MOOSIC – Rich Thompson is not slowing down at 34 years old.
The Montrose graduate made that clear minutes into his first appearance of the year in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Thompson beat out an infield single as the first batter in the May 23 game at PNC Field, stole second and scored the first run as the Durham Bulls defeated the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 8-5.
Playing the RailRiders, the top farm team of the New York Yankees, provided the perfect opportunity for Thompson to show off his game.
Thompson used his speed to score a run after the infield single. He also used it to drive in a run by getting down the line quick enough to avoid a potential inning-ending double play.
The Bulls and RailRiders met in a pair of four-game series – one in Pennsylvania, one in North Carolina – in late May and early June. Thompson helped Durham win three of four games in each series.
Thompson doubled, tripled, drove in four runs and scored three times June 3 when the Bulls destroyed the RailRiders, 15-2, June 3 in the final meeting of the season between the two teams.
In seven games against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Thompson went 8-for-30 (.267) and scored seven runs while driving in seven. He stole six bases in seven attempts in those games.
When the second series against the RailRiders was over, Thompson went 2-for-2 with four stolen bases Thursday against Indianapolis. He headed into the weekend hitting .249 in 50 games.
Thompson was 22-for-25 on stolen base attempts to rank fourth in the International League in steals. Thompson was also tied for fourth in the league in triples with three.
Durham is the top farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Thompson made it to Major League Baseball for the second time last season after Tampa Bay traded to obtain him from the Philadelphia Phillies organization where he was playing for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Thompson picked up his first Major League hit with Tampa Bay, going 2-for-22 (.091) in 23 games. He went 6-for-8 stealing bases and scored five runs.
In 2004, Thompson started the season with the Kansas City Royals and went 0-for-1 with a run scored in six games.
WEEK IN REVIEW
The Binghamton Mets extended their lead in the Eastern League Eastern Division by winning two out of three home games from the Trenton Thunder, top farm team of the New York Yankees.
The Mets own the series when Cesar Puello hit two homers, including the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth inning, in a 5-4 victory in Thursday’s series finale.
Puello finished the series with four home runs in three games.
The Mets opened the series with an 8-0 win.
Erik Goeddel retired 16 straight batters while allowing just two hits in seven shutout innings.
The Binghamton offense produced 14 hits.
The Mets cut into an eight-run deficit before falling short, 10-6, in the middle game of the three-game set.
In other minor-league news, Chien-Ming Wang of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders was named International League Pitcher of the Week for May 27-June 2.
Wang did not allow a run in 14 innings while winning two games. He allowed just two hits in seven innings of a win in Norfolk over the Tides.
A two-time, 19-game winner in the Major Leagues and the runner-up in voting for the 2006 American League Cy Young Award, Wang is 4-4 while ranking second in the IL with a 2.33 earned run average.
In high school baseball, Lackawanna League member Old Forge made the state Class A semifinals for the second time in five years when Darren Drasba tossed a one-hitter in Thursday’s 4-0 win over Devon Prep.
Old Forge reached the state tournament by winning the District 2 title by a run over Lackawanna Trail after the Lions reached the final with a one-run, extra-inning win over Blue Ridge.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The high school sports season comes to an end in Pennsylvania Friday with the PIAA’s state championship baseball and softball games in each of four classifications.
In high school football, Pennsylvania will meet Maryland Saturday night at 7 in the Big 33 Football Classic at Hersheypark Stadium. Rosters featuring 33 players plus one kicker from among the top graduating seniors in each state will meet in the 56th annual game.
TOM ROBINSON writes a weekly local sports column for the Susquehanna County Transcript. He can be reached online at RobbyTR@aol.com or followed on Twitter at @tomjrobinson.
JOHNSON DOMINATES AT POCONO
Jimmie Johnson, winner at Pocono
LONG POND, Penn.—Jimmie Johnson dominated Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Pocono, leading 128 laps of the 160-lap race. Unless you were a Johnson fan, there was very little to cheer about, because the entire race was less-than-exciting.
Johnson started on the pole and except for the times he pitted for fresh tires and fuel, he was the leader.
“The car was fantastic,” said Johnson. “It was awesome on the straightaways. We had a vibration several times that we never quite figured out, but it didn’t seem to affect the handling of the car.”
The race’s sixth caution came on lap 153. Greg Biffle was fifth on the restart. Within two laps he had moved into second, but was unable to gain on Johnson’s No. 48.
“I really didn’t have anything for Jimmie,” said Biffle. I just wasn’t able to catch him. Maybe we can get back on track next week at Michigan. That’s a track we’ve always ran well on.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran with the leaders for most of the race and finished third.
“It’s been a good weekend,” he said. “I’m just glad to be able to run this well. Jimmie was good in turns 3 and 4. I just couldn’t do anything with him.”
The remaining top-10 finishers were: Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Joey Logano.
Though Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Kyle Busch and Hamlin finished sixth and eighth, respectively, Hamlin said he could feel a reduction in horsepower in his TRD (Toyota Racing Development) engine, after the engines were detuned in favor of reliability in reaction to several recent valve train failures.
“Any horsepower change is going to be a difficult thing to overcome, especially this week and next week (at Michigan), our two horsepower race tracks,” Hamlin said. “I wouldn’t be opposed to say that other guys probably stepped up coming to this race track, and we took a step back. “It’s kind of a double whammy, but it’s something TRD’s going to work through.”
Top-10 leaders after 14 of 36: 1. Johnson-521, 2. Edwards-470, 3. Bowyer-452, 4. Earnhardt-439, 5. Harvick-434, 6. Kenseth-418, 7. Kyle Busch-412, 8. Kahne-400, 9. Keselowski-398, 10. Biffle-395.
BAYNE GETS WIN FOR NEW WIFE
Trevor Bayne won the rain-delayed Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway. The race was originally set for Saturday night, but rain showers forced NASCAR officials to postpone it until Sunday morning.
Bayne had ‘tied the knot’ last week and sealed the deal with his win. Bayne took the lead with 11 laps remaining in the 250-mile race.
“I got married this week,” said Bayne. “So (my wife) Ashton told me I had to win so nobody could say I went into a slump after getting married. I’m really excited about this win and being a part of this team.
“This Ford was so good on the long run. After 30 laps it really came to life. I’m so proud of this team and what they accomplished here today - not giving up, even to the end.”
Bayne was strong all day, running second for much of the race behind the No. 3 car of Austin Dillon. However, as the laps wound down Bayne’s No. 6 Ford Mustang began to make up the ground, eventually catching Dillon and engaging in a tight battle for the lead, before passing the No. 3 with just over 10 laps remaining.
Dillon was second, followed by Elliott Sadler, Sam Hornish Jr., Kyle Larson, Brian Scott, Regan Smith, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, and Mike Bliss.
Top-10 leaders after 12 of 33: 1. Smith-448, 2. Hornish-425, 3. Allgaier-404, 4. A. Dillon-402, 5. Sadler-388, 6. Kligerman-385, 7. Vickers-384, 8. Scott-381, 9. Bayne-368, 10. Larson-361.
ANOTHER BURTON WINS TRUCK RACE
Jeb Burton, son of former Cup Driver Ward Burton won Friday night’s Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway. It was his first win in seven starts.
“It was really fun,” said Burton, “I’m just living the dream. It’s huge. I’ve been telling everybody once we get one (win) they’re going to start stacking-up. We’ve got the momentum going into Kentucky. Every week it’s fun to go to the racetrack. I’m just so pumped-up.”
Burton took the lead from Ty Dillon on a restart on Lap 144 of the 167-lap race and led the remaining 23 laps.
“It’s a heartbreaker,” said Dillon. “Our truck was the dominant truck all night. That last restart, it seemed like the No. 88 (of Matt Crafton) gave the No. 4 (of Burton) a good push down the backstretch. I can’t blame it on anybody. You get a draft, that’s five extra horsepower. If I could do it again tomorrow, I’d do it again, take the top.”
The remaining top-10 finishers were: 3. German Quiroga, 4. Matt Crafton, 5. Brendan Gaughan, 6. Darrell Wallace, 7. Johnny Sauter, 8. Ryan Blaney, 9. James Buescher, 10. Miguel Paludo.
Top-10 leaders after 7 of 22: 1. Crafton-285, 2. Burton-262, 3. Gaughan-250, 4. Sauter-240, 5. Blaney-238, 6. Buescher-235, 7. T. Dillon-232, 8. D. Wallace-218, 9. Paludo-211, 10. Armstrong-209.
CHASE ELLIOTT WINS ARCA RACE
Bill Elliott’s seventeen-year-old son, Chase Elliott became the youngest superspeedway winner in ARCA Racing Series history Saturday night, as he won the Pocono ARCA 200 at Pocono Raceway.
Elliott raced his way from the 32nd starting position, took the lead with 21 laps to go, and then held back a hard charge from fellow 17-year-old driver Erik Jones to earn his career-first ARCA victory.
“This means a ton to me,” Elliott said. “It was about 10 years ago that I was sitting in victory lane here with my dad.”
Elliott, who had to test at Pocono beforehand just to be eligible to enter the race, was the story of the show, setting the age mark on a track that his father won five career NASCAR races at. The elder Elliott stood alone atop the team transporter for most of the race watching his son make laps, take the lead, and then hold on for the victory.
“He definitely helped me out a lot,” Chase continued. “He wasn't here Wednesday, but we talked on the phone. It was strange coming here because I am so used to coming here with dad and watching him race. It definitely opens some doors for us and enables us to do something different.”
Erik Jones, Frank Kimmel, Tom Hessert, Mason Mitchell, Mason Mingus, AJ Hendriksen, Spencer Gallagher, Justin Boston, and Josh Williams were the remaining top-10 finishers.
KESEKOWSKI TEAM PENALIZED
Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Cup car was found to be too low in the front end following the finish of the Dover race. As a result of this violation, crew chief Paul Wolfe has been fined $25,000 and will remain on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. The team has also been docked six championship driver (Brad Keselowski) and six championship car owner (Roger Penske) points.
Weekend Racing: The Cup and Nationwide teams are at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway. The trucks do not race again until June 27.
Sat., June 15, Nationwide Series, race 13 of 33; Starting time: 2 pm ET; TV: ABC.
Sun., June 16, Sprint Cup Series, race 15 of 36; Starting time: 1 pm ET; TV: TNT.
Racing Trivia Question: Where is Kevin Harvick’s hometown?
Last Week’s Question: Which year did Kurt Busch win his only Cup championship? Answer. It was 2004.
You may e-mail the Racing Reporter at: hodges@race500.com.
Pictured is Myra Lattimore
Myra Lattimore was part of both types of track and field success.
Lattimore excelled in individual events and as part of a team, helping win relays and joining in the championship efforts by the entire Montrose team.
For her contributions in the latter part of the regular season and in producing postseason titles, Lattimore is the Susquehanna County Transcript Athlete of the Month for May.
Lattimore concluded her season by joining Madelyne Pasteka, Allison Lewis and Samantha Bennici for a medal with a seventh-place finish in the Class AA 1600-meter relay at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships. She also reached the semifinals in the 200-meter dash before finishing 15th in the state.
“I feel strongest in our 4 by 4 relay, but my favorite is the 4 by 1 because of the quick pace and handoffs,” Lattimore said. “It’s very entertaining to watch.”
Montrose won District 2 titles in both those relays.
As an overall team, the Lady Meteors won Lackawanna League Division 4 and Jordan Relays Class AA championships. They also finished second in Class AA at the Robert Spagna Lackawanna Track Conference Championships and tied for second in AA at the District 2 Championships.
Lattimore said repeating the title in the Jordan Relays was the most enjoyable part of a successful month.
“I like the team atmosphere of the Jordan Relays,” said Lattimore, who was on one winning relay and two second-place relays in the meet at Scranton Memorial Stadium. “It’s competitive and fun at the same time.”
At the Spagna Championships, Lattimore was third in the 200 and fifth in the 100 while the 400 relay finished first and the 1600 relay took second.
Lattimore, a junior, has been a prominent part of three sports at Montrose for three years. She started at times in soccer as a freshman and became an increasing part of the rotation in basketball as the season progressed. She started the last two years in each.
A center midfielder in soccer, Lattimore played forward on the 2011-12 basketball team that reached the state Class AA semifinals.
Myra is the daughter of Ken and Laura Lattimore of Choconut.
