briefs 6/29/02

AREA

RIVERDOGS POST VICTORY OVER SALINE COUNTY

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau Riverdogs broke open a close game with a six-run eighth inning and defeated the Saline County Monarchs 8-1 Friday night.

Billy Puckett picked up the win for the Riverdogs (9-10), allowing four hits over seven innings. He struck out five and walked two. Bobby Landers relieved Puckett and gave up just one hit over the final two innings.

Mark Silverthorn led a nine-hit attack with three hits and two RBIs. Josh West and Chris Bradshaw each added a pair of hits.

ELSEWHERE

BASKETBALL

Jackie Stiles, last season's WNBA rookie of the year, was placed on the injured list Friday with bursitis in her right heel.

Stiles, a 5-8 shooting guard, has already missed four games this season due to the injury, which started to bother her during training camp. Since returning to action June 15, Stiles has not played more than 18 minutes in a game and has been a reserve for the first time in her playing career.

Offseason surgery on her right wrist has also limited her effectiveness. This year Stiles is averaging just 6.0 points a game and shooting 23.1 percent, compared to her totals of 14.9 points and 40.5 percent from last year.

Football

The St. Louis Rams agreed to a three-year contract with long snapper Chris Massey on Friday and released linebacker Dustin Cohen.

Massey was the long snapper at Marshall for four seasons and played linebacker his senior year, getting a career-record 19 tackles. He was the second Rams draft pick to come to terms, joining cornerback Travis Fisher, a cornerback.

Cohen played in four games last season for the Rams, recording four special teams tackles.

Golf

Glen Hnatiuk shot a second consecutive 6-under 65 Friday and held a one-stroke lead after the second round of the St. Jude Classic.

Hnatiuk shared a one-stroke lead after the suspended first round, and he went to No. 18 tied with Notah Begay, Pat Bates and Jay Haas at 11 under. He concluded his bogey-free round with his sixth birdie as he holed a 28-foot putt for the lead by himself at 12 under.

Begay turned in a 65 that was his best score in 73 rounds. That tied him with Bates (63) and Haas (64) at 11-under 131 total.

Justin Leonard and Matt Kuchar were tied a stroke back after consecutive 66s. Tim Petrovic, who had shared the first-round lead with Hnatiuk, was two strokes back with a 68.

Walter Hall shot a 6-under-par 65 Friday to take a one-shot lead over Tom Kite and Jose Maria Canizares at the U.S. Senior Open.

Kite shot a 67 for a 6-under 136 total.

E.W. Eaks, who tied a tournament record with a 64 on Thursday, fell off the pace with a double bogey on the 16th hole and finished with a 73 for a 137.

Fred Gibson, Tom Watson and Isao Aoki were at 138. Gibson and Aoki shot 69s, Watson a 71.

Kate Golden parlayed a midweek swing change into a 7-under-par 64 and had a one-stroke lead after the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Hall of Famer Juli Inkster and Lorie Kane were tied for second.

-- From staff, wire reports