh-seeded Micki Schillig of San Diego State
Idefeated Louise Allen of Trinity 6-4, 6-3.
In two other quarterfinal matches Alycia Moulton
of Stanford defeated Cecelia Fernandez of USC 6-3, 6-
0, and third-seeded Kelly Henry of USC defeated
Elise Burgin of Stanford 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.
Cummings will play Schillig in semifinal matches
Saturday. The singles championship will be played
tomorrow.
Steinbrenner to buy Rockies?
NEW YORK (AP) - New York Yankees owner
George Steinbrenner would neither confirm nor deny
Friday he is interested in buying the financially
troubled Colorado Rockies of the National Hockey
League.
Meanwhile, Winnipeg Jets general manager John
Ferguson said a $5 million payoff might persuade his
NHL club to join the Smythe Division, a move that
may clear the way for the Rockies to relocate at the
new Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, N.J.
BUT FERGUSON said he doubted the Jets would
be offered such a sum.
"Something like $5 million would change a lot of
people's minds," he said. "It's not going to happen,
I'm sure. But we fought long and hard to put our-
selves in the Norris Division. If we move, we would
have to be compensated first."
If the Rockies moved to New Jersey, the Smythe
Division would be left with only four teams - Los
Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton
Oilers and Calgary Flames.
The Jets are against the move because extra travel
would be involved. A realignment would have to be
agreed upon before the Rockies could obtain ap-
proval for the move.
Celtics drop Philadelphia, 88-75
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Larry Bird
and Robert Parish triggered a 12-point
rally in the fourth-quarter and the
Boston defense allowed only 27 points in
the second half as the Celtics defeated
the Philadelphia 76ers 88-75 last night
and sent the National Basketball
Association's Eastern Conference
championship series to a deciding
seventh game.
The Celtics, in regaining the
homecourt advantage they lost in the
second game of the series, now have a
change to produce a "miracle"
comeback against Philadelphia for the
second straight year.
IN LAST season's Eastern final,
Boston trailed 3-1 in the best-of-seven
series and won the next three games to
eliminate the stunned 76ers. They can
do it again tomorrow in Boston.
Only four teams in NBA history have
come back to win a geven-game playoff
series after trailing 3-1.
Kevin McHale, the Celtics 6-foot-10
second-year man from Minnesota, led
Boston with 17 points, while Bird and
Parish each had 14 and Gerald Hender-
son 13.
JULIUS ERVING'S 22 points led the
76ers, who in the first period had a 15-
point lead and led untilParish hit the
first of two consecutive turnaround
jumpers that sent Boston ahead 69-67
and 7:58 left.
The 76ers led 67-61 with 9:46 left when
McHale collected a pair of free throws
to start Boston's 12-point winning rally.
Bird then scored a field goal followed
by a pair of free throws by Henderson
that tied the score. Then came Parish's
two jumpers and the Celtics never
trailed again.
Philadelphiadidn.'t spore a field goal,
with the exception of two goaltending
calls, in the final 17 minutes. The 76ers
had 11 points in the final quarter, nine
of them on freethrows.
DESPITE ITS inability to put the ball
in the hoop, Philadelphia came within a
poipt, 74-73, on a pair of free throws by
Erving with 4:23 left. But Boston out-
scored the 76ers 14-2 until the final buz-
zer to send a unbelieving sellout crowd
of 18,364 home wondering if the 76ers
were about to choke.
The 76ers, with Erving and Bobby
Jones each scoring eight points, led 26-
20 after one period.
Philadelphia built a 25-10 lead with
3:42 left, but Boston rallied with a 10-1
spurt to slash its deficit to six.
BIRD, WITH a field goal and a pair of
free throws, collected the last four
Celtics' points, his only scoring of the
period.
The Celtics, as they did in Wed-
nesday's 29-point, fifth-game blowout in
Boston, used Parish in the high post,
and he led the Celtics with eight points
in the first quarter.
The 76ers scored eight of the first 10
second-quarter points for a 34-22 lead
with 9:14 left.
IN A GAME of scoring spurts, the
Celtics came back with 10 straight and
12-of-14 to come within 36-34 with 5:20
remaining.
Then, the 76ers pulled away again on
a 10-0 spurt. When Maurice Cheeks
scored at 3:05, Philadelphia led 46-34.
But Boston outscored the Sixers 8-2 in
the final 2:49 to trail 48-42at halftime.
AP Phoio
TIlE CELTICS DANNY Ainge reaches from the floor and attempts to grab the
ball from Philadelphia's Andrew Toney last night in NBA playoff action.
I