WASHINGTON (AP) – Roger Clemens has been acquitted on all charges he obstructed and led to Congress in denying he used performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens was charged with two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing Congress when he testified at a deposition and at a nationally televised hearing in February 2008. The charges centered on his repeated denials that he used steroids and human growth hormone during a 24-year career produced 354 victories.

NEW YORK (AP) – New York Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey threw his second consecutive one-hitter last night in Queens while the New York Yankees collected their 10th straight win by beating Atlanta in the Bronx. Dickey struck out a career-high 13 and became the first major leaguer to pitch consecutive one-hitters in nearly 24 years to lead the Mets over Baltimore 5-0. Derek Jeter drove in three runs and CC Sabathia (suh-BATH’-ee-uh) pitched a seven-hitter as the Yanks topped the Braves 6-2.

SAN DIEGO (AP) – LaDainian Tomlinson officially retired from the NFL yesterday after signing a ceremonial contract with the San Diego Chargers. The NFL’s fifth-leading rusher on the career list played the first nine of his 11 pro seasons in a Bolts uniform before playing out the string with the New York Jets.

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) – The judge in the Jerry Sandusky molestation trial says the defense has about a day and a half left of testimony and that they could begin deliberations on the case as early as Thursday, a quicker schedule than had been expected. The defense called six witnesses yesterday, all of whom did little to directly counter the testimony last week by eight young men who accused the former Penn State assistant football coach of sexually abusing them when they were children. Former Penn State assistant Dick Anderson testified that he and other football staff members were present when Sandusky brought young boys into the team’s showers, but he said he never witnessed anything inappropriate.

INTERLEAGUE

N-Y Yankees 6 Atlanta 2
Cleveland 10 Cincinnati 9
N-Y Mets 5 Baltimore 0
Houston 9 Kansas City 7
Chi Cubs 12 Chi White Sox 3
Milwaukee 7 Toronto 6
Arizona 7 Seattle 1
San Francisco 5 L.A. Angels 3
Texas 2 San Diego 1

The Colorado Rockies have to be thrilled about a momentary respite from interleague play. The Rockies are 1-11 against American League teams this season, but before they conclude their interleague schedule this weekend, they visit the Philadelphia Phillies, with game one of their three-game series tonight. Like the Rockies, the Phillies have underachieved this season, and currently reside in last place in the National League East. But the five-time defending division champions will hope to prolong the Rockies’ struggles as they send star left-hander Cole Hamels to the mound. Fellow southpaw Josh Outman toes the rubber for the Rockies, who have lost ten of their last eleven games to fall a season-high 15 games below the .500 mark. Outman is winless in three starts since joining the Rockies rotation. First pitch in the City of Brotherly Love is set for 6:05.

The North Platte First Nationals take to their home field tonight for a doubleheader against Twin Cities. It’s the first time on the Bill Wood Field turf since splitting a double-dip against Columbus last Thursday evening. The First Nationals are 7-5 at home this season. North Platte defeated Twin Cities in their season opener back on May 19 in Scottsbluff. First pitch for the opening game tonight is scheduled for 5:30.

A winning streak and a title run both came to shocking ends at the College World Series yesterday. The nightcap in Omaha saw two-time defending champ South Carolina lose for the first time in 13 College World Series games. The Gamecocks fell to Arkansas 2-1. The Razorbacks got six stellar innings from Ryne Stanek on the mound, and single runs in the first and fourth innings held up as the Hogs moved into the drivers seat in pool play at 2-0. In the day’s first game, top national seed Florida left the bases loaded in the ninth inning in a stunning 5-4 loss to Kent State, sending the Gators home early. The Golden Flashes took a 5-1 lead after four innings thanks in part to two Florida errors, and hung on in the ninth to stay alive in the tournament. Tonight in Omaha, Florida State and UCLA play an elimination game at 7 PM.

Salary information for the top three assistant coaches on new Nebraska head men’s basketball coach Tim Miles’s staff was released yesterday. Chris Harriman, hired away from St. Louis University, will be the top paid assistant at a salary of $200,000 per year. Ben Johnson will make $185,000 per year, and Craig Smith will pull in $160,000 per year. All three assistants will work under two year contracts, a stipulation written into Miles’ contract.

Park Ridge, Ill. – Michigan State basketball player Draymond Green and Ohio State track athlete Christina Manning were named the Jesse Owens Male and Suzy Favor Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, the conference office announced on Monday. The Big Ten Athletes of the Year are selected by a panel of conference media members from nominations submitted by each institution.

(by Dan Mihalik, Big Ten Conference)

Green is the second Michigan State standout to win the Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year honor and first since 2001, when hockey standout Ryan Miller won the award. The senior from Saginaw, Mich., completed a record-setting career for the Spartans after being named NABC Division I National Player Year and a consensus All-American in 2011-12. Green averaged 16.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game en route to Big Ten Player of the Year accolades, leading the Spartans to a share of the conference championship and a victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament final. He amassed more than 1,000 points and rebounds in his career, only the third Michigan State player in program history to achieve the feat, and ended his career as the Spartans’ all-time leader in boards (1,096). A unanimous All-Big Ten selection, Green was also voted to the conference’s All-Defensive Team and finished the year as the only conference player to rank among the top 10 in scoring (fifth), rebounds (first) and assists (eighth). He capped his career in the NCAA Tournament, where the Spartans earned a No. 1 seed and Green joined Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Oscar Robertson as the only players to record two or more triple-doubles in NCAA Tournament play.

After winning two national championships this past season, Manning completed her Ohio State track career as one of the program’s most decorated athletes. The Waldorf, Md., native leaves the Buckeye program as an 11-time All-American and 10-time Big Ten Champion, while also owning school records in four individual events (60- and 200-meter dash and 60- and 100-meter hurdles) and two relays (4×100-meter and sprint medley). During the indoor campaign, Manning won the 60-meter hurdles national title with the fourth-fastest time in NCAA history. At the Big Ten Indoor Championships, she won conference titles in the hurdles in meet record time and the 60-meter dash in school-record fashion. During the outdoor season, Manning placed first in the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. In addition, she won the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles titles, and was part of the victorious 4×100-meter relay squad at the Big Ten Championships. She garnered Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year accolades in the indoor and outdoor seasons.  Manning is the third Buckeye to win the Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year award, following volleyball’s Laura Davis in 1995 and basketball’s Jessica Davenport in 2007.

The Big Ten Conference has recognized a Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year since 1982 when Indiana’s Jim Spivey earned the inaugural award. The following year, a women’s award was created. In 1991-92, as part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of women’s athletics in the conference, the women’s award was renamed in honor of former Wisconsin track standout and three-time recipient Suzy Favor.

The complete list of 2012 Jesse Owens and Suzy Favor Athlete of the Year nominations, as well as the list of all-time winners for each award, can be found below.

2012 BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

School                                    Male Nominee                                     Female Nominee

Illinois                                     Andrew Riley (track & field)              Colleen Ward (volleyball)  

Indiana                                   Andy Bayer (cross country/track)     Allysa Vavra (swimming)

Iowa                                        Matt McDonough (wrestling)             Jessica Barnett (field hockey)

Michigan                                Kellen Russell (wrestling)                   Felice Mueller (rowing)

Michigan State                      Draymond Green (basketball)           Caroline Powers (golf)

Minnesota                             Tony Nelson (wrestling)                      Ashley Wittman (volleyball)

Nebraska                               Lavonte David (football)           Ashley Miller (track & field)

Northwestern                       John Shurna (basketball)                    Taylor Thornton (lacrosse)

Ohio State                             Zain Shaito (fencing)                            Christina Manning (track & field)

Penn State                             David Taylor (wrestling)                      Maya Hayes (soccer)

Purdue                                   Kevin Plawecki (baseball)                   Ariel Turner (volleyball)

Wisconsin                              Montee Ball (football)                         Brianna Decker (ice hockey)

INTERLEAGUE
Atlanta at N-Y Yankees 6:05 p.m.
Cincinnati at Cleveland 6:05 p.m.
Baltimore at N-Y Mets 6:10 p.m.
Kansas City at Houston 7:05 p.m.
Chi Cubs at Chi White Sox 7:10 p.m.
Toronto at Milwaukee 7:10 p.m.
Seattle at Arizona 8:40 p.m.
San Francisco at L.A. Angels 9:05 p.m.
Texas at San Diego 9:05 p.m.

MIAMI (AP) – LeBron James had 29 points and 14 rebounds and Dwyane (dwayn) Wade added 25 points as the Miami Heat beat visiting Oklahoma City 91-85 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Kevin Durant’s 25 points led the Thunder, who will be looking to even the series on Tuesday night in South Florida.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Webb Simpson carded a 2-under-par 68 in the final round and won the U.S. Open by a stroke over Graeme McDowell and Michael Thompson. It’s the first major title for the former Wake Forest golfer.

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) – Dale Earnhardt Jr. thanked his fans for sticking with him after ending a 143-race winless drought by taking the checkered flag at Michigan International Speedway. Junior’s last Cup win was nearly four years ago at the same venue.

INTERLEAGUE
Detroit 5 Colorado 0
Pittsburgh 9 Cleveland 5
Toronto 6 Philadelphia 2
Baltimore 2 Atlanta 0
N-Y Yankees 4 Washington 1
Tampa Bay 3 Miami 0
Minnesota 5 Milwaukee 4, 15 Innings
Kansas City 5 St. Louis 3, 15 Innings
Texas 9 Houston 3
L.A. Angels 2 Arizona 0
San Diego 2 Oakland 1
L.A. Dodgers 2 Chi White Sox 1, 10 Innings
Seattle 2 San Francisco 1
Boston 7 Chi Cubs 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati 3 N-Y Mets 1

NBA FINALS
Miami 91 Oklahoma City 85 (MIA leads series 2-1)

Big Red Weekend turned into the big recruiting weekend the Husker football coaching staff had in mind when they scheduled the inaugural event. Nebraska received a pair of commitments for the class of 2013 from players who visited over the weekend. Three-star athlete Nathan Gerry will come to the Huskers from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A two-way player in high school, Gerry will play strong safety for the Big Red. He also had offers from Iowa, Michigan State and Minnesota, among others. Commitment number eleven came the day following Gerry’s pledge. Gabriel Miller, a long snapper from Mishawaka, Indiana, accepted Nebraska’s offer. Miller also had interest from Indiana, Illinois and Purdue. He will be expected to immediately replace PJ Mangieri once the Husker’s current long snapper departs after the 2012 season.

The Colorado Rockies dropped the rubber game of their interleague series in Detroit with a 5-0 loss to the Tigers yesterday afternoon. Though the Rockies had seven hits on the afternoon, they did nothing with them, in large part due to 13 strikeouts. Tigers starter Max Scherzer racked up a dozen of those punchouts in his eight innings of work. Rockies hurler Jeremy Guthrie saw his woes continue. He allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits in just three innings before leaving the game following an hour-long rain delay. After Friday’s win, back-to-back losses have sent the Rockies to a season-high 15 games under the .500 mark. They’re also a woeful 1-11 against American League foes. The Rockies have tonight off as they travel to Philadelphia for a three game series against the Phillies, opening tomorrow night.