Sports Briefs: Barboursville’s Neuhauser wins VSGA Women’s Am

STATE GOLF

Neuhauser holds off Greenlief for title

DANVILLE - Whitney Neuhauser (Barboursville) played at pitching wedge approach to 10 inches to set up a conceded birdie at the second extra hole, the par-4 second, to outlast Lauren Greenlief (Oakton) in 20 holes in the VSGA Women's Amateur title match.

Neuhauser, 21, a rising senior at the University of Virginia and the event's stroke-play medalist and top seed, won her first VSGA Women's Am title. She reached the round of 16 at this year's U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

A three-time runner-up at the VSGA Junior Girls Championship, she also finished second at the 2007 Virginias Women's Stroke Play before breaking through for her first victory in a VSGA championship.

TENNIS

Fish, Blake fall in Davis Cup

POREC, Croatia - Marin Cilic outlasted Mardy Fish in five sets to give Croatia a 2-0 lead over the United States after the opening singles of their Davis Cup quarterfinal yesterday. Cilic beat Fish 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-1, 8-6 in a match that lasted 4 hours, 23 minutes and ended at 1 a.m. local time.

Much earlier, Ivo Karlovic pounded 47 aces and rallied from two sets down to beat James Blake 6-7 (5), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-5 on an indoor clay court. The best-of-five series resumes today with doubles and concludes with reverse singles tomorrow.

NHL

Capitals sign forward Morrison

ARLINGTON - The Washington Capitals have found a possible second-line center for next season, signing free agent Brendan Morrison to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Morrison, who turns 34 next month, has played 12 seasons with Dallas, Anaheim, Vancouver and New Jersey. He was waived by the Ducks in March, claimed the next day by the Stars, and finished the season with 16 goals and 15 assists in 81 games between the two teams. Morrison has 175 goals and 330 assists in 755 career games. In other NHL news:

• The Montreal Canadiens have signed free agent Paul Mara to a one-year contract, adding size and experience to their group of defensemen. Mara, 29, had five goals and 16 assists in 76 games with the New York Rangers last season. Monteral also signed forward Travis Moen to a three-year contract. Moen started last season in Anaheim but was traded to the San Jose Sharks. He had seven goals and nine assists between the two teams.

• Free agent forward Ales Kotalik signed a three-year, $9 million deal with the New York Rangers. Kotalik had 20 goals and 43 points in 75 games with the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers last season, the fourth time in six seasons he reached the 20-goal mark.

• The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Jay McKee to a one-year contract. McKee had one goal and seven assists and 44 penalty minutes for the St. Louis Blues in 69 games last season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

2 Seminoles regret roles in scandal

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Two Florida State football players implicated in the university's academic-fraud case say they regret their roles in a scandal that could tarnish Bobby Bowden's legacy. In interviews with the Orlando Sentinel, senior defensive tackle Budd Thacker and senior linebacker Dekoda Watson, both projected starters, expressed remorse that their transgressions - and those of 23 other current or former teammates - could mean the NCAA strips their hall of fame coach of as many as 14 victories.

BASEBALL

Body of former Cubs reliever found

CAMILLA, Texas - Searchers have recovered the body of former Chicago Cubs reliever Jessie Hollins, who was reported missing on a southeast Texas lake. Mr. Hollins, 39, apparently drowned while fishing below Lake Livingston Dam on Thursday afternoon, according to the Texas Department of Parks & Wildlife. Selected by the Cubs in the 40th round of the 1988 draft out of San Jacinto Junior College, Mr. Hollins appeared in relief in AROUND THE STATE

VCU announced the addition of volleyball recruits Grace DeMichelis, Michala Kvapilova, Marisa Low and Grace Perilli. The Rams open the 2009 season with the Black and Gold Scrimmage on Aug. 23 at the Siegel Center. - From Staff and Wire Reports