The Noon Optimist Major League All-Stars gave up an early three-run homer and weren’t able to recover, falling in the championship bracket final to the Altamont Little League All-Stars 5-2, Wednesday. 

Despite the loss, Noon Op can still claim the championship. They will play in the loser’s bracket final Friday at 10 a.m. If they win that game they would advance to the championship, which will be against Altamont Saturday at 10 a.m. If necessary, the second game would be played Sunday at 2 p.m.

The Noon Optimist Major League All-Stars advanced to the championship bracket final with a nail-biting 7-6 victory over the Short Horn Little League All-Stars, Tuesday. 

Noon Op had a comfortable 7-1 lead in the sixth inning, but Short Horn made things interesting. They rallied for five runs, before Noon Op pitcher Lukas Gutierrez picked up the final two outs to give Noon Op the victory. 

Cal Villareal paced the Noon Op offense, going 3 for 4 from the plate, including a three-run homer in the fourth inning that gave his team a 4-1 lead. Villareal started the game for Noon Op and pitched 2 1⁄3 innings, striking out five batters and giving up just one hit, a solo homer. 

Bryce Hoskins and Dominic Dunlap each pitched 1 1⁄3 innings, with each hurler picking up four strikeouts. 

At the plate, Dunlap and Hoskins each drove in a run. 

Noon Op will take on the Altamont Little League All-Stars from Albuquerque, today at 11 a.m. The winner of the game will advance to the overall championship game. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is on target for his second start of the year in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 7.

The 2009 Derby winner worked a mile in 1:40.14 under jockey Calvin Borel on Wednesday.

CONCORD, N.H. — Gerina Mendoza carded a final-round 75 on Sunday and finished tied for 52nd at the Duramed FUTURES Tour’s The International at Concord, held at Beaver Meadow Golf Course at Concord, N.H.

Mendoza finished the tournament at 2-over-par 218. She tied Blair Lamb, Miriam Nagl, Leanne Bowditch, Gemma Webster, Kathleen Ekey and Jenny Gleason for 52nd place and won $718.

Starting on the back nine, Mendoza recorded five straight pars to open her round, but bogeyed Nos. 15, 16 and 17 to go to 3-over for the day. She finished her first nine with a par on No. 18 and went out in 39.

RUIDOSO DOWNS — Hall of fame jockey Jacky Martin capped his return to race riding from a 4-year absence by winning his fifth Rainbow Futurity aboard Dolores and Robert Gerhardt’s Hes To Icy For Me at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday.

The Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity was a showdown between quarter horse racing top-two ranked 2-year-olds — American Runaway and Llano Teller — but Hes To Icy For Me prevailed by a nose over American Runaway to get the victory. Llano Teller finished seventh.

This Corona is Cold, a 16-1 outsider, was one-half length back for third.

The Carlos Sedillo-trained Hes To Icy For Me raced the 400 yards in 19.409 seconds over the sloppy racing surface.

“This may be better than any win I’ve had,” said Martin, who is a member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame.

“I didn’t think it would be this quick (winning a major futurity). Charlie (Sedillo) gave me this opportunity when I came back. It’s a great opportunity,” Martin said.

ALAMOGORDO — The Noon Optimist Major League All-Stars advanced to the semifinals of the championship bracket on Monday by claiming a four-inning 12-0 victory over the Enchantment Little League All-Stars from Los Lunas.

Bryce Hoskins, Dominic Dunlap and Cal Villareal led the way for Noon Op, combining for nine strikeouts and a no-hitter of Enchantment.

Hoskins worked two perfect innings in the starting role for Noon Op, striking out all six batters he faced. Dunlap came on in relief and struck out one and induced two ground-ball outs.

CONCORD, N.H. — Gerina Mendoza turned in a 2-over-par 74 and is tied for 85th with 19 other players after the first round of the Duramed FUTURES Tour’s The International at Concord.

Mendoza’s card featured two birdies, 12 pars and four bogies on the par-72, 6,260-yard Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Concord, N.H. 

Mendoza opened with a pair of pars, but bogeyed the par-3 third to go to 1-over. She followed that with a birdie on No. 4, but gave that shot back with a bogey on the fifth.

Former Roswell High School tennis players Samantha Dunn and Bailey Martinez signed their letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic career at New Mexico Military Institute, Tuesday. 

For Dunn, the Coyote’s No. 1 singles player last season, the opportunity to continue playing competitive tennis was a big reason why she chose to become a Bronco. 

Joely Pique

Special to the Daily Record

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — Leave it to Tiffany Joh to totally underestimate her prodigious talent or to downplay her ability to chase down a strong tournament leader and come out on top after a four-hole playoff.

The affable and always entertaining second-year pro did just that Sunday when she roared from five shots back to win the $100,000 ING New England Golf Classic, finally ending the head-to-head battle in extra holes against Gerina Mendoza with a birdie on her last trip to the 18th hole at Wintonbury Hills Golf Course.

The champions of the 20th annual Rotary Desert Sun Classic were crowned on Sunday evening at Spring River Golf Course.

The 126 players in this year’s event played their final rounds on the par-71 tract. In total, eight players in the field finished under par for the tournament.

Micah Rudosky claimed the championship among the professionals, firing a final-round 66 on Sunday to claim the title by four strokes.