BASEBALL
Post 280 SEALs win again at World Series
The Chesapeake Post 280 SEALs moved into first place in their pool at the American Legion World Series, edging Asheville Post 70 5-4 Saturday in Shelby, North Carolina.
Chesapeake, the state and Mid-Atlantic Regional champion, improved to 2-0 in “Stripes” pool play and improved its winning streak to seven games. Asheville dropped to 1-1 in the pool.
Ben Kablach pitched six innings of relief and hit a tying home run for Chesapeake against the North Carolina champs. Reid Downs and Keegan Haesler scored in the fifth inning via aggressive base-running, putting Post 280 ahead 5-3, and Kablach retired Asheville in order in the seventh after yielding a run in the sixth.
Reid Downs had two of Chesapeake’s five hits.
Post 280, which has a high probability of qualifying for Monday’s semifinals but hasn’t mathematically ensured it, will conclude pool play Sunday with a 10 a.m. game on ESPN+ against Bossier City Post 202 (1-1) of Louisiana.
The top two teams from the Stripes pool will advance to Monday’s semifinals, joining the top two from the Stars pool. If three teams finish 2-1 in a pool, the two squads that have allowed the fewest runs will advance. So far, Chesapeake has allowed six, Bossier City eight and Asheville 10. Greece Post 468 (0-2) of New York has yielded 21.
Chesapeake went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first on a fielding error by Asheville shortstop Carson Wallace that allowed Haesler to score from third, but Post 280 got into trouble in the top of the second.
Two walks and a hit batsman prompted Post 280 coach Larry Bowles to relieve starter Trey Campos, but Kablach plunked the first batter he faced, Wallace, to force in a run.
Kablach induced a double-play grounder, leaving runners at second and third, but both scored on Jackson Pavone’s infield single. Wallace came around from second, and Post 280 catcher Ryan Gocio was charged with an error for dropping a throw that might have led to a tag at the plate.
Chesapeake responded in the bottom of the second as Downs doubled down the left-field line with two out, scoring Reid Vandergrift from first base.
With two out and an 0-2 count in the third, Kablach clubbed a home run to center, tying the score at 3.
Chesapeake went ahead 5-3 with a two-run fifth, running the bases with little fear. Downs raced to second when Wallace mishandled a grounder that went a few feet behind him. Haesler then reached on a bunt single.
Downs scored when Wes Stubbe hit a sacrifice fly to the right-field warning track, and Haesler tagged and went to second base on the play.
Gocio then grounded out to first base, with pitcher Deegan Randall fielding the throw. But as Haesler rounded third and noticed Randall wasn’t paying close attention, he broke for home and beat the throw.
That extra run proved important because Asheville scored in the sixth, but Kablach retired the home-crowd favorites in the seventh. Asheville advanced to the World Series by getting past Troy of Alabama, the national champion in two of the past three years, in a regional.
BASKETBALL
ODU finishes 3-0 on Costa Rica trip
Old Dominion completed a 3-0 exhibition trip with a 90-68 victory over Costa Rica National Team.
The Monarchs began the game with a 12-0 run and led 27-11 after the first quarter, 58-31 at the half and 73-54 after the third quarter.
The victory came after a week of ziplining and an ATV tour in Costa Rica.
Lieberman named Big3 Coach of Year
The Dallas Power team’s Nancy Lieberman, an Old Dominion legend and Basketball Hall of Famer, was named the Big3 Coach of the Year in a vote by players and coaches.
Her son TJ Cline, who plays for the Power, was named the league’s Most Improved Player. Dallas’ other players include all-stars Greg Monroe and Glen Rice Jr.
HORSE RACING
Lifelovenlaughter extends streak to 3
Lifelovenlaughter won her third straight race, holding off Winfinity in a photo finish in the $125,000 All Brandy Stakes at Colonial Downs.
The victor was ridden by Jorge Ruiz, trained by Mike Trombetta and owned by the Elkstone Group, led by Stuart Grant.
TRACK AND FIELD
HU athletes to compete in Junior Pan Am Games
Hampton University women’s athletes Rochele Solmon and Damali Williams will take part Monday in the Junior Pan Am Games in Asuncion, Paraguay.
They will compete for their native Jamaica in the discus at 6:45 p.m. The track and field events in Asuncion runs through Aug. 22.
Both earned spots on the Jamaican team by their performances at the national trials from June 26-29. This marks the second time for Williams to make the Jamaican U23 team, while it’s the first for Solmon.
Williams finished second in the Coastal Athletic Association championships and 26th (at 160 feet, 2 inches) at the NCAA East Regional. Solmon was third at the CAA meet and 35th (156-5) at the regional.
TENNIS
UVA sophomore takes title in Crete
Virginia rising sophomore Rafael Jódar of Madrid, Spain, won the singles title at the ATP Hersonissos Challenger on the Greek island of Crete.
The 2025 Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Freshman of the Year won five matches to take the title, including a victory over the top seed, 235th-ranked George Loffhagen of Great Britain, in the round of 16 and a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over No. 338 Dan Added of France in the final. The title moved to No. 406 in the live ATP rankings and to 17-7 in pro matches this year.
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