Date: 09/01/2014 05:00 AM
AP-NW–SportsMinute/307
Here is the latest Washington, Oregon and Alaska sports news from The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) – Dustin Ackley homered and drove in four runs and the Seattle Mariners averted a three-game sweep, beating the Washington Nationals 5-3 yesterday. Bryce Harper homered twice for Washington and Nate Schierholz also connected. The NL East-leading Nationals homered 10 times in the series, one short of the Safeco Field record set by Cleveland in 2009. The Mariners trailed 3-1 in the fifth when Ackley hit a three-run homer off Tanner Roark (12-9). It was his 11th homer this season.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Austin Ernst won the LPGA Tour’s Portland Classic yesterday with a par on the first hole of a playoff against South Korea’s I.K. Kim. It was the first professional victory for the 22-year-old Ernst, who shot a 5-under 67 in the final round to get to 14 under at Columbia Edgewater. Kim, the first- and second-round leader, carded a 68.
UNDATED (AP) – Oregon easily got past South Dakota to open the season. Now the real challenge comes: Michigan State. The No 3 Ducks host the No. 8 Spartans on Saturday afternoon at Autzen Stadium. Oregon beat the Missouri Valley’s Coyotes on Saturday night. The defending Big Ten-champion Spartans similarly dispatched visiting Jacksonville State 45-7 in their opener on Friday night.
TUKWILA, Wash. (AP) – Amy Rodriguez scored twice as FC Kansas City won the National Women’s Soccer League title with a 2-1 win over Seattle Reign FC at Starfire Stadium yesterday. It is the first title for Kansas City, which knocked off the league’s defending champion, the Portland Thorns, in the semifinals. Megan Rapinoe capped a crazy sequence with a goal in the 87th minute for Seattle to make for a frantic final few minutes in which two attempts at an equalizer went just wide.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
