SPORTS digest

Tennessee’s Gabriel earns SEC honor

STARKVILLE, Miss.

For the second straight year, Tennessee senior Erin Gabriel has been named to the SEC Softball Community Service Team.

The 2012 Poland High School graduate is the seventh Volunteer to be named to the SEC Community Service team and the first player to be named to the team twice.

This year, Gabriel worked with Goals for Girls, teaching a nutrition education class to underprivileged elementary age girls at a local elementary school. She assisted with the construction of a home for a family in Knoxville with Habitat for Humanity.

With Angels of Hope, she assembled care packages for those in need with food and essential household items. Gabriel has been active in activities sponsored by the Tennessee athletic department, including the annual Holiday Dinner for the homeless and the annual VOLOween Halloween event.

Thursday, Gabriel helped No. 3 seed Tennessee advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals with a 5-1 victory over No. 11 seed South Carolina. Gabriel and Matty Moss, who combined to give up just one run and four hits.

Gabriel got the start and was credited with her 19th win of the year after striking out three in four innings of work. Moss, one of three Tennessee players to be named to the SEC All-Freshman team, was perfect over the final three innings to earn her first-career save.

FIFA doping testers target Russian team

MEXICO CITY

FIFA doping testers turned up unannounced Thursday to collect samples from Russian soccer team FC Rostov amid suspicions of meldonium use during its surprise pursuit of the league title.

The Rostov starting 11 were tested after they won 3-1 at leader Dynamo Moscow to move within two points of the Russian capital club with two games remaining, FIFA medical chief Jiri Dvorak told The Associated Press.

Rostov only remained in the Russian top flight after a relegation playoff last year and has stunned soccer by being involved in the title race this season. Dvorak said Rostov, which is owned by the regional government in southern Russia, was “absolutely” compliant with his doping testing team.

Cavs’ James ties retirement to kids

CLEVELAND

LeBron James will soon face a triple-team he can’t beat.

The NBA superstar, who is making another run toward a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers, said Thursday that he will extend his playing career only as long as his three children will let him.

“It’s kind of up to my kids, really,” said the 31-year-old father, who is in his 13th season as a pro. “I’ve missed so much of my kids’ tournaments and things of that nature when I’m playing. So, it’s kind of up to them. They’ll let me know when they’re tired of seeing me go away.”

James and his wife, Savannah, have two sons and a daughter: 11-year-old LeBron Jr., 8-year-old Bryce and 19-month-old Zhuri. Both boys play basketball.

The Cavs have been in limbo since completing a four-game sweep of the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland’s second sweep of these playoffs. The team has spent the past two days practicing while waiting to see if it will play the Toronto Raptors or Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

Pats’ Gronkowski gets Madden cover

FOXBOROUGH, MASS.

Rob Gronkowski parties almost as well as he plays football, and now he’s showing off both sides of his larger-than-life personality as a cover model.

Gronkowski was selected for the cover of the Madden NFL 17 on Thursday. At the same time, he’ll be appearing on the front of GQ magazine along with model Hailey Clauson.

Staff/wire report