Three men were shot in separate incidents in Richmond last night, but all are expected to recover. The most serious shooting occurred shortly before 10 p.m. in the 600 block of Westover Hills Boulevard in South Richmond. The man was shot in the upper body near Somerset Glen Apartments. He was taken to VCU Medical Center in critical condition, but his status improved overnight and his wounds no longer are considered life-threatening, said Police Capt. Harvey Powers.

A 25-year-old man was stabbed early this morning outside a South Richmond restaurant, authorities said. Jose Mendez-Vasques was stabbed in the chest and abdomen in the parking lot of Amigos Restaurant at the 6800 block of Midlothian Turnpike, said Richmond Police Capt. Linda Samuel. He was taken to the CJW Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries, she said.

A 25-year-old Richmond man was shot in a home invasion late last night, city police say today. Michael Dennis and his girlfriend were sleeping when they heard someone break into their residence in the 5700 block of Berrywood Road in South Richmond about 11:25 p.m., Capt. Linda Samuel said. The suspect opened the bedroom door and fired, striking Dennis in the lower back.

South Richmond’s second consecutive run to the American Legion Mid-Atlantic baseball tournament was driven by a number of star players, who will go on to play at major colleges and perhaps professionally. It was also made possible by players like Greg Moon, who clung to the dream of playing college ball, even as the odds of that happening began to shrink.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—In a 15-2 romp, the biggest winner yesterday was, of course, South Richmond. But in a close second might be VCU. The Rams picked up two commitments this week from the South Richmond Post 137 team, which after a setback Friday resumed its dominance yesterday afternoon by run-ruling New Castle, Del. The team plays again today at either 1 or 7 p.m., with the chance to advance to the American Legion Mid-Atlantic final and potentially a second-consecutive Legion World Series appearance.

Traditionally, the host team in a baseball tournament is the easiest to defeat—it doesn’t have to qualify, instead getting an automatic berth. But if South Richmond’s players start to feel that way about their game tonight in Morgantown, W.Va., coach Byron Ballard will be happy to set them straight. “Sometimes folks think the host team, that oh, you don’t have to worry too much about those guys,“ he said. “But they played us tough last year in Colonial Heights.“

With the 15-9 victory over Albemarle, South Richmond goes on to today’s 1 p.m. title game after a contest that featured a combined nine home runs.

Even with a comfortable lead, there was still motivation for South Richmond to keep the offense going. The players were ready to escape the heat. They did just that, wrapping up an 11-0 victory against Gloucester in seven innings as part of yesterday’s opening round of the American Legion State Championship at a scorching-hot RF&P Park.

They wear pinstripes and are loaded with stars. And they’re quickly becoming Richmond’s baseball dynasty. The players of Post 137 South Richmond—they’ve even got an ex-Yankee as their coach—romped their way to a second consecutive American Legion District 11 title last night, 11-5 over Post 175 Mechanicsville. “These guys are battle-tested,“ coach Byron Ballard said.

The man who fatally wounded a would-be robber in a South Richmond store recounted yesterday a tense shootout and hand-to-hand struggle that ended when the man hit the robber on the head with a gun, knocking him out. The robber, identified by police as James Grooms III, shot and wounded the owner of the Golden Food Market on July 11, but Grooms was shot by an armed friend of the owner as customers took cover.

A man was beaten in the head with a hammer and gravely wounded in an attack at a homeless camp in South Richmond. Richmond police Capt. Paul Kiniry said the 49-year-old victim was taken to VCU Medical Center after Tuesday’s 11:37 p.m. attack, and he underwent a surgery that lasted well into yesterday morning. “He’s got really severe head injuries,“ Kiniry said.

Frances White was treated like a superstar yesterday, even if she didn’t get to sing with one. White, a Mechanicsville resident, was one of four finalists chosen to appear live on the “Today” show for the “Sing in the Spotlight with Jennifer Hudson” contest produced by the NBC morning program. But the longtime gospel singer was bested by 19-year-old Melissa Goscinski from Queens, N.Y., who got to share the stage with Hudson as her prize.

Byrd Taylor Richmond police are searching for two men in connection with a shooting Monday in the 100 block of East 33rd Street in South Richmond. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Roosevelt Byrd or Khadim Taylor is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. Byrd, 20, of the first block of East 31st Street, is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds, police said. Taylor, 22, of the 100 block of West Blake Lane, is 6 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds.

A construction worker was rescued late last night from a 20-foot-deep trench in South Richmond after being trapped there for nearly six hours. Today, local and state officials continue their investigation.

A Richmond police officer and another driver were injured in a three-vehicle crash this morning at Bells Road and Jefferson Davis Highway.