Pontius’ hat trick leads D.C. over Sounders

Soccer: Chris Pontius scored his first career hat trick, with two goals late in the first half and another after the break, to give D.C. United a 3-2 win over the host Seattle Sounders on Thursday night in the final Major League Soccer game before the World Cup.

D.C. United (3-8-1) ran its unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1) and picked up its first road points of the season after losing its first four away from RFK Stadium.

Pontius’ hat trick was the third in the league this season and gave United a 3-0 lead. The Sounders (4-6-3) scored twice late in the game – James Riley in the 90th minute and Fredy Montero during the first minute of stoppage time – to make it close.

Pontius put United on the board late in the 39th minute with his first of the season.

He got the ball just beyond the top of the arc and wasn’t able to shoot, but kept control and let fly with a shot that glanced off the back of Sounders midfielder Patrick Ianni and flew past goalkeeper Kasey Keller into the net.

Near the midpoint of the 44th minute, again just outside the arc, Pontius dribbled in to the top of the box and fired a shot that Keller, playing 6 yards off his line, deflected but couldn’t grab. The ball squirted toward the goal, and Keller reacted in time to double back and get his hands on it, but it glanced off the post and into the net.

Late in the 79th minute, Pontius, playing just inside the top left corner of the box, headed a free kick from Santino Quaranta toward the far post. Keller leaped after it, but the ball tucked inside the post an instant before he got there.

Riley drilled in a shot from the top right corner of the box to make it 3-1, then Montero headed in a cross from Freddie Ljungberg early in stoppage time to get the Sounders within one before time ran out.

Westwood fires 63 to lead St. Jude Classic

Golf: Lee Westwood took advantage of no wind and a rain-softened course to shoot a 7-under-par 63 that equaled his best PGA Tour round and gave him a one-stroke lead in the suspended first round of the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

The world’s No. 3-ranked player tuned up for the U.S. Open by tying the TPC Southwind course record for the back nine with a 29.

That’s where he had four of his five birdies and an eagle, and he birdied his 10th hole to reach 7 under before pars on the final eight holes.

Severe thunderstorms stopped play before the round was suspended nearly an hour later with 20 golfers still to finish.

Casey Wittenberg shot a 64, and Padraig Harrington had a 65.

Defending champ Brian Gay opened with a 73 along with Jordan Spieth, the Texas teen who became the sixth-youngest player to make a PGA cut at the Byron Nelson last month.

Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett opened with a 68.

•Feng takes LPGA lead: Shanshan Feng made five early birdies and shot an 8-under 64, taking a one-stroke lead over Juli Inkster and Na Yeon Choi after the first round of the State Farm LPGA Classic in Springfield, Ill.

Meena Lee, Alena Sharp, Anna Nordqvist, M.J. Hur and Song-Hee Kim were two shots back on a crowded leaderboard at Panther Creek Country Club. Seven other players were within three shots of the lead, including Cristie Kerr and Sophie Gustafson.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., opened with a 68.

Izzo visits with Cavaliers about job

Basketball: Tom Izzo has flirted with the NBA before. He may finally be ready to commit.

Michigan State’s highly respected coach visited the Cleveland Cavaliers to get a firsthand inspection of a franchise undergoing a major makeover as it prepares to try and re-sign LeBron James, the free-agent-of-a-generation.

After flying to Cleveland in one of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert’s jets, Izzo spent several hours visiting with members of the front office and coaching staff. He also toured the team’s facilities before returning home.

“It won’t go on forever, I can tell you that,” Izzo said at the airport upon his return to Lansing, Mich. “I feel bad that I can’t talk. I feel good that I did what I had to do.”

Izzo, who has been courted by pro and college teams in the past, is believed to be mulling a contract worth up to $6 million a season from the Cavs.

Girl out of hospital after hit by ball

Miscellany: A 3-year-old girl whose skull was fractured by a line drive during a Dodgers batting practice has been released from the hospital.

A statement from Childrens Hospital Los Angeles says Janelle Briseno went home in good condition after undergoing surgery on Tuesday.

The accident occurred Monday after Dodgers catcher Russell Martin hit a line drive into the stands near third base.

• Morales out for season: Los Angeles Angels first baseman Kendry Morales will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his broken left leg.

Morales had the operation Thursday and the Angels announced he would not play again this season. Morales broke his leg while leaping onto home plate during a celebration following his game-ending grand slam against Seattle on May 29.