SPORTS DIGEST:BASEBALL: David Freese hit a home run in the 11th inning to cap an incredible comeback that lifted the St Louis Cardinals to a 10-9 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday to force a decisive World Series game seven last night.
The never-say-die Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings and two more in the 10th to stay alive before Freese led off the 11th with a 429-foot blast that ended the titanic, four-hour 33-minute battle in St Louis.
The entire St Louis team met Freese at home plate to celebrate the most fantastic World Series finish in recent memory.
Man that was incredible, said Freese. We fought back. Thats the character of this team . . . were not going anywhere. We will fight to the end.”
LA Matadors line up Irish duo
BOXING:Los Angeles Matadors are chasing Irish 2012 Olympian Michael Conlan and Dublin super-heavyweight Seán Turner in the World Series of Boxing (WSB).
Conlan, who qualified for the London Olympics at the World Championships in Azerbaijan earlier this month, is considering an offer from the American side.
If the 19-year-old, who boxes out of the St John Bosco BC in Belfast, does sign for LA he’ll shift up a division from flyweight (51Kg) to bantamweight (54Kg).
That’s a move that could see him meet his fellow Irish Olympian John Joe Nevin if Nevin’s Paris United and LA qualify from their groups in the WSB.Turner is understood to be close to agreeing terms with LA and could sign up today.
Meanwhile, Donegal welterweight Willie McLaughlin is on his way to Italian side Milano Thunder for one season.
Mixed bag for Ireland in Hong Kong
CRICKET:Ireland made their debut in the Hong Kong Sixes yesterday with a victory over Bangladesh before losing their second game against defending champions Australia at Kowloon Cricket Club, writes EMMET RIORDAN.
It means a win against England in their match early this morning would earn qualification for the quarter-finals, although a narrow defeat could also see them go through as one of the top third-placed teams.
Niall O’Brien hit an unbeaten 35 from just nine balls to help Ireland beat Bangladesh by four wickets in their opening clash.
Niall’s younger brother Kevin helped restrict Bangladesh to 65 for four from their five overs, taking two wickets in two balls.
In the later game, Australia made 105 for two, with Ireland falling 27 runs short. Paul Stirling top-scored with an unbeaten 33, while Niall O’Brien finished 28 not out.
Hamilton takes the rap in India
FORMULA ONE:Lewis Hamilton is ready to make up for the mistake he knows has put himself and McLaren "on the back foot" for this weekend's Indian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, along with Sauber’s Sergio Perez, was given a three-place grid penalty following yesterday’s first practice session at the Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi as the long arm of the stewards again hit the 26-year-old hard.
The McLaren star, however, had no complaints as he willingly took full responsibility for ignoring double waved yellow flags at a time when Pastor Maldonado’s Williams was being recovered following a spin.
“I put my hands up, I said ‘I accept whatever penalty I get’. That’s what I said, and they gave me one,” said Hamilton.
“I’m a bit frustrated with myself. It’s my fault – as usual.”
Stosur shows stunning form to beat Na in Istanbul
TENNIS:US Open winner Samantha Stosur destroyed China's Li Na 6-1 6-0 yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul for the second consecutive year.
Their last White Group round-robin clash had effectively become a decider to see which of the year’s first-time Grand Slam champions would progress along with Victoria Azarenka, but it proved embarrassingly one-sided and was over in 66 minutes.
Australian Stosur will face Petra Kvitova in the last four today after the Czech recovered from 5-1 down in the first set against Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska to triumph 7-6 6-3 and claim top spot in the Red Group with a 100 per cent record.
Radwanska only needed to win one set to reach the semi-finals but her capitulation meant Russias Vera Zvonareva advanced to face Azarenka via a better games percentage than Radwanska and world number one Caroline Wozniacki.
