BASEBALL: Hunter, Morales hit three-run HRs in ace’s 100th win.

By Doug Padilla

Correspondent

Not even the occasion of John Lackey’s 100th career victory could steer the Angels back to their identity as a pitching-first club.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Andy Rios couldn’t wait to get home to Southern California to have some french fries. There’s a big victory meal upcoming back in Chula Vista.

CINCINNATI – Rookie Drew Stubbs took a poke at the fastball and missed, providing the perfect ending. The Dodgers struck out 20 batters Sunday, their highest total in 37 years.

NEW YORK – Everyone, it seems, wanted to talk to Andy Roddick about his loss to Roger Federer in last month’s epic Wimbledon final: the 16-14 fifth set, the 77 total games, the Centre Court crowd chanting the American’s name afterward.

Top seeds Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs won a pair of championships Sunday. Branagh and Youngs won the final of the AVP Chicago Open with a 21-14, 13-21, 15-11 victory over second-seeded Jen Kessy and April Ross. They also clinched the season-long AVP Crocs Cup championship.

With clear skies and little wind above, the water was not quite ideal for the paddleboarders who attempted the 32 miles of the 34th Catalina Classic Paddleboard Championships on Sunday. The lack of wind meant no waves or swells to take advantage of, and the athletes used their arms the entire trip that started with a record 106 athletes leaving from the Isthmus Cove in Catalina for the trek to the Manhattan Beach Pier.
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Tina Thompson scored 21 points and Candace Parker had 20 points, 13 rebounds and four assists to lead the Sparks to a 91-81 victory over the visiting Connecticut Sun on Sunday night.

The powers that be with the Bowl Championship Series will tell you that the beauty of college football is that any team in the country can win a national championship.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – If the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes start feeling comfortable about where they are heading into the last week of the California League season, all they need to do is think back to a year ago when they had a three-game lead for the last spot in the playoffs with nine games left, only to blow it.

Outside hitter Rachel Grochmal had 14 kills and 16 digs as the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team defeated Oregon State 25-16, 19-25, 25-17, 25-17 Sunday to capture the championship of the Colorado State Asics Classic in Fort Collins, Colo.