UMass hockey players leave for minors

University of Massachusetts hockey players James Marcou and Matt Irwin are following Casey Wellman out of Amherst.

Shortly after the sophomore center left school early to sign a free agent contract with the Minnesota Wild this week, Marcou and Irwin both signed with the San Jose Sharks.

Amherst returns to hockey final

ST. PETER, Minn. - For the returning players on the Amherst College women's hockey team, the memory was still fresh.

OT loss for Jeffs in basketball semifinal

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - It took overtime this year, but the result was the same as in 2009 for the Amherst College women's basketball team in the NCAA Division III final four.

Minutewomen win two softball games

University of Massachusetts sophomore pitcher Sara Plourde struck out 31 batters as the Minutewomen swept two games at the San Diego Classic on Friday.

She fanned 14 in the first game, a 5-0 win over Illinois-Chicago, and then whiffed 17 in a 3-1 victory over San Diego as UMass improved to 14-5.

Plourde gave up one run and nine hits combined in the two games and walked six.

College lacrosse enjoying boom in U.S.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - At spring break, Joe Ernst took his college athletes on a memorable road trip to compete in their thriving sport.

Basketball? Nope. Baseball? Guess again. The Southwestern University team headed north from Texas to play lacrosse in Michigan.

Pierce, Allen lead Celtics past Rockets

HOUSTON - Paul Pierce scored 26 points, Ray Allen hit five 3-pointers and had 19 points, and the Boston Celtics snapped Houston's four-game winning streak with a 94-87 victory over the Rockets on Friday night.

Beckett back as Sox fall to Pirates

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) - Josh Beckett pitched 3 1-3 innings after missing his last start because of an illness, allowing four runs on six hits as the Boston Red Sox lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-7 on Friday.

Beckett, who walked two and struck out one, was slated to pitch Sunday against the Minnesota Twins but was a late scratch.