INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES
RIVER FOREST 17 GARY WEST 0
MISHAWAKA MARIAN 2 MATTOON 1
MANCHESTER 6 CASTON 0
SULLIVAN 3 CLAY CITY 2
PLAINFIELD 7 DANVILLE 4
HAGERSTOWN 7 COWAN 5
WARREN CENTRAL 22 INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 3
FORT WAYNE NORTHRUP 7 E. NOBLE 4
OAK HILL 2 WOODLAN 1
PRINCETON 3 S. KNOX 1
MISSISSINEWA 8 JAY COUNTY 5
CLOVERDALE 6 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 1
SOUTH SPENCER 7 MOUNT VERNON 6
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 10 NEW CASTLE 0
TRI TOWNSHIP 6 CULVER COMMUNITY 1
NOBLESVILLE 6 MOORESVILLE 3
FISHERS 5 MOUNT VERNON 4
WES DEL 7 SOUTHERN WELLS 2
LAFAYETTE JEFF 10 HUNTINGTON NORTH 3
PERRY MERIDIAN 7 DECATUR CENTRAL 2
NEW ALBANY 8 SEYMOUR 4
RONCALLI 12 KOKOMO 4
OLDENBURG ACADEMY 9 JAC CEN DEL 8
MUNCIE BURRIS 19 PROVIDENCE CR 0
BENTON CENTRAL 10 RENSSELAER CENTRAL 0
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 10 MONROE CENTRAL 2
CORYDON CENTRAL 9 HENRYVILLE 0
SOUTHPORT 14 PIKE 0
RICHMOND 10 MARY 0
ANDREAN 9 BRENTWOOD ACADEMY 0
KOUTS 2 PIONEER 1
NORTH PUTNAM 7 COVINGTON 6
NORTH MONTGOMERY 10 CASCADE 6
LAWRENCE NORTH 5 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 1
MUNSTER 5 HOBART 2
HOMESTEAD 12 WAPAHANI 1
MADISON GRANT 9 DELPHI 4
WASHINGTON 12 JENNINGS COUNTY 0
SWITZERLAND COUNTY 12 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 2
CRAWFORDSVILLE 12 FOUND CENTRAL 0
UNION COUNTY 12 WINCHESTER 5
DEKALB 10 GARRETT 4
MITCHELL 10 SPRINGS VALLEY 0
HEBRON 9 WHITING 8
BORDEN 14 CLARKSVILLE 2
FRANKFORT 10 CLINTON PRAIRIE 0
MISHAWAKA 4 WESTVIEW 0
SOUTH BEND ADAMS 16 ANGOLA 0
CROWN POINT 5 HARRISON 0
SHAW MEMORIAL 9 ASSUMPTION ACADEMY 4
BEN DAVIS 10 WESTERN BOONE 0
DALEVILLE 7 ELWOOD 2
WEST WASHINGTON 11 CRAWFORD COUNTY 4
ELKHART 12 WHITKO 10
YORKTOWN 2 PENDLETON HEIGHTS 0
CLOVERDALE 19 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 1
MANCHESTER 7 CASTON 5
FAIRFIELD 7 SOUTH-CENTRAL 0
EASTERN GREENE 13 LINTON STOCKTON 7
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 5 SCECINA 1
HANOVER 17 KANKAKEE VALLEY 0
LAWRENCE CENTRAL 14 IRVINGTON PREP 6
HAGERSTOWN 18 COWAN 4
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 3 EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 1
GLENN 9 BERRIEN SPRINGS 6
MISSISSINEWA 11 JAY COUNTY 6
FLOYD CENTRAL 7 COLUMBUS EAST 0
NEW PALESTINE 7 BATESVILLE 3
HAMMOND MORTON 9 LA LUMIERE 4
CARMEL 7 PENN 3
PORTAGE 12 GRIFFITH 1
NORTHEAST DUBOIS 8 PAOLI 6
RIVERTON PARKE 13 N. VERMILLION 3
RIVER FOREST 14 GARY WEST 2
PERU 4 ROCHESTER 1
BLUE RIVER VALLEY 11 CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 3
GREENSBURG 5 LAWRENCEBURG 3
CENTER GROVE 9 INDIAN CREEK 0
MOUNT VERNON 5 FISHERS 3
GUERIN CATHOLIC 13 PLYMOUTH 0
HOMESTEAD 9 ZIONSVILLE 2
LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN 8 FORT WAYNE NORTH 6
NORTH PUTNAM 3 COVINGTON 2
ANDREAN 6 FATHER RYAN 1
EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 5 MCLEAN COUNTY 0
WES DEL 18 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 2
RICHMOND 10 MARION 1
UNION CITY 15 S. ADAMS 1
LAWRENCE NORTH 2 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 1
RITTER 8 BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 2
SEYMOUR 6 NEW ALBANY 2
FRANKLIN 6 GREENWOOD 0
SOUTH BEND ADAMS 16 ANGOLA 0
WESTERN 13 WAPAHANI 1
MONROE CENTRAL 13 ALEXANDRIA MONROE 12
GARRETT 18 DEKALB 5
BREBEUF 10 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 0
WASHINGTON 7 CHARLESTOWN 6
BORDEN 11 CLARKSVILLE 3
NORTH KNOX 10 PIKE CENTRAL 3
BOYD BUCHANAN 6 UNIVERSITY 1
FOREST PARK 7 PROVIDENCE 0
DELPHI 12 MADISON GRANT 2
HANOVER CENTRAL 11 KANKAKEE VALLEY 1
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 12 YORKTOWN 4
CTHS 12 SUMMIT COUNTRY DAY 4
CULVER ACADEMIES 11 WESTVILLE 1
UNION COUNTY 6 WINCHESTER 2
HOBART 10 MUNSTER 6
WESTFIELD 9 HENRY COUNTY 0
CARMEL 9 PENN 4
KOUTS 9 KNOX 5
VALPARAISO 8 CHESTERTON 5
HARRISON 8 HUNTINGTON NORTH 2
MCCUTCHEON 9 CROWN POINT 1
TATES CREEK 10 SILVER CREEK 6
SOUTHRIDGE 18 TECUMSEH 3
BREBEUF 4 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 1
CHARLESTOWN 9 JENNINGS COUNTY 6
GUERIN CATHOLIC 10 WARSAW 0
MOORESVILLE 7 ZIONSVILLE 2
ROCHESTER 13 BLUFFTON 4
WESTERN 10 PLYMOUTH 6
LAKE CENTRAL 10 NOBLESVILLE 9
ST. XAVIER 3 CATHEDRAL 2
BLACKFORD 13 WABASH 9
PRINCETON 13 N. KNOX 1
NORTHWESTERN 5 PERU 2
RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 5 SETON CATHOLIC 3
CATHEDRAL 14 ST. XAVIER 1
WABASH 7 BLACKFORD 5
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SCORES
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 2 EDGEWOOD 1
EVANSVILLE NORTH 19 SHELBYVILLE 5
EVANSVILLE REITZ 10 W. VIGO 1
PENN 9 MOORESVILLE 4
CASCADE 15 MARTINSVILLE 3
FLOYD CENTRAL 7 GIBSON SOUTHERN 1
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 15 BEECH GROVE 0
RONCALLI 12 OWEN VALLEY 3
FISHERS 14 TECUMSEH 7
CASTLE 17 CARMEL 12
LINCOLN WAY, CENTRAL 18 BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 1
LIVING WATER HOMESCHOOL 18 TERRE HAUTE NORTH 5
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 7 NORTHVIEW 3
SOUTHWESTERN 18 CARUTHERSVILLE 0
SULLIVAN 15 HARRIS 7
HANOVER CENTRAL 8 KANKAKEE VALLEY 1
LAFAYETTE JEFF 21 FAITH CHRISTIAN 4
MILAN 13 RICHMOND 6
VALPARAISO 9 HIGHLAND 4
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 15 S. SPENCER 4
NORTH NEWTON 4 COVINGTON 0
SOUTH-CENTRAL 6 WINAMAC 3
GREENWOOD 7 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 4
WEST CENTRAL 10 N. WHITE 0
CORYDON CENTRAL 10 HERITAGE HILLS 0
CENTER GROVE 10 JENNINGS COUNTY 0
DECATUR CENTRAL 6 BISHOP CHATARD 0
BROWNSBURG 10 PIKE CENTRAL 0
WEST WASHINGTON 5 SALEM 1
MISSISSINEWA 14 LEWIS CASS 2
CATHEDRAL 14 SOUTHPORT 2
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 5 TERRE HAUTE NORTH 4
WILLIAMSTOWN 7 SWITZERLAND COUNTY 3
EASTERN 9 MADISON GRANT 5
BOONE GROVE 7 LOWELL 2
SEEGER 10 SOUTHMONT 7
HOBART 19 PORTAGE 12
BEECH GROVE 8 EDGEWOOD 5
FOUND CENTRAL 20 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 7
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 7 MOUNT VERNON 1
MILFORD 13 S. NEWTON 3
FOREST PARK 9 CLARKSVILLE 3
WINCHESTER 8 SOUTHERN WELLS 6
CASTLE 8 BROWNSBURG 5
TRITON CENTRAL 9 TRINITY LUTHERAN 1
CASCADE 9 W. VIGO 3
HICKSVILLE 3 EASTSIDE 2
MOUNT VERNON 11 WASHINGTON 7
TRI-COUNTY 3 CALUMET CHRISTIAN 2
NORTHEAST DUBOIS 8 EASTERN GREENE 2
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 5 SHELBYVILLE 3
LOGANSPORT 10 TWIN LAKES 0
PENN 6 TECUMSEH 5
LAWRENCEBURG 6 RUSHVILLE 3
NORTH DAVIESS 6 MITCHELL 0
BEECHER 11 HEBRON 0
MOORESVILLE 12 FISHERS 9
LAPORTE 11 PLYMOUTH 4
NORTHVIEW 6 LIVING WATER HOMESCHOOL 5
PERRY CENTRAL 11 PROVIDENCE 1
GIBSON SOUTHERN 15 TRI-WEST 1
RISING SUN 8 BATESVILLE 1
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 10 MORGAN TWP. 0
ANSONIA 9 UNION CITY 1
EVANSVILLE REITZ 6 MARTINSVILLE 1
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 7 AVON 6
RONCALLI 6 SULLIVAN 1
ROCHESTER 7 CARROLL 5
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 8 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 5
HUNTINGTON NORTH 4 MISHAWAKA 2
BEN DAVIS 7 LEBANON 0
PIKE CENTRAL 6 CARMEL 4
SILVER CREEK 3 BETHLEHEM 2
AVON 14 CHESTERTON 4
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 6 SHAKAMAK 0
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 12 COWAN 0
SOUTH ADAMS 10 COLDWATER 0
GREENWOOD 2 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 1
VINCENNES LINCOLN 15 LINTON STOCKTON 0
CLAY CITY 6 BARR REEVE 1
CENTRAL NOBLE 13 BLUFFTON 3
NORTH PUTNAM 11 CLINTON PRAIRIE 7
GREENCASTLE 18 CRAWFORDSVILLE 0
LINCOLN WAY CENTRAL 11 EVANSVILLE NORTH 1
FRANKLIN 6 INDIAN CREEK 5
GREENSBURG 4 COLUMBUS EAST 1
JAY COUNTY 9 BLACKFORD 0
MUNSTER 15 EVERGREEN PARK 0
FREMONT 12 WABASH 0
WEST CENTRAL 12 N. WHITE 2
JEFFERSONVILLE 13 SEYMOUR 0
OWEN VALLEY 10 PARIS 5
BISHOP CHATARD 13 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 3
KNOX 5 GLENN 1
BEECHER 1 HEBRON 0
DELPHI 12 FAITH CHRISTIAN 2
SOUTH PUTNAM 16 SEEGER 1
KOUTS 10 SOUTH BEND CLAY 0
LAWRENCEBURG 12 RUSHVILLE 1
PIONEER 8 ROCHESTER 7
NORTH DAVIESS 18 WOOD MEMORIAL 2
ANSONIA 8 UNION CITY 0
WINCHESTER 2 SOUTHERN WELLS 0
TRINITY LUTHERAN 11 BATESVILLE 7
EASTSIDE 10 HICKSVILLE 7
MOUNT VERNON 8 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 3
LOGANSPORT 3 TWIN LAKES 0
FOREST PARK 4 CLARKSVILLE 2
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 8 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 3
TRI-COUNTY 13 CALUMET CHRISTIAN 2
ANDREAN 3 LOWELL 2
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 4 M TWP. 3
RIVERTON PARKE 4 S. VERMILLION 3
SOUTH ADAMS 8 COLDWATER 7
MOORESVILLE 5 EVANSVILLE NORTH 1
HUNTINGTON NORTH 9 MISHAWAKA 7
PERU 15 LEBANON 6
JAY COUNTY 7 BLACKFORD 1
FREMONT 20 WABASH 3
FISHERS 12 BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 1
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 7 COWAN 0
YORKTOWN 10 ELWOOD 0
HENDERSON COUNTY 16 SILVER CREEK 5
LAKE CENTRAL 8 CENTER GROVE 2
PIONEER 12 CARROLL 5
SOUTH BEND CLAY 17 LAVILLE 5
SOUTH PUTNAM 10 SOUTHMONT 7
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 11 CHESTERTON 0
RONCALLI 5 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 4
BEN DAVIS 5 PERU 1
SOUTHWESTERN 20 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 0
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
PURDUE 63 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 50
CONNECTICUT 86 ALABAMA 72
WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT FINAL FOUR
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. IOWA 3:00 SUNDAY
NBA SCOREBOARD
LA LAKERS 116 CLEVELAND 97
BROOKLYN 113 DETROIT 103
PHILADELPHIA 116 MEMPHIS 96
DENVER 142 ATLANTA 110
STANDINGS:
https://www.foxsports.com/nba/standings
NHL SCOREBOARD
PITTSBURGH 5 TAMPA BAY 4
BOSTON 3 FLORIDA 2 OT
CHICAGO 3 DALLAS 2
WINNIPEG 4 MINNESOTA 2
SAN JOSE 3 ST. LOUIS 2 OT
TORONTO 4 MONTRÉAL 2
NEW JERSEY 4 OTTAWA 3
COLUMBUS 6 PHILADELPHIA 2
NY ISLANDERS 2 NASHVILLE 0
LOS ANGELES 6 VANCOUVER 3
EDMONTON 4 CALGARY 2
STANDINGS: https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/standings
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
OAKLAND 4 DETROIT 0
CLEVELAND 3 MINNESOTA 1
ST. LOUIS 3 MIAMI 1
LA DODGERS 4 CHICAGO CUBS 1
PHILADELPHIA 5 WASHINGTON 2
PITTSBURGH 5 BALTIMORE 4 (11)
CINCINNATI 9 NY METS 6
TEXAS 7 HOUSTON 2
NY YANKEES 9 TORONTO 8
SEATTLE 5 MILWAUKEE 3
KANSAS CITY 3 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 0
ATLANTA 9 ARIZONA 8
TAMPA BAY 8 COLORADO 6
SAN DIEGO 4 SAN FRANCISCO 0
LA ANGELS 2 BOSTON 1
STANDINGS: https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/standings
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 5 MEMPHIS 4
INDIANAPOLIS 7 MEMPHIS 3
UFL SCORES
SAN ANTONIO 20 MEMPHIS 19
ST. LOUIS 27 ARLINGTON 24
STANDINGS: https://www.foxsports.com/ufl/standings
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NEW ENGLAND 1 CHARLOTTE 0
MIAMI 2 COLORADO 2
VANCOUVER 4 TORONTO 0
NEW YORK CITY 1 ATLANTA 1
DC 1 COLUMBUS 1
NEW YORK 2 CINCINNATI 1
LOS ANGELES 2 LA 1
DALLAS 0 ST. LOUIS 0
PHILADELPHIA 2 NASHVILLE 1
MINNESOTA 1 SALT LAKE 1
CHICAGO 2 HOUSTON 1
AUSTIN 4 SAN JOSE 3
SEATTLE 5 MONTRÉAL 0
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NEBRASKA 7 OHIO STATE 3
CLEMSON 3 NOTRE DAME 2
CREIGHTON 11 BUTLER 1
ILLINOIS 7 MINNESOTA 4
PENN STATE 12 NORTHWESTERN 7
INDIANA 14 MARYLAND 2
MICHIGAN 4 IOWA 3
MICHIGAN 10 IOWA 6
PURDUE 8 RUTGERS 6
MINNESOTA 8 ILLINOIS 3
MICHIGAN STATE 7 NIAGARA 6
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 4 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 3 (10)
BOWLING GREEN 9 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3
BALL STATE 2 MIAMI OHIO 0
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 10 TOLEDO 9
WESTERN MICHIGAN 10 OHIO 1
EASTERN MICHIGAN 13 KENT STATE 12 (11)
BOWLING GREEN 11 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 1
WESTERN CAROLINA 10 AKRON 5
INDIANA STATE 2 MURRAY STATE 1 (10)
INDIANA STATE 6 MURRAY STATE 4
EVANSVILLE 8 BELMONT 3
ILLINOIS STATE 3 VALPARAISO 1
LINDENWOOD 7 SOUTHERN INDIANA 6
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
PURDUE 4 IOWA 0
RUTGERS 12 WISCONSIN 1
INDIANA 12 MICHIGAN STATE 4
NEBRASKA 10 PENN STATE 2
ILLINOIS 4 MARYLAND 3
NOTRE DAME 10 VIRGINIA 3
MINNESOTA 14 OHIO STATE 6
NORTHWESTERN 5 MICHIGAN 4
MINNESOTA 12 OHIO STATE 10
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
DEFENDING CHAMPION UCONN DOWNS ALABAMA, FACES PURDUE IN FINAL
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The second national semifinal of Saturday’s NCAA Final Four was by far the more entertaining one, as Connecticut outlasted Alabama 86-72 at State Farm Stadium to reach the national championship game.
The Huskies (36-3) will take on Purdue (34-4) on Monday night, as UConn looks to repeat as national champions. Purdue defeated North Carolina State 63-50 in the other semifinal on Saturday.
Freshman Stephon Castle led UConn with 21 points and sophomore center Donovan Clingan added 18. There were six ties and seven lead changes, but the Huskies had too much firepower on offense, especially inside.
UConn had 38 points in the paint compared to Alabama’s 26, outrebounded Alabama 37-29 and forced the Crimson Tide had to rely on 3-point shooting to stay close.
After the Tide’s Grant Nelson hit a jumper to tie the score at 56 with 12:41 to play, UConn seemed to have had enough. The Huskies went on an 8-0 run and never held less than a six-point lead the rest of the way.
Alabama (25-12) stayed close with 8 of 11 3-point shooting in a first half as UConn took a 44-40 lead into halftime. Do-it-all point guard Mark Sears scored 24 points for the game and Nelson added 19 with 15 rebounds.
The Huskies, however, found offensive success down the stretch.
Tristen Newton’s 3-pointer with 1:04 to play gave UConn an 83-68 lead and effectively put the game away. Clingan had eight points in the final 7 minutes, 24 seconds, including a pair of dunks that got the Huskies fans on their feet inside the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
The announced attendance Saturday for the semifinals was 74,720.
Alabama took a 23-18 lead after trailing by five early in the game. Rylan Griffin hit a 3-pointer at the 11:09 mark for Alabama’s biggest lead of the half.
UConn led by as many as seven points in the first half. Alex Karaban finished with 14 points, Newton 12 and Cam Spencer 14 as the Huskies made 50 percent of their shots (31 of 62) for the game.
NO. 1 SEED PURDUE ADVANCES TO TITLE GAME, 63-50 OVER NC STATE
Zach Edey scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and No. 1 seed Purdue pulled away for a 63-50 win over North Carolina State in the opening game of the NCAA Final Four on Saturday evening in Glendale, Ariz.
Lance Jones scored 14 points for Purdue (34-4), which advanced to the NCAA championship game for the first time since 1969. Fletcher Loyer finished with 11 points for the Boilermakers, and Mason Gillis chipped in eight points.
DJ Horne finished with 20 points to lead No. 11 seed North Carolina State (26-15). Jayden Taylor contributed 11 points and D.J. Burns Jr. scored eight for the Wolfpack, whose magical tournament run ended after reaching the Final Four for the first time since 1983.
Purdue will play the winner of Saturday’s nightcap between No. 1 seed Connecticut and No. 4 Alabama on Monday night for the title.
Purdue went on a 12-1 run late in the second half to seize control. Braden Smith made a 3-pointer from the right wing to put the Boilermakers on top 61-43 with 3:24 to go.
The Wolfpack fell behind by as many as 20 points before closing the game on a 7-0 run.
The Boilermakers overcame a slow start to the second half to maintain their lead. Gillis drained a 3-pointer from the left corner to snap a 4:47 scoring drought and give the Boilermakers a 42-33 lead with 13:41 remaining.
Less than a minute later, Jones made a 3-pointer to push Purdue’s lead to 45-33.
North Carolina State climbed back within 49-42 with 8:04 to play. Horne hit a jump shot to bring the Wolfpack within seven points.
Purdue led 35-29 at the half.
The Boilermakers grabbed a double-digit lead in the first 10 minutes. Jones fed a pass inside to Edey, who quickly returned a pass to Jones on the perimeter for a 3-pointer to make it 21-11 with 10:11 to go before the break.
North Carolina State chipped at the deficit with a 13-4 run to pull within 32-29 with 39 seconds remaining in the first half. Horne made a jump shot to cap the run.
Loyer made a 3-pointer to finish the first-half scoring for Purdue.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SOUTH CAROLINA, IOWA MEET AGAIN, THIS TIME IN TITLE GAME
CLEVELAND — The rematch is here.
Just over a year after 41 points from Caitlin Clark fueled Iowa’s upset of an unbeaten South Carolina squad in the Final Four in Dallas, the two teams are meeting again.
This time, it’s in the national championship game.
No. 1 South Carolina, again undefeated, will face No. 1 Iowa and Clark on Sunday afternoon to put a bow on a tremendous season for women’s college basketball that saw the sport experience unprecedented growth in viewership and attendance.
Last year’s national title clash between Iowa and LSU drew an average of 9.9 million viewers, per ESPN. That mark was surpassed by Friday night’s Final Four matchup between third-seeded UConn and the Hawkeyes, as 14.2 million viewers tuned in, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball game on any ESPN platform.
Iowa beat the Huskies 71-69.
A prime slot on ABC at 3 p.m. ET could help Sunday’s game between South Carolina (37-0) and Iowa (34-4) garner even more eyeballs.
“It’s a monumental game for our game. We’re very fortunate to be a part of it,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. “I hope it’s the most-watched game. … I hope that everybody gets exactly what they want out of it.”
What South Carolina wants, obviously, is to complete an undefeated season and bring a third national championship back to Columbia, S.C.
In the semifinals, third-seeded North Carolina State kept up with the mighty Gamecocks for one half — trailing by just a point at intermission — but South Carolina then pulled away by outscoring the Wolfpack 29-6 in the third quarter en route to a 78-59 blowout.
Key for the Gamecocks against North Carolina State was their dominance inside. Kamilla Cardoso led the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore Ashlyn Watkins grabbed a career-high 20 boards.
When opponents have to focus on stopping South Carolina in the paint, it frees up shooters like Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao, who combined to go 5-for-10 from 3-point land against the Wolfpack.
Paopao didn’t play against Iowa in last year’s national semifinals. She transferred to South Carolina from Oregon last offseason with the goal of playing for a championship. Now, Paopao, who is shooting a team-best 46.2 percent from deep (among players with at least three attempts), is.
“It’s an amazing feeling. Everything is sunk in already. … I know we’re not done yet,” Paopao said. “We’ve got one job to do. We’ve got to take care of business (Sunday).”
The other team has a pretty good 3-point shooter, too, in Clark, the all-time leading scorer in the history of Division I college basketball (men’s and women’s). But in the win over UConn, Clark struggled a bit, finishing with a season-low-tying 21 points.
Clark is prepared to face another strong defense in South Carolina, which ranks first nationally in shooting defense, allowing opponents to make just 32.2 percent of their field-goal attempts.
“I didn’t shoot the ball great. I made some shots there at the end. I thought (UConn’s Nika Muhl) played tremendous defense, picked me up 94 feet,” Clark said of Friday’s game. “That’s something that South Carolina is going to do too.”
While Clark’s shot didn’t always fall against the Huskies, she did have seven assists, and her teammates stepped up. Hannah Stuelke had 23 points and Kate Martin had 11 to go with eight rebounds.
“Hannah, let’s keep riding that high. She knows she can do it now. Every challenge gets bigger,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “Look at the challenges she’s had already in this tournament. Hannah has grown up throughout this tournament, and she’s going to have an unbelievable challenge (Sunday).”
Stuelke played just 12 minutes in last year’s game against South Carolina, a 77-73 win for the Hawkeyes.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: NUGGETS ROUT HAWKS, MOVE ATOP WEST
Nikola Jokic posted his 25th triple-double of the season to help lead the Denver Nuggets to a 142-110 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
Jokic finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a game-high 24 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 for the Nuggets, who have won three of their last four and moved a half-game ahead of the second-place Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference.
Reggie Jackson scored 18 off the bench, Jamal Murray had 16 and Peyton Watson added 13 for Denver.
Clint Capela led the Hawks with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic each scored 18. Jalen Johnson tallied 17 points for Atlanta, which dropped its second straight and holds the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Dejounte Murray scored 14, while Garrison Mathews finished with 11.
Lakers 116, Cavaliers 97
D’Angelo Russell poured in a game-high 28 points and host Los Angeles used a 19-0 third-quarter run to pull away for a victory over Cleveland.
LeBron James (24 points, 12 assists) and Anthony Davis (22 points, 13 rebounds) had double-doubles for Los Angeles, which won for the ninth time in its past 10 games. Taurean Prince chipped in 18 points.
Darius Garland paced Cleveland with 26 points. Caris LeVert supplied 21 to go along with seven boards, and Jarrett Allen finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Georges Niang also had 12 points.
Nets 113, Pistons 103
Cam Thomas scored a game-high 32 points to lead Brooklyn’s comeback victory over Detroit for its fifth win in seven games.
Dennis Schroder scored 24 points and Noah Clowney added 17 for Brooklyn, which trailed by 15 with 7:49 remaining in the fourth quarter but rallied to take a 104-103 lead with 2:54 left after a 3-pointer by Schroder. It was Brooklyn’s first lead since 3-2. It ended up being a 19-0 run for the Nets over the final 4:51 of the game.
Chimezie Metu scored 20 points and Marcus Sasser supplied 18 for Detroit. Jaden Ivey finished with 16 points and 10 assists.
76ers 116, Grizzlies 96
Joel Embiid recorded a double-double by halftime and finished with game highs of 30 points and 12 rebounds as Philadelphia cruised to its fourth consecutive win with a rout of host Memphis.
Embiid finished the first half with a flurry, scoring nine points over the final 1:52. He went into the locker room with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Philadelphia pushed an 11-point lead to 20, 62-42, with Embiid’s surge.
The 76ers led wire-to-wire and faced little resistance in the second half as their advantage swelled to as many as 27 points. Scotty Pippen Jr. recorded a career-high 24 points to lead the Grizzlies.
MLB NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: PIRATES OUTLAST O’S IN 11TH
Oneil Cruz delivered a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 5-4 win against the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in the second game of their three-game series.
Cedric Mullins had just made a game-saving diving catch in center field on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ liner before Cruz drilled the first pitch he saw from Jonathan Heasley (0-1) into right field for the game-winning RBI.
Josh Fleming (1-0) got the final out of the 11th inning for the Pirates to earn the win. Joey Bart hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat with Pittsburgh, and Rowdy Tellez contributed three hits and a walk.
Both teams scored a run in the 10th, the Orioles on a sacrifice fly by Adley Rutschman and the Pirates on a bases-loaded walk to Edward Olivares.
Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter allowed one bloop hit over six shutout innings. Orioles starter Tyler Wells gave up three runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Reds 9, Mets 6
Spencer Steer hit a tiebreaking three-run homer to highlight a five-run eighth inning as host Cincinnati rallied for a win over New York.
The Reds trailed 5-4 before the first seven batters reached in the eighth against Yohan Ramirez (0-1). Elly De La Cruz tied the game with a check-swing RBI single, and he stole second one pitch before Steer’s homer.
Omar Narvaez and Brandon Nimmo each had two-RBI hits in the fourth inning for the Mets. Tyrone Taylor and Brett Baty also had run-scoring hits.
Dodgers 4, Cubs 1
Yoshinobu Yamamoto racked up eight strikeouts and scattered three hits over five scoreless innings and Max Muncy delivered a two-run single to lead visiting Los Angeles past Chicago.
Yamamoto (1-1) slithered out of bases-loaded jams in each of the first two innings before settling in to retire the final 10 batters he faced to earn his first major league victory. Muncy finished with two hits, as did Miguel Rojas, who added an RBI.
Cody Bellinger poked two singles for Chicago. Miles Mastrobuoni had the Cubs’ lone RBI, while Ian Happ, Yan Gomes and Michael Busch stroked doubles. The Cubs struck out a season-high 15 times.
Athletics 4, Tigers 0
Paul Blackburn and two relievers combined on a five-hit shutout as visiting Oakland defeated Detroit.
Blackburn (1-0) limited the Tigers to three hits in six innings while recording four strikeouts. Austin Adams pitched one inning before Mason Miller closed out the contest, striking out three in two innings.
Brent Rooker led the Athletics’ offense with two hits, including a two-run homer. Detroit starter Kenta Maeda (0-1) was charged with three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Guardians 3, Twins 1
David Fry hit a three-run home run in the second inning and Cleveland held on for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Seven Guardians pitchers combined to hold the Twins to two hits. Cleveland won its fourth game in a row and continued its hot start, with seven victories in nine games. Nick Sandlin (2-0) earned the win with an inning of hitless relief. He struck out two batters.
Alex Kirilloff ripped an RBI triple to account for Minnesota’s lone run. Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his fourth save.
Cardinals 3, Marlins 1
Steven Matz threw five scoreless innings as host St. Louis defeated winless Miami.
The Cardinals, boosted by run-scoring hits from Jordan Walker and Ivan Herrera, won for the fourth time in five games. Matz (1-0) allowed four hits and a walk while striking out three. Ryan Helsley closed out the game to earn his third save.
Starting pitcher Taylor Rogers (0-1) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks for the Marlins, who fell to 0-9.
Phillies 5, Nationals 2
J.T. Realmuto belted a three-run home run and Ranger Suarez pitched six strong innings as Philadelphia beat host Washington.
Suarez (1-0) allowed four hits and two runs, with no walks and four strikeouts. Jeff Hoffman, Gregory Soto and Jose Alvarado completed the four-hitter out of the Phillies’ bullpen.
Joey Gallo hit a two-run homer for the Nationals, who dropped their third consecutive game. Washington starter Jake Irvin (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits across six innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Yankees 9, Blue Jays 8
Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo hit two-run homers, Giancarlo Stanton rapped a solo homer and New York chased Kevin Gausman from the game early and hung on for a victory over visiting Toronto.
Judge and Stanton homered in New York’s three-run first inning off Gausman (0-1) as the Yankees won for the seventh time in nine games to start the season. Including the playoffs, it was the 36th time Judge and Stanton went deep in the same game. The Yankees are 32-4 in those contests.
Gausman allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits in 1 1/3 innings. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a solo homer, Daniel Vogelbach contributed an RBI double and Ernie Clement lifted a sacrifice fly during Toronto’s three-run seventh.
Rangers 7, Astros 2
Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford combined for six hits and three RBIs at the top of the order as Texas won its third straight game, beating Houston in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers led 3-2 before scoring four runs on six straight hits in the eighth inning. Texas used six relievers, including Kirby Yates (1-0), who earned the win after striking out two in a scoreless sixth.
Jose Altuve had three hits for Houston, which stranded 10 baserunners and has lost seven of its first nine games of the season. Astros starter J.P. France (0-1) gave up three runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Royals 3, White Sox 0
MJ Melendez hit a key homer and Michael Wacha tossed seven shutout innings as host Kansas City beat Chicago.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when Salvador Perez singled to left off White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen. On the next pitch, Melendez hit a liner that was headed for the top of the wall in center. Chicago center fielder Dominic Fletcher got his glove on the ball but managed to tip it over the fence for a two-run homer.
Wacha (1-0), pitching for his sixth different team since 2019, got the win. He faced just three batters in five of his seven innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out eight.
Mariners 5, Brewers 3
Bryce Miller pitched seven scoreless innings and Seattle held on to defeat host Milwaukee in an interleague game.
Jorge Polanco and Luis Urias homered for the Mariners, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Miller (1-1) gave up three hits, walked one and struck out seven.
Brewers starter DL Hall (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits, with two walks and five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Rookie Jackson Chourio went deep for the Brewers.
Braves 9, Diamondbacks 8
Austin Riley had three hits, including the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, to help Atlanta complete a late-inning comeback for the second straight night in a win over visiting Arizona.
The Braves trailed 6-0 before coming up to bat in the first inning. They scored three runs in the fifth, two in the seventh and two more in the eighth. An RBI single from Ronald Acuna Jr. tied the game, while Riley’s hit gave Atlanta its first lead.
Atlanta starter Max Fried worked 4 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits, leaving his ERA at 18.00. Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits.
Rays 8, Rockies 6
Isaac Paredes homered and finished with two hits, Harold Ramirez also had two hits and Tampa Bay rallied to beat Colorado in Denver.
Brenton Doyle homered among his two hits and Michael Toglia and Ryan McMahon also went deep for Colorado. The Rockies blew a five-run lead to spoil Ryan Feltner’s career-high 10 strikeouts. Feltner allowed just one run on two hits over six sharp innings.
Garrett Cleavinger (1-0) got the win in relief, and Colin Poche got the final three outs for his first save. Tampa Bay started the comeback in the seventh off reliever Jake Bird on Ben Rortvedt’s two-run double, then went ahead in the eighth.
Padres 4, Giants 0
Jurickson Profar smacked a first-inning grand slam, Michael King and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and San Diego evened its three-game series against host San Francisco.
Profar’s homer, his first of the season, came shortly after Xander Bogaerts singled to open the game. Giants starter Keaton Winn (0-2) retired the next two men he faced before Manny Machado singled and Ha-Seong Kim walked to set up Profar.
King (2-0) took it from there, coasting through seven innings, allowing just four hits — all singles — and one walk. He struck out four.
Angels 2, Red Sox 1
Reid Detmers matched a career high with 12 strikeouts and three relievers combined to throw three hitless innings, propelling Los Angeles to a victory over Boston in Anaheim, Calif.
Detmers (2-0) allowed one run on three hits and one walk in six innings while fanning 12 for the third time in his career. Adam Cimber (seventh inning), Matt Moore (eighth) and Carlos Estevez (ninth) did the rest.
The Red Sox took the lead against Detmers in the third after Connor Wong began the inning with a double. One out later, Jarren Duran drove in Wong with a base hit.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: CONNOR MCDAVID NEARS MILESTONE AS OILERS TRIM FLAMES
Evan Bouchard broke a deadlock and Connor McDavid collected two more assists in his quest to join elite company as the visiting Edmonton Oilers claimed a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames in a hard-fought Battle of Alberta clash Saturday night.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored once in a three-point game, while Leon Draisaitl and Connor Brown also scored for the Oilers, who are 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Goaltender Calvin Pickard made 33 saves.
With his helpers, McDavid has 99 assists, pulling him that much closer to becoming only the fourth player in NHL history to collect 100 in a season. McDavid would join Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky (who did it 11 times) and Mario Lemieux.
Edmonton is three points back of the Vancouver Canucks for the top spot in the Pacific Division and holds one game in hand. Edmonton also has a six-point edge on the third-place Los Angeles Kings.
Yegor Sharangovich scored once and added an assist, while Nazem Kadri also scored for the Flames. Goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 23 shots. Calgary has lost three straight, eight of nine and 11 of 14 outings since the trade deadline.
Penguins 5, Lightning 4
Michael Bunting tapped the puck inside the right post at 14:32 of the third period to give Pittsburgh a win over visiting Tampa Bay despite blowing a three-goal lead.
Evgeni Malkin had two goals and an assist, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang also scored, and Erik Karlsson added three assists for the Penguins, who won their fourth straight. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 31 saves.
Steven Stamkos had two goals, Nicholas Paul and Anthony Duclair also scored, and Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman each had three assists for the Lightning, who had won five of six.
Bruins 3, Panthers 2 (OT)
Jesper Boqvist sniped a deciding breakaway at 2:05 of overtime as Boston earned a win over visiting Florida in a key Atlantic Division clash.
Boqvist made the winning play happen all by himself, coming away with the puck out of a defensive-zone wall battle before breaking down the left side circle. Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle also scored for Boston, which has won four straight and holds a five-point lead atop the division. Linus Ullmark made 28 saves in the Bruins net.
Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov each scored a goal while Gustav Forsling dished out two assists for Florida, which is just 2-4-1 over its last seven games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 stops.
Devils 4, Senators 3
Brendan Smith had a goal and two assists for New Jersey in a win against host Ottawa.
Jesper Bratt had two assists, and Jake Allen made 25 saves for the Devils, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson each had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who have lost three straight. Anton Forsberg allowed three goals on nine shots before he was replaced in the first period by Joonas Korpisalo, who made 18 saves in relief.
Blackhawks 3, Stars 2
Connor Bedard, Andreas Athanasiou and Seth Jones scored second-period goals 4:03 apart and Petr Mrazek made 42 saves as host Chicago halted Dallas’ franchise-best eight-game winning streak.
The Stars remained atop the Central Division, three points ahead of the idle Colorado Avalanche. The clubs are set to meet Sunday in Denver. Outshot 44-17, the hosts capitalized on their limited offensive chances to win for the second time in three games.
Roope Hintz scored his third goal in the past four games to end Mrazek’s bid for a shutout at 15:37 of the second period. The Stars drew within a goal with 4:23 left in the game, with Jamie Benn redirecting a Miro Heiskanen shot for his 20th goal of the season.
Jets 4, Wild 2
Vladislav Namestnikov scored once in a three-point game and Alex Iafallo collected one goal and one assist to lead visiting Winnipeg to a victory over slumping Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minn.
Kyle Connor and Morgan Barron also scored for the Jets, who are riding a three-game winning streak and sit third in the Central Division. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves.
Kirill Kaprizov scored both goals for the Wild, who have lost three of four games and are in last-gasp territory with their hopes of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs. Mats Zuccarello posted a pair of assists and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 21 shots.
Sharks 3, Blues 2 (OT)
William Eklund completed his hat trick with 1:04 left in overtime and host San Jose swept the three-game season series from St. Louis.
Eklund kept the puck on a 2-on-1 rush and beat Joel Hofer for the game winner. It was a costly missed point for the Blues, who have lost three of their last four games and are seven points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn scored for St. Louis. Robert Thomas had two assists and Hofer made 22 saves. Devin Cooley made 34 saves for the Sharks.
Maple Leafs 4, Canadiens 2
Auston Matthews scored his league-leading 64th goal and visiting Toronto defeated Montreal.
Max Domi, Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann also scored for the Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves.
Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens. Cole Caufield added a goal and Mike Matheson contributed two assists. Cayden Primeau made 18 saves in relief of Sam Montembeault, who allowed four goals on 12 shots.
Blue Jackets 6, Flyers 2
Defensemen Damon Severson and Zach Werenski both scored twice as host Columbus delivered a blow to Philadelphia’s playoff chances by sending it to its seventh straight defeat.
Defensemen Erik Gudbranson and Nick Blankenburg also scored and Werenski added an assist for the Blue Jackets, who won for just the fourth time in 14 games (4-8-2). Johnny Gaudreau had a pair of assists. Jet Greaves made 37 saves for his second victory of the season.
Olle Lycksell and Adam Ginning responded for the Flyers, who are 0-5-2 in their last seven and fell outside of the playoff picture with the loss. Samuel Ersson stopped 27 shots.
Islanders 2, Predators 0
Semyon Varlamov stopped all 41 shots for host New York, which took over sole possession of third place in the Metropolitan Division with a win over Nashville in Elmont, N.Y.
Noah Dobson scored in the second period and Kyle Palmieri scored an empty-netter with 1:19 left for the Islanders, who won their fourth straight game. The win snapped a tie with the Philadelphia Flyers, who fell 6-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier Saturday.
The Islanders are also two points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the race for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for the Predators, who have lost four of five.
Kings 6, Canucks 3
Adrian Kempe had two goals and an assist as the Los Angeles continued its mastery of visiting Vancouver.
The Kings have won five of their past six games against Vancouver and clinched the season series 3-1. Drew Doughty and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar had two assists for the Kings, who have won three straight. Cam Talbot stopped 39 shots.
Brock Boeser, Dakota Joshua and Teddy Blueger scored for the Canucks, who have lost four of their past six games as they work toward the Pacific Division title. Casey DeSmith made 23 saves.
GOLF NEWS
NELLY KORDA, LEONA MAGUIRE IN CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND AT MATCH PLAY
World No. 1 Nelly Korda and Ireland’s Leona Maguire advanced to the finals of the T-Mobile Match Play with dominant efforts Saturday in the quarterfinals and semifinals at Las Vegas.
Korda dispatched South Korea’s Narin An 4&3 in one semifinal, while Maguire ousted South Korea’s Sei Young Kim 3&2 at Shadow Creek Golf Course.
“(Maguire is) just so consistent,” Korda said. “Such a tough competitor. Really grinds out there. We’ve had a couple battles in Solheim Cups for sure. But I think it’s just going to be a grind tomorrow. I think it’ll be a lot of fun and nothing is going to be easy.”
Korda is attempting to win her fourth consecutive LPGA Tour event.
“Nelly is the best in the world right now,” Maguire said. “She’s on a really hot streak. It’s been incredibly impressive what she’s been doing in the past few weeks.
“It’s going to be a really tough battle tomorrow,” she continued. “I’ve got a big challenge ahead of me. I’m excited. I mean, that’s why you practice. You want to play the best players in the world and that’s what Nelly is.”
Korda built an imposing early lead by playing even on the first three holes — all par-4s — while An struggled with bogeys. Korda birdied Nos. 6 and 7 to go up five holes.
An responded with a birdie while Korda bogeyed the par-4 No. 10, but Korda came right back with a par at No. 11 while An needed an extra stroke. An parred the par-3 No. 13 to gain a hole, but Korda clinched the semifinal by matching her at No. 14 (both bogeyed) and No. 15 (both parred).
“I played really solid at the start,” Korda said. “I think I shot 2-under on the front nine. Was just making a lot of pars and then gave myself two good looks at birdie, so I capitalized on that. … Obviously, the back nine is a little tougher so (I) started to make a little bit more mistakes. Fatigue started setting in it just a little. Happy with the win.”
Maguire was up two on Kim on a par at the first hole and a birdie at No. 3. Kim birdied the par-5 No. 4 to cut her deficit, only to fall further behind when her opponent made pars at the par-5 No. 7 and at No. 10. Kim’s only other birdie came at No. 14, then Maguire parred Nos. 15 and 16 to close out the match.
In the quarterfinals, Maguire won by 4&3 over Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn, who had emerged from a four-player playoff on Friday to get to the weekend.
Korda topped fellow American Angel Yin 3&2 in their quarterfinal match.
Kim had cruised past American Rose Zhang 6&5, and An edged Japan’s Minami Katsu 1Up in the other quarterfinals.
The field was cut to the top 65 players and ties after 36 holes of stroke play on Wednesday and Thursday, then trimmed to the top eight after stroke play on Friday. Saturday morning was single-elimination match-play brackets, with the championship match set for Sunday.
SERGIO GARCIA GRABS TWO-SHOT LEAD AT LIV GOLF MIAMI
Sergio Garcia fired six birdies Saturday on his way to a 4-under-par 68, good enough to provide him a two-shot lead over the rest of the field at LIV Golf Miami after two rounds at Trump National Doral.
The native of Spain suffered a pair of bogeys, his first two of the tournament, but a hot start, with four birdies through the first nine holes, more than balanced out those missteps.
“It’s definitely not easy, that’s for sure,” Garcia said of the challenging course. “I think this one and Valderrama for me will be two of the toughest courses we play all year on LIV. Nice to put a couple solid rounds to start with, and we’ve still got to finish it up tomorrow. One more solid day and we’ll see what happens.”
Garcia’s team, Fireballs GC, which includes Abraham Ancer (69), Eugenio Chacarra (72) and David Puig (75), is in fifth place.
Despite not seeing much help at the team level, Garcia sees his own play as being his primary focus headed into the final day of play.
“I think the only thing that’s going to play to my favor is if I’m as committed as I can be and trusting what I’m doing,” Garcia said. “I think that’s the most important thing.”
Garcia, 44, has yet to win a LIV tournament, despite being one of the first players to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022.
Four golfers are in a tie for second place, headlined by Talor Gooch, who was tied for the lead with Garcia and Peter Uihlein after Round 1. His 2-under 70 featured four birdies against two bogeys.
Gooch, unlike Garcia, does not have an exemption into the Masters to be played next week at Augusta National. He is instead focused on winning Sunday.
“I’m confident going into tomorrow, and it would be nice to get the first win on home soil,” Gooch said.
England’s Tyrrell Hatton had a strong round, shooting a 5-under 67 to forge a tie with Gooch in second. His six-birdie effort gave his team, Legion XIII, a three-shot lead on the team board.
RangeGoats GC is in second place, as is team member Matthew Wolff, who shot a 3-under 69 to tie with Hatton, Gooch, and South Africa’s Dean Burmester (69).
Wolff’s teammate, Uihlein, dropped into a tie for 13th after shooting 1 over on Saturday.
AKSHAY BHATIA REMAINS ON TOP AT TEXAS OPEN WITH 4-SHOT LEAD
Akshay Bhatia shot 68 on Saturday to remain atop the leaderboard with a four-shot lead in his bid for a wire-to-wire win at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.
Bhatia sits at 15-under par for the tournament, four shots ahead of Denny McCarthy, who shot 67. Bhatia had a five-stroke lead after 36 holes.
Brendon Todd (70 on Saturday) sits solo in third at 8 under. Hideki Matsuyama made a giant leap up the leaderboard with a 6-under 66, but he’s eight shots off the pace in a tie for fourth.
Bhatia, 22, is on the verge for qualifying for his first major. The Texas Open champion will receive the final berth into next week’s Masters, if not already qualified.
He carded six birdies against two bogeys for his round.
KYLE LARSON EDGES NEMESIS BUBBA WALLACE FOR MARTINSVILLE POLE
MARTINSVILLE, Va.–Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace renewed their rivalry on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway — without contact between their cars.
Six days after Wallace turned Larson with fewer than two laps left to cause the final caution at Richmond and take a likely win from Martin Truex Jr., Larson edged Wallace for the pole position for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
With Hendrick Motorsports celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend with special paint schemes, Larson — the last driver to make a qualifying run in the final round — scorched the 0.526-mile short track with a lap at 96.034 mph (19.718 seconds) to edge Wallace (96.029 mph) for the top starting spot by 0.001 seconds.
“Of all people, it would be Larson — by a thousandth,” Wallace said after Larson’s lap flashed onto the scoreboard.
Though Larson was part and parcel of the final caution last week at Richmond, he rallied to finish third in overtime, while a slow final pit stop relegated Wallace to 13th.
“Last week was pretty sweet revenge, us finishing third and him having a rough pit stop,” Larson said with a smile.
The pole on Saturday, however, was something of a surprise.
“Honestly, a bit unexpected,” said Larson, who earned his second straight Busch Light Pole Award this season, his second at Martinsville and the 18th of his career. “I knew we’d be good, but that second lap (in the final round) didn’t feel that good. It was just enough, though. Really cool to get this 40th anniversary Hendrick Camaro on the pole.
“It seems like all four Hendrick cars are really good, too, so hopefully it’s a good day for the organization.”
Larson’s teammate, Chase Elliott, qualified third at 95.869 mph, with Alex Bowman taking the 10th starting spot at 95.487 mph. William Byron failed to make the final round and will take the green flag in 18th.
Truex (95.864 mph) claimed the fourth spot on the grid, followed by Ford drivers Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano and Josh Berry. Last week’s Richmond winner, Denny Hamlin, reigning series champion Ryan Blaney and Bowman will start eighth through 10th, respectively.
Note: Team owner Rick Hendrick had planned to drive the pace car on Sunday as part of the 40th anniversary celebration, but knee replacement surgery intervened, preventing Hendrick from attending the race.
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS
INDIANA PACERS BASKETBALL
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS HEAT
There’s still a week remaining in the regular season, but Sunday’s game between the Pacers and Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse has massive stakes in the Eastern Conference playoff race and will go a long way in determining whether the Blue & Gold secure a top-six seed and an automatic playoff berth or have to go through the Play-In Tournament.
Indiana (44-34) and Miami (43-34) are separated by just half a game in the standings, with the Pacers currently holding on to the sixth and final playoff spot. The two teams split a pair of games in Miami on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, so not only will the winner of Sunday’s game be in sixth place, they’ll also have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the other team. Moreover, the winner would also come out on top in a three-way tiebreaker involving the Pacers, Heat, and Philadelphia (currently in eighth place at 43-35).
Because of those tiebreakers, while the winner of Sunday’s game will only be a game up on the other in the loss column, they will effectively have a two-game lead entering the final week of the regular season.
Both teams are coming off of wins on Friday night. The Pacers handled their business against an undermanned Oklahoma City team, with six players reaching double figures in a 126-112 victory. Pascal Siakam scored an efficient 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting, while T.J. McConnell had a double-double off the bench with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Heat, meanwhile, picked up a 119-104 win over the Rockets in Miami. Jimmy Butler led the way with 22 points, while Bam Adebayo added 18 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. In an important development for Miami, sharpshooting guard Tyler Herro returned to the lineup after being out since Feb. 23 with knee and foot injuries. The NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2022, Herro had 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, five boards, and six assists in 25 minutes off the bench in his return on Friday.
Sunday’s matchup will be one of contrasting styles.The Pacers play at the second-fastest pace in the NBA, while the Heat are the third-slowest team in the league. Indiana is second in offensive rating, scoring 120 points per 100 possessions, while the Heat are fourth in defensive rating at 111.5.
On the other end, Aaron Nesmith will likely be tasked with guarding Butler, who averages 21 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. Defending without fouling will be key, as Butler gets to the free throw line for nearly eight attempts per night.
Butler leads the Miami attack, but the Heat have several other weapons. Adebayo is a two-way force, averaging 19.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Terry Rozier has averaged 16.8 points and 4.7 assists in 30 games since being acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline. Duncan Robinson contributes 13.1 points per game, taking seven threes a night and knocking them down at a 40-percent clip. And now Herro is back. Though injuries have limited him to 37 games, he’s averaging 20.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game and shooting 39.7 percent from beyond the arc.
For their part, the Pacers know how important Sunday’s game is to their playoff aspirations. The Play-In Tournament isn’t a death sentence — just last year the Heat came out of the Play-In and advanced all the way to the NBA Finals — but the Pacers would greatly prefer to avoid it if they can and secure the highest possible seed (mathematically, they could still finish as high as second and could easily move up to fourth or fifth if they win their final four games and couple other results break their way).
“Every single game matters,” Siakam said heading into Sunday’s showdown. “Every possession, we’ve got to go out, give it everything we got. At the end of the day, it’s just about going out there and hooping. We’ve got to be the hardest-playing team.
“We know the energy that they’re going to have, knowing the type of team that they are, they’re going to come in ready and we’ve got to do the same. It’s going to be fun. We’ve got to enjoy it. You want to be in those situations.”
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Jalen Smith
Heat: G – Terry Rozier, G – Duncan Robinson, F – Jimmy Butler, F – Nikola Jovic, C – Bam Adebayo
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – questionable (sore back), Jalen Smith – questionable (left ankle sprain), Bennedict Mathurin – out (right shoulder labral tear)
Heat: Josh Richardson – out (right shoulder surgery)
Last Meeting
Dec. 2, 2023: Tyrese Haliburton was out with an illness, but the Pacers offense didn’t miss a beat, exploding for 144 points in a 15-point victory over the Heat in Miami. The Blue & Gold shot 65.9 percent from the field and went 16-for-32 from 3-point range in the victory.
Four Pacers scored 20 or more points, led by Bruce Brown, who scored 30 on 11-of-16 shooting (4-of-6 from 3-point range). Aaron Nesmith added 22 points off the bench while also going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, fellow reserve T.J. McConnell tallied 20 points and 11 assists, and Obi Toppin scored 20 while going 7-for-8 from the field and 4-for-5 from long distance.
Jimmy Butler led Miami with 33 points in the loss, going 12-for-23 from the field and 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Caleb Martin added 18 points, Duncan Robinson scored 17, and Orlando Robinson tallied 16.
Noteworthy
With a win on Sunday, the Pacers would win the season series with the Heat for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
With 11 assists on Friday, Tyrese Haliburton broke Mark Jackson’s franchise record for most assists in a single season. Haliburton has 714 assists in 65 games, while Jackson dished out 713 in 82 games in 1997-98.
Sunday’s game is the final time that the Pacers are scheduled to wear their 2023-24 Nike CITY EDITION uniforms.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Tickets
The Pacers host Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in a game with major playoff implications on Sunday, April 7 at 5:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS BASEBALL
INDIANS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER, RUN WIN STREAK TO FOUR
INDIANAPOLIS – Liover Peguero continued his hot streak with two hits and two RBI in Game 1, and Billy McKinney and Matt Gorski smacked back-to-back home runs ahead of a five-run third inning in the nightcap to carry the Indianapolis Indians to a doubleheader sweep over the Memphis Redbirds, 5-4 and 7-5, on Saturday night at Victory Field. Indy overcame 4-2 deficits in each contest to run its win streak to four games.
In the first contest, Indianapolis (5-3) used a three-run fifth inning to snag the victory. With two runners aboard, Peguero doubled home Nick Gonzales to cut the deficit to 4-3. Jake Lamb then walked on a wild pitch that plated Gilberto Celestino to tie the game. Following a pitching change, Malcom Nuñez lofted a sacrifice fly to center field.
Moisés Gómez put Memphis (3-5) in front in the first inning with a run-scoring single, but the Indians responded with two in the home half on a Peguero RBI single and McKinney sacrifice fly. Indy’s lead held until the fourth when Arquímedes Gamboa singled to right to drive in Gavin Collins. Wily Peralta (W, 1-0) took over for Quinn Priester in the fifth and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Nick Dunn that put the visitors back on top. Gómez later raced home on a Peralta wild pitch, but the Indians’ half of the fifth settled the score.
Adam Kloffenstein (L, 0-1) yielded five earned runs on three hits and five walks in 4.1 innings pitched. Geronimo Franzua (S, 2) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning for the save.
Game 2 featured another Indians rally that led to victory. Trailing 4-2 midway through the third, the Indians sent 10 batters to the dish, tallied six hits and scored five runs – all with two outs. Joshua Palacios had a run-scoring single, Matt Gorski ripped a two-run double, Grant Koch notched an RBI double and Gonzales singled home a run to finish the frame.
The Redbirds inched closer on an RBI groundout by Baker in the fifth, but Brent Honeywell (S, 1) slammed the door with a six-out save.
The Redbirds again claimed a 1-0 lead in the opening frame on a sacrifice fly by Luken Baker, but McKinney and Gorski’s long balls to begin the second pushed the Indians in front, 2-1. Memphis regained the lead momentarily with three runs in the top of the third until Indy batted around in the bottom half for the first time this season.
Connor Sadzeck (W, 1-0) pitched 3.0 one-run innings and struck out two in relief. Gordon Graceffo (L, 0-2) was tagged for seven earned runs on eight hits in 2.2 innings pitched to suffer the loss.
Celestino ran his team-high hit streak to seven games, going 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs in Game 1 and 1-for-4 with a run in Game 2.
The Indians and Redbirds conclude their six-game series on Sunday at 1:35 PM. In a rematch of Tuesday’s series opener, LHP Cam Alldred (0-1, 6.00) gets the nod for Indy against RHP Sem Robberse (1-0, 1.80).
INDY ELEVEN SOCCER
BLAKE SCORES A PAIR TO LEAD INDY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, April 6, 2024) – Indy Eleven fell, 5-3, on the road to Louisville City FC in the first installment of the 2024 LIPAFC rivalry Saturday afternoon. With the victory, LouCity improves to 4-0-0 on top of the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings, while Indy falls to 1-3-1.
Louisville opened the scoring in the 16th minute as its season tally leader Wilson Harris found the back of the net from the left side of the six-yard box off an assist from Jake Morris.
Indy picked up its first threat from Jack Blake, who missed just over the top of frame from about 30 yards out in an attempt for the equalizer in the 24th minute. It did come just 10 minutes after when Younes Boudadi earned Indy a penalty kick deep inside the box. Blake stepped up to the spot and converted for his team-leading third goal of 2024.
LouCity regained the lead in the 41st minute from Jansen Wilson and added an insurance goal just on the other side of the half break from Elijah Wynder in the 50th minute.
A 60th-minute strike from Blake gave him a brace and pulled the Boys in Blue back within one. The one-goal deficit didn’t last long, though, with Harris completing the hattrick with tallies in the 62nd and 71st minutes to extend the lead to 5-2.
No stranger to both sides of the rivalry, 62nd minute substitute Tyler Gibson made his presence known in the match with a strike in the 82nd minute. The shot ricocheted off a Louisville defender and was credited in the official stats as an own goal, and that’s where the scoring would end at 5-3.
LouCity had the 20-7 edge in shots, also topping Indy 7-3 on frame. In the possession battle, the Boys in Blue came out ahead at 52.9%. Blake led Indy with five shots, including three on target, and moved his goal total to four this season.
The eight goals were the most goals scored in a meeting between the two teams, topping six goals in a 3-3 draw June 26, 2021.
Indy returns home next Saturday for a 7 p.m. ET match-up with Charleston Battery. The match will stream on ESPN+ and air locally on WNDY. Single-game tickets are available now for all matches via Ticketmaster. Season Ticket Packages can also be purchased, as well as tickets for groups and hospitality areas. For more information on these options click here. For questions, please email tickets@indyeleven.com or give us a call at 317.685.1100.
USL Championship Regular Season
Louisville City FC 5:3 Indy Eleven
Saturday, April 6, 2024 – 4 p.m. ET
Lynn Family Stadium – Louisville, Kentucky
2024 USL Championship Records
Louisville City FC: 4-0-0 (+10), 12 pts Eastern Conference
Indy Eleven: 1-3-1 (-3), 4 pts Eastern Conference
Scoring Summary
LOU – Wilson Harris (Jake Morris) 16’
IND – Jack Blake (penalty) 34’
LOU – Jansen Wilson (Wilson Harris) 41’
LOU – Elijah Wynder (Ray Serrano) 50’
IND – Jack Blake (Sebastian Guenzatti) 60’
LOU – Wilson Harris (Adrien Perez) 62’
LOU – Wilson Harris (Ray Serrano) 71’
IND – Own goal 82’
Discipline Summary
IND – Douglas Martinez (caution) 32’
IND – Younes Boudadi (caution) 40’
IND – Yannik Oettl (caution) 71’
LOU – Damian Las (caution) 77’
LOU – Ray Serrano (caution) 87’
LOU – Jorge Gonzalez (caution) 90+6’
Indy Eleven line-up (4-4-2): Yannik Oettl, Aedan Stanley, Adrian Diz Pe, Josh O’Brien, Younes Boudadi, Max Schneider (Tyler Gibson 62’ captain), Cam Lindley (captain), Jack Blake, Douglas Martinez, Augi Williams (Tega Ikoba 62’), Sebastian Guenzatti (Elliot Collier 79’)
Indy Subs: Hunter Sulte, Macca King, Danny Barbir, Laurence Wootton
Louisville City line-up: Damian Las, Kyle Adams, Arturo Ordonez, Sean Tosch, Jake Morris (Aiden McFadden 60’), Elijah Wynder (Niall McCabe 75’), Taylor Davila, Jansen Wilson (Tola Showunmi, 88’), Ray Serrano (Wes Charpie 87’), Wilson Harris (Jorge Gonzalez 79’), Adrien Perez
Louisville City Subs: Dylan Mares, Danny Faundez, Hayden Stamps
INDY FUEL HOCKEY
FUEL GAIN POINT IN OT BATTLE IN FORT WAYNE
FORT WAYNE – The Fuel went up to Fort Wayne for a Saturday night contest against the Komets. It was another overtime battle, this time with the Komets coming out on top 2-1.
1ST PERIOD
The Fuel were active in the offensive zone to start this game. The Komets’ defense was strong but Victor Hadfield sliced and diced his way through multiple defenders to set up a beautiful pass to Anthony Petruzzelli to start the scoring for the game.
The game’s first goal and Fuel’s first goal came at 7:22 of the first period.
Either team committed no penalties and the period ended with the Fuel outshooting the Komets 11-8.
2ND PERIOD
The second frame had a lot of action but no scoring.
The Komets began to wake up and put pressure on Mitchell Weeks and the Fuel kept pressure on Fanti.
There was a lone minor penalty against DJ King at 5:56 but the Komets could not find the back of the net with the extra man.
At 15:09, Cam Hausinger and Martin Haš locked arms and began throwing haymakers for roughly 10 seconds before the linesmen stepped in to end the heated debate.
The period ended with the Fuel outshooting the Komets 15-9.
3RD PERIOD & OVERTIME
At 1:42, the pressure of Fort Wayne became too much and the Komets tied it up at one off the stick of Carl Berglund.
Shortly after, Jon Martin was called for interference, giving the Komets their second power play of the game. In a critical moment, the Fuel were able to hold in another penalty-kill situation.
Indy found their first power play of the game at 15:46 but, like the first two Komets power plays, no goal was scored.
After 20 minutes, the period ended tied at 1 and the game would move to a free 7-minute period of 3-on-3 hockey.
At a perfect 4:44 of the overtime period, Noah Ganske finishes the game off for the Komets and gives Fort Wayne the 2-1 victory.
Final shot totals were Indy 37 and Fort Wayne 30.
INDIANA BASEBALL
HOOSIERS POUND TERRAPINS TO CLINCH SERIES VICTORY
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Indiana Baseball team (18-14, 3-2 B1G) left no doubt that it came to play this weekend, dominating Maryland to the tune of a 14-2 victory on Saturday (April 6) afternoon at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. Nick Mitchell hit a three-run home run in the first inning as IU led the entire way.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Connor Foley needed just the three runs of supports and ended up with 13. He threw six scoreless innings while striking out 10 batters. He gave up just one hit, an infield dribbler that snuck past his outstretched arm. On the season, he’s got 64 punchouts and has a 3.21 earned run average.
The middle of IU’s order, which stayed the same from Friday, continues to produce at a high level. Mitchell’s home run kick started things but sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny (2), redshirt freshman first baseman Joey Brenczewski (2) and junior third baseman Josh Pyne (3) all had multi-hit days. Junior outfielder Carter Mathison also added a pair of hits from his leadoff spot.
Eight of the nine starters scored at least one run with Mitchell leading the way with three trips around the bases. Pyne drove in a game-high five RBIs, highlighted by a three-run blast in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver saw his 13-game hitting streak come to an end but did reach base three times with two walks.
Even without the services of junior Brock Tibbitts, IU has found its groove offensively. The Hoosiers have scored 45 runs in its last three games. It’s run of three-straight games with 14+ runs is the longest since 1992. It marks the first time IU has put up 14+ runs in consecutive Big Ten games since last year’s series against Purdue (26, 15).
The Hoosiers’ win marked the first series victory in College Park since 2019. A sweep of the hands of Michigan in 2019 was the last time, before this weekend, that Maryland had lost a Big Ten series at home. IU will look to cap off an impressive weekend with a sweep of the Terrapins. First pitch from College Park will be at Noon.
Scoring Recap
Top First
Nick Mitchell got behind in the count but waited on a 1-2 breaking ball that he took over the wall in right field to hand IU an early 3-0 lead.
Indiana 3, Maryland 0
Top Third
Joey Brenczewski’s big weekend continued. He executed a two-out hit and run with Tyler Cerny, doubling to the left field wall to score another run for IU. Josh Pyne added to the tally, singling through the right side to score Brenczewski.
Indiana 5, Maryland 0
Top Fifth
Pyne added another RBI in the fifth. With the bases loaded, he hit a ground ball to the third baseman. Maryland tried to turn the double play but Pyne beat the throw to first. Mitchell came into score.
Indiana 6, Maryland 0
Top Sixth
IU hung a crooked number on the board in the sixth, batting all the way around the order and plating seven runs. Cerny opened the scoring with a two-run double into the right-center gap. It marked his sixth-consecutive multi-hit game. Jake Stadler hit a ball right at the shortstop. The ball was mishandled, allowing two more runs to score. Pyne made Maryland pay, hitting a three-run home run in the next at-bat to break the game open.
Indiana 13, Maryland 0
Top Eighth
Carter Mathison doubled into left field to score Pyne and add the 14th run of the day.
Indiana 14, Maryland 0
Bottom Eighth
Maryland picked up a pair of consolation runs late in the game. Chris Hacopian scored on a wild pitch before Kevin Keister grounded out to the shortstop to score Eddie Hacopian.
Indiana 14, Maryland 2
Top Hoosier Performers
#14 Foley, Connor
6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 10 K
#32 Pyne, Josh
3-5, 2 R, 5 RBI
#8 Cerny, Tyler
2-6, 2 R, 2 RBI
Notes to Know
• Tyler Cerny became the first Hoosier to 50 hits this year after his sixth-consecutive multi-hit day. He leads IU in hits (50), doubles (14), RBIs (38), batting average (.360) and multi-hit contests (17). He’s now riding a team-best six-game hitting streak.
• Jasen Oliver’s 13-game hitting streak came to an end. His final two at-bats resulted in walks which helped extend his on-base streak to 14 games. Oliver’s hitting streak was sixth longest by an IU freshman since 2010. It was the best run since Josh Pyne (15) in 2022.
• Connor Foley struck out 10 batters for the second time this season and for the second time in conference play. He leads the Big Ten with 64 punchouts this year. IU’s 7-1 in Foley’s starts this season. He’s allowed just 20 hits and has now pitched 13 scoreless innings in Big Ten play.
• IU has scored 14-or-more runs in all three games this week, beginning with a 16-run outburst against Indiana State on Tuesday. It’s the first time IU’s scored 14+ runs in three-straight games since the beginning of the 1992 season.
• Josh Pyne now has 188 career hits, 48 career doubles and 142 career RBIs. He needs two more doubles to move into the top-10 in school history. He’s 12 hits from becoming the 24th member of the 200-hit club in IU’s 130-year baseball history.
Up Next
IU will look to put the finishing touches on an outstanding weekend with tomorrow’s contest against Maryland. First pitch is set for noon and can be streamed on BTN+ or heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE ADVANCES TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, DOWNS NORTH CAROLINA STATE
GLENDALE, Ariz. (via ESPN) — Midway through the first half of Purdue’s eventual 63-50 win over NC State in the Final Four on Saturday, Wolfpack big man DJ Burns Jr. gritted his teeth and braced for impact.
Although he is 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds, Burns had to look up every time Zach Edey — the 7-foot-4, 290-pound reigning Wooden Award winner — touched the ball. As Edey scored on a skyhook, Burns shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
Burns, the star of an NC State team that had won nine in a row after a 2-7 stretch in its last nine regular-season games, knew it would be a long night.
Boilermakers coach Matt Painter has been the leader of Purdue’s redemption tour a year after the team suffered a loss to 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA tournament. But Edey is its star.
While Edey (20 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 turnovers) slowed down in the second half, the energy NC State expended as it attempted to corral him drained the Wolfpack, which started 1-for-10 from the field after halftime.
Wolfpack forward Mohamed Diarra, all 215 pounds of him, bounced off Edey a few times. Burns leaned on him throughout the game and tried to avoid fouls. Ben Middlebrooks, a 6-foot-10 center, was NC State’s best defender against Edey, but midway through the second half, Middlebrooks had his hands on his knees during a timeout as sweat poured from his brow.
Taking advantage of the Wolfpack’s fatigue, Purdue’s Lance Jones finished with 14 points (4-for-9 on 3-pointers) and Fletcher Loyer added 11 points (3-for-5 beyond the arc), as NC State realized it couldn’t guard Edey and address the four other players on the court at the same time.
“I think, obviously, he’s our pillar, the guy we work around in what we do,” Painter said of Edey on Friday. “But it’s not something from an attention-seeking [standpoint] that I think he likes. He’s gotten more comfortable answering questions and getting that kind of attention. At the end of the day, he just wants it to be a team game. He wants the attention to go to everybody. He does a great job of facilitating that, being humble. That’s refreshing. Who doesn’t want to play with a great player but also a great player that’s unselfish and humble like he is?”
Purdue, which will play in its first national-championship matchup since 1969, can now focus on Monday night’s title game. The Boilermakers will have a chance to win the first national championship in school history and complete a full turnaround — perhaps mimicking Virginia, which won a trophy in 2019 a year after its first-round loss to 16-seed UMBC.
But Edey’s presence has carved the path to this moment.
Against NC State, he had 14 points in the first half and finished 6-for-9 from the field. The big man’s efforts dictated the tone of the game. With every touch, NC State braced and often sent help, which created more room for Edey’s teammates. With seven minutes to play, the No. 2 team in 3-point shooting in America had made 38% of its shots from beyond the arc.
But Purdue had its challenges. It committed eight turnovers in the first half alone — Braden Smith had five and Edey had three — and the sloppiness continued in the second half. Smith (3 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 turnovers) threatened to make NCAA tournament history as the first player since 1984 to finish with at least 10 assists and 10 rebounds but zero points, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, until he hit a late 3-pointer.
While the Boilermakers shot 3-pointers at a solid clip, the team had made just 40% of its field goal attempts with five minutes to play in the contest.
The one constant — not just Saturday, but all season — has been Edey. He has now joined a unique group as the fifth player to average at least 25 points and 15 rebounds through five NCAA tournament games. That list includes such legends as Elvin Hayes and Elgin Baylor.
From the front row, another legend watched as Edey led his team to the final game of the season.
Shaquille O’Neal nodded his head when he was asked if liked Edey’s repertoire.
“He has a nice touch around the basket,” said O’Neal, the Basketball Hall of Fame center and TV commentator who watched Edey’s effort from the front row at the State Farm Stadium. “He uses his body well. He’s playing very well, and he’s staying out of foul trouble.”
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH COME UP SHORT IN 3-2 LOSS TO NO. 2 CLEMSON
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (14-14, 2-12) narrowly fell 3-2 to No. 2 Clemson (27-3, 9-2 ACC) Saturday night, as a ninth-inning comeback attempt fell short for the Irish.
RHP Jack Radel (2-1) went a career-high 5.0 innings, starting on the mound for the Irish Saturday night, allowing two runs and taking the loss. RHP Caden Spivey finished out the last 4.0 innings, allowing four hits and one run.
OF T.J. Williams and OF David Glancy led the Irish with two hits each. Brady Gumpf entered to pinch-hit in the bottom of the ninth and sent a solo homer to pull within one of the Tigers, but the Irish were unable to add. It marked Gumpf’s fourth homer of the season.
Notre Dame marked its highest home attendance of the last two seasons on Saturday with 1,250 in attendance. It marks the highest figure for the Irish since April 23, 2022 (1,865 attendance).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Radel dealt a strikeout in the first, conceding two walks but holding Clemson off the board. Glancy delivered a one-out single in the bottom of the inning, but was left on base after two subsequent outs.
Clemson was held hitless and scoreless in the second, only placing one on base on a walk. After a leadoff groundout in the bottom of the second, OF Tito Flores hit his first triple of the season, but two outs stranded him on base.
The Tigers led off the third with a single, but two flyouts and another strikeout from Radel thwarted hopes in the inning. After an Irish strikeout in the bottom half, Williams singled, and Glancy forced an error to reach first as Williams took third. INF Estevan Moreno sent a sac fly to right field, and Williams sped home to put the Irish on the board first, 1-0.
Clemson responded in the fourth with a leadoff solo homer to tie the score, but the Irish retired the next three batters, including another strikeout from Radel, his third of the game. Notre Dame went three up, three down to head to the fifth with a 1-1 tie.
After a flyout for Clemson to lead off, the Tigers homered to right field to take a 2-1 lead. A flyout and groundout limited the damage and sent the Irish to bat. With two outs, Williams took a HBP and Glancy followed with a single, but a strikeout ended the inning.
In the top of the sixth, Spivey entered to pitch for Notre Dame. After forcing two outs, he allowed a single, but flashed the leather to grab a grounder for the third out. INF Simon Baumgardt led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, but was tagged out on his attempt to reach second base. INF Jack Penney and Flores, the next two batters, were retired to send the game to the seventh.
After a popup to INF Connor Hincks at first, Clemson singled and walked to place two runners on base. Another single loaded the bases, and a sac fly increased Clemson’s lead to 3-1. A groundout to Penney ended the top half. Notre Dame was sat down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Spivey posted two strikeouts in the eighth to sit Clemson down in order. Williams led off the bottom half with a single, and after a strikeout, Moreno singled in the infield off a full count. Baumgardt hit into a fielder’s choice to push Moreno to second and tagging Williams out at third, and Penney delivered a single to load the bases. A groundout ended the inning, stranding three on base for Notre Dame.
The Tigers led off the ninth with a single, but three subsequent groundouts held Clemson from scoring, and the Irish headed to bat. After two outs, Gumpf entered to pinch-hit, and his solo homer to left field gave the Irish hope. However, a subsequent groundout ended the game, giving Clemson a 3-2 win and series clinch.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame and Clemson return to Frank Eck Stadium Sunday for the series finale at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX.
BUTLER BASEBALL
CREIGHTON EVENS SERIES WITH BUTLER
OMAHA, Neb. – After opening the three-game BIG EAST series with Creighton in victory, Butler fell to the Blue Jays in game two as the series evened up at one game apiece. The Bulldogs struggled at the plate and gave up runs in the first, fifth, sixth, and eighth innings as they succumbed by a final score of 11-1.
Butler’s only run of the day came in the top of the ninth inning. After the Bulldogs had loaded the bases, Carter Dorighi put a ball into play toward first base, pushing Brett Sherrard home from third.
Creighton used a walk and a single to score one run in the first inning, and that 1-0 lead held through four complete. In the fifth, a pair of doubles produced one run and forced Butler to insert Grant Brooks on the mound in place of starter Ben Whiteside. A subsequent throwing error on an infield single allowed two more runs to score, pushing the Blue Jays’ lead to 4-0.
In the bottom of the sixth, Creighton plated three on a walk, a hit batter, and a pair of hits and were still working with just one out. The Bulldogs went to the bullpen again, replacing Brooks with Shane Kilfoyle. This change did not end the threat, as the Blue Jays put up two more by the end of the inning, extending the lead to 9-0.
The Bulldogs went with Gage Vota on the mound in the seventh. He pitched one scoreless inning but then gave up a pair of runs in the eighth on four hits.
Six Bulldogs combined for seven hits on the day, with Zach Munton producing a pair of singles. Jack Moroknek’s double, in the top of the first, was Butler’s only extra-base hit of the afternoon.
Ben Whiteside (1-1) gave up four runs in 4.1 innings and took the loss for the Bulldogs, while Chad Saner (1-0) pitched five scoreless innings and picked up his first victory this season for Creighton.
Butler falls to 13-15 on the season and 1-1 in BIG EAST play, while the Blue Jays are now 23-5, also 1-1 in conference action.
The Bulldogs remain in Omaha for Sunday’s rubber match of the three-game series with Creighton. First pitch is scheduled for noon eastern (11 a.m. central).
BALL STATE BASEBALL
CARDINALS SHUT OUT REDHAWKS FOR EIGHTH STRAIGHT WIN
OXFORD, Ohio – The Ball State baseball team quieted the Miami (OH) bats for a second straight game to win 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at McKie Field.
The Cardinals (20-12, 7-7 Mid-American Conference) got 10 strikeouts in 6.0 scoreless innings by Keegan Johnson and three strikeouts in 3.0 scoreless innings from Sam Klein to secure the shutout of the RedHawks (12-16, 7-7 MAC). Johnson allowed only two hits and improved his record to 4-0 with the win, while Klein picked up his third save of the year.
Houston King hit an RBI single to left field that plated Nick Husovsky in the second inning, and Blake Bevis scored Nick Gregory on a knock to right field in the fourth for the day’s only scoring. Husovsky went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles on the afternoon.
Johnson struck out the side in the fifth inning and had at least one punchout in every inning to lead the Cardinals to their eighth straight win. The freshman left-handed pitcher increased his season strikeout total to 47 with the shutdown effort.
“An outstanding pitching performance today,” head coach Rich Maloney said. “Good pitching, defense and timely hitting will win you a lot of games.”
Miami was limited to only five hits for the second game in a row, and starter Nick Vardavas gave up two runs in 6.0 innings to suffer the loss.
Ball State and Miami are scheduled to play the series final on Sunday at 1 p.m
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
SYCAMORES SWEEP THE SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER TO CLAIM SERIES WIN AT MURRAY STATE
MURRAY, Ky. – Indiana State swept the Saturday doubleheader against Murray State to secure their 13th consecutive Missouri Valley Conference series win as the Sycamores topped the Racers 2-1 (10) and 6-4 at Johnny Reagan Field.
Adam Pottinger homered in the top of the 10th inning to provide the winning margin in the first game against the Racers (20-12, 4-5), while Luis Hernandez connected on a three-run double in the eighth inning as a part of a four-RBI game to propel the Sycamores (23-7, 7-2) to the series win.
Simon Gregersen and Max McEwen highlighted Indiana State’s late-inning pitching efforts on the day with Gregersen shutting the door in the opener to record his fifth save of the season. McEwen retired all nine batters he faced and struck out six in a dominant relief effort to pick up his first collegiate win in the series finale.
Game One: Indiana State 2, Murray State 1 (10 inn.)
Adam Pottinger connected on the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 10th inning and Simon Gregersen silenced the Murray State bats for the second consecutive day as Indiana State topped Murray State, 2-1, in extra innings to even the series.
The Sycamores led for a majority of the game courtesy of Parker Stinson’s second-inning leadoff solo home run off the batter’s eye in center field to give ISU the early 1-0 lead.
The run support was all Sycamore starter Brennyn Cutts needed to get through a career-long 7.0 inning start as the junior right-hander scattered two hits while striking out seven. Cam Edmonson (4-0) entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning striking out two, before running into trouble in the ninth against the Murray State lineup.
The Racers took advantage of a fly ball dropping in the infield to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Ethan Krizen worked the count to draw a bases-loaded walk allowing Dustin Mercer to score and tying the game up at 1-1. Edmonson rebounded to strike out Parker Estes on a full-count to send the game into extra-innings.
Pottinger connected on the two-out, go-ahead solo home run off Murray State reliever Bryce Valero (1-3) to swing the advantage back to the Sycamores in the game.
Gregersen (S, 5), after throwing 3.0 innings of scoreless relief on Friday night, came back onto the mound in the save situation in the 10th inning against the top of the Murray State lineup. The redshirt junior right-hander pitched around a single and a walk in the frame to get the final out on a grounder to Mike Sears to secure his fifth save of the season.
Dom Krupinski added a double for the Sycamore offense as hits were at a premium in the opening contest. Randal Diaz and Josue Urdaneta also singled among ISU’s five hits in the win.
Murray State’s Jacob Pennington went 9.0 innings in the start for the Racers allowing three hits and three walks while striking out six in taking the no-decision.
The Racers were limited to four singles in the loss.
How They Scored
Parker Stinson connected on a solo home run in the top of the second inning to give Indiana State the early 1-0 lead.
Murray State evened the score in the bottom of the ninth inning as Ethan Krizen drew a bases-loaded walk scoring Dustin Mercer to tie the game up at 1-1.
Adam Pottinger connected on the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 10th inning driving the ball over the wall in right center to provide the final 2-1 margin.
Game Two: Indiana State 6, Murray State 4
Luis Hernandez connected on the go-ahead three-run double in the top of the eighth inning and Max McEwen went three scoreless innings out of the bullpen as Indiana State secured the series win over Murray State with the 6-4 win in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Trailing 4-3 heading into the top of the eighth, the Sycamores loaded the bases with two outs against Murray State reliever Thomas McNabb (2-1). Grant Magill singled and Josue Urdaneta was hit by a pitch to put two on base. Two batters later, Dominic Listi drew a walk to set the stage for Hernandez and the junior first baseman delivered.
Hernandez connected on a double in the right center gap deep enough to allow all three runners to score without a throw as the Sycamores bounced back from the deficit to take the 6-4 lead.
McEwen (1-0) took over from there as the redshirt freshman put together the most dominant outing of his collegiate career retiring all nine batters he faced, including striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth, in his first collegiate win. The Sellersburg, Ind. native struck out five of the final six he faced to secure the series win for the Sycamores.
ISU took the lead early on RBI singles from Grant Magill and Hernandez, but the Racers answered every run to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Drew Vogel drove in a pair of runs, including the go-ahead RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth inning before Indiana State’s late rally swung the contest back to the Sycamores.
Magill finished 3-for-5 from the plate to pace a 13-hit Indiana State effort at the plate in the series finale. Diaz, Hernandez, Stinson, and Pottinger also recorded multi-hit games in the win.
Luke Hayden went the first 5.1 innings in the finale allowing five hits and four runs while striking out seven in the no-decision. Cole Gilley and Brayden Lybarger closed out the sixth inning before McEwen took over in the seventh.
The Racers were limited to five hits in the contest highlighted by a Dan Tauken double.
Ethan Lyke went the first 4.0-innings for Murray State allowing eight hits and three runs while striking out four. Jacob Hustedde, McNabb, Alex Elsing, and Nathan Holler closed out the game on the mound.
How They Scored
Indiana State took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Grant Magill singled in Parker Stinson.
The Sycamores added a run in the top of the third on Luis Hernandez’s infield single scoring Josue Urdaneta to go up 2-0.
The Racers tied the game up in the bottom of the third inning with Jonathan Hogart connecting on a bases-loaded, two-run single scoring Drew Vogel and Logan Bland to even the score at 2-2.
Randal Diaz put ISU back in the lead in the top of the fourth with an RBI single up the middle scoring Adam Pottinger to give the Sycamores the 3-2 lead.
Drew Vogel tied the game up in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single to right field scoring Dan Tauken to knot the score at 3-3.
Vogel gave the Racers the 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI sacrifice fly scoring Parker Estes.
The Sycamores took the lead back in the top of the eighth inning as Luis Hernandez connected on a three-run double to the right center gap scoring Dominic Listi, Josue Urdaneta, and Grant Magill to provide the final 6-4 score.
News & Notes
Dominic Listi’s 28-game on base streak came to an end in Saturday’s first game as the redshirt senior failed to reach base for the first time in the 2024 season. He was back on base in game two drawing a walk in the eighth inning before coming around to score on Hernandez’s go-ahead double.
Josue Urdaneta extended his on-base streak to a career-best 19 consecutive games on Saturday after reaching base in both games.
An Indiana State batter was not hit by a pitch in the first game on Saturday snapping a streak of 32 consecutive games with at least one Sycamore getting plunked dating back to the end of the 2023 season.
Indiana State’s relief pitchers combined to strike out 26 Murray State batters over 14 innings over the weekend. Max McEwen (6) and Zach Davidson (6) both highlighted the strikeout efforts, while Simon Gregersen added five on Friday night in a 3.0-inning stint.
The ISU pitching staff combined to allow just nine hits (one extra-base) over Saturday’s doubleheader against the Racers, and just 19 hits over the 31.0 innings played.
Entering the weekend with a Valley-best ERA and opponent batting average in conference games, the Sycamores combined to post a 2.32 ERA while allowing Murray State to hit .179 from the plate (19/106).
The Sycamores improved to 33-5-1 in Missouri Valley action since the end of the 2022 regular season as Indiana State continued a program-record 13-series winning streak in conference competition. All five losses over the stretch have come in the series opener.
Indiana State played in back-to-back extra-inning games for the second time in the 2024 season after going past regulation in both of the first two games of the series against Murray State. The Sycamores previously went into extra-innings against both Michigan State and Marshall on February 23 & 24 down in Port Charlotte.
Up Next
Indiana State remains on the road for the midweek as the Sycamores travel to West Lafayette, Ind. and Alexander Field to take on Purdue University on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. with the game to be carried live on BIG+ and 105.5 The Legend.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
BASEBALL SLUGS PAST BELMONT, 8-3, TO WIN SERIES
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – University of Evansville graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger launched two home runs on Saturday, and graduate catcher Brendan Hord added a home run of his own, as the visiting Purple Aces powered past the host Belmont Bruins, 8-3, at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville, Tennessee to win the Missouri Valley Conference series. UE will go for a series sweep on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
“I am really proud of our overall effort today,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “It really started on the mound for us, as Donovan Schultz was electric today and really stepped up big for us to help get us the series win on a Saturday.
“Offensively, we had a lot of different guys step up today. Obviously, Mark Shallenberger hitting two home runs today was huge for us, but Harrison Taubert had some great two-strike hits today, and I really want to commend Brendan Hord on the job he did today both offensive and behind home plate. Brendan really did a tremendous job for us today.”
Hord got Evansville on the board first in the second inning with a three-run home run down the left-field line. Shallenberger then added a two-run blast to right-center field in the fifth inning to give UE a 5-0 lead. Then, after an RBI double by junior outfielder Harrison Taubert in the sixth inning, Shallenberger crushed a mammoth home run to right field to give UE an 8-0 advantage.
The eight runs were more than enough for graduate left-hander Donovan Schultz (1-1), who earned his first victory of the year with seven strong innings on the mound. Schultz held the Bruins scoreless through the first six innings on just two hits. Belmont would finally scratch across two runs against Schultz in the seventh inning, but the graduate left-hander equaled a career-high with 7.0 innings of work, allowing just two runs on four hits, while striking out six.
Taubert led UE offensively by posting his second four-hit game of the year, with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Shallenberger also went 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, and four RBI. Evansville out-hit Belmont, 12-5, on the afternoon.
With the victory, Evansville improves to 14-16 overall and 4-4 in the MVC, while extending its winning streak to four-straight games. Belmont, meanwhile, suffers its second-straight loss and drops to 16-15 overall and 4-4 in the Valley. The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Evansville has not yet announced a starter for Sunday’s contest. Sunday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and can be seen on-line on ESPN+.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EAGLES GROUNDED BY LATE LION RALLY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball allowed three runs in the top of the ninth in losing to Lindenwood University, 7-6, Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 14-17 overall and 4-4 OVC, while Lindenwood goes to 9-21, 3-5 OVC.
The Screaming Eagles trailed 1-0 after the second inning, but tied the game 1-1 in the third on a RBI-single by senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana). Lindenwood responded by regaining the lead in the top of the fourth with three-run frame to lead, 4-1.
USI got the momentum back in the fifth with a five-run frame to lead 6-4. Ellis struck again to get the rally going with a RBI-single through the right side before junior catcher Logan Mock (Livermore, California) tied the score with a two-run double down the left line.
The Eagles continued the rally to get the two run lead on a run scoring single by junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) and a RBI-double by junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela).
USI would hold the two-run lead until the ninth when Lindenwood scored three times on three hits and three walks against four Eagle hurlers.
On the mound, junior right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) picked up the loss in relief. Hutson (0-3) allowed three runs on one hit and two walks in the final frame.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI and Lindenwood concludes the series Sunday with a NEW START TIME OF 11 a.m. due to the forecast of inclement weather.
Following the conclusion of the series, USI goes back on the road for four-straight, beginning with a non-conference visit to Saint Louis University Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Eagles resume OVC action April 12-14 at Southeast Missouri State University.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
12 – 40 – 43
April 7, 1928 – Here is something you won’t see happen in today’s NHL. New York Rangers General Manager, Lester Patrick suited up and skated on to the ice to replace his injured goaltender in a Stanley Cup game. The 44-year old Lester held his own too as the Rangers doubled up the Montreal Maroons, 2-1 in Overtime. it was a key voctory too as it propelled the Rangers go on to win series, 3 games to 2.
April 7, 1956 – At NBA Championship finals Fort Wayne Pistons forward George Yardley, Number 12 fired in 30 points however his efforts were not enough as the Philadelphia Warriors beat Fort Wayne, 99-88 and wrapped up the Championshp series, 4 games to 1.
April 7, 1969 – One for the record books. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Bill Singer, Number 40 was credited with first official save, against the Cincinnati Reds. The Save was a brand new statistic in 1969 and well the first one recorded brand new after the rule revision was this one. It was MLB’s first new major statistic since the run batted in was added in 1920. Singer would only have 2 saves ont he 1969 season and Ron Perranoski lead the Majors with 31 saves on the season for the Minnesota Twins. Fred Gladding of the Astros led the NL with 29.
April 7, 1979 – Houston Astro Ken Forsch, Number 43 pitches a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves, in a 6-0 victory. The this Ken became, with his brother Bob, the only MLB siblings to accomplish the feat.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History Headlines
April 7, 1943 – According to a post on NFL.com the League adopted several new rules and changes. Free substitution became permitted which meant that players could be substituted more than once during a game, helmets became mandatory and a 10-game schedule was adopted.
April 7 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
April 7, 1859 – New Britain, Connecticut – Walter Camp the great player and coach from Yale was born.
April 7, 1899 – La Porte, Indiana – The stellar center from 1917 to 1920 at Washington and Jefferson and in 1921 through the 1924 season for the Army team, Edgar Garbisch arrived in life to claim his date of birth. Garbisch received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
April 7, 1954 – Rochester, Pennsylvania – The great University of Pittsburgh halfback from 1973 to 1976, Tony Dorsett was born. He spent 11 seasons in the NFL with Dallas and a final year as a member of the Denver Broncos. Tony Dorsett was one of the newly enshrined honorees at the 1994 Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies.
April 7, 1961 – Crystal City, Texas – Gabe Rivera the standout defensive tackle from Texas Tech celebrated his arrival into the world. His bio on the NFF’s website tells us that his nickname was “Señor Sack” as Rivera averaged 80 tackles per season from his defensive tackle spot. He compiled 62 solo tackles, 43 assists, 10 TFL, five sacks, 25 quarterback pressures and eight pass breakups during his All-America campaign in 1982 alone! Gabe was also on the honorable mention All-America list in both 1980 and 1981. The National Football Foundation selected Gabe Rivera for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Gabe was taken with the 21st overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rivera played six games for Pittsburgh but tragically had his career cut short when he was left a paraplegic by injuries suffered in a car accident midway through his rookie season.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
April 7
1925 — Babe Ruth collapsed in a railroad station in Asheville, N.C. He would be hospitalized in New York and operated on 10 days later for an ulcer.
1964 — Shea Stadium in New York opened for the first regular season game. The Mets lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3.
1969 — The Yankees spoiled the managerial debut of Ted Williams by defeating the Senators 8-4 in the opener at Washington’s RFK Stadium. President Nixon and a crowd of 45,000 attended.
1969 — Dodgers relief pitcher Bill Singer was credited with the first official save. Los Angeles beat Cincinnati, 3-2. The game started with Cincinnati’s Pete Rose hitting Don Drysdale’s first pitch for a home run. Drysdale threw his next pitch to Bobby Tolan and Tolan hit it for a home run. After the first two pitches, Drysdale settled down and threw a shutout.
1970 — Three weeks after moving from Seattle to Milwaukee, the former Pilots played their first game as the Brewers and lost 12-0 to the visiting California Angels.
1973 — Cleveland set an attendance record for day games and opening-day games by attracting 74,420 fans. The Indians beat the Detroit Tigers, 2-1.
1977 — The expansion Toronto Blue Jays began their major league odyssey with a 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium. Al Woods, pinch hitting for Steve Bowling in the fifth inning, became the 11th pinch hitter with a home run in his first at-bat.
1979 — Ken Forsch of the Houston Astros pitched a no-hitter against Atlanta to duplicate the no-hitter tossed by his brother Bob of the Cardinals against the Phillies on April 16, 1978. They are the first brothers to pitch no-hitters.
1984 — Detroit’s Jack Morris pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox despite giving up six walks. It was the first Tigers no-hitter since Jim Bunning’s in 1958.
1987 — Atlanta’s Rick Mahler pitched his third opening day shutout tying an NL record.
1988 — Cincinnati Reds rookie third baseman Chris Sabo ties a major league record with eleven assists in one game.
1998 — On the same day that Major League Baseball returned to Wisconsin 28 years earlier, National League baseball returns to Milwaukee for the first time in 32 years.
2000 — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays retire uniform number 12 in honor of Wade Boggs. Although the former Red Sox and Yankees third baseman only spent two seasons with Tampa Bay, he hit the franchise’s first home run and became the 23rd member of the 3,000-Hit Club as a member of the team.
2003 — Seven months before a November deadline, the Boston Red Sox exercise their 2004 contract option on Pedro Martinez, making him the highest-paid pitcher for a season in major league history.
2012 — J.D. Martinez homered and drove in three runs and Houston beat 49-year-old Jamie Moyer and Colorado 7-3. Moyer became the oldest player to appear in a game since 1980, when 54-year-old Minnie Minoso played in a game for the White Sox. Moyer became the second-oldest pitcher to start a major-league game and was the oldest starting pitcher ever on a team’s opening-day roster.
2013 — Will Middlebrooks hit three home runs and the Boston Red Sox roughed up Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, routing the Toronto Blue Jays 13-0.
2013 — Matt Cain became the first Giants pitcher to allow nine runs in an inning since 1902 when Matt Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals tagged him in a 14-3 romp over San Francisco.
2022 — Opening Day of the 2022 season is finally here, having been delayed by a week by the 2021-2022 lockout.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1966 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
Off the field…
After murdering both his wife and mother, serial sniper Charles Whitman ascended to the observation deck at Austin’s University of Texas tower killing fourteen people and injuring thirty-one others during a ninety-minute shooting spree. He was eventually shot and killed himself after a civilian and two police officers stormed the tower and overpowered him.
Media icon Walt Disney, who turned the whimsical cartoon world of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck into a million dollar a year entertainment empire, died of cancer at the age of sixty-five. The pioneering animator had produced the first fully animated motion picture and had invented the original concept of theme parks with his final masterpiece, Disneyland in California.
The first U.S. manned space flights, Gemini 8 thru 12, were launched in preparation for man’s eventual trip to the moon. Following the pioneering Mercury program and preceding the Apollo missions, Gemini flights were specifically developed to learn how to maneuver a spacecraft into orbit and rendezvous with other docking vehicles.
In the American League…
On July 29th, Mickey Mantle hit his four-hundred ninety-fourth homerun off of Chicago White Sox ace Bruce Howard moving himself ahead of fellow Yankee Lou Gehrig for sixth place on the all-time list. Teammate Al Downing sweetened the deal with a clutch 2-1 performance on the mound.
Baltimore Orioles slugger “Boog” Powell astonished the crowd at Fenway Park after hitting not one, not two, but three, opposite-field homers OVER the “Green Monster” on the way to a 4-3, victory in which he totaled thirteen bases himself. Powell would also go on to become the first player ever to appear in the Little League World Series as well as the Major League version.
Teammate Frank Robinson was unanimously voted as the American League MVP becoming the first player to win the title in both the American and National Leagues since the Baseball Writers Association took it over in 1931. Robinson, who also won the American League Triple Crown, was also voted most valuable player in 1961 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds.
In the National League…
Tony Cloninger, of the recently transplanted Atlanta Braves, became the first National League pitcher to ever hit two grand-slams in a single game during a July 3rd, 17-3 triumph over the San Francisco Giants. Cloninger’s first slam came off of rival pitcher Bob Priddy in the first, and then in the fourth he added another off of Ray Sadecki.
Willie Mays moved up to #2 (behind Babe Ruth) on the all-time list with his five-hundred thirty-fifth career home run, off of Ray Washburn, as the San Francisco Giants topped the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on August 17th.
On October 2nd, Sandy Koufax tallied his last Major League victory with a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League pennant. The Los Angeles Dodgers ace completed his twelve-year career with an amazing 165-87 record with a 2.76 ERA, forty shutouts and two-thousand three-hundred ninety-six strikeouts. Koufax also held the National League single-season strikeout record with three-hundred eighty-two K’s (1965) and compiled an astounding 0.95 ERA in World Series starts.
Around the League…
Major League Baseball’s first African-American umpire, Emmett Ashford made his debut on Opening Day as the American League’s Washington Senators lost to the visiting Cleveland Indians 5-2.
Ted Williams used a portion of his Hall of Fame induction speech to plead for the inclusion of Negro League players including Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The infield at Houston’s Astrodome became the first to be replaced by the new experimental surface known as “Astroturf”. In the first game ever to be played on the artificial grass, the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed over the home team 6-3.
Dan Topping sold his remaining shares of interest in the New York Yankees to the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) for a reported $1.4 million dollars. In the end, the television dynasty paid a total of $14 million for total control of the franchise. Topping initially looked to come out on top in the deal as three days later, only four-hundred thirteen fans showed up at Yankee Stadium for a game against the Chicago White Sox.
BASEBALL’S GREAT PITCHERS
EARLY WYNN
Chicago fans were outraged when the White Sox traded their most popular player, Minnie Miñoso, to Cleveland in December 1957 with Fred Hatfield for Early Wynn and Al Smith. Wynn was a 37-year-old right-handed pitcher who had posted a losing record for the Indians that season, and his best days appeared to be behind him. However, Wynn joined with Billy Pierce to give the White Sox a formidable one-two punch at the top of their rotation, and his Cy Young Award-winning performance in 1959 led the club to its first American League pennant since 1919. Four years later, at age 43, he became the 14th member of baseball’s 300-win club.
READ MORE: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/early-wynn/
TODAY IN NBA HISTORY
April 7, 1977
After a 114-100 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Indiana’s Don Buse finished the season with 8.5 assists per game and 3.47 steals per game, leading the NBA in both categories. Buse thus duplicated his feat of the previous season when he led the ABA in both steals (346) and assists (689).
April 7, 1989
FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, voted to drop restrictions on professional basketball players competing in international events such as the Olympics.
April 7, 1989
Utah guard John Stockton won his second straight NBA assist title, picking up a total of 1,118 assists, becoming the first NBA player to record consecutive seasons of over 1,000 assists. Stockton stretched that 1,000 assist streak to a total of five seasons, 1988 through 1992.
April 7, 1998
Karl Malone scored an NBA season-high 56 points in a 101-99 win at Golden State.
April 7, 1999
Miami head coach Pat Riley notched the 936th coaching victory of his career in defeating Dallas 93-87. The win moves him into fourth place on the all-time charts, passing Dick Motta who has 935 wins.
April 7, 2001
The Houston Rockets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 110-97 to become the first NBA team in 18 years to sweep an entire division. The Rockets won all 16 games against Central Division opponents, becoming the first team to sweep a division since the 1982-83 Los Angeles Lakers swept all 12 games against the Central Division.
April 7, 2019
The Houston Rockets connect on 27 3-pointers in a 149-113 win against the Phoenix Suns to set a single-game record for most 3-pointers made. Houston’s record barrage came just five days after they tied the previous mark of 26. At the time of their hitting 27 3-pointers, the Rockets held the top three single-game performances, and four of the top 10.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
April 7
1940 — Jimmy Demaret wins the Masters by four strokes over Lloyd Mangrum. Mangrum opens with a 64, a course record by two strokes that stands for 46 years.
1946 — Herman Keiser edges Ben Hogan by one stroke to win the Masters.
1951 — Ben Hogan takes the Masters by two strokes over Robert Riegel.
1956 — Joe Graboski scores 29 points and Paul Arizin 26 as the Philadelphia Warriors beat the Fort Wayne Pistons 99-88 to win the NBA championship in five games.
1963 — Jack Nicklaus becomes the youngest Masters winner at 23, beating Tony Lema by a stroke.
1969 — Ted Williams begins managing the Washington Senators.
1985 — New Jersey’s Herschel Walker rushes for a USFL-record 233 yards in leading the Generals to a 31-25 victory over the Houston Gamblers. Walker breaks his own USFL record for the longest run from scrimmage by going 89 yards on his second carry.
1995 — Baseball exhibition season begins late due to strike.
1996 — Dave Andreychuk scores a goal for his 1,000th career point, and the New Jersey Devils top the New York Rangers 4-2.
1998 — Al MacInnis has a goal and an assist in St. Louis’ 5-3 loss at Detroit to become the sixth NHL defenseman to reach 1,000 points.
2000 — 1st regular season MLB game at Enron Field (now Minute Maid Park) in Houston.
2003 — Syracuse wins the NCAA title with an 81-78 victory over Kansas.
2007 — Michigan State beats Boston College 3-1 for its first NCAA hockey title in 21 years.
2008 — Mario Chalmers hits a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and Kansas goes on to defeat Memphis 75-68 for the NCAA title.
2009 — Tina Charles scores 25 points and grabs 19 rebounds and Connecticut routs Louisville 76-54 to capture its sixth women’s basketball title. UConn (39-0) wins every one of its 39 games by double digits, a first in college basketball.
2010 — Don Nelson sets the NBA career record for victories by a coach in the Golden State Warriors’ 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nelson’s 1,333 wins surpass Lenny Wilkens’ total.
2014 — Shabazz Napier scores 22 points and Connecticut wins its second NCAA men’s title in four years, beating the freshmen-led Kentucky 60-54 in the championship game.
2015 — UConn’s women down Notre Dame 63-53 for their 10th NCAA championship. Coach Geno Auriemma ties UCLA’s John Wooden for the most titles in college basketball.
2016 — Ernie Els, winner of four major titles, opens with a 10 on the par-4 first hole at the Masters. After his first two shots, Els seven-putts from 2 feet. His sextuple bogey is the worst score on the first hole at the Masters, beating the old mark by two strokes.
2016 — The Golden State Warriors become the second team to win 70 games in a season by beating the San Antonio Spurs 112-101.
2018 — Vegas Golden Knights end regular season with most victories of any expansion team.
2019 — 38th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Baylor beats Notre Dame, 82-81.
2019 — Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki play final NBA games.
2019 — Magic Johnson quits as President of Basketball Operations of the LA Lakers.
TV SPORTS SUNDAY
AUTO RACING
10 a.m.
CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MX2 of Sardegna, Riola Sardo, Italy
10:30 a.m.
FS1 — NHRA: Qualifying, Firebird Motorsports Park, Chandler, Ariz. (Taped)
11 a.m.
CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MXGP of Sardegna, Riola Sardo, Italy
3 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: The Cook Out 400, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.
6:30 p.m.
FS1 — NHRA: The NHRA Arizona Nationals, Firebird Motorsports Park, Chandler, Ariz. (Taped)
BOWLING
Noon
FS1 — PBA: Elite League – Day 2, Allen Park, Mich.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Noon
SECN — Alabama at Kentucky
2 p.m.
ACCN — Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
4 p.m.
CBS — HBCU All-Star Game: Team Rick Mahorn vs. Team Ben Wallace, Phoenix
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
ABC — NCAA Tournament: TBD, National Championship, Cleveland
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: TBD, National Championship, Cleveland (The Bird & Taurasi Show)
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
Noon
ACCN — Notre Dame at Duke
2 p.m.
ESPNU — Penn St. at Johns Hopkins
7 p.m.
BTN — Rutgers at Michigan
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
ESPNU — Penn at Yale
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
11 a.m.
ESPN2 — Georgia at Tennessee
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — LSU at Florida
3 p.m.
BTN — Ohio St. at Minnesota
PAC-12N — Washington at Oregon
SECN — Missouri at Arkansas
5 p.m.
ACCN — Virginia Tech at NC State
PAC-12N — Arizona St. at Stanford
7 p.m.
ACCN — North Carolina at Duke
CYCLING
9 a.m.
CNBC — UCI: The Paris-Roubaix, 161 miles, Compiègne to Roubaix, France
GOLF
8 a.m.
GOLF — Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals: From Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.
1 p.m.
CW — LIV Golf League: Final Round, Trump National Doral, Miami
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Valero Texas Open, Final Round, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio
2:30 p.m.
GOLF — Korn Ferry Tour: The Club Car Championship, Final Round, The Landings Club – Deer Creek Course, Savannah, Ga.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Valero Texas Open, Final Round, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio
6 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The T-Mobile Match Play – Finals, Shadow Creek, Las Vegas
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
IIHF (WOMEN’S)
11 a.m.
NHLN — World Championship Group Stage: Sweden vs. Japan, Group B, Utica, N.Y.
3 p.m.
NHLN — World Championship Group Stage: Canada vs. Czech Republic, Group A, Utica, N.Y.
MARATHON
Noon
CNBC — The Paris Marathon: From Paris (Taped)
MLB BASEBALL
1:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Toronto at NY Yankees OR Arizona at Atlanta
4:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Boston at LA Angels (4:05 p.m.) OR San Diego at San Francisco (4:05 p.m.)
7 p.m.
ESPN — Houston at Texas
NBA BASKETBALL
3:30 p.m.
NBATV — Houston at Dallas
7 p.m.
NBATV — New York at Milwaukee
10 p.m.
NBATV — Minnesota at LA Lakers
NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
ESPNU — Eastern Conference Final: TBD
9 p.m.
ESPNU — Western Conference Final: TBD
NHL HOCKEY
1 p.m.
TNT — Buffalo at Detroit
10 p.m.
ESPN — Dallas at Colorado
RODEO
Noon
CBS — PBR: Bucking Battle, Sioux Falls, S.D. (Taped)
4 p.m.
CBSSN — PBR: Round 3 & Championship Round, Sioux Falls, S.D.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
6:55 a.m.
CBSSN — SPFL: Celtic at Rangers
10:30 a.m.
NBC — Premier League: Liverpool at Manchester United
12:30 p.m.
NBC — Premier League: Chelsea at Sheffield United
1 p.m.
USA — Premier League: Nottingham Forest at Tottenham Hotspur
1:30 p.m.
FOX — MLS: Portland Timbers at Sporting Kansas City
TENNIS
10 a.m.
TENNIS — Marrakech-ATP, Estoril-ATP Finals
Noon
TENNIS — Charleston-WTA Double Final
2:30 p.m.
TENNIS — Charleston-WTA Singles Final
5 a.m. (Monday)
TENNIS — Monte Carlo-ATP Early Rounds
6 a.m. (Monday)
TENNIS — Monte Carlo-ATP Early Rounds
UFL FOOTBALL
Noon
ESPN — Birmingham at Michigan
4 p.m.FOX — Houston at D.C.