Stunner: Stanford advances to Super Regionals with win
Stanford's softball team pulled off quite a stunner Sunday while advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time since 2011.
The Cardinal (39-20) shocked sixth-seeded Alabama (42-13) with a 6-0 win, thanks to Alana Vawter's four-hit shutout in the elimination game in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
It's the first time the Crimson Tide have not qualified for Super Regionals since the NCAA moved to the format in 2005. This also marks the first time since 2008 Stanford (39-20) has advanced out of the NCAA Regional as a visiting team.
Vawter's sparkling pitching was aided by Aly Kaneshiro's two-run double and Sydnee Huff's two-run single.
Stanford will now get to host Oregon State in an All-Pac-12 Super Regional this weekend. Full dates for the tournament will be announced.
Soccer
EARTHQUAKES SETTLE FOR TIE WITH KANSAS CITY >> Jackson Yueill scored the equalizing goal and the San Jose Earthquakes settled for a 1-1 draw against visiting Sporting Kansas City.
The Quakes (3-5-5, 14 points) are 3-1-2 in six MLS matches under interim coach Alex Covelo.
Johnny Russell scored for Sporting KC (3-7-4, 13 points), who earned a point on the road for just the second time this season (0-6-2).
San Jose dominated possession in the first half, with 62 percent of the touches and attempting 10 shots, four of which reached the target. The Earthquakes finished with an 18-6 shots advantage, including 5-2 in shots on goal.
Kansas City made the most of its limited opportunities to take a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute. Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinowski came out to the left of the net to stop Cameron Duke and couldn't get back in time, giving Russell an open net for the easy tally.
San Jose responded with the equalizer early in the second half. Yueill, inside the box, headed in a feed from Jamiro Monteiro to tie it 1-1 in the 46th minute.
MANCHESTER CITY WINS PREMIER LEAGUE CROWN >> Manchester City clinched a sixth Premier League title in 11 seasons by scoring three times in five minutes to come from behind to beat visiting Aston Villa 3-2 in the
finale and hold off Liverpool's challenge.
City was trailing 2-0 to Villa until Ilkay Gündogan began the comeback in the 76th. Rodri equalized two minutes later and Gündogan put City in front in the 81st.
Swimming
TITMUS SETS 400-METER FREE WORLD RECORD >> Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus broke the women's 400-meter freestyle world record at the Australian swimming championships in Adelaide.
Titmus finished in 3 minutes, 56.40 seconds in Sunday night's final to improve on Katie Ledecky's previous mark of 3:56.46 that she set at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Motorsports BLANEY WINS NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE >>
Ryan Blaney needed two extra laps after thinking he had already won the NASCAR All-Star race and $1 million, staying in front through a green-white-checkered finish after a caution came out just yards before he got to the line the first time.
Blaney's crew was already celebrating the victory in the pit and the driver had already lowered the window net of his No. 12 Ford after crossing the start-finish line.
“Everybody thought the race was over,” said Blaney, who then had to gather himself and get the window net back in position to finish the race.
The All-Star race has to finish on a green flag, and the caution flag initially came out just before Blaney had crossed the line because Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slammed into the outside wall going into the backstretch.
Pushed by his Penske teammate
Austin Cindric on the restart, Blaney was able to stay in front and hold off Denny Hamlin, who finished 0.266 seconds behind.
Cindric was third and Joey Logano, another Team Penske driver, was fourth.
Former NASCAR All-Star winners Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson all crashed out in the second stage.
It was the fourth All-Star race win for Roger Penske's team. The last had been Logano in 2016.
DIXON BLAZES TO INDY 500 POLE WITH RECORD RUN >> Scott Dixon used a breathtaking run of more than 234 mph to post the fastest Indianapolis 500 pole run in history. The New Zealander will lead the field to green in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for the fifth time in his career.
Considered the best driver of his generation, Dixon turned four laps at an average of 234.046 mph around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His average broke Scott Brayton's polewinning record set in 1996 of 233.718 mph.
Arie Luyendyk holds the four-lap qualifying record of 236.986 mph, also done in 1996, but not in a run for the pole. That means Dixon's qualifying run was the second fastest in 106 runnings of the most prestigious race in the world.
VERSTAPPEN LEADS RED BULL 1-2 IN SPAIN >> Max Verstappen reclaimed the Formula One points lead as the reigning world champion won the Spanish Grand Prix for his third consecutive victory after Charles Leclerc's Ferrari broke down while he was comfortably in front.
Verstappen needed an assist from Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez to get his fourth victory of the season, however. Pérez was leading the race after Leclerc had abandoned when his team told him to let Verstappen pass on Lap 49 of 66.
Pérez, who could have taken just his third career win, finished second ahead of Mercedes' George Russell in third.
NFL BROWNS BRINGING BACK CLOWNEY >>
Free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Browns, the AP reported.
Clowney, who revived his career last season with Cleveland while playing opposite All-Pro Myles Garrett, will sign a one-year, contract worth up to $11 million, according to the AP.