Afternoon Sports Briefs - Brewers' Gallardo and Diamondbacks Kennedy face off tonight in Arizona

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PHOENIX - There will be a familiar pitching match up tonight when the Milwaukee Brewers open a weekend series at Arizona.

Right handers Yovani Gallardo and Ian Kennedy faced each other in Games One and Five of their National League Division Series last October. Gallardo won Game One, and he had a no decision in Game Five when the Brewers beat the D Backs in 10 innings to win their first playoff series in 29 years. Tonight, both Gallardo and Kennedy come in with losing records for this season, similar to what their teams have struggled through. Gallardo is 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA. He’s had four straight quality starts, but is only 1-2 during that stretch. Gallardo has dropped three straight on the road but tonight, he’ll face a Diamondbacks team that has lost 14 of its last 18 contests at Chase Field. Kennedy is 3-4 with a 4.47 ERA. He’ll try to avoid losing a career high five consecutive start. The Brewers have lost 8 of their last 11, and they’re just 4-13 on the road this year. Arizona has dropped 12 of its last 18 overall.

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Sunday’s Madison Marathon has been canceled due to expected hot weather. But only the full 26 mile plus event is being scrapped. A scheduled half marathon will still take place, because runners will generally be finished before the heat of the day sets in. Forecasters expect the mercury to rise to an extreme danger level by noon on Sunday, with a high of 92 degrees expected. Madison Festivals president Rita Kelliher called it a “heart breaking decision.” She said organizers understood the investments in training and finances that many runners made for the race. But race director Keith Peterson figured that only 1% of entrants would complete a full marathon on Sunday, based on the use of emergency resources in the 2010 event when it also got hot. Last Sunday in Green Bay, the temperature had warmed up to around 80 when about 20 runners in that city’s marathon were sent to hospitals for heat related conditions. The race ended early, and only 10 runners were given official times.

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In golf, Jerry Kelly of Madison was expected to stay around for the weekend at the PGA’s Crowne Plaza Invitational. Kelly is at two over par 142 at the halfway point of the tournament. And as of early this afternoon, two over was the projected cut line and Kelly was barely above it. He was tied for 67th place in a holiday weekend event that’s being played at the Colonial in Fort Worth Texas. Pewaukee native Mark Wilson is expected to make the cut as well. He was at even par after seven holes, and one over for the tournament at that point. Jason Dufner shot a six under par 64 today to take the clubhouse lead at minus 11.

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Rhinelander native Dan Forsman needs to improve his game if he wants to make the weekend cut at the Senior PGA Championship. Forsman was one over par after six holes of his second round today. And that put him at plus seven for the tournament, while the projected cut-line was at five over as of early this afternoon. However, Forsman has moved up the leaderboard a little. He was tied for 87 at early afternoon.

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UW-Milwaukee was eliminated this afternoon from the Horizon League baseball tournament, after losing to Wright State 2-1 in 12 innings in Chicago. Garrett Gray singled up the middle to drive in the winning run, as the Raiders advanced in the loser’s bracket to face Youngstown State late today. Milwaukee bowed out after crushing Butler yesterday in a record-setting 19-2 victory. That was after the third seeded Panthers were upset by Youngstown State in their tournament opener on Wednesday. Milwaukee ends its season at 27-27 overall.

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Wheaton of Massachusetts won the opening game of the NCAA Division III Baseball World Series near Appleton. Wheaton defeated Webster of Saint Louis 3-2 in the first of four games today at Fox Cities Stadium. Wheaton scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning, and never trailed after that. Hal Landers had two singles in four trips and scored once for Wheaton, which will play either Kean of New Jersey or New York-Cortland in the next round of the winner’s bracket. Webster moves to the loser’s bracket, where they would be eliminated with one more loss. Kean and Courtland were playing this afternoon. The double elimination national finals continue through Tuesday.

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Concordia-Mequon won the men’s All Sports Award in the Northern Athletics Conference for the past school year, while Dominican took the women’s title. The Falcons won their second men’s crown in the last three years with league titles in cross country, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Benedictine finished second in the year long competition, and Madison Edgewood was third. Dominican won its first women’s All Sports crown. Concordia-Mequon was second, and Edgewood third. Schools are ranked according to their conference finishes in all sports throughout the school year.

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