“THE SCOREBOARD”
NBA PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
• GAME 1: CELTICS 114, HEAT 94
• GAME 2: HEAT 111, CELTICS 101
• GAME 3: CELTICS 104, HEAT 84
• GAME 4: CELTICS VS. HEAT; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (7:30, TNT)
• GAME 5: HEAT VS. CELTICS; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (7:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: CELTICS VS. HEAT; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: HEAT VS. CELTICS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
BOSTON LEADS SERIES 2-1
* = IF NECESSARY
(2) NEW YORK VS. (7) PHILADELPHIA
• GAME 1: KNICKS 111, 76ERS 104
• GAME 2: KNICKS 104, 76ERS 101
• GAME 3: 76ERS 125, KNICKS 114
• GAME 4: KNICKS 97, 76ERS 92
• GAME 5: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (7 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: KNICKS VS. 76ERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TNT)*
• GAME 7: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 3-1
* = IF NECESSARY
• GAME 1: BUCKS 109, PACERS 94
• GAME 2: PACERS 125, BUCKS 108
• GAME 3: PACERS 121, BUCKS 118 (OT)
• GAME 4: PACERS 126, BUCKS 113
• GAME 5: PACERS VS. BUCKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (9:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: BUCKS VS. PACERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: PACERS VS. BUCKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
INDIANA LEADS SERIES 3-1
* = IF NECESSARY
• GAME 1: CAVALIERS 97, MAGIC 83
• GAME 2: CAVALIERS 96, MAGIC 86
• GAME 3: MAGIC 121, CAVALIERS 83
• GAME 4: MAGIC 112, CAVALIERS 89
• GAME 5: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (8 ET, NBA TV)
• GAME 6: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 7: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
SERIES TIED 2-2
* = IF NECESSARY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
(1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS. (8) NEW ORLEANS
• GAME 1: THUNDER 94, PELICANS 92
• GAME 2: THUNDER 124, PELICANS 92
• GAME 3: THUNDER 106, PELICANS 85
• GAME 4: THUNDER VS. PELICANS; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (8:30 ET, NBA TV)
• GAME 5: PELICANS VS. THUNDER; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (8:30 ET, NBA TV)*
• GAME 6: THUNDER VS. PELICANS; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: PELICANS VS. THUNDER; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
OKLAHOMA CITY LEADS SERIES 3-0
* = IF NECESSARY
(2) DENVER VS. (7) L.A. LAKERS
• GAME 1: NUGGETS 114, LAKERS 103
• GAME 2: NUGGETS 101, LAKERS 99
• GAME 3: NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105
• GAME 4: LAKERS 119, NUGGETS 108
• GAME 5: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (10 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: NUGGETS VS. LAKERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TNT)*
• GAME 7: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
DENVER LEADS SERIES 3-1
* = IF NECESSARY
• GAME 1: TIMBERWOLVES 120, SUNS 95
• GAME 2: TIMBERWOLVES 105, SUNS 93
• GAME 3: TIMBERWOLVES 126, SUNS 109
• GAME 4: TIMBERWOLVES 122, SUNS 116
MINNESOTA WINS SERIES 4-0
(4) LA CLIPPERS VS. (5) DALLAS
• GAME 1: CLIPPERS 109, MAVERICKS 97
• GAME 2: MAVERICKS 96, CLIPPERS 93
• GAME 3: MAVERICKS 101, CLIPPERS 90
• GAME 4: CLIPPERS 116, MAVERICKS 111
• GAME 5: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (10 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 7: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
SERIES TIED 2-2
* = IF NECESSARY
NHL PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FLORIDA PANTHERS (1A) VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (WC1)
FLORIDA LEADS SERIES 3-1
GAME 1: PANTHERS 3, LIGHTNING 2
GAME 2: PANTHERS 3, LIGHTNING 2 (OT)
GAME 3: PANTHERS 5, LIGHTNING 3
GAME 4: LIGHTNING 6, PANTHERS 3
GAME 5: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — APRIL 29, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS)
+ GAME 6: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — MAY 1, TBD
+ GAME 7: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE PANTHERS-LIGHTNING SERIES COVERAGE
BOSTON BRUINS (2A) VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (3A)
BOSTON LEADS SERIES 3-1
GAME 1: BRUINS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 1
GAME 2: MAPLE LEAFS 3, BRUINS 2
GAME 3: BRUINS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2
GAME 4: BRUINS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 1
GAME 5: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — APRIL 30, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN, CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP)
+ GAME 6: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — MAY 2, TBD
+ GAME 7: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE BRUINS-MAPLE LEAFS SERIES COVERAGE
NEW YORK RANGERS (1M) VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (WC2)
NEW YORK WINS SERIES 4-0
GAME 1: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 1
GAME 2: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 3
GAME 3: RANGERS 3, CAPITALS 1
GAME 4: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 2
COMPLETE RANGERS-CAPITALS SERIES COVERAGE
CAROLINA HURRICANES (2M) VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (3M)
CAROLINA LEADS SERIES 3-1
GAME 1: HURRICANES 3, ISLANDERS 1
GAME 2: HURRICANES 5, ISLANDERS 3
GAME 3: HURRICANES 3, ISLANDERS 2
GAME 4: ISLANDERS 3, HURRICANES 2 (2OT)
GAME 5: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — APRIL 30, 7:30 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN360, TVAS)
+ GAME 6: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — MAY 2, TBD
+ GAME 7: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE HURRICANES-ISLANDERS SERIES COVERAGE
WESTERN CONFERENCE
DALLAS STARS (1C) VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (WC2)
VEGAS LEADS SERIES 2-1
GAME 1: GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, STARS 3
GAME 2: GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, STARS 1
GAME 3: STARS 3, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2 (OT)
GAME 4: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — APRIL 29, 9:30 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 1, TBD
+ GAME 6: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — MAY 3, TBD
+ GAME 7: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE STARS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS SERIES COVERAGE
WINNIPEG JETS (2C) VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE (3C)
COLORADO LEADS SERIES 3-1
GAME 1: JETS 7, AVALANCHE 6
GAME 2: AVALANCHE 5, JETS 2
GAME 3: AVALANCHE 6, JETS 2
GAME 4: AVALANCHE 5, JETS 1
GAME 5: AVALANCHE AT JETS — APRIL 30, 9:30 P.M. ET (ESPN, CBC, TVAS, SNW)
+ GAME 6: JETS AT AVALANCHE — MAY 2, TBD
+ GAME 7: AVALANCHE AT JETS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE JETS-AVALANCHE SERIES COVERAGE
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1P) VS. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (WC1)
VANCOUVER LEADS SERIES 3-1
GAME 1: CANUCKS 4, PREDATORS 2
GAME 2: PREDATORS 4, CANUCKS 1
GAME 3: CANUCKS 2, PREDATORS 1
GAME 4: CANUCKS 4, PREDATORS 3 (OT)
GAME 5: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — APRIL 30, 10 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP)
+ GAME 6: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — MAY 3, TBD
+ GAME 7: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE CANUCKS-PREDATORS SERIES COVERAGE
EDMONTON OILERS (2P) VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS (3P)
EDMONTON LEADS SERIES 3-1
GAME 1: OILERS 7, KINGS 4
GAME 2: KINGS 5, OILERS 4 (OT)
GAME 3: OILERS 6, KINGS 1
GAME 4: OILERS 1, KINGS 0
GAME 5: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 1, TBD
+ GAME 6: OILERS AT KINGS — MAY 3, TBD
+ GAME 7: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE OILERS-KINGS SERIES COVERAGE
+ – IF NECESSARY
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
OAKLAND 7 BALTIMORE 6
ATLANTA 4 CLEVELAND 3 (10)
TORONTO 3 LA DODGERS 1
NY METS 4 ST. LOUIS 2 (11)
WASHINGTON 12 MIAMI 9
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 TAMPA BAY 2
DETROIT 4 KANSAS CITY 1
NY YANKEES 15 MILWAUKEE 5
HOUSTON 8 COLORADO 2
TEXAS 4 CINCINNATI 3
SAN FRANCISCO 3 PITTSBURGH 2
MINNESOTA 11 LA ANGELS 5
PHILADELPHIA 8 SAN DIEGO 6
ARIZONA 3 SEATTLE 2
BOSTON 5 CHICAGO CUBS 4
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS AT OMAHA PPD
GREAT LAKES 8 FT. WAYNE 3
QUAD CITIES 8 SOUTH BEND 2
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NOTRE DAME 8 WAKE FOREST 7
NC STATE 11 BALL STATE 3
BUTLER 3 SETON HALL 2
INDIANA 18 RUTGERS 6
MINNESOTA 15 PENN STATE 11
MARYLAND 11 ILLINOIS 7
MICHIGAN 5 LONG BEACH STATE 4
OHIO STATE 10 MICHIGAN STATE 6
PURDUE 11 NORTHWESTERN 3
NEBRASKA 12 IOWA 2
IOWA AT NEBRASKA GAME 2 CANCELLED
WRIGHT STATE 2 PURDUE FT. WAYNE 1
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 2 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 0
OHIO 5 TOLEDO 3
MIAMI OH 13 EASTERN MICHIGAN 3
KENT STATE 12 BOWLING GREEN 2
AKRON 12 WESTERN MICHIGAN 10
VALPO 20 ILLIONOIS CHICAGO 0
MISSOURI STATE 19 EVANSVILLE 8
INDIANA STATE 7 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 2
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
BOSTON COLLEGE 6 NOTRE DAME 3
PURDUE 6 MARYLAND 1
WISCONSIN 7 INDIANA 1
MICHIGAN STATE 4 RUTGERS 1
MICHIGAN 3 PENN STATE 2 (9)
ILLINOIS 11 OHIO STATE 6
MINNESOTA 6 IOWA 2 (9)
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 9 INDIANA STATE 0
MISSOURI STATE 10 EVANSVILLE 4
MURRAY STATE AT VALPO CANCELLED
SOUTHERN INDIANA 8 TENNESSEE STATE 2
COLLEGE MEN’S LAX SCORES
MICHIGAN 15 OHIO STATE 9
NOTRE DAME 11 VIRGINIA 9
PENN STATE 14 RUTGERS 8
UFL
BATTLEHAWKS 45 DEFENDERS 12
PANTHERS 35 SHOWBOATS 18
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: WOLVES FINISH OFF SWEEP OF SUNS
Anthony Edwards scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half and the Minnesota Timberwolves completed a four-game sweep of the host Phoenix Suns with a 122-116 victory on Sunday night in their Western Conference first-round series.
Edwards made seven 3-pointers and had nine rebounds and six assists for the third-seeded Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 points and 10 rebounds as Minnesota won a playoff series for the first time in 20 years.
Jaden McDaniels added 18 points and Mike Conley had 10 points and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who will face either the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
Devin Booker scored a playoff-career-high 49 points for the sixth-seeded Suns. Booker made 13 of 21 shots from the floor and hit 20 of 21 free-throw attempts. Kevin Durant added 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting for Phoenix. He also had nine rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots.
Knicks 97, 76ers 92
Jalen Brunson scored a career playoff-high 47 points to go along with 10 assists as New York defeated host Philadelphia in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series.
Brunson set a franchise playoff scoring record and also became the first player in franchise history to post at least 30 points and 10 assists in consecutive playoff games. The Knicks lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 set for Tuesday in New York.
Brunson, who shot 18 of 34 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line, knocked down two free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining for a 97-92 lead. OG Anunoby added 16 points and 14 rebounds, Miles McBride scored 13 and Josh Hart pulled down 17 rebounds.
Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 27 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19 and Tobias Harris had 10. Embiid had scored a playoff career-high 50 points despite struggling on his surgically repaired left knee in the Sixers’ win over the Knicks in Game 3 on Thursday.
Pacers 126, Bucks 113
Myles Turner scored 29 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 24 to fuel Indiana to a victory over undermanned Milwaukee in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Indianapolis.
Turner sank seven 3-pointers for the sixth-seeded Pacers, who shot 51.2 percent from beyond the arc and 51.7 percent overall to seize a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Tuesday in Milwaukee. Haliburton made five 3-pointers despite being added to the injury report as questionable approximately 90 minutes before tipoff due to a balky back.
Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez recorded 27 points and nine rebounds and Khris Middleton added 25 and 10, respectively. Malik Beasley added 20 points for the third-seeded Bucks, who were short-handed due to the early ejection of Bobby Portis in addition to the absences of injured stars Damian Lillard and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Clippers 116, Mavericks 111
Paul George and James Harden each scored 33 points and Los Angeles rallied after coughing up a 31-point lead to beat host Dallas Mavericks in Game 4, evening the Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Luka Doncic finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Mavericks. Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting from the floor, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range. The rest of the Mavericks shot only 5-of-21 from deep, including 1-of-9 from Doncic.
The series, which is tied 2-2, heads back to Los Angeles for Wednesday’s Game 5.
BASKETBALL NEWS
WNBA GREAT CANDACE PARKER RETIRING AFTER 16 SEASONS
Two-time WNBA MVP and three-time champion Candace Parker announced her retirement on Sunday.
The seven-time All-Star was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
Parker won her third championship with the Las Vegas Aces in 2023, her 16th season in the league.
Parker, who turned 38 on April 19, also won titles with the Sparks (2016) and Chicago Sky (2021).
“I know you gon miss me … I’m retiring,” Parker began her post Sunday on Instagram.
“I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it’s time,” she wrote. “My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.”
She was the Rookie of the Year and the league MVP in 2008 and added a second MVP award in 2013. Other accolades include All-Star Game MVP (2013), Finals MVP (2016) and Defensive Player of the Year (2020).
She averaged 16..0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks in 410 games (406 starts) with the Sparks (2008-20), Sky (2021-22) and Aces (2023).
Parker ranks third in WNBA history in rebounds (3,467), fifth in blocks (619), seventh in assists (1,634) and ninth in points (6,574).
Parker was a two-time NCAA champion and two-time Wooden Award winner at Tennessee. In 2006, she became the first woman ever to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game.
She won Olympic gold medals with Team USA at Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
IVY LEAGUE STAR KAITLYN CHEN TRANSFERRING TO UCONN
Former Ivy League Player of the Year Kaitlyn Chen is transferring from Princeton to UConn.
The 5-foot-9 senior guard announced her commitment to the Huskies on Sunday on social media.
Chen averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 30 games (all starts) for the Tigers in 2023-24.
She was a two-time All-Ivy League first-team selection and the league’s player of the year in 2022-23.
In 90 games (80 starts) over three seasons at Princeton, the California native averaged 14.2 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
FOOTBALL NEWS
REPORTS: COLORADO RB DYLAN EDWARDS TRANSFERRING TO KANSAS STATE
Freshman running back Dylan Edwards is transferring from Colorado to Kansas State, according to multiple media reports.
Edwards posted a photo of himself wearing a Kansas State uniform on his X (formerly Twitter) account. The Derby, Kan., native had committed in high school to Kansas State and Notre Dame before signing with Colorado.
He was the Buffaloes’ leading rusher with 76 carries for 321 yards and one touchdown, and fourth-leading receiver with 36 catches for 299 yards and four TDs.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder made a big debut, rushing for one touchdown and catching three more in the Buffaloes’ 45-42 upset of then-No. 17 TCU in the season opener. He was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
He started the first four games and two others in playing in all 12 games for the Buffaloes (4-8).
BATTLEHAWKS’ DEFENSE TOO STRONG FOR DEFENDERS
The St. Louis defense pitched a shutout in the second half en route to the Battlehawks’ fourth straight win, 45-12 over the host DC Defenders on Sunday in Washington, D.C.
The Battlehawks (4-1) outscored the Defenders 28-0 in the second half, including four touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback AJ McCarron was 14 of 24 for 213 yards, including touchdown passes of 13 and 80 yards to Hakeem Butler (six receptions, 147 yards).
The Defenders (2-3) had four turnovers and scored all of their points in the second quarter. QB Jordan Ta’amu was 12 of 23 for 101 yards, three interceptions and one TD pass of 15 yards to Kelvin Harmon.
REPORT: EAGLES GIVING FORMER 1ST-ROUND WR JOHN ROSS TRYOUT
Former first-round pick John Ross reportedly is attempting a comeback to his NFL career.
Arguably best known for being selected one pick ahead of Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft, Ross will participate in rookie minicamp with the Philadelphia Eagles on a tryout basis, NFL Network reported Sunday.
The speedy wide receiver initially retired prior to training camp last season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The ninth overall pick in 2017 by the Cincinnati Bengals, Ross’ high selection was partly due to running the then-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.22 seconds) in NFL Combine history.
Production didn’t follow as Ross caught just 51 passes for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns in 27 games (20 starts) over four seasons with the Bengals.
Ross requested a trade during the 2020 season that didn’t come to fruition and later sustained a season-ending foot injury. He played in just three games that season.
In 2021, Ross played 10 games (one start) for the New York Giants and caught 11 passes for 224 yards and one score.
Ross played college football at Washington and was a standout in his final season when he caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns.
BILLS SIGN REINSTATED WR QUINTEZ CEPHUS
The Buffalo Bills signed wide receiver Quintez Cephus, recently reinstated from a gambling suspension.
Agents for the former Detroit Lions wideout announced the transaction Sunday. Terms were not disclosed.
“Thank you God,” Cephus posted on X, along with the hashtag BillsMafia.
Cephus, 26, was a fifth-round pick by Detroit in 2020 and caught 37 passes for 568 yards and four touchdowns in 22 games (six starts) from 2020-22.
The Lions released Cephus in April 2023 following his indefinite suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy. The NFL reinstated Cephus and four other players from their gambling-related bans last week.
JAGS PICKING UP OPTIONS FOR TREVOR LAWRENCE, TRAVIS ETIENNE
The Jacksonville Jaguars will exercise the fifth-year options for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne.
General manager Trent Baalke confirmed the widely anticipated moves on Saturday for the pair of 2021 first-round draft picks.
Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in that draft, will earn a guaranteed $25.7 million in 2025 and his former Clemson teammate Etienne (25th pick) is due $6.1 million on his option.
Lawrence, 24, made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and is 20-30 as a starter, passing for 11,770 yards with 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions through three seasons. He has rushed for 964 yards and 11 scores.
Etienne, 25, missed his 2021 rookie season with a foot injury but has since posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He has gained 2,925 yards from scrimmage with 17 TDs in 34 games (29 starts).
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: RANGERS ADVANCE AFTER SWEEPING CAPS
Artemi Panarin scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and added an assist to lead the visiting New York Rangers to a 4-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday and complete the sweep in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Kaapo Kakko, Vincent Trocheck and Jack Roslovic also scored for the Rangers, who are the first team to advance to the second round this postseason. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves and Mika Zibanejad collected a pair of assists for the Presidents’ Trophy winners as the regular-season champs.
New York will face the winner of the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders, which the Hurricanes lead 3-1 with Game 5 set for Tuesday.
Martin Fehervary and Hendrix Lapierre replied for the Capitals, while goalie Charlie Lindgren stopped 19 shots. Washington star captain Alex Ovechkin was held without a point in all four games. He played only 15:26 and did not register a shot on goal in the elimination game.
Canucks 4, Predators 3 (OT)
Elias Lindholm scored at 1:02 of overtime to lift visiting Vancouver to a stunning win over Nashville, allowing the Canucks to grab control of the first-round series.
Vancouver leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 and hosts Game 5 on Tuesday. Brock Boeser had a hat trick, including two goals in the final 2:49 of regulation to force overtime. Arturs Silovs, making his Stanley Cup playoff debut in place of injured Casey DeSmith, made 27 saves for the Canucks.
Mark Jankowski, Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg scored for the Predators. Juuse Saros made 16 saves.
Avalanche 5, Jets 1
Valeri Nichushkin had three goals for his first career hat trick and Colorado took a commanding lead in its first-round series with a win over visiting Winnipeg.
Colorado has won the past three games to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference best-of-seven series, with Game 5 on Tuesday night in Winnipeg. The Avalanche have outscored Winnipeg 16-5 since losing the first game, 7-6.
Nate Schmidt scored for the Jets, who are on the brink of elimination. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck continued to struggle, allowing four goals on 30 shots before being replaced by Laurent Brossoit to start the third period.
Oilers 1, Kings 0
Stuart Skinner made 33 saves for visiting Edmonton in a win against Los Angeles in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Edmonton has a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 5 on Wednesday night in Edmonton. The Oilers will try to eliminate the Kings in the first round for the third straight season.
Evan Bouchard scored a power-play goal and Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl earned the assists for Edmonton. McDavid has 10 points in the series (one goal, nine assists) and Draisaitl has eight points (three goals, five assists). Los Angeles interim coach Jim Hiller elected to start David Rittich in goal for the first time in the series. He finished with 12 saves in his first playoff start in nearly two years and just the second of his eight-year NHL career.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: AARON JUDGE, YANKEES RIDE 7-RUN INNING TO WIN
Aaron Judge homered early and then triggered a seven-run sixth inning with a handy slide, propelling the visiting New York Yankees to a 15-5 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday to clinch the three-game series win.
Judge staked the Yankees to a 1-0 lead with his sixth homer with two outs in the first. With the game tied 4-4, Judge walked to open the sixth against reliever Abner Uribe (2-2). Alex Verdugo hit a tailor-made double-play bouncer to second, but Willy Adames’ relay throw hit Judge’s upraised hand, allowing Verdugo to reach. Crew chief Andy Fletcher later said that interference should have been called on Judge.
Anthony Rizzo walked with two outs and Gleyber Torres singled in Verdugo to make it 5-4. Oswaldo Cabrera walked and Jose Trevino followed with a two-run single. Elvis Peguero relieved Uribe and uncorked a run-scoring wild pitch for an 8-4 Yankees lead. Juan Soto added an RBI single and Judge capped the 11-batter inning with a two-run single.
Rizzo’s two-run homer, his fifth of the season and 300th of his career, put the Yankees up 15-5 in the eighth. Rizzo went 4-for-4 and scored three runs, while former Yankee Jake Bauers had a three-run shot for the Brewers.
Mets 4, Cardinals 2 (11 innings)
Mark Vientos hit a walk-off homer in the 11th inning for host New York, which came back to beat St. Louis.
The Mets were down to their final strike before Harrison Bader laced the game-tying single off Matthew Liberatore (0-1) to score automatic runner DJ Stewart. Vientos, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, hit a 1-2 pitch over the center-field wall just beyond the reach of a leaping Michael Siani.
The Cardinals, whose three-game winning streak was snapped, ran themselves out of a potential multi-run inning in the top of the 11th against Garrett. Brendan Donovan led off with an RBI single but was thrown out in a rundown as Siani, the automatic runner, scored from second. Willson Contreras then walked but was doubled up on Nolan Arenado’s pop-up to Francisco Lindor in shallow left-center.
Red Sox 5, Cubs 4
Tyler O’Neill hit a walk-off bloop single into shallow left field to score Jarren Duran in the bottom of the ninth inning as host Boston beat Chicago.
Duran drew a leadoff walk in the ninth and advanced to third on Rafael Devers’ single to left before scoring the winning run. Red Sox starter Tanner Houck gave up one run on four hits and no walks and nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
The Cubs rallied to tie the score off Boston reliever Chris Martin, who gave up two singles to lead off the eighth. Mike Tauchman followed with a three-run home run, his third of the season, to knot it at 4-4.
Astros 8, Rockies 2
Kyle Tucker, Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena each hit solo home runs as Houston completed a two-game sweep of Colorado with a win in the Mexico City Series.
Yainer Diaz added a two-run double for Houston, which had scored a total of 22 runs over its prior nine games before scoring 20 during the high-altitude international series. Framber Valdez (1-0) returned from the injured list and tossed five strong innings in his first start since April 2. Rafael Montero, Bryan Abreu, Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader combined for four scoreless innings in relief to help Houston record its first series sweep of the season.
Elias Diaz had two hits for Colorado, which has trailed in each of their first 28 games.
Athletics 7, Orioles 6
Kyle McCann hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and visiting Oakland rallied past Baltimore to take the rubber game of the series.
With the Athletics trailing 6-5, Darell Hernaiz walked on four pitches against Craig Kimbrel (3-1) to open the ninth. After Kimbrel threw his fifth straight ball, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and the team trainer came out to check on him. Kimbrel stayed in and went to full count on McCann, who then fouled off three straight fastballs before sending the fourth one just over the scoreboard in right.
Tyler Nevin had two hits, including a homer, and Seth Brown also homered for the A’s, who completed a 4-6 road trip. Ryan Mountcastle had three hits including a two-run homer for the O’s, and Adley Rutschman and Ramon Urias also homered.
Braves 4, Guardians 3 (10 innings)
Austin Riley’s one-out single in the 10th inning drove in automatic runner Ronald Acuna Jr. to give Atlanta a victory over visiting Cleveland in the rubber game of a three-game set between two division-leading teams.
The Braves’ Ozzie Albies extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the first inning and added an RBI double in the eighth, driving in Acuna. Albies went to third on Riley’s long flyout and scored on Matt Olson’s broken-bat flare to right field to tie the game.
Base-running mistakes robbed the Guardians in the top of the 10th. Steven Kwan, the automatic runner, was picked off at second base by Minter with one out, rendering Jose Ramirez’ ensuing single worthless. Ramirez was then thrown out trying to steal second base.
Blue Jays 3, Dodgers 1
Alejandro Kirk was 3-for-3 with a homer, right-hander Kevin Gausman pitched seven strong innings and Toronto defeated visiting Los Angeles.
The Blue Jays avoided a three-game sweep and ended a five-game losing streak.
Freddie Freeman homered for the Dodgers, who had a six-game winning streak end. They are 5-1 on a nine-game road trip.
Tigers 4, Royals 1
Tarik Skubal pitched seven strong innings, Wenceel Perez blasted his first career home run and host Detroit defeated Kansas City.
Jake Rogers had two hits, including a solo homer, and scored two runs for the Tigers. Detroit won two of three games during the weekend series.
Royals starter Michael Wacha (1-3) gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked none and struck out three. Bobby Witt Jr. drove in the only run for Kansas City.
Nationals 12, Marlins 9
Nick Senzel homered twice and drove in five runs as visiting Washington rallied from a seven-run deficit to beat Miami.
The Marlins blew a 7-0 second-inning lead and lost their sixth straight game. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a grand slam that was part of the Marlins’ six-run first inning, but Senzel’s three-run homer in the fifth put the Nationals ahead for good at 9-7.
Jacob Young finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs for the Nationals.
White Sox 4, Rays 2
Erick Fedde pitched effectively into the ninth inning and Andrew Benintendi provided key insurance with a two-run single in the eighth as host Chicago topped Tampa Bay to complete a three-game sweep.
Fedde (2-0) dominated the Rays over 8 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with zero walks. He struck out nine, two off the career high he set Tuesday, while throwing 72 of his 108 pitches for strikes.
The White Sox made the most of 12 hits, including three each from Gavin Sheets and Eloy Jimenez and two from Benintendi. Tampa Bay chased Fedde from the game on Harold Ramirez’s RBI double in the ninth, but Jordan Leasure retired the final two hitters for his first save.
Twins 11, Angels 5
Jose Miranda went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs and Minnesota cruised past Los Angeles to complete a three-game sweep in Anaheim, Calif.
Alex Kirilloff and Austin Martin also drove in two runs apiece for Minnesota, which won its seventh in a row. Ryan Jeffers went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and an RBI.
Luis Rengifo and Nolan Schanuel homered for the Angels. Jo Adell and Mike Trout added one RBI apiece.
Diamondbacks 3, Mariners 2
Ketel Marte’s tiebreaking RBI double off the right field wall with two outs in the eighth inning gave Arizona a comeback victory against host Seattle.
Christian Walker had a home run and a double for the Diamondbacks, who snapped a three-game skid. Five of Arizona’s six hits went for extra bases.
Josh Rojas homered for the American League West-leading Mariners, who had won three in a row.
Rangers 4, Reds 3
Wyatt Langford hit an inside-the-park home run to highlight a four-run first inning and Adolis Garcia also homered to lead Texas over visiting Cincinnati in the rubber game of their three-game series.
Langford became the fourth player in Rangers history to hit an inside-the-park home run for his first career major league home run, joining Josh Smith (2022), Craig Gentry (2011) and Marc Sagmoen (1997). Nathaniel Lowe also had two hits for the Rangers.
Andrew Abbott (1-3) took the loss for the Reds, allowing four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven without a walk.
Giants 3, Pirates 2
Keaton Winn won his third straight start with six strong innings, Thairo Estrada and Mike Yastrzemski belted their team’s first back-to-back home runs of the season and San Francisco prevailed in another low-scoring affair with visiting Pittsburgh.
The homers by Estrada, his fourth of the year, and Yastrzemski, his second, came as part of a three-run third against Pirates starter Jared Jones (2-3). LaMonte Wade Jr.’s sacrifice fly scored Tyler Fitzgerald with the third run of the inning.
The three runs were sufficient for Winn (3-3) and three relievers, who combined on a five-hitter. The Giants won two of three in the series despite never scoring more than three runs.
Phillies 8, Padres 6
Bryson Stott homered twice and J.T. Realmuto added a two-run home run as Philadelphia completed a road sweep of San Diego.
Taijuan Walker (1-0) got the win in his first start of the year, lasting 6 1/3 innings and allowing six runs off eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts for the Phillies. Three relievers brought it home, with Jose Alvarado striking out two in the ninth for his fifth save.
Michael King (2-3) was tagged with the loss after allowing six hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings, walking three and fanning six. It was the Padres’ season-high fourth straight loss.
RACING NEWS
SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN GOES BACK-TO-BACK AT ALABAMA
Scott McLaughlin of New Zealand capped off a dominant week for Team Penske by winning from the pole at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday in Birmingham, Ala.
It marked McLaughlin’s second straight win in Alabama. He beat teammate Will Power of Australia by 1.3194 seconds after leading 58 of 90 laps around Barber Motorsports Park.
Their 1-2 showing came after Team Penske received sanctions for illegal use of the push-to-pass system in the season opener at St. Petersburg. Josef Newgarden’s win there was vacated as he and McLaughlin were disqualified from the race, while Power was docked 10 points.
“It’s definitely one of my best drives in terms of just execution and just knocking out the laps,” McLaughlin said. “Really happy we could advance to the checkered flag there and bring home a ‘W’ for Team Penske and for Roger.”
But McLaughlin said he and his teammates did not necessarily come to Barber feeling they had something to prove.
“No, we just gotta keep rolling,” he said. “We know our job. We know what we need to do. I was just so proud of our execution.”
McLaughlin led Spaniard Alex Palou by nearly 30 seconds ahead of his third and final pit stop, enough cushion to keep a narrow lead when he came off pit road. But a late caution meant McLaughlin and Power had to duke it out in a two-lap sprint.
“It was a hard-fought 1-2 for Penske,” Power said. “We were certainly fast, but obviously a lot of strategy played into that. We were able to use our speed to come out in front again.”
The win pushed McLaughlin into ninth in the drivers’ standings, while Power is now one point behind series leader Colton Herta, who came home in eighth.
IndyCar rookie Linus Lundqvist of Sweden earned his first podium finish, taking third place for Chip Ganassi Racing.
DENNY HAMLIN HOLDS OFF KYLE LARSON TO PREVAIL AT DOVER
Denny Hamlin flexed his Toyota’s muscle in the second half of the Wurth 400 Sunday afternoon and won the NASCAR Cup Series’ 400-mile race at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware.
In the lone race at DMS, Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry XSE gained the lead with a super fast pit stop after Stage 2 and held off Kyle Larson by 0.256 seconds for his third win of 2024, tying him with William Byron for the series lead.
The victory was Hamlin’s 54th, tying him with Lee Petty for 12th all-time.
Completing the top-five finishers were Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott.
After claiming his second career Dover pole on Saturday, Busch raced out and led the first 33 laps around the one-mile layout in the 120-lap Stage 1 until Ryan Blaney grabbed the point in his No. 12 Ford.
On Lap 79, Byron positioned his No. 24 Chevrolet past the defending series champion, and Truex took the lead as the 72-lap green-flag run came to an end after Brad Keselowski looped his No. 6 Ford following a right-rear tire problem.
Truex, who started 15th, earned the full bonus points by taking his fifth career stage win at the Monster Mile under caution. Byron and Tyler Reddick followed him to the line.
The event’s defending winner who won last May when the race was postponed to Monday, Truex had little trouble putting separation between himself and Byron, leading by 2.61 seconds on Lap 180 before green-flag pit stops began.
But Byron’s car was dropped from the jack without one of the tires bolted on, and Larson’s stop was four seconds faster than Truex’s.
That put Larson’s No. 5 ahead of Truex’s No. 19 Toyota, but Corey LaJoie chose not to pit and led 33 circuits until Larson passed him on Lap 219.
Larson earned the Stage 2 win over Bowman, but hard-charging Hamlin finished third and won the ensuing race off pit road to lead for the first time.
Bubba Wallace, Byron and Christopher Bell were involved in the day’s worst wreck on Lap 329 after Zane Smith turned Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota off Turn 2.
GOLF NEWS
HANNAH GREEN GOES BACK-TO-BACK AT LA CHAMPIONSHIP
Hannah Green of Australia used a torrid stretch on the back nine to go back-to-back at Wilshire Country Club, claiming the JM Eagle LA Championship title on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Green, who won the tournament last year in a three-way playoff, earned a more comfortable three-stroke victory this time after firing a 5-under 66, her lowest round of the week. She separated from the pack by holing an eagle and three birdies between the 12th and 16th holes for a back-nine 31.
Only one player was within five shots of Green’s 12-under 272. Sweden’s Maja Stark finished birdie-birdie for a 68 and a 9-under 275.
Green earned her fifth LPGA Tour win and her second since March.
“It’s really kind to me,” Green said of the course on the Golf Channel broadcast. “I felt like a couple times today, I almost got like a member bounce. I’m obviously really fond of the golf club and I joked and said that they didn’t actually approve it with me that they’re making alterations.”
Green chipped in for birdie on No. 12 to extend her narrow lead before making a short birdie putt one hole later. She proceeded to drain an eagle putt from just off the par-5 15th green, followed by one last birdie to remove any doubt.
“I think when I chipped in on 12, I kind of felt like I really snagged one there,” Green said. “… I think when I made eagle on 15 I kind of sealed the deal. I did see that Maja got it to 9 under, so I knew what I needed to do.”
Stark had four birdies and one bogey on her back nine, keeping pace with Green as best she could.
“I didn’t see much of what (Green) was doing,” Stark said. “I just heard a big roar on 17 and that was the eagle, I think. Yeah. So I mean, not much you can do about that. I didn’t want to make it too easy for her.”
Green began the day tied for the lead with fellow Australian Grace Kim, but Kim turned in a 6-over 77 and dropped to a tie for 25th at 1 under.
South Korea’s Haeran Ryu shot a 69 and placed third at 6 under. South Koreans Jin Young Ko (67) and Jin Hee Im (72) were tied for fourth at 5 under.
This was the first LPGA event since March 10 won by someone other than Nelly Korda. Korda won her past five straight starts, including four tournaments in a row, before withdrawing from this tournament at the beginning of the week to rest and recharge.
STEPHEN AMES REPEATS AT MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC ON 60TH BIRTHDAY
Stephen Ames celebrated his 60th birthday by posting a four-shot victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic for the second year running on Sunday in Duluth, Ga.
A pair of eagles helped the Canadian shoot 5-under 67 in Sunday’s final round. That, coupled with a course-record-tying 64 Saturday, let Ames cruise to a 14-under 202 for the week, four better than Doug Barron (69 Sunday) and England’s Paul Broadhurst (72).
“Yeah, two reasons to celebrate tonight,” Ames said.
Ames opened his round with a birdie before coming to the par-5 sixth hole, where his third shot from the fairway skipped past the hole, then backspun straight into the cup.
His round was quiet until the par-4 13th. Ames’ drive got some great roll onto the green and he watched his ball skate past the cup, narrowly missing a rare hole-in-one at a par-4. He could be heard exclaiming, “Can’t believe I missed that!” before he methodically made a mid-length eagle putt.
“(The sixth hole) was just perfectly up for a number and I hit the shot that I needed to hit,” Ames said. “I mean, going in the hole was obviously a bit of luck, which eventually was a lot of luck that got involved there. The one on 13 was a good drive, I got it all the way to the back end there and then I had a straight uphill putt.”
Broadhurst opened the day with a one-shot advantage over Ames and mixed three birdies with two bogeys on his front nine. But after another birdie at No. 10, a double bogey at the par-4 12th knocked him back to 10 under for the tournament and swung the door open for Ames, who finished with two bogeys and two birdies over his last five holes.
Ames also won the tournament in 2017. Sunday marked his eighth PGA Tour Champions title.
“You’ve got to shape your ball into the greens, you’ve got to hit your drives properly,” Ames said. “And the conditions every year when we come back here, they’re always in great condition, so it’s nice, unlike when we played in the past on the PGA Tour, it was cold and windy and I was like, I don’t think I’m going to come back here anymore. This time of the year it’s beautiful.”
K.J. Choi of South Korea shot a final-round 70 and Steven Alker of New Zealand had a 71 to tie for fourth at 9 under.
RORY MCILROY, SHANE LOWRY TEAM UP TO WIN ZURICH IN PLAYOFF
Irish eyes smiled upon TPC Louisiana on Sunday as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry prevailed in a playoff to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in McIlroy’s debut at the team tournament in Avondale, La.
McIlroy, the four-time major champ from Northern Ireland, and Lowry, his Irish friend, fellow major winner and onetime Ryder Cup teammate, put the Zurich on their schedule hoping to jump up the FedEx Cup standings. They’ll each receive 400 FedEx Cup points after defeating Chad Ramey and France’s Martin Trainer on the first playoff hole.
After starting the day seven shots off the lead, Ramey and Trainer fired a 9-under 63 in Sunday’s round of foursomes (alternate shot) to head to the clubhouse at 25-under 263. Other teams in the 25-under range soon wobbled and fell back — including McIlroy and Lowry, for a brief time, before they rebounded from a bogey at No. 17 with a birdie at the par-5 18th hole to force the playoff.
They returned to the 18th tee to begin the playoff, and Ramey’s second shot hooked left over the gallery. Trainer couldn’t hit his third shot hard enough onto the green. Meanwhile, Lowry put his team in the bunker on the second shot but McIlroy made a nice recovery shot — similar to his pitch shot on the 72nd hole to set up Lowry’s 5-foot birdie that forced the playoff.
Lowry’s birdie try in the playoff came to rest inches right of the cup, but Trainer pushed his short par putt that would have extended the playoff.
It marked McIlroy’s 25th PGA Tour win and Lowry’s third. Lowry had not won on U.S. soil since August 2015.
Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard shot a 69 and finished one shot out of the playoff after finishing with four straight pars. Brehm missed a must-have birdie at No. 18.
BRENDAN STEELE HOLDS ON FOR FIRST LIV WIN AT ADELAIDE
Brendan Steele closed with a 4-under 68 on Sunday to hold off Louis Oosthuizen and win the LIV Golf Adelaide championship by one stroke in South Australia.
It was the first victory since the 2017 Safeway Open on the PGA Tour for the 41-year-old American, who carded a 54-hole total of 18-under 198.
Steele began the day with a one-shot lead and birdied five consecutive holes on the front nine at The Grange Golf Club, building enough of a cushion to survive Oosthuizen’s charge. The South African shot a 7-under 65 to lose by one stroke.
“Really surreal,” said Steele, whose trophy is the first for his HyFlyers GC team. “I’m pretty overwhelmed, but to win this event is really special. I can’t say enough good things about the fans and the golf course and the whole experience this week.”
Five players finished tied for third, two strokes back at 16 under, including South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel and Spain’s Jon Rahm who both shot 64 on Sunday. Andy Ogletree (65 on Sunday), Chile’s Joaquin Niemann (66) and South Africa’s Dean Burmester (67) also shared third place.
“I was telling myself that I knew there was going to be hard moments today regardless of the result, and that I just needed to get back in there and start playing with freedom again,” Steele said. “And, I was able to hit some good shots after that and write the show.”
Steele shared the credit with HyFlyers captain Phil Mickelson, who finished in a tie for 38th at 7 under.
“He’s the reason that I’m here and the reason that I’m improving,” Steele said. “To be honest, I’m 41 years old and I’m getting better, and it’s mostly because of him.”
To the delight of the record crowds Down Under, the Australian team Ripper GC captured the team championship on the second playoff hole against Stingers GC. Both teams finished regulation at 53 under — a record low for any LIV Golf event.
“This is unreal,” Ripper captain Cameron Smith said while standing on the 18th green holding an Australian flag, surrounded by teammates Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert. “It’s a dream come true for us.”
Steele climbed to 13th in the season-long individual championship race. Niemann remains atop the standings.
LIV returns to action next week with the May 3-5 Singapore event at Sentosa Golf Club, where Talor Gooch is the defending individual champion.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS
INDIANA PACERS
PACERS HIT FRANCHISE PLAYOFF BEST 22 3-POINTERS TO BEAT BUCKS 126-113 AND TAKE 3-1 LEAD IN SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana center Myles Turner found a simple lesson from last week’s Game 1 loss.
When you find the openings, take shots without hesitating.
Turner effectively put his new strategy to use Sunday night and it worked perfectly, again. He had his second straight 29-point game, finished with nine rebounds and four assists and made seven 3-pointers as the Pacers broke the franchise’s NBA playoff record with 22 3’s to beat Milwaukee 126-113 for a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“After that first game, we watched a lot of film and I saw some of the holes in the defense and realized there were open shots we could exploit,” Turner said. “A lot of it is read and react, which is pretty much what our whole offense is.”
Turner’s play over the last two games has changed the series.
He has produced playoff career highs twice and on a team of sharp-shooters Sunday night might have been the best. While Indiana went 22 of 43 from beyond the arc, Turner was 7 of 9 and even heard his name chanted by fans who once thought he should be traded.
Instead, Turner has the Pacers heading back to Milwaukee for Game 5 with three straight wins and needing one more to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2014. The Bucks, meanwhile, are trying to avoid a second straight first-round exit.
Sure, the Bucks played without two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and eight-time All-Star Damian Lillard because of injuries Sunday. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since April 9 when he strained his left calf, while Lillard had a walking boot protecting his right foot after hurting his Achilles tendon in Friday night’s overtime loss.
Both could miss Tuesday’s game, too.
But health has been less of a problem for Milwaukee in this season series than the matchups as Indiana has won seven of nine matchups.
And it was more of the same Sunday.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 24 points, his second straight playoff career high, Andrew Nembhard finished with 15 points and nine rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
“We knew coming into the game we were going to have to trap more and do things we don’t traditionally do,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought we hung in there, I really did.”
They just couldn’t even the series. Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 27 points and nine rebounds, and Khris Middleton added 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists despite playing with a sprained right ankle and four fouls for much of the second half.
Part of the problem was depth, which could prove tricky again Tuesday night.
Middleton hurt his left ankle during the second half, backup guard Pat Connaughton injured his ribs and starting forward Bobby Portis Jr. was ejected with 5:01 left in the first quarter after he and Andrew Nembhard were involved in a shoving match. Portis drew two technical fouls on the play, part of a six-technical first half.
“It was a tough break for us, there’s no doubt about it,” Rivers said when asked about Portis’ early departure. “Playoff games are high emotion, they really are and so that happened. You can’t get it back once it happened.”
Still, the Pacers struggled to take advantage, finishing the back-and-forth first half with just a 67-64 lead.
But after Lopez opened the third quarter with a basket, Haliburton responded with three straight 3-pointers to give the Pacers a 76-66 lead. The Bucks never completely recovered as Indiana extended the margin to 95-78 on Obi Toppin’s layup with 2:24 left in the quarter.
Milwaukee finally started cutting into the deficit late in the third quarter and opened the fourth with seven straight points to make it 98-92.
Indiana answered with a 10-2 run to rebuild a 108-94 cushion with 7:25 to play and Turner helped put it away with a couple of late 3-pointers before both teams put their starters on the bench.
“I didn’t realize when I hit the 3 they were chanting my name. I saw it afterward,” Turner said. “But it was very special, knowing how much this city means to me and with my family here, it was very special.”
INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
HOOSIERS CLAIM SIXTH AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Indiana men’s golf team shot a 902 (290-309-303; +62) to finish sixth at the 2024 Big Ten Men’s Golf Championship played from April 26-28 at the Scioto Country Club.
Scioto, one of the most highly ranked golf courses in the United State, is one of only five courses to host the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the U.S. Amateur.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
2024 Big Ten Men’s Golf Championship • Columbus, Ohio
Scioto Country Club
Par 70 • 7,240 yards
Live Scoring via GolfStat
Team Standings: 6th/14 – 902 (290-309-303; +62)
Top Indiana Player: Thomas Hursey – 224 (70-73-81; +14)
CHIP-INS
• Graduate Thomas Hursey was the low Hoosier at 224 (70-73-81; +14). He finished 18th overall and connected on four birdie opportunities.
• Freshman Cole Starnes played a team-high seven birdies throughout the rounds and shot a 226 (72-81-73; +16). His birdie count was tied for 12th-most in the field. The Fishers, Ind., native also finished tied for the lowest average score on Par-5 holes over the weekend at 4.33. He was one of five players to finish -4 or better on the Par-5 holes.
• Sixth-year senior Noah Gillard completed three birdie effort and finished at 227 (74-79-74; +17).
• Senior Drew Salyers was one of two Hoosiers to stay in the 70s in all three rounds. He turned in his scorecard at 229 (75-76-78; +19) with two total birdies.
• Redshirt junior Robert Bender III converted four birdies across 54 holes and signed for a 235 (74-83-78; +25).
HOOSIERS IN THE STANDINGS
18. Thomas Hursey – 224 (70-73-81; +14)
t-26. Cole Starnes – 226 (72-81-73; +16)
t-30. Noah Gillard – 227 (74-79-74; +17)
t-39. Drew Salyers – 229 (75-76-78; +19)
t-60. Robert Bender III – 235 (74-83-78; +25)
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers will await their NCAA Regional fate during the NCAA Men’s Selection Show, which will air at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 1, on the GOLF Channel. Indiana earned a bid to one of the following regional sites: Austin, Texas; Baton Rouge, La.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Stanford, Calif.; or West Lafayette, Ind.
INDIANA BASEBALL
INDIANA ROUTES RUTGERS TO SECURE SERIES SWEEP
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Baseball team (25-18-1, 10-5 B1G) rode the backs of two massive innings at the plate to a comfortable 18-6 (F/7) victory on Sunday (April 28) afternoon at Bart Kaufman Field. The Hoosiers hung nine in the second inning behind three home runs and added eight in the sixth as the Scarlet Knights bullpen began to wear thin.
IU capped off the weekend sweep of Rutgers in style, scoring 18 runs in its second-straight series finale (18 at Minnesota). Over the course of three games, IU outscored Rutgers 38-15 and needed just seven pitchers to complete 25 innings.
The Hoosiers mashed 11 home runs on the weekend led by three from sophomore outfielder Devin Taylor and two from junior outfielders Carter Mathison and Nick Mitchell and freshman designated hitter Cal Sefcik. IU only had 35 hits compared to 38 runs but took advantage of 14 walks, six hit-by-pitches and a string of wild pitches.
Sophomore righty Aydan Decker-Petty (W, 1-1) was phenomenal in relief once again. He held Rutgers hitless over the final 4.2 innings of the game to pick up his first win of the season. He was the only pitcher to throw two innings on Wednesday at Ball State (no runs) and held the Scarlet Knights at bay on Sunday afternoon.
The month of April comes to an end with a 10-4-1 record for IU. The Hoosiers won all four Big Ten series and went 9-3 in the conference to climb right back into the title race. Mitchell (.418) and redshirt freshman first baseman Joey Brenczewski (.410) each hit above .400 in the month. The pitching staff has held opponents under six runs a game in the past 15 contests.
Next week’s series at Purdue will perhaps be the biggest between the two teams in the past 25 years. IU and Purdue will be either tied or separated by a game in the standings, based on the Boilermakers’ Sunday result, and within striking distance of Illinois.
Scoring Recap
Top Second
Rutgers scored the first run of the game on Sunday. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Pablo Santos grounded out to the second baseman to bring home Tony Santa Maria.
Rutgers 1, Indiana 0
Bottom Second
After Cal Sefcik worked a walk with two strikes on him, Carter Mathison mashed a 440-foot home run to dead center field, the 40th of his IU career. With the bases loaded later in the inning, Nick Mitchell walked to score another run. Tyler Cerny made the Scarlet Knights pay, hitting a no-doubt grand slam to left field. The inning continued with Sefcik returning to the plate and mashing his second long ball of the weekend. In total, IU scored nine in the inning, the most in a single frame this year.
Indiana 9, Rutgers 1
Top Third
It quickly became a ballgame again as Rutgers hit three home runs in the third. Johnny Volpe and Josh Kuroda-Grauer hit back-to-back solo shots. Santa Maria made it a four-run game with a two-run blast to left field.
Indiana 9, Rutgers 5
Bottom Fifth
Devin Taylor got a run back in the fifth with a solo blast, his third long ball of the weekend.
Indiana 10, Rutgers 5
Top Sixth
IU worked into trouble in the sixth but escaped with just one run allowed. Trevor Cohen’s groundout to second base was enough to score Santa Maria, a run that was unearned because of an error.
Indiana 10, Rutgers 6
Bottom Sixth
The Hoosiers hung another crooked number on the board in the sixth to bring the 10-run rule into effect. Back-to-back singles from Joey Brenczewski and Brandon Burckel handed IU a pair of runs. Mathison walked with the bases loaded before Rutgers threw a trio of wild pitches to bring home Brenczewski, Burckel and Sefcik. Taylor hit into a double play but scored Mathison. Mitchell put the nail in the coffin with a two-run blast to go up 12.
Indiana 18, Rutgers 6
Top Hoosier Performers
#8 Cerny, Tyler
2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
#20 Mitchell, Nick
2-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB
#55 Decker-Petty, Aydan
4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K, W
Notes to Know
• Junior outfielder Carter Mathison mashed the 40th home run of his career on a two-run blast in the second inning. He moves into a tie for sixth in program history with Kyle Schwarber (2012-14). Along with Schwarber and Alex Dickerson (2009-11), Mathison is one of three players with 40+ home runs in his first three years of college baseball.
• Sophomore pitcher Aydan Decker-Petty pitched in two games this week. Across his 6.2 innings of work, he allowed just two hits and zero earned runs. He struck out three batters and had two assists and two putouts. He threw 95 combined pitches in the two games and allowed just four runners to reach.
• The Hoosiers hit 11 home runs in the weekend sweep of Rutgers. It’s the most home runs in a three-game set since hitting 13 in a sweep of Purdue last year. The Hoosiers pounded out 35 hits and scored 38 runs in just 24 offensive innings. Junior Devin Taylor, junior Nick Mitchell and redshirt freshman Joey Brenczewski each had six hits in the three-game series.
Up Next
The Hoosiers will have the week off to focus on finals but will head to West Lafayette next weekend for a massive in-state series. Purdue will be ahead of IU by one game in the Big Ten standings heading into the weekend. Friday’s contest will begin at 6:00 PM. The game will be streamed on BTN+ and can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
PURDUE MEN’S GOLF
PURDUE SURGES IN FINAL ROUND; PLACES 3RD AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 28-ranked Purdue men’s golf team pieced together the third-best round of the day and moved up two spots to finish third at the Big Ten Championships held at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.
Purdue totaled a 54-hole total of 46-over par 886 (288-301-297) on the difficult Scioto layout to place third, 23 shots behind winner Northwestern and eight shots behind runner-up Illinois. The Boilermakers passed both Michigan State (+49) and Ohio State (+50) on the final day as Purdue defeated Michigan State by 15 shots and Ohio State by five shots in round three.
The third-place finish is Purdue’s highest since finishing second in the 2019 Championships.
“The Big Ten is extremely lucky to be able to compete at venues like Scioto. This was just an amazing test of golf,” said head coach Rob Bradley. “This is definitely not the finish we wanted. We came in with a goal of winning Big Tens, but we need to learn from it and get ready for Regionals on our home course. We just didn’t do enough things to win.”
Scioto Country Club was more than a formidable opponent this weekend. In Sunday’s third round, the scoring average was 76.60, just off the 76.79 from Saturday’s wind-blown second round. In the final two rounds, the 140 completed rounds were averaging almost 7-over par on the par-70 layout. Hole No. 8 yielded no birdies during the three rounds and No. 16 and No. 14 recorded just 11 combined birdies during the three rounds. Just one hole, the par-5 6th hole, played under-par during the week.
Leading the Boilermakers was senior Herman Sekne, who recorded a top-five finish at 7-over par 217 (73-72-72). Sekne made many clutch putts late in the round to save par and record his second straight top-10 finish in the Big Ten Championships (T-9 last year). His fifth-place finish was just the second top-five finish in the Big Ten Championships under Bradley, earning a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Championships Team.
Sekne also was awarded the Les Bolstad Award, given to the Big Ten player with the lowest stroke average during the season. He recorded a 70.27 average during the season, becoming the first Boilermaker in 17 years to earn the award.
Sekne recorded his fifth top-five finish in his nine events played this season. He now has 18 career top-10 showings in his 36 events played.
“Obviously, Herman winning the Bolstead Award is huge for him and shows the kind of year he has had this season. He’s been so consistent all season and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do at Regionals,” said Bradley.
Peyton Snoeberger and Kent Hsiao also recorded T-11 finishes, giving Purdue three players in the top 12. Snoeberger and Hsiao finished at 11-over par 221, narrowly missing a top-10 finish. Snoeberger recorded rounds of 71-77-73, while Hsiao went 70-75-76.
Nels Surtani (74-77-78) and Sam Easterbrook (74-79-76) finished tied for 39th at 19-over par 229.
Purdue will play in the NCAA Regionals at the Kampen-Cosler Course on May 13 through 15, but will find out the opposition in the NCAA Championships selection show on Wednesday, May 1, at 2 p.m. ET on The Golf Channel.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
6TH INNING RALLY LEADS PURDUE TO 7-1 WIN AT MARYLAND
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – After a 10-inning battle yesterday, the Purdue softball team rallied for a 7-1 series-clinching victory at Maryland in Game 3. The Boilermakers posted four runs in the sixth inning and three in the seventh to secure the win.
With the series-winner, Purdue (25-22, 11-9 Big Ten) is 4-1-1 over the last six Big Ten series.
Similar to the first two games of the series, Purdue scored its runs late in the game, posting four in the sixth inning and three in the seventh to secure the win. In total, all 13 of the Boilermakers’ runs in the Maryland series came in the sixth inning or later, including seven runs in the seventh inning alone.
Starting pitcher Madi Elish received the win (5-5) after tossing the first 5.0 innings, striking out two batters and allowing one run and one walk. Julia Gossett entered in relief to close the final 2.0 innings, striking out half of her batters faced (four of eight), and allowing just one hit.
Pinch runner Jordyn Ramos scored Purdue’s first run of the game on an RBI single by Tyrina Jones Meanwhile, the game-winning run was scored by Ashlynn Campbell thanks to Khloe Banks’ two RBI single up the middle, which also brought home Jones. Jade Moy advanced home on a wild pitch to round out Purdue’s runs in the sixth inning.
Maryland scored on a home run in the bottom of the inning, however Olivia McFadden, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, registered a three-run homer over the left field wall to close Purdue’s weekend off with a bang.
As a team, Purdue went perfect from the field and registered seven hits.
The Boilermakers registered three stolen base (Banks, Campbell and Jones), bringing the team’s season total to 92, just seven stolen bases away from tying for the fifth-most in program history.
Purdue will close out the regular season at home with a three-game series vs. Michigan State next weekend. Games are set for 5 p.m. ET on Friday, 2 p.m. ET on Saturday and 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. Saturday will serve as Purdue’s senior day, while Sunday will be Purdue’s final Bark at the Park and Cinco de Mayo celebration.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH WALK IT OFF 8-7 TO UPSET NO. 8 WAKE FOREST AND WIN SERIES
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (22-20, 7-17 ACC) defeated Wake Forest (27-16, 12-12 ACC) 8-7 on a walk-off homer by OF TJ Williams. The Irish recorded back-to-back wins to clinch the three-game series against the eighth-ranked Demon Deacons.
The victory marked the first series win for Notre Dame against a top-10 team since April 21-23, 2023 vs. No. 8 Virginia.
Three Irish batters went deep in another multi-homer performance Sunday – C Joey Spence in the second, INF Simon Baumgardt to tie the game in the eighth, and Williams to secure the win.
There was no shortage of spectacular grabs to notch a few crucial outs on defense, notably by INF Estevan Moreno crossing the field to snatch a would-be foul ball, and an off-balance tag by RHP Ricky Reeth. INF Jack Penney snagged a high liner and dished to INF Connor Hincks for a double play, adding to Notre Dame’s season total of 39.
RHP Rory Fox started off strong, holding Wake Forest to three runs through four and two-thirds innings. RHP Nate Hardman (2-1) earned the win, giving up only two hits and no earned runs.
On the weekend vs. Wake Forest, Penney slashed a remarkable .444/.615/.667 and Baumgardt drove in six RBI over the weekend series.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was another fast start for the Irish, as the defense held Wake Forest to a three up, three down in the top of the first, with Fox dealing a strikeout. Leading off, Williams earned a walk. OF David Glancy was then hit by pitch, and Penney bunted to load the bases. Williams then scored on a Moreno sacrifice fly. Hincks forced a fielding error, and Glancy tacked on another run, making the game 2-0.
In the second, Glancy snagged two-consecutive deep balls to retire the first two Wake Forest batters. After notching a double, the Demon Deacons homered to tie the game at 2-2. Leading off for the Irish in the bottom half, Spence ripped a 467-foot homer into right center to retake the lead, 3-2.
Back on defense in the third, Moreno made a stunning sliding grab all the way from second base to right field foul territory for an out. A popup and another strikeout for Fox sat the next two batters. Penney and Moreno drew walks to lead off the top of the third, ending Wake Forest’s starting pitcher’s day. Both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Baumgardt drew another walk to load the bases, then OF Tito Flores also earned himself a walk to bring Penney home. A successful pickoff attempt for the Demon Deacons and a subsequent groundout sent the game to the fourth with Notre Dame leading 4-2.
Wake Forest led off the fourth with a homer, narrowing the Irish lead to 4-3. The Demon Deacons added another hit in the fourth, but were unable to score again in the inning. Notre Dame was held to their first three up, three down of the game.
After a leadoff single in the fifth, the Irish forced two quick outs before ceding an intentional walk. RHP Ricky Reeth took the mound for Fox. The Wake runners advanced to scoring position on a passed ball and another walk loaded the bases, but a groundout kept Wake Forest off the board in the fifth. A Penney single got the Irish rolling in the top of the fifth, and Moreno was hit by a pitch. After a groundout on an interference call against the Irish, both runners advanced on a wild pitch. A balk scored Penney, and a sacrifice fly by Baumgardt brought Moreno home, extending the Irish lead to 6-3.
Leading off in the top of the sixth, Hincks made a quick grab and Reeth made an impressive falling tag on first base to secure the first out. The Irish forced two more groundouts to sit the order. PH Brady Gumpf singled to lead off, but was left on base in the inning.
Reeth began the seventh with a quick strikeout. The next Wake batter was hit by a pitch, then a groundout advanced him to second. Another hit by pitch and two singles added two for the Demon Deacons, bringing the score to 6-5. RHP Tobey McDonough took the mound for Reeth and immediately delivered his first strikeout to send the seventh to the bottom. The Irish were unable to respond at the plate.
Wake Forest led off the eighth with a double and an out, the runner taking third on a fielder’s choice. RHP Bennett Flynn came into the game for McDonough. After a walk, RHP Nate Hardman took the mound for Flynn with the bases loaded. After a popup for the second out, the Demon Deacons doubled down the right field line, scoring two to go up 7-6. Flynn dealt a strikeout in response to get the Irish out of the inning.
Baumgardt wasted no time getting the Irish back, sending a bomb to left field to knot the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth.
After giving up a leadoff single, the Irish turned two on a double play from Penney to Hincks. After a walk, a flyout took care of business for the Irish defense.
Williams, closing the series in the same fashion he began the Irish’s first win of the series, smashed a lead off solo homer on the first pitch to seal a thrilling victory for the Irish, 8-7.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame travels to East Lansing, Mich. to face Michigan State on Tuesday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on B1G+.
The Irish then return home for a three-game weekend series against Pittsburgh, starting Friday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
BUTLER MEN’S GOLF
BULLDOGS CLIMB INTO SECOND ON MOVING DAY AT BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
The Bulldogs climbed into second place as the second 18 holes of the 2024 BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship presented by JEEP wrapped up Sunday afternoon.
The 54-hole event has a single Monday 18 remaining at the Riverton Pointe Golf Course in Hardeeville, S.C.
Butler entered the round four shots off the lead of Marquette. The Golden Eagles relinquished their advantage by shooting the second-highest team round of the day. Marquette is now in fourth. Seton Hall and the Bulldogs, which entered the round in second and third respectively, each were able to climb a spot on the leaderboard.
Butler’s three-over 291 Sunday was the second-best round of the day (Xavier shot an even-par 288 Sunday but remains in seventh overall). Seton Hall now has the tournament lead after a four-over 292 Sunday. The Pirates (584, +8) hold a two-shot lead over Butler entering the final round. Butler is four shots ahead of third-place Villanova. There are a total of 10 teams in the field.
Derek Tabor continues to pace the Bulldogs. His Sunday round included 17 pars and a birdie on the par-4, 413-yard 16th hole. Pairing his Sunday 71 with Saturday’s even-par 72 has him in a tie for third at one-under 143. Tabor is one shot off the lead of Peicheng Chen of St. John’s and Marquette’s Aidan Lafferty.
Tabor is one of four Bulldogs who are among the Top 20 on the individual leaderboard. Will Horne fired an even-par 72 Sunday on the 7,158-yard course. He is tied for tenth.
Both Daniel Tanaka and Leo Zurovac shot two-over 74s Sunday. Tanaka is tied for 14th at 148 (+4), which is two shots better than Zurovac, who is part of a group tied for 17th at six-over 150.
The Championship is scheduled for 54 holes over three days. The BIG EAST will crown a team champion, which gains an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. Should the individual champion not be a member of the winning team, he will also earn an automatic spot in the NCAA Championship.
Play will conclude Monday at 8 a.m. ET with a final 18.
Live stats will be available on GolfStat.com.
GameKast Live, a golf streaming service, provides coverage for a second straight year. Every hole will be covered in addition to live commentary from the 18th green. Player and coach interviews will be included. GameKast Live provided coverage of the women’s championship last week. The broadcast is entirely free.
Individual Leaders – Through 36 Holes
T1. Aidan Lafferty, Marquette – 70-72–142 (-2)
T1. Peicheng Chen, St. John’s – 69-73–142 (-2)
T3. Derek Tabor, Butler – 72-71—143 (-1)
T3. Artemiy Yalovenko, DePaul – 72-71—143 (-1)
T3. Jack Bosworth, Seton Hall – 71-72—143 (-1)
Team Leaders – Through 36 Holes
1. Seton Hall – 292-292–584 (+8)
2. Butler – 295-291–586 (+10)
3. Villanova – 298-292–590 (+14)
4. Marquette – 291-302–593 (+17)
5. Creighton – 298-296–594 (+18)
The Bulldogs
T3. Derek Tabor – 72-71–143 (-1)
T10. Will Horne – 73-72–145 (+1)
T14. Daniel Tanaka – 74-74–148 (+4)
T17. Leo Zurovac – 76-74–150 (+6)
43. Damon Dickey – 84-76–160 (+16)
BUTLER BASEBALL
BULLDOGS HOLD OFF SETON HALL ON SUNDAY TO WIN 3-2
INDIANAPOLIS – Seton Hall scored a run in the top of the ninth and loaded the bases with the game on the line, but Cole Graverson would get a groundout and the Bulldogs would defeat the Pirates 3-2 on Sunday afternoon. Graverson threw 5.2 innings in relief to get his second win of the season on the mound. The victory moves Butler to 17-26 on the year.
Ben Whiteside got the start for Butler and limited SHU to just one hit over 3.1 innings of action. Graverson was the only other Bulldog to touch the rubber for BU.
Offensively, Butler scored the first run of the game in the fourth. Joey Urban hit a double and soon after scored on a double from Jack Moroknek. That duo helped lead BU to victory as Urban hit a line-drive, two-out, solo home run for the ‘Dawgs in the sixth. Moroknek led off the seventh inning with a solo shot to deep right center that made the game 3-1.
Seton Hall’s first run came off the bat of Pat D’Amico. A single down the line in the ninth by Jonathan Luders made it a one-run game.
Cole Hansen was solid on the mound with nine strikeouts and no walks, but he took the loss on Sunday. SHU also used Nate Espelin for two innings.
Butler will return to action on Tuesday with a 4 PM first pitch vs. Saint Louis.
BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF
CARDINALS SECURE MAC MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Ball State men’s golf team displayed its depth in the final round of the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championships on Sunday, placing three golfers in the top eight to win its first league title under head coach Mike Fleck — and the program’s first since 1986. The Cardinals outdistanced Miami University by five strokes after being tied with the RedHawks after 18 holes and trading leads throughout Saturday’s second round.
Junior Ali Kahn (212) paced a balanced Ball State lineup with one of the best rounds of his career, at one point sitting at 5-under par for the day and 9-under for the tournament. He fired five birdies on Sunday and finished in a fourth-place tie with teammate Kash Bellar (212), who finished in the same spot as he did in the 2023 MAC Championships. Kahn and Bellar, tied with Miami’s Danny Fisher (212) in fourth, both were named to the all-tournament team, finishing seven strokes behind Toledo’s Barend Botha (205), who won his second straight title.
Bryce Reed (208) of Kent State and Ian Bruchhauser (209) finished in second and third place, but the leaderboard was dominated by Cardinals. Behind Kahn and Bellar, freshman Alec Cesare (214) finished in eighth place and sophomore Carter Smith was 11th (216). For Cesare who played just minutes from his home in Westfield, his 2-under-par showing on a windy Championship Sunday was the tournament’s best round of the day. It was the first top-10 finish of his career.
Ball State nearly became the MAC’s first team since Kent State in 2021 to place four individual golfers in the tournament’s top 10. The championship was Ball State’s fourth MAC title overall, adding 2024 to championships in 1975, 1982 and 1986 under legendary coach Earl Yestingsmeier – Fleck’s former coach and mentor.
Fleck, the former Cardinals player who lettered in 1991 and 1992, finished the afternoon named as the MAC’s Coach of the Year. He took over as head coach of his alma mater in August 1998 and, over 26 seasons, has garnered now 10 top three finishes and two coach of the year awards. Fleck’s clubs have been in MAC contention almost annually, and have now finished first and second in consecutive seasons.
Now, the Cardinals await the NCAA Selection Show on Wednesday, to determine the site at which they will begin NCAA Regional competition for the first time since Fleck’s club earned an at-large bid in 2013. Last year, when Ball State was edged in the MAC Championships by Northern Illinois, the Cardinals claimed a fourth-place finish in the inaugural National Golf Invitational, with Bellar winning the individual title.
Ball State Individual Results, Final
No. 3 Ali Khan (212): 37-33—70 | 35-35—70 | 34-38—72 (-4, 4th)
No. 2 Kash Bellar (212): 36-34—70 | 34-35—69 | 38-35—73 (-4, 4th)
No. 5 Alec Cesare (214): 37-36—73 | 36-35—71 | 34-36—70 (-2, 8th)
No. 1 Carter Smith (216): 36-34—70 | 34-36—70 | 37-39—76 (E, 11th)
No. 4 Braxton Kuntz (226): 37-36—73 | 34-39—73 | 39-41—80 (+10, 29th)
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL CAN’T FIND BIG INNING IN SERIES FINALE SETBACK AT NC STATE
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Ball State baseball team generated plenty of traffic on the bases but couldn’t put together a big inning on Sunday afternoon in an 11-3 loss to No. 24 NC State at Doak Field.
The Wolfpack (25-16) scored three times in the first via an RBI triple and a two-run home run for the early 3-0 edge. NC State later put crooked numbers on the board in the fourth (three runs) and eighth (four) on its way to clinching the series sweep.
The Cardinals (25-18-1) got an RBI single in the second inning by Nick Gregory that scored Houston King, but left the bases loaded as Hunter Dobbins just missed a bases clearing double as his line drive on a full count pitch was snagged by the third baseman.
Ball State put up a tally again in the third with Blake Bevis scoring on a wild pitch to make the score 3-2, but the visitors had runners on second and third before that and could only score once. Gregory again hit an RBI safety in the sixth, this time scoring Husovsky, but the Cardinals had the bases loaded with one away and left the bases juiced.
Gregory went 2-for-4 with the pair of RBI, and Dylan Grego collected a pair of knocks and walked once for a Ball State offense that collected six hits and six walks on the day.
NC State’s Carson Kelly (1-0) was credited with the win after striking out three and allowing a run on two hits in an inning of work. Ball State’s Nate Blain (0-4) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs in 3.2 frames.
The Cardinals will be off midweek games for Finals Week before returning to Mid-American Conference play with a series at Northern Illinois beginning on Friday in DeKalb.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
HAYDEN, MAGILL POWER SYCAMORES TO SUNDAY SERIES-CLINCHING WIN AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Grant Magill homered for the second time in as many games and Luke Hayden pitched into the eighth inning as Indiana State secured the Missouri Valley series win on Sunday afternoon with a 7-2 victory at Southern Illinois.
Magill provided the early fireworks for the Sycamore (31-9, 14-4) offense with a two-run shot in the top of the second inning as the redshirt senior catcher drove the ball over the left field wall near the ESPNU production trailer. Luis Hernandez added a home run in the top of the seventh inning to cap a four-run rally late as Indiana State bounced back from the Friday loss to take the final two games of the series at Itchy Jones Stadium.
Hayden (6-1) bounced back from surrendering a Cole Christman two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning in a career-long outing. The junior right-hander retired the first batter in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap a 7.1-inning appearance allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out six in the quality start.
The Sycamores struck early against SIU (25-19, 9-9) starter Aidan Foeller (3-2), before Foeller turned the game into a pitcher’s duel over the middle frames of the contest. Foeller retired 10 consecutive Sycamores after surrendering a Luis Hernandez RBI single in the top of the third inning, before running into trouble in the top of the seventh.
Josue Urdaneta drew a two-out walk and Randal Diaz followed with a single up the middle to put two on with Dominic Listi at the plate. The Sycamore left fielder fell behind 0-2 to Foeller, before connecting on a two-run double to left center giving ISU a 5-2 lead. Hernandez greeted SIU reliever Shane Wilhelm with a two-run home run over the wall in left center scoring Listi to provide a 7-2 advantage heading into the stretch.
Hayden turned the ball over to Cam Edmonson with one out in the bottom of the eighth and the Valley’s ERA leader retired the first three batters he faced before running into trouble in the bottom of the ninth. SIU loaded the bases with a trio of singles before Edmonson was able to force the game-ending double play to close out the contest.
Diaz and Hernandez had two hits apiece as the Sycamores were limited to six hits overall in the contest. Listi doubled, and Hernandez and Magill both homered in the win.
Christman, Trey Cutchen, and Justin Keuss all had two hits apiece for SIU as the Salukis connected on 10 hits in the contest. Jordan Bach and Cutchen both doubled in the loss.
Foeller took the loss going 6.2 innings allowing five hits and six runs while walking four and striking out 12. Wilhelm went the final 2.1 innings for SIU.
How They Scored
Grant Magill connected on a two-run home run over the left field wall driving in Parker Stinson in the top of the second inning to stake Indiana State to the early 2-0 lead.
Luis Hernandez connected on an RBI single through the left side in the top of the third inning scoring Randal Diaz to make it 3-0 Sycamores.
Cole Christman drove a two-run home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the third scoring Jordan Bach to cut the Indiana State lead down to 3-2.
The Sycamores broke the game open in the seventh as Dominic Listi connected on a two-run double to left center scoring Diaz and Josue Urdaneta, before Hernandez homered bringing home Listi to cap the four-run frame and provide the final 7-2 margin.
News & Notes
Indiana State moves to 40-7-1 in Missouri Valley play dating back to the end of the 2022 season following Sunday’s win over the Salukis.
The Sycamores are 15-0-1 in series finale game over the 16-conference series following Sunday’s win.
The Sycamores continue their longest MVC series winning streak in program history with the previous long of six dating back to the 2012 season.
Luke Hayden posted his second consecutive quality start on Sunday afternoon in helping the Sycamores secure the series win. His 7.1-inning performance surpassed his previous career-long outing of 7.0-innings set last weekend in the complete-game effort against Illinois State.
Edmonson went 3.2 innings of scoreless relief over two appearances on the weekend lowering his ERA in conference play to 0.96.
The Sycamore pitching staff features four members among the top eight in the Valley in ERA in conference-only competition with Edmonson (0.96, 1st), Brennyn Cutts (1.35, 3rd), Luke Hayden (2.91, 7th), and Jared Spencer (2.95, 8th) all among the conference leaders.
Grant Magill homered in back-to-back games for the first time in his collegiate career and has gone deep in three of his last four contests dating back to April 21 against Illinois State.
Magill became the sixth Sycamore to connect on five or more home runs in the 2024 season joining Mike Sears (15), Luis Hernandez (12), Parker Stinson (10), Randal Diaz (10), and Adam Pottinger (6).
Josue Urdaneta extended his on-base streak to 29 consecutive games over the three-game weekend series. Urdaneta reached base safely in all three contests and scored in both Saturday and Sunday’s wins.
Luke Hayden took over the team strikeout lead on Sunday afternoon as the Sycamore right-hander fanned six Salukis to raise his number to 65 on the year passing Brennyn Cutts (60).
Up Next
Indiana State closes out the seven-game road trip on Tuesday evening as the Sycamores travel to Champaign, Ill. to take on Big Ten co-leader Illinois in midweek play. First pitch at Illinois Field is set for 7 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on B1G+ and 105.5 The Legend.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
SYCAMORES DROP SERIES FINALE TO SIU ON SENIOR DAY
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- Indiana State Softball fell to Southern Illinois in the series finale on senior day, in five innings, with a score of 9-0.
The Salukis won all three games of the series in five innings over the Sycamores.
Indiana State’s bats were quiet on Sunday afternoon, where they totaled three hits, two coming from senior Abi Chipps, and the third from Livi Colip.
Southern Illinois recorded seven hits in the series finale, four of them being home runs.
The Salukis took the early lead in the first inning with an RBI single by Johnson to score Lis and take the lead 1-0 over the Sycamores.
SIU drove in their second run in the top of the second inning when Warwick reached on a fielder’s choice, which threw out Lee at third, and scored Groff.
Southern Illinois combined for four home runs and seven runs scored in innings three and four to advance their lead to 9-0 over ISU.
Indiana State fought hard in the fifth inning where they were put into scoring position when Kenzie Cornwell and Haley Webb were walked and a single by Livi Colip moved the runners, but Cornwell was thrown out at home to prevent ISU from putting their first run on the board.
Lauren Sackett (8-14) took the loss in the circle for ISU in 1.2 innings of work, where she allowed four hits and five runs scored. Hailey Griffin made an appearance in the circle where she allowed three hits and four runs scored. Cassi Newbanks went the final 1.2 innings of game three, where she faced five batters, striking out one, and the Sycamores outfield held the Salukis from picking up any additional hits or runs scored.
Up Next:
Indiana State will travel to Springfield, Missouri next weekend to compete in their final three-game MVC series against Missouri State. Game times are listed below.
Friday, May 3 @ 6 p.m ET
Saturday, May 4 @ 3 p.m ET
Sunday, May 5 @ 1 p.m ET
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
ONE-RUN CONTEST GOES TO WRIGHT STATE
DAYTON, Ohio – Brooks Sailors was on base three times on Sunday (April 28) but the Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team fell to Wright State 2-1 in Horizon League play.
The Mastodons scored their only run of the game in the third inning. Nick Sutherlin singled with one out and found himself at third following a Ben Higgins double. Jackson Micheels grounded out to score Sutherlin.
It stayed 1-0 until the seventh. Wright State’s Boston Smith hit a pinch-hit two-run home run to put the Raiders up 2-1. The ‘Dons put a runner on in the eighth and ninth innings, but Wright State held on for a 2-1 decision.
Brody Fine got the loss (1-5) but was very effective. He allowed just the two runs in 6.1 innings. Cam Allen (1-1) earned the win in relief with four innings of work. Brayden Shoetzow tossed the ninth for his third save of the year.
Wright State improves to 24-18 (14-7 Horizon League) and vaults into first place. The ‘Dons fall to 15-28 (8-13 Horizon League). Purdue Fort Wayne is back in action on Friday (May 3) in an 11 a.m. first pitch at Mastodon Field.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
BEARS CLINCH SERIES WITH SUNDAY VICTORY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Seven runs in the first two innings helped Missouri State complete the weekend with a 10-4 win over the University of Evansville softball team on Sunday at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
Missouri State turned five first-inning hits into three runs to take the early lead. Evansville recorded a pair of hits in the bottom of the inning with Zoe Frossard and Brooke Voss hitting singles, but UE could not push its first run across the plate.
In the top of the second, the Bears added to their lead with a 4-run inning highlighted by a 2-run homer from Annie Mueller that extended the lead to 7-0. A 2-spot in the third capped a 9-0 start.
Brooke Voss launched a 2-run homer in the bottom of the third to get UE on the board. One inning later, Brooke McCorkle helped two more runs cross the plate. With two runners on, McCorkle hustled to first base, resulting in an error that scored two runs to make it a 10-4 game.
Purple Aces starter Sydney Weatherford allowed nine runs in 2 2/3 innings while Elle Jarrett gave up one run in 1/3 of a frame. Megan Brenton tossed a scoreless four innings. Voss led the offense with two hits and two RBI.
Regular season play comes to a close next weekend when the Aces travel to Normal, Ill. to face Illinois State.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
USI GRABS ANOTHER OVC SERIES WIN WITH SENIOR DAY VICTORY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball closed its 2024 home schedule at USI Softball Field on Sunday by grabbing an 8-2 win over Tennessee State University, clinching its sixth Ohio Valley Conference series win, behind the leadership of the 2024 senior class for the Screaming Eagles.
In Southern Indiana’s (20-19, 14-10 OVC) home half of the first inning, the USI seniors wasted no time making an immediate impact in Sunday’s contest. Seniors Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) and Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) joined sophomore Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) in getting on board and loading the bases. Then senior Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) lifted a pitch opposite field and over the right field fence for her second grand slam and fourth home run of the season to put USI up early, 4-0.
Tennessee State (24-22, 15-9 OVC) cut USI’s lead in half, 4-2, following a sac fly in the third inning and another sac fly in the fourth frame. The Tigers threatened for more in the fourth, but USI junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) ended the threat and the inning with her 200th strikeout of the 2024 campaign.
Following a highlight diving catch by Bedrick in the top of the fifth, Kihega added to her day at the plate and to the USI lead with an RBI double to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kihega’s fifth RBI on the afternoon gave the Screaming Eagles a 5-2 advantage.
The Screaming Eagles posted extra insurance in the bottom of the sixth inning when junior infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) drove in junior outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) with a bases-loaded RBI single. Fair followed with a sac fly to bring home Bedrick, and then Kihega put the icing on the series-clinching victory with an RBI single to increase USI’s lead to 8-2.
Behind the offensive spark by the three seniors and the top of the batting lineup, Southern Indiana registered eight runs on 12 hits. Bedrick finished with two hits and two runs, while Fair had a hit, a run, and an RBI. Kihega went 3-3 with a run and a USI season-high six RBIs at the plate. Stapleton also recorded a three-hit day with three runs scored.
Newman picked up her 17th win of the season (17-8), holding Tennessee State to two runs – one earned – off four hits in the complete game. The right-hander struck out four in the contest.
Tennessee State junior pitcher Caitlyn Manus was charged with the loss, going to 11-11 this year. Manus pitched the first five innings, surrendering five runs off seven hits.
Not only did Sunday’s win add to the senior day festivities recognizing Bedrick, Fair, and Kihega, but the victory also moved Southern Indiana into sole possession of fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. USI has already solidified its conference postseason berth for the second consecutive season and can move as high as third with only one weekend remaining in the regular season. The 2024 OVC postseason field of eight is set, and the final weekend will determine the final seeding for the championship tournament.
The Screaming Eagles will conclude their regular season next weekend on the road at Western Illinois University with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and one game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
VALPO BASEBALL
VALPO DRILLS EIGHT HOME RUNS, RYAN ROBS GRAND SLAM IN EYE-POPPING BLOWOUT OF UIC
The Valparaiso University baseball team slugged eight home runs – its most in a single game on record and in at least two decades – and enjoyed its most lopsided win in 14 years on Sunday afternoon, blitzing UIC 20-0 in seven innings at Curtis Granderson Stadium in Chicago. The Beacons scored nine times in the fourth and had crooked numbers in each of the first four frames on their way to the win. Although the offense was the story of the day, it was a defensive gem that marked the biggest play as Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran) robbed a UIC grand slam to aid a strong outing by Bryce Konitzer (Mukwonago, Wis. / Mukwonago [Oakland]), who went the distance and threw a shutout. Carson Husmann (Hanna, Ind. / South Central [Bradley]) homered twice including a grand slam.
How It Happened
Valpo started fast as Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo) roped the game’s first pitch for a single, then Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) followed with a 380-foot home run to right to give the Beacons an early 2-0 lead.
The prosperous first frame continued with a two-out double by Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd [Wisconsin Oshkosh]) to make it 3-0.
The early onslaught continued in the second when Kade Reinertson (Huxley, Iowa / Ballard Community) drilled a home run to left to extend the lead to 4-0. That was followed by a double by Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) that chased UIC starter Kendall Lyons from the game.
The Beacons drilled their third home run in the game’s first two innings as Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) belted one 415 feet to left, a two-run shot that solidified a second straight three-run frame and made it 6-0.
The de facto home run derby continued in the third as Ryan drilled one 385 feet that was just fair down the left-field line. The two-run shot marked the team’s third straight crooked number to begin the game and extended the lead to 8-0.
The team’s fifth home run in the first three innings came off the bat of Hannahs, whose solo shot chased the second UIC pitcher from the game and made it 9-0 in the third.
UIC had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the third, and Ryan Nagelbach hit one to deep center that would have cleared the center-field wall, but Ryan leaped up and robbed a grand slam to end the inning. The grand slam would have got UIC back in the game, but Ryan’s incredible catch – which should appear on SportsCenter on Sunday evening – kept it 9-0.
The Valpo home runs kept coming in the fourth when Giusti got in on the act with a two-run shot to make it 11-0.
Hannahs, Renfro and Schmack all had RBI singles to keep the runs piling up in the fourth, then Husmann became the seventh Beacon to homer in the game, hitting a grand slam to make it 18-0 and cap a nine-run inning.
Husmann hit his second home run of the game in the sixth, then a Renfro RBI single in the seventh made it 20-0.
Inside the Game
Renfro’s home run was his fourth of the season and the 19th of his collegiate career.
Reinertson’s home run was his first of the season and the second of his collegiate career. His previous dinger came on Feb. 18, 2023 at Kansas.
Schmack’s home run was his 14th of the season and the 32nd of his career. He moved into a tie with Mark Pedersen (1998-2002) for second in program history. Schmack is four home runs away from tying the program’s all-time record set by J.J. Swiatkowski (1997-2002).
Schmack also climbed into a tie for second in program history for home runs in a single season, joining Steve Schank (1985) and J.J. Swiatkowski (1999). Much like the career record, he is four home runs away from tying the single-season record of 18 set by Brian Wolotka in 2001.
Ryan’s home run was his seventh of the season and the 10th of his career.
This marked just the second time since the start of the 2007 season that Valpo hit five or more home runs in a game, joining May 1, 2021 vs. Illinois State (five). This was the team’s first time hitting six or more in a game since April 4, 2006 at Ball State. The eight home runs marked the team’s most on record in a single game.
The eight home runs in a game tied for the sixth most in a single game nationally this season.
Valpo surpassed last season’s total of 50 home runs by lifting its team total to 54 on the season, the team’s highest single-season total since 2001. The 54 home runs rank fourth in single-season program history.
The 20 runs marked Valpo’s most in a league game since joining the Missouri Valley Conference. This was the team’s highest run total since April 11, 2018 vs. Milwaukee (23).
Giusti’s home run was his third of the season.
Husmann’s home runs were his second and third of the series, eighth and ninth of the season and the 31st and 32nd of his collegiate career.
Husmann’s grand slam was Valpo’s first since Ryan Maka on May 5, 2023 vs. Southern Illinois.
Husmann had Valpo’s first multi-homer game since Schmack on March 19 of this season vs. Ball State.
The 20-run margin of victory was Valpo’s largest since April 2, 2010, a 26-5 win over Chicago State. This marked Valpo’s most lopsided shutout since April 15, 2004, a 20-0 win over Lewis.
Not to be overshadowed by the epic offensive performance, Konitzer had a great day on the mound, throwing a two-hit shutout while walking two and striking out eight. He had Valpo’s second complete game of the season, joining Connor Lockwood on March 30 vs. Bradley. He delivered Valpo’s first shutout since April 15, 2023 at Bradley.
Konitzer’s shutout came against a UIC team that entered the day leading the league in batting average (.306), on-base percentage (.412) and runs per game (7.8) and occurred on a hitter-friendly day.
Konitzer had Valpo’s first individual two-hitter since Cole Webb on April 17, 2014 at Milwaukee. (Note, Colin Fields threw a no-hitter on March 12, 2021 at Middle Tennessee).
Valpo returned to the road win column for the first time since March 12 at Gardner Webb, snapping a 15-game road skid, which was the nation’s second longest active such streak before it came to an emphatic end on Sunday.
Renfro had four hits to lead an 18-hit attack, while Hannahs had three and six total Beacons had multi-hit efforts.
Up Next
Valpo (13-28, 5-13 MVC) will visit Western Michigan on Tuesday at 2 p.m. CT for a midweek matchup. The game will be streamed on Bronco All-Access.
UINDY SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL WRAPS UP REGULAR SEASON WITH SENIOR DAY, MILESTONES
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 2 UIndy softball team swept Illinois Springfield on Senior Day. The GLVC regular season champions honored six true seniors and four fifth-years before the contest, including Sydnee Perry, Lauren Mosele, Kenzee Smith, Nicole Pearce, Grace Mosele, Dominique Proctor, Emily O’Connor, Lexy Rees, Braxton Downs and Kaitlyn Brown.
Head Coach Melissa Frost reached a milestone of her own during the doubleheader. After winning game one, Frost became the winningest coach in UIndy history regardless of sport with 809 wins. The previous holder of the record was former baseball coach Gary Vaught with 808 wins. Vaught himself was on hand to throw the ceremonial first pitch in support of his friend. He later presented Frost with a commemorative baseball to mark the achievement.
Additionally, the doubleheader sweep gave the Hounds 50 wins on the season. The team has hit the impressive milestone four previous times, including last year.
GAME 1 | UIndy 4, Illinois Springfield 1
Braxton Downs started the matchup hot with a homer into center field. With Jocelyn Calvin and Megan Nichols on base, the bomb earned Downs three ribbies. The Greyhounds maintained hold of the lead by giving up just one run. Shelby Cook cemented the win in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double.
Emily O’Connor, Calvin, and Nichols each grabbed a hit during the game.
Three-time All-American Kenzee Smith was the starting pitcher in game one. Smith struck out six batters while only walking one. The senior concludes the regular season with a nearly-unbelievable ERA of 0.26.
GAME 2 | UIndy 5, Illinois Springfield 2
The Greyhounds scored all five runs in the first three innings, with singles coming from Lexy Rees and Emily O’Connor. The highlight was a homer into left field by Sydnee Perry in the second.
Calvin had her second hit of the day, this one being a double. Nichols led the team with three hits during game two. The Hounds had a successful contest in the batter’s box, only striking out two times as a team.
Jayden Casebolt entered the circle for the capper. Casebolt faced all 25 batters and finished with five strikeouts, all of the swing-and-miss variety. The junior currently has an ERA of 1.86.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds await the release of the GLVC Championship Tournament bracket, where they secured the No. 1 seed. The tournament will begin on Thursday, May 2, and last through Sunday, May 5. The top eight seeds will compete at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill.
UINDY WOMEN’S LAX
FOUR-PEAT! UINDY SPOILS MARYVILLE PERFECT RECORD FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT GLVC CROWN
ST. LOUIS – The No. 14 and second-seeded UIndy women’s lacrosse team completed the four-peat on Sunday, knocking off sixth-ranked and No. 1 seed Maryville in the GLVC Championship game by a score of 17-10.
The Greyhounds have won all four titles since the league began crowning a champion in 2021. Head coach Peyton Romig has now been a part in three, the first two as a player in 2021 and 2022. UIndy has now claimed each of the last six conference titles, dating back to its time in the GLIAC in 2018-19.
Mackenzie Winn led all players with six points, while Olivia Bladon scored a game-high five goals. A major part of the Greyhounds possession was Malaena Michielin, who secured nine draw controls and scooped up a pair of ground balls.
INS & OUTS
The Greyhounds remained poised all contest, responding to every Saints’ answer with an exclamation point. After the first quarter ended with the teams knotted at five, Mackenzie Winn and Sage Da Silva combined for three goals to give UIndy a tight 8-6 advantage at halftime.
The third quarter was all Hounds, scoring four straight – and seven of eight – goals to pull away from the top-seeded Saints. Olivia Bladon and Caroline Krauch sandwiched the four-goal run, while Winn netted her 100th career score right there in the middle. Joey Fowler scored, too, just three minutes after Winn and 60 seconds before Krauch.
Maryville was unable to string together multiple goals in a row due to a stringent UIndy defense, as well as Michielin’s tough play in the draw circle. The sophomore won two draws in the final frame, while guiding another two to Fowler and Ella Fornek.
Fowler, who scored the first goal of the afternoon at the 13:40 mark of the first quarter, looked to also cap the scoring late in the fourth; however, Megan Dunn had others plan, providing the dagger with under two minutes left.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– UIndy entered Sunday with an impressive 91.7 percent clearance rate, but had to overcome four turnovers in the early going to defeat Maryville.
– The Hounds had a pair of goals waved off in the first half due to a yellow card and stick violation. UIndy was also whistled for eight cards compared to Maryville’s five.
– Each of the starting four Greyhound defenders recorded at least one caused turnover, led by seniors Olivia Grogan and Madison Phillips with two apiece.
– Bladon now has 63 goals this season and ranks eighth all-time in program history with 106 career scores. The sophomore also led all players with five ground balls.
– Freshman Hollis Rang caused one turnover in the win, while scooping up three ground balls.
– Fowler scored four times on Sunday, marking the fourth time this season the senior has done so.
MORE NOTES
UIndy now leads the all-time series, 8-1 … Dunn now sits just eight points from tying Abigail Lagos’ single-season record of 118 … the Hounds have now won at least 14 games in each full season dating back to 2018.
HOUND BYTES
Romig on the win…
“I am so proud of how well the team played today! We were able to play a complete game against a very good team. It was great to see so many people step up into bigger roles. We are looking forward to keeping things rolling!”
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will receive some well-deserved rest, as the NCAA DII selection show is scheduled for Sunday, May 11.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
14 – 9
April 29, 1892 – Charlie Reilly of the Philadelphia Phillies becomes Major League Baseball’s first pinch hitter. Reilly is also famous for another baseball accomplishment. He was the first of two players to have four hits that included al least one home run, as he hit two, in their first major league game
April 29, 1918 – Future Hall of Fame Centerfielder of the Boston Red Sox, Tris Speaker tied a career outfield record of four unassisted double plays.
April 29, 1931 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Wes Ferrell, Number 14 tossed a no-hit shutout against the St Louis Browns, 9-0. Ferrel had a 15 year career with various teams in the AL and was vited as an All-Star twice during his career.
April 29, 1953 – Milwaukee Braves’ Joe Adcock, Number 9 is the first ever player to drive a home run into Polo Grounds center field bleachers.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History Headlines for April 29
April 29, 1927 – John T. Riddell and his fledgling new Riddell Company developed the first football cleat. According to the blog of the Edison Nation.com website, John Riddell taught mathematics also serving as the Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois from the years of 1913 through 1927. It was during this time Riddell invented and developed the removable cleat around 1922. During that era, football shoes were equipped with leather cleats nailed to the sole of the shoe. Changing cleats due to inclement weather required the services of a cobbler to install the longer tangs. Unfortunately, because Northwestern University used the same shoe smith as Evanston Township High School, Riddell’s team football shoes were often not ready by game time. Riddell knew his idea would solve this problem for the masses but lacking the needed funding to produce the new product himself, Riddell had his shoes manufactured by the J.P. Smith Shoe Company, and he and his wife installed the posts and cleats in the evenings. John continued to teach, coach and produce his shoes until this 1927 day, when, with the popularity of his shoes on an upward trend, he left his teaching job therefore devoting his entire effort to producing shoes. The John T. Riddell, Inc. was formally announced in February of 1929 and their aim was to create sporting goods that were innovative, provided protection and gave the best performance to the athletes.
Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the Day comes from the Victoria , Texas paper the Victoria Advocate on April 30, 1980 and read, “ Lions Make Sims No. 1 NFL College Draft Pick.”
April 29, 1980 The Detroit Lions made Oklahoma running back Billy Sims the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. Sims was the 1978 Heisman Trophy winner and was anointed the big fish in this pre-draft class. A confident Sims was quoted in the article as saying, “Whatever the pros dish out, I am ready to take!” At that point in time though the Lions franchise and Billy Sims were very far apart on a mutually agreeable salary. Remember the deals were not structured the way they are now where the draft picks have a pretty good idea what they will be earning based on draft pick position. At the time Sims and his agent Jerry Argovitz were seeking a cool $4.5 million for a 6 year contract. Simms made a statement about how the pre-draft negotiations were going, “Detroit will have to wake up. I was hoping to sign with Detroit soon. Everybody’s making a 100 percent effort except Lions General manager Russ Thomas. He’s made zero effort.” Reports circulated that the Lions had their opening offer somewhere in the neighborhood of $700.000, so the gap at first was indeed a wide one between team and player. Finally on June 11 a deal was struck as the Detroit Free Press Sports page posted this headline,”Lions’ Billy Sims:’I believe in Miracles!’ The results of the financial package were confidential as part of the contract, but we do know that Sims and his agent were giddy over the results. Speculation for the Free Press article placed the contract at $2 million a season over four years.
If you want to be able to be able to read through some old articles like The Detroit Free Press, you need to check out Newspapers.com. At Newspapers.com, you can get access to over 640 million pages’ worth of news from the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland and more dating back from 1798 to yesterday. Get a free one week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you’ll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows.
Future Hall of Fame players that came out of the 1980 NFL Draft were bengals tackle Anthony Munoz as the third pick, wide receiver Art Monk taken at 18 by the Washington franchise and Dwight Stephenson, a center chosen by the Dolphins with pick number 48 according to the Pro Football Reference website.
April 29, 1981 – South Carolina running back George Rogers becomes the first pick by the New Orleans Saints at the 1981 NFL Draft. Rogers deservedly won the Heisman Trophy for his outstanding All-American 1980 season with the Gamecocks. Rogers did not pan out quite as well as a pro though but an amazing 7 of his Draft Classmates so far, per the Pro Football Reference, have made their way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For starters one of the top linebackers of all time, Lawrence Taylor was the second overall selection by the Giants soon to be followed by defensive backs Kenny Easley at number 4 by Seattle and Ronnie Lott the 8th pick by the 49ers. In the second round more future Gold Jacket bearers joined their teams as the Bears took Mike Singletary at number 38, Howie Long was scooped up the the Raiders at 48 and the 51st overall pick of Rickey Jackson by New Orleans was a gem. Russ Grimm may have been the steal of this Draft as Washington chose the lineman with the 69th overall selection.
April 29, 1986 – The NFL Draft of 1986 started off with Auburn running back Bo Jackson becoming the first pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to a story in the Orlando Sentinel the Bucs took a big chance with their pick of Jackson because Bo warned team officials he would not play for owner Hugh Culverhouse. Apparently Culverhouse, the Bucs owner, sent his private jet to pick up the reigning Heisman Trophy winner for a physical and a visit. Jackson was soon ruled ineligible to play baseball for Auburn because Tampa Bay had failed to check on NCAA and SEC rules, despite assuring Jackson otherwise. Jackson held true to his word and turned down approximately $7 million with Tampa to play with the MLB’s Kansas City Royals for $1.6 million. After waiting a year the Buccaneers lost all rights to Jackson and he became eligible for the 1987 NFL Draft and the Raiders took a flyer on him in the 7th round of the 87 draft and Bo ended up playing for the Black and Silver. Going back to the 1986 Draft there was only one player that I could find that is currently enshrined in Canton and that is the San Francisco 49ers fourth round selection, 96th overall of James Madison University’s defensive end, Charles Haley.
April 29, 2006 – Mario WIlliams the brilliant defensive end of North Carolina State was the first pick of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. This draft is still too fresh to have pliers placed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame so here are the first twelve picks per the Pro Football Reference website.
Pick Tm Player Pos College/Univ
1 HOU Mario Williams DE North Carolina St.
2 NOR Reggie Bush RB USC
3 TEN Vince Young QB Texas
4 NYJ D’Brickashaw Ferguson T Virginia
5 GNB A.J. Hawk LB Ohio St.
6 SFO Vernon Davis TE Maryland
7 OAK Michael Huff DB Texas
8 BUF Donte Whitner DB Ohio St.
9 DET Ernie Sims LB Florida St.
10 ARI Matt Leinart QB USC
11 DEN Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt
12 BAL Haloti Ngata DT Oregon
April 29, 2021 – The prime time extravaganza of the 2021 NFL Draft was held in Cleveland, Ohio on a rainy chilly day. # QBs were the first off of the board!The Jacksonville Jaguars brought a little bit of sunshine to their fans when the Commissioner read the card that stated that their first pick in the NFL Draft was Quarterback Trevor Lawrence from Clemson. The New York Jets then took fellow QB Zach Wilson from BYU. Not to be outdone the 49ers selected Trey Lance the signal caller from North Dakota State.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for April 29
April 29, 1914 – Jacksboro, Texas – The fine Texas Christian University center from 1933 to 1935, Darrell Lester was born. Darrell has the distinction of being the first player to have played in the Southwestern US that was a two-time All America player per the National Football Foundation. Lester famously captained the 1935 Texas Christian football team which had a 12-1 record and beat Louisiana State in the Sugar Bowl. Darrell Lester received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. After graduating from TCU Darrell played two seasons with the Green Bay Packers and then retired early with a shoulder injury.
April 29, 1918 – Detroit, Michigan – The wheeling and dealing ball coach that once attended Alma College, Marquette University and the University of Michigan, George Allen was born. George had stints as the head man for both the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins. Coach Allen had an impressive 12 seasons in the League as his teams posted a 118-54 -5 record. In fact, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website, he never had a team with a losing record under his career. His coaching philosophy was to wait to have success but had the “future is now” mentality and successfully pulled off 131 trades in his coaching tenure. He was voted as the NFL’s Coach of the Year in both 1967 and 1971. In 2002 at ceremonies in Canton, Ohio George Allen was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Coach.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
April 29
1902 — Baltimore Orioles infielder John McGraw is hit by pitches five times, but home plate umpire Jack Sheridan refuses to allow him to take first base. In the 9th inning, McGraw is hit for the last time and sits down in the batter’s box in protest. American League president Ban Johnson will suspend McGraw for five games.
1918 — Center fielder Tris Speaker executed the fourth unassisted double play of his career in the Cleveland Indians’ 8-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
1922 — The New York Giants hit four inside-the-park home runs in a 15-4 win at Braves Field in Boston. George Kelly hit two and Ross Youngs and Dave Bancroft hit the others. Youngs also hit for the cycle and added a double while going 5-for-5 and driving in five runs.
1931 — Wes Ferrell of the Cleveland Indians pitched a 7-0 no-hitter over the St. Louis Browns, including his brother Rick. Wes also knocked in four runs with a homer and a double.
1933 — In a strange play at home plate, catcher Luke Sewell of the Washington Senators tagged out two Yankees runners on the same play. Lou Gehrig had held up, thinking a fly ball would be caught. Dixie Walker closed up on him, and both were tagged out trying to score.
1958 — Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox becomes the tenth major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits.
1981 — Steve Carlton struck out Montreal’s Tim Wallach in the first inning of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 6-2 victory over the visiting Expos to become the sixth major league pitcher — and first left-hander — to strike out 3,000 batters.
1986 — Roger Clemens set a major league record by striking out 20 batters as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-1.
1987 — Andre Dawson had five hits and hit for the cycle to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 victory the San Francisco Giants.
1988 — The Baltimore Orioles ended their 21-game losing streak by winning their first game of the season, 9-0 over the Chicago White Sox on a combined four-hitter by Mark Williamson and Dave Schmidt.
1994 — Kirk Rueter of the Montreal Expos becomes the first major league pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 to start his career with a 10-0 record.
1996 — New York Mets closer John Franco becomes the first left-hander in major league history to record 300 saves.
1997 — Chili Davis of the Kansas City Royals becomes the 75th major leaguer to hit 300 home runs.
2005 — In the first matchup between 300-game winners in almost 18 years, the Cubs’ Greg Maddux outdueled the Astros’ Roger Clemens in Chicago’s 3-2 win over Houston. Maddux earned his first win of season and 306th of his career, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings.
2006 — Albert Pujols sets a major league record with his 14th home run in April.
2007 — Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki had an unassisted triple play in the seventh inning of the Rockies’ 9-7 win over Atlanta.
2015 — In what was believed to be the first major league game played without fans in attendance, Chris Davis hit a three-run homer in a six-run first inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2. After a pair of postponements caused by rioting in Baltimore, the Orioles and Chicago White Sox played at Camden Yards. The gates at Camden Yards were locked because of concern for fan safety following recent rioting in Baltimore after a 25-year-old black man died in police custody.
2017 — Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle for the second time and Rougned Odor hit a tiebreaking two-run homer to help the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3.
2017 — Yasiel Puig, Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner hit consecutive homers off Hector Neris in the ninth, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers rally for a 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Los Angeles trailed 5-2 before the three straight homers.
2020 — The Hall of Fame announces the cancellation of its annual induction ceremony in Cooperstown, NY, scheduled for the last week-end of July, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the ceremony will be combined one year later with the one for the Class of 2021.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1989 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)..
Off the field…
On October 17th as 60,000+ Giants and A’s fans inside Candlestick Park anxiously awaited the start of Game 3 of the World Series, an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale shook the San Francisco area killing sixty-seven people and causing nearly $10 billion in damages.
U.S. Armed Forces invaded Panama after General Manuel Noriega, clamped down on the country’s already limited democracy. After taking control of the region and holding a siege over Noriega’s compound, U.S. troops arrested the self-proclaimed military dictator and brought him to the United States to face charges of drug trafficking.
The super-tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground off the coast of Alaska spilling eleven million gallons of oil into the Prince Willliam Sound. About seventy-hundred thirty miles of coastline and wildlife was affected by the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history and Exxon spent over $1 billion in trying to clean up the damage.
In the American League…
On June 27th, Frank Robinson’s Baltimore Orioles went up against Cito Gaston’s Toronto Blue Jays for the first meeting in Major League history between two black managers. The Orioles went on to dominate the outing 16-6.
Seattle Mariners’ rookie sensation Ken Griffey, Jr. debuted at age nineteen and hit the first pitch he saw for a double off of the Oakland Athletics’ Dave Stewart. His father, Ken Griffey, Sr. was still with the Cincinnati Reds making them the first father and son to play in the majors simultaneously.
Texas Ranger Nolan Ryan set the all-time strikeout record after sitting down the Oakland Athletics’ Rickey Henderson with a 95-mph fastball for his 5,000th career “K”. The forty-two year old ace started the contest needing six and finished with seven despite losing 2-0.
In the National League…
On June 3rd, the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers battled for twenty-two innings in a seven hour, fourteen minute marathon that set the all-time record for the longest night game in National League history. As Saturday rolled into Sunday, the home team managed to break the stalemate for a 5-4 victory courtesy of an unlikely hero. Originally slated as a starting pitcher for the following day’s outing, Mike Scott was sent home to rest before the game went into extra innings. As the contest wore on, he was eventually called back to the Astrodome and ended up pinch-hitting for his exhausted teammates. Drafted by the New York Mets in the 2nd round of the 1976 amateur draft, the right-hander had never been known for his skills at the plate. Statistics meant nothing though as Scott surprised everyone in attendance with a clutch, sacrifice-fly that ended the game. Both teams (and fans) staggered out of the ballpark, but returned a few hours later for an afternoon game that had already been scheduled. Amazingly, both opponents went toe-to-toe again for another thirteen-inning marathon that ended with a second Astros’ victory (7-6). As 1989 was not exactly a banner year for the Houston franchise, the two-day, and thirty-five inning series was an exhilarating highlight for both the players, as well as the fans.
San Francisco Giants’ pitcher, Dave Dravecky snapped his own arm while delivering a pitch in the sixth-inning against the Montreal Expos. The injury resulted in a stress fracture of the humerus, which was attributed to arm surgery that he had in 1988 due to cancer. Dravecky was pitching a shutout at the time and was given credit for the final 3-2 decision. Soon after, he retired with a 64-57 win-loss record.
Howard Johnson, of the New York Mets, hit his thirtieth homerun on August 20th matching the thirty stolen bases that he had tallied to date. The tying statistic made him only the third, two-time member of the 30-30 club along with Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays.
Around the league…
Sports Illustrated printed details of Pete Rose’s rumored gambling activities including allegations of hand signaling from the dugout in Riverfront Stadium to several betting associates. A few months later, the FBI reported possessing several betting sheets with the Reds’ manager’s handwriting and fingerprints on them. In August after a thorough investigation, the baseball commissioner’s office found him guilty of betting on the games and forced Rose to sign an agreement banning him entirely from Major League Baseball.
Donnie Moore, the thirty-five year-old former pitcher for the Anaheim Angels, shot his wife, then killed himself after battling severe depression attributed to the home run he yielded to the Red Sox’s Dave Henderson in the 1986 American League Championship Series.
On September 1st, Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti died at age fifty-one of an apparent heart attack while vacationing at his summer cottage in Martha’s Vineyard. He became only the second Major League Baseball Commissioner to die while serving office along with Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
Two modern baseball classics hit the big screen as “Field of Dreams” and “Major League” debuted at the box office. The first starred Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta and James Earl Jones in a film version of the W.P. Kinsella novel “Shoeless Joe” and the second featured Tom Berenger, and Charlie Sheen who took a more “tongue-in-cheek” approach to Cleveland Indian’s baseball.
HISTORY OF THE COLORADO ROCKIES (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
They may not win a lot, but no one can say the Colorado Rockies have been dull. Playing a distinctive “mile high style” of baseball in a pinball machine of a ballpark, they (and their opponents) have been lighting up scoreboards – and pitchers – for almost two decades.
Those who spent years (and in some cases decades) trying to lure a major league franchise to Denver argued that their city was hungry for Major League Baseball. Their vision became realty when Denver was awarded a franchise in 1991, and their arguments vindicated two years later when the Rockies played their first game in front of more than 80,000 fans, the largest opening day crowd in baseball history.
The Rockies won that game against Montreal 11-4, the franchise’s first major league win. They had lost their first two games to the Mets at Shea Stadium, 3-0 on April 5 and 6-1 on April 7, 1993.
In their first two seasons the Rockies played to more than 7.7 million fans at Mile High Stadium. They had 52 crowds exceed 60,000 and 21 times exceeded 70,000. This was not lost on Rockies ownership, which had broken ground on Coors Field in 1991. Originally designed to accommodate 43,000, they quickly redesigned the park to accommodate more than 50,000 before its 1995 opening.
The Rockies won the first game at Coors on April 26, 1995, defeating the Mets 11-9 in an example of “mile high style” of baseball. Mile high is not an exaggeration at Coors Field — the 20th row of the upper deck is exactly one mile above sea level.
The “mile high style” of baseball comes courtesy of the thin air at Denver’s altitude. According to the Coors Field web site, scientific studies show a baseball hit 400 feet in New York (sea level) will travel 10 percent farther in Denver, or 440 feet. The result? A “mile high style” of baseball where runs and home runs come cheaply, punch-and-Judy hitters become sluggers, no lead is safe, and final scores sound like the teams had field goal kickers instead of batters in their lineups.
The “mile high style” broke new ground in 1999 when a record 303 homes runs were launched at Coors Field and the average score was 8-7.
The Rockies have parlayed “mile high style” baseball into seven winning seasons. They have earned three wild card appearances, their first in 1995 in only their third season. Their lone National League pennant and World Series appearance came in 2007 when they lost to Boston. Their most recent postseason appearance came in 2009.
Their short history has not prevented the Rockies from setting some impressive offensive numbers. They have had eleven batting champions and six home runs champions in their first 30 years. The franchise record for home runs in a season is jointly held by Larry Walker and Todd Helton at 49, and Andres Galarraga holds the RBI mark at 150.
“Mile high style” baseball has taken a heavy toll on the Rockies pitching staff. Many years their staff earned run average has been above 5.00. However, hard throwing right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez has shown that pitchers can succeed in Coors, with a 19-8 record and a 2.88 ERA in 2010. With a 50-36 career record, Jimenez is quickly moving up the list among Rockies all-time victory leaders.
One reason pitchers struggle in Coors is the thin air that prevents breaking pitches from having their usual bite. This has also scared away potential free agent pitching talent, and made those free agents who did sign with Colorado regret it — see Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle.
The “mile high style” may be exciting and the Rockies may wind up setting every offensive record in the books, but it exacts a great toll on pitchers and the teams’ overall ability to win. It’s a classic case of dying by the same sword they live by.
BASEBALL GREATS
HANK BAUER
One of Casey Stengel‘s favorites, Bauer didn’t give away runs or make mental mistakes, and he had a fierce determination to win. He collected nine WS checks while with the Yankees and would snarl “Don’t mess with my money!” to teammates who didn’t hustle. The ex-Marine exuded authority; his face was likened to a clenched fist. Stengel platooned Bauer for much of his Yankee career, but he still emerged as a solid hitter with both power and speed. He started three straight All-Star games (1952-54) and hit 26 HR in 1956 and 18 first-inning leadoff HR in his career. He hit a three-run triple in the finale of the 1951 WS, and secured the 4-3 win over the Giants with a sliding catch in right field as the would-be tying run was streaking home. From 1956 to 1958 he set a WS record with a 17-game hitting streak. Bauer was eventually traded to the A’s in the deal that brought Roger Maris to New York. He managed the Orioles to the 1966 World Championship.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
April 29
1901 — His Eminence, ridden by Jimmy Winkfield, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Sannazarro in the only Derby ever raced in April.
1961 — ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” debuts.
1963 — LPGA Titleholders Championship Women’s Golf, Augusta CC: Marilynn Smith beats Mickey Wright by 1 shot in 18-hole playoff.
1970 — Los Angeles Lakers guard Jerry West hits a 60-foot desperation shot at the buzzer to tie Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. The Knicks outscore the Lakers 9-6 in the overtime for a 111-108 win.
1980 — NFL Draft: Oklahoma running back Billy Sims first pick by Detroit Lions.
1981 — MLB Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton is 1st lefty to strike out 3,000 batters.
1981 — NFL Draft: South Carolina running back George Rogers first pick by New Orleans Saints.
1985 — Tony Tubbs captures the WBA heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Greg Page in Buffalo, N.Y.
1985 — New York Yankees fire manager Yogi Berra 16 games into season, despite assurance from owner George Steinbrenner that he would be kept for the whole season. Billy Martin named as replacement.
1986 — Roger Clemens set a major league record by striking out 20 batters as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-1.
1986 — NFL Draft: Auburn running back Bo Jackson first pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
1988 — The Baltimore Orioles end their 21-game losing streak by winning their first game of the season, 9-0 over the Chicago White Sox.
1990 — Pat Riley becomes the winningest coach in NBA playoff history as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 104-100. Riley’s 100th victory put him ahead of Red Auerbach.
1998 — For the first time in the 124-year history of the Kentucky Derby, a redraw is ordered during the post-position draw. Churchill Downs officials allowed ESPN to control the announcing of the draw. Commentator Chris Lincoln called the No. 15 pill twice while picking the draft order for post positions.
2000 — Lennox Lewis knocks down Michael Grant three times in the first round and knocks him out at 2:53 of the second at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain his WBC and IBF heavyweight titles. The combined weight of 497 pounds made it the heaviest title fight ever.
2003 — Indiana outscores Boston 5-0 in overtime for a 93-88 victory, cutting the Celtics’ first-round series lead to 3-2. It’s the first overtime shutout in NBA playoff history.
2006 — NFL Draft: North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams first pick from Houston Texans.
2007 — Phoenix guard Steve Nash has 23 assists, one shy of the NBA playoff record, to help Phoenix to a 113-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
2010 — The NCAA’s Board of Directors approve a 68-team format for the men’s basketball tournament beginning next season. It’s the first expansion since 2001 when the tourney went from 64 to 65 teams.
2013 — NBA veteran center Jason Collins becomes the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins writes a first-person account posted on Sports Illustrated’s website. The 34-year-old free agent played for six NBA teams in 12 seasons.
2014 — Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is banned for life by the NBA in response to racist comments he made in an audio recording. The Clippers’ owner is also fined $2.5 million, the maximum amount allowed under the NBA Constitution.
2018 — Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal equals his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11 Monte Carlo) with his 11th Barcelona ATP title.
TV SPORTS MONDAY
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| NY Yankees at Baltimore | 6:35pm | YES MASN |
| St. Louis at Detroit | 6:40pm | Bally Sports-Midwest Bally Sports-Detroit |
| Washington at Miami | 6:40pm | MASN2 Bally Sports-Florida |
| Kansas City at Toronto | 7:07pm | Bally Sports-Kansas City Sportsnet |
| Chi. Cubs at NY Mets | 7:10pm | MARQ SNY |
| Tampa Bay at Milwuakee | 7:40pm | Bally Sports-Sun Bally Sports-Wisconsin |
| Minnesota at Chi. White Sox | 7:40pm | FS1 Bally Sports-North NBC Sports-Chicago |
| Philadelphia at LA Angels | 9:38pm | NBC Sports-Philadelphia Bally Sports-West |
| Atlanta at Seattle | 9:40pm | MLBN Bally Sports-South Root Sports |
| LA Dodgers at Arizona | 9:40pm | MLBN SNLA YurView |
| Pittsburgh at Oakland | 9:40pm | ATTSN-Pittsburgh NBC Sports-California |
| Cincinnati at San Diego | 9:40pm | Bally Sports-Ohio Padres.TV |
| NBA PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| First Round Game 4: Boston at Miami | 7:30pm | TNT |
| First Round Game 4: Oklahoma City at New Orleans | 8:30pm | NBATV |
| First Round Game 5: LA Lakers at Denver | 10:00pm | TNT |
| NHL PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| First Round Game 5: Tampa Bay at Florida | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| First Round Game 4: Dallas at Vegas | – | – |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Genoa vs Cagliari | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Barcelona vs Valencia | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Brasileirão: São Paulo vs Palmeiras | 7:00pm | Paramount+ |
| COLLEGE SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Mississippi State vs Missouri | 7:00pm | SECN |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Mutua Madrid Open Tennis: ATP 3rd Round, WTA Round of 16 | 5:00am | TENNIS |
| Mutua Madrid Open Tennis: ATP 3rd Round, WTA Round of 16 | 1:00pm | TENNIS |