CLOVIS -- Even for Blake Haney, winning the three longest races at the Central Section Track and Field Masters Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium sounded difficult.

Turns out he had no idea.

Manchester, N.H. — The stories of professional baseball players are told time and time again through a combination of fact and folklore. From the Babe "calling his shot," to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, we have seen the stories of baseball's greatest acts held in nearly divine regard. But as these stories are told there is consistently the story that isn't told or heard from but has been a very integral part of the game: the umpires.

Most fans see the players with great detail. Every child mimics their favorite hitters home-run swing and grandfather's describe the disappearing pitches of their favorite pitcher but how many people describe their favorite "strike call?" Or the time that an umpire had the greatest positioning to make an "out" call at third base? It just doesn't exist.

County planners studying an oil-by-rail terminal proposed along Rosedale Highway have determined the project could threaten public safety in the event of a train-related spill but that they lack the regulatory authority to fully address them.

In a draft environmental review released Thursday, the Kern County Planning and Community Development Department spelled out various concerns -- including possible impacts on air and water quality and biological resources -- regarding Alon USA Energy Inc.'s plans to build a facility that would offload mile-long oil trains, two per day, at its refinery on Rosedale.

VISALIA -- Everything was according to script for Golden Valley's baseball team Saturday except for one problem: Evan Sagariballa wasn't playing along.

Kerman shut out the Bulldogs 3-0 in the Central Section Division IV championship at Rawhide Ballpark, inducing a bases-loaded double play to end the game.

If the Condors are going to advance to the ECHL Kelly Cup Finals, they will have to do so in Anchorage, Alaska.

Whether they will be up a game or down a game in the ECHL Western Conference Finals will be determined tonight in Game 5 at Rabobank Arena.

Pitcher Min-Sih Chen allowed only two hits in six innings of work as the High Desert Mavericks beat the Blaze 8-1 Saturday at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Chen (2-2) allowed one earned run. He struck out one and walked two.

MESA, Ariz. -- Hayden Carter did his best to keep Cal State Bakersfield in Saturday's elimination game, but the offense never came to the rescue.

The junior from San Diego pitched a complete game -- his second in three starts -- and held Sacramento State, the tournament's top seed, to six hits and three runs. It wasn't enough to keep the Roadrunners from being eliminated by the Hornets, who won 3-1 Saturday.

MESA, Ariz. -- Hayden Carter did his best to keep Cal State Bakersfield in Saturday's elimination game, but the offense never came to the rescue.

The junior from San Diego pitched a complete game -- his second in three starts -- and held Sacramento State, the tournament's top seed, to six hits and three runs. It wasn't enough to keep the Roadrunners from being eliminated by the Hornets, who won 3-1 Saturday.

Services scheduled

George John Hupp, 86, Wofford Heights, May 23. Memorial service 11 a.m. May 27, Elks Lodge - Wofford Heights. Sierra Valley Mortuary.

The Condors proved that no lead is ever safe against the Alaska Aces, but they had just enough of one on Friday night to come away with a wild 5-4 win before 6,411 at Rabobank Arena.

The victory gave them a 2-1 series lead in the ECHL Western Conference Finals with Game 4 at 7 tonight.

Utah Valley's offense struck Cal State Bakersfield quickly and mercilessly as a four-run rally in the first buried the Roadrunners early in their 5-2 loss on Friday night at the Western Athletic Conference tournament in Mesa, Ariz.

Roadrunners pitcher James Barragan (5-6) went seven innings, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Barragan allowed four runs in the first inning, then another in the fifth.

Caitlyn Emberson held the Central Section Division IV champion plaque high over her head while she and the rest of the Taft High softball team sang along to Queen's "We are the Champions."

The Wildcats celebrated their second straight section title on Friday, beating visiting Liberty-Madera Ranchos 6-0 in rematch of last year's D-IV championship game.

Seth Mejias-Brean hit two home runs, and the Bakersfield Blaze offense was dominant from the start Friday in a 12-8 victory over the Lancaster JetHawks at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Bakersfield scored five first-inning runs and never looked back.

If there was any doubt as to how Centennial's softball game was going to approach its Central Section Division I softball final against Clovis-Buchanan on Friday, it disappeared with one mighty swing of Madison Aurin's bat.

Aurin crushed a long home run to left field to start the scoring, and host Centennial beat Buchanan 10-0 in a championship ended after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Services scheduled

Robert Lee Atchison, 64, Bakersfield, May 21. Visitation 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 28, Basham Funeral Care; service 2 p.m. May 28, Bakersfield National Cemetery. Bakersfield Funeral Home.

He was pretty effective during the regular season, but Condors forward Jordan Knackstedt has been at his best during the playoffs.

Specifically, the ECHL Western Conference semifinals and finals.

MESA, Ariz. -- Cal State Bakersfield's Taylor Aikenhead pitched a complete game and faced only six batters over the minimum Thursday, helping the Roadrunners to a 4-1 victory against top-seeded Sacramento State in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament at Cubs Park.

Aikenhead (8-7) allowed seven hits, struck out two and walked one. He threw 107 pitches on the way to his seventh complete game.

An overflow crowd spilled out of a room in Mira Monte's administrative offices on Thursday afternoon, but there was more than that.

Palpable joy and pride were in that room, too, because Braxton Huggins -- who had just become Mira Monte's first Division I-bound athlete -- was celebrating his signing to play basketball for New Mexico State.

David Vidal had two of Bakersfield's 13 hits, including a three-run homer, to help the Blaze to an 8-2 victory Thursday over the Lancaster JetHawks at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Winning pitcher Mike Dennhardt (3-2) allowed five hits and two earned runs in five innings. He struck out two. Beau Amaral had two hits and two runs, and Marquez Smith had two hits and two RBIs for the Blaze, which also had two hits apiece from Kyle Waldrop, Seth Mejias-Brean and Juan Perez.

Zach Ewing, The Californian's prep editor for the past five years, has been named sports editor, the company announced Thursday. Longtime hockey and motorsports writer Mike Griffith was named assistant sports editor.

Ewing, a native of Omaha, Neb., grew up in Albuquerque, N.M., and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He covered Missouri football and baseball for the Columbia Missourian as an undergraduate.