Duran Powers UCLA Into World Series

Third baseman Andrea Duran hit a home run and a triple, and Anjelica Selden struck out 10 batters to help top-ranked UCLA defeat South Florida, 3-1, Sunday at Westwood and advance to the Women’s College World Series for the eighth consecutive year.

The Bruins (48-7) won the best-of-three super regional series, 2-0, and will play Tennessee on Thursday night at Oklahoma City.

The Lady Vols (58-10) eliminated defending NCAA champion Michigan in three games in a super regional at Knoxville, Tenn.

Duran, the Pacific 10 Conference player of the year, hit the first pitch from Christi Ecks (24-12) over the center-field fence for her 13th home run and sixth leading off a game.

In the fifth, Duran led off with a triple off the right-field fence and scored on a one-out single by second baseman Caitlin Benyi to put UCLA ahead, 2-0. Benyi scored on a triple by shortstop Jodie Legaspi down the left-field line.

Selden (33-5) had retired 11 consecutive batters before Ashley Bullion led off the seventh inning with a double to right field. Selden struck out two batters, but pinch-hitter Danielle Urbanik hit a bloop single to right field to drive in pinch-runner Meghan Kowal.

The run ended Selden’s streak of scoreless innings at 28 2/3 . She gave up five hits and did not walk a batter, and recorded her 19th game this season with at least 10 strikeouts.

COLLEGE TENNIS

UCLA’s Kohlloeffel, USC’s Nelson Advance

Top-seeded Benjamin Kohlloeffel moved into position to become UCLA’s first NCAA men’s singles champion in 31 years, beating Erling Tveit of Mississippi, 6-3, 6-1, in a semifinal match at Stanford.

Kohlloeffel will play Somdev Devvarman of Virginia, who defeated KC Corkery of Stanford, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, in the other semifinal.

In the women’s semifinals, Lindsey Nelson of USC defeated Megan Moulton-Levy of William & Mary, 6-3, 6-2, and Suzi Babos of California beat Theresa Logar of Stanford, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

UCLA’s last singles champion is its current coach, Billy Martin, who won in 1975.

JURISPRUDENCE

Wizards’ Arenas, Storey Arrested in Miami Beach

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas and forward Awvee Storey were arrested Saturday night in Miami Beach, Fla., and charged with disobeying police.

Storey was blocking traffic in the middle of a busy street when an officer told him to get back to the sidewalk, a police report said. Storey didn’t get out of the street, and the officer arrested him and charged him with failure to obey a command.

As police were arresting Storey, Arenas got out of a vehicle and walked toward the arresting officers. The police report said an officer told Arenas to get back in his vehicle, but he refused, saying he wanted to stand next to his teammate. The officer took Arenas into custody and charged him with resisting without violence.

The players were then taken to jail for processing. The two were arrested as part of a crackdown on disorderly behavior among those who flocked to Miami Beach for Memorial Day weekend.

The Wizards said they would not comment until they had more information.

ARENA FOOTBALL

Chicago, Orlando Win Conference Semifinals

Matt D’Orazio threw four touchdown passes and DeJuan Alfonzo and Denni Robinson scored defensive touchdowns to lead the Chicago Rush to a 63-46 victory over the Colorado Crush in a playoff game at Denver.

Robinson intercepted a pass by John Dutton in the first quarter and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to put Chicago ahead, 13-0. Alfonzo’s 20-yard fumble return in the third quarter made it 43-27.

Dutton passed for 337 yards and five scores.

Chicago will play at San Jose on Saturday in the American Conference final. It’ll be the third consecutive appearance in the conference final for Chicago and its fourth in five years.

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Joe Hamilton threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Fryzel with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter to give the host Orlando Predators a 31-27 victory over the Philadelphia Soul.

Hamilton threw for 208 yards and four touchdowns. Fryzel caught three passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns.

The two connected with 3:07 remaining to put Orlando ahead, 31-27.

Tony Graziani threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns for the Soul.

Orlando will play Dallas in the National Conference final.

SOCCER

Ukraine Piles It On in World Cup Tuneup

Despite playing without injured standout Andriy Shevchenko, host Ukraine defeated Costa Rica, 4-0, at Kiev in a warmup game between World Cup-bound teams.

Shevchenko, who injured a knee May 7, is expected to recover in time for the team’s first World Cup game against Spain on June 14.

In other games involving World Cup teams, host Croatia and Iran tied, 2-2, at Osijek; Ecuador let an early lead slip away and lost to Macedonia, 2-1, at Getafe, Spain; Estonia and Turkey tied, 1-1, at Hamburg, Germany; and Mali beat Morocco, 1-0, at Paris.

MISCELLANY

Jones Overpowers Field to Win 100 Meters

Marion Jones easily won the women’s 100 meters in the FBK Games at Hengelo, Netherlands, finishing in 11.16 seconds.

Jones started slow, but hit her stride in the middle of the race and pulled away from the rest of the field.

Emma Ania was second in 11.59 and Angela Williams was third in 11.60.

Jones ran 11.06 earlier this month in Mexico, the second-best time in the world this year. It was her first race after an 11-month absence during which she battled injuries and doping allegations.

Jones has never tested positive for doping and has repeatedly denied using banned substances.

Olusoji Fasuba won the men’s 100 in 10.33. Caimin Douglas was second in 10.37 and Christian Malcolm was third, also in 10.37.

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Suspended Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams signed to play with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Williams was suspended by the NFL for the 2006 season after a fourth positive drug test. He sat out Miami’s first four games last year after his third positive test, and lost an appeal over the fourth positive, which carries a mandatory one-year ban.

Dolphins Coach Nick Saban said in a statement that the team was leaving the decision to play in the CFL up to Williams. The Dolphins have supported Williams throughout the suspension, but insisted on assurances that he’d be allowed to return to the team in 2007, provided he’s reinstated by the NFL.