Paw Prints – The Daily Roundup – 4/10

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

UConn Women’s Basketball links

quickly, quickly [Alysa Auriemma]

Feeling a draft [Elm City to Eagleville]

“Big” news: Kara Wolters summer basketball camp info [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

UConn’s Montgomery Drafted By Minnesota [Hartford Courant]

Obama Congratulates Auriemma [Hartford Courant]

Montgomery goes 4th in WNBA draft

Obama congratulates Geno, Huskies [Waterbury Republican-American]

Montgomery heading to Minnesota [New Haven Register]

Engeln latest to commit to UConn women [New Haven Register]

VIDEO: Renee Montgomery drafted by Minnesota [New Haven Register]

Renee Montgomery drafted by Lynx [Connecticut Post]

California recruit Engeln picks UConn [Connecticut Post]

Obama looks forward to UConn visit [Connecticut Post]

After busy 48 hours, Montgomery is drafted by Minnesota [New London Day]

Hofstra women will face national champ UConn [Newsday]

Talk begins now of UConn Huskies repeating as women’s NCAA basketball champion [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

Charleston player picked fourth in WNBA Draft [Huntington Herald-Dispatch]

Parity needed now more than ever in women’s basketball [Tulsa World]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Calhoun Returning For 24th UConn Season [Hartford Courant]

Surprise Of Calhoun’s Decision In The Timing [Hartford Courant]

Yahoo! Corrects Duration Of Calhoun-Nochimson Call

Calhoun to return for next season [Norwich Bulletin]

Calhoun ends rumors, will return [New Haven Register]

Calhoun to return for 24th UConn season [Connecticut Post]

Calhoun ends speculation — he’s returning to UConn [New London Day]

UConn Football links

Which Big East teams can improve their win totals in ’09? [Big East Blog – ESPN.com]

Do Bennett And Ryan Equal Two New Starters? [UConn | Football]

An Add-On [UConn | Football]

Got My Numbers Crossed On The OL [UConn | Football]

Dixon tries to put best foot forward [Connecticut Post]

Other UConn related links

Welcome To The Alps, Suckah! [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

This Week’s Sign Of The Apocalypse [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

Women’s Lacrosse: Connecticut Takes on Rutgers on Saturday at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball: UConn-Rutgers Series Change [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball: Folino Pitches Huskies to 10-5 Victory Over Rutgers [UConnHuskies.com]

Volleyball Hosts Spring Tournament on Saturday [UConnHuskies.com]

Softball: Huskies Outlast Rutgers 6-5 [UConnHuskies.com]

Softball: Homers Push Huskies Past Rutgers 2-0 [UConnHuskies.com]

Cheerleader of the Week: UConn’s Kaitlin Carey [Extra Mustard]

Dance Fever Takes Over Fenway Park

Welcome to Fenway Park

There really must be something in the water or the beer at Fenway Park.

After the opening day game on Tuesday, this old man got his groove on with a few girls. During Wednesday night’s game, we have this idiot getting his drunk dancing on. And now before Thursday’s game, we have this older gentleman doing a little dancing.

Editor’s note: Unfortunately I had to link to the video from Thursday because if you embed more than one video from NESN, it goes to the first one which is the Eck-tionary one that is posted below. My apologies for this.

Dancing With The Stars Comes To Fenway Park [SOX & Dawgs]

Man gets swerve on with two girls outside Fenway Park [Red Sox Monster]

Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Pitching Matchups: 4/10-4/12

Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitching matchups

Friday, April 10th @ 10:05 PM

Tim Wakefield, RHP (First start) vs Jered Weaver, RHP (First start)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Saturday, April 11th @ 4:10 PM

Brad Penny, RHP (First start) vs Joe Saunders, LHP (1-0, 0.00)

TV: FOX

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Sunday, April 12th @ 3:35 PM

Josh Beckett, RHP (1-0, 1.29) vs Dustin Moseley, RHP (0-0, 4.50)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Rays Take Rubber Game From Red Sox 4-3

BOSTON - APRIL 9: Carlos Pena #23 (L) and Evan Longoria #3 (R) of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate their win, 4-3, over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park April 9, 2009, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

I’m pretty sure the Boston Red Sox wish they could not see Matt Garza again this season. That probably won’t happen though since the Tampa Bay Rays and  Red Sox still have 15 more games to go this season.

Garza continued his mastery of the Red Sox throwing 7 strong innings as the Rays hit three homers on their way to a 4-3 win over the Red Sox in front 37,784 sun soaked fans at Fenway Park.

Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the 9th, Jason Varitek got the local nine to within one run with a solo home run to right center, his second of the season, off of Rays closer Troy Percival. He then got Jacoby Ellsbury to fly out and Dustin Pedroia to ground out before a walk to David Ortiz. Kevin Youkilis flew out to end the game to drop the Red Sox to 1-2 while the Rays improve to 2-1.

BOSTON - APRIL 9: Daisuke Matsuzaka #18 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after a rough inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park April 9, 2009, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty ImDaisuke Matsuzaka started for the Red Sox and didn’t look the MVP of the World Baseball Classic. He was touched up for 4 runs on 9 hits (3 homers) and 3 walks while striking out 5 in 5 1/3 innings. Manny Delcarmen worked an inning, walking two while Ramon Ramirez went 1 2/3 innings with a strikeout. Hideki Okajima struck out 1 but walked 2 and gave up a hit and 2/3 of an inning. Justin Masterson retired the only batter he faced.

Garza went the 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5 batters.

Youk once again led the Red Sox with 3 hits while Jason Bay added a triple and a RBI. Mike Lowell had a double and a RBI and Ellsbury has the other hit for the Red Sox. J.D. Drew went 0-for-4 and left 6 men on base while Jed Lowrie was 0-for-4 and left 3 men on base.

Dice-K started the 1st inning with a strikeout of his countryman Akinori Iwamura and got Carl Crawford to ground out to first. Evan Longoria followed with a double and Carlos Peña worked a walk. Dice-K escaped unscathed though as he struck out Willy Aybar.

The  Rays got on the board first when former Florida Southern (my alma mater) baseball player Matt Joyce led off the 2nd with a home run to right.

BOSTON - APRIL 9: Evan Longoria #3 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a home run against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park April 9, 2009, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)Dice-K walked Iwamura to start the 3rd and then struck out Crawford with Iwamura stealing second. It wouldn’t matter though as Longoria cleared the bases with a blast into the Green Monster seats to make it 3-0 Rays. Peña followed with a single but Dice-K got Aybar to strikeout and Joyce grounded to first for the final out.

Meanwhile Garza was just cruising along striking out 3 Red Sox batters and giving up 2 hits in the first three innings of work.

The Rays added to their lead in the 4th inning when Shawn Riggans crushed a Dice-K offering for a home run to right to make it 4-0. Jason Bartlett then doubled but Dice-K got Iwamura and Crawford to fly out to Ellsbury in center.

The Red Sox finally put up a number other than zero on the scoreboard in the 6th.

Youk led off with double off of Garza and went to third on a Drew fly out. Bay knocked in Youk with a triple to cut the Rays lead to 4-1. Mike Lowell couldn’t bring home Bay as he lined out to second and neither could Lowrie who flew out to left.

Brian Shouse started off the 8th for the Rays and got Big Papi to ground out to first. Youk followed with a single and went to second on a Drew groundout.  Joe Nelson took over for Shouse and walked Bay. Lowell brought in Youk with a double to make it 4-2. Nick  Green made his first appearance in a Red Sox uniform as pinch-runner with for Lowell but was left there stranded along with Bay as Lowrie struck out.

The Red Sox headed off to Anaheim after the game where they will take on the heavy-hearted Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a 3-game set this weekend. Tim Wakefield will start for the Red Sox and be opposed by Jered Weaver.

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Michael Phelps Who?

Hasheem Thabeet & Michael Phelps: “But the night wasn’t all fun and games for Phelps. During the course of the evening, the champ recognized UConn basketball player Hasheem Thabeet and went over to introduce himself. “Hasheem had absolutely no clue who Michael was, and [Phelps] walked away looking a little embarrassed,” says the onlooker” [Sports Crackle Pop]

The Rich Get Richer: UConn Women Snag Another Recruit

Laguna Hills sophomore Lauren Engeln has led her team into CIF-SS Division IV-A championship game. STEVE ZYLIUS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Just two days after the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team won the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, they grabbed another top-flight recruit in Lauren Engeln, a 5’11” guard, from Laguna Hills, CA who Geno Auriemma an oral commitment today.

Engeln joins ESPNU HoopGurlz #2 recruit Samarie Walker, #13 Stefanie Dolson and #19 Michala Johnson. Next up on the Huskies radar is #4 Bria Hartley, a 5’7″ point guard out of North Babylon, NY in the class of 2014. UConn has just one recruit in Kelly Faris coming in next season.

UConn Dials Cali [ESPN HoopGurlz]