Updated at 9:34 a.m., Monday, August 13, 2007
University Games: U.S. softball, volleyball teams win
Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand — Two wins by the U.S. softball team at the World University Games today earned it a medal-round game against undefeated Canada, while the American men's basketball and volleyball teams also picked up victories.Sara Lovestrand's RBI triple in the bottom of the first led the Americans to a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic. The Americans then beat Australia 3-0 in the completion of a game suspended due to darkness Saturday at 0-0 in extra innings.
The wins gave the U.S. a 3-1 record overall and a playoff game Wednesday against the Canadians, who have won all four matches they have played, outscoring the opposition 39-0.
"Today we got some clutch two-out hits to score runs in both games," Team USA co-head coach Beth Keylon-Randolph said.
Kalaheo High School graduate Jessika Ngirblekuu, who played at Palm Beach Community College (Fla.), is a member of the softball team.
In basketball, the U.S. men, represented by the University of Northern Iowa, beat China 88-51.
Travis Brown led the U.S. with 24 points, Eric Coleman added 14 and Jordan Egiseder had 12.
The U.S. women's basketball team, represented by the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, plays Chinese Taipei tomorrow, needing a win to stay in the medal round.
At the pool, American Pat Mellors broke his own games record in the 400-meter individual medley in a time of 4 minutes 12.94 seconds.
American Adam Ritter won the 200 freestyle and Ukraine's Sergii Breus the men's 50 butterfly. Japan ended the American monopoly in relays, winning gold in the women's 400-meter medley relay in 4:03.11. The Americans were second in 4:03.96 and Canada third.
The U.S. men's volleyball team defeated Chinese Taipei 25-19, 25-20, 25-22 to finish with a 5-0 record in Pool C and advance to the medal round. Former University of Hawai'i player Alfred Reft is the American team's starting libero.
