OKLAHOMA CITY — Freshman Krista Donnenwirth homered and had two RBI singles, and Katie Burkhart threw a two-hitter to lead Arizona State past Texas A&M 3-0 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series finals.
Burkhart (40-5) struck out 11 and yielded only two doubles, never allowing Texas A&M (57-9) to put a runner on third. The sixth-seeded Sun Devils (65-5) are one win away from their first national title. Game 2 will be played tonight.
Texas Tech’s Hays resigns.
Texas Tech’s Larry Hays, one of four Division I baseball coaches with more than 1,500 wins, resigned. Hays, 63, was 1,509-860 at Tech but was coming off just his second losing season (25-30) in 22 years. The only coaches with more career victories than Hays are Augie Garrido of Texas, Wichita State’s Gene Stephenson and Florida State’s Mike Martin.
• Former Niwot High School star Sean Ratliff hit two home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam, and Stanford overcame an early four-run deficit to beat Pepperdine 9-7 and win its regional.
In other games, Kyle Colligan hit two home runs to lead Texas A&M past Houston 13-5; Matt Olson went 5-for-6 with three RBIs in Georgia’s 18-6 win over Georgia Tech, and Gavin Hedstrom had three hits as Fresno State defeated San Diego 5-1.
Woods stepping up practice
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Tiger Woods has started playing some holes, taking another step in his comeback from knee surgery.
With the U.S. Open just a week away, Woods is not worried about how he and his left leg will fare.
“Hopefully, it will be close to a hundred percent,” Woods said. “But if it’s not, no big deal.”
The world’s No. 1 golfer had surgery on his left knee April 15 and plans to end his layoff June 12-15 at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
Woods said he will start playing 18-plus holes to prepare to compete, adding he would play next week even if it wasn’t a major.
• Jim Brown, the longest-tenured coach in Ohio State history, will step down a year from now after his 36th season as men’s golf coach.
Patching of Big Brown’s hoof on hold
ELMONT, N.Y. — Big Brown’s cracked left front hoof won’t be patched until Friday, the day before he races in the Belmont Stakes.
Hoof specialist Ian McKinlay planned to apply the acrylic and fiberglass patch Monday, but decided to wait a few days so the crack could heal naturally.
“This is just a slight, slight crack,” McKinlay said. “As the clock ticks, it’s gotten better and better.”
Footnotes.
The Major Indoor Soccer League has shut down after seven seasons and might restructure.
• U.S. defender Jonathan Spector will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip and will be sidelined three to six months, causing him to miss the Beijing Olympics.
• Italy soccer captain Fabio Cannavaro will miss the European Championship after tearing ligaments in his right ankle.
• Olympic gymnastics champion Boris Shaklin, the only athlete to win four gold medals at the Rome Olympics, died of cardiac arrest Friday in Kiev, Ukraine. He was 76.
The Associated Press
