Sports in Brief: Three accused Pitt stars to play

Three Pitt football players will play on Saturday against No. 4 Notre Dame despite being charged with simple assault and conspiracy in connection with an incident last month.

Running back Ray Graham, wide receiver Devin Street, and defensive back Lafayette Pitts deny they were involved in a confrontation with a student who told police he was hit in the head. The players were not arrested but have been mailed summonses to appear for a hearing Jan. 9.

Graham is the Panthers' leading rusher; Street is the team's leading receiver; Pitts is the team's top kick returner.

Pittsburgh police said in a criminal complaint that as they tried to disperse a crowd from an intersection near the campus on Oct. 21 the alleged victim, Karl Olsheski, a Pitt student, told them that the three men assaulted him but that he did not want to file a report.

BASEBALL: The Boston Red Sox have reportedly agreed to a $26 million, two-year contract with designated hitter David Ortiz. Ortiz batted .318 with 23 homers and 60 RBIs while missing almost half the season due to an Achilles injury.

The Chicago Cubs told closer Carlos Marmol the proposed trade to send him to the Los Angeles Angels for pitcher Dan Haren has fallen apart, a person familiar with the negotiations said. The Angels had until midnight to exercise Haren's $15.5 million option for next season.

St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire plans to accept an offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers to become the Dodgers' hitting coach, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

TENNIS: Fourth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, 6-2, 7-5, in the Paris Masters quarterfinals, while Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz stayed hot by ousting No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic. Ferrer's next opponent will be Frenchman Michael Llodra, who beat big-serving American Sam Querrey, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Janowicz was leading, 3-6, 6-1, 4-1, against Tipsarevic when the Serbian retired.

ICE SKATING: Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia took the lead after the short program at the Cup of China in Shanghai. Last season's world junior champion leads two-time world champion Mao Asada of Japan heading into the free skate on Saturday. American Mirai Nagasu is third.

AHL: The Phantoms got a goal from Harry Zolnierczyk but lost to visiting Syracuse, 4-1.

GOLF: Louis Oosthuizen shot a 9-under 63 to set a 36-hole World Golf Championship record and open a 5-stroke lead at the HSBC Champions in Shenzhen, China. He was at 16-under 128, the best two-round score in the WGC history.

In Scottsdale, Ariz., Jay Haas matched the Champions Tour record with a 10-under 60 to open a 5-stroke lead in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Haas became the eighth player in the history of the 50-and-over tour to shoot 60.
- Associated Press