■
Braves even
series behind
ace Maddux
ATLANTA (AP)—Once Greg
Maddux got into the groove, little
else mattered. There was no way the
St. Louis Cardinals were going to
win.
Maddux put aside his past Oc
tober struggles, pitching Atlanta
into game seven of the National
League championship series with a
3-1 victory Wednesday night at
Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta.
Maddux left after 7 2/3 innings,
having allowed six hits. Mark
Wohlers relieved and threw a wild
pitch that scored a run, but he re
tired Ron Gant on a routine fly to
strand the tying run at second base.
Coming off the Braves’ 14-0
rout in game five, Maddux evened
his career postseason record at 5-5,
and the defending World Series
champions tied three games apiece.
ror me Braves, this is another
chance to enhance their reputation
for playoff rallies. They won 1991
NLCS by pitching two consecutive
shutouts to overcome Pittsburgh,
then beat the Pirates the next year
by scoring three runs in the bottom
of the ninth of the final game.
For the Cardinals, this is a last
chance to hold off the Braves, and
their own history. Of the 47 teams
to hold 3-1 leads, 40 have gone on
to win the series. The Cardinals are
the only club to blow that edge
twice.
St. Louis Mananger Tony
LaRussa gambled by starting rookie
Alan Benes in order to give his tired
pitchers a break. Benes, a Creighton
graduate, gave up only three hits
over five innings.
Maddux walked none, struck out
seven and did not permit a runner
past first base until the seventh. He
threw only 62 pitches over the first
six innings, never going to a single
three-ball count.
Tom Glavine, will pitch game
seven tonight in Atlanta for the
Braves against St. Louis’ Donovan
Osborne for the right to play the
New York Yankees in the World
Series.
Hanspard:
Fm just an
average back
HANSPARD from page 12
play the game of football and be able
to interact with athletics,” Hanspard
said. “Now he allows me to be a top
notch back. Playing football is just my
platform to give God more glory.”
The Nebraska game, which will be
regionally televised, will also give the
Red Raiders a chance to prove they are
a legitimate contender for the Big 12’s
South Division championship,
Hanspard said.
“It will be a good opportunity for
us to prove we can play with the top
notch teams in the nation,” Hanspard
said. “We have excellent ability on our
team, and God has blessed them to go
out and play.”
UTs Sance
forgets ‘95
title match
SANCE from page 12
Sance has also contributed on de
fense, once again leading the team with
3.5 digs per game. Sance has had
double figures in both kills and digs in
nine matches this season.
She needs only 11 total attacks in
Friday’s match against Colorado to
eclipse the 2,000-mark in her brief ca
reer.
“Sance is to Texas like Reitsma is
to us,” NU Coach Terry Pettit said.
“She’s a great player, certainly one of
the truly great players of the game.
“They have great athletes at every
possible position. You can’t afford to
go in and give everything toward stop
ping Sance, because you may or may
not stop her. And then the other people
are successful.”
Sance admitted that she needs to
play well this weekend for the Long
horns to win both of their matches. As
for playing Reitsma, the Big 12’s other
premier player, Sance said she’s ex
cited.
“It’s going to be a fun competition.”
. .. Jay Calderon/DN
MIKE MINTER, a senior rover, leads the Nebraska defense with three interceptions this season.
Faith drives NIPs Minter
Senior rover returns to top form after knee injury
ByAntone Oseka
Senior Editor
For Mike Minter, it all comes
down to faith. Faith in his ability to
play, faith in not getting injured
again, and most of all, faith in God.
His faith is so strong that even
his coaches notice it on die football
field.
“On the field, he lives his faith,”
Nebraska Defensive Backs Coach
George Darlington said. “He’s a
good man. I’m sorry he’s finally
graduating.”
However, the senior from
Lawton, Okla., has a great future
ahead of him in the National Foot
ball League, Darlington said.
“The NFL is a tool to get me
where I need to go,” Minter said.
Because of his strong faith,
Minter said, he looks up to players
/ like Reggie White, who is a defen
sive tackle for the Green Bay Pack
ers and a minister.
“I’d like to go to a team without
a string leader like that,” said
Minter, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound
rover, “so I could stand up and
shine.”
On the field, Minter has shined
this season, intercepting three
passes, one of which proved Minter
had recovered fully from his knee
injury two years ago.
He took an 84-yard interception
for a touchdown in NU’s season
opener against Michigan State.
“I feel good,” he said, “no pain.
And I’m a little faster than before
the injury.”
On Saturday, Minter returns to
the same field on which he was in
jured two years ago, when he lore
his left anterior cruciate ligament in
Nebraska’s 1994 win over Texas
Tech.
Minter said he’s not worried
about another injury.
“I think about it,” Minter said,
“could this be a deja vu deal or
what? Before I go on the field, I’m
going to pray.”
“With the power of God, I don’t
worry.”
Darlington said Minter has be
come a better player since return
ing from his knee injury.
“He’s learned to handle adver
sity,” Darlington said.
Minter not only handles adver
sity, he runs it down and usually
tackles it. This season, Minter has
18 tackles, and he’s the third fastest
player on the team, running a 4.41 -
second 40-yard dash, the sixth fast
est time in Husker history.
It all conies back to one thing
for Minter: faith.
“I give it all to God.”
3ND ANNUAL I
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