THOMASVILLE TIMES TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2010

Coming Thursday • Jennings Withers feature • CCC Softball update Sports [email protected]

CCC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP ON NASCAR East brings home CCC title

TIMES Staff Report Hawks helped his cause stood his ground on the and flyout. Calendar in the first inning, plat­ hill. The Golden Eagles took With two outs and the ing leadoff hitter Justin Tyler Hudson had (at the time) a strangle­ game tied in the bot­ Weavil, who had reached walked and made his hold on the game in the TODAY tom of the seventh, East on a walk. way around to third with bottom half, scoring four Davidson’s Preston Gam­ The bottom of no outs, using a runs to rattle West’s Fer­ CATHY ELLIOTT CCC Softball Tourney mons ripped an RBI sin­ the Golden Eagle Hawks balk and guson. Davin Lawson, NASCAR Columnist gle to left field, driving lineup made it 2- wild pitch to get Justin Mounts, Preston 5- 4 winner in Braxton Shetley for a 0 in the bottom there. West could Gammons and Warren vs. C. Davidson walkoff 8-7 win over West of the second. have plated a each had an RBI, as the 5 p.m. Davidson in the Central Braxton Shetley run when Gary East lead grew to 6-0. Carolina Conference walked, stole sec­ Ferguson lined a After EDHS scored Too tough to tournament title game. ond and reached deep out to Weav- its seventh run in the West had fought back third on a passed ball. n in right field, but the fourth. West finally got tame more than CCC SoftballTourney from a 7-1 deficit in the Taylor Warren plated courtesy runner on third on the board with a run 6- 3 winner top of the seventh getting him for the second run. failed to tag up, and noth­ in the fifth. name for Kbapil, vs. E. Davidson a grand slam from Colby West put together a ing was hurt on the play Visit www.tvUletimes. Bassett to tie it. serious threat in the top for East. Hawks thwarted com for more on East’s Darlington 7 p.m. East starter Keaton of the third, but Hawks the rally with a strikeout CCC title win.

It seems oddly appro­ MFC Softball Tourney priate to be standing Second Round in a hauler with Travis SHOWTIME Kvapil in the NASCAR TBA Sprint Cup Series garage at because in a way, both WEDNESDAY are testaments to the te­ nacity of “the little guy.” CCC SoftballTourney Kvapil, driver of Championship the No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford for Front Game Row Motorsports has, 7 p.m. to paraphrase the old Joni Mitchell song, looked at racing “from MFC Softball Tourney both sides now.” The Wisconsin native Championship got off to a great early Game start after securing a TBA deal in the NASCAR 'a ^ Camping World Truck Series in 2001, where he was named Rookie of the Year that same FRIDAY ■ ^ season. He won the Baseball Series title in 2003. NCHSAA State Darlington made an GETTY IMAGES Playoffs (Rd. 1) early career splash, too. Darlington race winner (No. 11) battles on the outside Saturday during the running of The big track in the little TBD the SHOWTIME Southern 500. Burton had a miscue on pit road that cost him a shot at the win. town created a major sensation back in 1950. Just as great drivers TUESDAY assume the mantle of those who have gone be­ Baseball Hamlin claims Darlington fore them and move the NCHSAA State sport forward — from and Dale blocked at the pit road Playoffs (Rd. 2) NASCARMedia.com Earnhardt to Jeff Gor­ TBD entrance by Tony Stew­ don and Jimmie John­ DARLINGTON, S. C. — art and had to make an son, for example — Dar­ Denny Hamlin is begin­ extra lap which cost him lington Raceway moved valuable track position. Softball ning to like NASCAR’s NASCAR off the beach toughest track. Burton was in great and the dirt and onto NCHSAA State He has a perfect batting shape to give Hamlin a the pavement for good. Playoffs (Rd. 1) average after winning run for his money be­ It was over 60 years ago, both ends of a double- fore running over an but she was definitely TBD header at the track “Too air hose on his final pit the Rookie of the Year. Tough To Tame.” stop, prompting a pass­ Kvapil quickly moved The young Virginia through penalty that cost up through the ranks of Darlington driver won Friday night’s him numerous spots on racing, competing in the Nationwide Series race the restart. Cup Series part-time in Top 20 and came back Saturday GEHY IMAGES It was a typical Darling­ 2003 for Penske Racing night to win the SHOW­ Denny Hamlin is all smiles in Victory Lane at Darlington ton race, full of twists and full-time in 2005 for TIME Southern 500 NAS­ over the weekend. and turns that eliminat­ PPI Motorsports before 1. Denny Hamlin CAR Sprint Cup race at ed at least one of the pre­ joining forces with Jack 2. Jamie McMurray the 3.66-mile, egg-shaped ting him out first on his ton ran into some tough race favorites, Jimmie Roush to return to the 3. oval. final pit stop, but Hamlin luck at the end of the race Johnson was involved in Truck Series in 2007. 4. It was Hamlin’s third battled Jeff Gordon and to thwart whatever win­ several scrapes before He won four races that 5. Juan Montoya win of the season and his Jeff Burton throughout ning effort they might one with AJ AUmending- year, and in 2008 moved 6. first NASCAR Sprint Cup the 367-lap race for the have managed. Gordon er sent him to the garage to Yates Racing, where 7. victory at Darlington. He top spot. was coming to pit road 8. Jeff Burton credited his team for get- Both Gordon and Bur­ but was accidentally See CLAIMS, Page 9 See KVAPIL, Page 9 9. Ryan Newman ; 10. Brian Vickers 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Myers takes 16. 17. checkered flag at 18. Jr. 19. Martin Truex Jr. 20. Bowman Gray

BG Report

Game Report On Saturday, fans were reminded why Deadlines: Bowman Gray Stadium is known as “The Madhouse.” Monday-Friday Experienced veterans tangled with tal­ ented rookies, many fans were on then- 9 p.m. feet for more laps than not, and although Bm-t Myers of Walnut Cove won the race, ERIC HYLTON PHOTOGRAPHY [email protected] . See MYERS, Page 8 Tim Brown (No. 83) takes a shot from behind from rookie Zach Brewer Saturday night.