Sports digest 3/19/02

AREA

SOUTHEAST SOFTBALL GOES 1-3 IN TOURNAMENT

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team went 1-3 in the Winthrop Tournament held over the weekend in Rock Hill, S.C.

The losses were to Pittsburgh 5-4, Jacksonville State 3-1 and Birmingham Southern 7-1.

Senior shortstop led the Otahkians in the four games as she batted .667 (10-for-15) and hit her first career home run.

Southeast (2-9) will continue its road trip to South Carolina today with a doubleheader against the College of Charleston (10-15).

Southeast product's team in Division II tourney

Former Southeast basketball player Steve Tappmeyer, the head men's basketball coach at Northwest Missouri State University since 1988, has led the Bearcats to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

The Bearcats (29-2) will play Indiana of Pennsylvania Wednesday in Evansville, Ind. The semifinals are Thursday and the championship game Saturday.

Tappmeyer played at Southeast for two seasons from 1977-79 under former coach Carroll Williams. He averaged a team-high 16.5 points per game in 1977-78.

Zellmer cards hole in one at Kimbeland Country Club

William Zellmer of Cape Girardeau recently sank his first career hole in one at Kimbeland Country Club.

Zellmer accomplished the feat with a 9-iron on No. 4, a 115-yard par 3. Witnesses were Bob Kinder, Sam Birk and Al Weller.

ELSEWHERE

AUTO RACING

Tony Stewart was released from a hospital Monday, a day after he was injured in a wreck at Darlington Raceway.

Stewart underwent an MRI exam on Monday morning before doctors released him from a Florence hospital, track spokeswoman Cathy Mock said. Results of the test were negative, she said.

Stewart, 30, was injured in a crash while he was leading Sunday's Carolina Dodge Sealers 400. He was briefly knocked unconscious and when he came to was complaining of lower back pain and numbness and tingling in his left foot.

He was airlifted to the hospital and tests Sunday night were negative, but he was held overnight for observation.

Football

Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier has another former Gator, receiver Jacquez Green, who has agreed to a three-year, $4.3 million contract.

Green's agent, Hadley Engelhard, said Green will probably sign the deal today.

"He had other opportunities, and the deciding factor came down to having an opportunity to play for coach Spurrier," Engelhard said Monday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers attempted to re-sign Green, and the St. Louis Rams also were interested.

-- From staff, wire reports