In brief: Vanderbilt returns to College World Series finals
BASEBALL: Defending national champion Vanderbilt returned to the College World Series finals after Walker Buehler and John Kilichowski combined on a five-hitter and Rhett Wiseman homered in a 7-1 victory over TCU on Friday in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Commodores (50-19) move to the best-of-three finals starting Monday against the winner of today’s game between 2014 runner-up Virginia and Florida.
Buehler (5-2), making his first start since June 1, allowed four hits and a run and struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings. Kilichowski allowed one hit the rest of the way.
TCU starter Tyler Alexander (6-3) was touched for three runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings for the Horned Frogs (51-15).
• Florida forces bracket finale with Virginia: The Florida Gators scored four runs in the third inning and five in the sixth on their way to a 10-5 win over the Cavaliers, forcing a deciding game to determine who will advance to the College World Series finals
Richie Martin doubled twice and reached four times as the Gators scored in double digits for the fifth time in six games. They are the first team since South Carolina in 2002 to score 10 or more runs in three CWS games.
The Gators (52-17) and Cavaliers (41-23) will play again today, with the winner going to the best-of-three finals starting Monday against defending champion Vanderbilt.
Virginia, which lost for the first time in eight NCAA Tournament games, is trying to make the finals for the second straight year.
Florida ruined the return of Virginia ace Nathan Kirby, who had been sidelined for nine weeks because of a strained back muscle.
The Gators also avenged a 1-0 loss to Virginia on Monday. In that game, Brandon Waddell and Josh Sborz combined on a two-hitter.
Gators starter Logan Shore (11-6) won for the second time at the CWS.
He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and eight hits.
Bobby Poyner limited the Gators to two hits and an unearned run over the last 2 2/3 innings.
Karlovic hits ATP record 45 aces
TENNIS: Ivo Karlovic served an ATP record 45 aces in beating third-seeded Tomas Berdych, while Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori also progressed to the Gerry Weber Open semifinals at Halle, Germany.
Karlovic defeated Berdych 7-5, 6-7 (8), 6-3, finishing it off with an ace on match point as the big-serving Croat eclipsed the previous ATP record of 44 for a best-of-three-sets match, which he shared with Mark Philippoussis.
The men’s record in any singles is 113 aces, by John Isner in his marathon Wimbledon win in 2010 over Nicolas Mahut, who hit 103.
Karlovic will next play the top-seeded Federer, who won 6-0, 7-6 (1) against Germany’s Florian Mayer as he moved closer to a record eighth title.
The second-seeded Nishikori beat Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in 2 1/2 hours and next meets No. 4 Gael Monfils or Italy’s Andreas Seppi.
• Murray rallies to beat Muller: Top-seeded Andy Murray stayed on course for a fourth title at Queen’s Club by overcoming Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 to reach the semifinals at London.
Like in previous matches this week, Murray struggled early. Muller broke to lead 3-1, and Murray failed to convert two break points in the next game. The second set then went with serve until Murray finally raised his game and was able to dominate the tiebreaker.
He then broke early in the third, which was enough to decide the match.
Murray next faces Serbia’s Viktor Troicki, who defeated John Isner 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Host Iran defeats U.S. men in volleyball
MISCELLANY: Iran defeated the United States 3-0 in a men’s volleyball game in Tehran attended by 12,000 people and broadcast live on state TV.
Iran won the first set 25-19, the second 29-27 and the third 25-20 in the FIVB world league series at Azadi Stadium in the Iranian capital. The two teams will meet again on Sunday.
• Coughlin sets American record: Olympic gold-medal swimmer Natalie Coughlin set an American and U.S. Open record in winning the 50-meter backstroke at the Arena Pro Series at Santa Clara, Calif.
Olympic champions Missy Franklin and Michael Phelps also competed at the meet, with both finishing third in their events. Franklin was third in the 50 back and 200 freestyle and Phelps was third in the 200 free.
• Jones wins NASCAR Trucks race: Erik Jones won the NASCAR Trucks race in Newton, Iowa, for his first victory of the season.
The 19-year-old Jones turned his fifth pole in 26 Trucks Series starts into the fifth win of his career. He led 112 of 200 laps.
Jones had finished third or better four times for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2015. But the No. 4 truck’s ability to consistently beat the field on restarts allowed Jones to secure the win.
Brandon Jones was second, followed by Tyler Reddick and points leader Matt Crafton.
• Team Alvimedica first to pit stop: Team Alvimedica’s decision to hug the French coastline on the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race has paid off, with the Turkish-American crew entering port in The Hague first for the final pit stop of the round-the-world race.
Alvimedica reached the harbor nearly two hours ahead of Dongfeng Race Team. Overall race leader Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing finished the run from Lorient in France to The Hague in fifth place.