Sports briefs

For the third straight year and the fourth time in program history, the Ottawa University softball team was selected to play in the NAIA Region IV tournament.

Ottawa, the fourth seed, plays 10 a.m. Thursday in McPherson against fifth-seeded Bethany.

Ottawa defeated Bethany, 12-4, last week in the conference tournament.

CH baseball rolls in tourney

 The Central Heights High School baseball team won its first two games Friday in the Pioneer League Tournament.

The Vikings beat Wellsville, 16-1, and Anderson County, 6-1, on its home field. The tourney continues today.

Central Heights pounded 15 hits against Wellsville. Adam Horstick went 3-for-3 with six RBIs. Jordan Welch had four hits, two RBIs and three stolen bases. Skye Mills had twho hits and three RBIs. Aaron Schaefer also had two hits and three RBIs.

Welch tossed a two-hitter with seven strikeouts.

Horstick continued his hot hitting against the Bulldogs with two hits and four RBIs. Schaefer also had four hits.

Tyler Burkdoll had 12 strikeouts and tossed a one-hitter.

Senior scramble winners announced

The foursome of Elton Murrow, Rick Crawford, Karon Crosby and C.W. Brazeal shot a minus-4 Monday to win the senior scramble at Hickory Hollow.

Crosby (No. 3) and Les Michael (No. 7) were closest to the pin winners.

Eight Belles trainer defends jockey

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The trainer of euthanized filly Eight Belles adamantly defended the way jockey Gabriel Saez handled the Kentucky Derby runner-up.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Larry Jones said Saez applied the whip only to prevent Eight Belles from crashing into the rail during the race on Saturday.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for Saez to be suspended, contending he should have noticed an injury and pulled the horse up rather than applied the whip.

PETA also announced plans to protest the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority on Tuesday, arguing for major changes, including a ban on using the whip or racing horses younger than 3.