Wednesday's sports briefs

UW gets commitment from 14-year-old Jordan Schmaltz, a 14-year-old defenseman from Verona, Wis., by way of the Chicago Mission youth program, has committed to the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team. Schmaltz, who will be a freshman at Verona High School next month, is thought to be the youngest prospect to commit to UW.

The earliest he could play for the Badgers is 2012-13. Three others -- Jack Skille, Kyle Turris and Nick Pryor, a defenseman currently with the National Team Developmental Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. -- committed when they were 15.

Schmaltz's father, Mike, called the offer surreal: His son hasn't even had his first high school class yet.

NCAA rules don't allow college hockey coaches to contact recruits until the end of their sophomore year in high school. But there's nothing to keep an athlete from approaching them.

Bob Tway's son gains at U.S. Amateur Kevin Tway, the son of former PGA champion Bob Tway, defeated Philip Francis 2-up in the first round of match play at the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst, N.C. Tway won a matchup of former U.S. junior amateur champions.

Peter Croonquist of Minneapolis failed to survive a 26-man playoff early Wednesday to get to medal play.

U.S. beats Guatemala in Cup qualifier Carlos Bocanegra scored on a header in the 69th minute, and the U.S. escaped from Guatemala with a chippy 1-0 victory in the Americans' opener in the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying in Guatemala City.

• Taylor Twellman had a goal and assist, and New England (11-6-3) beat D.C. United (9-10-1) in MLS play, 2-1 in Foxborough, Mass. At Houston, Kei Kamara scored two goals for the Dynamo (8-4-8) in a 4-0 victory over Chivas USA (6-9-5).

NBA: Center Theo Ratliff, 35, returned to the Philadelphia 76ers, seven years after he was traded from the team. And the new Oklahoma City franchise, the former Seattle SuperSonics, waived Donyell Marshall.

Auto racing: Kyle Busch extended his record for combined victories in NASCAR's top three series to 17, winning the O'Reilly 200 Craftsman Truck Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Little League: Iolana Akau homered in his first action since getting hit by a pitch, and Pikai Winchester hit two homers as Hawaii moved on at the World Series with a 9-4 victory over Mill Creek, Wash., in South Williamsport, Pa. The victory put Hawaii into the U.S. finals on Saturday. Tokyo clinched a berth in the international finals after beating Willemstad, Curacao, 11-4. Final matchups won't be set until after tonight's games.

ASSOCIATED PRESS