Sports in Brief: Notre Dame bans starting QB Golson

Quarterback Everett Golson is out for at least the fall semester at Notre Dame, saying he has been suspended by the university for what he called poor academic judgment.

"I take full responsibility for my poor choices and will do all that is asked of me to regain the trust of my family, friends, teammates, coaches and the entire Notre Dame community," he wrote in a letter released Sunday by the university.

Golson was officially no longer enrolled at Notre Dame as of Friday, university spokesman Dennis Brown said.

Golson helped the Irish go 12-0 during the regular season last year, regain the No. 1 ranking for the first time in nearly two decades and get to the national title game against Alabama in January.

SOFTBALL: Kutztown earned a 7-2 come-from-behind victory over ninth-ranked Grand Valley State to advance to the NCAA Division II softball national championship game on Monday at the James I. Moyer Complex in Salem, Va.

Pitcher Dominique Ficara (Kingsway) got the win, going 51/3 innings, striking out two and walking one. She allowed six hits and one run.

BASEBALL: Gloucester Community College beat Niagra Community College, 8-5, at the National Junior College World Series D-III in Tyler, Texas, to advance to Monday's semifinal.

Bill Mendek (Gloucester Catholic) got the win, while Kevin Walsh (Sterling) picked up the save.

TENNIS: Sam Querrey said he won at the French Open in Paris because he didn't care if he lost.

The highest-ranked American on the men's tour credited a more positive attitude for a first-round victory over Lukas Lacko of Slovakia, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Merely by winning a match, Querrey equaled his best showing ever at Roland Garros.

Top-ranked Serena Williams beat Anna Tatishvili of Georgia, 6-0, 6-1. Mallory Burdette continued her ascent since leaving Stanford last year with a successful Roland Garros debut, beating Donna Vekic of Croatia, 6-3, 6-4. Venus Williams, seeded 30th, couldn't set aside lower back pain that made it difficult to serve in a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4 loss to Urszula Radwanska of Poland.

HARNESS RACING: Economy Terror won the $250,000 Betsy Ross Mares Invitational at Harrah's in Chester by three-quarters of a length over Rocklamation in 1 minute, 51.1 seconds, benefiting from a ground-saving trip behind early leader Drop The Ball while several horses, including favorite Anndrovette, were forced to race outside for the entire mile.

A 4-year-old mare, making her seasonal stakes debut, won for the 14th time in 29 career races and pushed her earnings to $1.49 million for owners Howard Taylor of Philadelphia, Ed Gold of Phoenixville and Chuck Pompey of Archbald, Pa.

Economy Terror paid $21.80 to win.

In the $250,000 Maxie Lee Memorial Trot, Wishing Stone led from start to finish and equaled the track record of 1:52 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke. Wishing Stone, the favorite, paid $4.40 to win.

AUTO RACING: At least 10 fans were injured and several Sprint Cup cars were damaged when a rope cable from the Fox television skycam above Charlotte Motor Speedway fell over the track and grandstands in Turn 4 during the Coca-Cola 600. The race was won by Kevin Harvick.

SOCCER: Defender Jamison Olave blasted home a shot in the opening minute of injury time and the host New York Red Bulls tied the Columbus Crew, 2-2. - Staff and wire reports