Tennis
The Love Machine moved to within striking distance of its fourth consecutive league championship by beating formerly undefeated 10s 2nite, 30-24.
Both teams are tied for the lead at 7-1, with Love Machine having the edge by virtue of winning the match between the two. It can clinch by winning next month's final match, regardless of what 10s does.
Debbie Courter and Sue Thomas put the Machine ahead, 14-8, by winning women's doubles, 8-0. Mike Rowe, though, duplicated that 8-0 score in men's No. 1 singles to put 10s back on top at 16-14.
The Love Machine went ahead for good when Kevin Resh and Joe Hayward took men's doubles, 8-2. Debbie Courter and Alan Anthony nailed it down for the Love Machine in the final event with an 8-6 decision in men's doubles.
The Topspinners jumped to a 24-8 lead and went on to beat the Aces, 36-23.
Wayne and Sandy Yingling put the winners ahead after the first event, with an 8-3 decision in mixed doubles. Sandy Yingling then paired with Charlotte Coffey to take another 8-3 win, in women's doubles.
Jim Eanes' 8-2 verdict in men's No. 1 singles gave the Topspinners the 24-8 lead. The Aces' only win was an 8-4 verdict in men's doubles by Mike Mariaca and Marvin Newhouse.
The Crushers raced to a 16-2 lead and hung on to win, 31-26, over the Lynesmen, despite the latter's rally in the final three events.
After receiving a crucial 8-0 forfeit, the Crushers got an 8-2 mixed doubles win from Sandy Jankevicius and Charley Morar. A John Lynam and Allen Wroe 8-3 victory in men's doubles was the big win for the Lynesmen, who won the final three events, but by insufficient margins to recover from their early deficit.
The Poachers rallied in the final two events to beat the Coyotes, 32-26.
David John's 8-0 men's No. 1 singles triumph gave the Coyotes a 21-16 edge midway through the match. However, Massimo Fuggitti and Brian Haight put the Poachers on top to stay, by taking the men's doubles, 8-3.
Don Fortney's 8-2 win in men's No. 2 singles nailed it down for the Poachers.
Adrian Mihaescu's 8-5 win in the match's final event pulled the Smashers to a 27-24 victory over the Death Squad.
Mihaescu's men's No. 2 singles decision broke a 19-19 tie. The Smashers' Beth Yingling and Suzi Lyons teamed for an 8-2 win in women's doubles and Carlton Thomas and Bob Lipinski contributed an 8-1 victory in men's doubles for the winners.
Steve Powell and Maria Vailas combined for an 8-2 victory for the Poachers in mixed doubles, and Bernie Polischuk helped with an 8-1 win in men's No. 1 singles.
Sandymount softball
The Braves (5-1) unleashed a 34-hit attack to beat the Athletics, 24-0.
The winners scored in every inning, scoring five runs in the first, second and fourth innings. Braves pitchers Kelly Cooper, Mandy Komar and Jennifer Myers combined for the shutout.
Tracey Davis and Becki Ridgway paced the attack, each going 4-for-4 and scoring two runs. Myers, Jennifer Davis and Christy Westphal went 3-for-3, with Davis and Westphal scoring three times.
In an earlier game, the Astros gave the Braves their only loss, 12-7. Katie McDermott's two-run triple highlighted a five-run Astros fourth inning that put them ahead 11-6.
McDermott was 2-for-3, as were Astros teammates Amy Braitsch and Jennifer Menaker. Menaker drove in three runs and Braitsch knocked in two. Ginger Myers and Tracey Davis were 3-for-3 for the Braves and Becki Ridgway was 2-for-3. The Braves' Lauren Poe was 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
In a game called because of darkness after six innings, the Giants and Reds played to a 10-10 tie. Kim Barker's two-run double tied the game for the Giants, 7-7, in the third inning.
The Giants' Amanda Boyer knotted it at 10, when she singled home Sue Fisher to cap a three-run fifth-inning rally. Fisher went 3-for-3, driving in two runs and scoring three. Crystal Davis was 3-for-3 with three RBIs for the Giants. Barker was 3-for-3, scoring three runs and driving in four.
The Reds' Brianna Severn, Ann Rose Parker and Adrianne Serio were 3-for-3 with Serio driving in three runs, Severn, two, and Parker scoring twice and driving in two runs. Anne Yust contributed a 2-for-3 effort for the Reds.
The Orioles jumped to an 8-2 lead in the first three innings and held off the Giants, 8-6. Kari Davidson's three-run homer highlighted the five-run Oriole third that clinched the game.
Davidson was 2-for-3 and scored two runs. Kelly Gachot was 2-for-2, hitting a homer and driving in two runs.
Beth Biden was 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Orioles. Kim Barker and Crystal Davidson were 3-for-3 for the Giants, with Barker hitting a home run. The Giants' Tess Fisher and Sue Fisher were 2-for-3.
The Astros broke a 3-3 tie with a six-run fifth inning and beat the Reds, 9-5.
Katie McDermott's single gave the winners the lead for good -- 4-3 -- early in that inning. Amy Braitsch's fourth-inning two-run shot had tied the game at 3 for the Astros. Braitsch and McDermott was 2-for-2. Brianna Severn was 2-for-3, with a double and run scored for the Reds.
L The Reds' Sarah Mohlman was 2-for-3 and Kate Wingo, 2-for-2.
The Orioles scored five times in the first inning and went on to beat the Astros, 10-2.
Caitlin Link and Heidi Hurtt were 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the winners. Pitcher Kari Davidson held the Astros to five hits and played outstanding defense.
Orioles right fielder Kelly Gachot made an outstanding defensive play when she caught a long fly ball and then threw back to the infield to double up an Astros runner at first base.
The Blue Jays topped the Giants, 21-1. The Blue Jays scored seven runs on seven hits in the fourth inning.
Teri Stem, who had a three-run homer in the inning, was 3-for-3, scoring three runs and driving in five. Heather Fahr had a two-run double in that big fourth. Hailey Glanville was 3-for-3, with three runs scored and three RBIs.
The Blue Jays' Megan McNally, Amanda Glanville, Kristi Stem and Gillian Summers were 3-for-3.
Stem hit a three-run home run for the Jays and pitcher-third baseman Dyanna Parker turned in a strong defensive effort.
The Blue Jays jumped to an early 15-5 lead en route to a 17-7 triumph over the Athletics. Hailey Glanville's two-run triple keyed a five-run Jays' first inning and Amanda Glanville boomed a three-run double in a five-run third.
Parker was 3-for-3 for the Jays, with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. McNally was 3-for-3, scoring twice, and Summers chipped in with a 3-for-3 game.
Rugby
The Mason-Dixon Rugby Club placed third in a 12-team field at last weekend's Rites of Spring tourney at Baltimore's Lake Clifton High School.
The Carroll-based team took a 7-5 win over Second City Troop (Philadelphia) in its opening match. Damon Morrison's trie and Scott Myers' two-point conversion kick gave Mason-Dixon a 7-0 lead near halftime, and it held on in the second half.
Mason-Dixon then won on a forfeit to qualify for the semifinals. But it lost that game, 16-0, to the Pittsburgh Harlequins, who went on to win the tournament championship.
Mason-Dixon then blanked Morris, N.J., 7-0, in the consolation game. Scott Anderson ran 50 meters for the trie, and Jonathan Steiner booted the two-point conversion for Mason-Dixon's points.
Rangers baseball
* 14-and-under boys -- The Rangers Blue (9-1) won three games last weekend.
Saturday, the Rangers swept a doubleheader from Baltimore Youth Baseball, 6-5 and 18-4.
The opener saw Hank Adams go 3-for-4 and Matt Sargent 2-for-4 with a two-run home run for the Rangers. Sargent was 2-for-2 and Frank Campanella, 2-for-3 in the nightcap.
Sunday, the Blue team knocked off the Harford Sox, 9-2.
Adams was again a big gun. He hit a three-run double and a two-run single and drove in five of the Rangers' nine runs. Brian Alsruhe knocked in two runs and Brad Centenio contributed with a 2-for-4 effort and two RBIs.
Bel Air nipped the Rangers White team, 6-5, in the first game of a doubleheader.
Steve Pyzik was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Rangers and Adam Crowl had a double, triple and an RBI. Crowl's three-run homer supplied the Rangers' only runs in a 13-3 loss to Bel Air in the second game.
Mike Porter pitched two scoreless innings in relief to save a 6-5 win by the Rangers White team over the Eagles.
The Rangers rallied for three runs in their final at-bat for the victory; Pyzik walked with the bases loaded to force in the
winning run.
Gamber Optimist lacrosse
* 13-14 girls -- Gamber's Junior B girls squad dropped two games in Maryland Junior Lacrosse League action.
St. James Academy topped Gamber, 11-9. Courtney Bierne scored three goals, and Becky Buppert, two, to lead Gamber's attack. Abby Cooper, Michele Eckes, Mandy Hare and defender Emily Beninghove each added one score. Gamber goalkeeper Karey Tomlin stopped 36 shots.
Gamber jumped to a 2-0 lead over Catonsville, but the Baltimore countians rallied for a 12-11 victory. Buppert, Bierne and Eckes scored four, three and two goals, respectively, for Gamber.
Cooper and Hare each added a goal. Tomlin stopped 24 shots.
* Junior boys -- Gamber's Junior B boys team remained in contention for its divisional title by winning twice.
Gamber (7-1) beat North Carroll, 7-4, and St. James Academy, 10-7.
John Ritcey and Brad Jenkenson each scored two goals against North Carroll; Shawn Martin, Matt Dutterer and Jeremy Simons each added one.
After falling behind, 2-0, Gamber scored six unanswered goals to top St. James. Jenkenson had three scores for Gamber, Dutterer, Ritcey and Martin, two each, and Jared Thompson, one.