QIapttal .MONDA ( Y i Aug. 30,1999 Sports SPORTS COMMENT Belle -\ \ boosts Birds By JOE GROSS DETROIT (AP) — With the final game at Tiger Stadium a month Race day is away, roughly 38,000 fans flocked to the famed ballpark .and witnessed an offensive display by Albert Belle a group effort and the Baltimore Orioles. i—. Belle tied a team record withifottr •yThe Annapolis Ten-Mile Run, doubles yesterday, helping the which was held yesterday for the PtiotoB by Mark M Odell — The Capital Orioles to an 11-4 victory over the 24th consecutive year, Is truly a Racera trot down Rowe Boulevard community event. The annual race Tigers and ending the club's four- yesterday morning during the Anna- game skid. orings out volunteers and polls lO-Mlfe Run, at left. Above, bystanders alike — people who play Merrill Hatnenfluck of Hageratown "It just really unraveled out hiajor roles in the ongolrig success won the race In 53:58 — hi* third there," Tigers manager Larry of the largest participant event in straight victory In the event. Parrish said "the region. Almost 4,000 people competed In "We walked a People from all walks of life turn the 24th annual race. lot of guys! and , out to help in any way they can. just didn't pitch That was quite evident early very well at all" Yesterday morning when daylight C.J found all kinds of activity going on Nitkowski (2-4) around the Navy-Marine Corps made his first Memorial Stadium, where the race start in nearly Would start and finish. Taking it to the streets three years-and 'Most of the goings-on involved gave up three •people in bright pink "Race runs and four .Official" shirts that more than met BELLE. hits in four In- ithe need for visibility. The pink Nearly 4,000 compete in annual Annapolis 10-Mile Run nings against the Orioles. Four i T-shirts were everywhere anybody By JOE GROSS cooling spray offered by Zeitlin. Tigers relievers later combined to looked. There were hundreds of Sports Editor "It got hot early this "My time was about 45 seconds allow eight runs on nine hits and volunteers sporting them while If anyone could have been con- year. My time was slower than last year. It really lets seven walks. idolng every chore imaginable for a sidered a hero during yesterday's you know where you are in your Belle entered the game with just major running event like this. 24th annual Annapolis Ten-Mile about 45 seconds training " 18 doubles all season before he ,. Everyone wearing a pink shirt Run, it might have been Louise slower than last year. It doubled in the fourth and added RBI yesterday was a volunteer who was Hausenfluck made what has be- Zeitlln. really lets you know come an annual visit to Annapolis doubles In the sixth, seventh'and glad to give hU or her time — and in The Cape St. Claire resident to compete, and he was all alone at eighth innings. He also scored three many cases specialized knowledge wasn't among the nearly 4,000 where you are in your the finish. He was 22 seconds times. — to be Involved In the run that runners, She didn't call out the training." ahead of Annapolis' Brian With his four doubles, Belle tied a draws participants from all over the 53:68 time for Merrill Hausenfluck Dougherty and 29 seconds in front club record shared by Dave Duncan East. as he won his third straight title. — Merrill Hausenfluck, - Men, women and even children of third-place Todd Martin of (1975) and Charlie Lau (1962). -. , And she didn't care for the rela- race winner Arlington. "The man can hit," said Jeff tare decked out In the ubiquitous tively few runners who needed pink shirts, scurrying from one "Brian and I ran together most Conine, who hit a two-run homer in medical attention. had many runners veer toward of the way, until the (Naval Acad- the first and a two-run single in the place to another to another. Some Zeitlln. who has been Involved fore giving instructions; others her so they could get drenched. emy) bridge. Brian was killing me eighth. In some capacity In 20 of the 24 That soaking was the ultimate on the downhills. But typically, ware taking them. races, was perched on a ladder at a The Orioles, who totaled seven c .They were doing everything from reward for the majority of the the uphills are my forte and I got a runs while dropping the first two strategic spot runners passed on runners who were drained by the little lead coming up the hill from •oaring the water and Gatorade their way to the post-race refresh- games of the series, broke out in the 'Into thousands of cups that were early-morning heat and smother- the bridge and stayed in front," finale with 13 hits — eight for extra ment area. She held a garden hose Hausenfluck said. "This is really a lucked three high beyond the to spray everyone who passed. ing humidity. bases. finish line to setting up the high- humbling course." "Our offense has been good'all By Msrk M Odell — The Capital Zietlin, one of the hundreds of "It got hot early this year," the Several runners were given | kftctt computerized timing system. Connie Buckwalter of Lancaster, ptnk-shirted volunteers who 27-year old Hausenfluck said year," Conine said. "It's tough lo i .They were directing traffic In the Pa. was the first woman to finish. shortly after going through the (See RACE, Page B4) keep us down three days in a row'' i TJafklng lot to manning — and helped make the race a success, uwomaning — the medical tent. The (See BIRDS, Page B4) "medical tent became an extremely jbusy locale as the day wore on and ! 1h« physically drained runners Otteamed across the finish line. i Volunteers served as ushers, as U.S. Open action getting under way policemen, as good-will ambassadors. They gave out race NEW YORK (AP) - Philip King was coverage, all too much for the 23-yearold •packets to the runners, offered delighted when he drew former Wimbledon Sampras trying to win it for 5th time Davenport to handle. •directions and helped make out-of- champion Richard Krajicek as today's first- "Venus Is going to be tough to beat" frown participants feel at home here round opponent in the U S. Open tennis "California helped me out a lot," King said who surprised top-seeded Martina Hingis in - There were pink-shlrted of the loss to the world's top-ranked player. "I the first round at Wimbledon. Davenport said of Williams' chances at -the championships. Open. .volunteers preparing a variety of He figured It could have been worse can do the same here." Hingis, who captured the U.S Open two fruits that helped re-energize the King, who also won the Easter Bowl Boys' years ago, takes the court tonight against In another early match, sixth-seeded gunners alter they completed the "My last tournament, I was drawn against 18 title in Grenelefe, Fla., in April, wanted to Kveta Hrdlickova of the Czech Republic. Amanda Coetzer of South Africa took 'on ' grueling race. And there were pink Pete Sampras," said King, from Long Beach, play Krajicek "on center court before a Also scheduled to play today was third- Calif. "1 thought, 'Can we do it again?'" Romanian Irina Spirlea, who is best known [shirts on the members of the packed crowd" in Arthur Ashe Stadium. seeded Venus Williams, who captured her for bumping Williams during their semifinal i ..Annapolis Radio Club who The 17-year-old King was given a wild card Instead, the match was scheduled for fifth title of the year Saturday when she match in Arthur Ashe Stadium two years Ago •^maintained the communication into the century's final Grand Slam tourna- 10,000-seat Louis Armstrong Stadium, until defeated No 2 Lindsay Davenport In the final ijom every spot on the course to the ment by winning the USTA National Boys' two years ago the centerpiece of the National of a tournament in New Haven, Conn. In the men's draw, the top-seeded Sampras vital areas at the stadium. 18-and-under championship earlier this Tennis Center. "In the past, Lindsay overpowered me," the is going for his fifth U.S. Open title and a •"' Some volunteers carried results month in Kalamatoo, Mich. He also partici- The opening match in Arthur Ashe 19-year-old Williams said. "But I've gotten record 13th Grand Slam tournament title. No. ;from the scoring truck to boards pated In last Wednesday's draw ceremony. Stadium, which seats more than 22,000, is older and stronger, and I have better tech- 2 Andre Agassi is seeking to build on Ms ,where they were posted for the In their first-round match in Los Angeles in between 10th seeded Arantxa Sanchez- nique " French Open victory and runner-up finish at .masses to see. Others worked July, King lost 6-1, 6-2 to Sampras. But the Vlcario, the 1994 U.S. Open winner, and That was evident in Williams' blistering Wimbledon, and Patrick Rafter is-going after 'almost machine-like to maintain young right-hander put a positive spin on it. Australian teen-ager Jelena Dokic, a qualifier groundstrokes, huge serves and quicker court a third consecutive U S Open win. order as the throngs of runners • -arrived at the finishing area. And, although they were neither wearing .