Double

Charles Alley hit a two-run double with two out in the ninth inning last night to lift the visiting Delmarva Shorebirds over the Capital City Bombers, 7-5, in Single-A South Atlantic League action in Columbia, S.C.Alley finished 2-for-4 with a single, double and three RBIs. Tim DeCinces went 3-for-4 with two singles, a double and three RBIs for Delmarva (48-35).Phillies 3-2, Baysox 2-1: Winners Tony Fiore (6-3) and Robert Dodd (3-3) led Reading (40-40) to a doubleheader sweep of visiting Bowie (41-41)

Same opponent, same result for Florida - but this time with a more painful outcome. For the second time this season, Syracuse beat the Gators in double overtime. On Friday, it was a 14-13 win in the NCAA women's lacrosse semifinals at LaValle Field in Stony Brook, N.Y. The win for the No. 4 Orange came after top-seeded Florida saw a seven-goal lead disappear as Syracuse took its only lead of the game with its final goal. "It's a game or runs and they made their run when it counted," Florida coach Amanda O'Leary said.

Severna Park's Brad Bald, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound senior center and an Archbishop Spalding transfer, emerged as the Anne Arundel County public schools league's top big man this season. Averaging 17.7 points and 12.8 rebounds with 18 double doubles, Bald scored in double digits in every game this season and turned the Falcons (15-7) into a contender for the 4A East region. He and his brother, junior Brendan Bald, who is averaging 11.9 points, transferred together at the end of last year to Severna Park and had an immediate impact.

Baltimore police are investigating a double shooting at 11:33 p.m. Tuesday in the Beechfield neighborhood. Two men, ages 24 and 25, were shot in the 600 block of Brisbane Road, authorities said. The 24-year-old man is in critical but stable condition at a nearby hospital. The 25-year-old man is in serious but stable condition at a second nearby hospital. ywenger@baltsun.com Twitter.com/yvonnewenger

DEERFIELD, Ill. - Walgreen Co., the largest U.S. drugstore chain, said yesterday that it accidentally overcharged as many as 4 million customers buying gifts and decorations the two days before Christmas because its payment-processing system malfunctioned from overuse. Walgreen discovered the error on Christmas Day and electronically reimbursed customers whose credit or debit cards had been incorrectly double- and triple-charged, company spokesman Michael Polzin said. Some credits may not post on customers' accounts until early next week, he said.

The Anne Arundel County Liquor Board has issued one of its harshest penalties in recent years for serving minors, imposing a 30-day liquor license suspension and a $2,000 fine this week on the Double T Diner in Glen Burnie."

Facing a record budget deficit, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is seeking an additional $4 million in state funding to maintain its operations. Amid rising costs and slumping attendance, the zoo built up a $3 million deficit during the fiscal year ending in June, in part because of a decline in the number of visitors and a lack of funding for maintenance and upgrades at the aging attraction in Druid Hill Park, according to zoo officials. Funding for the zoo - which is largely subsidized by the state but also through limited resources from the city and area counties - has increased by an average of 1 percent annually since 1993.

The number of women having both breasts removed after a tumor is found in one increased 150 percent during a five-year period despite a lack of evidence that double mastectomies increase survival in most women, researchers reported yesterday. Guidelines for treatment of a localized breast cancer call for removal of the tumor and not for a mastectomy, let alone a double mastectomy. But an increasing number of women, particularly young, white women, are pushing for the more aggressive procedure for reasons that are not totally clear, the researchers said.

TORONTO - Someone asked Larry Hughes recently if he had figured out whether he was a point guard or a shooting guard, and the Washington Wizards veteran looked at the questioner quizzically, as if to say, "Silly rabbit, labels are for kids." "I want to make things happen, and I don't want to label myself in one position," Hughes said. "When you put me out there in any situation, I'm going to make the best out of it and I'm going to get the best out of the situation. To be able to make plays and score the basketball, you can't categorize that in one position."

SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Spurs had developed a nasty habit of letting teams linger around in playoff series, and it looked last night as though they would let the New Jersey Nets force a seventh game in the NBA Finals. However, power forward Tim Duncan and center David Robinson decided they had had enough, putting the Spurs on their backs one last time to power a withering 19-0 fourth-quarter run that won Game 6 of the series, 88-77, and the NBA championship as well. Not only did Duncan notch his 14th straight double double - marking the 22nd time in 24 playoff games this season that he had posted double figures in two categories - but his finishing line, 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and eight blocked shots, made for one of the greatest individual performances in championship series history.

Running A California couple won the men's and women's titles of the Down the Stretch for SGK Preakness 5K on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course . Neville Davey , a 37-year-old from Menlo Park, Calif., finished in 16 minutes, 1 second - 62 seconds ahead of Gabriel Rodriguez . Davey's girlfriend, Heather Tanner - who grew up in Howard County and graduated from Centennial - won the female division in 18:21, 40 seconds ahead...

The reassurance that he was 100 percent healthy following an offseason operation on a double hernia didn't come for Torrey Smith while running a route or going up to catch a pass. It came while the former University of Maryland standout was playing basketball this offseason, both in his charity game and one hosted by his teammate, Anquan Boldin . “I played in my basketball game and had like five dunks. I played in Anquan's and had like five dunks,” said Smith who was at Ray Rice Day today at Calvert Hall.

So much of the Washington Capitals' success in the postseason has stemmed from their ability to protect and hang on to even the slimmest of margins regardless of the adversity they faced. At a certain point, though, there was bound to be a break that went against them. On Monday night at Madison Square Garden it came in the form of a high-sticking call and double-minor penalty on Joel Ward late in the third period as Washington protected a one-goal lead. The New York Rangers scored twice on that power play — Brad Richards to force overtime, then Marc Staal 1:35 into the extra session — to secure a 3-2 victory and a three-games-to-two lead in this Eastern Conference semifinal series.

They open by reminding us that next week is the semifinals - can't believe we're there already! It's been a quick season. After the staircase introductions, we find out there will be two dances for each couple tonight and a double elimination tomorrow night. Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd They've got the tango tonight and in rehearsal, Donald's having trouble with his frame, so he watches footage of Derek for inspiration. OK, they're tangoing to "Higher Ground" and whether you think Stevie Wonder or Red Hot Chili Peppers when you hear this, it's still a weird ballroom choice.

Nick James Nopulos, former co-owner of Catonsville's venerable Double T Diner, died Saturday of complications from chronic lymphoma and leukemia at Howard County General Hospital. He was 91. The son of a barber and a homemaker who were Greek immigrants, he was born and raised in Weirton, W. Va., where he graduated in 1938 from Weir High School. In the late 1930s, he moved to Baltimore and took a job working for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 and completed his training at Fort Devens, Mass.

Europe is in recession. Portugal, Italy and Greece are basket cases. The British and Spanish economies have contracted for the last two quarters. It seems highly likely that France and Germany are in a double dip as well. Why should we care? Because a recession in the world's third-largest economy (Europe) combined with the current slowdown in the world's second-largest (China), spells trouble for the world's largest (that's still us). Remember, it's a global economy. Money moves across borders at the speed of an electronic impulse.

ARLINGTON, Texas - Orioles interim manager Sam Perlozzo received a phone call yesterday from one of his friends, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, who discussed all the concerns he holds about his football team after this week's season-opening victory. Perlozzo listened as Parcells highlighted a few positions that might need upgrading if the Cowboys are going to reach the playoffs. Finally, it was his turn. Though Perlozzo could have rambled for hours, given all the issues he inherited after Lee Mazzilli's firing last month, he stuck to one subject.

Astros: Craig Biggio got his NL-leading 26th double in the seventh.

Not one but two more special sessions of the Maryland General Assembly? And all because the state House and Senate wasted the regular session on trivial matters and expressions of ego. Neither the so-called governor nor his two minions in the legislature should draw a salary for the dog and pony show they exhibited this year. Maybe that would help defray the costs of this double-dipping. Even Doc Holliday said that his hypocrisy only went so far. F. Cordell, Lutherville

Sarah Hogan has scored other goals for Towson, but it's doubtful any have been more important or timely than against visiting James Madison on Sunday. The junior scored with 26 seconds left in double overtime to give the No. 17 Tigers a 10-9 win and the regular-season Colonial Athletic Association championship. Both teams entered the game with unblemished conference records, and both knew it was winner take all for the title. "I saw that Kelly [Custer] was being doubled and had nowhere to go, and she did a great job of getting me the ball," said Hogan, who fired a bullet past James Madison's Schylar Healy for the game winner.