Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page C01

Kailorb ourant WHALE WIN The Whale defeat Bridgeport 4-1 and clinch a playoff berth for the first time in two years. Page C2 SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011 SPORTS COURANT.COM MOBILE.COURANT.COIVI COLLEGE BASKETBALL Maya Moore Wins Second Wooden Award Moore, UConn's all-time leading scorer was also the Big East player of the year, the USBA and ECAC player of the year and UConn's first four-time Associated Press All-American. Moore also won the Naismith Trophy, the the Wade Trophy, also won the Wooden in 2009 as a sophomore. Her former UConn teammate, Tina Charles, won the award last season. Moore received 678 votes in winning this year.

Baylor's Brittney Griner was second with 566 votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Jimmer Fredette of BYU won the men's Wooden Award, beating out Kemba Walker of the national champion UConn men's team. Fredette was the first winner Fredette Men's Player Of The Year By JOHN ALTAVILLA jaltavillacourant.com Maya Moore added a final college award to her collection Friday when she received the Wooden Award in a ceremony in Los Angeles. from BYU since Danny Ainge in 1981, receiving 3,761 votes. Walker was second with 3,356 votes and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger finished third with 2,637.

The Wooden Award, which goes to the national player of the year, was first awarded to women in 2004, when it was won by Duke's Alana Beard. Moore joins LSU's Seimone Augustus (2004-05) and Tennessee's Candace Parker as two-time WOODEN, C2 Moore Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and the Wade Trophy this season. Moore, the only three-time winner of FENWAY OPENER: RED SOX 9, YANKEES 6 JIM ROGASH GETTY IMAGES ALL SIGNS point to Dustin Pedroia being safe as he eludes the tag of Russell Martin in a five-run second. Pedroia had three RBI. More photos at courant.comrivalrycetitral.

PICKING UP AT HOME Animated Theo, Retiring Manny Fenway Subplots Pedroia Gets Red Sox Going BOSTON You knew they weren't going to go 0-162, didn't you, Red Sox fans? Didn't you, Yankees fans? It was the home opener, so you figured the Red Sox would trot out someone special from under the giant American flag draped over the Green Monster. And even though it was kept a secret, it wasn't a surprise that Carl Yastrzemski emerged to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The real surprise comes today, when Jim Calhoun shakes off the sign, wheels around and calls for Shabazz Napier to catch him. Even if John Lackey (who surrendered seven hits and six runs in five innings) didn't deserve the win, you knew matters had to improve for the Sox. C'mon, everybody and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman projected the Sox to be amazing this year.

The lineup is too good, certainly much better than its .181 average through six losses. On JACOBS, C3 9-6 Friday in the home opener. "I've never seen a team so happy to be 1-6," manager Terry Francona said. "That's the best we could do today. You've got to start some- Saturday: where." Nova vs.

Buchholz, It started 1 p.m., Fox CT the way good things have often started here in recent years, with Dustin Pedroia igniting it. After the Yankees took a 2-0 lead, he homered to kick-start Boston's struggling SOX, C5 By DOM AMORE damorecourant.com BOSTON This was supposed to be homecoming, and the Red Sox were to be homecoming kings. Instead, it was more like a trial, with the grand expectations of the winter in the dock. But the Fenway Park fans greeted the return of their team with innocent joy, gave them the benefit of any doubts, and the Red Sox responded with their first victory of the year, beating the arch-rival Yankees 4t JEFF JACOBS jjacobscourant.com THE MASTERS Tiger Woods shoots 6-under-par 66 to move within three shots of leader Rory Mcllroy entering the third round (3:30 p.m., Ch. 3) at Augusta National.

Story, Page C3 ago after playing 41 games with the Rangers, but he's already back on Broadway. Speaking of New York, Jay-Z may run this town, but not the NBA. The league fined the Nets $50,000 because the hip-hop mogul and team minority owner went into the locker room after Kentucky clinched a Final Four berth. It's against NBA rules for team personnel to have contact with players who aren't draft-eligible. Tiger Woods 2011, meet Tiger Woods 2005.

As he charged through Augusta National Friday, Woods looked like his old self. He shot a 6-under 66 to pull within three shots of leader Rory Mcllroy. It was his best round at the Masters since 2005, his last victory at Augusta. Fit him for the green jacket. pdoylecourant.com It's an appropriately bizarre ending to an often bizarre career.

Manny Ramirez was informed that he failed a drug test for the second time and was facing a 100-game suspension. Instead, he retired. That's Manny being Manny. At his best, he was among the finest right-handed "ur hitters of his generation. Instead of Cooperstown, he'll probably fade into oblivion, or he'll turn up on "Dancing with the Stars" next year.

If we've learned one thing over the past 18 seasons, it's that Manny will surprise us. That sound you heard Friday was the exhaling of fans in six states. The Red Sox ended their week of misery, winning their first game of the season with a victory over the Yankees in their home opener. Whether inspired by Carl Yastrzemski's ceremonial first pitch or Theo Epstein's pregame pep talk, the Red Sox ended their losing streak and lifted some stress from the lives of their fans. Of course, winning pitcher John Lackey (six runs in five innings) was uninspired by Yaz and Theo.

Lackey was bad, but Phil Hughes was worse. He allowed six runs in two innings and has been touched for 11 in six innings over his first two starts. Meanwhile, losing pitcher Bartolo Colon gave up two runs and struck out five in 4V6 innings and was the Yankees' best pitcher. Could the big guy elbow his way into the rotation? Violet Smith celebrated her 109th birthday by throwing out the first pitch before a Class A game in Midland, Thursday. Accompanied by her 72-year-old son, Violet's pitch bounced and rolled to the catcher.

She still had a smidge more heat on her fastball than Hughes did. As the Whale began their final weekend of the regular season, forward Mats Zuccarello was recalled by the Rangers. Zuccarello was demoted a week k. vcmm Basketball Commemorative Section A Look Back At The Run To The National Title By The UConn Men's Basketball Team 5 Wins In 5 Days At The Big East Tournament Followed By 6 Wins In The NCAA Tournament Will Forever Go Down In Huskies History..