With all the bad news these days about the few cheaters and jerks who give sports a bad name, little wonder that a story about a spontaneous and unselfish display of sportsmanship would sweep through the nation's media.

The setting was a fastpitch game pitting Western Oregon University against Central Washington University on April 26 in a game important to CWU's playoff hopes in NCAA Division II.

The improbable cast of characters included:

* Western Oregon senior right fielder Sara Tucholsky, who would hit a three-run homer -- her first as a collegiate player -- that would be a deciding factor in a game important to both teams.

* Central Washington University's Mallory Holtman, senior first baseman from White Salmon, and CWU's all-time home-run leader. She would be instrumental in helping Tucholsky put that round-tripper into the record books.

Tucholsky, in her excitement, missed first base, turned to go back and collapsed when her knee gave way. She crawled back to the bag; no teammate or coach could help or she would be out. If a pinch runner replaced her, what would be left was a two-run single. Her lone
career home run would be no more.

Enter Holtman, as Western coaches and the umpires were sorting things out: "Excuse me," she asked. "Would it be OK if we carried her around and she touched each bag?"

Nothing in the rule book said an opponent couldn't help out. Given the go-ahead, Holtman was joined by Liz Wallace, a junior shortstop from Florence, Mont. They linked arms and carried Tucholsky around the bases, pausing to allow her to touch each with her good leg

Players on both teams watched and applauded the selfless act of sportsmanship, which brought tears to the eyes of many others who witnessed it. (See the video at www.cwu.edu.)

The record books will show that CWU lost that game, 4-2, which ended the Wildcats' chances of winning the conference and advancing to the playoffs.

What the books won't show is that something much more valuable than a win or playoff spot came out of this game. In a most unusual, three-person home run trot, we were shown what good sportsmanship is -- or should be -- all about.

"I think the moral of the story is just that winning isn't everything, and that you shouldn't put yourself first," Holtman said later as she wondered what all the fuss was about. "It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain and she deserved a home run."

Such class and maturity from a 22-year-old college senior who credits her coach, Gary Frederick, with instilling character in his athletes. But a coach still has to have something to work with in that regard. This young woman leads by example.

Little wonder the story has made her something of a national celebrity. And the sports world sorely needs more of the kind of unselfishness that she and Wallace combined to personify.

In the final analysis, what Mallory Holtman has provided is a much-needed lesson about life itself.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.