The North Platte Lady Knights swept away the Southeast Storm at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium last night, winning in three sets 25-11, 25-19, 25-17. North Platte scored fifteen of the last sixteen points in the opening set and never relented from there. Whitney Smith led a balanced attack for the Lady Knights with nine kills in the match. The Lady Knights are now 13-14 on the season. They play at the Jimmy Johns Invite in Columbus this weekend.

The Colorado Rockies have scheduled their first interview for their vacant managerial position. Bench coach Tom Runnells will formally interview for the job this afternoon. Runnells had been the bench coach under former manager Jim Tracy for the last three seasons, and has been in the Rockies organization in some capacity for the last nine years. A native of Greeley, Colorado, Runnells’ previous major league managing experience came when he piloted the Montreal Expos in the 1991 and 1992 seasons, compiling a 68-81 record. Another in-house candidate, Triple-A manager Stu Cole, is also expected to meet with Rockies brass about the job this week. One other in-house possibility is a current player. Jason Giambi, who has played for the Rockies the last four years, has said he would retire if he were considered for the job.

11 teammates testified in case against Armstrong 

Former NFL and TV/movie star dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alex Karras has died.

The former defensive tackle of the Detroit Lions, who had a successful movie and TV career after retiring from the NFL, passed away at the age of 77.

Karras played all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Lions and was an All-Pro four times.

His reputation grew as the result of author George Plimpton’s book, Paper Lion, about his attempt to try out for the team. When the book was turned into a movie, Karras played himself. He later appeared in the Mel Brooks comedy,”Blazing Saddles”, as Mongo. One of his most memorable scenes was when he punched a horse in the mouth, knocking it down.

Karras also had success on television, both in the broadcast booth for Monday Night Football and as an actor. He starred in the sitcom, “Webster.”

His attorney, Craig Mitnick, says Karras died at his home with his family. He had been suffering from dementia and was a leader in the lawsuit filed against the NFL regarding the league’s treatment of head injuries.

Busy day of play

UNDATED (AP) — All eight teams vying for advancement in the playoffs are in action today. There are two day games and two this evening.

First up, in Washington, D.C., the National League East champion Nationals are enjoying their first-ever home playoff game. The Nats and Cardinals are tied at 1-1 after splitting the opening games of the best of five series in St. Louis. The pitching matchup has Chris Carpenter going for the Cards against Edwin Jackson. Carpenter, who missed most of the season because of surgery, joined the club on Sept. 21 and turned in three starts. He was 4-0 in the playoffs last year with the Cards when they won the World Series. Jackson is the only member of the Nationals pitching staff who has prior playoff experience. He was roughed up by St. Louis for nine runs in 1 1/3 innings of work on Sept. 28.

Game 4 in the series will take place tomorrow in Washington.

The other day game is in Cincinnati as the Reds are facing the Giants in game 3 of their series. Cincy won the opening two games of the series in San Francisco before dropping a 2-1 decision last night at home to the Giants. Barry Zito gets the ball for San Francisco. The Giants have won eight of the last 11 games started by the left-hander. In six career starts against the Reds Zito is 0-2 with a 6.10 earned run average. The Reds have not yet named their game 4 starter starter.

The fifth game will be played tomorrow in Cincinnati.

The first of the evening games has Baltimore playing in New York. The Yankees took the first game of the best of five affair while the Orioles came back to win the second. This evening’s pitching matchup has Miguel Gonzalez going for the Birds against Hiroki Kuroda for the Yankees. Gonzalez has pitched well on the road and is 2-0 against the Yankees with a 2.63 ERA in two career starts in the Bronx. This is Kuroda’s third post season appearance as he went to the NLCS with the Dodgers in 2008 and 2009.

Game four is tomorrow in Yankee Stadium.

The final game of the night will feature the Athletics at home to the Tigers. Oakland kept its playoff hopes alive with a 2-0 win last night on the home turf. The win came after the Tigers won the first two games of the series in Detroit. On the mound for the Tigers is right-hander Max Scherzer, who is pitching on six days rest. He’ll be facing 24-year old rookie A.J. Griffin, who joined the A’s in June from the minor leagues. He was drafted in the 13th round of the draft two years ago from the University of San Diego. This is his first post season appearance.

Should the A’s win tonight’s game, the fifth and final game will be played Thursday in Oakland.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore at N-Y Yankees 6:37 p.m.
Detroit at Oakland 8:37 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis at Washington 12:07 p.m.
San Francisco at Cincinnati 3:07 p.m.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Toronto at Detroit 6:30 p.m.
Indiana at Minnesota 7:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Houston 7:00 p.m.
Atlanta at San Antonio 7:30 p.m.
Phoenix at Sacramento 9:00 p.m.
Portland at L-A Lakers 9:00 p.m.

Athletics and Giants stay alive

UNDATED (AP) — The Oakland Athletics, after losing the first two games on the road, used the time-honored formula of good pitching, timely hitting and great defense in blanking Detroit 2-0 to cut the Tigers’ lead to 2-1 in that AL Division Series.

Athletics left-hander Brett Anderson and three relievers combined on a four-hitter. Grant Balfour, who had 24 saves in the regular season, allowed a one-out single to Miguel Cabrera. But Balfour induced Prince Fielder to hit into a game-ending double play

Yoenis Cespedes drove in a run in the first inning with a single. Seth Smith added a homer for some insurance in the sixth.

Oakland turned in a couple of eye-popping defensive plays as well. Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp robbed Fielder of a homer in the second inning with a one-handed grab over the wall. In the seventh inning, Cespedes made a diving catch in left field to rob Fielder of a hit.

Game 3 in the series is this evening in Oakland.

The San Francisco Giants also live for another day. Reds third baseman Scott Rolen, an eight-time Gold Glove award winner for his slick defensive play, booted a grounder in the 10th inning that allowed the winning run to score in the Giants’ 2-1 victory over the Reds. Cincinnati holds a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five NL Division Series.

The Reds wasted a tremendous effort by starter Homer Bailey, who tossed a no-hitter two weeks ago. He didn’t allow a San Francisco hit until there were two out in the sixth inning. That’s when Marco Scutaro (SKOO’-tah-roh) delivered a clean single. The Giants won despite striking out 16 times.

Game 4 is this afternoon at Great American Ball Park. The Giants send out 15-game winner Barry Zito (ZEE-toh) to try and extend their season one more time. The Reds are unsure of their starter in the wake of Game 1 starter Johnny Cueto’s (KWAY’-tohz) strained oblique. Mike Leake and Mat Latos are possibilities.

Goodell upholds two, reduces two suspensions

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has handed down new discipline to four players in connection with the NFL’s bounty investigation of the Saints. There are no changes to the full-season suspension for New Orleans’ linebacker Jonathan Vilma or the four-game suspension for Saints defensive end Will Smith.

The suspension of free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove was reduced from eight to seven games, while Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita is now docked one game, down from three.

Only Smith and Fujita have played this season since an appeal panel created by the NFL’s labor agreement vacated the original suspensions on technical grounds and told Goodell he needed to clarify the basis of the punishment.

Vilma has been rehabilitating from offseason knee surgery.

The players also can delay the suspensions by appealing again.

Texans lose Cushing

UNDATED (AP) — Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing is out for the season with a torn ligament in his left knee suffered in Monday’s win over the Jets. Coach Gary Kubiak says Cushing has a torn anterior cruciate ligament and will need surgery in two to three weeks after the swelling goes down. Cushing’s injury leaves the unbeaten Texans without their top tackler and one of their emotional leaders. Kubiak says that Tim Dobbins is the top option to replace Cushing.

In other NFL doings:

— Missing five of 12 field goal attempts this season has cost Billy Cundiff his job as Washington Redskins kicker. He’s been replaced by free agent Kai Forbath, the 2009 Lou Groza winner who has yet to play in the NFL.

— Coach Rex Ryan says there is “no question” that Mark Sanchez is the New York Jets’ starting quarterback despite struggling at times during Monday’s 23-17 loss to undefeated Houston. Sanchez has completed less than 50 percent of his passes in four straight games and many fans and media have suggested that backup Tim Tebow should take over as the starter.

— The Cardinals have put running back Ryan Williams on season-ending injured reserve with a left shoulder injury. It’s another blow to an already struggling ground game. Arizona is already without Beanie Wells until at least Thanksgiving weekend because of a severe turf toe injury. The Cardinals rank 31st out of 32 NFL teams in yards rushing per game at 63.4.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Oakland 2 Detroit 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE
San Francisco 2 Cincinnati 1, 10 Innings

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Milwaukee 97 Cleveland 80
New Orleans 97 Charlotte 82
Chicago 92 Memphis 88

Tonight on ESPN Radio 1410, its North Platte Community College volleyball. The Lady Knights hope to complete a season series sweep of Southeast Community College in Region IX Division II play. North Platte topped the Storm in five sets in Beatrice back on September 20. ESPN Radio 1410’s coverage starts with the pregame show at 5:45, leading up to the first serve at 6 PM.

Nebraska’s next athletic director met the media yesterday and said he’s excited to begin working at “one of America’s best athletic programs”. Shawn Eichorst was formally introduced at a press conference by university chancellor Harvey Perlman. Eichorst, who had previously served for eighteen months as the AD at the University of Miami and has past experience in the Big Ten as the COO of Wisconsin’s athletic department, spoke of his responsibility to uphold what he called the core values of Nebraska athletics: “Integrity, Trust, Respect, Teamwork, and Loyalty.” He revealed that he was sought out for the position and did not apply, and that he first visited the campus last month as part of the interview process. Eichorst will officially take over as athletic director on January 1, working with outgoing AD Tom Osborne during a transitional period until then.