SECTION B THE NEWPORT DAILY NEWS SAILING Final fleet in race to England Monday, July 6, 2015 Sports Editor Scott Barrett takes off from Newport. B3 380-2356; Fax 849-3306 SPORTS [email protected] ROUNDUP B2 ◆ SCOREBOARD B4 ◆ TV B5-6 ◆ ADVICE B6 ◆ COMICS B7 ◆ CLASSIFIEDS B8 To report results, call 380-2352 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: UNITED STATES 5, JAPAN 2 Americans party like it’s 1999 United States routs Japan, ending 16-year drought in World Cup VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) When it was over, Lloyd collapsed to The Americans had struggled in the — Carli Lloyd came up big again, and with her knees and pumped her fists. Forward World Cup since winning the inaugural it came the elusive third Women’s World Abby Wambach bear hugged a teary-eyed tournament in 1991 and then again at the Cup title for the United States women’s coach Jill Ellis, lifting her off the ground. Rose Bowl eight years later. soccer team. Lloyd, given the Golden Ball as player Christie Rampone, the only holdover Lloyd scored three times as the Ameri- of the tournament, scored twice in a span from the 1999 team, lifted the trophy cans jumped out to a four-goal lead in the of about 135 seconds as the U.S. led 2-0 by with Wambach, the 35-year-old former first 16 minutes, and they overwhelmed the fifth minute. FIFA Player of the Year who lost her reg- defending champion Japan 5-2 on Sunday Lauren Holiday boosted the lead in the ular starting job with age. Wambach was for their record third championship and 14th, and two minutes later, Lloyd made it among the most vocal opponents of FIFA’s first since 1999. 4-0 with an audacious 54-yard, right-footed decision to play the tournament on arti- A sellout crowd of 53,341 that included shot from midfield that sailed over goal- ficial turf. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden roared in keeper Ayumi Kaihori. With FIFA President Sepp Blatter approval for Lloyd’s hat trick, the first Japan closed on Yuki Ogimi’s goal in staying away during a criminal investi- ever in a Women’s World Cup final. the 27th minute and an own goal by Julie gation of soccer officials, the trophy was “I was just on a mission,” Lloyd said. Johnston on an errant header in the 52nd. presented by FIFA Senior Vice President Associated Press “I was on a mission to help my team win But Tobin Heath scored two minutes later, The U.S. women’s soccer team celebrates its 5-2 victory this game.” the third goal off a set piece for the U.S. WORLD CUP B3 over Japan in the final of the Women’s World Cup. 2015 NEWPORT DAILY NEWS ALL-COUNTY BASEBALL TEAM ‘He’s got all the tools’ Liam O’Regan of Middletown will play at college level, and perhaps beyond By Josh Krueger out of the strike zone. I took my Staff writer walks and hit-by-pitches as they came.” MIDDLETOWN — As a sopho- Fortunately, O’Regan isn’t likely more, Liam O’Regan knew the Mid- to see a lot of that kind of treatment PLAYER OF dletown High School baseball team in college. THE YEAR: was losing a catcher, so he figured “You can’t pitch around him at his best chance to get in the lineup the college level,” Paiva said. “There LIAM O’REGAN, would be to learn to the position. are too many (talented) guys in the He wasn’t wrong, but with his bat, lineup at that level … You’re going to MIDDLETOWN it would have been difficult for the have to throw to him, and that strike Islanders to keep zone is not going to be a high school ALSO him out of the strike zone — it’ll be smaller. ◆ All-County lineup, regardless “The strike zone he sees at the baseball team of where he played. next level is going to be more consis- capsules. B2 Before he was a tent, and they’re not going to throw catcher, O’Regan around him. And they’re not going played mostly in the outfield, and to be tempted to try to pitch around he likely will return there as a mem- him because they don’t know him ber of the Elon University baseball well enough.” team. O’Regan started the recruiting “I think I’ll be an outfielder, at process somewhat late by today’s least my freshman year, because I standards. haven’t been catching that long,” he “It was a little stressful. I’d say said. “Then, we’ll see. Maybe back to I started maybe really looking at catching. I like to work at it a lot and schools the winter of my junior year. it’s fun. I enjoy it back there.” Kids now are committing to schools There should be plenty to enjoy as freshmen and sophomores,” he about playing for a Division I col- said. “Most schools typically wrap lege program, and O’Regan said their recruiting classes at the end of he’s looking forward to “being a part the summer of a kid’s junior year, so of a team like that, that plays year- I knew I didn’t have that much time round, playing at the highest level to decide on a school, but I feel like I in college.” made a good decision going to Elon. Middletown coach Chuck Paiva, “I know a few guys that have who is the general manager of the played there and … they only have Newport Gulls, a team in the New good things to say about it.” England Collegiate Baseball League, One of those guys is former New- knows a thing or two about high- port Gulls catcher Mike Melillo, who level college baseball. played at the North Carolina school “He’s going to do very well at the from 2007-10. college level,” Paiva said of O’Regan. “He’s kind of been my hitting “He’s going to play right away. He’s a coach for a while now, and I still middle-of-the-order kind of kid, and talk to him at least a couple times a he’s going to do very well.” week,” O’Regan said. “He had great O’Regan was Middletown’s lead- things to say about the program as ing hitter with a .358 average. He well.” also had 10 RBIs and 18 runs scored, Like a lot of elite high school and that was with most opposing players, O’Regan drew some inter- teams trying to pitch around or at est from the professional level this him. O’Regan was walked or hit by spring, and scouts occasionally pitches a total of 22 times this sea- attended Middletown games to take son, something that got a little old a look. after a while. “It was cool. It was neat know- “It definitely got frustrating, but ing they were here watching me,” I learned to handle it,” he said. “I didn’t swing at too much that was TOOLS B2 Middletown graduate Liam O’Regan, who will play at Division I Elon University next year, batted a team-best .358 this season, although most teams were careful not to give him good pitches. He walked or was hit by a pitch 22 times. Dave Hansen | Staff photographer PRO TENNIS: WIMBLEDON PRO BASEBALL: BOSTON 5, HOUSTON 4 Serena’s road to history Ramirez homer puts Sox on top for good BOSTON (AP) — Hanley Ramirez against Tony Sipp (2-4) after David Ortiz most critical time,” Hinch said. “So there’s must go through Venus handed the Boston Red Sox another well- worked a walk in a long at-bat. a little bit of unlucky there.” timed win. Ryan Hanigan and Pablo Sandoval each Rookie Carlos Correa and Evan Gattis LONDON (AP) — One five- for the sport. I’ve said that many He connected with a one-handed swing had three hits as the Red Sox won their hit consecutive homers over the Monster time Wimbledon champion is times,” said Roger Federer, a for a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sev- third straight series. They hadn’t done for American League West-leading Hous- guaranteed to reach the quar- seven-time Wimbledon cham- enth inning, and Boston hung on for a 5-4 that since taking their first three of the ton, which lost its second in a row after a terfinals. Another is assured of pion who will also be playing win over the Houston Astros on Sunday. season. five-game winning streak. elimination. today. “Their head-to-heads, I “I was sitting on a changeup. I was still “Everybody went nuts,” Hanigan said Matt Barnes (3-2) got the victory, strik- That’s what will happen don’t know how much that has in front, but put a good follow-through,” he of the homer. “Jumped on him when he got ing out the only batter he faced. Koji today, when Serena Williams to do with it. I think it’s more said, adding he’d hit “a couple” of home in the dugout, pounded his head.” Uehara worked the ninth for his 19th save. plays older sister Venus Wil- their individual play.” runs in similar fashion. Astros manager A.J. Hinch felt it was a Trailing 3-1 in the seventh, the Astros liams for the sixth time at the Individually and together, “Not a lot, but I’ve done it before,” he tough break on a good pitch by Sipp.