INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
LAPEL 39 ANDERSON PREP ACADEMY 1
WEST WASHINGTON 3 TRINITY LUTHERAN 1
EVANSVILLE REITZ 6 EVANSVILLE HARRISON 1
VINCENNES LINCOLN 16 EVANSVILLE BOSSE 1
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 15 EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 4
NORTH JUDSON 10 OREGON DAVIS 0
TRI COUNTY 14 DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN 2
LAKE CENTRAL 11 VALPARAISO 0
LAPORTE 2 CROWN POINT 1
CASTLE 8 EVANSVILLE NORTH 5
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN 14 LAKE STATION 0
PORTAGE 7 MICHIGAN CITY 2
CHESTERTON 12 MERRILLVILLE 0
LOWELL 12 HOBART 8
KANKAKEE VALLEY 15 HIGHLAND 3
ANDREAN 10 MUNSTER 6
BELLMONT 5 ADAMS CENTRAL 1
SHENANDOAH 12 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 0
HANOVER CENTRAL 24 WHEELER 1
BISHOP CHATARD 10 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 9
NEW WASHINGTON 16 CLARKSVILLE 8
SEEGER 21 NORTH VERMILLION 0
CLAY CITY 18 N. CENTRAL 2
SOUTH RIPLEY 2 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 1
NORWELL 10 MISSISSINEWA 8
JAY COUNTY 11 EASTBROOK 5
SOUTH ADAMS 19 FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY 0
BREMEN 14 LAVILLE 2
HOMESTEAD 16 HUNTINGTON NORTH 5
UNION COUNTY 12 N. DECATUR 2
BLUFFTON 13 MANCHESTER 5
COVINGTON 13 ATTICA 3
GIBSON SOUTHERN 4 BOONVILLE 1
PLYMOUTH 4 ROCHESTER 2
WES DEL 6 BLUE RIVER 5
SOUTH VERMILLION 12 FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 1
KNIGHTSTOWN 7 WINCHESTER 3
HAMMOND NOLL 4 WHITING 3
NORTH POSEY 19 HERITAGE HILLS 11
INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON 23 TINDLEY 2
NORTH NEWTON 11 FRONTIER 0
TRITON CENTRAL 16 RITTER 0
WAPAHANI 14 COWAN 3
WEST CENTRAL 15 S. NEWTON 0
BLOOMFIELD 16 VINCENNES RIVET 1
BEN DAVIS 6 PIKE 4
SPEEDWAY 9 BEECH GROVE 3
ELKHART CHRISTIAN 16 SOUTH BEND CAREER 1
RICHMOND 9 MUNCIE CENTRAL 2
CATHEDRAL 5 ZIONSVILLE 4
WASHINGTON 11 MOUNT VERNON 4
GOSHEN 4 JIMTOWN 0
FRANKLIN 7 PERRY MERIDIAN 6
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 22 INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 2
DELPHI 15 PIONEER 8
ANDERSON 7 ALEXANDRIA MONROE 6
NORTHWOOD 5 ELKHART 3
ELWOOD 14 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 4
MCCUTCHEON 8 LOGANSPORT 1
CASCADE 9 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 1
UNIVERSITY 7 HARRISON 2
MOORESVILLE 19 DECATUR CENTRAL 8
FORT WAYNE SNIDER 10 FORT WAYNE NORTH 0
GREENWOOD 16 MARTINSVILLE 8
TRI-WEST 9 SOUTHMONT 8
SOUTH KNOX 17 EASTERN GREENE 4
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 5 FRANKTON 2
JASPER 14 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 12
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 8 CONCORD 7
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 14 WALDRON 4
TWIN LAKES 9 W. LAFAYETTE 8
FAIRFIELD 15 CHURUBUSCO 0
LAKELAND 7 PRAIRIE HEIGHTS 5
WESTVIEW 7 GARRETT 6
WEST VIGO 15 CLOVERDALE 1
FORT WAYNE LUERS 14 FORT WAYNE SOUTH 4
EASTERN HANCOCK 13 MONROE CENTRAL 9
NORTHVIEW 11 GREENCASTLE 1
CLINTON PRAIRIE 11 TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN 1
GUERIN CATHOLIC 7 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 3
BETHANY CHRISTIAN 23 HARLAN CHRISTIAN 3
WHITKO 9 WAWASEE 8
EASTSIDE 13 ANGOLA 0
PURDUE POLY 14 INDY GENESIS 9
PROVIDENCE 12 SALEM 11
WEST NOBLE 14 HAMILTON 2
FORT WAYNE NORTHRUP 9 FORT WAYNE WAYNE 0
OWEN VALLEY 22 S. PUTNAM 0
SCOTTSBURG 10 HENRYVILLE 3
FRANKFORT 9 LEBANON 3
CENTER GROVE 22 LAWRENCE NORTH 3
SOUTH-CENTRAL 7 LANESVILLE 5
NORTH MONTGOMERY 12 WESTERN BOONE 5
WESTERN 8 HAMILTON HEIGHTS 6
MOUNT VERNON 12 SHELBYVILLE 2
BLOOMINGTON NORTH 2 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 0
SOUTHRIDGE 8 S. SPENCER 0
CARROLL 11 MACONAQUAH 5
CORYDON CENTRAL 13 MITCHELL 3
SEYMOUR 16 S. DEARBORN 0
RONCALLI 12 BREBEUF 1
YORKTOWN 9 NEW PALESTINE 6
CRAWFORDSVILLE 9 DANVILLE 4
INDIAN CREEK 23 SULLIVAN 3
BARR REEVE 16 SPRINGS VALLEY 6
WABASH 5 CASTON 2
LOOGOOTEE 12 WOOD MEMORIAL 1
PLAINFIELD 6 WHITELAND 3
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 13 SOUTHPORT 3
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 8 BENTON CENTRAL 6
PLAINFIELD 6 WHITELAND 3
SILVER CREEK 2 JENNINGS COUNTY 0
TECUMSEH 9 N. DAVIES 5
LAFAYETTE JEFF 9 KOKOMO 4
NORTHEAST DUBOIS 14 EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 13
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 12 DELTA 2
NORTH PUTNAM 14 BROWN COUNTY 8
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
LAPORTE 18 MERRILLVILLE 0
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 8 TRINITY LUTHERAN 2
VALPARAISO 3 MICHIGAN CITY 3
HAST 20 VICTORY CHRISTIAN 6
MORGAN TWP. 21 CALUMET CHRISTIAN 0
HAMMOND MORTON 15 E. CHICAGO CENTRAL 0
LAKE CENTRAL 19 PORTAGE 5
NEW PRAIRIE 12 SOUTH-CENTRAL 4
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN 15 LAKE STATION 1
LINTON STOCKTON 14 BLOOMFIELD 1
SOUTH DEARBORN 7 LAWRENCEBURG 5
EASTERN 1 SILVER CREEK 0
NORTHEAST DUBOIS 21 SPRINGS VALLEY 2
BOONE GROVE 9 N. NEWTON 1
KNIGHTSTOWN 10 MORRISTOWN 0
WEST WASHINGTON 10 CROTHERSVILLE 0
HAMMOND NOLL 15 WHITING 12
UNION COUNTY 18 WINCHESTER 0
GRIFFITH 13 RIVER FOREST 0
PIKE CENTRAL 8 TECUMSEH 6
EVANSVILLE REITZ 11 EVANSVILLE HARRISON 0
NORTHEASTERN 6 DELTA 1
PLYMOUTH 4 TRITON 2
WEST LAFAYETTE 12 BENTON CENTRAL 0
LANESVILLE 10 CRAWFORD COUNTY 0
NORWELL 15 FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA 4
SHENANDOAH 25 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 0
JAY COUNTY 21 EASTBROOK 11
HANOVER CENTRAL 12 WHEELER 0
VINCENNES LINCOLN 20 EVANSVILLE BOSSE 1
HAGERSTOWN 5 UNION CITY 0
COLUMBIA CITY 15 WAWASEE 0
SEEGER 20 N. VERMILLION 8
EVANSVILLE NORTH 14 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 0
ARGOS 8 LAVILLE 7
KOKOMO 10 MACOVAQUAH 0
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 10 EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 3
TRITON CENTRAL 22 S. DECATUR 0
SOUTH VERMILLION 17 FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 4
FORT WAYNE DWENGER 7 DEKALB 2
WINAMAC 9 ROCHESTER 8
PENN 18 NORTHRIDGE 1
ATTICA 9 COVINGTON 6
OWEN VALLEY 13 S. PUTNAM 2
CHARLESTOWN 6 N. HARRISON 3
CONCORD 7 MISHAWAKA MARIAN 3
CARROLL 18 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 6
PERU 5 TWIN LAKES 3
HOMESTEAD 5 FORT WAYNE CARROLL 0
TIPTON 5 LEWIS CASS 4
GUERIN CATHOLIC 24 RITTER 4
NEW HAVEN 7 LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN 6
FRANKLIN 18 PERRY MERIDIAN 15
EMINENCE 22 IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY 1
JEFFERSONVILLE 3 MADISON 1
ELWOOD 16 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 2
CHARLESTOWN 10 TERRE HAUTE NORTH 9
NORTH POSEY 7 S. KNOX 0
EASTERN HANCOCK 16 MONROE CENTRAL 3
SULLIVAN 10 INDIAN CREEK 0
SCOTTSBURG 13 AUSTIN 1
EAST NOBLE 29 WARSAW 5
WEST VIGO 19 CLOVERDALE 1
FAIRFIELD 8 CHURUBUSCO 4
HUNTINGTON NORTH 14 FORT WAYNE NORTHRUP 0
NORTHVIEW 5 GREENCASTLE 2
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 11 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 0
CENTRAL NOBLE 11 FREMONT 9
ROSSVILLE 7 LAFAYETTE JEFF 2
MARTINSVILLE 13 GREENWOOD 7
NORTH JUDSON 7 N. WHITE 2
MOORESVILLE 10 DECATUR CENTRAL 5
NORTH CENTRAL 20 WARREN CENTRAL 6
LAPEL 11 MADISON GRANT 6
MCCUTCHEON 4 HARRISON 3
COLUMBUS NORTH 18 SEYMOUR 4
SHERIDAN 23 HERRON 10
WEST CENTRAL 13 RENSSELAER CENTRAL 1
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 13 FRANKTON 0
TRI-WEST 15 SOUTHMONT 1
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 16 TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN 0
EASTSIDE 14 ANGOLA 1
BLUFFTON 17 MANCHESTER 7
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 11 SALEM 1
NORTH MIAMI 10 OAK HILL 0
LAKELAND 3 PRAIRIE HEIGHTS 1
SOUTH BEND CLAY 7 BREMEN 4
YORKTOWN 11 MOUNT VERNON 0
BEN DAVIS 8 PIKE 7
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 8 ANDERSON 0
NORTH DECATUR 13 JAC CEN DEL 2
LEO 10 LINCOLNVIEW 1
ELKHART CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 16 SOUTH BEND CAREER 3
DANVILLE 16 CRAWFORDSVILLE 1
PALESTINE 16 E. CENTRAL 5
FRONTIER 22 DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN 9
LAWRENCE NORTH 8 CARMEL 3
FLOYD CENTRAL 6 NEW ALBANY 3
NOBLESVILLE 14 FISHERS 2
NORTH KNOX 17 EASTERN GREENE 8
AVON 5 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 1
WESTFIELD 10 BROWNSBURG 0
WESTERN 6 HAMILTON HEIGHTS 1
BLOOMINGTON NORTH 17 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 6
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 12 SOUTHPORT 0
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 10 ZIONSVILLE 0
CASTLE 5 HENDERSON COUNTY 1
LOOGOOTEE 18 PRINCETON 8
NORTH PUTNAM 15 BROWN COUNTY 3
NBA SCOREBOARD
ATLANTA 116 MIAMI 105
LA LAKERS 108 MINNESOTA 102 OT
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
PITTSBURGH 7 HOUSTON 4
CHICAGO CUBS 14 SEATTLE 9
LA ANGELS 2 WASHINGTON 0
NY YANKEES 11 CLEVELAND 2
BALTIMORE 12 OAKLAND 8
TAMPA BAY 7 BOSTON 2
TORONTO 9 DETROIT 3
MINNESOTA 4 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3 (10)
TEXAS 8 KANSAS CITY 5 (10)
MIAMI 8 PHILADELPHIA 4
SAN DIEGO 4 NY METS 2
ATLANTA 7 CINCINNATI 6
ST. LOUIS 9 COLORADO 6
MILWAUKEE 7 ARIZONA 1
SAN FRANCISCO 5 LA DODGERS 0
NHL SCOREBOARD
BOSTON 5 WASHINGTON 2
CAROLINA 4 DETROIT 1
NEW JERSEY 6 BUFFALO 2
PHILADELPHIA 4 COLUMBUS 3
TORONTO 4 TAMPA BAY 3
CHICAGO 5 PITTSBURGH 2
WINNIPEG 3 MINNESOTA 1
EDMONTON 2 COLORADO 1
VANCOUVER 3 ANAHEIM 2
VEGAS 4 SEATTLE 1
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NBA PLAY-IN GAMES
LAKERS OUTLAST WOLVES 108-102 IN OT, ADVANCE TO FACE MEMPHIS
LOS ANGELES (AP) LeBron James had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the seventh spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a grueling 108-102 overtime victory over the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA’s play-in tournament Tuesday night.
Dennis Schröder scored 21 points and iced the win with two free throws with 8.4 seconds left for the Lakers, who will face second-seeded Memphis in the first round starting Sunday.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points and Mike Conley hit three free throws with 0.1 seconds left in regulation to tie it for the Wolves, who will host New Orleans or Oklahoma City on Friday for the eighth spot and a first-round date with top-seeded Denver beginning Sunday.
The Pelicans host the Thunder on Wednesday night, and Minnesota must then beat the winner to reach the playoffs for only the third time in 19 seasons.
Anthony Davis had 24 points, 15 rebounds and one tremendously ill-advised foul on Conley, who scored 23 points. Los Angeles still survived its back-and-forth meeting with Minnesota, which gave an inspired effort for the first three quarters while playing without starters Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels.
Gobert is suspended for punching teammate Kyle Anderson during Minnesota’s regular-season finale against New Orleans, while McDaniels is out indefinitely with a broken hand after punching a wall in frustration Sunday.
Los Angeles finally won it with defense, holding the Wolves to seven points in the final 11 minutes from midway through the fourth quarter while the Lakers rallied from a 15-point deficit in the second half. After leading for most of the night, Minnesota went scoreless for six full minutes.
Schröder drilled a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to play in regulation, but the Wolves forced overtime when Conley hit his free throws after Davis stepped on his foot after he had already released a 3-point attempt.
Los Angeles took the lead for good on a 3-pointer on the opening possession of overtime by Rui Hachimura, who had 12 points. The Wolves missed 11 consecutive shots before Anthony Edwards’ dunk with 2:36 left in overtime.
Edwards scored just nine points – more than 15 below his average – and left the court briefly in the second half to get tape on his left shoulder.
D’Angelo Russell had a nightmare game for Los Angeles against the team that traded him in February, scoring two points on 1-of-9 shooting with eight assists. He was benched down the stretch in favor of Schröder, who came through tremendously.
The game was the Lakers’ first non-regular-season contest played in front of a full home crowd since James joined the franchise five seasons ago. Los Angeles spent the 2020 championship run in the Florida bubble, played in front of a half-full arena in its first-round loss to Phoenix in 2021, and missed the playoffs entirely in 2018 and 2022.
The Lakers hadn’t had a full crowd for non-regular season game since April 2013, back when their arena was still Staples Center.
Minnesota coach Chris Finch said he had spent the past two days “sorting through the wreckage, if you will,” of the Wolves’ eventful season finale, which left his team without its best rim protector and its top point-of-attack defender on James in the clubs’ recent matchups.
But Minnesota looked better than the Lakers from the start, jumping to a big early lead before making a 14-2 run to close the second quarter for a 60-49 halftime lead. The Wolves’ lead finally dwindled after Towns left the game with five fouls early in the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: McDaniels attended the game. … There was a minor confrontation after the first-quarter buzzer when Edwards stood over Hachimura under the hoop. The Lakers took exception in a brief argument that ended with technical fouls for Edwards and Hachimura.
Lakers: Schröder returned from a two-game injury absence. … Tristan Thompson and Shaq Harrison were in uniform for the first time after signing last Sunday. Neither veteran played. … The Lakers have won the most playoff games in NBA history, but the franchise has never faced the Grizzlies in the postseason.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Pelicans or Thunder on Friday.
Lakers: At Grizzlies on Sunday.
HAWKS GRAB NO. 7 SEED IN EAST, HOLD OFF HEAT 116-105
MIAMI (AP) Quin Snyder’s bags were packed in February for an overseas trip. He was going to spend time with some friends and family, see some coaches he’s gotten to know over the years.
Then the Atlanta Hawks called with a job offer, to bring him on as coach.
And now Snyder’s bags are packed again – for the playoffs, starting with a trip to Boston.
Trae Young scored 25 points, Clint Capela grabbed 21 rebounds and the Hawks earned the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Miami Heat 116-105 in a play-in tournament game Tuesday night.
“Our guys are trying to be the best version of ourselves at the end of the year,” Snyder said. “The year’s not over. So hopefully we can take this and continue to build on it. It’s one game – but it was our game.”
Dejounte Murray added 18 points for the Hawks, who avenged a five-game Round 1 loss to Miami last season and earned an East first-round matchup with Boston that will start Saturday.
Kyle Lowry scored 33 points – his highest-scoring game in his two Miami seasons – for the Heat, who will host either Toronto or Chicago on Friday to decide the No. 8 seed and a spot against top overall seed Milwaukee in Round 1. The Raptors and Bulls play Wednesday; the winner of Friday’s game opens the series against the Bucks on Sunday.
Tyler Herro scored 26 for Miami, and Jimmy Butler finished with 21.
“Come Friday, we have to play the legit exact opposite of how we played tonight,” Butler said.
For the Hawks, four reserves – Saddiq Bey, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson – combined for 53 points.
The Hawks improved to 3-0 all-time in play-in tournament games; that’s the best mark in the league, one that New Orleans can match when it plays host to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.
And they earned this one on the boards. Atlanta outrebounded Miami 63-39, including 22-6 on the offensive glass that keyed a 26-6 edge in second-chance points.
“We all understand the moment and the time of year it is,” Young said. “Credit our guys for being locked in, ready and focused on the game plan.”
The Hawks took two timeouts in the first 3:53 of the third quarter, as most of what was a 24-point lead with 2:37 left in the first half – 63-39 Atlanta was the margin – got whittled away, and fast.
Miami cut the margin to 15 by halftime, then opened the third quarter on a 16-6 run. Add it all up, and it was a 27-8 run in about 7 minutes of play to get the Heat within 71-66.
But the Hawks had an answer then, and every other time the Heat made a run. The Atlanta lead was 13 again going into the fourth, and when Miami was within six midway through the final quarter, the Hawks scored five straight to restore a double-digit edge.
And now, a team that was the East’s No. 1 seed last spring is one game from elimination.
“Nothing about this season has been easy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re going to do this the hard way.”
TIP-INS
Hawks: It was the second time this season that Atlanta took a huge first-half lead and nearly wasted it all. The Hawks were up 26 over Miami on Jan. 16, let the Heat get within four in the final moments and held on to win 121-113. … Capela had one 20-rebound game in the regular season.
Heat: Lowry came off the bench in a postseason game for the first time since 2009. His last 94 appearances after the regular season were all starts. … The Heat went 1-6 this season against Friday’s possible win-or-go-home opponents – 0-3 against Chicago and 1-3 against Toronto.
LOOKING AHEAD
Boston went 3-0 against Atlanta this season, and nearly all the rotation players from both teams missed at least one of those contests. Young averaged 31 points and 11 assists in two games against the Celtics; Jayson Tatum averaged 26.5 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in two games against the Hawks.
It’ll be the 13th series between the Celtics and Hawks franchises, the first since Atlanta’s six-game Round 1 win in 2016.
PLAY-IN HISTORY
Miami became the 16th franchise to participate in the play-in tournament. Chicago, Toronto and Oklahoma City will stretch that list out to 19 teams on Wednesday. That leaves only Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah as clubs who have yet to be part of the play-in event.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Visit Boston for Game 1 of an East first-round series Saturday.
Heat: Host either Toronto or Chicago in an elimination game Friday.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: RYAN MOUNTCASTLE’S 9 RBIS PROPEL ORIOLES TO WIN
Ryan Mountcastle hit a grand slam among his two homers and drove in nine runs as the Baltimore Orioles rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat the visiting Oakland Athletics 12-8 on Tuesday night.
Mountcastle had a three-run shot in the fifth before the big blow in the seventh as part of a 3-for-4 effort. The nine RBIs tied a single-game franchise record. Jim Gentile accomplished the feat in 1961, and Eddie Murray did so in 1985.
Austin Hays also homered and went 4-for-5 as the Orioles won for the second night in a row.
Shea Langeliers smashed a three-run home run to cap Oakland’s five-run fifth, but a 7-3 lead wasn’t enough, and the Athletics lost their sixth straight.
Rays 7, Red Sox 2
Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe homered on consecutive pitches in the fifth inning and Tampa Bay hit four homers total in winning for the 11th straight time to start the season, beating Boston in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Isaac Paredes and Josh Lowe supplied the other home runs for the Rays, who tied the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals for the most home runs through a team’s first 11 games with 29. The Rays also tied the 1981 Oakland A’s for the third-longest winning streak to start a season. The top mark, 13-0, is shared by the 1982 Atlanta Braves and the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers.
Tampa Bay starter Shane McClanahan (3-0) yielded just one run on two hits and a career-high-tying four walks but struck out nine over five innings. In his return from September hip surgery, Boston’s Garrett Whitlock (0-1) surrendered five runs on eight hits (three homers) with five strikeouts and no walks.
Marlins 8, Phillies 4
Luis Arraez hit for the cycle and Miami defeated host Philadelphia.
Arraez went 4-for-5 with two RBIs. He doubled in the first inning, tripled in the sixth, homered in the seventh and singled in the eighth for the first cycle in franchise history. Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run and Bryson Stott added two hits and two RBIs for Philadelphia.
Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo (2-0) gave up eight hits and three runs with five strikeouts and one walk in six innings, while Phillies starter Aaron Nola (0-2) tossed 5 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits and four runs with six strikeouts and no walks.
Rangers 8, Royals 5 (10 innings)
Jonah Heim delivered a three-run home run in the 10th inning to send Texas to a walk-off victory over Kansas City in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers went into the bottom of the 10th trailing for the first time on the night. The Royals took a 5-4 lead in the top half, courtesy of the automatic runner as Jackie Bradley Jr. scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Massey.
Texas tied the game at 5-5 on a two-out RBI single by Adolis Garcia before Heim followed a walk with a homer off Scott Barlow (0-1). Cole Ragans (2-0) recorded two outs and earned the win.
Yankees 11, Guardians 2
Franchy Cordero hit a three-run homer in a five-run third inning and Gerrit Cole overcame a slow start to pitch seven solid innings as New York won at Cleveland.
Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs, while DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Hicks each went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and Aaron Judge went 2-for-5 with a run. Cole (3-0) yielded two runs, both in the first inning, and five hits to go along with three strikeouts and two walks.
Guardians starter Hunter Gaddis (0-1) allowed eight runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks in three-plus innings.
Blue Jays 9, Tigers 3
Alejandro Kirk hit a three-run home run and had four RBIs as Toronto won its home opener, beating Detroit.
Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier, George Springer and Bo Bichette added solo homers for Toronto. Right-hander Alek Manoah allowed three runs, four hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three.
Nick Maton hit a three-run home run for the Tigers. Detroit right-hander Matt Manning (1-1) allowed four runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in six innings.
Cubs 14, Mariners 9
Nelson Velazquez’s grand slam highlighted an eight-run third inning and Dansby Swanson had four hits with two RBIs before exiting due to injury as Chicago erased an early 7-0 deficit to beat visiting Seattle.
Velazquez, called up from Triple-A Iowa this week, also singled and doubled, while Trey Mancini had a two-run homer and three RBIs for the Cubs, who trailed by seven after 1 1/2 innings but rallied to win for the fifth time in the last six games.
Eugenio Suarez had a two-run home run and three RBIs and Jarred Kelenic homered for one of his two hits for Seattle, which has dropped three straight.
Angels 2, Nationals 0
Shohei Ohtani threw seven scoreless innings and went 1-for-4 at the plate to lead Los Angeles to a win over Washington in Anaheim, Calif.
Ohtani yielded just one hit — a two-out double by CJ Abrams in the fourth inning — while making 92 pitches. He had a season-low six strikeouts and a season-high five walks, but he allowed only one Nationals baserunner to reach third base.
Jose Quijada and Carlos Estevez (first save) each threw a scoreless inning of relief and finished the shutout, the Angels’ second of the season. Both starting pitchers put up zeros over the first three innings before the Angels broke through against Josiah Gray (0-3) in the fourth.
Giants 5, Dodgers 0
Alex Wood teamed with five relievers on a three-hitter, David Villar and Brandon Crawford smacked consecutive pitches for home runs, and San Francisco bounced back from a series-opening thumping to beat visiting Los Angeles.
Wood allowed just one hit in 4 2/3 innings before turning the ball over to Jakob Janis, who was followed by Scott Alexander, John Brebbia, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval to complete the Giants’ first shutout of the season.
Dodgers starter Dustin May (1-1) worked 5 1/3 innings, limiting the Giants to just two runs and two hits. He walked four and struck out three.
Cardinals 9, Rockies 6
Nolan Gorman homered leading off the ninth inning to spark a three-run rally, Tommy Edman also went deep in a three-hit game, and St. Louis beat Colorado in Denver.
Juan Yepez had two hits including a homer, Nolan Arenado had two hits and three RBIs, Giovanny Gallegos (1-0) got the win in relief, and Ryan Helsley picked up his second save for St. Louis.
Ryan McMahon and Elias Diaz each homered and had two hits, C.J. Cron also homered, and Kris Bryant had two hits for the Rockies.
Pirates 7, Astros 4
Ji Hwan Bae drilled a three-run, walk-off home run with one out in the ninth inning as Pittsburgh responded to a two-run rally by visiting Houston.
Bae bashed his second home run of the season — and third of the game for the Pirates — off Astros closer Ryan Pressly (0-2), who surrendered singles to Rodolfo Castro and pinch hitter Andrew McCutchen before Bae golfed a 2-2 changeup into the right field bleachers. Jack Suwinski and Ji Man Choi also homered for the Pirates.
The Astros fashioned a stunning one-out rally in the top of the ninth off Pirates closer David Bednar (1-0), who entered Tuesday tied for the major league lead with four saves. But after Mauricio Dubon reached on a throwing error by Castro and pinch hitter David Hensley followed with a single to center, Chas McCormick laced a two-run double that tied the game at 4-4.
Brewers 7, Diamondbacks 1
Corbin Burnes struck out eight through eight scoreless innings to win a pitching duel with Merrill Kelly as Milwaukee cruised to a victory over Arizona in Phoenix.
Burnes (1-1) surrendered just three hits and did not issue a walk. Kelly (0-2) had a no-hitter through six innings before Willy Adames led off the seventh with a home run to ignite a five-run rally.
Kelly finished with seven strikeouts and four walks while allowing three runs on just one hit in six-plus innings. The Brewers’ Mike Brosseau doubled, homered and drove in three runs.
Padres 4, Mets 2
Ryan Weathers tossed five solid innings and combined with four relievers on a five-hitter, while Manny Machado laced a go-ahead, two-run double in the fifth inning as San Diego beat host New York.
Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Padres, who have won four of five. Mark Canha had a sacrifice fly and Tommy Pham laced an RBI single for the Mets, who have lost two of three.
Weathers (1-0), pitching against the team for whom his father, David, pitched for from 2002-04, allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three over the five innings. The Mets mounted a rally in the ninth against Josh Hader, who walked two before giving up Pham’s one-out, run-scoring single. But Hader retired Tomas Nido on a comebacker and struck out Francisco Alvarez to notch his fourth save.
Braves 7, Reds 6
Ozzie Albies connected for his 100th career home run and reliever Michael Tonkin earned his first win since 2016 as Atlanta defeated visiting Cincinnati.
Albies’ milestone came in the fourth inning, a two-run shot against Cincinnati starter Luis Cessa for his second blast of the season. Albies was 1-for-4 and has now reached base in 21 of his last 23 games dating back to last season. Tonkin (1-1) pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. His last major league win came on Sept. 29, 2016, when he pitched for Minnesota and beat Kansas City.
Cessa (0-1) took the loss. He surrendered five runs on seven hits with one strikeout and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. Jose Barrero had a two-run homer for the Reds.
Twins 4, White Sox 3 (10 innings)
Automatic runner Willi Castro scored from second base on a walk-off bunt single in the 10th inning as Minnesota snapped a two-game skid with a win over Chicago in Minneapolis.
Chicago had tied the game in the ninth on Luis Robert Jr.’s solo homer. In the bottom of the 10th, Castro moved to third on Michael A. Taylor’s leadoff bunt single, then came home on an errant throw by third baseman Hanser Alberto on the play.
Griffin Jax (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Jesse Scholtens (0-1) took the loss. Minnesota’s second walk-off victory of the season followed a stellar outing by starting pitcher Pablo Lopez, who settled in after giving up two runs in the first inning and ended his outing by retiring 23 consecutive batters.
NHL NEWS
BRUINS TOP NHL SEASON POINTS MARK, BEATING CAPITALS 5-2
BOSTON (AP) The Boston Bruins saved their latest record-setting performance of the season for their home crowd.
Brad Marchand and Tyler Bertuzzi had power play goals and the Bruins broke the NHL points record with a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night in their regular-season home finale.
Under chants of “We want the Cup!” from fans inside TD Garden the Bruins’ won their seventh straight to push their points total to 133, one more than the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. Those Canadiens played in an era without overtime and shootouts. The Bruins have 11 extra points – five for shootout wins and six for overtime wins – unavailable to Canadiens when they set the record.
“We’re happy about it, don’t get me wrong. But it’s a regular-season record,” Marchand said. “Playoffs start and everything starts over again. There’s going to be 16 teams that have the same goal in mind and what we’ve accomplished so far has no bearing on that.”
The Bruins broke the mark a game after setting the NHL victory’ record with 63 on Sunday at Philadelphia, breaking a tie with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I think (Montreal’s) wins in 80 games is a little more significant,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. But he added it’s still meaningful “because those were dominant hockey teams.”
Tomas Nosek, Garnet Hathaway and Jake DeBrusk also scored for Boston on Tuesday night in win No. 64.
A night after reaching 60 goals in season for the first time, David Pastrnak posted his 50th and 51st assists. Linus Ullmark finished with 19 saves, with left the game with just over nine minutes left with what Montgomery said was “muscle tightening.” Marchand and Patrice Bergeron added assists.
When the playoffs begin the Bruins will have home-ice advantage throughout in pursuit of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship since 2011.
Nick Jensen and Tom Wilson scored for the Capitals. Charlie Lindgren had 33 saves, including a one-handed, gloveless save on Pastrnak early in the third period.
Wilson narrowed what had been a two-goal deficit to 3-2 in the third before Nosek found Hathaway cutting toward the net for his 13th goal.
The Bruins got their first power play of the game with 12:24 left in the second after Matt Irwin was called for a cross-check on Taylor Hall.
Less than a minute later Boston turned it into a 1-0 lead when Pastrnak gathered a pass from Patrice Bergeron, immediately drew some defenders in the middle of the ice and flipped it to bottom of the right faceoff circle to Marchand, who finished off his 21st goal of the season. It was his first goal in 17 games after having last scored in a loss to Edmonton on March 9.
“You almost have to laugh about it,” Marchand said. “It’s one of those things I think where it gets frustrating, but then it gets to a point where it’s just laughable. You can’t take it too serious and I think that’s where it got to. It’s not the norm and I know that.”
Boston was on the power play again after Tom Wilson was called for roughing Charlie McAvoy with just under seven minutes to play in the period.
The Bruins made it 2-0 when Bertuzzi found himself in perfect position to rebound a shot by Pastrnak and push through his eighth goal of the season.
Jensen trimmed the margin to a goal with 4:53 left in the period, when his wrist shot appeared to clip McAvoy and trickle by Ullmark for Jensen’s fifth goal of the year of the year.
BOWMAN WEIGHS IN
Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman was in attendance when Tampa Bay hosted Toronto on Tuesday.
A friend of Montgomery and coach for the previous record-setting seasons by Montreal and Detroit, the 89-year-old said he doesn’t mind seeing those marks surpassed.
“We still have part of the record, we got 132 points in 80 games I keep telling him,” Bowman said with smile. “I don’t mind. I’m glad for him because he made a good comeback. He’s got confidence. They’ve got a good team. … I’m old enough to know that I don’t need to have all my records, and if he can them I’m happy for him.”
NOTES: It was just Boston’s second time with two power play goals in a game this season. It also had two in a 7-3 win over Florida on Dec. 19. … Washington’s Jensen has now scored in a career-high five games. … Henrik Borgstrom was recalled from the AHL Hershey Bears Tuesday and became the first Finnish player to dress for the Capitals in 14 years.
UP NEXT
Capitals: Host New Jersey on Thursday night.
Bruins: At Montreal on Thursday night.
BIG 10 NEWS
AP SOURCE: BIG TEN TAPS EX-MLB EXEC PETITTI AS COMMISSIONER
(AP) — The Big Ten is hiring former Major League Baseball executive Tony Petitti to be its next commissioner, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because a deal was still being finalized. An announcement is expected from the conference by the end of the week.
Petitti replaces Kevin Warren, who is leaving to become president of the Chicago Bears. Warren’s last day on the job was scheduled to be April 17.
Petitti continues a trend of recent hires to lead the top conferences coming from outside college sports – like Warren, who worked for the Minnesota Vikings before taking over for Jim Delany and becoming the Big Ten’s first Black commissioner in 2019.
The Pac-12 subsequently hired George Kliavkoff, who was an executive for MGM Resorts International. Last year, the Big 12 hired Brett Yormark as commissioner after he had previously run Barclays Center in New York and worked for the Roc Nation talent agency.
Petitti has extensive background in television, working for ABC, CBS and MLB Network. He was also chief operating officer for MLB, taking over the position Rob Manfred held before he became commissioner.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES/NEWS
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANAPOLIS – Cal Mitchell delivered two clutch, game-tying hits to extend Indianapolis’ chances at a series-opening victory, but the St. Paul Saints outlasted the Indians in 12 innings on Tuesday night, 10-6.
After Mitchell lined an RBI single into right field to cap a two-run comeback in the bottom of the 11th inning, the Saints (5-4) offense erupted for four runs in the top of the 12th. With two outs and one run already in, consecutive singles by Mark Contreras and Chris Williams off John O’Reilly (L, 0-1) drove in three more.
The game was back-and-forth from the beginning. With Indy trailing 1-0 after an RBI double by Twins No. 4 prospect Edouard Julien in the third inning, Travis Swaggerty roped an RBI single with two outs in the fifth to score Cal Mitchell from second base and tie the game. After the Saints scored the tiebreaking run via a wild pitch in the sixth, Hernán Perez – who entered into the game as a defensive replacement for Julien – smoked a single into center field to plate another an inning later.
The Indians (5-5) rallied with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. A leadoff single by Malcom Nuñez and consecutive full-count walks to Nick Gonzales and Miguel Andújar loaded the bases. Mitchell then shot a two-run single through the left-side of the infield to force Indianapolis’ first extra-inning contest of the season.
The teams traded runs in the 10th inning, with Chavez Young tying the game at four runs apiece by racing home on a sacrifice fly to center field by Endy Rodríguez, extending the catcher’s RBI streak to five consecutive games. A two-run single by Tyler White in the top of the 11th then forced Mitchell’s second game-tying effort in the bottom half.
Connor Sadzeck (W, 1-1) allowed three runs (one earned) in the 10th and 11th innings before Jose De León slammed the door with two strikeouts in the bottom of the 12th.
Reigning International League Player of the Week Tucupita Marcano extended his hitting streak to eight games to begin the season with a single in the sixth inning.
St. Paul’s victory broke Indianapolis’ five-game winning streak dating back to April 6 (1) at Louisville. The Indians have dropped each of their four home games this season for the first 0-4 start at the Vic since being swept by Columbus in a season-opening, four-game series from April 7-10, 2011.
Indianapolis and St. Paul will face off in the second contest of the six-game series tomorrow at 11:05 AM, with the Indians looking for their first win of the season at Victory Field. RHP Luis Ortiz (0-0, 1.08) will toe the rubber for Indy against RHP Bailey Ober (0-1, 6.75).
INDIANA BASEBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After scoring seven runs over its last four games, the Indiana baseball program used an eight-run fourth inning to overcome an early deficit in a 16-13 victory over Ball State on Tuesday (April 11) on Bart Kaufman Field.
There was just one scoreless inning in the game – the third inning – as Ball State (23-9) came out swinging with four runs in each of the first two innings. The Cardinals added three runs in the fifth and single runs in the seventh and ninth frames. Indiana (23-10) put up three runs in the first, eight in the third, four in the sixth and one in the eighth to ultimately earn the victory.
All nine Indiana starters post at least one hit, scored at least one run and drove in at least on RBI in the contest. Sophomore Brock Tibbitts produced his second career game with multiple home runs as he hit a pair of home runs with a career-high-tying five RBIs. He was 3-for-3 with a walk and hit-by-pitch and scored four runs.
Senior Phillip Glasser posted his 16th multi-hit game and moved his reached base streak to 33 games. Freshman Devin Taylor doubled twice, scored two runs and drove in two RBIs. Sophomore Josh Pyne was on base three times with two doubles, one walk, one run scored and one RBI.
The win went to freshman Cooper Katskee (1-1) with two innings of work and two strikeouts. He allowed four runs – one earned – and didn’t walk a batter in the outing to earn his first collegiate win. Senior Nathan Ball and freshman Connor Foley were the only two pitchers in the game to fire scoreless frames. Foley struck out four batters in two innings of work.
Decker Sheffler hit a first-inning grand slam to set the tone, while Hunter Dobbins, Adam Tellier and Zach Lane each hit home runs in the contest, as well. Tellier totaled three RBIs, while Scheffler has three total hits, four RBIs and two runs scored. Logan Schulfer (2-1) took the loss with four runs – three earned – allowed in 1 2/3 innings of work.
Scoring Recap
Top First
After the first two batter of the inning walked, Ryan Peltier singled to load the bases and Decker Sxheffler hit a grand slam to right field.
Ball State 4, Indiana 0
Bottom First
Phillip Glasser started the game with a single through the right side, eventually moved around to third with one out, and scored on a Devin Taylor sacrifice fly. Brock Tibbitts followed with a doubled and Carter Mathison hit his third home run of the season – a two-run shot – to right field.
Ball State 4, Indiana 3
Top Second
A leadoff walk was followed by a two-run home run from Zach Lane. After the next two batters were retired, the next four batters reached base and Logan Flood and Casey Turturici each collected RBIs with base hits.
Ball State 8, Indiana 3
Bottom Fourth
Twelve batters came to the plate and nine of them reached base with eight coming around to score. Tibbitts walked and Josh Pyne doubled to put a pair of runners on base with one out. Morgan Colopy singled to plate the first run and Tyler Cerny’s base hit scored the second run of the frame. After a pitching change, Peter Serruto, Glasser and Bobby Whalen each drove in runs with singles. Tibbitts capped the scoring with a three-run home run to left field.
Indiana 11, Ball State 8
Top Fifth
An error and a base hit started the frame before a pair of flyouts. Adam Tellier hit a three-run home run to knot the score.
Indiana 11, Ball State 11
Bottom Sixth
Whalen reached on an error to start the inning and came around to score from first on a Taylor double. Tibbitts followed with a two-run home run. After Mathison walked, Pyne doubled down the left field line to push Mathison across.
Indiana 15, Ball State 11
Top Seventh
Blake Bevis hit a solo home run to start the inning.
Indiana 15, Ball State 12
Bottom Eighth
Taylor doubled and Tibbitts was hit-by-pitch to start the inning. A passed ball moved both runners up one base and a one-out walk to Pyne loaded the bases. Colopy provided the lone run of the inning on a sacrifice fly.
Indiana 16, Ball State 12
Top Ninth
Hunter Dobbins hit a solo home run with one out.
Indiana 16, Ball State 13
Up Next
Indiana hits the road for a three-game series at Illinois from April 14-16. Friday’s series opener is slated for 8 p.m. and will air on the Big Ten Network. Each game of the weekend series can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network
INDIANA SOFTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sophomore Brianna Copeland tallied her 100th strikeout this season as she held it down in the circle for No. 24 Indiana (31-11, 9-2 B1G) as they defeated Louisville (25-13, 10-4 ACC), 10-5, on Tuesday evening at Andy Mohr Field.
INDIANA 10, LOUISVILLE 5
KEY MOMENTS
• Sophomore Sarah Stone had a hot bat to start the Hoosiers offense as she hit a triple to left center for two RBI in the bottom of the first.
• Teammate Brianna Copeland earned an RBI on a groundout to score Stone, 3-0.
• Louisville struck back in the top of the second with a home run to cut the lead.
• Indiana added three runs on four hits to end the second. Sophomore Minnick hit an RBI single with the bases loaded before Stone came in clutch with another big hit up the middle for two more RBI, 6-1.
• The Cardinals scored three runs in the top of the fourth, but the Hoosiers had the momentum Freshman Taryn Kern hit an RBI single before Stone added another RBI on a groundout to second to advance the lead, 8-4.
• UL sent another one home on an extra base hit in the top of the fifth, but Indiana continued to be consistent as junior Brooke Benson earned herself an RBI on a groundout that advanced freshman Avery Parker home.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Minnick doubled down the left field line as the ball stayed in fair territory to send Kern three bases home for the lead.
• Copeland closed out the game as she struck out the first two batters in the 1-2-3 inning.
NOTABLES
• Sophomore Brianna Copeland improves to 15-0 inside the circle after she struck out four batters totaling 103 strikeouts on the season.
• Team 50 beat the single season record for most RBI in a season after recording 10 in the win over Louisville. The Hoosiers have batted in 282 runners beating the 1994 record of 278.
• Stone recorded five of those RBI on two hits including one triple on the night.
• IU outhit the Cards 10-5.
UP NEXT
Indiana heads north to South Bend, Ind., for a matchup against Notre Dame. The first pitch is set for 5 p.m. ET on the ACC Extra Network.
PURDUE BASEBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball had its leadoff man reach base safely in six innings, but a pair of base runners were thrown out at third and the Boilermakers also hit into three double plays over the last four frames in a 4-1 loss to Indiana State on Tuesday at Alexander Field.
Purdue (14-17) was held to a single run for the fourth time this season and fell to 1-9 when scoring three runs or fewer. The Boilermakers had their first two batters reach safely in three different innings but could only score in the bottom of the third.
The Sycamores (19-12) won their seventh straight game and improved to 11-1 since March 25. Mike Sears hit a two-run homer, his team-leading 11th, in the third inning and 9-hole hitter Grant Magill delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.
Indiana State turned a 4-6-3 double play to erase a leadoff walk in the eighth inning and a 6-4-3 twin killing to eliminate a leadoff single the following frame.
Mike Bolton Jr. was 3-for-3 with a double, walk and RBI. But he was thrown out at third base in the third and sixth innings (accounting for the second out both times), trying to advance on a pitch in the dirt and fly ball down the right field line. Bolton drove in the Boilermakers’ lone run with an RBI single in the bottom of the third.
Both teams struggled with situational hitting. Purdue was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-10 with two outs. The Sycamores didn’t fare much better at 2-for-11 with RISP and 0-for-9 with two outs.
Jo Stevens threw out a runner at the plate for the first out of the seventh inning. But a walk loaded the bases and Magill followed with the two-run single to left field.
Each of the three pitchers that took the mound for Purdue worked three innings. Jackson Dannelley faced the minimum nine batters over his three innings of one-hit ball, working the game’s middle innings.
Indiana State used seven pitchers, none facing more than seven batters.
Connor Caskenette led off the ninth inning with a base hit to extend his on-base streak to 10 consecutive games. Stevens’ on-base streak was snapped at 12 straight games.
The Boilermakers’ six-game homestand continues Friday when they host Penn State at 6 p.m. ET.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue softball’s homestand continues this week with four games slated to be played in Bittinger Stadium. Purdue (17-22, 2-9 Big Ten) will take on SIUE (15-20, 2-8 Ohio Valley) on Wednesday before facing Michigan (19-15, 5-4 Big Ten) in a weekend series.
Fans are welcome to enjoy free admission to all Purdue softball home games this season.
THE BOILERMAKER DEFENSE
Purdue ranks among the top defenses in the league, including No. 1 in assists (365).
In 2022 and 2021, Purdue has recorded their best fielding % marks in program history with 2021’s .972 % the Purdue record, while 2022’s .921 mark ranking No. 2.
BOILERMAKERS IN THE CIRCLE
An evenly spread-out pitching staff includes three Boilermakers with four or more wins this season: Madi Elish (6-2), Alex Echazarreta (5-9) and Mo Wimpee (4-4). All three have pitched in the 51-58 innings range this season.
Alexa Pinarski is racking up more innings in the circle during Big Ten play, 2nd-most on the team, in fact. The senior has made nine appearances in the circle with four starts (the most among the pitching staff). Pinarski has tossed 19.2 innings (most: Elish with 23.0) and has struck out 11 batters.
Elish, a sophomore transfer from Arizona, notched both wins for Purdue at Rutgers and appeared in all five games last week. She has thrown for 23 innings during conference play and tallied nine strikeouts, five of which came on Sunday vs. Wisconsin, setting a Big Ten play-high as well as the second-most in any game this season.
Echazarreta has pitched a team-leading 48 strikeouts with an opponent batting average of .255. She reached her 200th career strikeout vs. North Dakota State (W, 2-1) on March 15.
Mo Wimpee leads the team with the most starts in the circle (10), shutouts (3) and ERA (3.00).
Meanwhile, Echazarreta posted a one-hitter during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with 11 strikeouts and 1 run vs. NC State (2/18).
SCOUTING THE SIUE COUGARS
Leading the team in batting average is #2 Lexi King (.414) followed by #8 Paige Rocha (.408) and #3 Emma Neuman (.313).
The leading pitcher is #6 Kelsey Ray with an ERA of 2.75 followed by #12 Sydney Baalman (2.98).
#2 Lexi King and #3 Emma Neuman lead the team in RBI with 19 each.
SCOUTING THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Leading the team in batting average is #3 Lexie Blair (.362) followed by #1 Ellie Sieler (.319).
Blair enters the weekend currently ranked 10th in the Big Ten for batting average.
#18 Lauren Derkowski is the leading pitcher with an ERA of 1.90, a mark that ranks as 5th-best in the league. Her opponent batting average of .202 is fifth. Meanwhile, she has pitched more innings than almost any other Big Ten player. As the Wolverines heavily rely on Derkowski, she has tossed 121.2 innings, 4th-highest in the league.
Derkowski has struck out 135 batter this year, 40 of which looking, making her one of the toughest pitchers the Boilermakers have faced thus far.
Michigan is currently ranked 7th in the Big Ten Conference and owns a .260 team batting average.
BUTLER BASEBALL
ANN ARBOR – Kollyn All hit a two-run home run for Butler in the top of the sixth inning on Tuesday evening, but the Bulldogs would fall to Michigan at Ray Fisher Stadium 13-2.
The Wolverines scored two runs in the first and three more in the fifth to open up a 5-0 advantage. All broke up the zeros on the scoreboard for Butler with his fifth home run of the season in the top of six, but the Wolverines followed up with eight runs in the bottom half to take complete control.
All seven BU hits came from a different player. The Wolverines were led offensively by Jack Van Remortel and his game-high three hits. Cody Jefferis had four RBIs in the victory and Jonathan Kim added three.
Butler went with the bullpen in this contest as nine different Bulldogs touched the rubber. Cade Thune (1-1) took the loss while the win was credited to Noah Rennard (5-1).
Cooper Robinson and Jon Vore each struck out two batters in a lone inning of work. Vore was the only BU arm not to issue a walk on Tuesday.
Butler will shift their focus to a BIG EAST weekend series at home vs. Villanova. Game one will stream on FloSports on Friday, April 14. First pitch is set for 3 PM.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
Andre Screen, a 7-1 center who has played the last three seasons at Bucknell, has signed a financial aid agreement to continue his career at Butler.
Screen will have two seasons of eligibility remaining, beginning with the 2023-24 season.
“We believe Andre’s best basketball is ahead of him. He gives us a strong rim protector with an offensive game that continues to develop. He’s excited about Butler and the opportunity to compete in the BIG EAST. Those are both important for what we are building here within our program.”
Screen averaged 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game at Bucknell as a junior during the 2022-23 season. His 1.31 blocks per game ranked second in the Patriot League and were among the Top 100 nationally. Screen shot 62 percent from the field, which was second in the Patriot League, while his rebounding average was 13th in the conference. His .622 field goal percentage ranks fifth on Bucknell’s single-season list. He started 27 of the 29 games he appeared in, playing 23.1 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 19 times, which included two 20-point outings and two double-doubles.
In three seasons at Bucknell, Screen posted 82 blocks, which ranks ninth in program history.
Screen also averaged double figures as a sophomore (2021-22) with 11.4 points per game to go along with a 6.5 rebounds per game mark. He had 18 double-figure scoring games and a pair of double-doubles. Bucknell’s 2020-21 season, which marked Screen’s freshman campaign, was limited to only 12 total games as the Patriot League played a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Alexandria, Va., Screen was a 2020 first-team All-State selection (Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division 1) as a senior, leading Saint Stephen’s & Saint Agnes School to a 30-4 record and an appearance in the VISAA state championship game. He averaged 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds as a senior. His team captured the state title during his junior season, posting a 27-3 record. Screen played on the AAU circuit with both DC Thunder and DC Premier.
IUPUI SOFTBALL
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – The IUPUI softball team fell in game one of a three-game series at Northern Kentucky, 4-3. The Jags were ahead of the Norse 5-3 in the seventh inning of game two when it was postponed due to darkness.
Game one was a back-and-forth battle with the Norse coming out on top, 4-3. IUPUI took the lead first in the second inning when Jordan Jenkins singled to right center to score Victoria Sivert.
NKU tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning with Maddie Lacer scoring on a wild pitch. The Jags retook the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth inning, 3-1. Kennedy Cowan hit a deep sacrifice fly to score Kendal Calvert and Jaida Speth.
The Norse chipped away at the lead in the bottom half of the fifth frame with one run on a sac fly then tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning with an RBI single from Megan Kincer. NKU took the lead with an RBI double from Ella LeMonier, 4-3.
Madison Bryant gave up four runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. Rachael Gregory, Jenkins and Speth each recorded two hits while Calvert added a double.
IUPUI and Northern Kentucky will continue game two tomorrow, April 12 at 2:00 PM with the finale scheduled for 3:00 PM.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team was back on the diamond for a non-conference matchup against in-state foe Indiana on Tuesday. Decker Scheffler, Zach Lane, Adam Tellier, Blake Bevis, and Hunter Dobbins each blasted home runs but the Cardinals fell to the Hoosiers 16-13.
Ball State fell to 23-9 overall, while Indiana improved to 23-10 on the year. The Cardinals hit five home runs for the first time since 2017.
“Our guys came ready to play and swung the bats really well,” said Head Coach Rich Maloney. “Not often you hit five home runs and lose but that is what we did. We had some opportunities to make some plays and fell a bit short. When two good teams play it often comes down to who makes a timely play, a timely pitch, or gets a timely hit. Today they made a couple of timely plays that we were unable to make.”
Nick Gregory led off the top of the first with a seven-pitch walk. Tellier followed with a six-pitch walk. Ryan Peltier reached on infield single to third and loaded the bases for the Cardinals. Scheffler put Ball State on the scoreboard with a grand slam over the right field wall. BSU took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
IU answered with three runs in the bottom of the first capped off by a two-run home run by Carter Mathison.
Dobbins led off the top of the second with a five-pitch walk. Lane blasted the second pitch he saw over the left center field wall for a two-run homer. Peltier drew a two-out walk. Scheffler followed with an infield single off a diving first baseman. Logan Flood followed with an RBI single to the shortstop that scored Peltier. Casey Turturici recorded an RBI single to center field as Scheffler came around to score. The Cardinals took an 8-3 lead into the bottom of the second.
The Hoosiers took an 11-8 lead in the bottom of the fourth on an eight-run inning.
Blake Bevis reached on an error to start the top of the fifth. Dobbins singled through the left side. Tellier tied the game with a three-run blast to left field. The Cardinals tied it at 11-11 after four and a half innings.
Indiana added four runs in the bottom of the sixth on three hits and two Cardinal errors.
Bevis led off the top of the seventh with a solo homer over the left field wall. His home run cut the deficit to 15-12.
IU extended its lead to 16-12 in the bottom of the eighth on one hit.
Dobbings blasted a 420-foot home run over the left center field wall. Ball State fell to Indiana 16-13.
Ty Weatherly got the start for the Cardinals and picked up a no decision. He gave up three earned runs with one strikeout. Tanner Knapp went 2 1/3 innings in relief with four strikeouts. He surrendered four earned runs. Brady Owens added a 1/3 of an innings with one strikeout. He gave up four earned runs. Logan Schulfer picked up the loss in 1 2/3 innings of relief. He fell to 2-1 on the season. He struck out two batters and surrendered four runs, three earned. Casey Bargo closed out the game with 2 2/3 innings of work. He gave up one earned run on just one hit.
Scheffler led the team with four RBIs and tied for a team-high three hits. Dobbins posted a 3-for-3 day at the plate with a home run and two walks. Tellier finished with a three-RBI game, while Lane added two RBIs.
The Hoosiers used six pitchers that combined for 12 strikeouts and gave up 13 runs, 10 earned, on 13 hits. Cooper Katskee picked up the win and improved to 1-1 in the season. He went two innings in relief with two strikeouts.
Ball State returns to the road for a three-game series against MAC rival Central Michigan. First pitch on Friday, April 14, is slated for 3 p.m.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The University of Notre Dame softball program earned an 8-0 six inning victory over the Michigan State Spartans Tuesday night in East Lansing. The win is the 24th of the season, and number 849 for head coach Deanna Gumpf. Gumpf now passes Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Muffet McGraw for the most wins in the history of Notre Dame Athletics. The Fighting Irish improve to 24-11-1 on the season with the victory.
Micaela Kastor and Shannon Becker combined for the team’s sixth shutout victory of the season. Kastor worked the first three innings, allowing just three hits and striking out one. Becker came on in relief in the fourth, throwing the final 3.0 innings, scattering a pair of hits and earning the victory.
Carlli Kloss led the offensive effort, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Leea Hanks, Macie Eck and Anna Holloway each added two hits. Hanks finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored twice. Eck added an RBI, and Holloway drove in two and scored once while hitting her second home run of the season. Karina Gaskins added a 1-for-3 effort with a home run, her 13th of the year. Joley Mitchell also added a hit, an RBI and scored once.
How It Happened
The Irish jumped on top early, stringing together four hits in the first inning to take the lead. Kloss led the game off with a single to left and immediately stole second. Mitchell knocked a single up the middle to score the first run of the game before taking second herself. A ground out and a walk put runners on the corners and a ground ball to the right side scored the second run of the day. Eck knocked a single the other way to score Orozco and put the Irish up 3-0 after the top of the first.
Notre Dame tacked on three more in the top of the third. Gaskins led off with a solo homer. A hit batter put a runner on as Holloway left the yard to score two and put the Irish up 6-0 after the top of the third.
The Irish tacked on solo runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings to secure the run-rule shortened victory. A Jane Kronenberger sacrifice fly in the fifth added a run, and an infield single with runners on second and third scored the eighth run of the ball game.
Michigan State got a runner on with a single in the sixth, but it was erased with a lineout to Cassidy Grimm who took over at third base in the inning. Grimm caught the line drive and threw to Gaskins at first to get the runner who was heading back to first.
Up Next
The Irish return to action tomorrow as they take on the Indiana Hoosiers at 5 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-13) fell in their midweek matchup against the Michigan State Spartans (19-10) at Frank Eck Stadium on Tuesday, April 11. This is the first midweek loss for the Irish as the Spartans took the 7-6 victory in Notre Dame’s first extra inning game of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish were able to take the early lead after Jack Penney reached on a walk and was followed by a 410’ homer to right center field from Zack Prajzner. Prajzner’s fourth home run of the season gave the Irish the 2-0 lead heading into the second.
The Irish defense went three up, three down in the top of the second as Blake Hely recorded his second strikeout of the day. A scoreless second inning allowed the Irish to maintain the 2-0 lead, but a Spartan run in the third closed the gap to one to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
Both the Spartans and the Irish scored three runs each in the fourth inning with all six runs coming from home runs. Michigan State recorded a two-run home run and a solo home run in the top of the inning to take the lead 4-2. The Irish would respond with three runs of their own in the bottom frame as TJ Williams homered to left center field to score DM Jefferson and Danny Neri. Notre Dame took the lead again at 5-4 heading into the fifth.
Another solo home run by the Spartans in the top of the fifth tied it up at 5-5 and a scoreless fifth for Notre Dame kept it at an even ballgame.The Irish would take the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Jefferson was scored by Williams on a sac fly to give the Irish the 6-5 advantage.
After a scoreless seventh, Michigan State would tack on another run in the top of the eighth to tie it up again with a score of 6-6. Another scoreless frame from the Irish kept it at 6-6 heading into the ninth.
Notre Dame had a strong defensive frame, going three up, three down, as they looked to get the Irish offense rolling in the bottom of the ninth. Williams recorded his second hit of the day for a base hit through the right side, but the Irish were unable to capitalize on the offensive opportunity as the Irish went into extra innings for the first time this season.
The Spartans recorded two base hits in the tenth and while the Irish recorded a base hit of their own from Brooks Coetzee, it was another scoreless inning as it went into the eleventh.
Michigan State hit a solo home run to center field in the top of the final inning to take the 7-6 lead. Williams singled in the bottom frame for the only Irish hit in the inning and the Irish would come up just short in the extra innings loss to the Spartans.
UP NEXT
The Irish resume conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Clemson starting on Friday, April 14.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Mike Sears and Grant Magill both drove in two runs and the Indiana State pitching staff put on another clinic on the mound as the Sycamores picked up the 4-1 midweek win over Purdue on Tuesday night at Alexander Field.
Indiana State (19-12) ran its winning streak to seven games as the Sycamores completed the 2023 series sweep over Purdue (14-17). ISU previously topped the Boilermakers back at Bob Warn Field on March 28, 8-2. The win over Purdue extended ISU’s winning streak over Boilermakers to six consecutive games dating back to 2018.
ISU and Purdue were locked in a pitcher’s duel early before Sears broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third inning. Following Seth Gergely’s one-out double to right center, Sears worked a 2-2 count against Purdue starter CJ Backer (0-3) before connecting on a no-doubt blast over the left field wall for his team-leading 11th home run of the season giving the Sycamores the early lead.
Looking to add insurance late in the game, ISU loaded the bases with one out in the seventh against Purdue reliever Aaron Suval. Adam Pottinger connected on a single through the right side, while Keegan Watson connected on a fielder’s choice and Miguel Rivera drew a four-pitch walk bringing Magill to the plate with the bases juiced.
The redshirt junior catcher took the first two pitches before driving a ground ball through the left side of the infield scoring both Pottinger and Watson to put the Sycamores ahead 4-1 heading into the seventh inning stretch.
Purdue put runners on base in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings as the Boilermakers attempted to keep the game alive. However the ISU defense came through turning double plays in all three innings to end the Boilermaker hopes and Brennyn Cutts (S, 1) struck out the final Purdue hitter in the bottom of the ninth to close out the Sycamore win.
Gergely and Randal Diaz both doubled for the Sycamores on Tuesday night as ISU connected on six hits in the win. Sears and Magill combined to drive in all four ISU runs.
Seven Indiana State pitchers drew time on the mound with Jacob Pruitt (1-1) picking up the win following a 2.0-inning relief stint. Pruitt surrendered the lone Purdue run and struck out three in the win. Cam Edmonson and Simon Gregersen both recorded 2.0-inning shutout relief outings on the day, while Cole Gilley, Zach Davidson, and Cutts also kept Purdue off the scoreboard on Tuesday night.
Mike Bolton Jr. was 3-for-3 with a double and Purdue’s lone RBI in the loss.
Backer took the loss after going the first three innings in the start. The right-hander allowed three hits and two runs while striking out four. Jackson Dannelley and Suval also added 3.0-inning stints on Tuesday night.
How They Scored
Mike Sears opened the scoring with a two-run home run to left field in the top of the third scoring Seth Gergely and giving the Sycamores the 2-0 lead.
Mike Bolton Jr. put Purdue on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single to left field scoring Evan Albrecht to narrow it to a 2-1 ballgame.
Grant Magill capped the scoring with a bases-loaded two-run single through the left side of the infield scoring Adam Pottinger and Keegan Watson to provide the final 4-1 margin.
News & Notes
Indiana State ran its winning streak to seven consecutive games following the 4-1 win over the Boilermakers. The streak is ISU’s longest since posting a nine-game stretch in the 2019 season spanning March 2-17 with victories over Austin Peay (twice), Mercer (three), Purdue (one), and The Citadel (three).
The Sycamores also extended their winning streak against Purdue to six consecutive games dating back to the 2018 season as ISU completed the season sweep over the Boilermakers.
Indiana State improved to 4-4 against the Big Ten in the 2023 season with the Tuesday night win.
The Sycamores also improved to 6-1 in Tuesday games in the 2023 season.
Luis Hernandez extended his on-base streak to a career-best 24 consecutive games following his fourth-inning single.
Hernandez’s streak ties for the fourth-longest in the Mitch Hannahs coaching era and is the longest since Jake Means reached 24 consecutive games back in the 2019 season.
Seth Gergely extended his on-base streak to 15 games following his one-out double in the top of the third inning.
Mike Sears’ third-inning home run gave him a team-high 11 in the 2023 season and seven homers over the last three weeks.
Jacob Pruitt picked up his first win in the Sycamore Blue & White with a strong 2.0-inning relief stint.
The Sycamores ran out seven pitchers on Tuesday night and surrendered just one earned run while striking out six to continue a dominant stretch this season.
ISU’s staff has posted a sparkling 1.31 ERA over the last six games dating back to April 2 against UIC.
Up Next
Indiana State continues its five-game road trip with a three-game series at Belmont University as the Sycamores head back into Missouri Valley Conference play. First pitch in Friday’s opener at E.S. Rose Park is set for 5 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball dropped a home MVC contest to Evansville on Tuesday afternoon, falling 2-0 to the Purple Aces at Price Field.
The Sycamores (19-20, 8-6) had five hits while Evansville (20-19, 6-8) finished the contest with three hits.
Indiana State starter Lauren Sackett had a no-hitter through 5.2 innings until Evansville got in the hit column with a double. Sackett struck out nine and threw a complete game in the loss.
The Action
Similar to a week prior when these two teams met, it was a low scoring affair. Lauren Sackett struck out a pair of Evansville hitters in the top of the first to bring ISU to the plate where Olivia Patton singled to lead off the inning. Patton picked up a stolen base but that would be all for the Sycamores in the frame.
Sackett recorded two-straight 1-2-3 innings in the second and third followed by two more strikeouts in the fourth to continue her strong start. Indiana State got runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the fourth but were not able to convert.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Sycamores would get two runners on to begin the inning as Abi Chipps reached on a bunt single followed by an Olivia Patton walk. Evansville starter Mikayla Jolly would get three consecutive outs to retire the side and keep the game tied 0-0.
After Lauren Sackett retired the first two batters of the inning in the sixth, Evansville worked a walk followed by back-to-back doubles to take a 2-0 lead. Indiana State went down in order in the bottom half.
Sackett recorded her ninth strikeout in the top of the seventh and got a line out to strand a pair of runners on base to end the frame. The Purple Aces set ISU down in order in the bottom half of the seventh to claim the victory.
Olivia Patton, Danielle Henning, Annie Tokarek, TeAnn Bringle and Abi Chipps each recorded a hit for ISU.
Up Next
The Sycamores will head to Nashville to continue MVC action at Belmont with a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 14 at 6 p.m. ET.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
VALPARAISO, Ind. – Jacob Walker recorded five hits in Purdue Fort Wayne’s 9-3 baseball loss at the Valparaiso Beacons on Tuesday (April 11).
Walker is the first Mastodon with five hits in a game since Brandon Soat had five May 8, 2016. All five of Walker’s hits were singles. He drove in a run in the ninth.
The ‘Dons were down 9-1 before scoring a pair and making the final score 9-3. Braedon Blackford nearly hit a grand slam in the ninth, flying out to the warning track for the second out.
Rex Stills is now 0-5 after starting and taking the loss. He allowed two runs in 3.0 innings.
The big inning was the fourth when Valpo put five runs on the board.
The ‘Dons recorded 11 hits. Cade Nelis, Caileb Johnson and Dylan Stewart each had a double.
Valpo improves to 11-15. The ‘Dons fall to 8-25. Purdue Fort Wayne is at Dayton on Wednesday (April 12).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team’s winning streak was halted at nine games on Tuesday (April 11) with a 10-7 loss to Cleveland State in eight innings.
The Mastodons’ nine-game winning streak marks as the second-longest in program history.
Tuesday’s game was a battle of the Players of the Week, as Purdue Fort Wayne’s Tori Countryman and Cleveland State’s Melissa Holzopfel were named Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week for the Horizon League just 90 minutes before first pitch. Holzopfel won the matchup, throwing all eight innings with eight strikeouts and a solo home run in the first.
Trailing 4-3 in the sixth, the Mastodons scored two to take the lead in the bottom of the inning with a throwing error and a single up the middle. The Mastodons were one out away from picking up the win, but CSU’s Emma Gilkerson hit a three-run home run to go up 7-5. The ‘Dons responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to send it to extras. Taryn Jenkins had a triple, Grace Hollopeter had a single, then Sonia Solis had a double. Solis’ double was less than a foot away from being a walk-off home run to win it.
In the eighth, Cleveland State put three runs on the board and the Mastodons could not answer in the final half inning.
Taryn Jenkins had three hits from the leadoff spot, including a double and a triple. She also pitched in one of three stolen bases. Brayden Lickey and Brooke Lickey had one steal each. Epiphany Hang, Solis and Bailey Manos each had two hits.
Gracie Brinkerhoff threw 5.1 innings of relief and took the loss to fall to 5-4. Holzopfel got the win to go to 8-7.
Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 14-19, 6-3 Horizon League while Cleveland State pulls even with the ‘Dons at 6-3 in the league, 10-23 overall. These two teams will meet again tomorrow (Wednesday, April 12) for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Western Kentucky University baseball team rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on Tuesday night to key a 6-2 victory over the visiting University of Evansville Purple Aces at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The win snapped UE’s eight-game road winning streak, which was the longest in Division I baseball entering the night.
“It was really tough to get any offensive consistency going tonight with it being a staff day and seeing eight different pitchers,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “But, that’s college baseball sometimes. We had our chances tonight, but just couldn’t break through. We just need to put this one behind us and be ready to go this weekend in Carbondale against Southern Illinois.”
Evansville scored first in the top of the second inning, as senior third baseman Brent Widder led off the inning with a double, advanced to third base on a WKU error, and scored on a wild pitch to give UE a 1-0 lead.
The game would remain 1-0 through four innings, as graduate starter Eric Roberts, making his first collegiate start and first pitching appearance of the year, tossed three scoreless innings of one-hit baseball, and senior reliever Jakob Meyer worked around a lead-off double to toss a scoreless fourth inning. But, the Hilltoppers would rally against Meyer (0-2) in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.
WKU outfielder Andrew Delany roped a one-out double to right-center field to tie the game at 1-1. Then, after a walk to lead-off man Ty Crittenberger, a failed pick-off attempt, and a stolen base put two runners in scoring position, catcher Kirk Liebert delivered a two-run single to grab a 3-1 lead.
Widder would blast a one-out, solo home run over the bullpen in left field in the top of the sixth inning to trim the WKU lead to 3-2. But, the Hilltoppers would add a run in the bottom of the sixth inning without the use of a hit to push the lead to 4-2.
Evansville would threaten in the eighth inning by loading the bases against WKU closer C.J. Weins on two walks and a hit-by-pitch, but Weins would bounce back with a strikeout on a pay-off pitch to get out of the jam. Then, WKU plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI single by designated hitter Camden Ross and a throwing error on the play to produce the final margin of victory.
Widder had two of UE’s five hits with a double and home run. Roberts also went 1-for-3 offensively with two walks. Ross went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead the way for WKU.
With the victory, WKU evens its record at 17-17 overall. Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 19-13 overall. The two teams will meet again next Tuesday in Evansville to conclude the home-and-home non-conference series. Prior to that match-up, though, Evansville will travel to Carbondale, Illinois to battle first-place Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois in a three-game set. The series will begin Friday night at 6 p.m., with Sunday’s series finale set for national coverage on ESPNU.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – With two outs in the top of the sixth innings, Alexa Davis hit a 2-RBI double that would prove to be the difference as the University of Evansville softball team picked up a 2-0 win over Indiana State on Tuesday at Price Field.
Over the first five innings, the Purple Aces were unable to pick up a hit but that changed in the sixth when Jess Willsey broke up the no-hitter before Davis hit the game-winner on batter later.
Evansville put a runner in scoring position to open the game. Marah Wood reached on a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two strikeouts ended the threat. UE went down in order in the second and third frames before Taylor Howe reached on a leadoff walk in the fourth.
Mikayla Jolly kept the Sycamores off the scoreboard with some timely pitching. ISU recorded a pair of hits in the fourth and stranded runners on second and third in the bottom half of the fifth with Jolly escaping both frames unscathed.
In the top of the sixth, the offense was able to break through with some 2-out magic. Howe earned another walk with Sydney Kalonihea coming in to pinch run. Jess Willsey picked up the first UE hit of the day, doubling to left to send Kalonihea to third. Next up was Alexa Davis, who doubled to left center to bring in both runners to give the Aces a 2-0 lead.
Erin Kleffman threw the final two innings and did not allow a baserunner. She earned the save while Jolly recorded the win. UE finished the game with five hits while the Sycamores tallied five.
This weekend, the Aces head to Murray State for a 3-game series.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost a rollercoaster game with Saint Louis University, 16-11, Tuesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI watched its record go to 9-23 in 2023, while SLU goes to 19-11 this spring.
The first three frames were a rollercoaster ride with the Screaming Eagles have control early. USI grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening inning with a RBI-single by junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas).
After SLU responded by with a three-run second inning, USI posted a four-spot in the bottom of the second to regain the lead, 5-3. Freshman third baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) started the scoring with a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-2 before junior centerfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) tied the score, 3-3, with a RBI-double.
The Eagles continued the fourth by posting their largest lead of the game, 5-3, when Ebest drove in a run by reaching on a fielder’s choice and sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) singled to center field.
After SLU tied the game 5-5 in the top of the third, the Billikens exploded for 10 unanswered runs with two in the fifth, seven in the sixth and one in the seventh to lead 15-5. USI would respond in the bottom of the seventh, taking a big bite out of the deficit by sending 11 hitters to the plate and scoring six times to make the score, 15-11.
The Eagles scored the first four in the seventh on a two-run single by senior designated hitter Daniel Lopez (Dominican Republic), a RBI-single by Niehaus, and a fielder’s choice by senior catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) to narrow the SLU lead to 15-9. USI completed the frame with two more runs crossing the plate after freshman third baseman Jacob Winzenread (McCordsville, Indiana) reach on an error to post a 15-11 mark on the board.
That would be as close as the Eagles would come in the final two frames as the Billikens added another tally in the ninth for the 16-11 final.
On the mound, USI junior right-hander Carter Stamm (Jasper, Indiana) took the loss in relief for the Eagles. Stamm (1-1), who was one of eight USI hurlers Tuesday night, allowed two runs on three hits and a walk in an inning of work.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI returns to Ohio Valley Conference action over the weekend when it travels to the University of Tennessee at Martin for a three-game series April 14-16. The series opens Friday at 5 p.m., continues Saturday at 3 p.m., and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Eagles, 2-7 in OVC action, lead the all-time series with the Skyhawks, 6-4, and has won three of the last four meetings. USI took the last meeting in 1999, 9-5, at the USI Baseball Field.
UTM, currently, is 9-24 this year and has lost four-straight, while posting a 4-5 mark in the OVC. The Skyhawks, who host Austin Peay State University Wednesday before welcoming the Eagles, have lost four-straight.
VALPO SOFTBALL
Valpo softball senior pitcher Easton Seib (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) celebrated Valpo Day by tossing the best game of her collegiate career Tuesday at Northern Illinois, posting a one-hit shutout as the Beacons downed the Huskies in the doubleheader opener, 3-0. NIU came back to down Valpo in the nightcap, 7-1.
How It Happened – Game One
The Beacons made sure Seib would step into the circle with the lead, opening the scoring in the top of the first. Fifth-year Taylor Herschbach (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) sent the first pitch she saw to the wall in right-center for a one-out triple, and two batters later, junior Regi Hecker (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Blue Springs South) knocked her in with a base hit through the left side to give Valpo the 1-0 lead.
Valpo used NIU’s aggressiveness on the basepaths against the Huskies in the bottom of the first. Caitlyn Shumaker was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, but after she stole second, Lauren Kehlenbrink (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway South) cut her down trying to steal third. Courtney James then drew a one-out walk, but the Beacons retired her trying to take second on an errant pitch.
Seib handled business well over the next few innings, retiring the Huskies in order in three of the next four frames. The only threat came in the third, as a pair of errors and a sacrifice bunt put a runner on third for NIU with one out.
It looked like the Huskies had scored on a subsequent groundout, but the NIU batter was ruled out of the batter’s box on contact. Head coach Meaggan Pettipiece chose the strike penalty, taking the out off the board, sending the runner back to third and returning the batter to the plate with a 3-2 count. Seib got a strikeout looking on the very next pitch, and a pop-up kept the Huskies off the board.
Offensively, Valpo posted an insurance run in the top of the third thanks to solid baserunning. Herschbach and Hecker drew walks, and the former moved up to third on a fly out to put runners on the corners with two outs. On the first pitch to the next batter, Hecker got herself in a rundown and eluded the tag long enough for Herschbach to take home before the out was recording, pushing the lead to 2-0.
Seib entered the sixth inning with a potential no-hitter intact, but with two outs in the inning, Shumaker beat out an infield single to break it up. Seib came right back and got a fly ball to put another zero on the Huskies’ side of the scoreboard.
Herschbach was involved in the Beacons’ final tally of the game as well, knocking in junior Autumn Acord (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone [Kent State]) with a two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh. Fittingly for how well she pitched, Seib needed just six pitches to set down NIU in order in its last turn at the plate and close out the shutout.
How It Happened – Game Two
For the second straight game, Valpo scored in its first turn at the plate, as Kehlenbrink came home all the way from first on a two-out RBI double by Hecker.
NIU responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI single. The Huskies added another in the second to take the lead for good and put three runs on the board in the third.
NIU extended its lead with a solo homer in the fifth and closed the scoring with an RBI double in the sixth.
The Beacons got a runner into scoring position for the first time since the first inning when Herschbach lined a one-out double down the right-field line in the top of the sixth, but was unable to advance past season.
Valpo looked for a rally in the seventh, as freshmen Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) and Lyna Vasquez (Moreno Valley, Calif./Valley View) opened the inning with consecutive singles, but the next three batters went down in order to close the game.
Inside the Games
The win in the opener was Valpo’s first in DeKalb since 2011, as it had dropped the last five road matchups at NIU entering Tuesday.
Valpo has scored in the top of the first inning in four of its last six games dating back to last Tuesday at UIC.
Seib had her best game in a collegiate uniform to earn the shutout win in the opener, surrendering just the lone hit and one walk while striking out four NIU hitters.
It was the fifth shutout of Seib’s career, two of which have come this season.
The one-hitter marks the fewest number of hits she has surrendered in a complete-game effort at Valpo. Seib’s previous best was a three-hitter last season against Central Michigan.
Offensively, Herschbach was the story of both games, but especially the opener. The veteran went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI in the victory, as she was involved in all three runs scoring.
After reaching base three times in the opener, Herschbach came back in game two and reached twice, going 1-for-2 with a walk.
Sophomore Kaiah Fenters (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) had the most prolific game of her collegiate career at the plate in the opener, reaching successfully in all three of her plate appearances as she tallied a single and two walks.
Junior Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) joined Fenters in drawing a pair of walks in the opener as well.
In all, Valpo notched six walks in the victory, matching a season best. The Beacons have coaxed four or more free passes in 15 of 33 games this year.
Hecker reached base three times over the two games as well.
Junior Caitlin Kowalski (Temperance, Mich./Notre Dame Academy) started the second game in the circle and took the loss. Freshman Cadence Augustine (Beaverton, Mich./Beaverton) registered all three outs in the sixth inning of the nightcap and did not give up a run.
Defensively, Valpo had a field day cutting down NIU baserunners on the basepaths. Between the two games, the Beacons racked up five caught stealings, two double plays doubling up baserunners after fly-ball outs, an out at the plate and an out at second.
Kehlenbrink was credited with four of the caught stealings — two in each game — while Vasquez caught a runner stealing in her first inning behind the plate.
Three of the runners caught stealing came in game two, tying for second-most in a single game in program history.
Next Up
Valpo (5-29) continues this road stretch with a three-game Valley series at Bradley this weekend, starting on Friday evening at 5 p.m. Only the Sunday game this weekend will have a live ESPN stream.
VALPO BASEBALL
With the Valparaiso University baseball team clinging to an early 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second, redshirt sophomore Josh Cottrill (Pewaukee, Wis. / Pewaukee) entered the game with the bases loaded and one away. The Valpo righty struck out the next two hitters and eventually logged 4 2/3 innings of shutout, one-hit relief to propel the Beacons past Purdue Fort Wayne 9-3 at Emory G. Bauer Field.
How It Happened
Valpo, which batted first despite playing on its home field since the game was originally slated to take place in Fort Wayne, jumped on the board early thanks to a run-scoring single to left by Spencer Warfield (Fullerton, Calif. / Servite) on a payoff pitch with two outs in the opening frame.
The Beacons went quietly in the second, but doubled the lead thanks to another clutch two-out hit in the third. Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) delivered the base hit, which plated Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central), who had swiped second moments earlier.
In his first start in a Valpo uniform, Kaleb Krier (Altoona, Iowa / Southeast Polk [DMACC]) logged 2 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit ball. He was making his season debut after being sidelined by an injury.
Valpo exploded for five runs in the fourth to break the game open. The Beacons worked four walks in that inning, and the big blow of the frame was a two-run triple by Schmack as he narrowly missed a home run in deep left. The ball got up into the wind and could not be hauled in by the Purdue Fort Wayne left fielder. The relay throw to third got away, and Schmack trotted home on the error for a “little league home run.”
Warfield tacked on a single through the left side to score the final run of the fourth, extending the lead to 7-1. Valpo got one more in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk.
Cottrill retired 12 of the 14 batters he faced in the fourth through seventh innings before leaving the game.
Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) provided an insurance tally with a bomb to right in the top of the ninth. Purdue Fort Wayne got two back in the bottom of the inning to account for the game’s final score.
Inside the Game
Valpo batters worked a season-high 13 walks and notched 15 free passes including two hit batsmen. The walk total was Valpo’s highest since taking 14 on March 25 of last season vs. St. Bonaventure.
The win came while playing shorthanded as Valpo faced a rash of injuries on Sunday at Evansville, when four starting position players all went down.
Warfield and Renfro paced the team with three hits apiece. Five Valpo batters enjoyed multi-hit outputs, while three different players worked three walks each.
Schmack’s triple was his first of the season and the third of his collegiate career.
Renfro’s big fly was his fourth of the season and the 15th of his career.
Up Next
Valpo (11-14) will start a three-game weekend series at Bradley on Friday night at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
INDIANAPOLIS BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis baseball team survived an 11 inning endurance battle with the Ohio Dominican Panthers, with Brandon DeWitt delivering the final blow of the contest, walking off the Panthers in 24-23 fashion.
The win moves the Hounds to 18-12 on the season, marking only the second highest run total of the season, with the Hounds scoring 32 in the second game of the season against Notre Dame College. The win, however, set a new season best for hits in a game, slapping 24 hits in the 11-inning affair.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hounds looked to be in control of the contest early, spotting two runs in the first via a Zack Williams single and then a Nick Lukac sacrifice fly. Despite a leadoff dinger by the opposition in the top of the frame, the Hounds answered back with a seven spot second. The highlight of the run bonanza came via a massive two-run bomb by Caleb Vaughn, his fourth of the year.
Two more in the third, compliments of Drew Donaldson and Vaughn, were sandwiched by yet another seven-run inning in the fourth, despite a three-spot by the Panthers in the top of the fourth. The fourth inning run explosion featured Brady Ware and Dom Brown both smacking doubles while Vaughn, Williams and Easton Good all recorded RBI singles.
Down 18-4 going into the top of the fifth, the Panthers strung together hit after hit to amass 12 runs in the inning to make it 18-16, the cap off coming via a deep two run homer. From that point on it was back and forth with the Panthers finally tying and eventually taking the lead in the top of the ninth. Donaldson, with the biggest spot of the night thus far, crushed a ball up the middle, scoring Good and sending the game to extras.
Extras saw the Panthers once again jump on the Hounds pitchers, launching another bomb and putting up a three-run inning. Even though they had blown an 18-4 lead, the Hounds never quit, responding with a three run inning of their own.
In the 11th it was back and forth with a single through the left side giving the Panthers a 23-22 lead. Needing two runs, the Hounds had Nick Lukac tie the ballgame with a clutch hit right up to centerfield. And then with bases loaded, DeWitt got the final contact of the game, rifling a ball to the second baseman which he muffed resulting in the final run of the contest and the walk off.
UP NEXT
The Hounds are at home this Friday to start their series with the William Jewell Cardinals. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
Winona Lake, Ind. – The Marian softball team improved to 30-2 on the 2023 season with a sweep of Grace College on Tuesday afternoon, claiming a pair of victories for head coach Scott Fleming who recorded his 700th career win as the Marian head coach with the game one victory. Fleming is the NAIA’s 15th coach to reach 700 career wins and the third out of the Crossroads League, with Fleming reaching the milestone the fastest out of any coach in CL history.
GAME 1 | Marian 10-1 Grace | 6 Innings
After a scoreless first inning, the Marian bats broke open the scoreboard in the second inning as the Knights plated three runs in their second trip to the plate. A wild pitch that struck Sierra Norman and walk to Hayley Greene started the inning, with Grace Meyer cleaning up the bases with a two-RBI double to left field. The two-base hit forced a pitching changed as Grace went to the bullpen, and after the change the hits continued with Mackenzie Dalton blasting a single into right field, scoring the catcher to provide a 3-0 lead.
Olivia Stunkel dialed in after the offensive assault, striking out two batters in the second as she stranded a two-out single. The Lancers would tack on their lone run of the game in the ensuing frame as Stunkel was unable to prevent a score after an error and two-out double led to a Grace score, but limited the damage with a flyout to left. Stunkel would strikeout the side in the fourth as she returned to her top shape, and in the fifth gained a run as a lead-off single from Abbi Wirey would come in to score on an RBI groundout from the catcher Meyer.
Leading 4-1 entering the sixth after a four-batter inning faced by Stunkel in the home half of the fifth, the bats went to work once again as Marian drove in six runs after recording six base hits. A single from Anna Pritchett led the inning off, and after a base hit for Savannah Harweger and walk drawn by Jenna minnix, a single from Abby Madere would bring home one run. Sierra Norman plated two with an RBI single and Hayley Greene recorded an RBI with her sacrifice fly to drive the score to 8-1, with Norman scoring in the next at bat on a wild pitch. A Mackenzie Dalton RBI double would score the final run of the game, driving home Grace Meyer to give the Knights their 10-1 advantage.
Abigail McPherson would close the game in the circle for Marian, working out of a self-inflicted bases loaded jam to complete the win, giving the Knights their 29th win following the 10-1 final. Stunkel moved to 15-1 on the season after claiming the win, allowing three hits and an unearned run as she struck out seven batters in five innings of work. Madere, Norman, and Dalton each had two hits in the win, while Meyer had a team-best three RBI.
The win was head coach Scott Fleming’s 700th as the Marian softball head coach, as the winningest coach in Marian athletics history accomplished the feat just over the mid-way point in his 20th season as the Marian head coach. In his 20 seasons, Fleming has eight 40-win seasons, with the 2023 Knights on pace to be his ninth season with the accomplishment.
GAME 2 | Marian 13-4 Grace
Game two saw the Knights fall behind against the Lancers, as the home team struck in their first at bat off of Sydney Wilson with three hits doing the job to bring in a pair of runs. Wilson would get out of the jam leaving the bases loaded, and in the top of the second saw the game move to an even contest, as Grace Meyer would score on an inside-the-park home run ripped to right field by Caroline Roop.
The 2-2 score stood until the bottom of the third inning, as Grace tested Wilson once again. The senior issued a lead-off walk before getting the next two batters out, however Wilson left a pitch over the plate for Laikin Lowe, who towered a home run to left field to provide a 4-2 Lancer lead. Grace would get another hit as Brooke Elgin hit a double off the Marian pitcher, but a groundout ended the threat with a runner at second.
Marian wasted no time getting the runs back, as a Hayley Greene single led off the fourth inning, with Grace Meyer singling behind her. An error in the outfield would allow Greene to score on Meyer’s hit, and following a single from Mackenzie Dalton, Roop picked up an RBI with her groundout to second, tying the game. Wilson worked quick in the home half to get the offense back on the field as she faced the minimum in the fourth getting a double play from her defense to end the frame, and in the fifth three more runs crossed the plate, with Greene, Meyer, and Brenna Fink recording RBI to take a 7-4 lead.
In the sixth inning Marian blew the game open, scoring four runs without a hit, as four walks and an error helped the lead grow to 11-4. With a comfortable advantage at hand the Knights went to the bullpen, with Jaylah Guillium entering to throw a three-up, three-down sixth inning. Maddy Trisler and Meyer added RBI to their ledger in the top of the seventh inning to push the score to the final tally of 13-4, and in the home half Guilliam stranded a pair of walks with three consecutive outs to seal the win.
The Knights had 13 hits in the win to match their 13 runs, with Meyer going 3-4 in the outing to lead the way. Meyer also had three RBI, and scored two runs. Greene had a pair of hits in the win, and Roop recorded three RBI with her inside-the-park home run going down as her first career home run. Wilson moved to 13-0 in the circle with the win, allowing eight hits in the game. Guilliam threw two innings of scoreless relief.Marian will continue their road trip on Friday afternoon, traveling to Huntington as they start a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
SPORTS EXTRA
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Tampa Bay | 11 | 0 | 1.000 | – | 8 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 2 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 10 – 0 | W 11 |
| NY Yankees | 7 | 4 | .636 | 4 | 4 – 2 | 3 – 2 | 2 – 1 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Toronto | 7 | 4 | .636 | 4 | 1 – 0 | 6 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| Baltimore | 6 | 5 | .545 | 5 | 3 – 2 | 3 – 3 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 1 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
| Boston | 5 | 6 | .455 | 6 | 2 – 4 | 3 – 2 | 2 – 3 | 3 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 5 | L 2 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 7 | 4 | .636 | – | 3 – 2 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Cleveland | 7 | 5 | .583 | 0.5 | 2 – 3 | 5 – 2 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 4 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Chi White Sox | 5 | 7 | .417 | 2.5 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 5 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 1 | 2 – 2 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Kansas City | 3 | 9 | .250 | 4.5 | 1 – 6 | 2 – 3 | 1 – 3 | 0 – 3 | 0 – 2 | 3 – 7 | L 3 |
| Detroit | 2 | 8 | .200 | 4.5 | 0 – 3 | 2 – 5 | 0 – 7 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 2 – 8 | L 5 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 7 | 4 | .636 | – | 6 – 2 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| LA Angels | 6 | 5 | .545 | 1 | 2 – 3 | 4 – 2 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Houston | 5 | 7 | .417 | 2.5 | 3 – 4 | 2 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 6 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Seattle | 4 | 8 | .333 | 3.5 | 2 – 5 | 2 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 1 – 2 | 3 – 7 | L 3 |
| Oakland | 2 | 9 | .182 | 5 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 5 | 0 – 5 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 9 | L 6 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 8 | 4 | .667 | – | 3 – 3 | 5 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 5 – 0 | 1 – 3 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| NY Mets | 6 | 6 | .500 | 2 | 3 – 2 | 3 – 4 | 5 – 2 | 0 – 3 | 1 – 1 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Miami | 5 | 7 | .417 | 3 | 3 – 4 | 2 – 3 | 3 – 6 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| Philadelphia | 4 | 7 | .364 | 3.5 | 3 – 2 | 1 – 5 | 1 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Washington | 4 | 8 | .333 | 4 | 1 – 5 | 3 – 3 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 2 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Milwaukee | 8 | 3 | .727 | – | 5 – 1 | 3 – 2 | 3 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 1 – 1 | 8 – 2 | W 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 7 | 4 | .636 | 1 | 3 – 2 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Chi Cubs | 6 | 4 | .600 | 1.5 | 5 – 3 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| Cincinnati | 4 | 6 | .400 | 3.5 | 3 – 2 | 1 – 4 | 1 – 4 | 3 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| St. Louis | 4 | 7 | .364 | 4 | 2 – 4 | 2 – 3 | 0 – 3 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 1 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Arizona | 7 | 5 | .583 | – | 4 – 2 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 1 | 6 – 4 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| San Diego | 7 | 5 | .583 | – | 3 – 3 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| LA Dodgers | 6 | 6 | .500 | 1 | 4 – 2 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 6 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| San Francisco | 5 | 6 | .455 | 1.5 | 2 – 3 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 1 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Colorado | 5 | 7 | .417 | 2 | 3 – 3 | 2 – 4 | 2 – 2 | 1 – 1 | 2 – 4 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
NHL STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 xyz-Boston Bruins | 81 | 64 | 12 | 5 | 133 | 60 | 300 | 173 | 34-4-3 | 30-8-2 | 9-1-0 | |
| 2 x-Carolina Hurricanes | 81 | 51 | 21 | 9 | 111 | 47 | 260 | 209 | 28-10-3 | 23-11-6 | 4-5-1 | |
| 3 x-New Jersey Devils | 81 | 51 | 22 | 8 | 110 | 49 | 286 | 222 | 24-13-4 | 27-9-4 | 6-4-0 | |
| 4 x-Toronto Maple Leafs | 81 | 49 | 21 | 11 | 109 | 48 | 276 | 220 | 27-8-6 | 22-13-5 | 6-2-2 | |
| 5 x-New York Rangers | 81 | 47 | 21 | 13 | 107 | 43 | 275 | 216 | 23-12-5 | 24-9-8 | 6-1-3 | |
| 6 x-Tampa Bay Lightning | 81 | 45 | 30 | 6 | 96 | 42 | 278 | 254 | 27-8-5 | 18-22-1 | 3-7-0 | |
| 7 x-Florida Panthers | 81 | 42 | 31 | 8 | 92 | 40 | 286 | 267 | 23-12-5 | 19-19-3 | 6-3-1 | |
| 8 New York Islanders | 81 | 41 | 31 | 9 | 91 | 40 | 239 | 220 | 24-13-3 | 17-18-6 | 5-4-1 | |
| 9 Pittsburgh Penguins | 81 | 40 | 31 | 10 | 90 | 39 | 260 | 261 | 23-13-5 | 17-18-5 | 5-5-0 | |
| 10 Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 40 | 33 | 7 | 87 | 37 | 287 | 295 | 16-20-4 | 24-13-3 | 7-2-1 | |
| 11 Ottawa Senators | 81 | 39 | 35 | 7 | 85 | 37 | 258 | 267 | 24-14-3 | 15-21-4 | 5-3-2 | |
| 12 Detroit Red Wings | 81 | 35 | 36 | 10 | 80 | 32 | 240 | 274 | 19-17-5 | 16-19-5 | 4-5-1 | |
| 13 Washington Capitals | 81 | 35 | 37 | 9 | 79 | 33 | 251 | 260 | 18-16-6 | 17-21-3 | 2-6-2 | |
| 14 Philadelphia Flyers | 81 | 30 | 38 | 13 | 73 | 28 | 217 | 273 | 18-18-5 | 12-20-8 | 3-6-1 | |
| 15 Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 31 | 43 | 6 | 68 | 26 | 226 | 298 | 17-20-3 | 14-23-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 16 Columbus Blue Jackets | 80 | 24 | 47 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 209 | 323 | 15-22-2 | 9-25-7 | 2-6-2 | |
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 x-Vegas Golden Knights | 81 | 50 | 22 | 9 | 109 | 45 | 269 | 228 | 25-15-1 | 25-7-8 | 6-1-3 | |
| 2 x-Colorado Avalanche | 80 | 49 | 24 | 7 | 105 | 43 | 272 | 221 | 21-13-6 | 28-11-1 | 8-1-1 | |
| 3 x-Edmonton Oilers | 81 | 49 | 23 | 9 | 107 | 49 | 320 | 258 | 22-12-6 | 27-11-3 | 9-0-1 | |
| 4 x-Dallas Stars | 80 | 45 | 21 | 14 | 104 | 41 | 279 | 216 | 21-10-9 | 24-11-5 | 7-2-1 | |
| 5 x-Los Angeles Kings | 81 | 46 | 25 | 10 | 102 | 40 | 275 | 254 | 26-11-4 | 20-14-6 | 5-5-0 | |
| 6 x-Minnesota Wild | 81 | 46 | 25 | 10 | 102 | 39 | 243 | 221 | 25-12-4 | 21-13-6 | 5-3-2 | |
| 7 x-Seattle Kraken | 81 | 46 | 27 | 8 | 100 | 46 | 288 | 253 | 20-16-4 | 26-11-4 | 7-3-0 | |
| 8 x-Winnipeg Jets | 81 | 46 | 32 | 3 | 95 | 45 | 245 | 221 | 26-13-2 | 20-19-1 | 7-3-0 | |
| 9 Calgary Flames | 81 | 37 | 27 | 17 | 91 | 35 | 257 | 251 | 19-16-5 | 18-11-12 | 6-2-2 | |
| 10 Nashville Predators | 80 | 41 | 31 | 8 | 90 | 35 | 222 | 231 | 21-14-4 | 20-17-4 | 5-5-0 | |
| 11 St. Louis Blues | 80 | 37 | 36 | 7 | 81 | 34 | 261 | 295 | 18-16-6 | 19-20-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 12 Vancouver Canucks | 81 | 37 | 37 | 7 | 81 | 31 | 271 | 294 | 19-20-2 | 18-17-5 | 5-3-2 | |
| 13 Arizona Coyotes | 81 | 28 | 40 | 13 | 69 | 25 | 224 | 294 | 21-15-4 | 7-25-9 | 1-7-2 | |
| 14 San Jose Sharks | 80 | 22 | 42 | 16 | 60 | 21 | 231 | 313 | 8-22-11 | 14-20-5 | 3-5-2 | |
| 15 Chicago Blackhawks | 81 | 26 | 49 | 6 | 58 | 24 | 200 | 296 | 14-23-3 | 12-26-3 | 2-8-0 | |
| 16 Anaheim Ducks | 81 | 23 | 46 | 12 | 58 | 20 | 206 | 333 | 12-24-4 | 11-22-8 | 0-8-2 | |
Eight teams in each conference qualify for the divisional playoff format. The top three teams from each division make up the first six spots. The two remaining teams with the highest points, regardless of division, qualify for the final two wild card spots.
X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference
FOOTBALL HISTORY
April 12, 1940 – NFL reduced the penalty of clipping. According to the FootballZebras.com website up until 1940, the offense might as well have given the ball to the defense immediately if they got flagged for clipping. Before 1940, a clipping penalty was a 25-yard penalty from the spot of the foul. From 1940 to today, the penalty is 15-yards. At some time during the 1990’s all levels of football adopted the Block in the Back rule that partially cleaned up the clipping rule further. Prior to this change almost any block from behind was considered a clip. The Block in the back fouls are blocks from behind above the waist and have a ten yard penalty while the clip was limited to behind the back below the waist of the offended player.
April 12 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
April 12, 1870 – Fort Barrancas, Florida – Marks the birth of Winchester Osgood who played halfback for Cornell from 1888 to 1889 then again 1891 to 1892 also played for the Penn Quakers in 1893 and 1894. He seemed to always enjoy gridiron success too as Cornell had a 28-8 record in his playing time, Pennsylvania went 24-3. His bio on the FootballFoundation.org site goes on to say that in 1893 Penn lost to Yale 14-6 but Osgood was acclaimed because he scored a touchdown for Penn. It was the first touchdown scored against Yale in three years. In 1894 Penn went 12-0 and was national champion. His athletic prowess was on full display at Cornell, where Osgood received a medal as the school’s best all- around athlete. He ran the 440 and shot put for the track team, was an accomplished gymnast, boxer, wrestler, tennis player, and set a record of 5:28 for the 2-mile bicycle race. The legendary Yale gridder Pudge Heffelfinger, who was also the first paid pigskin player who became a writer, gave this description of Osgood: “It was downright uncanny to watch him run, opponents missed him by inches. His body undulated like a snake’s. He was the Red Grange of the pioneer era. Winchester Osgood was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes.
April 12, 1944 – Los Angeles, California – Southern Cal’s bellcow halfback of the era of 1963 to 1965, Mike Garrett celebrated his day of birth. This celebrated back was in the top ten of the nation’s rushing leaders each year he played college football. He was so good in fact that according to the FootballFoundation.org website bio on Mike his career 3221 yards, broke the national record set 15 years earlier by Ollie Matson at the University of San Francisco. Mike also crossed the goal line stripe 30 times but besides his rushing gains, the versatile Garrett in his career caught 36 passes, returned 43 punts, returned 30 kickoffs and threw 6 passes! The open field is where he really thrived as the 1965 game against Cal proved where Mike G. returned punts 87 and 74 yards for scores. During his collegiate career Garrett averaged 23 yards in kickoff returns. As one can imagine, the accolades of such a player did not go unnoticed. “Iron Mike” was All-America his last two years, a unanimous choice in 1965 and in that magical season he also won the Heisman Trophy, Veit Memorial Award, and the Pop Warner Award. He was named Athlete of the Year by the YMCA and North American Athlete by the Helms Foundation. Mike Garrett’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1985. After graduation Mike moved on to the Pro level of the gridiron where he played with Kansas City and San Diego 1966-73 and was all-pro halfback.
April 12, 1966 – Hollywood, Florida – Lorenzo White the standout Michigan State Spartan running back from 1984 through the 1987 season was born. Lorenzo rewrote the school and Big Ten conference record books and remains the Spartans’ all-time leading rusher even to this day. The National Football Foundation shares that White holds nearly every Michigan State career rushing record, including his 1082 rushing attempts, 4887 rushing yards, 43 rushing touchdowns and his 23 100-yard rushing games. At the end of his career, his 4,887 rushing yards were the second most in Big Ten history, and they still rank in the top 10. He also owns two of the top three single-game rushing performances in school history, including a career-best 292 yards against Indiana in 1987. White led the Spartans to the Big Ten title in 1987 and an invite to the Rose Bowl against USC where he had a top notch performance. White capped his stellar career with a 113-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over No. 16 USC to help Michigan State earn the No. 8 final ranking. Lorenzo was a First Team All-American, earning unanimous honors in 1985 and a consensus selection in 1987 while finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting in both seasons. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Lorenzo White into their legendary museum in 2019. Lorenzo was a first round pick of the Houston Oilers in the 1988 NFL Draft, and he played seven seasons in Houston including a stellar Pro Bowl season in 1982 before one final season with the Cleveland Browns in 1995.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
7 – 5 – 9 – 31 – 16 – 66 – 99
April 12, 1909 – The city of Philadelphia’s Shibe Park, later known as Connie Mack Stadium, has it’s first MLB game played. The hometown Philadelphia Athletics claimed victory 8-1 against Boston Red Sox to open the ballpark venue in style.
April 12, 1970 – The New Yankees dedicated plaques to a couple of their former stars in Number 7, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, Number 5.
The website of NBA.com offers these nuggets of history for the day.
April 12, 1954 – The Minneapolis Lakers became the first team to win three NBA titles in a row by defeating the Syracuse Nationals 87-80 in Game 7 of the 1954 NBA Finals.
April 12, 1958 – Number 9, Bob Pettit poured in 50 points as the St. Louis Hawks, who missed the championship by a whisker a year earlier, beat the Boston Celtics 110-109 in Game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals to dethrone the Celtics as NBA champions.
April 12, 1996 – Indiana’s Number 31, Reggie Miller hits 6-of-11 attempts from 3-point range during the Pacers’ 111-101 road win at Orlando, becoming the second NBA player to reach 1,200 career 33-pointers
Here are a couple of items from the Vintage Hockey Jerseys website
April 12, 1938 – The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 in game four of the Stanley Cup finals, to win the 1938 Stanley Cup championship. Eight American born players skated for Chicago, as they won their second Stanley Cup.
April 12, 1960 – The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 in game three of the Stanley Cup finals with Number 9, Maurice Richard scoring his 82nd NHL playoff goal. This was the last playoff goal of the “Rocket’s” career.
April 12, 1992 – Blues Number 16, Brett Hull became the third fastest 300 goal scorer in NHL history after Number 99, Wayne Gretzky and Number 66, Mario Lemieux, scoring his 500th career point in a 1-1 tie between the St Louis Blues and the Minnesota North Stars.