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Rain slows tourney; Nail half a By Herald News Service McHENRY -- Mother Nature was the winner, and serious Softball en­ thusiasts the losers, as rain got the best of the participants in the Rusty Nail Inn 7th Annual 12-inch Softball Tournament this weekend. The host Rusty Nail hurier John Cornell tosses to the plate during Sunday's action. Dave Sundby waits in the rain Sunday during the Rusty Nail's quarterfinal win over Woodstock Car Wash. Rusty Nafl squad and ToBar of El­ gin Bared the championship title. Hie 32-team field began play Fri­ day night, the tournament continu­ ing Saturday in Jbeautiful weather. In the tournament's quarterfinals, Woodstock Car Wash proved anolL er worthy foe, but fell victim to another Nafl comeback, H in nine rain began to fall in the early after­ noon hours. Play proceeded, howev­ er, into the early evening, before soggy conditions became too overwhelming. Hie Rusty Nail was trying to de­ fend its title of a year ago, when it topped Jack's Snack Shop-McHenry Oil for the title. ToBar and the NaU shared the top cash prise, while by process of a coin flip, ToBar snared the first place trophy. Gambler East of McHenry and Greg's Never Inn of Johnsburg shared third place money. Old Bridge-Sentry Insur­ ance of McHenry and Collins of Jo- HetspUjt the top prize dough in the consolation bracket. The Nail had a rough trail in the a first round of Hard Urnes of Wauke- gan, 13-2. In that win, Bill Meyers had two doubles, a triple and three RBI, while Joe Meyers doubled and tripled. Moving on, the hosts trailed 12-5 into thebottom of the sixth against SR Seawalls of Fox Lake. But, as was to become commonplace, the Nafl rallied in a big way to win, with four in the sixth and four more in the seventh to win 13-12. Bill Meyers continued his torrid hitting with two homers and three RBI, including a leadoff blast in the seventh. John Meyers added a two- run homer. A1 Stilling's two-out grounder in the seventh was booted by the SR shortstop, allowing the tying and winning runs to score. Woodstock Car Wash led 84 going ' into the bottom of the fifth, but the Nafl scored two in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh to tie. Bill Meyers made an outstand­ ing catch in leftfleld to keep the Nail doae in the extra frames, and then, with two out in the ninth, legged out a double. He then scored on a single to right by Don Bants. In the game, Bill Meyers had four Mts and three RBI, while Bents and pitcher John Conndl added three apiece. In the semis, Gambler East led 1- 0 early, but the Nafl, on Bentz's single which scored Rick Wakitsch, took a 2-1 lead and never looked back en route to a 4-1 win. ToBar advanced with early round wins over Shots of Mt. Prospect (14- 2), lakeside Inn of McHenry (14-4) sod Gambler West, (6-5 in eight innings). In the semifinals, Greg's Never Inn jumped out to a *0 lead In the first, but ToBar came back thanks to a big game from Mike KaDenback, who singled, doubled, homered and drove in six runs, leading his team to a 16-8 triumph. The Elgin squad took third in the 1901 Nafl tourney. Sentry-Old Bridge lost to Sunny- side's Miller * Hamm, 9-7, In the opening round, and then received a forfeit win over Woodstock's John­ son's Rec, before ripping Cary Auto Body, H-4 and Hard Times, 12-5. Joe Dehn, Tim Sabatka and Harry May had the big bats In those three John Meyers of the Rusty Nail Inn hacks up to grab a pop fly as teammate Rick Wakitsch looks on. The Nail won a share of the tourney title, as rain halted play Sunday. Monday, August 5,1985 Verplank wins Western, but won't go to bank By KentMcDfll UPIi OAKBROOK - Jim Thoipe got the money Sunday but Scott Ver­ plank gained the satisfaction of be­ coming the first amateur to win a PGA tournament since Gene Littler woo the 1956 San Diego Open. "I Just hoped to play well, and I thought If I could play well I could compete," Verplank, 21, said after be calmly sank a 4-foot putt for par on the second playoff hole to win the Western Open. "There's no money in It for me, so if I finish second It's a good tourna­ ment forme,and!flwinlgetan exemption on the PGA tour for 21/2 years," added the Dallas native it going for me." Verplank's sudden-death putt dropped Thorpe to second, but Thoipe took home the $90,000 first- prize money because of Verplank's amateur status. "I'd prefer winning the title," Thorpe said. "Scott told me as we were walking down the 16th fairway on the first playoff hole, 'Well, you've got the money.' I tbld him 'I need to win.'" Thorpe credited Verplank for han­ dling the pressure be was under. "I had four or five birdies today and it didn't shake him at all/' Thorpe said. "He's very cool on the golf course. There were 149 other pros here and I beat them all, and he beat me." Playing through the rain on the Butler National course, Verplank ssnk his par putt on No. 17 after Thorpe had bogeyed the final hole. Verplank had a two-stroke lead over Thorpe at the start of the final round but shot a 2-over-par 74. Thorpe had an even-par 72 in regu­ lation play for a 72-hole total of 9- under-par279. They were tied going into the 18th hole, but Thorpe hit his drive far left into deep rough and had no shot . to the green on the 442-yard par-4. He had to punch out onto the fair­ way with his second shot while Ver­ plank put his second shot onto the green 18 feet away from the pin. Thorpe, 96, of Buffalo, N.Y., going for his first tour victory in seven full years OA the tour, went for the pin an his third shot and put his ball 12 feet away on the same line as Ver­ plank's putt. Verplank missed his birdie putt by about an inch and tapped in for par. Thorpe then canned his par putt to send the tournament Into a playoff. "I was watching it (Verplank's birdie putt) because we didn't know the outcome," Thorpe said. On the first playoff hole, Verplank missed a birdie putt from 10 feet away. Thorpe had to hit a 3-foot putt to save par and force the second playoff hole. Thorpe pushed his 40-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole 10 feet past the hole and missed the return putt, settling for a bogey. Verplank then hit his winner. Locker Rumors ... Upper Iowa University reports that McHenry resident Mike Chat­ ham was one of ISO boys attedning the 1985 boys' basketball camp at the Fayette school recently. Among those on the camp staff was Crystal Lake Central head basketball coach Anile Kay, and CL resident Ray Card. Fifteen Crystal Lake residents were also in attendance. ... McHenry Men's 12-inch Softball League director Pat Wirtz noted that the catch made by Jim Grabowski of Jack's Snack Shop-McHenry Oil last Wednesday was "as good as any major league replay I've seen on 'robbery at the fence.' Grabowski went back to the wall in left center on a ball hit by Jim Altboff, reached past the fence and snared the home run ball. ... The 12-inch League will hold its annual all-star doubleheader between the stars of the Eastern and Western divisions Wednesday night at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Knox Park. Leading the way will be the league's top hitter, Bill Meyers of Rusty Nail, and Eastern leader Terry Hovseth of Gambler East. ... A sidelight in the night's events will occur between games, when /Rusty Nail Inn coach Kevin Bauer and Nail catcher Don Bents hold a speed grudge match in a jaunt around the bases. Admission is free. ... McHenrv cHenry resident Daniel Cwlak will participate in Randy Hund- Santo, Fergie Jenkins, Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert and Andy Pafko Next, Wo. 301 Seaver claims 300th win In Big Apple By Gerry Monlgan UPI sports writer NEW YORK -- In the city where be began a career that will certain­ ly end in the Hall of Fame, Tom Seaver Sunday became the 17th pitcher in major-league history to win 300 games. v "It's a huge day for me," said the 40-year-old right-hander who fired a six-hitter Sunday to lead the White Sox to a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees. "That's the happiest I've been after a game in a long time." Seaver, who broke mto the majors with the Mets in 1967* struck out, six and walked one, improving his sea­ son record to 12-8. He has 189 careel* Tgot « little*ttred asfrhad to haVe a couple of guys kicklhe in t rear end to get me going," sal Seaver, who recorded his fifth com­ plete game Of the season and 231st of his career. "I was nervous before the game and it didn't go away, but for the most part, I executed." Oscar Gamble, a former Yankee, singled home the winning run in the sizth, when the White Sox rallied to take a 4-1 lead. Chicago supported Seaver with a 13-hit attack. Starter Joe Cowley, 9-5, allowed two runs on seven hits in 5 1-3 innings. Characteristic of his recent seasons, Seaver was effective but not overpowering. No longer able to simply challenge hitters with a dominating fastball, he retired them with guile and control; mixing sliders, sinkers and slow curves with well-located fastballs. "I vAs off the ground nervous," he said. "Sometimes the ball felt like a shot put, and sometimes it felt like a feather." He worked out of jams in the fourth, eighth and ninth, and retired 10 straight Yankees in the fourth through seventh innings. "Sure you have to admire Seaver," said Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who present­ ed the White Sox star with a silver bowl commemmorating the event. "But you don't have to be the team he beats for 300.1 wish the players hated to lose as much as Billy (Mar­ tin) and I. A couple of our perfor­ mances left something to be desired." Chicago pitching coach Dave Duncan, acting manager for Tony LaRussa who was ejected in the sixth, visited the mound in the eighth and ninth. "This is the one you've been wait­ ing for," was all Duncan needed to say. "I was very aware in the seventh and eighth he was throwing some great pitches," said catcher Carlton Flsk* "but at the same time, there was the combination of him having thrown 130-some pitches, and the game being on the line. He was a little tired, but he didn't want to come out of there. . "He's been throwing a lot of pitch­ es his last three starts, but that's because be loves to work the hitters -- and isn't that the art of pitching?" The 30Q-victory milestone, at­ tained in his first attempt, is the crowning achievement of a fabulous career for Seaver. "Tom Terriffic," as be was known to Mets fans, took the mound in the first inning amid. an ovation from the capacity Yan­ kee Stadium crowd of 54,032, under cloudy skies. Rod Carew hits magic No. 3,000 By United Press International ANAHEIM, Cal. - California's Rod Carew, who won seven batting titles in 12 seasons with the Minne­ sota Twins, singled to left in the third inning against his former team Sunday to become the 16th major-league player to collect 3,000 career hits. The left-handed hitting Carew, who turns 40 in October, tied the late Roberta Clemente for 15th place on the all-time hit list and needs just eight more to pass A1 Kaline. Cart Yastrzemski was the last player to get 3,000 hits, in 1979. 'Tm glad It's over," Carew said. "It's just a great feeling. I thought I would have gotten it over on the roadtri& and when we got home I just didn't want to take it down to Monday with the strike date so close. It's something I never thought I'd accomplish throughbut my career. I've been around for 19 years, I guess they start to pOe up:" The smooth-hitting first baseman, entered the game with 2,999 hits. Carew, who had grounded out In his St at-bat, got his historic hit off •bander - Frank Viola. CareW, playing In his 19th seaaon since breaking in as a second baseman with the Twins in 19G7, achieved the milestone In his 2,416th career game and on his 9,138th at-bat. 4 Carew was mobbed by his team­ mates and hugged by his manager, Gene Mauch. He recieved a stand­ ing ovation from the crowd of 42,000.