The Slippery Rock University women's softball team has earned its first-ever berth into the NCAApost-season competition.

SRU(27-15), the No. 7 seed, will meet No. 2 seed Bloomsburg (48-9) in first-round action at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Rock will meet either third-seeded Kutztown (45-12) or sixth-seeded Shippensburg (27-24) on Thursday.

Ron Milanovich and amateur Dave Parker of St. Jude Golf Course, Travis Dickson and Dave McKenzie of Treesdale Golf and Country Club and Rob McClellan and Bob Jackson of Butler Country Club all finished in a seven-way tie for third place with a 67 at the Bridgestone Golf Pro-Scratch Amateur Monday at the Butler Country Club.John Mazza and Stan Namola of Harmony Ridge GC and Ryan Sikora and Billy Burke of Totteridge GC each shot a 66 to tie for first place.Dickson finished second in the low professional event with a 68, one shot behind Bob Ford of Oamonth Country Club and Joe Boros of Treesdale tied for fifth (71). Parker finished tied for third in the low amateur event (71).

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The trainer of euthanized filly Eight Belles adamantly defended the way jockey Gabriel Saez handled the Kentucky Derby runner-up.In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Larry Jones said Saez applied the whip only to prevent Eight Belles from crashing into the rail during the race on Saturday.People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for Saez to be suspended, contending he should have noticed an injury and pulled the horse up rather than applied the whip.

NEW YORK — Roger Clemens apologized for unspecified mistakes in his personal life, a statement Brian McNamee's lawyers intend to use to attack the pitcher's credibility at trial.The Daily News reported last week Clemens had a relationship with music star Mindy McCready that began when she was 15 and an aspiring singer. The newspaper also linked Clemens to former Manhattan bartender Angela Moyer and Paulette Dean Daly, a former wife of golfer John Daly."Even though these articles contain many false accusations and mistakes, I need to say that I have made mistakes in my personal life for which I am sorry," Clemens said in a statement issued by spokesman Patrick Dorton. "I have apologized to my family and apologize to my fans."