LITTLE ROCK — BASEBALL Ex-Yankee acquitted
A jury in Florida has acquitted former major league baseball player Jim Leyritz of DUI manslaughterin a 2007 crash that killed a mother of two. However, jurors Saturday did convict Leyritz of driving under the influence, a misdemeanor. Leyritz had faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The misdemeanor convictioncarries a maximum six-month sentence. Testimony was inconclusive on whether Leyritz ran a red light Dec. 28, 2007, when he collided with a vehicle driven by 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch, who died. Defense experts testified that Leyritz may have been below Florida’s 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level when the crash occurred, even though it was 0.14 percent three hours later. Leyritz played 11 major league seasons, hitting a memorable World Series home run for the New York Yankees in 1996.
BASKETBALL
Nash to remain sidelined
Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash missed his second consecutive game Saturday with a strained groin. After Nash didn’t participate in Saturday’s shoot-around, Coach Alvin Gentry ruled out Nash against the Charlotte Bobcats. He said he probably wouldn’t play Monday atHouston, either. Nash played through the injury in Wednesday’s loss to Miami, then sat out a night later against Orlando. The Magic cruised to a victory, leaving Phoenix 9-18 since the 2004-05 season when Nash doesn’t play. Nash is averaging a team-best 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game.
HOCKEY Brodeur could miss 2 weeks
New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur is sidelined with a bruised right elbow. The Devils announced Saturday that a magnetic resonance imaging on Brodeur’s elbow was negative, but he was going to be out up to two weeks. Brodeur originally hurt the elbow in a recent game in Chicago and aggravated the injury in the second period of Thursday night’s 3-1 loss in Toronto.
GOLF
Poulter takes 2-stroke lead
Ian Poulter shot a 6-under-par 64 Saturday for a two-stroke lead through three rounds at the HongKong Open. The Englishman followed up his second-round 60 by sinking birdies on the final two holes, pulling clear of U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell (63). Simon Dyson of England shot a 65 to trail by three strokes. Poulter holed out from 20 feet for a birdie on 18 to a huge cheer from the crowd. McDowell shot the best round of the day. The Northern Irishman had an eagle on the 10th, driving the green on a hole that was shortened to 287 yards before making a long putt. That began a back nine that brought consecutive birdies at 13th, 14th and 15th. Rory McIlroy (66)- runner-up in 2008 and 2009 - is four shots behind the leader along with Anthony Kang (67).
John Mallinger, no longer fullyexempt on the PGA Tour after finishing 133rd on the money list this year, shot a 2-under-par 70 at Del Monte on Saturday to maintain a one-stroke lead in the Pebble Beach (Calif.) Invitational. Mallinger had an 11-under 205 total in the Callaway-sponsored event that features 76 male and female players. Russ Cochran, a twotime Champions Tour winner, was second after a 70 at Spyglass Hill. Annika Sorenstam, competing for one of the few times since her 2008 retirement, was seven strokes back after a 71 at Pebble Beach, the site of the final round.
HORSE RACING
Gourmet Dinner a winner
Gourmet Dinner, a 20-1 long shot, raced past the field down the stretch to win the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot on Saturday and move closer to a trip to next year’s Kentucky Derby. Ridden by Sebastian Madrid, Gourmet Dinner broke from the rail, stayed back until the halfway mark of the 1 1/16-mile graded race for 2-year-olds and sprinted to victory. His winning time was 1:45.23.With a $600,000 winning payout and the Derby entries decided by purse money in graded races, the winner of the Delta Downs Jackpot is almost assured of a spot in the May race.
BOXING
Martinez delivers knockout
Sergio Martinez landed a devastating left hook early in the second round Saturday night, knocking out feared puncher Paul Williams and retaining his middleweight title at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Williams was looking to land his own hook and instead walked right into the punch, which landed flush on the chin and sent the challenger face-down onto the canvas. Martinez immediately ran across the ring to celebrate while doctors rushed into the ring to tend to Williams.
SOCCER Morgan’s goal lifts U.S. over Italy
PADUA, Italy - Alex Morgan is the new clutch scorer for the U.S. women’s soccer team.
Morgan came off the bench and scored in the fourth minute of added time to give the United States a 1-0 victory over Italy on Saturday in the first leg of a playoff to determine the final spot for the Women’s World Cup.
At 21, the youngest member of the U.S. team, Morgan showed good nerves by finishing off a counterattack with a precise, angled shot from the edge of the box.
“We’ve seen her come in and change games before and the only thing I told her was ‘Just go to goal,’ ” said U.S. Coach Pia Sundhage, who sent in Morgan at the 85th minute. “You don’t have to be tricky, you don’t have to be smart, just go to goal, because you’re faster than everybody else.”’
The Americans were forced into the playoff when they were upset 2-1 by Mexico in the semifinals of their qualifying region. The U.S. and Italy will play again next Saturday near Chicago in Bridgeview, Ill.
The top-ranked Americans need to beat the 11th-ranked Italians in the two-match total-goals series to gain the final berth in the 16-team World Cup, which begins June 26 in Germany. The United States won the 1991 and 1999 World Cups.
This was Morgan’s fourth goal in eight appearances for the senior national squad.
“We were pushing up and looking for a goal and that’s what we did,” Morgan said. “Me and Abby [Wambach] stayed up, she got a great long ball, flicked it on and I was there to finish it.”
Sports, Pages 26 on 11/21/2010