Andanh.com

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -Friday night games are supposed to be crisp and clean, with each team fresh and throwing its best pitcher.

Maybe crisp-and-clean happens today or Sunday.

No. 14 Wichita State defeated Evansville 15-8 on Friday at Braun Stadium in a game filled with mistakes and misplays. The Shockers pitched adequately, hit three home runs and even bunted successfully. The Aces fell behind 9-0, but WSU helped out with five errors to needlessly extend a game begging for a run rule.

The teams combined for 11 errors, 13 walks and 14 unearned runs in a 3 hour, 24-minute game on a cool, misty night.

"We need to work on, when we get a team down, stick that dagger in all the way," WSU shortstop Dusty Coleman said. "At times the grass made it pretty damp, but I think some of the mistakes we made were not a direct cause of that. Just kind of mental lapses."

It's pretty simple to evaluate the Wingnuts' performance in their doubleheader with Sioux City Friday night.

Game 1 featured what it takes to be a successful club. Wichita starter Justin Young pitched well and was backed by near flawless defense. Some timely hitting late in the game completed a 4-3 victory in eight innings.

The solid fundamentals disappeared after the Wingnuts built a 7-3 lead after three innings in the nightcap. Wild pitches, inability to find the strike zone and bad defense cost Wichita its lead. But the Wingnuts' offense produced 15 hits in a 9-8 victory, also in eight innings, before a crowd of 6,779 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Young wasn't overwhelming in the first game, but he did just enough.

He loaded the bases in the second inning, but got out of the jam. Two innings later, the Explorers' Alex Llanos scored off Chad Gabriel's single, and with runners on second and third and one out, Young induced a groundout to second base and a fly ball to left field to limit the damage.

When Blake Gailen crossed the plate with the Wingnuts' first franchise run in the bottom of the first inning, fans were still piling into Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

A packed house for a professional baseball game in Wichita has been a rare occurrence during the last few years, but the Wingnuts accomplished it on their first night.

When the fans finally finished arriving in the third inning, attendance reached 5,874 -- just short of the 6,111 capacity. The nearly-packed house witnessed a victory, as the Wingnuts topped Sioux City 7-4.

"I didn't really know what to expect," said Wingnuts second baseman Derek Schermerhorn, who played at Wichita State. "I know they've been promoting us well. I was hoping it would be a good turnout, and it was."

When gates opened at 6 p.m., an hour before game time, only a handful of fans took their seats. Half an hour later, the attendance was still modest.

Wichita State senior Andy Womack watches tape of himself last season and sees, for the most part, the same pitcher.

Something is missing, and that is the mystery that begins to illustrate the issues facing the Shocker pitching staff.

"An amazing confidence level," he said. "That's probably the biggest difference between last year and this year. More of a here-it-is type attitude, nothing to lose."

Confidence, as Womack points out, is often dependent on results. This season, confidence and good results come and go in the Shocker bullpen.

It is not as deep and experienced as in past seasons, leading to a nasty habit of blowing late-inning leads. WSU's starters and its top relievers are enough to handle most weekend series, as long as things go to plan. When a starter fades early, or when games pile up in the mid-week, WSU's pitching depth is tested.

KSU batting: Jurica 0-4, Cruz 0-1, Scott 2-4, Tenbrink 1-4, Bloxom 3-5, King 1-4, Biery 3-5, Wiley 1-3, Muenster 1-4, Vaughn 1-3.

KSU pitching: Hutt 6 2/3-3, Rooke 1/3-1, Hurley 2/3-0, Edwards 1 1/3-0.

WSU -- at Evansville, vs. Bradley.

Mo. St. -- at Northern Iowa

Creighton -- vs. Indiana State.

Northern Iowa -- at Bradley, vs. Mo. State

After a 2-8 start, Cowley Community College got rolling.

The Tigers will enter the NJCAA Region VI Tournament today having won eight of their last 10 and 33 of its last 42 games.

Cowley was the only team to sweep its best-of-three series in the first round, winning 11-3 and 9-1 against Garden City.

The Eastern Division champs will face Allen County. The teams split both of their conference doubleheaders.

Western Division champion Seward County nearly didn't qualify. After losing the first game against Neosho, the Saints were down to their final out when an error enabled them to win.

After four years as a boys basketball assistant at Northwest, Chris Collins has been hired as the Grizzlies' coach.

Collins replaces Eric Hofer-Holdeman, who resigned in April after eight seasons. Northwest won the Class 6A title in 2006.

"I'm elated," said Collins, 32, who teaches special education at Northwest. "In my estimation, it's a dream job for me.

"I feel that this is one of the best schools in the state. Holdeman did a wonderful job, built a great program, great kids, great philosophy and I'm just honored to be the one to help continue that successes."

Northwest athletic director J. Means believes Collins can do just that.

Wichita State basketball recruit Ehimen Orukpe will interview for his student visa Monday at the United States embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, according to Sam Sackett, communications director for Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard.

"Congressman Tiahrt's office has been working closely with WSU and the State Department to ensure Mr. Orukpe has every opportunity to obtain a student visa," Sackett said in an e-mail.

Orukpe, a 7-foot center from Nigeria, signed a letter of intent with WSU a year ago, but he has been unable to leave the country. Should he receive a student visa, he would be able to leave Nigeria.

He had an appointment Thursday, but was unable to get into the embassy, according to WSU athletic director Eric Sexton.

Friday's box score

Bunts away

Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson is almost always aggressive on offense. He doesn't bunt a lot and the Shockers often seem uncomfortable when called upon.

Wichita State basketball recruit Ehimen Orukpe did not interview for his student visa Thursday at the United States embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, according to WSU athletic director Eric Sexton.

"No news, other than Ehimen was at the embassy (Thursday) and he had some trouble getting in," Sexton said.

Sexton said Orukpe, a 7-foot, 225-pound center, will try again today. Sexton said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard is helping Orukpe get an appointment today.

"Ehimen is on call," Sexton said. "Congressman Tiahrt is helping vigorously to get that done."

The series: 6 tonight, 2 p.m., Saturday; 1 p.m., SundayProbable rotations: WSU, LH Rob Musgrave (7-1, 2.49); RH Aaron Shafer (8-2, 2.63); LH Anthony Capra (7-0, 2.53); UE, RH Zach Taylor (2-4, 4.31); RH John Foley (4-4, 4.84); RH Wade Kapteyn (1-3, 7.34)Notes• Evansville won two of three against WSU in 2006 at Braun Stadium, propelling the Aces to the MVC title. Last season, WSU won three of four meetings and run-ruled the Aces 12-1 in the MVC Tournament.• The Aces have won four of six games, their best stretch of the season. They won three of four against Chicago State over the weekend before losing to Austin Peay 10-4 on Wednesday.• Evansville is last in the MVC in hitting (.262) and fielding (.945) and eighth in pitching (6.89 ERA). The Aces start four freshmen and a sophomore in the field. LF Greg Wallace is hitting .316, second among Valley freshmen. He went 9 for 13 in the final three games of the Chicago State series.• In MVC games, Evansville's ERA is 8.00. Its pitchers have combined for 93 walks and 73 strikeouts in 18 games.

• WSU 3B Conor Gillaspie looked happy and healthy during Thursday's practice. He fielded groundballs and jumped to snag several line drives. The inflamed muscles in his back that kept him out of four games recently are loosening. "Good and getting better," he said. "It was real tight muscles, probably from overwork." Gillaspie, who also took batting practice Thursday, said he did not need an injection to ease the pain. "Rest," he said. "I should be good for all three games."

• WSU CF Andy Dirks is hitting .473 in MVC games and is tied with Gillaspie for the team lead with 21 RBIs.• 1B Clinton McKeever took over the starting position against Kansas on March 22 and is hitting .377 since. He has nine RBIs and seven walks in those 12 games.

It rarely gets more exciting in track.

Southeast's boys led host Heights in the City League track meet Friday night by two points with only the 1600-meter relay remaining. Mirroring each other in the standings the entire meet, the race came down to the wire. Southeast anchor Clarence Anderson took the baton with a slight lead and managed to hold off Heights anchor Tyrell Everett, winning the race and giving the Buffaloes the title.

"The times we ran today were the best times we ran all year long," Southeast coach Mark Lamb said. "That's what it's all about, to get to that point in the year and peaking right before regionals and state."

There was no drama in the girls division. Southeast won eight events and finished with 142 points, outscoring second-place Bishop Carroll by 27 points.

The Buffaloes swept all three relay races. Marissa Quillin was the long-distance star, taking both the 1600- and 3200-meter titles.

Bishop Carroll's doubles duo of Kevin Klein and Jordan Keller entered Friday's opening rounds of the Class 5A state tennis tournament as the No. 1 seed in the tournament -- albeit partially due to a coin flip.

Klein and Keller had no problems dispatching Bonner Springs (6-2, 6-2) in their first match, but things got difficult in a hurry.

They drew a tough matchup in round two, facing Cody Fawl and Nathan Wehrman of McPherson.

The McPherson duo had already topped Klein and Keller earlier this year.

The result was the same this time, as McPherson came out on top 6-2, 6-4.

The Class 4A tennis tournament is only halfway complete, but the Andover Central doubles team of senior Tucker Noyes and junior Neal Rasmussen has already made program history.

Noyes and Rasmussen won their two matches Friday to advance to the state semifinals today in Prairie Village. No Andover Central boys tennis player or doubles team had ever reached the semifinals before, coach Mark Fleske said.

"We had pretty high expectations, so we're doing good. We're doing what we expected," Rasmussen said."... We're planning on being in the championship. That's what we're expecting."

The duo will play Topeka Hayden's Cody Martinek and Taylor Bach for the opportunity to play in the final.

Noyes and Rasmussen advanced with wins of 6-2, 6-0 over Chanute's Jeremy Harold and Matt Stutt and 6-2, 6-0 over Buhler's Aaron Peak and Michael Mitchell.

AV-CTL Division 1

At Goddard

Boys Team Results

Hutchinson 199 ¾, Maize 118, Derby 87 ¾, Goddard 70, Salina Central 44 ¾, Salina South 36 ¾.

Events Results

Class 6A

At Goddard

Singles

First round--Jack Sock, BV North, def. Cole Marceau, Goddard, 6-0, 6-0; J.T. Christian, Olathe Northwest, def. Bobby Florence, Washburn Rural, 6-0, 6-2; Max Helgeson, BV West, def. Todd Luttgeharm, Maize, 6-0, 6-1; Johnny Stueve, Washburn Rural, def. Arin Enge, Olathe East; Gabe Nagy, Manhattan, def. Ross Carr, Olathe Northwest, 6-2, 6-0; Kevin Moore, SM North, def. Danny Jones, Goddard, 6-1, 6-2; Michael Swank, Lawrence Free State, def. Alex Tretbar, Wichita East, 6-1, 6-1; Chris Fotopoulos, SM East, def. Jarrett Payne, Garden City, 6-0, 6-0.

Quarterfinals--Sock, BV North, def. Christian, Olathe Northwest, 6-2, 6-2; Helgeson, BV West, def. Stueve, Washburn Rural, 6-1, 6-4; Moore, SM North, def. Nagy, Manhattan, 6-0, 6-2; Fotopoulos, SM East, def. Swank, Lawrence Free State, 6-3, 6-3.

Boys

Team results--Garden Plain 147; Cheney 138; Wichita Trinity 63; Wichita Independent 54; Belle Plaine 48 ½; Medicine Lodge 42; Chaparral 24; Douglass 22; Conway Springs 15 ½; Bluestem 4.

100--1. Dold, GP, 11.02; 2. K. Pauly, GP, 11.19; 3. Burns, WT, 11.32. 200--1. K. Pauly, GP, 22.77; 2. Dold, GP, 23.12; 3. Burns, WT, 23.14. 400--1. Pauly, GP, 50.62; 2. Burns, WT, 52.00; 3. Jones, BP, 52.01. 800--1. Powell, ML, 2:04.63; 2. Spurgeon, WT, 2:04.86; 3. Throop, BP, 2:13.57. 1600--1. Powell, ML, 4:14.78; 2. Hunt, BP, 4:44.89; 3. Akler, Cheney, 4:58.23. 3200--1. Hunt, BP, 10:00.01; 2. Akler, Cheney, 11:07.19; 3. Dorl, Chap, 11:15.37. 400 relay--1. Cheney 45.32; 2. W. Independent 45.33; 3. Garden Plain 45.90. 1600 relay--1. W. Trinity 3:33.73; 2. Cheney 3:33.94; 3. W. Independent 3:36.36. 3200 relay--1. W. Trinity 8:43.2; 2. Cheney 8:45.6; 3. Belle Plaine 9:20.3. 110 hurdles--1. Hageman, Chen, 14.81; 2. Puetz, GP, 15.88; 3. Becker, GP, 16.32. 300 hurdles--1. Hageman, Chen, 39.64; 2. Kaye, WT, 41.84; 3. Barker, Chap, 42.46. Discus--1. Puetz, GP, 166-0; 2. Wood, Chen, 138-0; 3. Varenhorst, WI, 136-3 ½. Javelin--1. Krenzel, Chen, 168-9; 2. Capul, GP, 161-5; 3. Wood, Chen, 160-11. Shot put--1. Puetz, GP, 56-11 ¾; 2. Wood, Cheney, 49-0 ¼; 3. Varenhorst, WI, 46-6. High jump--1. Buck, ML, 6-6; 2. Olser, Chen, 6-0; 3. Martin, WT, 5-10. Long jump--1. Bates, D, 19-5 ½; 2. Puetz, GP, 19-1 ¾; 3. Patelle, Chap, 18-4. Triple jump--1. Dold, GP, 41-10; 2. Buck, ML, 40-11; 3. Puetz, GP, 40-4 ¼. Pole vault--1. Hickey, Chen, 13-2; 2. Thimmesch, GP, 12-8; 3. Dewey, Chen, 11-8.

Girls

Team results--Conway Springs 109; Cheney 106; Garden Plain 82; Douglass 71; Medicine Lodge 66; Wichita Independent 52; Belle Plaine 40; Chaparral 24; Bluestem 3; Wichita Trinity 3.

Megan Von Fange may only be in her second season as North's swimming coach, but she is well aware of the team's history.

The Redskins hadn't won a City League championship since 1988.

That 20-year drought ended Thursday night at Northwest, as North was able to run away with the league title, using its superior depth to cruise to victory.

"It was finally our time to take it," Von Fange said. "Our depth has been phenomenal all year. We didn't want to overlook anybody but knew that if we stepped up and came out strong, we'd have a good shot at taking it."

Elizabeth Strother (100-and 200-yard freestyle) and McKenzie Strother (50-and 500-yard freestyle) were dominant, each winning two events on their own and combining to help win two relays for the Redskins.

When Chris Bellar played tennis at Chaparral High in the early 1980s, the sport wasn't yet viewed as a privileged one.

In the past 25 years, though, tennis has grown and private lessons have become the norm. But Bellar has worked to keep the sport accessible to all at Conway Springs, where he has coached the Cardinals since 1991.

"I want to keep it local," said Bellar, 41. "That's the fun of being in a smaller community, because you can keep it that way."

In the process, Bellar also built a traditional tennis power.

Conway Springs is one of the favorites to win the Class 3-2-1A boys title at the state meet today and Saturday at Wichita State. The Cardinals won team titles in 2004 and 2005.

Heights' golfer Travis Deckert had three goals going into this season: Win the City League individual title, be the regional champion, and finish as one of the top 10 medalists at state.

He can go ahead and check that first one off his list.

The regular season scoring leader continued his stellar play with a one-over par 72 at MacDonald Golf Course Thursday afternoon to win medalist honors by two strokes over David Auer of Kapaun Mount Carmel.

The Crusaders won the team title with a 302.

"The last two years I've been close," Deckert said. "So to succeed this year is pretty cool."

As of May 5 Division I

For maybe just a few minutes, it looked as if the unbeaten Andover Trojans' soccer team was on the ropes.

An innocent leading pass from Andover Central's Sarah Potter turned into Kaitlin Tennyson booming a shot past Andover keeper Rebecca Dinsmore for a 1-0 lead just two minutes into the game.

"It was something we've been working on, sending the ball up and trying to beat their defense on the back end," Central coach Stephanie Garcia said. "It actually worked very well for us that time."

But Andover's explosive offensive attack was too much for the Jaguars to contain, with Kortney Clifton scoring less than two minutes later to start a string of 10 unanswered goals in Andover's 10-1 victory at Andover District Stadium on Thursday.

"It was definitely a wake-up call," Clifton said. "We kind of had to kick ourself in the butt. We realized that they can score on us. We had to take it back at them."

The Newton boys track team has certainly shown how to blaze trails this season, producing some of the best sprinters in Class 5A.

And it all starts with junior Grant Loescher, who has one of the fastest times for the 100-meter dash in the state. He won last week at Derbywith a time of 10.59 seconds, fighting some tough wind conditions.

Loescher has his sights set even higher.

"For me, placing top in league and regionals would be my goals," Loescher said. "Hopefully, I can then do good at state."

Loescher has been a versatile contributor for the Railers. After competing in the 200 and 400 last year, he moved to the 100 this season with much success.

CAMPUS BASEBALL

Isiah Mellington was a well-received surprise for coach Bryan Clasen and the Campus Colts. Mellington transferred to Campus this season after playing three seasons at Goddard. The senior catcher and Garden City signee has certainly been a big addition. He's been one of Campus' biggest offensive threats this season, including having a couple of doubles and runs batted in against McPherson Tuesday.

Did you expect to have the year you guys are having?

No, not really. I knew they had seven strong seniors when I was coming over. I had played with a lot of them so I knew they were talented. I expected to do well, but it surprised me that we did this well.

We hear you were a big athlete. Do you still play other sports?

Baseball

Goddard 4, Carroll 1

Kapaun 3, Ark City 2

When: 12:30 p.m. today, 9 a.m. Saturday

Where: Class 6A at Eisenhower Middle School, Goddard; Class 5A at Riverside Tennis Center, Wichita; Class 4A at Harmon Park Tennis Center, Prairie Village; Class 3-2-1A at Wichita State University

In the past, there was usually little strategy involved in trying to win the pole for the Indianapolis 500. Just hold the gas pedal down and drive.

Thanks to the qualifying format adopted two years ago, Saturday's opening day of time trials for the May 25 race could be a strategic nightmare.

"This year, it's going to be such a mess," said Scott Dixon, the fastest driver in this week's rain-abbreviated practice on the 2.5-mile Indy oval with a lap of 226.968 mph Friday, considerably faster than the four-lap average of 225.817 that won the pole for Helio Castroneves last May.

In fact, the five quickest drivers on "Fast Friday," the final full day of practice before qualifying, were faster than last year's pole. But it isn't as simple as just being fast now.

The unique, four-day Indy qualifying format limits the number of qualifiers to 11 on each of the first three days, then uses the fourth and final day to bump the slowest drivers already in the 33-car lineup.

The Philadelphia Flyers knew the consequences of failing to move the puck cleanly out of their zone against the supercharged Pittsburgh Penguins.

They knew the consequences if they turned over the puck. And they certainly knew how dangerous Evgeni Malkin was with the puck.

But knowing potential disaster and preventing it are quite different, as Malkin and the Penguins proved with a 4-2 victory on Friday night at Mellon Arena in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Game 2 is Sunday night.

"We were sloppy," defenseman Derian Hatcher said. "We came out pretty good, even after they scored. The last five, six minutes, we kept turning it over, couldn't do anything cleanly. Both teams were sloppy, to be honest. We didn't do anything clean or crisp."

With Kimmo Timonen out indefinitely with a blood clot in his left ankle, coach John Stevens tried matching up Hatcher on Malkin and Jason Smith on Sidney Crosby. Hatcher had help from Braydon Coburn on Malkin, but the Russian center still scored twice.

Friends increased its winning streak to 31 games and in the process locked up a slot in today's Region IV championship game against Park (Mo.) College at Two Rivers Youth Center.

The Falcons rallied to beat Bethany 5-3 early in the day then shut out Park 2-0 to advance.

The Pirates moved to the losers' bracket, where they beat Bellevue (Neb.), moving back to the winners' bracket and into the title game.

In the double-elimination format, a Falcons' win in the first game today at 10 a.m. will give them the title. However, if Park wins game 1, the two teams will play again to decide the champion.

• Wichita State pitcher Ashly Bright and Cynthia Verhulst were named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference team. Bright led the Valley with 366 strikeouts and Verhulst hit 10 home runs, third in the MVC.

A&M -- at Nebraska, vs. Texas.

NU -- vs. A&M, at Missouri.

OSU -- vs. Texas Tech, vs. OU.

MU -- at KU, vs. NU.

Bethany 9, Ottawa 7

Bellevue 13, Ottawa 5

Bethany 4, Kansas Wesleyan 1

Hot blasts of wind on a diabolical course made The Players Championship tough enough to turn someone's hair gray. Not that the leaders needed any help with that Friday at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Kenny Perry, who first showed up at Sawgrass 20 years ago, kept his wits and his patience in 35 mph gusts and made only one bogey in a solid round of 2-under 70 that gave him a one-shot lead at 6 under going into the weekend.

He will be paired with Bernhard Langer, who already has won twice this year -- on the Champions Tour.

The two-time Masters champion and former Ryder Cup captain thought about withdrawing Thursday morning when he felt pain in his lower back, which caused his groin and left knee to ache, along with his left shoulder. All those creaking joints, and the 50-year-old Langer still managed to produce a 67 and entertain hopes of winning against kids who weren't even born when he won his first Masters.

LPGA --Lorena Ochoa started with a birdie, pulling her even with Annika Sorenstam, the playing partner she replaced at the top of the world rankings.

Baseball

• The Shox 11-year old team went undefeated to claim first place in the Sedgwick County Hardball Championship Tournament in Derby May 2-4. Team members are Grant Coleman, Collin Cordoba, Blake Crager, Jordan Dingman, Gabe Gutierrez, Hunter Hall, Jordan Heatherington, Colton Howell, Jarrett Johnson, James Leitch-St. Cyr, Adrian Martinez, Caden Nedbalek. Coaches are Kevin Dingman, Ben Johnson, Tom Leitch, Richard Gutierrez.

• The Wichita Elite 10 and under team went undefeated to win the USSSA Baseball Salt City Spring Kickoff Tournament in Hutchinson May 3-4. Players include Seth Davis, Jack Dewey, Christian Garcia, Kaleb Howell, Brett Huelsmann, Nick Johnston, Jake Karst, Logan McCollar, Justin Navrat, Brock Townsend, Eric Reid, Anthony Trujillo and Clayton Urban. Coaches are Tim Davis, Vince Garcia, Owen Johnston and Craig McCollar.

Soccer

• The Wichita Cyclones 11-and-under boys team finished second at the Red Earth Invitational Soccer Tournament in Oklahoma City May 3 and 4. Team members are Spencer Arndt, Nick Carter, Alan Stovall, Blake Lynch, Conner Sutton, Ben Garrison, Kieran Brandl, Daylin Johnson-Stearn, Preston Mboob, Devin Houston and Zach McGrath. The team is coached by Terry Arndt and Jason Lynch.

Golf

Hackers Spring Fling Tournament

Championship Flight--1. Steve Dunn and Brian Anderson, 54; 2. Dwight Arvidson and Jason McGehee, 56; 3. Jeff Minge and Dan Shepler, 59; 4. Bill Seybert and AJ House, 59.

Competitive Flight--1. Mel Thorp and Keelan Overbey, 61; 2. Scott Hosea and Jerry Ashley, 61; 3. Jon Hall and Jim Haggard, 62.

Longest drive: Dwight Arvidson, Hole No. 9; Jeff Minge, No. 15. Closest to pin: Bill Seybert, Hole No. 3. Longest putt: Jon Hall, Hole No. 18. King Hackers: Andy Gatson and Dave Zazza.

Hutchinson Community College All-American point guard Bobby Maze has officially signed with Tennessee, HCC announced Thursday.

Maze played one year at Oklahoma before coming to Hutchinson.

• West Virginia University officials say basketball coach Bob Huggins was taken to a hospital in Charlotte, N.C., for precautionary reasons after tripping on an airport tarmac and hitting his head on the pavement.

• Bucks point guard Mo Williams had surgery to repair ligament damage in his right thumb and is expected to be ready for training camp in October.

• Kiki Vandeweghe became the New Jersey Nets' general manager, less than six months after being hired as a special assistant to team president Rod Thorn.

Sergio Garcia put together his third straight impressive round at The Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The first two gave him a runner-up finish last year. The 6-under 66 on Thursday was only a great start.

With growing confidence in his balky putting stroke and superb ball-striking that has become his hallmark, Garcia birdied all the par 5s and picked up a bonus birdie with a 50-foot putt on the 14th hole to build a two-shot lead on the frightening Stadium Course.

It was a good step toward ending an 0-for-53 drought on the PGA Tour, the longest of his career.

"At the end of the day, the only thing I can do is keep working on it, keep giving myself chances, and it's going to happen," Garcia said. "I feel like I'm getting closer and closer. At least now, I feel like I can do it, and it's just a matter of being able to do it."

Kenny Perry and Paul Goydos each had a 68 in the mild, morning breeze on a perfectly conditioned golf course. Sawgrass turned tricky, if not downright difficult, in the afternoon, and Ernie Els was among those who paid dearly.

The betting of a hand and the cards that hit the board might tell you one thing, but your instincts might tell you another, and a lot of the top players go with their gut. It is what allows a top pro such as Brad Booth to call down an opponent's big bet with only a king-high.

At the World Poker Tour's $15,000-buy-in Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Las Vegas' Bellagio in 2007, Booth drew K-J offsuit under the gun. With blinds at $50-$100, he raised to $400. Action folded to aggressive pro John Phan, who called from the cutoff.

"My thought process was that when he called, he was weak," said the Canadian-born Booth, who's known as "Yukon Brad." "This is going to sound crazy or stupid or confident, which is what it is, but I put him on something like 6-high or 7-high with two suited connectors.

"It's our history. We'd been playing for an hour and a half together, and there are certain things that you start to pick up, certain things that I have confidence in reading my opponents by their pre-flop action. As goofy and as crazy as that sounds, I'm very intuitive that way."

The flop came Q-4-4, two hearts. Booth checked.

In "Redbelt," acclaimed playwright/filmmaker David Mamet attempts a thinking-man's martial arts movie.

If that sounds like a contradiction -- well, it is.

British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor ("Dirty Pretty Things," "Children of Men") is Mike Terry, operator of a Los Angeles Jiujitsu academy. The form of Brazilian martial arts Mike practices is virtually his religion, demanding the utmost in physical, mental and spiritual purity.

It may be good for Mike's soul, but not his pocketbook. The academy is circling the financial toilet bowl, creditors are calling and his Brazilian wife, Sondra (Alice Braga), is fed up at having to underwrite the martial arts operation with the meager profits from her fabric importing business.

Their fortunes seem to improve after Mike saves the neck of an over-the-hill action movie star during a bar brawl.

Music

Watermelon Slim

Watermelon Slim and the Workers will perform their Oklahoma-flavored blues Sunday night at Sam's Place, 5521 W. Kellogg. Tickets are $6 in advance, $10 at the door. The music will start at 8 p.m. Call 316-942-2224.

Benefit

'Evening at the Casbah'

"What Happens in Vegas" follows the standard romcom design, giving us two funny, neurotic people who are in love with each other but don't know it. But by being a smidge smarter than the average date movie, it makes the first-time meeting, the battle of the sexes and the bumpy course of true love entertaining despite overfamiliarity.

Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher are New Yorkers in need of a change. Ambitious Wall Street trader Joy (Diaz) has just been dumped in front of all her friends by her self-involved boyfriend. Slacker man-child Jack (Kutcher) has been shown the door at the family woodworking business by his own father.

Eager to forget their sorrows, they each zoom off to Sin City for a weekend of debauchery, where they meet, pound back kamikaze shots and marry just for the sheer drunken heck of it. Hung over, remorseful and awake to their utter incompatibility the next day, they resolve to divorce immediately. Then Jack uses Joy's quarter in a slot machine, wins a $3 million jackpot, and she insists the relationship is back on -- until there can be a division of assets in court.

Since these events occur in a parallel universe of romantic contrivance, they land in the court of a judge (grouchy Dennis Miller) who threatens to freeze their bank account unless they make an attempt to save the relationship. With regular visits to a court-appointed relationship therapist, the judge sentences the accidental couple to "six months' hard marriage."

This sets the stage for a Gatling-gun spray of gags in which Jack and Joy try to drive one another into leaving the marriage, thus forfeiting the Vegas windfall. She invites a bevy of bimbos to their place, aiming to get photographic evidence of him breaking the marriage vows. His brand of sabotage involves bodily fluids and booby-trapped toilets.

In his 18-year music career, country artist Tracy Lawrence has amassed 17 No. 1 singles and several platinum and double-platinum albums. He has won an array of awards, including an Academy of Country Music award for Top New Vocalist of the Year in 1993, and has become an advocate for many causes, including his own, the Tracy Lawrence Foundation.

Lawrence has plenty to feel good about when he ends his performing career.

It will be a sad time for his fans, though.

Lawrence said he plans to quit performing eventually to stay home with his family and venture into other areas in music.

"It's hard to do touring with kids," Lawrence said about leaving his two daughters. "I want to hit it hard for a few more years and back off."

We recently interviewed singer Colbie Caillat in her dressing room after a performance on the TV show "The View."

Here's what the young singer, who will perform tonight at the Wichita River Festival, had to say about crushes, nicknames and battling your fears.

Did you write the song "Bubbly" for anyone special?

No. I didn't write "Bubbly" for any guy. I wrote it about the feelings you get when you have a crush on somebody, and when they give you butterflies in your stomach and they just make you smile.

Tell us about your music video for "Bubbly."

"Speed Racer" runs for a gluteus-deadening 2 hours and 9 minutes.

Episodes of the animated '60s TV series that inspired it ran for only 22 minutes. And that was too long.

The latest from the "Matrix"-making Wachowski brothers is an underpopulated, uncompelling and grotesquely overlong piece of eye candy geared to a sixth-grader's world view.

When it's moving -- when our hero Speed is zapping his race car around a track resembling the innards of a gigantic pinball machine -- the film offers the sort of visually distracting (if largely incoherent) overload today's kids revel in. But "Speed Racer" can't get even that right, sacrificing action for long passages of momentum-killing exposition.

About the only area in which "Speed Racer" excels is in its look. A visual cacophony of day-glo colors, '60s retro kitsch and computer-rendered cars whose shiny plastic bodies reflect their surroundings, the movie might be likened to a high-tech Christmas ornament. And like said ornament, once you crack this yarn open there's nothing inside.

Many Wichita restaurants are celebrating Mother's Day with brunch buffets, complete with omelets, prime rib and divine deserts.

Some recommend reservations, while others are more casual about drop-in diners. So give Mom an opportunity to let someone else do the dishes.

Among the restaurants celebrating mothers on Sunday:

• Cibola, 1900 N. Rock Road, 316-631-3700: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; limited menu with kids' items and brunch items. Reservations recommended.

• Cinnabar Cafe, inside the Marriott, 9100 Corporate Hills Drive, 316-651-0333: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; $20.95 adults, $17.95 seniors 62 and over, $9.95 ages 6-12, free for ages 5 and under. Reservations recommended.