SPORTS Tuesday, April 29, 2008 113 „ NASCAR drug testing policy a joke Baseball squad gets dramatic victory
Bennett ran into his own trou and easily slide under the late tag Will Hess ble in the ninth, giving up a solo to score and give Georgia State an Staff Writer homer to Kyle Wilkerson, giving 8-7 comeback win. Savannah State a 7-4 lead. Bennett Bennett has been 0-for-4 be (1-2) eventually stranded runners at Nothing feels more exhitlirat- fore that at-bat and attributed to first and second when he struck out ing than watching your team have different result to making a late- aninth inning rally to win a game. Tristan Smith to end the inning. game adjustment. "After seeing Entering the ninth, Geoigia Just ask the Panthers baseball some hard throwing guys against team. State (24-16) trailed 7-4 with the UNC Wilmington two weeks ago, top of the lineup coming to the Trailing 7-4 entering the bot it took me some time to adjust to plate. Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas tom of the ninth, the Georgia State guys who didn't throw as hard," basebali team methodically pro started things off with an infield said Bennett. "1 just stuck in there single while Bradley Logan fol duced some runs and loaded the and made the necessary adjust bases with one out for Dusty Ben lowed up with a walk, bringing the ments." nett. Bennett drove the first pitch tying run to the plate. Bobby Bennett, who pitched from reliever Michael Allegretti Marc Mimeault drove a single the final 1.1 innings, picked up the up the middle to score Rochon-Sal- win in relief after a strong outing through the right side as Matt Van Horn slide across home to give the vas and move Logan to third. At from starter Drew Grant. Grant that point, the Tigers made a pitch went seven innings and gave up Panthers a come-from-behind 8- 7 victory and extend the winning ing change and brought in Michael four earned runs on seven hits Special I Signal streak to six games. Allegretti to face Matt Van Hom. w hile striking out six. NASCAR's drug policy, or lack thereof, could cause serious injury if not Savannah State (19-18) trailed Van Horn laid down a bunt sin Mimeault led the State offense, gle to load the bases that brought in going 3-for-5 with two RBls. Van adjusted soon by one entering the seventh and a run and putting the winning run Horn continued his hot streak go is not paying attention to drivers' scored twice to take a 4-3 lead. Af at second. After Allegretti settled ing 2-fbr-4 with a triple, two RBIs Doug Turnbull demands. After voicing his con ter Georgia State tied it in the bot down and recorded the first out of and two runs scored. Daniel Mer Staff Writer cerns to NASCAR officials, he felt tom of the frame. Savannah State the inning on a strikeout, he walked ck, making his sixth start in a row, they fell upon "deaf ears". responded with two runs in the Chase Childers on a 3-2 count. went 2-for-3 and drove in a run. File this under news that Fike is not the only driver in eighth off four Panther pitchers. That brought Dusty Bennett In the fourth inning, Jean-Mi sounds like a joke. In July of last recent years to get into substance Santos Adames led off the frame to the plate with the bases loaded chel Rochon-Salvas was hit by a year, NASCAR Craftsman Truck abuse trouble in the sport. Driv with a double on a 3-1 count from and one out. "1 thought about try pitch for the 20th time in his ca Series driver Aaron Fike and his ers Shane Hmiel, Tyler Walker, State starter Drew Grant. Zach ing a suicide squeeze," said head reer to take sole possession of third girlfriend were caught using heroin Kevin Grubb, and Brian Rose all Chastain walked the bases loaded coach Greg Frady about the play. place in school history and break in a parking lot in Ohio. This news have been suspended by the sport before Will Campbell entered the "But I walked to Dusty and asked ing a tie with Paul Schlosser(2000- rocked the NASCAR world. at least once (Hmiel for life). Still, game. him what he felt most comfortable 01) and Michael Brand (1993-%) Fike was a driver that had not NASCAR's mantra has remained Campbell had hit the first bat doing. He said he'd do whatever Georgia State continues its , yet caught the breaks that could the same, regarding the issue. ter he faced to force in a run, but got I wanted, so I told him to swing 15-game homestand and takes its carry him up to NASCAR's high "There are a lot of random drug a strikeout and groundout to leave away and let's win this ope." six-game winning streak into a est series, but nonetheless had testing policies or substance-abuse the bases juiced with two ofits. The On the first pitch from Alle three-game Colonial Athletic As had some good opportunities to policies in our sport and they come freshman then hit Andrew Mendez gretti (6-2) Bennett drove a single sociation series against Hofstra run for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the through the car owners," NAS to bring in another run and give through the right side that easily (14-29, 3-18) this weekend. NASCAR Nationwide Series and CAR President Mike Helton said. Savannah State a 6-4 lead. Senior scored pinch-runner Kenny Camp. was running for a competitive "We're different than other sports Bobby Bennett entered afterwards Van Horn rounded third just as the Toyota team, Red Horse Racing, where we have multiple layers of and got State out of the jam with a right fielder was getting to the ball in the Truck Series. He was 10th independence. That's why we feel groundout. in points, when he was caught with like the reasonable suspicion ele the drugs and subsequently sus ment that NASCAR implements pended from NASCAR. has served its purpose and works Over six months after the fact, well." student bonus cash Fike admitted to reporters that he This response has echoed EXCLUSIVE OFFER used heroin sometimes on race amongst several other drivers and Additional savings just Far college and trade school days, meaning he was high on NASCAR officials, but leaves most alufJanb, rnueiil gradx anil yrad sUidviils heroin during some races. He said unsatisfied. that he was under the influence of NASCAR is a sport that is the drug during his last race, which still trying to gain acceptance from ironically was a top-10 perfor mainstream sports lovers. Most mance at Memphis Motorsports stick and ball enthusiasts deride the Park in the Trucks. sport for its turn left-simplicity and This admission is sending its "redneck" image. When a driver Shockwaves through the sport. admits to being high on one of the Harvick has been the most outspo most potent drugs in existence, ken on Fike and on drug use in the while racing other competitors at sport. high rates of speed, keeping the Every driver in this garage testing policy the same decreases should take one [drug test], in any the legitimacy of the sport. garage," Harvick said recently. Almost every sport has some "This has always been perceived sort of testing policy. The NFL a.s a clean sport. Let's not let it be even demands tests on train «3JU 4 fcaniruxuSES perceived as something that's not ers and coaches. In the MLB, the clean now. Because it is, for the player's union was a big obstacle most part. Let's prove it." in strengthening the testing for per Harvick and others have also formance-enhancing substances. said that he has never had to submit But in NASCAR, the un-unionized any test in his near decade in the drivers are the ones asking for the sport and that he never suspected drug testing standards to rise. www. F o r ri Dnve sU. com/Cal I eqe anything wrong with Aaron Fike. If NASCAR officials have lor ycurclifihcelo ndn a "Peel" Hollywood half a brain amongst them all, they experience and a New 20C9 Ford Focus! Harvick, Tony Stewart, Kas- would listen to the cries of the fans, ey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan media, and especially the drivers, - . y Newman, and others all have said before someone wrecks their own liH At a it h* "W" rti Ifr-r u>j«i :*V>| 't:'t la • nt.a r*r»HP nT^rif* that the drug testing policy of the H: T" Pit K,mZ"TW. TTTTiTf" rTOD DINES, tt TO T1L-HCCL'V.HII4 KMlEfSTTWrS. Pph»i4l<« : he life or half the field in a race. I! 4' i HD 1*1 » «1 - evil-*-! 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