Evening State Sports Briefs: Green Bay Gamblers win USHL title again

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Green Bay Gamblers

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GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Gamblers are celebrating their second U.S. junior hockey league title in three years. The Gamblers won the Clark Cup last night with a 5-2 victory over Waterloo in the deciding game of their best-of-five championship series.

Sam Herr scored the goal that put Green Bay in front for good, and he was named the playoffs’ MVP. Gamblers’ goal-tender Ryan McKay had 22 saves, while recording his 81st win. Green Bay went 47-9-4 in the regular season, the best season mark in USHL history. The Gamblers also set a league mark with 25 road victories. And they never lost back-to-back games all season.

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Milwaukee Brewers’ starter Marco Estrada was put on the 15-day disabled list today, after he strained his right quadriceps muscle yesterday. The Brewers said right-handed reliever Mike McClendon will be recalled from Triple-“A” Nashville tomorrow to fill Estrada’s roster spot. Estrada was hurt while running the bases on a two-run double in the Brewers’ home victory over San Francisco yesterday. General manager Doug Melvin said earlier today the right-handed Estrada would miss 3-to-4 starts. Brewers’ manager Ron Roenicke said yesterday that he might move reliever Manny Parra into a starting role for now – and promoting McClendon seems to indicate it’s how the Brewers plan to proceed. But they won’t have to decide until Estrada’s next scheduled turn, which would have been next Tuesday night at Los Angeles. McClendon is 2-2 at Triple-“A” Nashville with a 4.19 ERA in 13 games. He has pitched five-and-a-third relief innings for the Brewers this season, with an ERA of over 10 before he was sent down.

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Japanese hitting star Norichika Aoki is finally settling in with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 30-year-old outfielder has started 10 games this month, after starting just three in April. And as his plate appearances have grown, his production has improved. Aoki has recorded more than one hit in five-of-his-last six starts since May 13th. His batting average has improved to .297. And although he bats left-handed, he’s hitting better against left-handed pitchers than against righties. Aoki is batting .310 against southpaws -- perhaps because of his unusual swing which looks as if he’s always trying to take the ball to the opposite field. That swing made Aoki a three-time batting champion in Japan ’s Central League. And Brewers’ manager Ron Roenicke says Aoki has had some really good at-bats. The skipper says Aoki could see some more playing time in right field as Corey Hart spends more time at first base. Aoki says he’s more effective as a regular than as a pinch hitter, because he can make adjustments as the game goes on. The Brewers are off today, and will open a series at Arizona tomorrow night.

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Two Wisconsin golfers struggled today as the Senior PGA Championship got underway in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North of Madison shot a five-over-par 76 on the Harbor Shores course. And Rhinelander native Dan Forsman went six-over at 77. North was tied for 110th place at mid-afternoon, and Forsman was tied for 125th in a field of 156. Roger Chapman has the clubhouse lead at three-under-par 68. Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour, Pewaukee native Mark Wilson shot a one-over-par 71 today at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth Texas. That put Wilson in a tie for 69th place by mid-afternoon. Jerry Kelly of Madison was part of the afternoon group, and was at one-under after four holes. Zach Johnson has the clubhouse lead at six-under-par 64.

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Pewaukee girls’ high school basketball standout Jordyn Swan has withdrawn her commitment to play at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville this fall – and she’ll play at UW-Milwaukee instead. She was given her release from SIU after that team’s coach, Amanda Levens, left to become the associate head coach at Arizona State. Swan is the first recruit for new UWM coach Kyle Rechlicz. Swan’s high school coach, said UWM was interested after learning that she had withdrawn from Edwardsville – and Swan was excited and happy to be joining the Panthers. Swan, a 6-foot forward, averaged 17 points, four rebounds, and three steals a game for Pewaukee last season. She was the player of the year in the Woodland Conference Blue Division.

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UW-Whitewater has won the WIAC’s combined All-Sports Award for men-and-women’s athletics during the last school year. The Warhawks also received the men’s All-Sports honor, while UW-Eau Claire was named the women’s champion. This is the third time in the last five years that Whitewater won the overall award – which is based on each school’s conference finish in all sports during the year. Whitewater won league titles in football, men’s basketball, men’s soccer, and wrestling. Eau Claire won the women’s title mostly on the basis of its league championships in basketball, golf, cross country, softball, and volleyball. Eau Claire finished second in the overall All-Sports standings. La Crosse was the runner-up for the men, and Whitewater for the women.

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The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have opened up a two-game lead in the Midwest League’s Western Division. The Rattlers will play at Quad Cities tonight, after edging the River Bandits 5-4 last evening. Second-place Beloit is wrapping up its home series against Cedar Rapids, starting late this morning. The Snappers dropped a game back after losing to Cedar Rapids 5-3 last night. Third-place Kane County is five off the pace. Kane County hosts Burlington tonight. All the day’s other Midwest League action is also under the lights. East leader Lansing hosts Dayton. Clinton plays at Peoria. Lake County is at West Michigan. Bowling Green plays at Great Lakes. And South Bend hosts Fort Wayne.

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