California to face Japan for LLWS title
Little League World Series: Nick Mora allowed just two hits and smacked a three-run homer for Chula Vista, Calif., which routed Westport, Conn., 12-1 on Saturday in the U.S. title game and advanced to the championship of the Little League World Series at South Williamsport, Pa.
Southern California, the West Region champion, will play Japan for the World Series title today. Japan beat Mexico 3-2 earlier on Takuma Gomi’s leadoff home run in the top of the sixth inning.
Southern California took a 6-1 lead in the first two innings, scoring three times in the first with the help of three Connecticut errors and getting three more on Mora’s home run.
• Japan beats Mexico: Takuma Gomi led off the top of the sixth inning with a tiebreaking home run, and Tokyo, Japan, beat Tijuana, Mexico, 3-2 to win the international title at the LLWS.
Traditional power Japan is in contention again to make that victory lap around Lamade Stadium. A year ago an all-star team from Tokyo won Japan’s eighth LLWS title and second in three seasons. Japan has appeared in the LLWS finals five of the previous seven years.
Woodland, Kuchar tied at The Barclays
Golf: Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar exchanged birdies and bad breaks and wound up tied for the lead at The Barclays in Jersey City, N.J.
Kuchar, who completed five holes of his second round Saturday morning for a 6-under 65 and a two-shot lead, was tied with Woodland on the reachable par-4 16th when his putt ran into a sprinkler and stopped, costing him a reasonable chance at birdie.
They were at 12-under 201, one shot ahead of Kevin Chappell.
Tiger Woods closed with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 69 that left him very much in the picture at 8-under 205.
• Riegger leads Boeing Classic: John Riegger shot an 8-under 64 to open a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic at Snowqualmie, Wash.
The 50-year-old Riegger, making his fifth career start on the 50-and-over tour, had an eagle for the second straight day and added seven birdies and a bogey to finish at 11 under at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge.
Tom Lehman, Bernhard Langer, former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett and Bobby Clampett were tied for second. Lehman had a 67, Langer and Triplett shot 68, and Clampett had a 69.
• Hedwall takes lead: Solheim Cup star Caroline Hedwall shot a 6-under 64 in the Canadian Women’s Open to take a one-stroke lead over European teammate Suzann Pettersen and defending champion Lydia Ko in Edmonton, Alberta.
Hedwall, winless on the LPGA Tour, was a record 5-0 last week in Colorado in Europe’s blowout victory over the United States. The Swede had a 10-under 200 total at Royal Mayfair.
Verona beats AC Milan in Serie A return
Soccer: Luca Toni scored twice and Hellas Verona beat visiting AC Milan 2-1 to celebrate its return to Serie A after an 11-year absence as the Italian league opened with a major upset at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi, Italy.
Two-time champion Juventus avoided a similar surprise as it kicked off its bid for a third straight title with a 1-0 win over Sampdoria after striker Carlos Tevez scored in the 58th minute.
• Bayern stays the course: Defending champion Bayern Munich ground out a hard-fought 2-0 home win over Nuremberg to maintain its winning start to the Bundesliga.
Franck Ribery met Philipp Lahm’s cross with a fine header to break the deadlock in the 69th, and Arjen Robben sealed the result when he eluded three defenders and scored through the goalkeeper’s legs in the 78th.
• Liverpool tops Aston Villa: Liverpool maintained its perfect start to the Premier League season as Daniel Sturridge scored a superb goal to give the Reds a 1-0 win at Aston Villa and Arsenal brushed off talk of crisis with a 3-1 win at London rivals Fulham.
Sturridge showed his technical finesse in the 21st minute after Philippe Coutinho let Jose Enrique’s low cross run past him to the England striker, who skipped around two Villa defenders and goalkeeper Brad Guzan before poking the ball into the roof of the net with the outside of his left foot.
Melzer wins after Monfils retires
Tennis: Austria’s Jurgen Melzer won the Winston-Salem Open title in Winston-Salem, N.C., after Frenchman Gael Monfils retired because of an injury early in the second set.
Melzer earned his fifth career ATP tournament title and first this season. His ranking will improve five spots to No. 27 on Monday, when the U.S. Open begins at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
• Halep upsets Kvitova: Simona Halep dominated defending champion Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-2 at the New Haven (Conn.) Open to win the final WTA tuneup for next week’s U.S. Open.
The 21-year-old Romanian earned her fourth career win, but her first in a premier tournament. All have come since June. The 23rd-ranked player improved to 29-5 in her last 34 matches (31-5 counting qualifying matches).
Van Garderen keeps USA Pro lead
Cycling: Slovakia’s Peter Sagan recovered from intestinal problems to race to his third stage victory in the USA Pro Challenge, and American Tejay van Garderen kept the overall lead with one day left in the seven-stage event at Fort Collins, Colo.
Sagan, riding for Cannondale, completed the 115.2-mile leg from Loveland to Fort Collins in 4 hours, 1 minute, 33 seconds.
• Astana wins opening team trial: Vincenzo Nibali’s Astana team won the opening team time trial in the Spanish Vuelta, giving the Giro d’Italia winner a good start in his bid for a grand tour double at Vilanova de Arousa, Spain.
Astana completed the 17-mile ride from Vilanova de Arousa to Sanxenxo along Spain’s northwestern coast in 29 minutes, 59 seconds.
RadioShack-Leopard was second, 10 seconds off Astana’s pace.
Villopoto wins again in motocross finale
Miscellany: Ryan Villopoto finished off his Lucas Oil Pro Motocross championship season with another victory, sweeping the 450 Class motos in the Lake Elsinore (Calif.) National.
Villopoto, the Monster Energy Kawasaki star from Poulsbo, Wash., had eight victories in 12 rounds this year and won 18 of 24 motos en route to his second season title in three years.
• Jockey Maysonett hurt: Jockey Francisco Maysonett sustained a possible mild concussion when his mount unseated him during the fifth race at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.
Maysonett was aboard Our Corn, who was between horses nearing the far turn, when his mount clipped heels and unseated him.