CMYK
SPORTS
SECTION
timesleader.com
THE TIMES LEADER
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2011
C A L D E R C U P P L AY O F F S
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WBS
NORFOLK
PENGUINS
ADMIRALS
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IL BASEBALL
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RIGHTING THE SHIP
Dickerson, Yankees triumph The SWB outfielder came through with three hits to fuel a road victory. By PAUL SOKOLOSKI psokoloski@timesleader.com
ALLENTOWN — Right out of the gates, Chris Dickerson has been almost as cold as the earlyseason weather. When it heats up, so does he. Dickerson ripped three hits and accounted for three runs Tuesday and the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Yankees finally got a fantastic pitching performance from phenom David Phelps to tame YANKEES the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 5-2 at Coca-Cola Park. IRONPIGS “Still a work in progress,” Dickerson said of his swing, which led him straight to a subpar .220 batting average entering Tuesday. “It’s been cold. But I think when it warms up, I’ll be fine. “Got to get above that 50-degree level.” Dickerson sure leveled off against the IronPigs. He smoked a one-out double and scored ahead of Justin Maxwell’s booming two-run homer in the fourth inning, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. “He’s going to hit,” Yankees manager Dave Miley said. “He can do some different things.” After Lehigh Valley pulled within 3-2, Dickerson drilled his second double of the game to drive home Jorge Vazquez with an insurance run in the eighth inning. And just for good measure, Dickerson’s ensuing baserunning blunder turned into good fortune for the Yankees when IronPigs pitcher Chance Chapman threw a pickoff play away, bringing Dickerson home with the game’s final run. “That’s something I definitely need to clean up,” Dickerson said of his baserunning, which got him caught in a rundown and tagged out in a game Monday. But Dickerson also laced a hard single to right in the second inning, using a 3-for-4 performance to raise his batting average to a more-respectable .267. For the record, the game-time temperature was right at 50 degrees. “I really haven’t panicked at
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HYUNSOO LEO KIM/THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Penguins defenseman Brian Strait (right) gets tangled up with Norfolk’s Johan Harju (90) in front of goalie Brad Thiessen (39) during Game 3 of the East Division Semifinals in Norfolk, Va., on Tuesday. Thiessen and the Penguins have only allowed five goals in the first three games of the series but still trail 2-1.
Power play cashes in for winner THE SERIES
EAST DIVISION SEMIFINALS Norfolk leads series 2-1 April 15 Norfolk 2, Penguins 1 April 16 Norfolk 2, Penguins 0 Tuesday Penguins 2, Norfolk 1 Today Penguins at Norfolk, 7:15 p.m. Friday Penguins at Norfolk, 7:30 p.m. Saturday Norfolk at Penguins, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary) April 25 Norfolk at Penguins, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
By TOM VENESKY tvenesky@timesleader.com
ries, two games to one. After dropping the first two games of the series at home, the Penguins came into the Norfolk Scope with a chip on their shoulder. That was evident when Geoff Walker yapped at Tokarski as he skated off the ice during pregame warmups and later when Keven Veilleux shoved Labrie as they lined up for the opening faceoff. “We felt the need to get to our game,” Penguins captain Ryan Craig said. “That was the urgency we felt. We were trying to establish our game and we took a step in the right direction tonight.” Veilleux took the first step when Craig forced a turnover along the boards in the Norfolk end. Veilleux picked up the puck in the slot and snapped a shot
NORFOLK, Va. — With the score tied and 12 minutes remaining in Game 3 of the playoff series against Norfolk, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were given golden opportunity. An opportunity that, up until then, the Penguins failed to capitalize on 15 times since the series began. It started when Norfolk’s Pierre-Cedric Labrie was given a double-minor for high-sticking when he got his stick up on Steve Wagner. It ended with a Bryan Lerg wrist shot under the glove of Norfolk goaltender Dustin Tokarski to give the Penguins a 2-1 win. Brad Thiessen stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced to earn his first playoff win as the Penguins cut Norfolk’s advantage in the se- See PENGUINS, Page 4B
HYUNSOO LEO KIM/THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Penguins forwards Zach Sill (back) and Tim Wallace (24) team up to knock the puck away from Norfolk’s Matt Fornataro (39).
See YANKEES, Page 4B
COLLEGE GOLF
NFL
Not just Tiger’s niece: Another Woods grows
Positives yet to emerge from latest round of talks
By JOEDY McCREARY AP Sports Writer
game, too. I feel people are starting to recognize that, and this past weekend, I think, helped a lot.” A few more weekends like this one, and people might start to wonder if Cheyenne ought to offer some tips to her uncle after he has gone 17 months without a victory — the longest drought of his career. During that span, Cheyenne Woods has won twice. The Phoenix native ranks fourth in the ACC with an average score of 73.59. Most recently, she was the only player under AP FILE PHOTO par for all three rounds at the ACC championship at Sedge- Tiger Woods’ slump sure hasn’t extended to his niece Cheyenne, field Country Club in Greensbo- who won the Atlantic Coast Conference individual title at Wake
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — At least one Woods is a winner this year. Tiger Woods’ title slump certainly hasn’t extended to his niece Cheyenne. After winning the Atlantic Coast Conference individual golf title, the Wake Forest junior wants to keep establishing her own identity during the upcoming NCAA regionals. “Coming into Wake Forest (in 2008) ... there was a lot of spotlight on me as Tiger Woods’ niece,” Woods said Tuesday. “Now that I’m into college a little more, I’ve shown that I am able to play, not being known as Tiger’s niece, but I have my own See WOODS, Page 4B
Forest and is looking to keep rolling when the NCAA regionals start in a couple of weeks.
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI AP Sports Writer
first work stoppage since 1987. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay, Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy and owners Pat Bowlen of Denver and Jerry Richardson of Carolina on the NFL side on Tuesday. Named plaintiffs Ben Leber, Mike Vrabel and Eller represented the group of current, former and future players who are asking for the injunction on the lockout and have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league. All declined comment at the end of the long day of negotia-
MINNEAPOLIS — Carl Eller emerged from a 7-hour mediation session between the NFL and its locked-out players and let out a big sigh. “Tough day,” he said. When a Hall of Fame defensive end and one of the most feared players of his generation gives that kind of evaluation, it’s safe to say that the negotiations between the owners and the players aren’t getting any easier. The two sides resumed their court-ordered talks on Tuesday after a three-day break, with no sign that an agreement is any closer. The lockout is in its second month and a federal judge is See TALKS, Page 6B expected to decide soon on the players’ request to halt the NFL’s INSIDE: Schedule released, 6B