U.S. downs Australia for softball title
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Softball: Lauren Lappin homered to start a three-run rally in the third inning, and the United States beat Australia 3-1 Monday night in the World Cup of Softball championship game in Oklahoma City.
Alissa Haber and Andrea Duran added RBI singles to push the lead to 3-0, and Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman combined to make it stand up for the Americans’ third straight World Cup title.
The U.S. (6-0) outscored opponents 51-4, reasserting its dominance after losing the gold medal game at last year’s Olympics.
Contador eyes Tour rivals, not Armstrong
Cycling: Alberto Contador used the Tour de France rest day to lay out his plan of attack to keep the yellow jersey he won by capturing the first stage in the Alps a day earlier.
Lance Armstrong, the seven-time champion who returned to the race after 3 1/2 years of retirement, is in second overall – 1 minute, 37 seconds behind his Astana teammate.
Contador said his top concern in the punishing final week is Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, a strong climber who is 2:26 behind in fifth place.
Today’s 99-mile stage from Martigny, Switzerland to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France, marks the second of three Alpine rides this year. It features the Grand-Saint-Bernard and Petit-Saint-Bernard passes, each about 14 miles.
Mayfield asks judge to uphold injunction
Auto Racing: Attorneys for Jeremy Mayfield said a federal judge correctly granted an injunction that lifted the driver’s indefinite suspension for failing a random drug test.
In a motion filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, N.C., Mayfield’s lawyers contended Judge Graham Mullen properly ruled when he granted a July 1 injunction. NASCAR has said he tested positive for methamphetamines, and Mayfield has denied ever using the illegal drug.
•Surtees pays tribute to son: Former Formula One champion John Surtees paid tribute to his teenage son, who died in a race crash over the weekend.
Henry Surtees was struck by a tire from another car, causing him to lose consciousness and drive into a barrier in an F2 race at Brands Hatch on Sunday. He was airlifted to a hospital in London, where he was pronounced dead.
Cotto-Pacquiao bout set for November
Boxing: Miguel Cotto is next on Manny Pacquiao’s hit list for what’s likely to be the biggest fight of the fall.
Pacquiao and Cotto will meet Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) has won titles in six weight divisions from 112 to 140 pounds, cementing the Filipino national hero’s status as the sport’s pound-for-pound champion.
•Police back off Gatti’s wife: Arturo Gatti’s wife will remain in a Brazilian jail pending a judicial decision despite the release of an autopsy report casting doubt on whether the former champion boxer was killed.
Police, meanwhile, are backing off strong statements that Gatti’s wife was unquestionably responsible for his death.
On Saturday, authorities released an initial autopsy report that said Gatti could have died in an unexplained accident, been murdered, or committed suicide. The report indicated Gatti died of asphyxiation after his body was “suspended and hanged.”
Sounders players named All-Stars
Soccer: Defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and forward Fredy Montero have been added to Major League Soccer’s All-Star team, giving the expansion Seattle Sounders FC four All-Stars.
MLS All-Star coach Dominic Kinnear of Houston announced Monday the additions of the two Colombians to a team that already included midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and goalkeeper Kasey Keller.
The MLS All-Stars will play Everton FC of the English Premier League on July 29 in Sandy, Utah.
•Player says he didn’t mean to kill fan: A Colombian soccer player who admitted killing a heckling fan this month said he was drunk during their confrontation and wanted to simply scare the man with a gun.
Javier Florez surrendered to authorities in the Colombian city of Barranquilla hours after the fatal shooting. He was charged July 13 with aggravated homicide and pleaded gulity to illegally carrying a firearm. He could face up to 50 years in prison, with his trial to start in the coming months.
Olgard stellar, but U.S. falls to Czechs
Miscellany: The U.S. Women’s Junior National Team lost in five sets to the Czech Republic at the FIVB Women’s Junior World Championships in Tijuana, Mexico.
Alexis Olgard (Mead) led the U.S. with 19 points on 14 kills, 31 atacks, four blocks and an ace.
Still in pool play, Team USA will next face Poland at 2 p.m. today in its second of three Pool H second-round matches.
•Mine That Bird to appear in New Mexico: The Kentucky Derby winner will lead the post parade for the $2 million All American Futurity on Sept. 7 at Ruidoso Downs, N.M.
Co-owner Mark Allen of Roswell said it’s a way to express thanks to the New Mexico racing community for support.