NBA 1st, 2nd and 3rd team Announced!

Kobe Bryant added another honor Thursday to go with his MVP award, becoming the only unanimous selection to the All-NBA team.
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The Lakers star was voted to the first team for the third straight season and sixth time in his career. He led Los Angeles to the best record in the Western Conference and was presented with the MVP trophy Wednesday before helping the Lakers to a 120-110 victory over Utah in Game 2 of the conference semifinals.

Joining Bryant on the first team were New Orleans guard Chris Paul, who was three votes shy of being a unanimous pick, along with Boston's Kevin Garnett, Cleveland's LeBron James and Orlando center Dwight Howard.

Garnett was a first-team pick for the fourth time and James made his second appearance. Paul and Howard were first-timers.

Voting was done by a panel of 127 sports writers and broadcasters, with points being awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash of Phoenix were voted to the second team along with San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Utah guard Deron Williams and Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki.

The third team consisted of Houston's Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, plus Utah's Carlos Boozer, Boston's Paul Pierce and the Spurs' Manu Ginobili, the league's top sixth man.

Rockies want Julian Tavarez?

While they wait for internal options to heal their wounds and fix their mechanics, the Rockies are actively pursuing depth for their rotation, discussing trades with the Reds for Josh Fogg and the Red Sox for Julian Tavarez.

The Rockies also have kicked the tires on Oakland's Rich Harden and Joe Blanton and Texas' Kevin Millwood. Harden is hurt, limiting interest; Blanton is currently not available. And while the Rangers will listen on Millwood, they want the right players in return, not salary relief.

The Rockies' motivation is shaped by their need. Colorado is searching for a pitcher to stabilize its rotation until Franklin Morales, Greg Reynolds and the injured Jason Hirsh are ready to contribute sometime next month.

"It's early in the year, and there a lot of clubs sorting through issues, and when they get through them that's about the same time that Hirsh, Morales and Reynolds should be ready to help us. So I am trying to find one guy for six or seven starts," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said.

Fogg, rotting in the Reds' bullpen with approximately $1.2 million left on his deal, represents an ideal candidate. He won 10 games for the Rockies last season and is so well-liked that one teammate predicted he would receive a standing ovation if he walked back into the clubhouse.

But there is a bit of poker involved. The Reds could face a roster decision soon if they bring up prized pitcher Homer Bailey, so Colorado is reluctant to give up much if Fogg is going to be cut.

Like Fogg, Tavarez is a former Rockie. Colorado has discussed acquiring him on multiple occasions over the past three seasons.

After working on his delivery in extended spring training, Morales will make his first Triple-A start Sunday. Asked about a timetable for the left-hander's return, O'Dowd said, "We will let him decide" based on performance.

Reynolds has shown progress for the Sky Sox. The Rockies, however, want him to build up arm strength.

Hirsh, out with a shoulder injury, will throw another bullpen session this week as he inches toward a rehab assignment.

Yankees fan KILLS Sox fan with car

A woman accused of running down a man in her car after a Red Sox-Yankees argument in a bar never hit her brakes as she accelerated toward the small group he was in, a prosecutor said today.

"She never braked, and she accelerated at a high speed for about 200 feet. She went directly at this group of people," prosecutor Susan Morrell said of Ivonne Hernandez, who is charged with reckless second-degree murder in the death early Friday of Matthew Beaudoin, 29.

Authorities won't describe the argument beforehand in Slade's Food & Spirits, but witnesses said it heated up when Hernandez identified herself as a New York Yankees fan. Like the rest of New Hampshire, Nashua, 45 miles northwest of Boston, is Red Sox country.

Bartender Tanya Moran said the argument spilled outside, and at least one person in a group that included Beaudoin began chanting "Yankees suck!" when they saw a Yankees sticker on Hernandez's car.

Hernandez, 43, allegedly gunned her car and struck Beaudoin and his friend Maria Hughes, 21. Hughes had only minor injuries, which Beaudoin's sister Faith said was because her brother shielded his friend.

Hernandez, of Nashua, was arrested at the scene. She acknowledged she had been drinking and refused to take a breath-alcohol test, said Morrell, a senior assistant attorney general. Hernandez said she had been in an argument with the group.

"She indicated to police that she wanted to scare this group of people. She thought they would get out of the way," Morrell said.

Hernandez was ordered held without bail after being arraigned toay in Nashua District Court. The charges, including aggravated drunken driving, are felonies, so Hernandez could not enter a plea.

Her public defender, James Quay, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Beaudoin died of massive head trauma at a hospital, Morrell said.

Moran told The Telegraph of Nashua during the weekend that Beaudoin came to the bar regularly to socialize, sing karaoke and have fun.

"He came to hang out. He didn't really drink much," she said.

Chris Lovett, a disc jockey at Slade's, told the New Hampshire Union Leader that Beaudoin kept to himself and "wasn't an instigator."

Faith Beaudoin said her brother, who lived in Nashua, was a 1997 graduate of Nashua High School who worked dealing poker at Sharky's in Manchester and Nashua. She said his organs, including his heart, live and kidneys, were donated in hopes of saving other people's lives.

"He was always helping people when he was alive, and he's still saving lives," she said, choking back tears during the weekend.


Another classy move from the MOST classless organization

23 cent "crybaby" pizza

Maybe Cleveland Cavaliers fans can hope for cheap gas if an oil company insults All-Star LeBron James.

Lines were so long Thursday at some of the 86 Papa John's stores offering a large one-topping pizza for 23 cents that police stood nearby to make sure people didn't get unruly.

The Louisville, Ky.-based company agreed to the offer after a franchisee in Washington, D.C., made T-shirts calling star LeBron James a "crybaby." The shirts referred to James' complaints about hard fouls during a playoff series that the Washington Wizards lost to the Cavaliers.

The 23-cent price of a pizza is an homage to James' jersey number.

There were a few headaches, mostly complaints about long waits and line-cutting. In University Heights, an auxiliary police officer tried to settle a line-cutting complaint without riling either side.

Each Papa John's location offering the deal in the Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and Youngstown areas was prepared to sell more than 900 pies. Outlets were ordered to close early if, as expected, they ran out of pizzas.

In suburban Cleveland, people stood wrapped in blankets outside a store in Westlake and the line was two blocks long in University Heights.

"I did it for the principle of it. The principle of it is he's not a crybaby and Papa John's should not have gotten into it," Jennie Moore, 54, of University Heights, said as she waited for a pepperoni pizza.

Randall Hunter, 50, from Cleveland Heights, spent most of his four-hour split between bus driving shifts waiting for his pepperoni pizza. He defended James and what the All-Star forward said were flagrant fouls he received in the Washington series.

"You hit him in the face, you undercut him where he could really have an injury," Hunter said. "He could be out the rest of the season."

In Westlake, the line at one store snaked through the parking lot to the edge of the mini-mall and across a lawn along Detroit Road.

Patrick Mone, dressed in a blue LeBron James "Witness" T-shirt, was willing to wait as long as necessary for the bargain.

"It's worth it," he said. "All the money is going to charity, and obviously, it's bringing new business to Papa John's. Even though there is a line, I think it's pretty cool. ... Twenty-three cents, you can't beat it."

As he neared the store, Mone was amazed by the crowd.

"As I got closer, I was like, 'Oh, boy. This is going to be nuts,'" he said.

Lugo welcome to Beantown

In a statement after Lugo's error(s) that cost the Sox a victory against the Detroit Tigers he said: “I don’t care, but sometimes it would be nice to say something positive,” he said. “But all the time it’s negative things, you know? Sometimes, you know, people should say something that’s positive. But every time it’s something negative . . . bring it up, bring it up, bring it up. Why? I understand you (the media) are going to write whatever you want . . . but I come here every day and bust my ass . . . if things don’t work out sometimes, that’s the way it’s going to be. You understand? But sometimes you bring up the same things . . . You get tired of that." -- 5.7.08, Julio Lugo to Steve Buckley, Boston Herald

Someone Needs to Explain to Julio How It Works in Boston!

Kobe=MVP

Finally, an MVP award for Kobe Bryant.

Regarded as the NBA's best player for several years but never its most valuable, Bryant earned the honor at last on Tuesday after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference.

He called the award a blessing and an honor and emphasized that he wants another trophy this year.

"It's Hollywood, it's a movie script. The perfect ending would be for us to hold a championship trophy at the end of it," Bryant said at a news conference attended by his teammates, club officials, his wife and two daughters.

"This is an award I couldn't have won on my own. I can't thank these guys [his teammates] enough. These are my guys, these are my brothers. Let's get ready for tomorrow."

The Lakers try to take a 2-0 lead against Utah in their conference semifinal on Wednesday night. Bryant will receive the MVP trophy from commissioner David Stern before the game.

Worth The Wait

Kobe Bryant had to say "finally" after he matched the longest wait in NBA history before winning a first MVP award.

Player, Team

Season

NBA Years
Kobe Bryant, LAL 2007-08 12
Karl Malone, UTA 1996-97 12
Hakeem Olajuwon, HOU 1993-94 10

Bryant entered the season as the league's two-time defending scoring champion. He had finished as high as third in the MVP voting twice -- after the 2002-03 season, when he averaged 30 points for the first time, and last year when Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki won.

"I don't know anybody who's ever deserved this trophy more. I don't know anybody who's ever worked as hard to accomplish what he's accomplished," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who had five-time MVP Michael Jordan with Chicago and was at the Lakers' helm when Shaquille O'Neal won the award in 2000.

Bryant received 82-first-place votes and 1,105 points in the media vote. He was followed by New Orleans' Chris Paul (28 and 889), Boston's Kevin Garnett (15 and 670) and Cleveland's LeBron James (1 and 438).

"I've said since two, three years ago that Kobe Bryant is the best player in the league," James said before the Cavaliers faced the Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. "He's been the best player the last five, six years. I'm glad he won it. His team had a great year, finishing first in the West."

This season there was no denying the Lakers' 6-foot-6 star. Los Angeles rose to the top of the West despite key injuries and following Bryant's trade demands last spring when his team was eliminated in the first round by Phoenix for the second straight year.

Bryant averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.84 steals while playing all 82 games despite tearing a ligament in his right pinkie in February. He put off surgery until after the Olympics.

MVP Voting

The contenders jockeyed for the top spot all season, but Kobe Bryant came out as the winner of the NBA's MVP voting.

Pl.

Player, Team

1st-pl.
Votes

Points
1. Kobe Bryant, LAL 82 1100
2. Chris Paul, NO 28 894
3. Kevin Garnett, BOS 15 670
4. LeBron James, CLE 1 438
5. Dwight Howard, ORL -- 60
6. Amare Stoudemire, PHX -- 27
7. Tim Duncan, SA -- 25
8. Tracy McGrady, HOU -- 19
9. Steve Nash, PHX -- 18
10. Manu Ginobili, SA -- 9
11. Dirk Nowitzki, DAL -- 5
12. Deron Williams, UTA -- 4
13. Carmelo Anthony, DEN -- 3
14. Paul Pierce, BOS -- 1
15. Rasheed Wallace, DET -- 1
16. Carlos Boozer, UTA -- 1
17. Antawn Jamison, WAS -- 1

The knock on the 29-year-old Bryant had been that he didn't make those around him better -- not anymore.

"He's deserving in this particular season with all of the question marks and everything going on coming into the season and the uncertainty," teammate Derek Fisher said. "Not only did he statistically have an MVP type of season, everybody can reasonably say they were better this year because of what he did. He met the so-called criteria, elevating his teammates' games."

Word leaked last Friday night that Bryant had won the award.

Bryant, second in the NBA in scoring behind James, is the first Laker to win the MVP award since O'Neal. Other Lakers to win since the award was first presented in 1956 were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson -- each times. Abdul-Jabbar also won three with Milwaukee.

"I didn't expect this award would come to me," Bryant said. "I'm surprised. I've played pretty well in other seasons. Our team hasn't been as good. Things just fell into place."

Bryant and O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive championships, from 2000-02, and a berth in the finals in 2004. The Lakers hadn't won a playoff series since until sweeping Denver in the first round last month.

Bryant and O'Neal were often at odds during their eight years together. Assistant coach Brian Shaw, who played for the Lakers from 1999-03, has noticed a big difference in Bryant.

"He's a much better teammate now than he was in the championship days. That's a credit to his maturation. There were definitely times when he was not a good teammate. No one worked harder than he did. The same is true today," Shaw said.

"In terms of connecting with his teammates off the court, he didn't do that very much. Now, from what I hear, he goes out to dinner with them all the time. Who knows? Maybe he likes these teammates better than us," Shaw added with a laugh.

Bryant has said this was his best regular season and his most enjoyable -- very different from his feelings last spring. First, he challenged the Lakers to upgrade their roster, then demanded a trade.

Things quieted down and Bryant said all the right things during training camp until Lakers owner Jerry Buss said he would listen to trade offers. That upset Bryant again, but he promised he would focus on basketball once the season began.

And so he did.

After a 9-8 start, the Lakers put it together. The most obvious upgrades were Fisher and Pau Gasol, acquired Feb. 1 from Memphis. The Lakers already had Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic -- all former first-round draft choices -- when Bryant had his tirade last spring. All three, especially the 20-year-old Bynum, showed great improvement, but the 7-footer hasn't played since injuring his left knee Jan. 13.

Another talented newcomer, Trevor Ariza, has been sidelined since breaking his right foot Jan. 20. Gasol missed nine games late in the season because of a sprained ankle.

Through it all, led by their MVP, the Lakers kept winning. And now they appear to have as good a chance as any team to win another NBA championship.

Bullet casings linked to Harrison

Six of the bullet casings found after an April 29 shooting near Marvin Harrison's car wash and garage came from a gun that belongs to the Colts wide receiver, Philadelphia police sources told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio.

Police returned to the scene of the crime Monday to examine bullet holes in two residences after new information was provided to police by an alleged third victim of the shooting.

Harrison's representatives say Harrison was not present during the shooting incident, and that his gun was not involved. Monday, Harrison's attorney declined comment. Police say they have no suspects in the case.

The case is being taken over by Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham.

The Indianapolis Colts star receiver was interviewed by police about last week's shooting, but Harrison was neither arrested nor charged.

"He was interviewed," Lt. Frank Vanore said Friday. "Why he was interviewed, that is all part of the investigation. No one is a suspect."

Harrison's agent, Tom Condon, told ESPN's Chris Mortensen on Friday: "I've spoken with Marvin and I've spoken with his attorney, and they say the reports are erroneous. Marvin was not involved in any shooting, and he is not the subject of this investigation."

Condon declined to answer any other questions.

A source told the Philadelphia Daily News that Harrison, during an interview with police, later admitted to being in a fistfight on April 29, but the Colts receiver said he wasn't involved in the shooting.

A source told 610 WIP radio in Philadelphia that the victim came into Playmakers -- a bar owned by Harrison that is about a half-mile from his car wash -- about 5 p.m. and engaged in an argument with Harrison. The victim then left the bar, heading to his car, with Harrison following. Gunfire broke out and the victim was hit in the hand.

A source told the Philadelphia Daily News that a 2-year-old boy suffered a cut under his eye from glass that shattered when an errant bullet hit a car windshield, according to police.

Police came to the scene, but the victim did not identify a shooter.

On Wednesday of last week, according to the WIP report, a source said ballistic tests showed that the gun that had fired the shots was a custom-made Belgian weapon, and police determined that Harrison owned such a gun. A source told ESPN.com's John Clayton that the gun is registered.

Police then went to the Philadelphia car wash owned by Harrison to question him about the gun. Harrison admitted owning such a weapon but claimed it never left his suburban Philadelphia home.

However, WIP's source said the gun was discovered in a bucket at the car wash, and tests showed that it had fired seven bullets that matched those found at the scene.

Harrison, a prep football star at Philadelphia's Roman Catholic High, has owned Playmakers since July 2004, according to state records.

Harrison has played his entire 12-season career with the Colts and is the franchise's record holder in every major receiving category: receptions (1,042), yards (13,944), touchdowns (123) and 100-yard games (59). The 35-year-old is one of only four players in league history to top 1,000 receptions.

But after eight consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, last season was the most frustrating of Harrison's career.

He injured his left knee against Denver on Sept. 30, missed all but five games and finished with 20 receptions for 247 yards and one TD.

Off the field, Harrison was sued after the 2005 Pro Bowl when three boys accused him of attacking them when they tried to get his autograph. The suit alleged Harrison "violently and physically attacked" the minors, including placing a "potentially deadly choke hold" on one of the boys, but it was later dismissed.

Kobe Bryant jumps over an Aston Martin

Paul Pierce Mix: One Blood

The Truth #34

Indy Colts and there gun issue

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison is under investigation in his hometown of Philadelphia in a shooting that took place earlier this week, a source close to the investigation told Anthony Gargano of Philadelphia's WIP Radio.

Harrison was interviewed by police about the shooting near his North Philadelphia bar this week.

Lt. Frank Vanore said the investigation of Tuesday's shooting was continuing. Harrison has not been arrested or charged.

"He was interviewed," Vanore said Friday. "Why he was interviewed, that is all part of the investigation. No one is a suspect."

After the first day of their rookie minicamp, Colts coach Tony Dungy said he knew little more than had been reported.

"My phone has been ringing, too, but I don't have any details," Dungy said. "I really don't have any more information than you do."

Calls by ESPN to Harrison and his agent have not been returned. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league was "aware of the report, and we are looking into it."

NFL gun policy

While police investigate whether Marvin Harrison was involved in a Philadelphia-area shooting, the NFL's policy on guns is clear: "Be careful and understand the risks."

The league policy says a player can not possess a gun or other weapon performing any service for his team or the NFL. In Harrison's case, he was not involved in any NFL related function. He owns a bar and a car wash.

The policy advises: "If you legally possess a weapon, you must understand the local, state and federal laws that apply.''

Weapons laws are different in each state, and this is where Harrison -- even if he's not involved in the shooting -- could face problems. In Pennsylvania, the owner of a weapon involved in the shooting can be charged in the crime. If police legally determine the handgun belongs to Harrison, he could be charged with at least a misdemeanor.

If that is the case, Harrison could face NFL discipline, which could result in a suspension. According to the policy: "If you violate a public law covering weapons -- for example, possession of an unlicensed firearm -- you are not only subject to discipline, including suspension from playing, but also subject to criminal prosecution.''

-- John Clayton



The source said the alleged victim came into the bar, Playmakers, around 5 p.m. and engaged in an argument with Harrison, who was at the bar. The victim then left the bar, heading to his car, with Harrison following. Gunfire broke out, the victim was hit in the hand, and a young girl was slightly injured by flying glass from a car that apparently was hit by a bullet.

Police came to scene, but the victim did not identify a shooter. On Wednesday, according to the source, ballistic tests showed that the gun that had fired the shots was a custom-made Belgian weapon, and police determined that Harrison owned such a gun. A source told ESPN.com's John Clayton that the gun is registered.

Police then went to a Philadelphia car wash owned by Harrison to question him about the gun. Harrison admitted owning such a weapon, but claimed it never left his suburban Philadelphia home.

However, the source said the gun was discovered in a bucket at the car wash, and tests showed that it had fired seven bullets that matched those found at the scene.

The source said police were contacted Friday by an attorney representing a second alleged victim in the shooting, and police are now waiting for that individual to come forward.

Harrison, a prep football star at Philadelphia's Roman Catholic High, has owned Playmakers since July 2004, according to state records.

Harrison has played his entire 12-season career with the Colts and is the franchise's record-holder in every major receiving category -- receptions (1,042), yards (13,944), touchdowns (123) and 100-yard games (59). The 35-year-old is one of only four players in league history to top 1,000 receptions.

But after eight consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, last season was the most frustrating of Harrison's career.

He injured his left knee against Denver on Sept. 30, finished with 20 receptions for 247 yards and one TD and missed all but five games.

Team president Bill Polian said in February that Harrison was recovering from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and had been rehabilitating the inflamed capsule in his left knee. He was not expected to be completely healthy for the start of the Colts training camp July 24.

The typically quiet Harrison has a reputation for being humble on and off the field.

But he's still one of the Colts' most visible players -- and their longest tenured veteran. Harrison, along with Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James, were nicknamed Indy's triplets in the late 1990s. He was a first-round draft pick in 1996 out of Syracuse and wound up the best receiver in a class that included Keyshawn Johnson and Eric Moulds.

Off the field, Harrison was sued following the 2005 Pro Bowl when three boys accused him of attacking them when they tried to get his autograph. The suit alleged Harrison "violently and physically attacked" the minors, including placing a "potentially deadly choke hold" on one of the boys, but it was later dismissed.

SS Troy Tulowitzki out till All-Star Break

Colorado Rockies star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki tore a tendon in his left quadriceps and could be out until the All-Star break, if not longer.

"Best case scenario is six weeks. The realistic one is a few months," agent Paul Cohen told The Associated Press on Thursday. "We're hoping it's a couple months, but we won't know until they do further medical tests."


Cohen said team doctors will have a better feel for a timeline next week after "massive swelling and bleeding" subside. "It's a non-surgical tear, which could be a good thing."

Tulowitzki, the runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year last season, was injured while charging a grounder in the first inning at San Francisco Tuesday night, and he underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday, which found a complete tear of the tendon near his hip.

The injury is rare in baseball but is not uncommon in soccer players.

"He's just so disappointed for his teammates and the fans," Cohen said. "He just can't believe it, really. It's still sinking in."

Fighting through a season-long slump, Tulowitzki wasn't scheduled to play Tuesday night but was a late addition after second baseman Jeff Baker broke a blood vessel in the middle finger of his right hand during batting practice.

Following his sensational rookie season, Tulowitzki signed a $31 million, six-year deal, the largest contract ever signed by a non-Japanese or Cuban player with fewer than two years' of major league service.

The Rockies' first NL pennant was fueled by the 23-year-old star's phenomenal performance in the field, at the plate and in the clubhouse. Tulowitzki became a respected leader among established veterans including Todd Helton and Matt Holliday despite having played barely a year in the minor leagues.

He led big league shortstops in fielding percentage, got to many more balls than anyone at his position and even turned an unassisted triple play, just the 13th in major league history. He also set an NL rookie record for home runs by a shortstop (24) and batted .291 with 99 RBIs as the Rockies surged to their first World Series.

The crowds at Coors Field began a rhythmic chant for Tulowitzki, and Colorado set a big league record for fielding percentage.

His October exposure, however, created a thick book on Tulowitzki, and he had a hard time in April adjusting to pitchers armed with new scouting reports who busted him high and inside with fastballs before getting him to chase pitches down and away.

He was hitting just .152 with one homer and 11 RBIs in 105 at-bats when he got hurt.

Clint Barmes, the Rockies' starting shortstop in 2005 and '06, will fill in until Tulowitzki's return.

Unique display of sportsmanship

With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon
University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.

But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.

She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.

Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count — an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs.

Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman, the career home run leader in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky.


The umpire said there was no rule against it.

So Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace put their arms under Tucholsky's legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders. The three headed around the base paths, stopping to let Tucholsky touch each base with her good leg.

"The only thing I remember is that Mallory asked me which leg was the one that hurt," Tucholsky said. "I told her it was my right leg and she said, 'OK, we're going to drop you down gently and you need to touch it with your left leg,' and I said 'OK, thank you very much.'"

"She said, 'You deserve it, you hit it over the fence,' and we all kind of just laughed."

"We started laughing when we touched second base," Holtman said. "I said, 'I wonder what this must look like to other people.'"

"We didn't know that she was a senior or that this was her first home run," Wallace said Wednesday. "That makes the story more touching than it was. We just wanted to help her."

Holtman said she and Wallace weren't thinking about the playoff spot, and didn't consider the gesture something others wouldn't do.

As for Tucholsky, the 5-foot-2 right fielder was focused on her pain.

"I really didn't say too much. I was trying to breathe," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday.

"I didn't realize what was going on until I had time to sit down and let the pain relax a little bit," she said. "Then I realized the extent of what I actually did."

"I hope I would do the same for her in the same situation," Tucholsky added.

As the trio reached home plate, Tucholsky said, the entire Western Oregon team was in tears.

Central Washington coach Gary Frederick, a 14-year coaching veteran, called the act of sportsmanship "unbelievable."

For Western Oregon coach Pam Knox, the gesture resolved the dilemma Tucholsky's injury presented.

"She was going to kill me if we sub and take (the home run) away. But at the same time I was concerned for her. I didn't know what to do," Knox said.

Tucholsky's injury is a possible torn ligament that will sideline her for the rest of the season, and she plans to graduate in the spring with a degree in business. Her home run sent Western Oregon to a 4-2 victory, ending Central Washington's chances of winning the conference and advancing to the playoffs.

"In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much," Holtman said. "It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run."