Old Dominion: 2018-19 Conference USA Men's Basketball Champions

FRISCO, Texas – Old Dominion is dancing! The Monarchs will make their return to the NCAA Tournament after an eight-year hiatus.

ODU defeated Western Kentucky  in the Conference USA Championship 62-56 on Saturday evening.

This will be the 11th NCAA Tournament appearance for Old Dominion, and the first since 2011. It’s also the first Conference USA title since joining the conference in 2013.

ODU last won a conference tournament title in the CAA back in 2011.

Xavier Green led ODU with 16 points. Ahmad Caver had a near double-double with 10 points and nine assists.

The Monarchs will find out their opponent and destination Sunday on News 3 at 6:00 p.m. during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.

Syracuse: 2018 Camping World Bowl Champions

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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Syracuse sent Eric Dungey out a winner, and got a good look at its future.

Dungey capped his record-setting college career by throwing for 303 yards, Abdul Adams and Trishton Jackson combined to score three touchdowns in their Syracuse debuts and the 17th-ranked Orange got their first 10-win season since 2001 by topping No. 15 West Virginia 34-18 in the Camping World Bowl on Friday.

"The trophy is really, really heavy," Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. "And I'm glad we got it."

The Orange ended with a flourish, too: Down 18-17 going into the final quarter, they scored 17 points in the first 5:01 of the fourth.

"Just very thankful," Dungey said, talking through tears. "I've been through a lot. ... All I want to do is compete. I'll get grief for crying, but I've been through a lot here. All I can say is I'm very thankful."

Adams rushed for two first-half scores, and Jackson hauled in a TD pass from Dungey on the first play of the fourth quarter for Syracuse (10-3), which survived a game that featured eight lead changes. Adams (from Oklahoma) and Jackson (from Michigan State) are transfers who had to sit out a year, which by NCAA rule was satisfied at the end of the first semester.

Their touchdowns counted; their year will not. Under the new NCAA rule on redshirting, Adams and Jackson still have two remaining seasons of eligibility, and both are expected to play big roles for the Orange in 2019.

"It's going to be fun to watch Syracuse in the future," Dungey said.

Jack Allison, making his first collegiate start because West Virginia star quarterback Will Grier elected to skip the bowl game and focus on preparing for the NFL, completed 17 of 35 passes for 277 yards for the Mountaineers (8-4). Besides Grier, West Virginia was also without two of his three top targets this season -- Gary Jennings was ruled out long ago with an ankle injury, and Marcus Simms was a surprise scratch.

"I can make a bunch of excuses," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. "We played a good team. Give Coach Babers a lot of credit. They played good all year."

He also gave Allison high marks. Allison had thrown 10 passes this season before Friday.

"Proud of him," Holgorsen said. "He's had how many snaps this year, 10, 11? I thought his demeanor was good."

Kennedy McCoy had a 3-yard touchdown run for West Virginia on a direct snap, and Evan Staley made four field goals for the Mountaineers.

Kendall Coleman had three sacks for the Orange. Andre Szmyt made a pair of field goals for Syracuse, ending his freshman season with 30 -- one shy of the Football Bowl Subdivision record set in 2003 by Georgia's Billy Bennett.

THE TAKEAWAY

Syracuse: Dungey came into the game holding or sharing 18 Syracuse records, and got another one in his collegiate finale. He passed Ryan Nassib (9,190) for most passing yards in Syracuse history, finishing his career with 9,340. "The only thing I care about is we got to 10 wins for the first time since 2001," Dungey said. ... Adams said he learned midseason that he could play in the bowl game. "I knew I would be ready," he said.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers fell in a bowl game for the third consecutive season, but probably have a good idea about their starting quarterback in 2019. Allison had nine completions go for more than 15 yards.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Syracuse will end the season in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2001, when it finished No. 14. The last time the Orange finished a season higher than that was 1992, when they were No. 6.

RARE MISS

Staley came in as one of 13 major college kickers to be 75-for-75 or better on extra-point tries over the last two seasons. He missed his first PAT attempt Friday, the ball bouncing off the right upright. Going back to his senior high school season, Staley -- who was only 7 years old when he told late coach Bill Stewart that he was going to West Virginia -- had made 101 consecutive PAT tries.

UP NEXT

Syracuse: Visit Liberty -- and new coach Hugh Freeze -- on Aug. 31, 2019.

West Virginia: Host James Madison on Aug. 31, 2019.

Wyoming: 2017 College Basketball Invitational Champions

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Hayden Dalton scored 19 points with 11 rebounds and Justin James added 17 points to carry Wyoming to an 83-59 win over Coastal Carolina to claim the CBI championship on Friday.

Dalton sank 5 of 9 from long range in notching his 12th double-double of the season. Wyoming (23-15) won the last two games -- at home -- by 24 points each in the best-of-three College Basketball Invitational finals series after dropping the opener by 10 on the road.

It was Wyoming's first major postseason title since winning the 1943 NCAA championship.

Coastal Carolina (20-19) was led by Demario Beck with 17 points, while Jaylen Shaw had 10.

Dalton, who was scoring 12.1 per game, had only 27 combined in the previous four games in the CBI but tallied his highest total since garnering 21 against Fresno State on Feb. 8.

"I took the same shots last game and they were falling this game," he said. "My teammates had confidence in me. They just said, `Keep shooting."

Wyoming was outshot and outrebounded in the first game, a 91-81 loss, but turned the tables in both categories at home and also reduced its turnovers to seven after 15 giveaways in each of the first two contests.

"Taking care of the ball, rebounding and guarding. That's what we did for these last two games," James said.

Bringing a national championship to Laramie for the first time in 74 years is special, he said.

"Feels amazing," James said. "Not a lot of people get to end their season off with a win. For us to do that is amazing." And with all but two seniors returning next year? "We'll be ready to play, just know that."

One senior, Jason McManamen, finished with two more 3s to put his school record at 210. His 1,034 career points is fourth-most for a Wyoming product.

Wyoming coach Allen Edwards said the difference in elevation was a factor: Laramie is 7,220 feet above sea level. Coastal Carolina's home in Conway, S.C. is 33 feet. With that in mind, he pushed the tempo.

"We wanted to fatigue them a little bit," he said. "And throughout the game you saw Coach (Cliff) Ellis take a few timeouts just to give his guys some rest."

Ellis was without injured starter Colton Ray-St Cyr for the second straight game. Shivaughn Wiggins, the point guard all season, played for the first time in three weeks but was ineffective. Beck and Shaw had nagging injuries as well.

"We didn't shoot the ball well. We weren't patient enough," Ellis said. "(Wyoming) played extremely well. This is a tough out, here. We had some injuries. We're not going to use that as an excuse. Their 3-point shooting is just immaculate. "

Wyoming shot 35 percent from the arc (13 of 37) while Coastal Carolina sank only 19 percent (4 of 21).


The Chanticleers, who never led, closed within 44-34 after a 3-pointer by Joseph Williams-Powell from the top of the key with 15:37 to play. But James' layup and a trey by Dalton ignited an 18-7 roll that left the Cowboys ahead 62-41.

The Chanticleers never got closer than 18 after that, and the lead eventually reached 81-51 late.

Wyoming closed the first half on a 22-4 surge as Dalton hit a trio of 3s, snared five rebounds and dished out an assist during the run, which left the Cowboys up 42-23.

A flagrant 1 foul by Williams-Powell on Wyoming's Louis Adams seemed to spark the Cowboys. It came moments after Williams-Powell's jumper drew the Chanticleers within 20-19.

Coastal Carolina will lose four seniors.

Kentucky: 2016-17 Southeastern Men’s Basketball Champions

De'Aaron Fox scored 18 points, and No. 8 Kentucky won its third straight Southeastern Conference Tournament championship by beating Arkansas 82-65 on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

The Wildcats (29-5) added their 30th tournament title all-time to their 48 regular season championships in convincing fashion.

The Razorbacks couldn't string together points the way they usually do, not with Kentucky answering every big bucket with its own run. The big spurt came as Kentucky scored 13 straight points to end the first half and into the opening minute of the second that turned a three-point lead to a 46-30 edge.

Arkansas (25-9) fell to 1-6 in this championship, having lost to Kentucky for the second time in three years.

The game got very chippy inside the final couple minutes after Arkansas hit six straight shots, the last a 3-pointer by Jaylen Barford, to pull within nine for the only time in the second half.

Dusty Hannahs was given a flagrant foul for knocking Kentucky guard Dominique Hawkins to the court with his forearms, then Moses Kingsley went to the locker room with 1:02 left for his physical foul of Fox in the paint.

Kentucky finished by outscoring Arkansas 9-1, the final points a 3 by Fox.

Malik Monk and Bam Adebayo each finished with 17 points, and Hawkins added 14 for Kentucky.

Daryl Macon led the Razorbacks with 18 points, Hannahs had 14 and Barford 13.

Kentucky started much quicker than the Wildcats have in recent games, never trailing by more than two in a fast-paced first half that featured four ties and six lead changes. Arkansas last led at 18-17 midway through the half before Monk scored to put Kentucky ahead for good.

When Macon hit a 3-pointer with 3:33 left to pull Arkansas within 33-30, the Wildcats took over.

Derek Willis hit Kentucky's first 3-pointer after the Wildcats missed their first four, Hawkins followed with another and Mychal Mulder beat the buzzer with a 3 for a 42-30 halftime lead.

Adebayo started the second half with two free throws and a layup to push Kentucky's lead to 16 points. The Wildcats pushed that to as much as 19 to finish off another title.

FC Barcelona: 2015-16 Copa Del Rey Champions

Jordi Alba’s goal in the seventh minute of extra time capped a stunning turnaround of events and handed FC Barcelona a well-deserved 2–0 victory over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey final on Sunday night at the Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid.

Neymar tacked on a goal just instants before the final whistle. Lionel Messi had both assists.

Overall, the title is Barça’s fourth of the season. The Catalans beat Sevilla in an extra-time thriller in the UEFA Super Cup final to start the season before winning the FIFA Club World Cup in December.

With the La Liga championship already in the bag, Sunday’s Copa del Rey win — the 28th in Club history — means Barça have emerged on top in both of this season’s national competitions, giving them the coveted domestic double and ensuring the 2015/16 season will be hailed as a success for years to come.

An hour before Alba’s scored the eventual game-winner, though, the outlook was not as bright.

After dominating possession through the first 30 minutes of the final, FC Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano were slapped with straight red card in the 36th minute for getting tangled up with Sevilla’s Kevin Gameiro as he raced in on goal.

Later, not long after the second half had gotten underway, Barça received a second shock, as Luis Suárez had to leave the game with an injury after stretching just a bit too far to haul in a pass.

As Suárez sauntered off gingerly, Luis Enrique conferred with his assistants in the face of what was looking more and more like a chess match.

With Sevilla getting ever deeper into Barça territory and threatening to take the lead, midfielder Éver Banega was shown a red card after tackling Neymar from behind just outside the box. Just like Mascherano, Banega was also judged to be the last man.

Tasked with a 22-metre free kick to essentially win the game, Messi somewhat awkwardly lobbed the ball over the wall before it was slapped over the bar by Sergio Rico.

Nevertheless, when the whistle came signalling the end of regulation, Barça, no longer down a man, were visibly relieved and used the hiatus to regroup both physically and mentally.

The Barça XI came out of the huddle looking as confident as they had all evening. If they were going to win this one they would have to do it like they did in last summer’s Super Cup — in extra time.

And that’s just what happened.

Retaking control of the game, Messi picked out Alba with a long pass and the speedy full-back hauled it in before flicking it past Sergio Rico for the game’s first score in the 97th minute.

Celebrations erupted on the Barça bench and among the throngs of supporters who had made the trip to Madrid.

There were still 20 minutes left of extra time. As the clock plodded on into triple digits, players from both sides appeared to be on the verge of physical exhaustion.

With Sevilla now fighting for their lives, defender Daniel Carriço was booked twice in the 120th minute after a hard tackle on Messi followed by a surplus of vociferous protest.

On the ensuing play, and with the game, and the tournament, all but over, Messi found Neymar in the Sevilla area and the Brazilian slotted past Rico, touching off FC Barcelona’s second title celebration in the last eight days.

Kentucky: 2014-15 SEC Men's Basketball Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Willie Cauley-Stein scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and top-ranked Kentucky never trailed in beating No. 21 Arkansas 78-63 on Sunday in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game.

The Wildcats (34-0) are only the fourth team to go into the NCAA Tournament undefeated since Indiana finished off the last perfect season with a title in 1976. They paired their 28th SEC tournament title with their 46th regular season championship.

Andrew Harrison also scored 15 points for Kentucky, and his brother Aaron had 11.

The Razorbacks (26-8) were trying to win their second tournament title and first since 2000.Michael Qualls, coming off the bench for only the second time this season, scored 18 points, while Bobby Portis, the coaches' pick for SEC player of the year, added 13.

Unlike last season when Arkansas swept Kentucky, these Wildcats proved to be just too good.

Real Madrid: 2014 FIFA Club World Cup Champions

The praise heaped on Real Madrid by the team’s FIFA Club World Cup rivals before the tournament turned out to be justified. The hot favourites more than lived up to expectations in Morocco by winning their fourth trophy of 2014, making this the most successful calendar year in the club’s history.

The ruthless manner in which Madrid brushed the opposition aside may have had a familiar look to it – after all, Carlo Ancelotti’s men had conquered Europe in May by winning the UEFA Champions League for the tenth time. But the team’s current 22 game winning streak, the most recent of which came with a 2-0 victory over San Lorenzo in the final, has taken Los Merengues to another level. Madrid, who disappointed at their last appearance at the Club World Cup in 2000, will now make sure the trophy takes pride of place in the Santiagao Bernabeu cabinet.

"It’s a fitting end to an unforgettable year. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and delighted with our performances. For me, Real Madrid are the best team in the world," said Ancelotti who, after winning the Club World Cup in 2007 with Milan, is now a two-time world club champion.

But while the manager is entitled to enjoy his team’s success, he is also already thinking about the future. "I’m proud to say that I have a very professional, serious and focused group of players to work with. I'd be delighted if we could repeat what we’ve achieved this year.”

It’s a fitting end to an unforgettable year. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and delighted with our performances. For me, Real Madrid are the best team in the world.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti

It would take a brave man to bet against it. With a talented, versatile squad, Madrid showed how dangerous they are once again in Morocco, even though their biggest star did not find the net. This season’s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score in the wins over Cruz Azul (4-0) and San Lorenzo, but still managed to play a key role in his team’s triumph. And as proof of the team’s versatility, it was a central defender who scored the decisive goals.

Plaudits and records
Sergio Ramos set Madrid on the road to victory in both the semi-final and the final, thanks to the same strength, determination and positional awareness he displayed when scoring the dramatic late equaliser in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid. The adidas Golden Ball award he received after the tournament was a fitting reward for this goalscoring defender’s heroics.

“It has been a really memorable year for me, and I'm delighted to have been able to contribute goals in important matches. It’s the happiest phase of my life, both on a personal and professional level," said Ramos. "I can’t ask for much more than this, but tomorrow I’ll start to think about our next trophy. We know this team can keep on achieving great things.”

In terms of making history, Real, who have now equalled Milan’s record of four World and Intercontinental Cup wins, a number of players had special reason to celebrate: Iker Casillas, as the only survivor from the team that came fourth in 2000; Toni Kroos, the midfield colossus and provider of the passes for Ramos’ goals, who won his third world title in 12 months; and Cristiano Ronaldo, who after winning the Club World Cup with Manchester United in Japan in 2008, becomes one of the few players to have won the trophy with two different teams. And the incredible achievements of this team may be just beginning.

No surprises
Not only did Real Madrid’s triumph in Morocco represent the climax of the club’s phenomenal current run, but it also confirmed the recent domination of European sides in the tournament. It was the seventh win in 11 editions for the UEFA representatives, and the third time an Argentinian team has been defeated in the final. After overcoming modest Auckland City in the semi-final with a 2-1 extra time win, San Lorenzo could not repeat the heroics that won them the Copa Libertadores.

I can’t ask for much more than this, but tomorrow I’ll start to think about our next trophy. We know this team can keep on achieving great things.

Sergio Ramos

Still, the team showed great courage against a side which even the San Lorenzo players had described as "the best in the world” before the tournament. "We knew it’d be a very tough game but we didn’t fall far short. We made a couple of errors [for Madrid’s two goals] and you can’t afford a single moment of carelessness against a team like this with players of this class,” said Leandro Romagnoli after the final.

But even if the champions made fulfilling their role as favourites look easy, the Club World Cup in Morocco hardly lacked surprises and great stories. The biggest shock of all was undoubtedly provided by New Zealand’s Auckland City, who, after numerous unsuccessful appearances at the tournament, finally earned their place in history.

Tremendously improved on previous years, the semi-professional team led by Catalan coach Ramon Tribulietx recorded confident victories over Moghreb Tetouan and ES Setif, gave an organised, skilful display against San Lorenzo in the semi-final, and eventually claimed an improbable third place after overcoming Cruz Azul on penalties.

Nor was Auckland’s success the result of the team riding its luck. "I'm so proud of what we’ve achieved. We didn’t lose a single game [in normal time], and we deserved to come third because we were fantastic from start to finish. These players are the real moral winners," said Tribulietx.

Despite coming from a country accustomed to a more direct style of play, the impact of Auckland’s tactical innovations were clearly visible: the team made headlines around the world, and the players are guaranteed an unprecedented welcome back home. No one will underestimate this team in future tournaments.

Historic moments 
According to midfielder Christian Gimenez, there was a sense of shame associated with Cruz Azul’s fourth place finish in Morocco. Although the team started the tournament well enough, in the end they could not avoid another frustrating campaign for Mexico’s representatives at the Club World Cup.

I'm so proud of what we’ve achieved. We didn’t lose a single game [in normal time], and we deserved to come third because we were fantastic from start to finish. These players are the real moral winners.

Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx

Still, at least the team provided one of the most memorable images of the competition during their victory over Western Sydney Wanderers. After putting his team ahead in extra-time in a match played in pouring rain, Hugo Pavone dived chest first into one of the many puddles on the waterlogged pitch in Rabat. "It was like being a child again. When it rained, the best way to celebrate was always to dive into a puddle."

The striker's joy that day came in sharp contrast to the disappointment of the Wanderers players. After the fairy tale of winning the AFC Champions League in 2014, two defeats sent the young Australian side home early. At least they managed to score two great goals in the Match for Fifth Place: one by Romeo Castelen, and the other by Vitor Saba, whose terrific free kick brought to mind Ronaldinho’s goal in last year’s competition. The similarity was no coincidence: the Brazilian spent six months watching Ronaldinho practicing free-kicks when he played for Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro. "I picked up a few tricks," he joked.

In the same game, ES Setif provided African fans with one of their few happy memories of the tournament by claiming fifth place. While Abdelmalik Ziaya scored a marvellous goal, driving a bouncing ball into the top corner, it was goalkeeper Sofiane Khediairia who ultimately emerged as the hero during the penalty shoot-out. Unlike 2013, when Raja Casablanca caused a sensation by reaching the final, the African representatives did not have much cause to celebrate in 2014.

Or perhaps they did. Even though Morocco’s Moghreb Tetouan also failed to impress, the number of white shirts and flags in the stands showed that the fans in Marrakech had adopted Real Madrid as the newest local team. "The support we received from the fans was a pleasant surprise. We felt at home," said Carlo Ancelotti. After that, all he and his players had to do was what they have become very good at doing – win a title, and play some great football. It is becoming something of a habit for this Real Madrid team.

The Stats
Teams: 7
When: 10-20 December, 2014
Final: Real Madrid 2 v 0 San Lorenzo
Games: 8
Goals: 20 (average of 2.5 per game)
Total attendance: 228,021 (average of 28,503 per game)

San Francisco Giants: 2014 World Series Champions

KANSAS CITY -- The names roll smoothly off the tongue, for they have become legendary. Willie Mays. Willie McCovey. Barry Bonds. Juan Marichal. Christy Mathewson. Carl Hubbell. Mel Ott. Each occupies a hallowed spot in the pantheon of Giants franchise greats. Add another to this distinguished group: Madison Bumgarner.

The 25-year-old left-hander joined this distinguished group Wednesday night by completing a World Series performance that just might rank as the finest by a Giant in the club history. He garnished his victories in Games 1 and 5 with five shutout innings of relief to earn the save in Game 7 to help San Francisco outlast the Kansas City Royals, 3-2. The decision sealed the Giants' third World Series triumph in five seasons.

"Right now, I'm not tired at all," said Bumgarner, who came on in relief of winning pitcher Jeremy Affeldt. "We just won the World Series. It's hard to be tired right now. Probably tomorrow I'll be tired, though."

After the Giants scored what proved to be the winning run in the fourth inning on Michael Morse's RBI single, Kansas City used three relievers to blank the Giants over the final five innings -- something Bumgarner did all by himself on two days' rest after pitching a four-hit shutout in Game 5.

"He was throwing so well, there was no way I could take him out," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "Just get on him and ride him. Again, it's just amazing what he did. The innings were easy, and we had his pitch count about where he ended, and he said he was exhausted at the end."

Bumgarner's effort was nothing short of remarkable. He yielded a single to the first batter he faced, Omar Infante, before proceeding to retire the next 14 batters he faced.

Then, with the Giants one out from victory, Alex Gordon lined a single to left-center field on an 0-1 pitch. After the ball skipped past center fielder Gregor Blanco, left fielder Juan Perez struggled to pick it up as Gordon raced to third base.

That didn't faze Bumgarner. Salvador Perez popped a 2-2 pitch into foul ground outside of third base, where Pablo Sandoval made a careful, two-handed catch before falling backward in ecstasy. The Giants, many of whom played on the Series-winning teams of 2010 and '12, flooded the field in celebration.

Bumgarner became the first left-hander to pitch at least four innings in Game 7 of the World Series on two days' rest since the illustrious Sandy Koufax beat the Minnesota Twins in 1965.

"He's incredible," said Morse, who drove in two runs. "He's incredible. He's a different human being. Yesterday, I told him, 'If you're going to go out there tomorrow, you better bring it.' And he said, 'Just watch me.' This guy, every start, he gets better and better. And this is what you get. What you see, is what you get." 

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

MadBum keeps dominating: Three days removed from a shutout in Game 5, Madison Bumgarner has delivered a relief appearance for the ages, conjuring up memories of Pedro Martinez in the 1999 American League Division Series by blanking the Giants from the start of the fifth through the end of the eighth.

Bumgarner gave up a leadoff single to Omar Infante, then retired the next 12 batters in order, requiring only 52 pitches to twirl four scoreless innings. The Giants' ace has given up all of one run in 20 innings in the World Series, setting him up to be the Most Valuable Player of the Fall Classic if the Giants finish it off.

Fire on the mountain: Madison Bumgarner began his much-anticipated relief appearance in the fifth inning of Game 7, recording three outs to pass Curt Schilling for the most innings (48 2/3) in a single postseason.

It wasn't all smooth; Bumgarner gave up a leadoff single to Omar Infante and a sacrifice bunt to Alcides Escobar before Juan Perez -- starting in left over natural first baseman Travis Ishikawa -- made a running stab of Nori Aoki's line drive to prevent the tying run from scoring. Bumgarner then struck outLorenzo Cain to break Schilling's record, which stood for 13 years.

That sent Game 7 into the sixth inning, with the Giants clinging to a 3-2 lead.

Bullpens, assemble: Both starting pitchers were out of Game 7 before three and a half innings were complete. Giants righty Tim Hudson was taken out, replaced by lefty Jeremy Affeldt, with two outs in the bottom of the second. And with one out and runners on the corners in the top of the fourth, Royals rightyJeremy Guthrie was pulled in favor of righty Kelvin Herrera -- the Royals' typical seventh-inning guy.

Herrera proceeded to give up an RBI single to Michael Morse, giving the Giants a 3-2 lead, then struck out Brandon Crawford and got Juan Perez to ground out, limiting the damage. Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence started the inning with back-to-back singles, making them a combined 22-for-51 in this World Series (a .431 batting average).

Replay! It did not take long for instant replay to have an impact on Game 7.

With Lorenzo Cain on first base and one out in the third, Giants second baseman Joe Panik made a terrific diving stop of Eric Hosmer's ground ball near the bag, flipping it with his glove to Brandon Crawford for the inning's first out. Crawford then set his eyes on first base, delivering the ball there just as Hosmer slid in headfirst.

First-base umpire Eric Cooper initially called Hosmer safe, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy challenged and umpires reversed the ruling following a two-minute, 57-second review. It was the second replay review in World Series history, following an unsuccessful Ned Yost challenge in Game 4.

Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt recorded a quick third out from there, moving a 2-2 game into the fourth.

Royals back in business: Moments after the Giants took a two-run lead in the top of the second, the Royals tied it up, took Tim Hudson out of the game and almost lost their Gold Glove catcher.

Billy Butler led off the bottom of the second with a sharp single up the middle, then motored around the bases to barely score on Alex Gordon's liner in the right-center-field gap, a double that gave Gordon only his fourth hit in 25 at-bats this World Series.

On the next pitch, Hudson's 89-mph cutter caught Salvador Perez on the side of the left knee. Perez had a hard time getting up, and initially couldn't put any weight on his left leg, but he gingerly made his way toward first and remained in the game.

Gordon then tagged and went to third on Mike Moustakas' flyout to left field and scored on a liner to center field by Omar Infante. Lefty Jeremy Affeldt replaced Hudson after Alcides Escobar's single, then retired the left-handed-hitting Nori Aoki on a chopper that shortstop Brandon Crawford fielded right on top of second for the forceout.

One night after Jake Peavy recorded four outs, Hudson recorded just five.

Two Giant runs: Considering how strong these two bullpens are, both managers spoke to the importance of jumping out to an early lead in Game 7. The Giants were the ones who actually did it, parlaying a bases-loaded, no-outs rally into a two-run second inning.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie opened the second by loading the bases on a hit batsman and two singles. Michael Morse and Brandon Crawford then hit consecutive sacrifice flies, giving the Giants a 2-0 lead. By the time the rally ended, left-hander Brandon Finnegan was already warming up in Kansas City's bullpen.

Everybody up: For 28 consecutive years, they suffered through losing seasons and empty Octobers, waiting, anticipating, a night like this. And from the moment the first pitch of Game 7 came in at 7:11 p.m. CT, it was evident. A sold-out Kauffman Stadium crowd stood on its collective feet the entire first inning, basking in a windless 55-degree night while living and dying with each pitch.

They roared when Gregor Blanco flew out to center field to start the game, went nuts when Mike Moustakas made a diving play on Buster Posey's sharp grounder, completing a 1-2-3 first for Jeremy Guthrie, and began waiving towels after Nori Aoki's one-out walk in the bottom half. Royals fans finally sat down after Lorenzo Cain's fielder's-choice groundout and Eric Hosmer's swinging strikeout ended the first -- but only momentarily.

Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Haft-Baked Ideas, and follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.