Weaver shuts down Dominicans, 2-0

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Bring on Cuba.

The U.S. men's baseball team extended its unbeaten streak this summer to 25 games with an impressive 2-0, two-hit victory Monday over the Dominican Republic. Jered Weaver and Huston Street combined to shut down a Dominican team featuring 13 former major leaguers.

The hosts, supported by a boisterous crowd, were supposed to be the Americans' biggest stumbling block in group play. Now, the United States can begin thinking about the vaunted Cubans, who have dominated Pan Ams baseball -- although they won't likely meet until the weekend or later.

Daniel Putnam hit a run-scoring double off the wall in left in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. He singled in the third and tripled in the fifth.

"They're an unbelievable team," Putnam said. "We got a good challenge tonight. I couldn't hear myself call off a fly ball."

The other run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Mike Nickeas in the ninth.

"I've never experienced anything like this; 20,000 people in the stands, it's the experience of a lifetime," Weaver said. "I let it all hang out tonight and it turned out great."

Nicaragua's Cairo Murillo threw a no-hitter against Guatemala. He struck out four and allowed four baserunners, three on errors, in a 5-0 win.

The U.S. men's basketball team was 85 seconds from leaving without a medal. While the Americans are not guaranteed a top-three finish, three free throws and a key defensive stop gave them a thrilling 74-72 victory over Uruguay -- and renewed hope for gold.

"The guys didn't want to come down here for nothing," Arthur Johnson said after leading the U.S. squad with 17 points. "We all just buckled down and did what it takes to win the ballgame, because we knew playing the way we were playing, it would have been an empty trip for us."

The Americans trailed 72-71 with 1:25 left. Johnson made one of two free throws with 1:07 left, and his Missouri teammate, Rickey Paulding, sank one with 33.6 seconds remaining to give his team the lead.

With 16.3 seconds left, Stanford's Josh Childress grabbed a Uruguay miss, but was tied up, and the possession arrow favored the South Americans. Alejandro Muro then had the ball near midcourt when Seton Hall's Andre Barrett grabbed it, forcing another held ball and giving the U.S. team a key turnover.

Paulding added another free throw, and Uruguay's final attempt missed at the buzzer.

Uruguay, led by Nicolas Mazzarino's 23 points, never trailed until early in the fourth quarter.

Monday's win put the Americans into the medals round after three games that went down to the wire. In its previous two games, the U.S. squad beat Argentina 80-79 and lost to Puerto Rico 86-85. The Puerto Ricans won the group and also advanced. Brazil defeated the Dominican Republic 92-77 Monday night to win its group.

The U.S. men will face Brazil on Tuesday night, and Puerto Rico will take on the host team, and its raucous crowds, in the second semifinal.

The United States has medaled in men's basketball in every Pan Am Games except in 1971, when it was eliminated in group play on point differential.

Hours earlier, Jamie Carey of Texas scored 20 points and made all six of her 3-pointers to lead the U.S. women to a 77-64 upset of Brazil.

The Brazilians have four former WNBA players, while the Americans are all college players. The United States used a swarming, half-court defense to hold Brazil to 21-of-52 shooting from the floor and forced 21 turnovers, including three shot-clock violations.

"This was by far the best game since we've been together," coach Debbie Ryan said. "We played great team defense today."

The Americans (2-1), trailed 44-32 at halftime, but opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run. They also closed the period by scoring eight straight points to take a 56-52 lead into the fourth quarter.

Rebekkah Brunson of Georgetown sat out most of the first half after being whistled for two quick fouls, but sparked the second-half comeback by scoring all 13 of her points.

The best shooting of the day might have been done by 16-year-old high school junior Collyn Loper of Indian Springs, Ala. She had to overcome two delays when another competitor's gun malfunctioned to win the women's trap event and earn an Olympic berth in Athens for the U.S. team.

Loper, who is blind in her right eye and shoots left-handed, went into the final round with a four-point lead, although she wasn't aware of it.

"I never like to know what my scores are until I am finished," she said. "I kind of assumed that I was ahead by three or four. When I heard people clapping, I thought, 'Maybe I just won."'

The United States stretched its lead in medals to 27-16 over Cuba. The Americans have nine golds, 11 silvers and seven bronzes. Cuba has 12 golds and four bronzes.

Carly Gullickson, at 16 the youngest American tennis player in Pan Am Games history, defeated Daniela Alvarez of Bolivia 6-4, 6-4 in the first round. Joining Gullickson, the daughter of former major league pitcher Bill Gullickson, in the second round was Ansley Cargill of Atlanta.

"It's neat to represent the country and be 16," said Gullickson, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Two more American teenagers starred Monday. Chellsie Memmel, 15, of West Allis, Wis., edged 13-year-old Nastia Liukin of Plano, Texas, for the all-around women's gymnastics gold. Memmel is the first U.S. double gold winner, also getting gold with the American team on Saturday.

The women's water polo team, fresh from winning the world championship, got five goals each from Margie Dingeldein of Stanford and Heather Moody of San Diego State and routed Puerto Rico 20-2. The Americans scored the first seven goals.

Not to be outdone, the U.S. men beat Puerto Rico 14-2.

 

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