BASEBALL
Girl tosses 2-hitter
Pitcher Mo'Ne Davis, one of two girls at the Little League World Series, threw a two-hitter to help Philadelphia beat Nashville 4-0 on Friday in the opener for both teams in South Williamsport, Pa. The first girl to appear for a U.S. team since 2004, Davis received rousing cheers during pregame introductions, every time she stepped to the plate and after she struck out the final batter. Davis had eight strikeouts and didn't walk a batter. She retired the first six batters and needed only 70 pitches to complete the game. Philadelphia shortstop Jared Sprague-Lott hit a three-run home run in the first inning, and outfielder Carter Davis had an RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth. Canada's Emma March did not fare as well as Davis. Batting cleanup ahead of her brother -- Evan -- and playing first base, she went hitless Friday in Canada's 4-3 loss to Mexico. But March created some excitement when she stepped into the batter's box for the Vancouver, British Columbia, team. She drove a long fly ball to right field in the fourth inning that the crowd thought might be a home run. However, the hit sailed foul into the stands. Then in the top of the fifth, March stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and Canada down by two runs. After working the count to 2-2, she struck out looking on a pitch that caught the outside corner. Mexico's Luis Rodriguez hit a two-run shot to right field in the top of the third inning. The third baseman went 3 for 3, adding a single and a double. Juan Garza added a double in the fourth inning, bringing in Miguel De La Guente for a three-run advantage. He held the Canadians in check with nine strikeouts, allowing two hits in four innings. Takuma Takahashi threw a one-hitter and struck out 14 in Japan's 1-0 victory over Venezuela. Takahashi threw 73 pitches in six innings in the opener for the Tokyo team. Japan scored in the top of the third inning on Suguru Kanamori's single after Taro Hashiguchi reached third on second baseman Greybell Salom's throwing error. Jorge Cabrera pitched a complete game for the Venezuelan team. Matthew Adams struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings to help Pearland, Texas, to a 6-4 victory over Cumberland, R.I. Landon Donley earned a save in the opener for both teams, allowing a run on a fielder’s choice before getting Addison Kopack to fly out to deep right center.
TENNIS
Serena advances
Serena Williams advanced to the semifinals of a tournament she has never won. Williams needed only 58 minutes to beat Jelena Jankovic 6-1, 6-3 on Friday in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, a dominating performance that left her feeling good about her chances the rest of the way. One caveat: She's felt this way before and lost. She advanced a day after Novak Djokovic was upset in straight sets by Tommy Robredo, ending his quest for the only Masters title that has eluded him. Djokovic wanted to win the title this week and become the first player to take all nine Masters events. Instead, it's Williams who has the chance to go for an elusive title. She lost in the final last year to Victoria Azarenka, dropping a third-set tiebreaker. She has reached the semifinals only one other time (2006). Williams will face Caroline Wozniacki, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 7-6 (5) to reach the semifinals in Cincinnati for the first time in seven tries. In the men's bracket, Julien Benneteau upset Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. The third-seeded Wawrinka needed only 20 minutes to win the first set, then unraveled with unforced errors. He had 18 in the third set alone, while Benneteau had five. Benneteau reached the semifinals in Cincinnati for the first time by taking advantage of Wawrinka's erratic serve. Sixth-seeded David Ferrer knocked off Robredo 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, reaching the semifinals for the first time in 11 appearances in Cincinnati. Fifth-seeded Milos Raonic beat 15th-seeded Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-0 in 57 minutes.
• Israel's Davis Cup matchup against Argentina next month has been moved to Sunrise, Fla., because of the conflict in Gaza. The International Tennis Federation said Friday the neutral venue was proposed by the Israel Tennis Association. The World Group playoff from Sept. 12-14 will be on an outdoor hard-court at the Sunrise Tennis Club. The ITF ruled last week that the match, originally scheduled for Tel Aviv, could not be played in Israel because of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The ITF board rejected Israel's appeal on Tuesday. The ITF gave Israel until Thursday to nominate a neutral venue.
BASKETBALL
U.S.: No Africa trip
The U.S. national basketball team won't be making its first trip to Africa as planned later this month. The visit to Senegal scheduled for Aug. 27 has been canceled because of the Ebola outbreak that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people in West Africa during the last six months. Senegal has no suspected cases of the virus but its location near countries that have been afflicted left the team with no choice, said USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo, who added that the organization conferred with officials from the World Health Organization and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. team -- which features such stars as Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry, James Harden and Rudy Gay -- had planned to conduct a joint clinic with the Senegal national team as well as tour Goree Island and attend a reception with the country's government. Instead, the team will remain in Spain ahead of the World Cup of Basketball, which begins Aug. 30 in that country. "We feel really badly about it, disappointed about it because I think our whole group -- players, coaches, staff -- were thinking it was going to be a terrific experience top to bottom," said Colangelo, who added that the U.S. team will explore future opportunities to visit Africa. The U.S. will face Brazil in an exhibition game at the United Center in Chicago today.
MOTOR SPORTS
Gordon sets record
Jeff Gordon set a track qualifying record Friday in winning the pole position for Sunday's NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. Gordon turned a lap of 206.558 mph in his No. 24 Chevrolet, breaking the qualifying record at the two-mile oval set in June by Kevin Harvick, when he ran 204.557 mph. Joey Logano qualified second in a Ford at 206.381 mph, Carl Edwards was third in another Ford at 206.115 mph and Brian Vickers will start fourth in a Toyota at 205.685 mph. NASCAR this year implemented a knockout style of qualifying, with the 24 fastest cars in the first round advancing to the second round, and the fastest 12 drivers in the second round reaching the five-minute final round that determined the pole winner. Two of the pre-race favorites, teammates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Hendrick Motorsports, failed to get past the first round. Johnson, who won the spring race at Michigan in June, qualified 30th. Earnhardt, a winner at Michigan in 2008 and 2012, qualified 25th. Jeff Burton, who is filling in for Tony Stewart this weekend in Stewart's No. 14 Chevrolet, qualified 27th.
HORSE RACING
Hideaway wins Morrissey
Weekend Hideway held off Big Business by 2 lengths Friday in the $100,000 John Morrissey at Saratoga Race Course. Ridden by Jose Lezcano, the 4-year-old son of champion sprinter Speightstown ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.83 and paid $15.40, $7 and $4.60 as the 6-1 fourth choice in the field of eight New York-breds. Favored at 5-2, Big Business returned $4 and $3.30. West Hills Giant paid $6.80 to show. Trained by Phil Serpe for owner Red and Black Stable, Weekend Hideaway has three victories in four career starts at Saratoga. He won twice at the track as a 2-year-old.
Sports on 08/16/2014