Promoter wins default suit against Canseco

NEW YORK (AP) — A celebrity boxing promoter has won a default judgment against Jose Canseco for breach of contract after the former major-league slugger instead sent his twin brother for the bout.

Damon Feldman, of Broomall, Pa., won his complaint Wednesday after Canseco failed to show for his district court appearance. Feldman’s attorney, Bob Bush, says the award was for a little more than $7,600.

Feldman had claimed Canseco backed out and made twin brother Ozzie pass himself off as the baseball star for the scheduled March 26 bout in Hollywood, Fla.

Feldman said he advanced Canseco $5,000 and paid another $1,500 for the former MVP to fly himself to the event. Feldman refused to let Ozzie Canseco compete.

Pitcher loses no-hitter after scoring change

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Pacific Coast League has nullified a no-hitter thrown by Omaha pitcher Luis Mendoza after changing a ninth-inning error to a double.

The Triple-A league says Wednesday that the Memphis Redbirds requested that it review an at-bat by Tyler Greene in the bottom of the ninth of Monday’s game in Memphis.

Greene smacked a ball to deep left field that was misplayed by Omaha’s David Lough. Lough was given an error, but the official scorer changed it to a hit shortly after the game.

An hour later, the play was again ruled an error.

The league says it awarded Greene a double after reviewing replays and speaking with officials who were at the game.

The ruling wiped out what would have been Mendoza’s second no-hitter thrown in PCL play.

Pre-season NIT field names host sites

NEW YORK (AP) — Syracuse, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Stanford will be the hosts for the opening doubleheaders of the 2011 NIT Season Tip-Off.

The pairings for the 27th edition of the tournament were announced Wednesday.

The first two rounds will be Nov. 14-16. The semifinals and finals are at Madison Square Garden Nov. 23 and 25.

Syracuse will host Manhattan with Albany facing Brown in the other game. Monmouth will be at Virginia Tech with George Mason playing Florida International. Oklahoma State will host Arkansas-Pine Bluff with Oral Roberts meeting Texas-San Antonio. Fresno State will be at Stanford with Colorado State taking on SMU in the other game.

NCAA makes rule

changes for softball

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA is telling softball teams to provide a list of bat models to umpires for inspection before games and will give teams a choice when a delayed dead ball is called.

A delayed dead ball occurs when a runner leaves base before the ball leaves the pitcher’s hands. Umpires will signal when the runner leaves early but the play will continue. If the runner is called out, the pitch would not count.

Batters who stay inside the batter’s box will not be required to attempt avoiding getting hit by a pitch to be awarded first base.

The committee also will require all brick, wood and cement backstops and home run fences to be padded before 2016.