IHSAA SOFTBALL PAIRINGS
CLASS 4A
1. MERRILLVILLE (7)
G1: GARY WEST SIDE VS. MERRILLVILLE.
G2: EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL VS. LAKE CENTRAL.
G3: HAMMOND MORTON VS. HAMMOND CENTRAL.
G4: MUNSTER VS. G1 WINNER.
G5: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G4 WINNER VS. G5 WINNER.
2. VALPARAISO (6)
G1: CROWN POINT VS. PORTAGE.
G2: CHESTERTON VS. VALPARAISO.
G3: LOWELL VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: HOBART VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
3. MISHAWAKA (6)
G1: MICHIGAN CITY VS. SOUTH BEND ADAMS.
G2: MISHAWAKA VS. PLYMOUTH.
G3: LAPORTE VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
4.PENN (6)
G1: ELKHART VS. WARSAW COMMUNITY.
G2: PENN VS. NORTHRIDGE.
G3: CONCORD VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: GOSHEN VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
5. DEKALB (5)
G1: FORT WAYNE SNIDER VS. DEKALB.
G2: FORT WAYNE NORTHROP VS. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE).
G3: FORT WAYNE NORTH SIDE VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
6.COLUMBIA CITY (6)
G1: FORT WAYNE SOUTH SIDE VS. HOMESTEAD.
G2: COLUMBIA CITY VS. HUNTINGTON NORTH.
G3: FORT WAYNE WAYNE VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: NEW HAVEN VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
7. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (5)
G1: KOKOMO VS. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE).
G2: LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON VS. MCCUTCHEON.
G3: LOGANSPORT VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
8.NOBLESVILLE (6)
G1: FISHERS VS. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN.
G2: CARMEL VS. WESTFIELD.
G3: ZIONSVILLE VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: NOBLESVILLE VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
9.NEW PALESTINE (7)
G1: NEW PALESTINE VS. MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE).
G2: RICHMOND VS. ANDERSON.
G3: PENDLETON HEIGHTS VS. GREENFIELD-CENTRAL.
G4: MUNCIE CENTRAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G5: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G4 WINNER VS. G5 WINNER.
10. NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (7)
G1: PIKE VS. BEN DAVIS.
G2: LAWRENCE NORTH VS. NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS).
G3: INDIANAPOLIS CRISPUS ATTUCKS VS. LAWRENCE CENTRAL.
G4: INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G5: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G4 WINNER VS. G5 WINNER.
11. SOUTHPORT (6)
G1: FRANKLIN CENTRAL VS. PERRY MERIDIAN.
G2: RONCALLI VS. INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECHNICAL.
G3: SOUTHPORT VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: WARREN CENTRAL VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
12. AVON (6)
G1: TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO VS. AVON.
G2: BROWNSBURG VS. PLAINFIELD.
G3: DECATUR CENTRAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: TERRE HAUTE SOUTH VIGO VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
13. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (6)
G1: CENTER GROVE VS. MOORESVILLE.
G2: MARTINSVILLE VS. BLOOMINGTON NORTH.
G3: BLOOMINGTON SOUTH VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: GREENWOOD COMMUNITY VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
14. COLUMBUS NORTH (6)
G1: EAST CENTRAL VS. SHELBYVILLE.
G2: COLUMBUS NORTH VS. COLUMBUS EAST.
G3: FRANKLIN COMMUNITY VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: WHITELAND COMMUNITY VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
15. BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (6)
G1: JENNINGS COUNTY VS. NEW ALBANY.
G2: SEYMOUR VS. BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE.
G3: JEFFERSONVILLE VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: FLOYD CENTRAL VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
16. EVANSVILLE NORTH (5)
G1: EVANSVILLE CENTRAL VS. CASTLE.
G2: EVANSVILLE NORTH VS. EVANSVILLE REITZ.
G3: EVANSVILLE HARRISON VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CLASS 3A
17. HIGHLAND (6)
G1: CALUMET VS. HIGHLAND.
G2: RIVER FOREST VS. BOONE GROVE.
G3: HANOVER CENTRAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: GRIFFITH VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
18. TWIN LAKES (6)
G1: NORTH MONTGOMERY VS. TWIN LAKES.
G2: WESTERN VS. NORTHWESTERN.
G3: FRANKFORT VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: WEST LAFAYETTE VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
19. JIMTOWN (6)
G1: SOUTH BEND RILEY VS. MISHAWAKA MARIAN.
G2: SOUTH BEND CLAY VS. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON.
G3: JIMTOWN VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: NEW PRAIRIE VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
20. KANKAKEE VALLEY (6)
G1: KNOX VS. CULVER ACADEMIES.
G2: GLENN VS. KANKAKEE VALLEY.
G3: RENSSELAER CENTRAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: TIPPECANOE VALLEY VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
21. NORTHWOOD (6)
G1: WAWASEE VS. FAIRFIELD.
G2: EAST NOBLE VS. WEST NOBLE.
G3: LAKELAND VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: NORTHWOOD VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
22. ANGOLA (7)
G1: FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER VS. LEO.
G2: FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA LUTHERAN VS. GARRETT. G3: ANGOLA VS. HERITAGE.
G4: WOODLAND VS. G1 WINNER. G5: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G4 WINNER VS. G5 WINNER.
23. BELLMONT (5)
G1: NORWELL VS. OAK HILL.
G2: BELLMONT VS. PERU.
G3: MACONAQUAH VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
24. DELTA (6)
G1: DELTA VS. MISSISSINEWA.
G2: CENTERVILLE VS. JAY COUNTY.
G3: NEW CASTLE VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: YORKTOWN VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
25. TRI-WEST HENDRICKS (6)
G1: DANVILLE COMMUNITY VS. TRI-WEST HENDRICKS.
G2: CRAWFORDSVILLE VS. MONROVIA.
G3: WESTERN BOONE VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: LEBANON VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
26. NORTHVIEW (5)
G1: WEST VIGO VS. OWEN VALLEY.
G2: EDGEWOOD VS. NORTHVIEW.
G3: INDIAN CREEK VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
27. INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (5)
G1: HAMILTON HEIGHTS VS. INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE.
G2: GUERIN CATHOLIC VS. INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD.
G3: BREBEUF JESUIT VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
28. BEECH GROVE (5)
G1: BEECH GROVE VS. SPEEDWAY.
G2: PURDUE POLYTECHNIC VS. INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON.
G3: HERRON VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
29. CONNERSVILLE (7)
G1: SOUTH DEARBORN VS. FRANKLIN COUNTY.
G2: LAWRENCEBURG VS. CONNERSVILLE.
G3: RUSHVILLE CONSOLIDATED VS. GREENSBURG.
G4: BATESVILLE VS. G1 WINNER.
G5: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G4 WINNER VS. G5 WINNER.
30. CHARLESTOWN (7)
G1: MADISON CONSOLIDATED VS. CHARLESTOWN.
G2: SALEM VS. SCOTTSBURG.
G3: NORTH HARRISON VS. SILVER CREEK.
G4: CORYDON CENTRAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G5: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G4 WINNER VS. G5 WINNER.
31. JASPER (6)
G1: WASHINGTON VS. PIKE CENTRAL.
G2: JASPER VS. SOUTHRIDGE.
G3: HERITAGE HILLS VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: VINCENNES LINCOLN VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
32. GIBSON SOUTHERN (6)
G1: PRINCETON COMMUNITY VS. EVANSVILLE BOSSE.
G2: MT. VERNON VS. BOONVILLE.
G3: EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: GIBSON SOUTHERN VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
CLASS 2A
33. ILLIANA CHRISTIAN (6)
G1: LAKE STATION EDISON VS. ILLIANA CHRISTIAN.
G2: WHITING VS. ANDREAN.
G3: NORTH NEWTON VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: HAMMOND BISHOP NOLL VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
34. SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (6)
G1: SOUTH BEND CAREER VS. BREMEN.
G2: LAVILLE VS. SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS).
G3: WHEELER VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: HEBRON VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
35. EASTSIDE (5)
G1: CENTRAL NOBLE VS. PRAIRIE HEIGHTS.
G2: WESTVIEW VS. CHURUBUSCO.
G3: EASTSIDE VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
36. MANCHESTER (6)
G1: BLUFFTON VS. SOUTH ADAMS.
G2: WHITKO VS. MANCHESTER.
G3: ADAMS CENTRAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
37. ROCHESTER COMMUNITY (6)
G1: NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE VS. WABASH.
G2: ROCHESTER COMMUNITY VS. WINAMAC COMMUNITY.
G3: LEWIS CASS VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: PIONEER VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
38. DELPHI COMMUNITY (6)
G1: CLINTON PRAIRIE VS. TIPTON.
G2: DELPHI COMMUNITY VS. BENTON CENTRAL.
G3: CARROLL (FLORA) VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: SEEGER VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
39. MADISON-GRANT (6)
G1: ELWOOD COMMUNITY VS. MADISON-GRANT.
G2: BLACKFORD VS. EASTBROOK.
G3: EASTERN (GREENTOWN) VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: TAYLOR VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
40. FRANKTON (6)
G1: LAPEL VS. ALEXANDRIA MONROE.
G2: WINCHESTER COMMUNITY VS. MONROE CENTRAL.
G3: FRANKTON VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: WAPAHANI VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
41. UNION COUNTY (6)
G1: EASTERN HANCOCK VS. SHENANDOAH.
G2: KNIGHTSTOWN VS. UNION COUNTY.
G3: NORTHEASTERN VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: HAGERSTOWN VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
42. TRITON CENTRAL (6)
G1: CHRISTEL HOUSE VS. INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA.
G2: PARK TUDOR VS. IRVINGTON PREPARATORY.
G3: HERITAGE CHRISTIAN VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: TRITON CENTRAL VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
43. CASCADE (5)
G1: INDIANAPOLIS CARDINAL RITTER VS. SHERIDAN.
G2: RIVERSIDE VS. CASCADE.
G3: COVENANT CHRISTIAN VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
44. SOUTHMONT (6)
G1: SOUTH VERMILLION VS. SOUTH PUTNAM.
G2: PARKE HERITAGE VS. SOUTHMONT.
G3: GREENCASTLE VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: NORTH PUTNAM VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
45. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (7)
G1: SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) VS. MILAN.
G2: SWITZERLAND COUNTY VS. HAUSER.
G3: BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL VS. BROWN COUNTY.
G4: SOUTH RIPLEY VS. G1 WINNER.
G5: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G4 WINNER VS. G5 WINNER.
46. EASTERN (PEKIN) (6)
G1: EASTERN (PEKIN) VS. AUSTIN.
G2: PAOLI VS. CLARKSVILLE.
G3: CRAWFORD COUNTY VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: PROVIDENCE VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
47. LINTON-STOCKTON (6)
G1: MITCHELL VS. LINTON-STOCKTON.
G2: SULLIVAN VS. SOUTH KNOX.
G3: NORTH KNOX VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: EASTERN GREENE VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
48. FOREST PARK (6)
G1: FOREST PARK VS. SOUTH SPENCER.
G2: PERRY CENTRAL VS. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI.
G3: NORTH POSEY VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: TELL CITY VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
CLASS A
49. KOUTS (6)
G1: MORGAN TOWNSHIP VS. DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN.
G2: HAMMOND S&T VS. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
G3: KOUTS VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: TRI-TOWNSHIP VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
50. WESTVILLE (6)
G1: WESTVILLE VS. CULVER COMMUNITY.
G2: TRITON VS. OREGON-DAVIS.
G3: ARGOS VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: MARQUETTE CATHOLIC VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
51. LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN (4)
G1: ELKHART CHRISTIAN VS. LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN.
G2: FREMONT VS. HAMILTON.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER.
52. NORTH MIAMI (6)
G1: SOUTHWOOD VS. NORTH MIAMI.
G2: WEST CENTRAL VS. NORTH WHITE.
G3: NORTHFIELD VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: CASTON VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
53. ROSSVILLE (6)
G1: SOUTH NEWTON VS. FAITH CHRISTIAN.
G2: CLINTON CENTRAL VS. ROSSVILLE.
G3: TRI-COUNTY VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: FRONTIER VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
54. RIVERTON PARKE (6)
G1: LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC VS. ATTICA.
G2: COVINGTON VS. RIVERTON PARKE.
G3: FOUNTAIN CENTRAL VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: NORTH VERMILLION VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
55. DALEVILLE (6)
G1: SOUTHERN WELLS VS. WES-DEL.
G2: COWAN VS. TRI-CENTRAL.
G3: LIBERTY CHRISTIAN VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: DALEVILLE VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
56. CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (4)
G1: CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN VS. UNION CITY.
G2: TRI VS. RANDOLPH SOUTHERN.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER.
57. CLAY CITY (7)
G1: DUGGER UNION VS. CLAY CITY.
G2: BLOOMFIELD VS. CLOVERDALE.
G3: SHAKAMAK VS. WHITE RIVER VALLEY.
G4: NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) VS. G1 WINNER.
G5: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G4 WINNER VS. G5 WINNER.
58. BETHESDA CHRISTIAN (4)
G1: BETHESDA CHRISTIAN VS. TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN.
G2: INDIANA DEAF VS. TINDLEY.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER.
59. EDINBURGH (6)
G1: EMINENCE VS. INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN.
G2: EDINBURGH VS. GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN.
G3: PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: MORRISTOWN VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
60. NORTH DECATUR (6)
G1: JAC-CEN-DEL VS. SOUTH DECATUR.
G2: OLDENBURG VS. NORTH DECATUR.
G3: SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: WALDRON VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
61. WEST WASHINGTON (5)
G1: LANESVILLE VS. ROCK CREEK.
G2: CHRISTIAN ACADEMY VS. BORDEN.
G3: WEST WASHINGTON VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
62. RISING SUN (6)
G1: SHAWE MEMORIAL VS. HENRYVILLE.
G2: NEW WASHINGTON VS. RISING SUN.
G3: TRINITY LUTHERAN VS. G1 WINNER.
G4: CROTHERSVILLE VS. G2 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G3 WINNER VS. G4 WINNER.
63. LOOGOOTEE (4)
G1: ORLEANS VS. BARR-REEVE.
G2: LOOGOOTEE VS. NORTH DAVIESS.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G1 WINNER VS. G2 WINNER.
64. WOOD MEMORIAL (5)
G1: NORTHEAST DUBOIS VS. CANNELTON.
G2: WOOD MEMORIAL VS. TECUMSEH.
G3: SPRINGS VALLEY VS. G1 WINNER.
CHAMPIONSHIP: G2 WINNER VS. G3 WINNER.
NBA PLAYOFFS
MIAMI 108 NEW YORK 101
GOLDEN STATE 120 SACRAMENTO 100
NBA PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE
EASTERN CONFERENCE
BOSTON CELTICS (2) VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (3)
• GAME 1: SIXERS VS. CELTICS | MON., MAY 1 | 7:30 ET, TNT
• GAME 2: SIXERS VS. CELTICS | WED., MAY 3 | 8 ET, TNT
• GAME 3: CELTICS VS. SIXERS | FRI., MAY 5 | 7:30 ET, ESPN
• GAME 4: CELTICS VS. SIXERS | SUN., MAY 7 | 3:30 ET, ESPN
• *GAME 5: SIXERS VS. CELTICS | TUE., MAY 9 | TBD, TNT
• *GAME 6: CELTICS VS. SIXERS | THURS., MAY 11 | TBD, ESPN
• *GAME 7: SIXERS VS. CELTICS | SUN., MAY 14 | TBD
NEW YORK KNICKS (5) VS. MIAMI HEAT (8)
• GAME 1: HEAT 108, KNICKS 101
• GAME 2: HEAT VS. KNICKS | TUES., MAY 2 | 7:30 ET, TNT
• GAME 3: KNICKS VS. HEAT | SAT., MAY 6 | 3:30 ET, ABC
• GAME 4: KNICKS VS. HEAT | MON., MAY 8 | 7:30 ET, TNT
• *GAME 5: HEAT VS. KNICKS | WED., MAY 10 | TBD, TNT
• *GAME 6: KNICKS VS. HEAT | FRI., MAY 12 | TBD, ESPN
• *GAME 7: HEAT VS. KNICKS | MON., MAY 15 | 8 ET, TNT
HEAT LEAD SERIES 1-0
WESTERN CONFERENCE
DENVER NUGGETS (1) VS. PHOENIX SUNS (4)
• GAME 1: NUGGETS 125, SUNS 107
• GAME 2: SUNS VS. NUGGETS | MON., MAY 1 | 10 ET, TNT
• GAME 3: NUGGETS VS. SUNS | FRI., MAY 5 | 10 ET, ESPN
• GAME 4: NUGGETS VS. SUNS | SUN., MAY 7 | 8 ET, TNT
• *GAME 5: SUNS VS. NUGGETS | TUE., MAY 9 | TBD, TNT
• *GAME 6: NUGGETS VS. SUNS | THURS., MAY 11 | TBD, ESPN
• *GAME 7: SUNS VS. NUGGETS | SUN., MAY 14 | TBD
NUGGETS LEAD SERIES 1-0
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (6) VS. L.A. LAKERS (7)
• GAME 1: LAKERS VS. WARRIORS | TUE., MAY 2 | 10 ET, TNT
• GAME 2: LAKERS VS. WARRIORS | THURS., MAY 4 | 9 ET, ESPN
• GAME 3: WARRIORS VS. LAKERS | SAT., MAY 6 | 8:30 ET, ABC
• GAME 4: WARRIORS VS. LAKERS | MON., MAY 8 | 10 ET, TNT
• *GAME 5: LAKERS VS. WARRIORS | WED., MAY 10 | TBD, TNT
• *GAME 6: WARRIORS VS. LAKERS | FRI., MAY 12 | TBD, ESPN
• *GAME 7: LAKERS VS. WARRIORS | SUN., MAY 14 | TBD
* IF NECESSARY
NHL PLAYOFFS
FLORIDA 4 BOSTON 3
SEATTLE 2 COLORADO 1
NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
EASTERN CONFERENCE
TORONTO [A2] VS. FLORIDA [WC2]
TUESDAY, MAY 2: 7 P.M., FLORIDA AT TORONTO (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS)
THURSDAY, MAY 4: TBD, FLORIDA AT TORONTO (TBD)
CAROLINA [M1] VS. NY RANGERS [M3]/NEW JERSEY [M2]
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3: TBD, NEW JERSEY/NY RANGERS AT CAROLINA (TBD)
FRIDAY, MAY 5: TBD, NEW JERSEY/NY RANGERS AT CAROLINA (TBD)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
DALLAS [C2] VS. SEATTLE [WC1]
TUESDAY, MAY 2: 9:30 P.M., SEATTLE AT DALLAS (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS)
THURSDAY, MAY 4: TBD, SEATTLE AT DALLAS (TBD)
VEGAS [P1] VS. EDMONTON [P2]
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3: TBD, EDMONTON AT VEGAS (TBD)
FRIDAY, MAY 5: TBD, EDMONTON AT VEGAS (TBD)
TBD — TO BE DETERMINED
MLB SCOREBOARD
LA ANGELS 3 MILWAUKEE 0
OAKLAND 5 CINCINNATI 4
HOUSTON 4 PHILADELPHIA 3
BOSTON 7 CLEVELAND 1
SEATTLE 10 TORONTO 8
BALTIMORE 5 DETROIT 3
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 12 TAMPA BAY 9
MINNESOTA 8 KANSAS CITY 4
TEXAS 15 NY YANKEES 2
MIAMI 4 CHICAGO CUBS 3
WASHINGTON 7 PITTSBURGH 2
COLORADO 12 ARIZONA 4
SAN DIEGO 6 SAN FRANCISCO 4
LA DODGERS 6 ST. LOUIS 3
ATLANTA AT NY METS POSTPONED
MINOR LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
COLUMBUS AT INDIANAPOLIS POSTPONED
GREAT LAKES 5 FORT WAYNE 2
SOUTH BEND 7 PEORIA 4
MLS SCORES
MINNESOTA 0 DALLAS 0
USFL SCORES
NEW JERSEY GENERALS 20, PITTSBURGH MAULERS 3
MICHIGAN PANTHERS 24, PHILADELPHIA STARS 10
XFL SCORES
DC 37 SEATTLE 21
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NOTRE DAME 12 FLORIDA STATE 8
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NORTHERN KENTUCKY 18 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 12
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BUTLER 3 GEORGETOWN 1
ILLINOIS STATE 7 EVANSVILLE 3
INDIANA STATE 6 MISSOURI STATE 5
INDIANA 6 MICHIGAN 5
FLORIDA STATE 12 NOTRE DAME 0
TOP NATIONAL NEWS
NBA PLAYOFFS
BUTLER, HEAT START 2ND ROUND WITH 108-101 WIN OVER KNICKS
NEW YORK (AP) Jimmy Butler had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat kept rolling after barely reaching the postseason, beating the New York Knicks 108-101 on Sunday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Gabe Vincent scored 20 points for the Heat, who became the sixth No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 when they toppled Milwaukee in the first round and continue to look nothing like a team that needed to win a play-in game just to get the final postseason berth in the East.
They averaged 124 points in that series behind Butler’s 37.6 per game, but they pulled this one out with old-fashioned defense and rebounding that has always worked so well before for them at this time of year.
RJ Barrett scored 26 points and Jalen Brunson had 25 for the fifth-seeded Knicks, who are in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2013. They started strong and led most of the first half, but the Heat eventually got the Madison Square Garden crowd quieter and quieter as the game went on.
Game 2 is Tuesday night.
The Knicks were without All-Star forward Julius Randle because of a sprained left ankle and they surely missed him when the transition points dried up and it became a halfcourt game.
They could’ve used his shooting on a day they went 7 for 34 behind the arc, missing a chance to break open the game early and then hindering any chances of coming back.
The Heat fell behind by 12 points in the second quarter, but that wasn’t going to faze a team that eliminated deficits of 15 and then 16 points in the last two games against Milwaukee. They gradually narrowed the deficit before halftime, blew by the Knicks with a 21-5 run in the third quarter and pulled away to a double-digit lead in the fourth.
They did it without needing the type of huge performances Butler delivered in the first round, when he scored 56 and 42 points in the final two games. He did plenty of other things they needed, including remaining in the game after an ankle injury left him limping to the free throw line with 5:05 to play.
He gave the Heat a good start in a renewal of what was once a fierce rivalry, with the teams meeting four straight years from 1997-2000. The Heat won the last three of those but have work to do if they’re going to take this one.
Getting Randle back would be a good start. He reinjured his ankle in Game 5 against Cleveland after missing the final five games of the regular season and hadn’t done much since the Knicks returned to practice. He went through a workout before the game, but the Knicks ruled him out about 45 minutes before the start.
The Knicks tore off a 22-6 run to finish the first quarter and take a 32-21 lead. Six straight points pushed it to a 12-point advantage, and the Knicks kept the margin around double digits most of the second quarter, with the margin still 10 with under 2 minutes to play. But the Heat closed strong and cut it to 55-50 at the break.
New York led 61-53 early in the third before Kevin Love converted a three-point play to trigger a 21-5 spurt by Miami. He added a 3-pointer during it, but his biggest contribution was with his outlet passing. With new Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sitting courtside, Love fired three long passes for scores, with Butler’s basket on the last one capping the run and giving the Heat a 74-66 lead.
TIP-INS
Heat: Kyle Lowry scored 18 points. Bam Adebayo had 16.
Knicks: Randle was originally hurt against the Heat in a victory at MSG on March 29. Earlier that month, he capped a 43-point performance with a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining in a 122-120 win at Miami. … Quentin Grimes had four points off the bench after missing the final two games against Cleveland with a bruised right shoulder. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau opted to keep Josh Hart in the starting lineup.
CURRY SCORES PLAYOFF CAREER-HIGH 50 AS WARRIORS DOWN KINGS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) With his big-game swagger on display for the world and that signature mouthpiece dangling from a celebratory grin, Stephen Curry drove fearlessly to the basket with jaw-dropping acrobatics all afternoon and he fired with precision from way back in a Game 7 extravaganza for the ages.
He even playfully pretended to push the button and Light the Beam, Sacramento-style.
Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 points in the most prolific Game 7 performance ever and answered time and again to will the Warriors on in their quest for a repeat, sending Golden State into the Western Conference semifinals with a 120-100 win against the Sacramento Kings in Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 7.
Curry led a memorable comeback in the series, too, perhaps improbable even for the defending champions when they got down 2-0 and given their road woes all season.
“It’s amazing ‘cuz you’re still in the fight,” Curry said. “Better than the alternative of on the outside looking in. Having been down 0-2 in this series, nothing was guaranteed, you don’t take anything for granted.”
Curry’s points are the most in NBA history in a Game 7, topping former teammate Kevin Durant’s 48 for the Nets against Milwaukee in 2021.
“For Steph to be the first player ever to get 50 in a Game 7, he’s sublime,” coach Steve Kerr said.
Kevon Looney grabbed 21 rebounds for a Warriors team that needed to win twice on the road facing a hostile, cowbell-clanging crowd in the state capital to become the first reigning champion to drop the first two games and win any postseason series.
Now, bring on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals with all that NBA Finals history between James and Golden State dating to his Cleveland days. Game 1 is Tuesday night at Chase Center.
Sacramento’s special comeback season is over long before these young Kings had planned. After snapping a 16-year playoff drought – longest in NBA history – under Coach of the Year Mike Brown, playoff-starved Sacramento missed advancing to the second round for the first time since 2004.
Curry shot 20 of 38 with seven 3s and delivered after almost every big play by Sacramento as Splash Brother Klay Thompson struggled on both ends again. But Thompson came through in some crucial moments.
“What an incredible performance,” Thompson said. “This is a Game 7 I’ll forever remember as the Steph Curry game.”
Malik Monk’s putback and three-point play with 14.6 seconds remaining in the third pulled Sacramento within six only for Thompson to hit a long 3 and convert a four-point play to make it 91-81 heading into the final 12 minutes.
Domantas Sabonis had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists but the Warriors held De’Aaron Fox in check as he scored 16 points on 5-for-19 shooting in his third game playing with a broken index finger on his shooting hand.
Trailing 58-56 at halftime, the Warriors opened the second half with a 13-4 burst and held the Kings to 42 points after intermission.
Sacramento had scored early on with a beautiful combination of classic give-and-goes and long jumpers off crisp passing around the perimeter.
But Curry kept coming, and Looney kept scrapping to create second and third opportunities to cap his brilliant series on the boards. They sent Kings fans to the exits late in the fourth.
Thompson began 1 for 10 missing his first five 3s before connecting at the 9:18 mark of the third and finishing with 16 points on 4-for-19 shooting – “disgusting,” he said – while playing smothering defense. Golden State, playing just its fourth Game 7 under Kerr since the 2014-15 title run, was smart down the stretch after 18 turnovers in Game 6 led to 23 Kings points and Kerr calling his team “wildly undisciplined.”
Kerr had no doubt before the deciding game – and he went back to Draymond Green in the starting lineup for Game 7 with the season on the line after the fiery forward came off the bench the previous three contests following a Game 3 suspension for stepping on Sabonis.
Just before the final buzzer, Kerr offered a long embrace to Brown – Golden State’s former top assistant who once coached the Warriors on the postseason stage during Kerr’s extended health absence and just guided the Kings’ remarkable turnaround.
“I can’t dream of nothing like this, gotta see it in person,” Monk said of all the successes. “You can’t dream anything like this unless you’re doing it. Looking forward to being back next year.”
LOONEY ON THE BOARDS
Looney wound up with 106 rebounds in the series – 37 on the offensive glass. This was his fifth straight playoff game with double-digit rebounds.
TIP-INS
Kings: The Kings shot 12 for 47 on 3s and 37.5% overall. … After Sacramento’s bench outscored the Warriors 52-21 in Game 6, the reserves again came through – 25-8 in the first half and 41-18 overall.
Warriors: Curry missed consecutive free throws in the second and Thompson couldn’t convert a pair early in the third. Golden State went 19 of 30 from the line after missing 10 free throws in Game 6 (25 of 35). … Gary Payton II blocked four shots. … Golden State hadn’t been to Game 7 since the 2018 Western Conference Finals at Houston on the way to reaching their fourth straight finals and repeat championship. … Golden State improved to 19-0 in playoff series against West opponents under Kerr.
NHL PLAYOFFS
PANTHERS OUST RECORD-SETTING BRUINS 4-3 IN OT IN GAME 7
BOSTON (AP) The Boston Bruins are done, with a long offseason to think about their failure to capitalize on the greatest regular season in NHL history.
The Florida Panthers are moving on, thrown right into their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs beginning Tuesday night.
“Game 7. Overtime win. Against pretty much the best team in regular-season history. It’s unreal,” Panthers center Aleksander Barkov said after Florida beat Boston 4-3 in OT to eliminate the record-setting Bruins from the playoffs. “For sure it’s up there, and it’s hard to understand right now. I don’t think we need to understand right now. We’ll understand later.”
Brandon Montour tied it with 1 minute left in regulation, and Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winner at 8:35 of overtime. The Panthers won three straight after falling behind 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Boston, the Presidents’ Trophy winners with NHL records of 65 wins and 135 points, had not lost three in a row all season.
“The fact that we were able to do what we did after what they did all year … they’re an unreal team and the best I’ve played in my NHL career. The fact that we were able to beat them was crazy,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “Let’s be honest: Nobody in the whole world thought we were going to win that series except for the guys in that room.”
Sergei Bobrovsky made 33 saves for Florida, which advanced in the postseason for just the second time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1996. They will face Toronto, which finished off the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday in six games.
“I don’t think you can find a harder team to play against than the Boston Bruins. They will test you,” said Florida coach Paul Maurice, who improved to 4-0 in Game 7’s in his career. “The players here now have a shared experience of what hard is. … It will make us better for five years. That’s how hard it was.”
Boston rallied from a two-goal deficit to take a 3-2 lead, but Maurice pulled Bobrovsky in the final minutes and called timeout with 88 seconds left to give his players a breather. Montour tied it with his second of the game.
Maurice, who was on the Winnipeg bench when the Jets eliminated Presidents’ Trophy-winning Nashville in the second round in 2018, admitted his confidence was waning.
“We’re down a goal with under two minutes to go against Boston. I wouldn’t bet everything, because the match doesn’t add up,” he said. “But when that goal goes in you go, ‘Ohhh, we’re going to win this game.'”
Verhaeghe won it on a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that just made it under the crossbar.
That eliminated the Bruins, who became the second Presidents’ Trophy winner in five years to lose in the first round. No team with the best regular-season record has won the Stanley Cup since 2013, when the Chicago Blackhawks beat Boston in the Final.
“It was an honor to coach that group,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, who took over in Boston this year after Bruce Cassidy was fired. “I know we didn’t get to where we wanted. I get that. But their professionalism, their work ethic, their commitment to being pros. It was a joy to be around.”
Montour scored Florida’s first goal, and Sam Reinhart made it 2-0 early in the second period. David Krejci and Tyler Bertuzzi scored to tie it, and David Pastrnak gave the Bruins their only lead of the game on a power-play goal 55 seconds into the third period.
Jeremy Swayman, making his first start of the series as a sub for likely Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, stopped 27 shots.
The game could be the last for Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, who teased retirement last year but opted to return. He was the last Boston player on the ice, leaving after a stick-wave to the crowd and one last hug with Brad Marchand.
Bergeron said after the game he will take some time to consider his future. The five-time Selke Trophy-winner missed the first five games of the series and played the last two with a herniated disc.
“Learned a lot from him this year,” Montgomery said. “Hopefully learn more from him next year.”
KRAKEN BEAT AVS 2-1, ELIMINATE DEFENDING STANLEY CUP CHAMPS
DENVER (AP) The Seattle Kraken converged from all points on the ice to the same spot – Philipp Grubauer’s net.
A fitting gathering place to celebrate another first for this young franchise.
Grubauer was stellar in stopping 33 shots, Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and the Kraken eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche with a 2-1 win in Game 7 on Sunday night.
The Kraken became the first expansion team to beat the reigning Stanley Cup champs in their inaugural playoff series, according to NHL Stats.
“A great accomplishment,” said Kraken forward Yanni Gourde, who had two assists. “Our fans have been amazing. They deserve this.”
Bjorkstrand scored one goal on a fortuitous deflection – the puck hit off a stick and glove – and another with a liner past goaltender Alexandar Georgiev that clanged off the post. Seattle grabbed the lead in every game in the series.
Next up for the second-year Kraken is a second-round series against the Stars that opens in Dallas on Tuesday night. Seattle was 1-1-1 against Dallas in the regular season.
The Kraken take a heap of momentum with them, too.
“It gives them that check mark of success,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said.
Mikko Rantanen was credited with a power-play goal for Colorado after a shot by Nathan MacKinnon clipped him and went in. MacKinnon appeared to score early in the third period to tie it at 2, but Seattle challenged the play and the goal was disallowed due to Colorado being offside.
Seattle’s video crew turned in an MVP-caliber performance all series.
The Avalanche pulled Georgiev with under 2 minutes remaining but couldn’t get the equalizer. It allowed the Kraken to accomplish another franchise first – a series-clinching celebration.
“Lots more to come from our group,” Grubauer said. “That was only series one.”
Colorado has now lost its last six Game 7s. The last time the Avalanche won a winner-take-all Game 7 was 2002, when they beat San Jose 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Hall of Fame forward Peter Forsberg.
Both teams lost players for the series due to hard hits. Jared McCann didn’t play again after taking a hit from Cale Makar along the boards in Game 4, which drew a one-game suspension (Game 5) for the Avalanche defenseman. Colorado was without Andrew Cogliano for Game 7 after he suffered a fracture in his neck following a hit along the boards from Kraken forward Jordan Eberle, who didn’t face supplemental discipline.
MacKinnon energized the crowd with what looked like a tying goal. But it was taken off the board following a challenge as Artturi Lehkonen was ruled in the zone before the puck entered.
It’s the second time this series the Kraken have used a challenge to negate an Avalanche score.
The Kraken also deflated the capacity crowd by doing what they’ve done in every game this series – score first.
“This is a really good hockey team,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of the Kraken. “The one thing they were that we weren’t in the series was consistent.”
Held without a goal all series coming in, Bjorkstrand was credited with a goal in the second period that glanced the stick of Alex Newhook and then off the glove of Ben Meyers and into the goal. Bjorkstrand scored again nearly four minutes later on a breakaway down the side to make it 2-0.
Bjorkstrand nearly had a hat trick but his shot late in the game hit the post.
“I didn’t want to go out and not being able to sleep at night because I didn’t perform well,” Bjorkstrand explained. “Some nights you just kind of feel the puck better and I feel like this is just one of those nights.”
With 27.3 seconds left in the second period, MacKinnon lined a shot that glanced off Rantanen and went by Grubauer. MacKinnon’s assist on the play was his 100th career playoff point. He joins the company of Joe Sakic (188) and Forsberg (159) as the only Avalanche players to reach the 100-point milestone in the postseason.
Georgiev finished with 25 saves.
Grubauer was sensational in the first period against his former team. He stopped 16 shots to set the tone for the evening.
The banged-up Avalanche were missing forwards Darren Helm (upper body), Cogliano and Valeri Nichushkin (personal reasons), along with defenseman Josh Manson (lower body) in Game 7.
They’ve been without captain Gabriel Landeskog all season after he underwent knee surgery in October.
“Tough year overall,” MacKinnon said. “Obviously, during the season, we’re going to say all of the right things, but it’s hard missing the guys. … We played a really great game, just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
AROUND THE ICE
Kraken forward Tye Kartye turned 22 on Sunday. … Colorado finished 2 for 18 on the power play in the series.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: WHITE SOX SURGE PAST RAYS, SNAP 10-GAME SKID
Andrew Vaughn’s walk-off three-run homer capped a seven-run ninth inning as the Chicago White Sox snapped their majors-worst 10-game losing streak with a 12-9 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
Down 9-5 heading into the ninth against reliever Jalen Beeks (0-2), Chicago gradually trimmed the lead and eventually tied it on Adam Haseley’s RBI single before Vaughn rocked a 2-2 curve off Garrett Cleavinger deep to left for the comeback victory. Chicago’s win came a day after the Rays scored 10 runs in the seventh inning to break up a no-hitter in a 12-3 victory.
Chicago’s Eloy Jimenez was 4-for-5 and Haseley went 4-for-5 with three runs, an RBI and a walk as the duo accounted for eight hits in the team’s 18-hit attack — 15 of them singles. Yasmani Grandal added a home run. Chicago began its rally in the ninth with RBIs via Jake Burger’s double, Oscar Colas’ sacrifice fly and Elvis Andrus’ single before Haseley’s game-tying single and Vaughn’s blast.
Aaron Bummer (1-1) allowed two runs in the ninth but won for the first time this season. Tampa Bay’s Luke Raley went 2-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs. Taylor Walls was 4-for-5 with a homer, two runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases. Christian Bethancourt added a solo homer and two RBIs.
Mariners 10, Blue Jays 8 (10 innings)
Cal Raleigh hit his second two-run home run of the game in the 10th inning, and visiting Seattle came back to defeat Toronto to avoid a series sweep.
After blasting a two-run shot in the eighth to pull Seattle within 8-7, Raleigh hit his fifth homer of the season and third of the series with one out in the 10th against Zach Pop (1-1). It also scored automatic runner Eugenio Suarez. Seattle ended a four-game losing streak and stopped Toronto’s six-game winning streak.
Taylor Trammell, reinstated from the injured list for the game, hit a grand slam for Seattle and Teoscar Hernandez added a solo shot against his former team. Bo Bichette hit a three-run home run for Toronto.
Padres 6, Giants 4
Matt Carpenter capped a three-run bottom of the eighth with a two-out, two-run double to short center off the glove of a diving Mike Yastrzemski to give San Diego a come-from-behind victory over San Francisco and a sweep of the two-game series played in Mexico City.
Luis Garcia (1-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the Padres to earn the win. Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 10th save. Padres pitchers retired 18 of the last 21 Giants they faced. Tyler Rogers (0-2) took the loss.
Solo homers by LaMonte Wade Jr., J.D. Davis and Mitch Haniger helped the Giants forge a 4-0 lead against Padres right-handed starter Yu Darvish in the first four innings. Giants starter Alex Cobb held the Padres scoreless over the first four innings, giving up three hits plus hitting a batter. The Padres then pulled to within a run by scoring three in the fifth.
Athletics 5, Reds 4
Esteury Ruiz singled home Jace Peterson with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to lead host Oakland past Cincinnati to salvage the finale of a three-game series.
Ruiz got the chance to be the hero only after an umpire review overturned a hit-by-pitch against Reds closer Alexis Diaz on a very blustery afternoon. Peterson singled off Derek Law (0-4) to open the ninth, and a misplayed sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second.
Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run homer and Brent Rooker added a solo shot for the Athletics. Zach Jackson (2-1) pitched out of a ninth-inning jam and picked up the win. Kevin Newman had two RBIs and Nick Senzel hit a solo home run for the Reds.
Marlins 4, Cubs 3
Luis Arraez drove in two runs, including the winning run with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly, and Miami completed a three-game sweep of visiting Chicago.
Chicago’s Keegan Thompson (1-1) opened the eighth with a walk to Jon Berti (two hits), who went to third on Jesus Sanchez’s single and scored on Arraez’s long fly ball to break a 3-3 tie. Arraez, the majors’ leading hitter at .438, also delivered a run-scoring single in the third for the Marlins, who have won four straight.
Cody Bellinger homered for a second straight game and had two RBIs, while Dansby Swanson recorded two hits with an RBI for Chicago, which is 3-7 since winning four straight and 10 of 13. Chicago starter Justin Steele entered with a 1.19 ERA but allowed season highs of three runs (two earned) and seven hits in six innings.
Red Sox 7, Guardians 1
Chris Sale pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball and Alex Verdugo had three RBIs to lead Boston past visiting Cleveland in the finale of a three-game series.
Sale struck out five and surrendered just three hits in the outing. He recorded an out in the seventh inning for the first time since Aug. 8, 2019. The Boston offense supported Sale with nine hits, including homers by Connor Wong and Verdugo, who were both 2-for-4.
Amed Rosario drove in the lone Cleveland run on one of the team’s four hits. Guardians lefty Logan Allen (1-1) was strong despite the defeat in his second major league start, striking out eight while allowing just two runs on four hits across five frames.
Nationals 7, Pirates 2
Josiah Gray pitched six strong innings and host Washington defeated Pittsburgh in a game that had its start delayed by nearly 2 1/2 hours because of rain.
Joey Meneses had four hits and Victor Robles had two hits and drove in two runs for Washington, which had lost three straight games. The Nationals pounded out 15 hits with each player in the lineup getting at least one. Gray (2-4) allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out six. Over his last four starts, Gray is 2-2 with a 1.59 ERA.
Bryan Reynolds and Tucupita Marcano each had two hits and drove in a run for the Pirates, who had won four straight and 11 of 12. They still finished April with the best record in the National League at 20-9.
Orioles 5, Tigers 3
Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo hit solo home runs and visiting Baltimore continued its dominance of Detroit.
Ryan Mountcastle doubled twice, scored a run and knocked in a run for the Orioles, who have defeated Detroit in six of seven meetings this season. Austin Voth (1-1) pitched two innings of scoreless relief and was credited with the win. Yennier Cano got the last four outs for his second save.
Jake Rogers hit a two-run homer for the Tigers. Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish gave up three runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. Detroit starter Spencer Turnbull (1-4) gave up three runs (two earned) and five hits in four innings.
Angels 3, Brewers 0
Shohei Ohtani and Jake Lamb homered and Jose Suarez and four relievers combined on a three-hitter as visiting Los Angeles avoided a sweep with a victory over Milwaukee.
Suarez (1-1), who entered with a 10.26 ERA, held the Brewers to two hits through five innings, striking out six and walking three. Chris Devenski, Chase Silseth and Matt Moore each followed with a scoreless inning. Carlos Estevez finished with a perfect ninth for his sixth save in six opportunities.
Colin Rea (0-2) limited the Angels to two solo homers through five innings. Rea, making his fourth start since being called up when Brandon Woodruff went on the injured list, allowed three hits with a career-high nine strikeouts and one walk.
Twins 8, Royals 4
Sonny Gray pitched six strong innings and Byron Buxton blasted a three-run homer as Minnesota cruised to a victory over Kansas City in Minneapolis.
Nick Gordon and Christian Vazquez each had two RBIs for the Twins, who took three of four from the Royals and have won six of their last eight games overall. The Twins held a commanding 8-0 lead after sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs in the third inning. Gray (4-0) saw his majors-leading ERA tick up to 0.77 after giving up one run on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Kansas City went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and concluded its 10-game road trip with a 3-7 mark. Brady Singer (2-3) allowed eight runs on five hits over 2 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five. Vinnie Pasquantino had two RBIs.
Rangers 15, Yankees 2
Four home runs gave way to a rout of New York as Texas won a four-game series in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers scored a combined 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull away and not look back, winning their third straight game over the Yankees after being swept in a three-game road series at Cincinnati earlier in the week.
Texas starter Martin Perez (4-1) tossed six innings, allowing just one run on six hits and a walk. New York starter Nestor Cortes (3-2) took the loss, giving up seven runs on five hits and four walks in an outing that spanned 4 2/3 innings. Cortes struck out seven but surrendered three of the Rangers’ four home runs.
Rockies 12, Diamondbacks 4
Austin Gomber logged six strong innings and C.J. Cron finished a triple shy of the cycle as Colorado defeated Arizona in Denver to prevent being swept in a three-game series.
Gomber (2-4) surrendered just one run on three hits while walking two and fanning four to notch his second straight victory. Cron led the offensive charge by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs.
Evan Longoria smacked his third homer of the season and Emmanuel Rivera and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. both laced RBI doubles for Arizona, which had won four of its previous five games entering Sunday. Dominic Fletcher also had a double for his first major league hit.
Dodgers 6, Cardinals 3
David Peralta drove in two runs as Los Angeles defeated visiting St. Louis to complete a three-game sweep.
Jayson Heyward reached base three times and scored twice for the Dodgers, who drew eight walks in the game. Los Angeles starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (1-3) allowed three runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings in winning his first decision with the Dodgers. Evan Phillips closed out the ninth inning to earn his third save.
Starting pitcher Jake Woodford allowed three runs on four hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings for the Cardinals, who finished 2-8 on their 10-game West Coast road trip. Reliever Zack Thompson (1-2) allowed two runs on one hit and two walks while retiring just two batters.
Astros 4, Phillies 3
David Hensley and Martin Maldonado snapped lengthy hitless streaks while Jose Urquidy overcame a pair of solo home runs as Houston salvaged the finale of a three-game series against visiting Philadelphia.
Hensley and Maldonado entered the series finale mired in 0-for-24 skids before Hensley doubled leading off the second inning and scored when Maldonado added a ground-rule double off Phillies left-hander Bailey Falter (0-5) to give Houston a 2-1 lead. Falter allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings, marking his shortest outing of the season.
The Phillies remained in contention with their power. J.T. Realmuto erased the Astros’ 1-0 lead with his two-out solo homer off Urquidy (2-2) in the second inning, and Kody Clemens homered for the third time in four games with one out in the fifth, a solo shot to left that drew the Phillies to within 3-2. Urquidy surrendered two runs on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
HARPER COULD RETURN TO PHILLIES LINEUP TUESDAY AT DODGERS
HOUSTON (AP) Star slugger Bryce Harper could return to the Philadelphia Phillies lineup as early as Tuesday if an exam on his surgically repaired right elbow goes well.
On Monday in Los Angeles, the two-time National League MVP will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Tommy John surgery on Harper last November.
“It’ll be tomorrow and then we’ll see what happens,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Sunday. “I don’t think, just talking with Harp, I don’t think he’ll play tomorrow even if he’s cleared. But hopefully, he gets cleared.”
The Phillies open at three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.
If Harper returns Tuesday, it would be significantly ahead of the timetable offered soon after he had surgery on Nov. 23. He was initially expected to return around the All-Star break.
Harper, who has been facing pitching for a few weeks, will be the team’s designated hitter when he gets back.
“He’s pretty geeked up about getting out there and playing,” Thomson said. “He’s itching.”
YANKEES STILL UNSURE WHETHER JUDGE WILL GO ON INJURED LIST
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Yankees captain Aaron Judge missed his third straight game with a mild hip strain, and New York won’t decide until Monday at the earliest whether he will go on the injured list.
“I know he came in feeling a little bit better today,” manager Aaron Boone said before Sunday’s series finale at Texas. “I’m sure he’ll go through everything and we’ll evaluate where we are.”
Boone didn’t expect Judge to return to the lineup on Monday, when the Yankees open a three-game home series against Cleveland. Boone said the best-case scenario has Judge returning sometime during the three-game series against the Guardians.
Judge, the reigning AL MVP, hasn’t played since he was replaced in the fourth inning of Thursday’s series opener against the Rangers after striking out twice. A day earlier, he landed awkwardly on his right side when trying to steal third base at Minnesota on his 31st birthday.
After hitting an AL-record 62 home runs last season, Judge is batting .261 with six homers and 14 RBIs in 26 games.
In other injury news, outfielder Jake Bauers and the team are awaiting MRI results. Bauers, who was added to the 26-man roster Saturday, bruised his right knee when he slammed into the left-field wall while making a catch in the first inning.
“I’m walking pretty good, walking pain free,” Bauers said. “The only thing that’s keeping my range of motion down is the swelling, so I’m sure today we’ll try to get all of that out of there.”
Outfielder Franchy Cordero traveled from Texas to Worcester, Massachusetts, on Saturday after he was optioned to Triple-A Scranton. Then after Bowers got hurt Saturday, Cordero headed back to Texas on Sunday to join the Yankees taxi squad.
New York also is without outfielders Giancarlo Stanton (left hamstring strain) and Harrison Bader (left oblique strain), and third baseman Josh Donaldson (right hamstring strain). All are on the IL, along with six pitchers.
RIght-hander Luis Severino, sidelined since March 21 by a right lat strain, is to make his first minor league rehab start Wednesday or Thursday for Class A Tampa.
NFL NEWS
DAUGHTER OF BUCCANEERS LB SHAQ BARRETT DROWNS IN FAMILY POOL
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The 2-year-old daughter of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett drowned in a swimming pool at the family’s home on Sunday, police said.
Officers, responding to a call that a child had fallen into a pool, were sent to Barrett’s home in the Beach Park neighborhood in south Tampa shortly before 9:30 a.m. The football player’s youngest child, Arrayah, was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
“The investigation is ongoing,” the police report said. “It is not believed to be suspicious in nature at this time, but a purely accidental and tragic incident.”
Barrett, 30, and his wife, Jordanna, have three other children.
“Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time,” the Buccaneers said a statement.
“While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this,” the team added, “we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah.”
Barrett, who’s recovering from a torn Achilles that sidelined him for the second half of last season, is entering his fifth year with Tampa Bay after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos.
Barrett led the NFL with 19½ sacks in 2019. The following season he helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl.
DRAFT TEAM GRADES
Grade A
Arizona Cardinals
Draft picks
Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr. (No. 6 overall)
LSU edge BJ Ojulari (No. 41)
Syracuse CB Garrett Williams (No. 72)
Stanford WR Michael Wilson (No. 94)
UCLA OG Jon Gaines II (No. 122)
Houston QB Clayton Tune (No. 139)
Auburn LB Owen Pappoe (No. 168)
Louisville CB Kei’Trel Clark (No. 180)
West Virginia DT Dante Stills (No. 213)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A-
Analysis: Arizona moved down three spots in the first round, essentially netting a 2024 first-round pick and still picking the athletic, versatile Johnson to bolster the line. Ojulari, Williams and Wilson were quality picks at need spots, though the latter two will need to put some injury issues behind them. They also picked up selections with two wise trades on Day 2.
The offensive line rebuild continued with the smooth-moving Gaines. The fifth-round run on quarterbacks included Tune, who might be a good backup for Kyler Murray. Getting Clark as a slot corner and Pappoe at linebacker were absolute steals.
Grade A-
Atlanta Falcons
Draft picks
Texas RB Bijan Robinson (No. 8 overall)
Syracuse OG Matthew Bergeron (No. 38)
Ohio State DE Zach Harrison (No. 75)
Utah CB Clark Phillips III (No. 113)
Alabama S DeMarcco Hellams (No. 224)
South Carolina C Jovaughn Gwyn (No. 225)
Day 1 grade: A-
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: B+
Analysis: The multi-faceted Robinson was the best value available for a team trying to build an elite offense. Trading up for Bergeron made sense because of his guard/tackle versatility and Harrison fits as a long, strong base end.
Phillips is small but tenacious; he’ll flourish in the slot for the Falcons from Day 1. They picked up a downhill safety in Hellams and short but ferocious center/guard in Gwyn. Signing free agent receivers should be a priority for Atlanta after the draft.
Grade A
Baltimore Ravens
Draft picks
Boston College WR Zay Flowers (No. 22 overall)
Clemson LB Trenton Simpson (No. 86)
Mississippi edge Tavius Robinson (No. 124)
Stanford CB Kyu Blu Kelly (No. 157)
Oregon OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (No. 199)
USC OG Andrew Vorhees (No. 229)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: The Ravens found a tough and quick receiver in Flowers to complement Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman. Even after wisely trading their 2023 second-round pick for linebacker Roquan Smith last season, Simpson’s closing speed and ability to play outside or inside made him a home run pick in Round 3.
Robinson adds needed depth off the edge. Kelly can lose his target in man but will attack plays in zone. He was a good find for Baltimore in the fifth round. Aumavae-Laulu is massive, like some of his predecessors at tackle for the Ravens, but he has better short-area quickness than you’d expect. Vorhees is working his way back from an ACL tear he suffered at the NFL Scouting Combine. He could end up being a tremendous Round 7 value after he returns.
Grade A
Buffalo Bills
Draft picks
Utah TE Dalton Kincaid (No. 25 overall)
Florida OG O’Cyrus Torrence (No. 59)
Tulane LB Dorian Williams (No. 91)
Florida WR Justin Shorter (No. 150)
Mississippi OG Nick Broeker (No. 230)
Oregon State CB Alex Austin (No. 252)
Day 1 grade: A-
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: I thought the Bills would move up for a pass-catcher in the first round, and that’s what they did to land Kincaid. Torrence was a steal because of the power and nimble feet he’ll provide in the run game and Williams should play immediately in Tremaine Edmunds’ old spot.
They picked an outside receiver with downfield ability in Shorter, who could push Gabe Davis. Broeker could have easily been a top-150 selection because of his toughness inside and experience at tackle. Austin has potential as a physical outside corner.
Grade B
Carolina Panthers
Draft picks
Alabama QB Bryce Young (No. 1 overall)
Mississippi WR Jonathan Mingo (No. 39)
Oregon edge DJ Johnson (No. 80)
N.C. State OG Chandler Zavala (No. 114)
Florida State DB Jammie Robinson (No. 145)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: C+
Day 3 grade: B
Analysis: Young was the best quarterback in the draft, so the team’s bold trade for the No. 1 overall pick has a real chance to succeed. Mingo was an excellent value in the second round and Johnson could blossom as an edge rusher in time. Carolina sent a third-round pick to New England last year to pick quarterback Matt Corral, which has not paid off thus far.
The Panthers only had two Saturday picks due to trades. Zavala is a powerful blocker who adds depth to the Panthers’ offensive line. Robinson’s instincts and agility will earn him playing time as a rookie.
Grade A-
Chicago Bears
Draft picks
Tennessee OT Darnell Wright (No. 10 overall)
Florida DT Gervon Dexter Sr. (No. 53)
Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson (No. 56)
South Carolina DT Zacch Pickens (No. 64)
Texas RB Roschon Johnson (No. 115)
Cincinnati WR Tyler Scott (No. 133)
Oregon LB Noah Sewell (No. 148)
Minnesota CB Terell Smith (No. 165)
Kennesaw State DT Travis Bell (No. 218)
Stanford S Kendall Williamson (No. 258)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Chicago received a bounty from the Panthers for the No. 1 pick, then traded down one spot in the first round while still getting the lineman it needed in Wright. Dexter and Pickens bolster the defensive line when on their game and Stevenson could start as a rookie. The value of trading a second-rounder for receiver Chase Claypool is to be determined.
Johnson looks like a power back but can avoid defenders as well as run through their tackle attempts. Scott’s agility and burst after the catch made him a nice fourth-round find. Sewell is a much better football player than his fifth-round status might indicate. Smith has the athleticism and cover skills to contribute as a rookie.
Grade A-
Cincinnati Bengals
Draft picks
Clemson edge Myles Murphy (No. 28 overall)
Michigan CB DJ Turner II (No. 60)
Alabama S Jordan Battle (No. 95)
Purdue WR Charlie Jones (No. 131)
Illinois RB Chase Brown (No. 163)
Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas (No. 206)
Michigan P Brad Robbins (No. 217)
Miami CB DJ Ivey (No. 246)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: B-
Analysis: The Bengals patiently waited for three potential early starters on defense to fall into their laps. Murphy brings power and flashes of quickness off the edge, Turner’s speed and aggressiveness were worthy of a late second-round pick and Battle’s a solid all-around safety.
A quick, reliable slot receiver and kick returner, Jones turned his transfer from Iowa to Purdue into a fourth-round draft slot. Iosivas has the potential to be a deep threat. Brown’s toughness inside and vision to bust through a crease met the team’s need for running back depth. They did not select a tight end but decided to pick the most consistent punter in the draft in Robbins.
Grade B
Cleveland Browns
Draft picks
Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman (No. 74 overall)
Baylor DT Siaki Ika (No. 98)
Ohio State OT Dawand Jones (No. 111)
Missouri edge Isaiah McGuire (No. 126)
UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (No. 140)
Northwestern CB Cameron Mitchell (No. 142)
Ohio State C Luke Wypler (No. 190)
Day 1 grade: C-
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: B+
Analysis: Trades to acquire Deshaun Watson and Elijah Moore cost the Browns their first- and second-round picks but they did well with their third-round selections of Tillman (the pick coming back from the Jets in the Moore trade), a strong outside presence at receiver, and Ika, the space-eater inside that they needed.
Jones’ pure size makes him a promising swing tackle. McGuire provides some power as a backup defensive end. Thompson-Robinson played a lot of college football but still has upside to cultivate. Wypler’s value in the sixth round was too strong to pass on.
Grade B+
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
Draft picks
Michigan DT Mazi Smith (No. 26 overall)
Michigan TE Luke Schoonmaker (No. 58)
Texas LB DeMarvion Overshown (No. 90)
San Jose State edge Viliami Fehoko Jr. (No. 129)
North Carolina OT Asim Richards (No. 169)
Southern Mississippi CB Eric Scott Jr. (No. 178)
Kansas State RB Deuce Vaughn (No. 212)
South Carolina WR Jalen Brooks (No. 244)
Day 1 grade: B
Day 2 grade: A-
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Smith will be a tough guy to move inside and has the athleticism to win gaps more consistently. Schoonmaker will meet a need to replace Dalton Schultz as a receiving/blocking tight end, while Overshown is in the Jayron Kearse mold and should be a solid second-level defender.
Dallas sent fifth-round picks to Houston for Brandin Cooks (161st) and Indianapolis for cornerback Stephon Gilmore (176th). They chose Fehoko as a hustling edge rusher who has the bulk to play inside in sub packages. Richards is a great pick for a Cowboys team needing depth at tackle. They gave up a 2024 fifth-round pick to select the long, athletic Scott, whom I thought might go earlier. Vaughn joins his father — a Cowboys scout — in Dallas. He’ll provide depth and open-field quickness.
Grade B
Denver Broncos
Draft picks
Oklahoma WR Marvin Mims Jr. (No. 63 overall)
Arkansas LB Drew Sanders (No. 67)
Iowa CB Riley Moss (No. 83)
Boise State S JL Skinner (No. 183)
Oregon C Alex Forsyth (No. 257)
Day 1 grade: B
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: B
Analysis: The trade for Russell Wilson cost the team first- and second-round picks in this year’s draft. The first-round pick gained from Miami for Bradley Chubb was used to hire head coach Sean Payton. Mims will outperform his draft status as a playmaker inside and outside, much like former Bronco Emmanuel Sanders. The team found appropriate value with its third-round picks, needing an athletic linebacker like Drew Sanders and competitive defensive back in Moss (though trading a future third-rounder to land him was a high price).
They added tight end Adam Trautman from head coach Sean Payton’s former team in a trade on Saturday, which seems like good value. Forsyth could become a starter at center but trading away third-day picks will force them to find even more talent after the draft on the offensive and defensive lines.
Grade C+
Detroit Lions
Draft picks
Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12 overall)
Iowa LB Jack Campbell (No. 18)
Iowa TE Sam LaPorta (No. 34)
Alabama DB Brian Branch (No. 45)
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (No. 68)
Western Kentucky DT Brodric Martin (No. 96)
William & Mary OG Colby Sorsdal (No. 152)
North Carolina WR Antoine Green (No. 219)
Day 1 grade: C-
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: B
Analysis: The Lions made two surprising picks in the first round, though Gibbs can be explosive and Campbell will be an immediate contributor on defense. Picking LaPorta to replace the traded T.J. Hockenson over Michael Mayer and Luke Musgrave was interesting. Trading up for Branch and Hooker were both wise moves, while trading multiple picks to get a nice athlete in Martin seemed a bit impatient.
Unsurprisingly, after the Gibbs pick, the Lions moved on from former second-round pick D’Andre Swift for a swap of seventh-rounders with the Eagles and a 2025 fourth-round pick. They only had two picks on Day 3 after trades, though I liked Sorsdal as a top-150 selection moving from tackle to guard in the NFL and Green could become a deep threat in time.
Grade A-
Green Bay Packers
Draft picks
Iowa edge Lukas Van Ness (No. 13 overall)
Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave (No. 42)
Michigan State WR Jayden Reed (No. 50)
South Dakota State TE Tucker Kraft (No. 78)
Auburn DT Colby Wooden (No. 116)
Penn State QB Sean Clifford (No. 149)
Virginia WR Dontayvion Wicks (No. 159)
Bowling Green DT Karl Brooks (No. 179)
Auburn K Anders Carlson (No. 207)
Kentucky CB Carrington Valentine (No. 232)
Central Michigan RB Lew Nichols III (No. 235)
Iowa State S Anthony Johnson Jr. (No. 242)
Charlotte WR Grant DuBose (No. 256)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: I love the potential in Van Ness as a strong edge defender who can play 5 technique. Musgrave (gained with the pick acquired from the Jets in exchange for Aaron Rodgers), Reed (picked slightly earlier than expected) and Kraft (picked slightly later) give new quarterback Jordan Love three young targets with whom he can get familiar this offseason.
Wooden and Brooks will greatly aid a lean defensive-line depth chart. Clifford has third-day intangibles and some physical traits to be a solid backup, though his accuracy was inconsistent throughout his career. Wicks, DuBose (my favorite pick of the group) and Nichols continue the team’s efforts to build talent on offense. Carlson possesses good leg strength but missed 12 field-goal attempts over the past two seasons. Valentine and Johnson were clutch picks for a secondary in need of help.
Grade B+
Houston Texans
Draft picks
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud (No. 2 overall)
Alabama edge Will Anderson Jr. (No. 3)
Penn State C Juice Scruggs (No. 62)
Houston WR Tank Dell (No. 69)
TCU edge Dylan Horton (No. 109)
Alabama LB Henry To’oTo’o (No. 167)
Notre Dame OG Jarrett Patterson (No. 201)
Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson (No. 205)
Pittsburgh S Brandon Hill (No. 248)
Day 1 grade: B+
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: The Texans made the correct move to select Stroud as their next quarterback. Anderson could be an excellent edge — and he will need to be to justify the heavy trade price tag. The trade up from No. 65 to No. 62 for Scruggs, though he’s a solid player, struck me as a bit impatient, while the move up from No. 73 to No. 69 for Dell as a tough and quick slot/returner seemed more justified.
Horton is a good example of the kind of power end new head coach DeMeco Ryans used when he was defensive coordinator of the 49ers. I thought Hutchinson was a fourth- or early-fifth round value as a future No. 2 option. Ryans had to see a bit of his own instinctual play in To’oTo’o, for whom the Texans traded up from No. 174 to No. 167. Hill was an excellent seventh-round selection.
Grade A
Indianapolis Colts
Draft picks
Florida QB Anthony Richardson (No. 4 overall)
Kansas State DB Julius Brents (No. 44)
North Carolina WR Josh Downs (No. 79)
BYU OT Blake Freeland (No. 106)
Northwestern DT Adetomiwa Adebawore (No. 110)
South Carolina CB Darius Rush (No. 138)
Cal S Daniel Scott (No. 158)
Miami TE Will Mallory (No. 162)
Northwestern RB Evan Hull (No. 176)
Wagner edge Titus Leo (No. 211)
Texas A&M CB Jaylon Jones (No. 221)
Northern Michigan OT Jake Witt (No. 236)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Richardson can play behind Gardner Minshew in 2023 and will eventually thrive as he gains experience under new head coach Shane Steichen, thanks to his physical skill set. After two trades down in Round 2, the Colts still found Brents, a long athlete who just needs to stick to receivers more consistently. Downs is the productive slot receiver needed to replace Parris Campbell.
Freeland and Witt are similar to 2022 third-round choice Bernhard Raimann, tall and full of athleticism and promise. Adebawore will grow into an excellent value as a fourth-rounder; he’s not just a workout warrior. The Colts got great value in the fifth round by taking Rush and in the seventh round by taking Jones. Mallory and Hull (drafted with the choice obtained from Dallas in exchange for Stephon Gilmore) were smart picks to add depth on offense.
Grade B+
Jacksonville Jaguars
Draft picks
Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison (No. 27 overall)
Penn State TE Brenton Strange (No. 61)
Auburn RB Tank Bigsby (No. 88)
Florida LB Ventrell Miller (No. 121)
Oklahoma State DE Tyler Lacy (No. 130)
Louisville LB Yasir Abdullah (No. 136)
Texas A&M S Antonio Johnson (No. 160)
Penn State WR Parker Washington (No. 185)
Rutgers CB Christian Braswell (No. 202)
Pittsburgh S Erick Hallett (No. 208)
Appalachian State OG Cooper Hodges (No. 226)
North Carolina DT Raymond Vohasek (No. 227)
Houston FB Derek Parish (No. 240)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B-
Day 3 grade: B
Analysis: The pending suspension of Cam Robinson for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy made the Jags’ need at tackle even more obvious, so the Harrison selection made tons of sense. Strange’s pick was likely forced by the run on tight ends in the second round. Jacksonville could have probably waited until Day 3 to find Bigsby or a similarly talented back.
One year after the Jaguars drafted two linebackers early, they took Miller early in the fourth despite the fact he is coming off injury and Abdullah in the fifth, though the former Cardinal is more of a threat on the edge. They smartly addressed their needs at defensive tackle with Lacy and Vohasek and in the secondary with Braswell and Hallett. Washington could work his way into a crowded receiver room with his strength and quickness in space, and Parish is a fullback who starred as an edge rusher for Houston the past couple of years.
Grade B+
Kansas City Chiefs
Draft picks
Kansas State edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah (No. 31 overall)
SMU WR Rashee Rice (No. 55)
Oklahoma OT Wanya Morris (No. 92)
Virginia Tech DB Chamarri Conner (No. 119)
Stephen F. Austin edge BJ Thompson (No. 166)
Texas DT Keondre Coburn (No. 194)
Ball State CB Nic Jones (No. 250)
Day 1 grade: B-
Day 2 grade: A-
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Anudike-Uzomah has the potential to be a good pass rusher, but the Chiefs might have found better value in other prospects. Rice could be a real steal as an immediate contributor in the short and intermediate passing games, joining Kadarius Toney, for whom they traded a third-rounder last fall. Morris will at least be a valuable swing tackle for the next few years.
Kansas City got 2023 fourth- and sixth-round picks from Miami as part of the Tyreek Hill trade. Conner was a very good nickel back/safety pick for the Chiefs, who traded up early in the fourth round. Thompson is a developing edge player with closing speed. Coburn is a low center of gravity nose tackle in the Derrick Nnadi mold and I loved Jones’ play as a senior.
Grade B+
Las Vegas Raiders
Draft picks
Texas Tech edge Tyree Wilson (No. 7 overall)
Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer (No. 35)
Alabama DT Byron Young (No. 70)
Cincinnati WR Tre Tucker (No. 100)
Maryland DB Jakorian Bennett (No. 104)
Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell (No. 135)
Georgia S Christopher Smith II (No. 170)
Florida LB Amari Burney (No. 203)
Arizona State DT Nesta Jade Silvera (No. 231)
Day 1 grade: A-
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Selecting Wilson to play across from Maxx Crosby was prudent. Mayer is the draft’s best tight end, so trading up for him made sense. Young will be part of the line rotation this year and Tucker (selected with the pick gained from the Giants for Darren Waller) will excel in the slot, though both were picked a round earlier than anticipated.
The Raiders needed defensive backs; Bennett’s speed and competitiveness fits the bill at corner and Smith always seems to find the ball in big spots. They also had to find a solid backup quarterback and traded up to get an efficient distributor from the pocket in O’Connell. Burney and Silvera provide depth on defense.
Grade B-
Los Angeles Chargers
Draft picks
TCU WR Quentin Johnston (No. 21 overall)
USC LB Tuli Tuipulotu (No. 54)
Washington State LB Daiyan Henley (No. 85)
TCU WR Derius Davis (No. 125)
Clemson OT Jordan McFadden (No. 156)
Boise State DT Scott Matlock (No. 200)
TCU QB Max Duggan (No. 239)
Day 1 grade: C+
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: A-
Analysis: Johnston has potential as an outside threat but must improve his hands and routes to maximize his potential. Tuipulotu’s relentless nature will help him overcome a lack of twitch outside. Henley’s going to be the new Drue Tranquill/Kyzir White special-teamer/linebacker type for the Chargers.
Davis reunites with Johnston to use his speed in the slot and can take over return duties immediately. I projected Matlock to be picked by the Chargers in the seventh round of my mock draft, as he fits at the 5-technique position for the Bolts. McFadden is a similar player to Jamaree Salyer. Duggan will compete with Easton Stick for the backup spot.
Grade A-
Los Angeles Rams
Draft picks
TCU OG Steve Avila (No. 36 overall)
Tennessee edge Byron Young (No. 77)
Wake Forest DT Kobie Turner (No. 89)
Georgia QB Stetson Bennett (No. 128)
Appalachian State LB Nick Hampton (No. 161)
Georgia OT Warren McClendon Jr. (No. 174)
Clemson TE Davis Allen (No. 175)
BYU WR Puka Nacua (No. 177)
TCU CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (No. 182)
Nebraska edge Ochaun Mathis (No. 189)
Mississippi RB Zach Evans (No. 215)
Wingate P Ethan Evans (No. 223)
Oklahoma State S Jason Taylor II (No. 234)
Toledo DT Desjuan Johnson (No. 259)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford functioned as the Rams’ first-round pick again this year. The team added more picks through various Day 2 trades. Adding Avila bolsters the interior of the offensive line, while Young’s closing ability gives him a chance to become an effective edge defender. Turner was a productive player at Richmond and Wake Forest but went a bit earlier than projected.
Bennett was underrated as a prospect and has enough physical tools and the confidence to be a starter after Stafford retires if he can mature. Hampton and Mathis fit the team’s need at edge, Tomlinson plays stronger than his diminutive size would portend, and McClendon, Allen, Nacua and Evans were all solid picks despite the veterans already on the depth chart. The team had no specialists coming into the draft, so they picked Evans instead of fighting for him as a free agent.
Grade B-
Miami Dolphins
Draft picks
South Carolina CB Cam Smith (No. 51 overall)
Texas A&M RB Devon Achane (No. 84)
Stanford TE Elijah Higgins (No. 197)
Michigan OT Ryan Hayes (No. 238)
Day 1 grade: C-
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Miami forfeited its first-round pick and has yet to see what it truly have in edge Bradley Chubb, who was acquired with a first-rounder gained from the Niners. Smith could be a nice nickel defender early in his career, and head coach Mike McDaniel will surely figure out how to use Achane’s speed.
Miami sent fourth- and sixth-round picks to Kansas City as part of the Tyreek Hill trade. The Dolphins found two offensive players with their remaining picks, with Higgins moving from receiver to tight end in the NFL due to his size and Hayes projecting as a swing tackle for the Dolphins.
Grade A-
Minnesota Vikings
Draft picks
USC WR Jordan Addison (No. 23 overall)
USC DB Mekhi Blackmon (No. 102)
LSU DB Jay Ward (No. 134)
LSU DT Jaquelin Roy (No. 141)
BYU QB Jaren Hall (No. 164)
UAB RB DeWayne McBride (No. 222)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Addison will complement star receiver Justin Jefferson so well from the slot that it seemed the marriage was fate. Tight end T.J. Hockenson cost the team its second-rounder, which may prove wise if the Vikings are able to extend or re-sign him next offseason. Blackmon’s competitiveness and sticky coverage met a crucial need.
Ward is a tough-minded safety who can play some nickel for the Vikings, picking him after gaining a 2024 fifth-round pick when trading down. Roy was an excellent value in the fifth as an active interior defender. Hall is a developmental passer but flashed the velocity and accuracy of an NFL starter as often as some other quarterbacks selected before him. McBride went two rounds later than I expected.
Grade A-
New England Patriots
Draft picks
Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez (No. 17 overall)
Georgia Tech DE Keion White (No. 46)
Sacramento State LB Marte Mapu (No. 76)
Troy C Jake Andrews (No. 107)
Maryland K Chad Ryland (No. 112)
Eastern Michigan OG Sidy Sow (No. 117)
UCLA OG Atonio Mafi (No. 144)
LSU WR Kayshon Boutte (No. 187)
Michigan State P Bryce Baringer (No. 192)
Liberty WR Demario Douglas (No. 210)
Michigan State CB Ameer Speed (No. 214)
Jackson State CB Isaiah Bolden (No. 245)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A-
Day 3 grade: B
Analysis: Gonzalez provided nice value at No. 17 as he covers receivers like a blanket and makes plays on the ball, the primary jobs of an NFL cornerback. White’s ability to play outside and inside makes him a typical Patriots defensive line selection. Mapu is yet another New England Day 2 pick that makes casual fans say, “Who?” But I thought he showed real potential as a linebacker/hybrid who will star on special teams.
The team used the fourth-rounder gained from the Rams for running back Sony Michel on Andrews, a solid Day 3 pick as a guard or center. They added Sow and Mafi later to compete for jobs along the O-line, as well. I love Boutte’s fit as a physical slot receiver ,and Douglas is undersized but agile in the open field. The size and athleticism of both Speed and Bolden are intriguing. The team hopes Ryland and Baringer bring consistency to the special-teams units.
Grade B+
New Orleans Saints
Draft picks
Clemson DT Bryan Bresee (No. 29 overall)
Notre Dame edge Isaiah Foskey (No. 40)
TCU RB Kendre Miller (No. 71)
Old Dominion OG Nick Saldiveri (No. 103)
Fresno State QB Jake Haener (No. 127)
Minnesota S Jordan Howden (No. 146)
Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry (No. 195)
Day 1 grade: B-
Day 2 grade: A-
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: The Saints should have had a top-10 pick this year, but it was sent to the Eagles as part of a deal last year that netted New Orleans a pair of mid-first-round choices in 2022. They took a reasonable risk late in the first (a pick they received for Sean Payton) that the hard-working, agile Bresee’s medical issues are behind him. Foskey is their type of powerful base end, though Keion White was still on the board. Miller was a wise pick; his open-field burst could lead to explosive plays.
Saldiveri fills the Saints’ need for an athletic interior lineman, but I thought he could go in Round 3. Haener was the perfect selection as an efficient backup for Derek Carr with starter potential, so giving up a seventh-rounder this year and a 2024 fourth-round pick made sense. Safety was on their needs list, too, and Howden made himself into a draftable player this season. Sending tight end Adam Trautman to Denver to get a downfield threat in Perry benefitted both parties.
Grade A-
New York Giants
Draft picks
Maryland CB Deonte Banks (No. 24 overall)
Minnesota C John Michael Schmitz (No. 57)
Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt (No. 73)
Oklahoma RB Eric Gray (No. 172)
Old Dominion DB Tre Hawkins III (No. 209)
Oregon DT Jordon Riley (No. 243)
Houston S Gervarrius Owens (No. 254)
Day 1 grade: B+
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Banks is a fluid athlete outside with the potential to justify the trade up if his game matures. Schmitz quenches the Giants’ thirst for a very good starter in the pivot to help Daniel Jones continue his ascension. Hyatt is a late bloomer who is the exact vertical threat Jones and the offense needed.
Gray is a tough runner with receiving ability who will step up to spell Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida. Hawkins joins Banks as another needed athlete at cornerback, and Owens’ ability to cover ground and tackle were worthy of a top-150 pick at safety.
Grade B
New York Jets
Draft picks
Iowa State edge Will McDonald IV (No. 15 overall)
Wisconsin C Joe Tippmann (No. 43)
Pittsburgh OT Carter Warren (No. 120)
Pittsburgh RB Israel Abanikanda (No. 143)
Western Michigan LB Zaire Barnes (No. 184)
LSU CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse (No. 204)
Old Dominion TE Zack Kuntz (No. 220)
Day 1 grade: C+
Day 2 grade: A-
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: McDonald’s plus length and flexibility off the edge enticed the Jets in the first round, and he’ll be dangerous if he’s able to consistently get off the blocks of strong NFL linemen. Tippmann has the size and mobility to clear lanes for what the team hopes is a healthy Breece Hall. Aaron Rodgers also factors into the grade here, as the team gave up a ’23 second-rounder as part of the trade with Green Bay.
Warren meets the Jets’ desire for athletic offensive tackles; if he had been healthy for all of last season, he would have gone on Day 2. If Hall isn’t back for the start of the season, Abanikanda’s speed might help him find the field early on. Kuntz is a superior athlete for his size, making him one of the best seventh-round selections.
Grade A-
Philadelphia Eagles
Draft picks
Georgia DT Jalen Carter (No. 9 overall)
Georgia edge Nolan Smith (No. 30)
Alabama OG Tyler Steen (No. 65)
Illinois DB Sydney Brown (No. 66)
Georgia CB Kelee Ringo (No. 105)
Stanford QB Tanner McKee (No. 188)
Texas DT Moro Ojomo (No. 249)
Day 1 grade: A-
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Philadelphia took two Georgia players in the first round, trading up a spot for the ultra-talented Carter and then getting a bargain in quick edge/off-ball linebacker Smith. Steen meets a need at guard (and can step in at tackle in a pinch). The athletic, compactly built Brown will make plays against the run and pass as a rookie.
There were questions about Ringo, but his size, speed and playmaking ability made the Eagles willing to take the risk of trading a 2024 third-round pick to land him. Sending a 2025 Day 3 pick to Detroit for back D’Andre Swift is a win for both teams. It was a good idea to pick McKee for the backup competition. Ojomo will be a nice rotational piece at 3-technique for Philadelphia.
Grade A
Pittsburgh Steelers
Draft picks
Georgia OT Broderick Jones (No. 14 overall)
Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. (No. 32)
Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton (No. 49)
Georgia TE Darnell Washington (No. 93)
Wisconsin edge Nick Herbig (No. 132)
Purdue CB Cory Trice Jr. (No. 241)
Maryland OT Spencer Anderson (No. 251)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Another solid first two days for the Steelers, with the trade for Jones filling the left tackle spot that was a sore spot last season, Porter picked as a playmaker outside (not just a legacy pick), Benton adding strength and athleticism up front and Washington’s massive frame giving him a chance to excel as a blocker and receiving threat. Using the early second-rounder gained in the Chase Claypool trade on Porter was a major win.
Herbig can play inside or outside for the Steelers, with his aggressive nature overcoming his slight build. Anderson has good size and decent athleticism and should land on the roster as a swing tackle.
Grade B-
San Francisco 49ers
Draft picks
Penn State S Ji’Ayir Brown (No. 87 overall)
Michigan K Jake Moody (No. 99)
Alabama TE Cameron Latu (No. 101)
South Alabama CB Darrell Luter Jr. (No. 155)
Georgia edge Robert Beal Jr. (No. 173)
TCU LB Dee Winters (No. 216)
Oklahoma TE Brayden Willis (No. 247)
Michigan WR Ronnie Bell (No. 253)
Purdue LB Jalen Graham (No. 255)
Day 1 grade: C+
Day 2 grade: B-
Day 3 grade: B+
Analysis: The Niners did not have first- or second-round picks after making trades for Trey Lance (still waiting to see if that pays off) and Christian McCaffrey (so far, so good). In the third round, they moved up for the instinctual safety they needed in Brown, bucked conventional wisdom by grabbing the kicker they’re craving in Moody and reached a bit for Latu, a solid tight end.
Luter is a fierce cornerback who will step in for the Niners as a rookie, while Beal will likely back up veterans on the edge. I love Winters and Graham at linebacker, while Bell plays receiver with linebacker-type toughness.
Grade A-
Seattle Seahawks
Draft picks
Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon (No. 5 overall)
Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 20)
Auburn edge Derick Hall (No. 37)
UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet (No. 52)
LSU OG Anthony Bradford (No. 108)
Mississippi State DT Cameron Young (No. 123)
Michigan DE Mike Morris (No. 151)
Michigan C Olu Oluwatimi (No. 154)
New Mexico S Jerrick Reed II (No. 198)
Georgia RB Kenny McIntosh (No. 237)
Day 1 grade: A+
Day 2 grade: C+
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Seattle did a nice job on Day 1, using the No. 5 overall pick — acquired from Denver in the Russell Wilson trade — on the feisty Witherspoon and staying put at 20th overall to select Smith-Njigba, the top receiver in the draft. Hall is a gamer who should help the team’s edge depth, and Charbonnet is a power back with some wiggle, though using second-round picks at that position in consecutive years is unusual.
I love Bradford’s power at guard, as well as Young’s ability to hold the line of scrimmage at nose tackle. Oluwatimi is another strong interior blocker who was a better value than many pivots selected before him. Seattle likes powerful edge rushers like Morris, even if he is not a quick-twitch athlete. McIntosh is a good seventh-round pick despite his lack of elite speed.
Grade A
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Draft picks
Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey (No. 19 overall)
North Dakota State OG Cody Mauch (No. 48)
Louisville edge YaYa Diaby (No. 82)
Pittsburgh LB SirVocea Dennis (No. 153)
Purdue TE Payne Durham (No. 171)
Kansas State DB Josh Hayes (No. 181)
Nebraska WR Trey Palmer (No. 191)
Eastern Michigan edge Jose Ramirez (No. 196)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Kancey brings versatility, explosiveness and underrated leverage to the Bucs’ defensive line. Trading up for Mauch to fill in at guard made sense because he can also slide outside if the team needs him there. Diaby’s an athletic work in progress who must reach his potential to justify the mid-third-round selection.
Dennis attacks the backfield and the ball with reckless abandon, as does Ramirez from the edge. Durham is a nice replacement for Cameron Brate, and Palmer gives the team a deep speed option if he’s able to clean up his drops. Tampa Bay needs to sign some offensive linemen after the draft.
Grade A-
Tennessee Titans
Draft picks
Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski (No. 11 overall)
Kentucky QB Will Levis (No. 33)
Tulane RB Tyjae Spears (No. 81)
Cincinnati TE Josh Whyle (No. 147)
Maryland OT Jaelyn Duncan (No. 186)
Tennessee-Martin WR Colton Dowell (No. 228)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A-
Day 3 grade: C
Analysis: Skoronski is a great fit in Tennessee. He has a Zack Martin-type ceiling inside and has the versatility to play tackle if needed. Trading up for Levis, despite his inconsistency, was not outrageous given that Ryan Tannehill’s contract is scheduled to void after the 2023 season, per Over the Cap. I expect Spears to be a valuable contributor, despite his lack of an ACL.
The Titans parted with fourth- and sixth-round picks for receivers Julio Jones and Robert Woods in trades from previous years. Whyle was a good find in the fifth, though, as a potential threat in the red zone and intermediate passing game. The team hopes Duncan can use his athleticism more consistently as he matures.
Grade B
Washington Commanders
Draft picks
Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes (No. 16 overall)
Illinois DB Jartavius Martin (No. 47)
Arkansas C Ricky Stromberg (No. 97)
Utah OT Braeden Daniels (No. 118)
Clemson edge KJ Henry (No. 137)
Kentucky RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (No. 193)
Louisiana edge Andre Jones Jr. (No. 233)
Day 1 grade: B
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: A-
Analysis: If the ball finds Forbes in the NFL like it did in college, his lean frame won’t be a concern. They eschewed other needs to bolster the secondary again with nickel back/safety Martin and then grabbed the solid Stromberg a bit earlier than I expected him to go, as centers were quickly coming off the board.
Daniels will excel if he plays guard in the NFL. Henry’s combination of strength and agility on the edge made him a good find in the fifth round, and Jones has potential on the outside. The Commanders chose not to select a tight end but Rodriguez does meet their need for a thumper in the backfield.
MEN’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL
MICHIGAN STATE’S PAYTON THORNE AND KEON COLEMAN ENTER PORTAL
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne and receiver Keon Coleman have entered the transfer portal, team spokesman Ben Phlegar confirmed Sunday.
Spartans coach Mel Tucker said on multiple occassions this spring that Thorne, a two-year starter and captain, was part of an open competition to take the first snap next season.
Thorne appears to have chosen to lead another school in his fifth season.
He will have options after going 16-10 as a starter with 49 touchdown passes and 6,494 yards receiving. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Coleman will, too. He led the Spartans with 58 receptions, 758 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches last season in his second year of college.
Tucker will likely lean on the transfer portal for at least one candidate to join Noah Kim and Katin Houser in a quarterback competition to start this year. Kim threw one touchdown pass in three games last season, his third year of college, and Houser was 1 of 2 in one game as a highly touted freshman from California last year.
The Thorne-led Spartans were 5-7 last season, a year after he helped them win 11 games, including a New Year’s Six bowl game.
NASCAR NEWS
NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE AT DOVER RAINED OUT, MOVED TO MONDAY
DOVER, Del. (AP) Chase Elliott missed so many races because of a broken leg that NASCAR’s most popular driver likely needs to win one just to make the playoffs.
How does a repeat rainout victory at the Monster Mile sound?
Elliott picked up the win on a Monday last season at Dover Motor Speedway and he’ll get another shot this year after rain again postponed Sunday’s race.
The race will start at noon on the concrete-mile track.
Rain is starting to become a monster of a problem for a track that once hosted two race weekends a year but is now down to one each season. Dover will hold a Monday race for the fifth time in 105 career Cup races – but third time since 2109.
Martin Truex Jr. has won twice at Dover on Mondays.
Elliott would like to join him on that list. Hey, if the Hendrick Motorsports star wanted to pick up some tips from last season’s winning effort, that race was replayed on FS1 to fill air time on a Sunday afternoon.
“It’s been a year since we’ve been here and obviously a lot can happen in that amount of time,” Elliott said. “We’ll get on track and kind of see where we stack up and go from there.”
Elliott has raced only four times this season and missed six races with a broken left tibia that he suffered in a March 3 snowboarding accident.
The 27-year-old has vowed he won’t stop snowboarding or any of the other off-track activities he enjoys, even after teammate Alex Bowman was also injured when he suffered a fractured vertebra in a sprint car crash this week. Bowman will miss at least the next three Cup races.
Hendrick Motorsports general manager Jeff Andrews said at Dover there were no immediate plans to change the team’s policy prohibiting its drivers from engaging in racing in outside series or participating in potentially dangerous physical activities.
But the team could reconsider if another outside accident happened to Elliott, Bowman, William Byron or Kyle Larson.
Elliott, who finished 12th last week at Talladega, said he’s just “pushing forward” as he drives the No. 9 Chevrolet with the lingering effects of the accident.
“I’m not going on runs or doing sprinting drills, but I feel fine,” he said. “I don’t feel like it impacts me in the car at this point. It’s just one of those things where you’re going to have good days, you’re going to have days that you don’t get around great. That’s just going to be part of it here for a little while I think.”
Elliott did arrive at Dover with a new look after he shaved his bushy mustache that extended from under his nose past the corners of the mouth and sprouted downward.
“I woke up the other morning and I was just kind of tired of eating breakfast and having to clean it off,” Elliott said. “So I went upstairs, took a shower and off it went. That much thought went into it. It was that simple. It was time.”
THE LINEUP
Kyle Busch starts on the pole Monday and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell joins him on the first row. Ford drivers benefited from the rain, with Ryan Blaney starting third, followed by Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Chase Briscoe, after qualifying was rained out.
Busch, enjoying a successful first season at Richard Childress Racing, won last week’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Kyle Larson is the 5-1 favorite to win, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
I’M NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TODAY!
Silent Bob got silenced.
“Clerks” filmmaker and actor Kevin Smith was scheduled to serve as grand marshal for Sunday’s race and give the command for drivers to star their engines. That’s a mouthful for the actor who popularized the Silent Bob character in a number of his projects.
The Monster Among Men had his scheduled pace lap at the Monster Mile rained out.
WWE star Braun Strowman, who sports the catchy nickname, did at least get to flex his pythons and pose with the Miles the Monster trophy.
Strowman can’t stick around – he has to appear Monday night on “Raw.”
“I’d rather drive a race car than get dropped on my head,” Strowman said.
MEN’S GOLF NEWS
GOOCH CLAIMS BACK-TO-BACK LIV GOLF TITLES WITH SINGAPORE WIN
SINGAPORE (AP) Talor Gooch became the first player to win back-to-back LIV Golf titles after a playoff hole victory against Sergio Garcia at the LIV Singapore tournament at Sentosa Golf Club on Sunday.
Gooch and Garcia shadowed each other for most of the opening two rounds and the final round was no different, with both the American and Spaniard never more than stroke apart as they finished at 17-under 196 to force a playoff.
At the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th, Gooch skirted with the water hazard with his tee shot but played a near perfect second shot into the heart of the green where he easily two-putted for birdie.
Garcia’s second shot at the playoff hole found the greenside bunker and the Spaniard was unable to make his birdie giving Gooch his second successive win and a $4 million prize.
For Gooch, it’s the ninth time he’s either led or shared a lead after an LIV round, the most of any player. He’s now led or shared the lead in the last six rounds.
“It’s one of those days that I’ll remember,” said Gooch. “I grew up watching Sergio. He’s one of the greatest golfers of this generation. To go and battle with him and come out on top is something I’ll never forget.”
Twice LIV Golf tournament winner Brooks Koepka shot 67 to finish third at 16-under 197, one shot ahead of Scott Vincent (67) of Zimbabwe, who had briefly threatened to make it a four-way battle for the title before a bogey at the par-4 15th stalled his momentum.
British Open champion Cam Smith (71) finished in a tie for sixth after he mixed regular birdies with bogeys for an even final round and an overall score of 12-under 201.
Phil Mickelson shot a 72, with two double bogeys in his final round, to fall down the leaderboard into a tie for 13th.
Like the first round, the final round Sunday was delayed for more than an hour after 13 holes of the shotgun format due to severe weather in the area.
Garcia, who began his round on the first hole with Gooch in the shotgun-start format, birdied three of the first nine holes to maintain the lead with the American, who had four birdies and a bogey before nine consecutive pars.
Garcia won the Singapore Open at Sentosa in 2018 and had played bogey-free golf in the first 47 holes but two bogeys at the par-4 12th and 15th hampered his efforts of a repeat victory here.
At the par-5 18th in regulation, Gooch had 41-foot putt for eagle which narrowly missed to the left of the cup. The 31-year-old American easily made his birdie to put the pressure back on Garcia.
The Spaniard responded by calmly making birdie from 11 feet to force the playoff.
The next event is at Tulsa, Oklahoma starting May 12.
FINAU HOLDS OFF RAHM TO TAKE MEXICO OPEN FOR 6TH CAREER WIN
VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) Tony Finau and Jon Rahm play enough golf together away from the PGA Tour that Finau thinks it has only made him a better player.
He showed that Sunday in the Mexico Open at Rahm’s expense.
Finau was expecting a tough test against Rahm, the Masters champion and No. 1 player in the world. Equipped with a two-shot lead, Finau played bogey-free for a 5-under 66 and never gave Rahm or anyone else much of a chance.
He wound up winning by three shots for his fourth PGA Tour title in the last nine months.
“Any time you can battle with a guy like Jon Rahm who’s in the form that he was and come out on top, it makes me feel good,” Finau said. “Rahm is a good friend of mine, we practice quite a bit together, so having Rahmbo as like a sparring partner for me has only made me better. And I hope he can say the same.”
Finau earned a small measure of redemption at Vallarta Vidanta, where last year he finished runner-up to Rahm by one shot.
“Obviously I wanted to win, but it’s a reminder that everybody out here is a great player,” Rahm said. “Tony came out with a two-shot lead and played fantastic golf. I feel like had I been able to pressure him a little more, we would have seen more birdies from Tony.”
Finau finished at 24-under 260. Turns out Rahm wasn’t his biggest threat.
Brandon Wu, also a runner-up last year, holed a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 sixth hole and made a short birdie on the next hole to briefly tie for the lead. Finau answered with a birdie on the seventh, and then Wu fell back with a bogey from the bunker on No. 8 and a tee shot into the water on the 10th that led to double bogey.
“Just a few too many loose swings,” Wu said after a 68 to finish third. “Satisfied with how I went today. I’m glad I gave myself a chance through nine holes.”
Rahm closed with a 67 and certainly had his chances. He was three behind Finau at the turn, but failed to birdie two of the par 5s with a poor drive on the 12th and a poor approach on the 14th that kept him from reasonable birdie chances.
“It was a day where I didn’t do much wrong, but I didn’t do much right, either,” he said.
The Spaniard’s last hope was on the 16th hole. Finau hit his approach into the bunker and Rahm hit a 7-iron into the same bunker. Both made par, and at that point, Rahm simply ran out of holes.
“I feel like if I hit that second shot on 16 on the green and give myself a real look at birdie, Tony’s up-and-down gets significantly more difficult,” Rahm said.
Akshay Bhatia, the 21-year-old who has special temporary membership, faded to a 70 and finished fourth.
Finau now has two victories this season – his other was in the Houston Open last fall – to join Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa as the only multiple winners on tour this season.
Finau’s sixth career PGA Tour victory was worth $1,386,000. He also moved to No. 11 in the world.
Finau did his best work on the front nine. He left a bunker shot in the sand on the sixth hole and managed to get up-and-down for par. On the eighth hole, another bunker shot from a tough lie didn’t quite reach the green, and he holed a 15-foot putt from the fringe for par.
Rahm was playing for the second time in three weeks since winning the Masters. He is skipping the Wells Fargo Championship – his one opt-out from elevated events with a $20 million purse – and will have a two-week break going into the PGA Championship.
Finau, who went more than five years between his first and second wins on the PGA Tour, now has multiple wins in back-to-back seasons.
WOMEN’S GOLF
HANNAH GREEN WINS LPGA AT WILSHIRE IN A PLAYOFF
LOS ANGELES (AP) Hannah Green of Australia made a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole to join a three-way playoff, and then made par on the second extra hole to win the JM Eagle LA Championship on Sunday at Wilshire Country Club.
In a wild finish that featured a five-way tie for the lead late in the final round, Green made birdie for a 2-under 69 to join Aditi Ashok of India and Xiyu Lin of China in the playoff.
“Pretty much all day I left every putt short,” Green said. “I knew I had to get it to the hole. I knew I needed to hit it a little bit harder than what I had all day. I don’t often get my caddie to read my putt, but I pulled him in for the last hole, and we both saw the same line, so it was nice to have that confidence that I was seeing the correct line, and yeah, just stroked it and it went perfectly in the hole.”
Ashok, who had the 36-hole lead, and Lin each closed with a 67 and were the first to post at 9-under 275. Green and Lin birdied the first playoff hole on the par-3 18th.
On the second extra hole at No. 18, Lin hit into a bunker and blasted out to some 18 feet and missed the par putt. That left Green to tap in from 2 feet for her first LPGA win since September 2019.
Green was emotional and wiping away tears after the win.
“It’s been a long few years,” Green said. “I was playing well last year but getting across the line’s been really difficult. I’m proud of myself. I’m really happy.”
Green won for the third time. She captured her lone major in the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA at Hazeltine, and followed that with a win at the Portland Classic that year.
She missed the cut last week at the Chevron Championship and talked to a sports psychologist this week.
This win is right up there with the others.
“I think honestly this one is really important because I feel like this is just going to kick start remembering how to – like learning to win,” Green said. “It’s tough to win golf tournaments. Sometimes you can play your best golf and it not be good enough. You’ve just got to hang in there. I think this is honestly just as big as the first two.”
Ashok had a 15-foot putt that lipped out on the 18th in the playoff, ending her bid for her first LPGA title. Lin made a 12-foot putt, and Green made a 4-footer to stay in the game.
Green finished second here last year and third the year before at Wilshire. She won $450,000 from the $3 million purse.
Cheyenne Knight, who had a two-shot lead going into the final round, closed with a 2-over 73 and tied for sixth.
Ruoning Yin won in Los Angeles last month at the DIO Implant LA Open at Palos Verdes Golf Club and had a chance to win again. She birdied the par-4 14th to take the lead and then birdied the par-5 15th to build a two-shot lead. But she finished with two bogeys for a 67 to fall to 8 under and miss the playoff.
She started the day with a mindset to have fun, so her caddie tried to just do that in relaying NBA playoff scores.
“When I was on hole 2, my caddie just talked to me, and he said, ‘Hey, do you want me to tell you the score?’ I was like, ‘Um, no. We’re just having fun here,’” Yin said. “Finally I found out he was talking about the Warriors versus the Kings.”
She tied for fourth with Ayaka Furue of Japan, who had a 65.
Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, had a 67 and tied for sixth.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
COLTS FOOTBALL
The 2023 NFL draft has concluded, but the Indianapolis Colts are still hard at work trying to bring in some players as undrafted free agents that didn’t get to hear their names called this weekend.
General manager Chris Ballard is one that always feels adding talent is necessary, regardless of where they are found. Likewise, the Colts are a team that seems to always have a handful of undrafted free agents competing on the roster.
It should be noted that nothing is official until the team or the league announces it. This means reports can be wrong, changed or even faked. Some listed as signings could actually just be a tryout during the rookie minicamp, which takes place next weekend.
Until the Colts actually announce the list of signings, it is best to view everything as subject to change.
Rumored signings
G Emil Ekiyor, Alabama
RB Darius Hagans, Virginia State
WR Zavier Scott, Maine
S Aaron Maddox, Campbell
DB Cole Coleman, Elon
WR Braxton Westfield, Carson Newman
LB Liam Anderson, Holy Cross
LB Donavan Mutin, Houston
WR Cody Chrest, Sam Houston St.
DT Caleb Sampson, Kansas
OL Harris Lachance, BYU
WR Johnny King, Southeast Missouri
RB Titus Swen, Wyoming
LB Guy Thomas, Colorado
CB Tyler Richardson, Tiffin
P Paxton Brooks, Tennessee
Reported tryout invites
RB Toriano Clinton, Indiana
DT Jamal Woods, Illinois
OL Michael Gerace, Maine
WR Kody Case, Illinois
C/G Jacob Gall, Baylor
EDGE KeShaun Moore, Hamption
LB Ty Van Fossen, Cincinnati
QB Logan Bonner, Utah State
INDIANS BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians have announced that Sunday afternoon’s series finale vs. the Columbus Clippers at Victory Field has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader when the Clippers return to the Circle City on Wednesday, June 21, with Game 1 scheduled for 1:05 PM ET. Game 2 will begin 30 minutes following the conclusion of the opener, with both games set as seven-inning affairs.
The Indians emerged victorious in Saturday night’s contest, 8-5, thanks to outstanding performances by starting pitcher Luis Ortiz and Josh Palacios. Ortiz spun his second consecutive quality start to earn the win and Palacios, playing in just his seventh game with the Indians, went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and career-high tying five RBI.
Indians baseball returns to Victory Field on Tuesday, May 16, following a 12-game road trip at Toledo and St. Paul. Action in Toledo is set to begin on Tuesday, May 2 with a 6:05 PM ET first pitch.
Rain Check Policy
Fans with tickets for Wednesday’s game can exchange them for any future 2023 regular season game by contacting the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 or Tickets@IndyIndians.com), or contacting their ticket representative. A breakdown of each ticket type exchange is listed below:
Club Tickets – Good for new Box Seat Tickets
Loge Tickets – Good for new Box Seat Tickets
Landing Tickets – Good for new Landing Tickets
Box Tickets – Good for new Box, Reserved or Lawn Tickets
Reserved Tickets – Good for Reserved or Lawn Tickets
Lawn Tickets – Good for Lawn Tickets
INDIANA FEVER
2023 INDIANA FEVER TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
| NAME | POS. | DOB | H | W | FROM | EXP. |
| Grace Berger | G | 6/3/99 | 6-0 | 160 | Indiana/USA | R |
| Aliyah Boston | F/C | 12/11/01 | 6-5 | 220 | South Carolina/USA | R |
| Maya Caldwell | G | 12/15/98 | 5-11 | 160 | Georgia/USA | 1 |
| Emma Cannon | F | 6/1/89 | 6-2 | 190 | Florida Southern/USA | 4 |
| Rennia Davis | G/F | 2/24/99 | 6-1 | 170 | Tennessee/USA | 1 |
| Queen Egbo | F/C | 6/29/00 | 6-4 | 190 | Baylor/USA | 1 |
| Bernadett Határ* | C | 8/24/94 | 6-10 | 208 | Hungary | 1 |
| Destanni Henderson | G | 2/2/99 | 5-7 | 140 | South Carolina/USA | 1 |
| Lexie Hull | G | 9/13/99 | 6-1 | 155 | Stanford/USA | 1 |
| Taylor Mikesell | G | 9/30/99 | 5-10 | 150 | Ohio State/USA | R |
| Kelsey Mitchell | G | 11/12/95 | 5-8 | 160 | Ohio State/USA | 5 |
| Victaria Saxton | F | 11/10/99 | 6-2 | 181 | South Carolina/USA | R |
| NaLyssa Smith | F | 8/8/00 | 6-4 | 185 | Baylor/USA | 1 |
| Victoria Vivians | G | 11/17/94 | 6-1 | 183 | Mississippi State/USA | 4 |
| Kristy Wallace | G | 1/3/96 | 5-11 | 157 | Baylor/Australia | 1 |
| Erica Wheeler | G | 5/2/91 | 5-7 | 143 | Rutgers/USA | 7 |
| LaDazhia Williams | F | 9/13/98 | 6-4 | 185 | LSU/USA | R |
INDIANA BASEBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A barrage of offense arrived at Bart Kaufman Field on Sunday (April 30) between the top two teams in the Big Ten, as the Indiana baseball program dropped a 14-8 decision to Maryland in the series finale.
For the third straight day, Maryland (30-25, 11-4 B1G) scored first, this time with two runs in the second inning and two more in the third. Indiana (31-14, 9-6 B1G) got three runs back in the bottom of the third inning, before the Terrapins tacked on one run in the fourth and fifth innings. IU took its first lead of the weekend, 7-6, with a four-run fifth inning, but Maryland scored eight of the final nine runs in the game.
Freshman Devin Taylor and sophomore Carter Mathison led the way offensively for Indiana. Taylor hit a pair home runs to run his season total to 13. He totaled five RBIs and two runs scored on the afternoon. Mathison drove in one RBI and went 3-for-5 on the day.
Senior Phillip Glasser moved his reached base streak to 45 games and his hitting streak to 13 games with a 2-for-4 day at the plate with one run scored, one RBI and one walk in the contest. Senior Hunter Jessee was on base four times and scored three runs. He singled, walked twice and was hit-by-pitch in the contest.
All six Indiana pitchers used in the game allowed at least one run, with freshman Connor Foley (2-1) taking the loss. He allowed two runs on three walks over two-thirds of an inning.
Elijah Lambros posted a 4-for-4 day at the plate with two home runs, four runs scored and three RBIs. He also reached base twice via walk. Luke Shliger, Matt Woods, and Jacob Orr each drove in two RBIs in the game, with Shaw hitting his 18th home run of the season.
Scoring Recap
Top Second
Eddie Hacopian started things with a one-out double and Matt Woods followed with an RBI double to start the scoring. A single put runners on first and third, before Jacob Orr’s sacrifice bunt scored the second run of the inning.
Maryland 2, Indiana 0
Top Third
Four straight batters reached base with one out to account for the two runs in the frame. Matt Shaw singled and Nick Lorusso walked in front of an Ian Petrutz RBI single. Hacopian then followed with an RBI single of his own.
Maryland 4, Indiana 0
Bottom Third
Hunter Jessee walked with one out and Phillip Glasser followed with a single. After a strikeout, Devin Taylor hit a three-run home run to center field.
Maryland 4, Indiana 3
Top Fourth
Kevin Keiser doubled to start the inning and came around to score on a two-out RBI single from Lorusso.
Maryland 5, Indiana 3
Top Fifth
Elijah Lambros hit a two-out solo home run.
Maryland 6, Indiana 3
Bottom Fifth
Peter Serruto singled to start the inning and moved to third on a Jessee double. Bobby Whalen brought in the first run of the frame with a sacrifice fly and Taylor tied the game with a two-run home run. After a walk to Brock Tibbitts, Carter Mathison doubled to right field and Tibbitts came around to score.
Indiana 7, Maryland 6
Top Sixth
Shaw hit a solo home run with one out.
Indiana 7, Maryland 7
Top Seventh
After a 53-minute rain delay, Lambros and Orr walked to begin the inning and moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt. Shliger followed with a base hit to score both runs.
Maryland 9, Indiana 7
Top Eighth
Hacopian singled before a lineout was the first of the inning. After a Lambros base hit, back-to-back singles from Orr and Keister each plated one run.
Maryland 11, Indiana 7
Bottom Eighth
Jessee worked a two-out walk and came around to score on a Glasser double to left field.
Maryland 11, Indiana 8
Top Ninth
With two outs and a runner on third base, Matt Woods put down an RBI sacrifice bunt and Lambros followed with his second home run of the game, this one of the two-run variety.
Maryland 14, Indiana 8
Up Next
With no midweek game on the schedule, Indiana will prep for a trip to Northwestern for a three-game series that starts Friday, May 5 at 4 p.m. ET. The games will be carried on B1G+ and the Indiana Sports Radio Network
INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
GALLOWAY, N.J. – The 2023 Big Ten Men’s Golf Championship third round was canceled due to inclement weather in the area. The final standings reflect the 36-hole ranks. Indiana claimed fourth after shooting a 586 (308-278; +18) at the Galloway National Golf Course.
The fourth-place finish is the best for the Hoosiers at the Big Ten Championship since tying for fourth in the 2013 conference tournament.
No. 3 Illinois (560; -8), No. 28 Northwestern (577; +9), and Wisconsin (583; +15) earned the top three sports in the team standings.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
2023 Big Ten Men’s Golf Championship • Galloway, N.J.
Galloway National Golf Course
Par 71 • 7,111 yards
Live Scoring via GolfStat
Team Standings: 4th/14 – 586 (308-278; +18)
Top Indiana Player: Noah Gillard – 144 (77-67; +2) & Thomas Hursey – 144 (78-66; +2)
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers will await the program’s fate during the NCAA Selection Show. Regional selections for the 2023 NCAA DI men’s golf championship will be announced on the Golf Channel at 1 p.m. ET on May 3 and shortly after that on NCAA.com.
PURDUE BASEBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Limited to five runs over the first 24 innings of the series, Rutgers erupted for six runs on seven hits in a game-changing seventh inning, rallying past Purdue baseball 9-5 Sunday at Alexander Field to prevent a series sweep.
Behind another quality start from Kyle Iwinski, the Boilermakers (21-22, 10-8 B1G) led 5-1 entering the seventh inning. But the Scarlet Knights (26-18, 8-7 B1G) sent 10 men to the plate to flip the momentum. Jordan Sweeney hit a three-run homer, Josh Kuroda-Grauer delivered a game-tying triple and Evan Sleight’s two-out single drove in the go-ahead run. Jake Marshall also did his part on the mound with four innings of scoreless relief, teaming with Ben Gorski to keep Purdue off the scoreboard after the bottom of the fourth.
Connor Caskenette hit his second two-run homer of the series, going deep in the first inning to extend his on-base streak to 21 consecutive games and hit streak to 14 games. Both totals represent Purdue season highs. Jake Parr, Couper Cornblum and Paul Toetz all reached base safely at least twice to extend their streaks as well.
STREAKS EXTENDED SUNDAY
• Connor Caskenette (2-Run HR) – 21-game on-base streak; 14-game hit streak; 13-game hit streak at home, 11-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Jake Parr (2-for-4, RBI Double) – 17-game on-base streak; 13-game hit streak in Big Ten play; 11-game on-base streak at home
• Paul Toetz (2 Walks) – 15-game on-base streak; 11-game on-base streak at home
• Couper Cornblum (2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 SB) – 10-game hit streak, 7-game hit streak in Big Ten play & at home
Iwinski conceded just an unearned run while he was on the mound. He gave way to Jackson Dannelley in the top of the seventh after consecutive infield hits followed by a sac bunt. On a 2-0 count, Sweeney elevated the ball into the wind blowing out to right center and it carried out for the three-run homer that made it a one-run game.
Iwinski did not give up a hit until there were two outs in the fifth inning Sunday. He enjoyed a streak of 11 consecutive scoreless innings at Alexander Field and 14 straight frames without allowing an earned run dating back to his April 15 gem vs. Penn State. At home this season, the righthander has compiled a 1.29 ERA and .181 batting average against in 21 innings.
This weekend vs. Rutgers, Iwinski teamed with Khal Stephen and Jonathan Blackwell for 19 quality innings from the starting rotation, compiling a combined 2.37 ERA. They did it by pitching to contact, recording just eight strikeouts. Together they induced 27 ground ball outs. Purdue also turned four ground ball double plays on the weekend.
Cornblum reached base safely four times, helping the Boilermakers build their early lead with a walk, stolen base and run scored in the first inning; a single, stolen base and run scored in the third inning. The center fielder now has 21 steals for the season, joining Mike Bolton Jr. (28) among Purdue’s single-season leaderboard.
Parr connected for an RBI double to the wall in left field in the third inning. He has nine extra-base hits during his Big Ten hit streak, which dates back to April 2. Parr’s 10-game run scored streak did come to an end Sunday.
Caskenette’s home run was his third of his long hit streak, his fourth at Alexander Field this season and fourth in Big Ten play. He has recorded 20 of his 27 RBI this year in Big Ten play.
Despite being unable to complete the series sweep. The Boilermakers still managed to win four of their five weekend series in April. They picked up another tiebreaker with their series win and now hold potential head-to-head tiebreakers vs. Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota and Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament chase and seeding.
Purdue’s season-long eight-game homestand continues Friday against South Dakota State, the Boilermakers’ opponent for their open weekend in Big Ten play. The four-game series begins with a 6 p.m. ET first pitch Friday.
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue volleyball head coach Dave Shondell has announced that setter Megan Renner will medically retire after suffering her second ACL tear.
“Receiving the news regarding Meg’s injury from our team doctor was a punch to the collective gut of our program,” Shondell said. “Meg is an amazing student-athlete who has worked diligently to develop her skills. In practice leading up to our Kentucky match, I told Meg that she was setting the ball as well as any setter we’ve had at Purdue. She was playing so well. It seemed like this was her time. She will handle this as well as anyone because that is who she is. Our team will adjust, and a different setter will emerge, but this is one of our program’s saddest moments since I have been at Purdue.”
Renner, a redshirt senior was set to have a breakout season guiding the Boilermakers in the upcoming 2023 campaign. After starting 19 matches last season, including 9 of the last 12, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa native set career-bests in virtually every statistical category, including 54 assists vs. Utah and five kills at Michigan. Renner retires from collegiate athletics with three double-doubles, 749 career assists and 55 kills. She is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
“My athletic career at Purdue has been anything but linear, at times filled with more downs than ups, as injury has been something I can’t seem to escape,” Renner said. “Due to the timing of this injury, I would not be back in time for season. After lots of conversations and prayer, I have decided it is best that I medically retire. I will have reconstruction surgery next week to get myself back on the upward mend. I cannot put into words how difficult this has been on me and what I am brokenheartedly saying goodbye to. Every athlete’s time has an expiration date, I just wasn’t expecting mine to come so soon. I am beyond proud of my time at Purdue and the relationships that I have made. I am thankful for my teammates and coaches who have pushed me to be the player I had become up until that last moment. I am ever blessed with the help and guidance of our athletic trainer Stephanie Medina, who has been there for me since the first ACL tear in 2020 and all the nagging injuries since. My time at Purdue as a player may be finished, but I am certainly not done with being involved in this program. I can’t wait to see all of Boiler Nation in Holloway this fall, just in a different role. Ever grateful, ever true. Boiler Up!”
PURDUE WRESTLING
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Five Purdue freshmen made the trip out to Las Vegas for the 2023 U.S. Open Championships to compete in the U20 Nationals division, but they all fell just short of qualifying for USA Wrestling World Team Trials later this summer.
Brody Baumann (79 kg) and Tristan Ruhlman (125 kg) both made the second day of the tournament after reaching the quarterfinals on day one. Both won their first three matches in dominant fashion. Baumann took three tech falls in just 2:24 seconds of total match time, outscoring his opponents 31-0. Ruhlman, who hit the mat for the first time since January 1, came out with two straight first period pins and a shutout tech.
The pair would lose in their quarterfinals match to drop into the bloodround for qualification on Sunday. In those consolation round of eight matches, both wrestlers held leads only to eventually lose out in the end.
Stoney Buell went 4-2 on Saturday at 74 kg, with all four of his wins coming via first period, shutout tech falls. Kade Law opened with a quick 37 second 11-0 tech and picked up to more wins to finish 3-2. At 61 kg Jacob Macatangay put up a 2-2 record, holding a lead in the final 30 seconds of both of his loses.
Results
2023 U20 Nationals
South Point Hotel Casino
61 kg: Jacob Macatangay
Round of 128: JJ McComas-Rogers (Cowboy RTC) – W, 15-12
Round of 64: Allan Hendricks (Valdez Wrestling) – W, 10-0 (0:52)
Round of 32: Yoshiya Funakoshi (West Coast Regional Training Center) – L, 17-11
Cons. Round of 32 #2: Carson Exferd (All In Wrestling Academy) – L, 12-10
70 kg: Kade Law
Round of 128: Parker Elliott (Colorado Mesa Wrestling Club) – W, 11-0 (0:37)
Round of 62: Aidan Medina (Texas RTC) – W, 6-2
Round of 32: Ryder Downey (Panther Wrestling Club RTC) – L, 4-1
Cons. Round of 32 #2: Cole Becker (Minnesota) – W, 4-0
Cons. Round of 16 #1: Jeremiah Price (Boone RTC) – L, 16-7
74 kg: Stoney Buell
Round of 128: Allen Catour (Illinois) – W, 10-0 (0:32)
Round of 64: Zymarion Hollyfield (Penn Wrestling Club) – W, 10-0 (1:32)
Round of 32: Brendon Abdon (Florida) – W, 11-0 (0:30)
Round of 16: Nick Fea (New York) – L, Fall 1:47
Cons. Round of 16 #2: Bradley Gillum (DeKalb Wrestling Club) – W, 10-0 (0:46)
Cons. Round of 8 #1: William Henckel (Blairstown Wrestling Club) – L, Fall 4:32
79 kg: Brody Baumann
Round of 128: Tehran Piza (Southeastern Wrestling Club) – W, 11-0 (1:41)
Round of 64: Daniel Hernandez (California) – W, 10-0 (0:19)
Round of 32: Christopher Olah (Seagull Wrestling Club) – W, 10-0 (0:24)
Round of 16: Lorenzo Norman (New Jersey) – W, 19-17
Quarterfinals: Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club) – L, 9-6
Cons. Round of 8 #2: Lucas Condon (Poway Wrestling) – L, 10-8
125 kg: Tristan Ruhlman
Round of 64: Carson Linstad (Washington) – W, Fall 1:09
Round of 32: Alan Carrillo (Brawley Wrestling) – W, Fall 2:49
Round of 16: Luke Rasmussen (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club) – W, 10-0 (1:18)
Quarterfinals: Harley Andrews (Tuttle Wrestling Club) – L, 12-2 (1:50)
Cons. Round of 8 #2: Chase Horne (Wolfpack Wrestling Club) – L, 14-3 (2:30)
BUTLER SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team used a 3-1 game-three victory over Georgetown to clinch the BIG EAST series on Sunday. The Bulldogs (17-30, 11-7 BIG EAST) used two home runs in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie with the Hoyas (16-30, 9-12 BIG EAST).
Butler remains fourth in the conference standings with one series to play (at Seton Hall) and has clinched one of the six spots in the BIG EAST Tournament.
How It Happened
In the bottom of the first, Ella White drew a walk and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Teagan O’Rilley then singled up the middle and White scored when the Georgetown catcher was called for obstructing home. The Bulldogs’ 1-0 lead held through the second inning.
In the third, the Hoyas advanced a runner to second base. A Butler error on an infield hit allowed the runner to tag home, tying the game at one.
In the fourth, a drive to left field by Monique Hoosen was inches short of going over the wall. The Georgetown left fielder, Cameron Kondo, got a glove on it but could not make the catch. Hoosen was stranded on second.
Rain showers halted the game in the middle of the fifth inning for about 75 minutes.
After play resumed, the Bulldogs took the lead with a two-run sixth inning. Paige Dorsett connected on a solo home run to center field, and, two batters later, Hoosen added another over the right field fence.
In the top of the seventh, the Hoyas had a runner on first, and the potential tying run at the plate, when a brief hail storm halted the game once again. When play resumed, a deep fly ball to left from Georgetown’s Morgan Zamora was reined in by Hoosen to end the game.
Rylyn Dyer (4-6) started for Butler in the circle and earned a complete-game win. In 7.0 innings, she allowed one unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out three.
Bulldog Bits
Monique Hoosen’s home run was her 13th of the season and the 26th of her career. She is now tied for the most home runs by a Bulldog in a single season (Erin Falkenberry – 2011), and she is second on Butler’s all-time list for career home runs.
Hoosen’s double was her sixth of the season and the twelfth of her career.
Paige Dorsett’s home run was her seventh of the season and the eighth of her career.
Rylyn Dyer’s complete-game win was her second of the season.
Eleven conference victories for Butler are the second most wins since joining the BIG EAST in 2014. Last year’s Butler squad went 16-6 in conference play.
Up Next
Butler will complete the regular season with trips to the University of Illinois-Chicago, for a single game on Wednesday, May 3, and then to Seton Hall, for their final conference series from May 5-7.
BUTLER MEN’S GOLF
Butler closed the season by tying for fifth at the 2023 BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship Presented by JEEP. The 54-hole event ended Sunday at the 6,884-yard Riverton Pointe Golf Course in Hardeeville, S.C.
Freshman Connor McNeely was the top-finishing Bulldog, tying for fifth at 217 (+1).
Sunday’s conditions were the toughest of the weekend and the scores reflected it. After six teams were under par Saturday, the best round Sunday was nine-over 297 by Georgetown, which allowed the Hoyas to move from tenth to fourth.
Marquette entered the final round with the lead and was able to hold on for the 2023 BIG EAST title and the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals. The Golden Eagles shot 301 to finish at 873 (+9). Marquette was three shots better than St. John’s in the final standings (876). Seton Hall (885) and Georgetown (886) followed, just in front of Butler and Villanova, which tied for fifth at 889 (+25).
Jack Simon of St. John’s held a three-shot lead after the first 36 holes, but needed a birdie on No. 18 Sunday to force a playoff with co-medalist Bhoom Sima-Aree of Marquette. They finished the 54 holes at 213 (-3). Simon would win the BIG EAST championship and the conference’s individual berth to the NCAA Regionals in a playoff.
McNeely shot 77 (+5) Sunday after rounds of 72 and four-under 68 over the first two days.
Damon Dickey and Will Horne each finished at seven-over 223 and in a tie for 19th. Horne shot 76 Sunday, while Dickey carded a 77.
Daniel Tanaka tied for 34th at 228 (+12), while graduate student Raymond Sullivan finished at 231 (+15), tying for 39th. Sullivan had the best Sunday score for the Bulldogs, posting a three-over 75.
Sullivan is the only Bulldog who will see their NCAA eligibility lapse following the 2022-23 season as head coach Colby Huffman will return a majority of his talented roster that gained valuable experience over the campaign.
Team Results
1. Marquette – 293-279-301–873 (+9)
2. St. John’s – 295-279-302—876 (+12)
3. Seton Hall – 286-287-312–885 (+21)
4. Georgetown – 295-294-297–886 (+22)
T5. Butler – 290-294-305–889 (+25)
T5. Villanova – 291-290-308–889 (+25)
7. Creighton – 295-287-308–890 (+26)
8. DePaul – 298-289-304–891 (+27)
9. Connecticut – 293-287-316–896 (+32)
10. Xavier – 298-287-313—898 (+34)
Individual Results
T1. Bhoom Sima-Aree, Marquette – 73-68-72—213 (-3)
T1. Jack Simon, St. John’s – 69-68-76—213 (-3)
3. Pieter DaGroot, Georgetown – 71-70-73—214 (-2)
4. Charlie Zielinski, Creighton – 71-70-75—216 (E)
T5. Connor McNeely, Butler – 72-68-77—217 (+1)
T5. Peter Weaver, Villanova – 69-72-76—217 (+1)
T5. Ryan Rittberger, St. John’s – 70-70-77—217 (+1)
The Bulldogs
T5. Connor McNeely – 72-68-77—217 (+1)
T19. Will Horne – 73-74-76—223 (+7)
T19. Damon Dickey – 70-76-77—223 (+7)
T34. Daniel Tanaka – 75-76-77—228 (+12)
T39. Raymond Sullivan – 76-80-75—231 (+15)
BUTLER BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – Sunday’s contest between Creighton and Butler featured a rain delay, a hail delay and extra innings but in the end, the Bluejays would capture a 6-3 win over Butler to sweep the weekend series. Creighton moves along in the season with a 22-15 overall record and the Bulldogs are now 9-34.
Creighton owned a two-run lead heading into the sixth inning. Heads up base running by Keegan Connors would help BU get on the scoreboard in the sixth and a wild pitch would allow Jake DeFries to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth.
Each team added a run to the scoreboard in the ninth moving the game to extra innings. For Creighton, Tyler Lozano singled to score Andrew Meggs and Butler would fight back with a DeFries single that scored Billy Wurch.
The difference was in the 11th as Creighton scored three runs off four hits. Nolan Clifford, Lozano and Jack Grace all had RBI’s in the inning.
Malakai Vetock got the win on the mound for Creighton and Dawson Taylor took the loss. CU starter Justin Kleinsorge was impressive over 7.1 innings of work. He struck out five and didn’t issue a walk. In total, BU used seven pitchers against the Bluejays.
Butler will return to action on Wednesday with a 6 PM game at Evansville on ESPN+.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S TENNIS
MUNCIE, Ind. – Behind the 2023 Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, Annika Planinsek three-set thriller at the No. 5 singles position, the Ball State women’s tennis team won the 2023 MAC Tournament championship for the third time in program history Sunday afternoon.
The Cardinals’, who won the tournament title last season, pulled off the 4-1 upset over the top-seeded Toledo Rockets at the Northwest YMCA.
Ball State quickly took a 1-0 advantage over the Rockets to start today’s contest after winning the doubles point. Jessica Braun alongside partner Emily Desai were the first to exit the court after posting a 6-1 victory versus Toledo’s No. 3 duo of Cassie Alcala and Laura Morera. After that, Ball State’s top court tandem of Amy Kaplan and Planinsek clinched the point for Ball State with their 6-3 defeat over Sloane Teske and Mariona Perez Noguera.
At first singles play was being dominated by the Cardinals as Ball State took four of the six first sets from the Rockets. Polishchuk won by a score of 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1 singles to put BSU up 2-0 in the match.
Toledo then made it 2-1 after taking court No. 2 from the Cardinals. Shortly after, Elena Malykh pushed Ball State’s cushion to 3-1 winning both frames, 6-2 over Toledo’s No. 6 singles player, Julia Kuszynski.
Three courts remained and they were all in third sets with Toledo leading on courts No. 3 and No. 4. The weight of the crown relied on Planinsek who was up 4-1 in the third against Sanjana Tallamraju. Planinsek would go onto to win , 6-1 for match point.
Ball State improved to 22-3 and earned the MAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in program history. The team will learn its first-round opponent Monday, May 1 at 6 pm ET, which will be streamed live on NCAA.com.
All-Tournament Team
Mariya Polishchuk (Most Valuable Player) (Ball State)
Annika Planinsek (Ball State)
Catherine Denysiewikz (Miami)
Shalini Tallamraju (Toledo)
Mariana Perez (Toledo)
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Ball State baseball team closed out the three-game series at Bowling Green on Sunday. Adam Tellier and Ryan Peltier left the yard as the Cardinals win the series with a 6-4 victory.
With the win, Ball State moved to 28-15 overall and 15-6 in Mid-American Conference play, while Bowling Green fell to 15-25 overall and 9-15 in league games.
Blake Bevis was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the second for the Cardinals. Logan Flood notched a one-out single through the left side and moved Bevis to second. Hunter Dobbins doubled off the center field wall that drove in Bevis and Flood. Justin Conant dropped down a bunt single down the third base side. Tellier blasted a three-run home run to left center. BSU took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the second.
The Falcons responded with three runs on four hits with two Cardinal errors in the bottom of the second.
Peltier pelted a solo shot over the right field wall for his 14th home run of the season. Ball State took a 6-3 lead into the eighth inning.
Bowling Green cut the deficit to 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth on a Sam Seidel home run.
Tellier, Conant, and Decker Scheffler all had two hits on the day. Tellier led the team with three RBIs, while Dobbins finished with two.
Tanner Knapp got the start on the hill for the Cardinals. He went four innings with five strikeouts. He surrendered three runs, only one was earned. Ty Johnson tossed five innings in relief and picked up the win. He improved to 4-2 on the season. He struck out nine batters and gave up one earned run on two hits.
Tyler Hays started on the mound for BG and went three innings. He got the loss and fell to 1-5. He struck out two batters and surrendered five earned runs on five hits. Jacob Turner added 3 1/3 innings of relief. He gave up one earned run on two hits. Luke Krouse tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief with one strikeout. Logan Bell added an inning of relief and scattered two hits.
The Cardinals will take a few days off before the next MAC party begins. Ball State will return to the road for a three-game series on Friday, May 5, against Ohio. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (25-17, 13-11 ACC) took home the series against Florida State as the Irish defeated the Seminoles 12-8 at Frank Eck on Sunday, April 30.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a home run derby for Notre Dame as 7 of their 12 runs were scored on homers in today’s win. The Irish took the 2-0 advantage after the first two innings as Carter Putz sent it deep to right center in the first inning for his seventh home run of the year. It didn’t take long for Vinny Martinez to join the party as he homered in the second for his ninth long ball this season.
The Seminoles responded with an RBI single and a three-run home run in the top of the third to take their first lead of the game at 4-2. The Irish defense went three up, three down in the top of the fourth to keep it within two heading into the bottom frame. Brooks Coetzee stepped up to plate after a Jack Penney single and a walk from Martinez. Coetzee would launch it over the fence in center field for a three-run home run as he scored Penney and Martinez to take the lead 5-4.
Florida State would tack on another run in the top of the fifth to tie it up at 5-5, but Putz would tally his second home run of the day to score Prajzner and make it a 7-5 ballgame heading into the sixth.
The Irish would extend their lead after a five-run frame in the bottom of the sixth. A double from Brady Gumpf and base hits from Williams, Prajzner, Putz, and Coetzee, would lift the Irish to a 12-5 advantage. The Seminoles would add on three more runs to close the gap to four at 12-8, but the Irish held Florida State scoreless in the ninth to close out the game and take home the series win.
Carter Bosch started on the mound for the Irish, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing four runs on four hits before he was relieved by Caden Spivey. Spivey took home his third win of the year as he threw 4.2 innings, recording three strikeouts while allowing two runs on four hits. Matt Bedford, Ryan Lynch, and Sammy Cooper also saw action on the mound in the eighth and ninth innings for the Irish.
The Irish were led by Carter Putz who went 3-5, recording four RBI, three runs, and two home runs, he was followed by Brooks Coetzee with two hits and five RBI, as well Zack Prajzner and Brady Gumpf who recorded two hits a piece.
UP NEXT
The Irish are back in action on Tuesday, May 2 at Frank Eck Stadium as they take on the Bowling Green Falcons at 6 PM in their last midweek game at home.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team dropped its final matchup of the weekend to the fourth-ranked Florida State Seminoles, 11-0 Sunday afternoon at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Fighting Irish fall to 29-16-1 on the season and 11-12-1 in ACC play. Florida State improves to 43-8, and 19-2 in conference play.
The Irish have locked up the seven-seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament that will be played in South Bend May 10-13. The Irish will play Wednesday May 10th at 3:30 p.m. in the opening round of the conference championship.
Payton Tidd started in the circle. She threw into the fourth inning, allowing six hits, seven runs, six earned before giving way to Shannon Becker. Becker worked 0.1 innings, giving up five hits, four runs, three earned and picked up a strikeout. Micaela Kastor threw the final 1.2, allowing two hits, an unearned runs and struck out four.
Joley Mitchell had the only Irish hit of the afternoon, a double.
How It Happened
Florida State scored two in the first, capitalizing on a lead-off double and a walk as a single to center drove in a pair to put the Seminoles up 2-0.
Kalei Harding added to the lead with a solo home run to lead off the top of the third to extend FSU’s lead to 3-0.
The Seminoles tacked on eight runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 11-0, and a solo run in the fifth tallied the 12th run of the game.
Up Next
The Irish are scheduled to conclude the regular season this Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish will host Central Michigan in the final contest of the 2023 regular season.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
Notre Dame landed their 12th commitment to the 2024 recruiting class on Saturday as defensive end Bryce Young of Charlotte announced his intentions to play football for the Irish. Young is a mountain of young man standing 6-5 and checking in at 240-pounds.
Young has seen his recruiting profile grow in recent months. When originally offered by Notre Dame he was rated as a three-star prospect across the board but has earned a fourth star by both On3 and Rivals. He’s also seen offers come in from a few powerhouse programs since, including Tennessee and USC among others.
Young is the son of Notre Dame great and pro football Hall of Famer Bryant Young who starred for the Irish in the early-90’s. Bryant was drafted seventh overall by the 49ers in the 1994 NFL draft before going on to a legendary career that included a Super Bowl 29 win.
Bryce chose Notre Dame while holding several offers. The aforementioned Tennessee and USC programs stick out as do Michigan, Miami, Penn State, and others on his offer list.
Young is the 12th commitment in Notre Dame’s 2024 recruiting class and joins Owen Wafle and Cole Mullins as defensive linemen in the class.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S TRACK
AUSTIN, TX. – Notre Dame’s throws squad was out to dominate the Texas Invitational when they took home two event titles and established a new school record.
John Keenan took first place in the men’s javelin throw with a toss of 72.06 meters. His throw gave him the new school record, and he now sits in third overall in the ACC. This mark gets him into the top ten in the region and the top fifteen nationally.
Sarah David threw in the women’s javelin competition for a mark of 39.45 meters for a sixth place finish. In the women’s shot put competition, Alesis Juntunen threw for a mark of 13.20 meters. Emma Albano threw in the women’s hammer throw. She threw for a best mark of 50.84 meters.
Michael Shoaf headlined the men’s shot put as he took first place with a throw of 19.26 meters. Teammate Zach Petko also competed in the shot put where he threw for 15.32 meters. Henry Boudreau also rounded out the scoring for the Irish with a toss of 14.77 meters. Boudreau also competed in the discus throw where he hit a mark of 48.50 meters.
In the men’s hammer throw, Shoaf took third place with a toss of 60.80 meters. This effort gave him a new personal best in the event. Blake Kusky threw for a fourth place finish with a mark of 59.27 meters. Matthew Teaugue finished off the efforts for the Irish with a throw of 53.39 meters.
The Irish are back in action for the final regular season meet on May 5 at the Billy Hayes Invitational.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Every Mastodon starter had a hit on Sunday (April 30) but the Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team fell to Horizon League foe Northern Kentucky 18-12.
Ben Higgins had four hits including a home run in the third inning and another in the fifth. He now has 10 home runs on the season. Higgins finished 4-of-6 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Cade Nelis added three hits. Jacob Walker and Tyler Nelson each had two hits including a double. Seven different Mastodons drove in a run in the game.
The ‘Dons scored four in the third, three in the fourth and four more in the fifth to take a 12-7 advantage. NKU answered with five in the fifth, four in the sixth and two more in the seventh to take the lead for good. NKU’s Liam McFadden-Ackman had a home run and three runs scored for the Norse.
Kevin Fee suffered the loss in relief. He is 1-5. Aaron Massie earned the win for the Norse in relief.
The ‘Dons fall to 10-35 (6-15 Horizon League). NKU improves to 26-16 (15-6 Horizon League). Purdue Fort Wayne hosts Youngstown State this weekend.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS BASEBALL
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost the series finale to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 14-4, Sunday afternoon in Edwardsville, Illinois. USI watched its record go to 15-28 overall, 6-12 OVC, while SIUE is 24-19, 7-8 OVC, this spring.
The Screaming Eagles took a 1-0 lead for the third-straight game on a home run by junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) in the third inning. The home run was Ebest’s team-best 11th of the season and his fourth-straight game with a round tripper.
SIUE, however, responded with a four-spot in the bottom half of the frame to take a 4-1 lead. The Cougars expanded the lead to 7-1 with another three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Eagles closed the gap in the top of the fifth with a three-run rally. USI senior second baseman Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) provided all of the offense in the rally with a three-run double to right field.
USI’s momentum was short lived as SIUE put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth with seven runs to double its score and produce the eventual the 14-4 final score.
On the mound, USI sophomore right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) started and took the loss. Morris (0-3) allowed seven runs, six earned, on six hits and four walks, while striking out five in 3.2 innings of work.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI finishes the four-game road swing Tuesday when it visits Southern Illinois University (Carbondale) for a 6 p.m. contest. SIU took the first meeting of the season, 16-9, in March at the USI Baseball Field and leads the all-time series, 2-1.
The Salukis are 24-20 overall after losing to Illinois State University, 10-7, in 12 innings. SIU has lost six of the last seven games after today’s loss.
VALPO BASEBALL
The Valparaiso University baseball team fell 9-6 to Missouri State on a windy Sunday afternoon at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo. Matt Olive (Minneapolis, Minn. / Blake School) continued to swing a hot stick as he cracked two extra-base hits including a solo home run and drove in three, while Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) continued a recent offensive surge of his own with three hits.
How It Happened
Valpo grabbed an early lead when Maka went to the opposite field with a double to left to plate a two-out run in the opening frame.
Missouri State scored five times in the second including a two-run homer by Spencer Nivens to take a 5-1 lead.
The Bears scored twice more in the fourth – an inning that started with two outs and the bases clear – to increase the lead to six at 7-1.
Righty Josh Cottrill (Pewaukee, Wis. / Pewaukee) came into the game in the fifth inning and put up a zero despite pitching around a two-out error. A soft two-out single to the right side of the infield allowed Missouri State to tack on a run in the sixth, extending the lead to 8-1.
An opposite field home run by Olive in the seventh reduced the lead to six at 8-2. The Beacons could have had more in that inning, but a sprawling catch in right field took away a hit.
Missouri State added a solo shot in the seventh to make it 9-2.
Olive notched his second extra-base hit in as many innings with a two-out double to plate a run in the bottom of the eighth. The frame continued when Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) ripped a single to the left side of the infield to score another and close the gap to five at 9-4.
Lefty Christian Hack (Oak Forest, Ill. / Tinley Park) pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth for the Beacons.
A run-scoring single by Maka in the top of the ninth cut the lead to four at 9-5. The Bears made a ninth-inning pitching change and Valpo then moved a step closer when an Olive walk forced in a run to make it 9-6. Missouri State then escaped as Valpo stranded the potential tying run at first.
Inside the Game
Olive notched his sixth multi-hit game of the season in just 16 contests. In six games since returning from a hamstring injury, he has recorded three multi-hit outputs, has a hit in all six games and has three home runs.
Olive had his third double and fifth home run of the season.
Maka’s three-hit game represented his fifth of the season and his 11th multi-hit output.
This was Maka’s fifth multi-hit game in his last six outings including three three-hit contests during that stretch.
Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) reached base four times, all via the base on balls. He became the first Valpo player to work four walks in a game since Spencer Mahoney on April 2, 2014 vs. Northern Illinois.
Up Next
Valpo (16-19, 7-11) will visit Western Michigan on Tuesday at 2 p.m. CT. Links to live audio and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.
U OF I WOMEN’S LAX
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 5-ranked and top-seeded UIndy women’s lacrosse team won its third straight GLVC title at Key Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Hounds took down No. 2 seed and 11th-ranked Maryville by a final of 13-8 while fighting rainy weather and a lightning delay in the fourth quarter.
Defense was the name of the game for UIndy on Sunday as the team held Maryville, who entered the contest averaging 19.7 goals per game, to a season-low eight. Along with this, GLVC Attacker of the Year Sydney Tiemann was limited to just one goal (matched a season low) while the Greyhounds also forced the Saints into a scoring drought of nearly 24 minutes that spanned from late in the first quarter and into the early portions of the third.
On the offensive side of the field, 10 UIndy players tallied at least one point. The trio of Megan Dunn, Anna Ziemba, and Joey Fowler all led the team with three points apiece.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing by one after the opening quarter, the Hounds locked up on defense in the second and held Maryville scoreless while executing three unanswered goals heading into the intermission. The Hounds led by a slim margin of 7-6 when a lightning delay stopped play momentarily with 11:19 left in the game. In the end, the Greyhounds used this break to their advantage as they came out of the locker room on a mission and quickly extended the lead. A goal by Amy Vegh with just three seconds left sealed the five-goal victory and another conference title.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Vegh’s goal was the second of the season. Her only other one came back on April 8th against the Saints.
-Jess Soenen led the Hounds with three caused turnovers.
-All-American defender Kara Antonucci returned from injury for the first time since March 1st and recorded two draw controls and a caused turnover.
-Audrey Moran recorded six saves between the pipes in the winning effort.
-Mekayla Montgomery won a team-high three draw controls.
-Olivia Bladon had four ground balls, which led the team.
-UIndy launched a season-high 41 shots while Maryville answered with just 19.
HOUND BYTES
Final thoughts on the win from head coach Elaine Jones…
“I’m so proud of our team! We have overcome so many obstacles this season and each time we bent but didn’t break. Today, our defense held strong and our attack utilized a variety of scorers to assist and finish. I also credit our draws, transition, and ride. Those were all areas we have been specifically working on so I was happy to see our progress and execution. Overall, the intensity, focus, and excitement stayed high all game from everyone so this was just a great team win!”
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will now prepare for the 2023 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional from May 12-14. Opponents, locations, and times will be determined at a later date. Stay updated at www.uindyathletics.com.
U OF I MEN’S TENNIS
GREENWOOD, Ind. – The No. 5-ranked University of Indianapolis men’s tennis is heading to Orlando, Fla. for the 2023 NCAA Division II Men’s National Tennis Championships. The Hounds swept the No. 21-ranked Ferris State Bulldogs on Sunday to punch their ticket.
INS AND OUTS
Facing threats of rain all throughout the morning and into the afternoon, the Hounds got started quickly at 11 a.m. with doubles play. Ferris, having dominated doubles the day prior against Tiffin, came in with confidence. That confidence did not shake the Greyhounds, however, with the pair of Nikolaj Talimaa and Louis Picaud finding a quick 6-2 victory.
Both matches at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles were at 5-4, but the pair of Matthieu Derache and Erwan Momo Andre were just a hair faster on the trigger, pulling off the 6-4 win and the doubles victory.
Now with the wind at their back, the Hounds kept pushing. Tom Zeuch, in one of the most dominant matches he has played this year, cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory. In what felt like moments, his partner in crime Edgar Destouet also found the win column, going 6-3, 6-1 to give the Hounds a 3-0 lead.
It was between Talimaa, the clincher from the McKendree match, and August Ehrnrooth, both within a game of sending the Hounds to Orlando, Fla. It ended up being Ehrnrooth, who with a vicious backhand, punched the Hounds tickets with a yell “here we come Orlando.”
UP NEXT
The Hounds are heading to Orlando, Fla. for the 2023 NCAA Division II Men’s National Tennis Championships at the USTA National Campus starting on May 11.
U OF I SOFTBALL
ROLLA, Mo.—For the second straight day, sixth-ranked UIndy softball team garnered a road doubleheader split, wrapping up the regular season with a 1-0 win and a 4-1 defeat at Missouri S&T. Junior All-American Kenzee Smith headlined game one with a complete game shutout.
GAME 1 | UIndy 1, S&T 0
After the Greyhounds pushed across the lone run of the game in the top of the first, Smith was on point. She surrendered just two hits and two walks in her second shutout of the weekend, fanning nine along the way. A fielding error in the bottom of the sixth accounted for the Miners’ only base runner across the final five innings.
Despite trailing the entire game, S&T starter Bryn Woolridge had a no-hitter going until the top of the seventh. The Hounds managed their one and only hit of the contest on a single up the middle from freshman Shelby Cook.
GAME 2 | S&T 4, UIndy 1
The Hounds once again got on the board first, with Sydnee Perry’s RBI single in the second staking UIndy to the early lead. But the Miners responded with a game-tying home run from Rachel Smith in the next half inning.
Smith struck again with a go-ahead RBI single in the third, giving the Miners a lead they would not relinquish.
Kaitlyn Brown got the starting nod in the circle, lasting 1 2/3 innings. Alexa Huth (3-1) got the Hounds out of the second, but the freshman reliever would surrender the decisive runs in the third to earn her fist collegiate loss. Jayden Casebolt finished the game by striking out five and allowing one run in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Perry finished 2-for-3 at the dish, while Lexy Rees had a double and a run scored.
UP NEXT
The GLVC Championship Tournament is on tap. As the regular season champs, the Greyhounds earned the No. 1 seed in the eight-team, double-elimination bracket. More details coming at UIndyAthletics.com.
U OF I MEN’S LAX
INDIANAPOLIS – The GLVC announced on Saturday the field for the fifth-annual GLVC Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament, which will be hosted by UIndy at Key Stadium from May 5-7.
The Greyhounds earned the No. 1 overall seed, while Rockhurst University secured the second seed, Maryville University was tabbed as the 3-seed, and Lewis University claimed the 4-seed.
The top four teams based on Conference winning percentage received a berth in the single-elimination tournament. UIndy went a perfect 5-0 in league play this season, including a thrilling 13-12 victory over Lewis on March 25.
Semifinal 1: #1 Indianapolis vs. #4 Lewis | Friday, May 5, 4 PM ET
UIndy went 11-2 overall and 5-0 in GLVC action during the regular season.
The USILA fourth-ranked Greyhounds repeated as GLVC Regular Season Champions and will host the Tournament as the top seed for the second year in a row in their fifth appearance in the GLVC postseason.
Lewis went 9-5 overall and 2-3 in GLVC action during the regular season and earned the fourth seed after winning a head-to-head tiebreaker over Davenport (2-3) due to a 17-9 road win April 25.
The Flyers are making their second consecutive appearance in the GLVC postseason.
The two teams met in Romeoville on March 25, with UIndy taking a close 13-12 road victory.
Maryville and Rockhurst will square off in the second semifinal at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Saints outlasted the Hawks in overtime in their lone meeting of the spring, 9-8.
The Championship match will take place on Sunday, May 7 at 12 PM.
Tickets can be purchased on site at $10 for adults and $5 for students (with ID).
For complete coverage and tournament details, visit the Championship homepage at the link above. All games will be streamed live and free on GLVCSN.com, the GLVCSN iOS and Android mobile apps, as well as the GLVCSN OTT platforms on Roku TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
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/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
MLB STANDINGS
| AMERICAN LEAGUE | |||||||||||
| EAST | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| TAMPA BAY | 23 | 6 | .793 | – | 14 – 2 | 9 – 4 | 5 – 2 | 9 – 1 | 4 – 2 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| BALTIMORE | 19 | 9 | .679 | 3.5 | 9 – 4 | 10 – 5 | 4 – 5 | 8 – 2 | 5 – 2 | 8 – 2 | W 2 |
| TORONTO | 18 | 10 | .643 | 4.5 | 9 – 3 | 9 – 7 | 4 – 2 | 8 – 2 | 5 – 4 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| BOSTON | 15 | 14 | .517 | 8 | 9 – 7 | 6 – 7 | 3 – 7 | 7 – 2 | 3 – 1 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| NY YANKEES | 15 | 14 | .517 | 8 | 9 – 7 | 6 – 7 | 3 – 3 | 5 – 5 | 3 – 4 | 3 – 7 | L 3 |
| CENTRAL | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| MINNESOTA | 17 | 12 | .586 | – | 10 – 6 | 7 – 6 | 5 – 5 | 8 – 2 | 2 – 1 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| CLEVELAND | 13 | 15 | .464 | 3.5 | 4 – 8 | 9 – 7 | 2 – 4 | 1 – 2 | 6 – 4 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| DETROIT | 10 | 17 | .370 | 6 | 5 – 7 | 5 – 10 | 2 – 14 | 2 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 3 – 7 | L 2 |
| CHI WHITE SOX | 8 | 21 | .276 | 9 | 4 – 9 | 4 – 12 | 2 – 11 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 2 | 1 – 9 | W 1 |
| KANSAS CITY | 7 | 22 | .241 | 10 | 1 – 12 | 6 – 10 | 1 – 3 | 1 – 6 | 2 – 7 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| WEST | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| TEXAS | 17 | 11 | .607 | – | 11 – 5 | 6 – 6 | 4 – 3 | 5 – 1 | 4 – 2 | 5 – 5 | W 3 |
| HOUSTON | 15 | 13 | .536 | 2 | 7 – 9 | 8 – 4 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 6 | 1 – 2 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| LA ANGELS | 15 | 14 | .517 | 2.5 | 8 – 5 | 7 – 9 | 3 – 7 | 2 – 1 | 7 – 3 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| SEATTLE | 12 | 16 | .429 | 5 | 7 – 9 | 5 – 7 | 1 – 2 | 3 – 4 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| OAKLAND | 6 | 23 | .207 | 11.5 | 3 – 12 | 3 – 11 | 1 – 6 | 1 – 2 | 3 – 7 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| NATIONAL LEAGUE | |||||||||||
| EAST | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| ATLANTA | 18 | 9 | .667 | – | 7 – 7 | 11 – 2 | 6 – 2 | 6 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| NY METS | 15 | 12 | .556 | 3 | 5 – 5 | 10 – 7 | 6 – 5 | 0 – 3 | 6 – 4 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| MIAMI | 16 | 13 | .552 | 3 | 10 – 6 | 6 – 7 | 5 – 9 | 3 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 6 – 4 | W 4 |
| PHILADELPHIA | 15 | 14 | .517 | 4 | 8 – 5 | 7 – 9 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 3 | 3 – 1 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| WASHINGTON | 10 | 17 | .370 | 8 | 3 – 11 | 7 – 6 | 3 – 3 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 2 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| CENTRAL | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| PITTSBURGH | 20 | 9 | .690 | – | 9 – 4 | 11 – 5 | 2 – 1 | 7 – 4 | 5 – 1 | 8 – 2 | L 1 |
| MILWAUKEE | 18 | 10 | .643 | 1.5 | 9 – 6 | 9 – 4 | 3 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 3 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| CHI CUBS | 14 | 13 | .519 | 5 | 8 – 8 | 6 – 5 | 0 – 3 | 2 – 3 | 5 – 5 | 3 – 7 | L 3 |
| CINCINNATI | 12 | 16 | .429 | 7.5 | 9 – 6 | 3 – 10 | 3 – 7 | 3 – 6 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| ST. LOUIS | 10 | 19 | .345 | 10 | 5 – 8 | 5 – 11 | 0 – 3 | 3 – 4 | 4 – 9 | 2 – 8 | L 3 |
| WEST | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| ARIZONA | 16 | 13 | .552 | – | 8 – 6 | 8 – 7 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 2 | 9 – 8 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| LA DODGERS | 16 | 13 | .552 | – | 9 – 6 | 7 – 7 | 1 – 2 | 8 – 5 | 7 – 6 | 7 – 3 | W 3 |
| SAN DIEGO | 15 | 14 | .517 | 1 | 7 – 8 | 8 – 6 | 5 – 5 | 2 – 5 | 8 – 4 | 7 – 3 | W 2 |
| SAN FRANCISCO | 11 | 16 | .407 | 4 | 7 – 7 | 4 – 9 | 3 – 4 | 3 – 1 | 1 – 4 | 5 – 5 | L 3 |
| COLORADO | 9 | 20 | .310 | 7 | 4 – 9 | 5 – 11 | 3 – 5 | 1 – 5 | 3 – 6 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1879 At Cleveland’s Kennard Street Park, the newly transplanted Blues, who played in Indianapolis last season, drop their season opener to the Providence Grays, 15-4. The game marks the managerial debut of 23-year-old right-hander Jim McCormick, the youngest skipper in major league history.
1883 National League baseball returns to the City of Brotherly Love when Philadelphia hosts its first Senior Circuit game since 1876. The Quakers drop a 4-3 decision to the Providence Grays at Recreation Park, the same ballpark which hosted the team’s spring training.
1883 The Gothams play their first game in franchise history, defeating Boston, 7 to 5, at the Southeast Diamond at the Polo Grounds in a contest featuring four future Hall of Famers; catcher Buck Ewing, first baseman Roger Connor, center fielder John Montgomery Ward, and pitcher Mickey Welch. The newcomers, known later as the Giants, will finish the season in sixth place in the eight-team National League with a 46-50 record, sixteen games behind today’s opponent, the league-leading Beaneaters.
(Ed. Note: The game is played in front of the largest crowd to watch a baseball game in New York, including former President Ulysses Grant among the 15,000 spectators. -LP)
1884 Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black to play in the major leagues when the Blue Stockings drop a 5-1 decision to Louisville at Eclipse Park. The 27-year-old Toledo catcher, who will hit above the league average, batting .263 in the 42 games he plays with the American Association team, goes 0-for-3 and commits four errors in his much-anticipated debut.
1891 In front of 10,000 fans, Spider right-hander Cy Young beats the visiting Reds, 12-3, in the first game ever played in Cleveland’s League Park. The National League club will call the Hough neighborhood ballpark home until 1899, when the club goes out of business, losing its best players due to the actions of their unscrupulous owner, which results in a disastrous 20-134 season.
1901 Herm McFarland hits the first grand slam in American League history, contributing to the White Sox’ 19-9 rout of the Tigers. Detroit commits an AL-record 12 errors, ten in the infield, in the South Side Park contest.
1906 At Brooklyn’s Washington Park, Philadelphia southpaw John Lush strikes out 11 batters en route to throwing a 6-0 no-hitter against the Superbas, a team known as the Dodgers beginning in 1911. There will not be another no-hitter by a Phillies pitcher until Jim Bunning’s perfect game against the Mets in 1964.
1920 Babe Ruth hits his 50th career home run, the first of the 659 round-trippers he will collect with the Yankees. The New York right fielder also contributes a double in the team’s 6-0 victory over the Red Sox at the Polo Grounds, the ballpark they share with the National League’s Giants.
1920 The longest game ever played ends after 26 innings in a 1-1 tie, with Brooklyn Robin right-hander Leon Cadore and the Braves hurler Joe Oeschger, also right-handed, both going the stretch for their respective clubs. Boston third baseman Charlie Pick establishes the major league record for hitless at-bats in one game, going 0-for-11 in the marathon.
1925 Seventeen-year-old Jimmie Foxx pinch-hits a single in his first major league at-bat in the A’s 9-4 loss to Washington at Griffith Stadium. The future Hall of Famer will finish his 20-year career with a .325 lifetime batting average.
1926 Chattanooga right-hander Satchel Paige makes his professional pitching debut, blanking the New Orleans Algiers, 1-0. The Black Lookouts rookie gives up only two hits in the Negro Southern League contest.
1939 At Comiskey Park, the White Sox defeat the Cubs and Dizzy Dean, 4-1, in an exhibition game to benefit Monty Stratton. The former pitcher, who lost his leg in an off-season hunting accident, tries to pitch in the game and receives a new car and nearly $30,000 from the contest receipts.
1949 The second major league player born in Czechoslovakia, Philadelphia outfielder Elmer Valo, becomes the first American Leaguer to hit a pair of bases-loaded triples in the same game. In the A’s 15-9 victory over the Senators at Shibe Park, the 28-year-old hustling line-drive hitter will deliver a third bases-loaded triple later in the season, equalling the AL mark Shano Collins established in 1918.
1951 In an 8-3 loss to the Yankees at Comiskey Park, White Sox hurler Randy Gumpert gives up the first of Mickey Mantle’s 536 major league home runs. The ball blasted on Mother’s Day, which will be worth $165,000 at Sotheby’s auction in 2004, is inscribed by the future Hall of Fame slugger, including the following detail on the ball, “My first H.R. in the Majors, May 1st, 1951, 4:50 p.m. Chicago,” as well as “6th inning off Randy Gumpert.”
1951 At Comiskey Park, Minnie Minoso, becoming the first black to play for the White Sox, makes his debut, hitting a 415-foot home run off the Yankees’ Vic Raschi on the first pitch in his first plate appearance with the team. The speedy outfielder, who previously played with the Cleveland Indians, bats .326 and leads the league in stolen bases and triples but loses out to Yankee infielder Gil McDougald for Rookie of the Year honors.
1955 At Cleveland Stadium, the Indian starters put on a ‘pitching clinic’ during a doubleheader sweep of the Red Sox. Veteran Bob Feller holds Boston hitless for 6+ innings and hurls his major league record 12th one-hitter in a 2-0 victory, and in the nightcap, rookie left-hander Herb Score strikes out the first nine batters (he will whiff a total of 16) en route to a 2-1 four-hitter win.
1957 The Cubs trade Gene Baker and Dee Fondy to the Pirates for Dale Long and Lee Walls, who will combine to hit 45 home runs for their new team. Fondy will hit .313 for the Bucs, but in December, Pittsburgh trades the first baseman to the Reds for Ted Kluszewski.
1959 White Sox hurler Early Wynn throws a one-hitter while striking out 14 Boston batters. The 39-year-old pitcher’s leadoff home run off Tom Brewer in the eighth inning proves to be the difference in the Comiskey Park contest when Chicago beats the Red Sox, 1-0.
1965 Yogi Berra, appearing in his first game since 1963, grounds out to first base unassisted when he pinch-hits in the eighth inning of the Mets’ 9-2 loss to the Reds at Crosley Field. The former Yankees icon, who became a player-coach for the crosstown rivals after being fired as the Bronx Bombers’ manager last fall, will play in four National League contests, collecting two hits in nine at-bats before retiring as a player.
1965 Tommy Davis, trying to break up a double play, dislocates and breaks his ankle when he slides into second base in the fourth inning of the team’s 4-2 victory over the Giants at Dodger Stadium. The two-time National League batting champ will not play again this year until he appears as a pinch-hitter in the season finale.
1965 After a 6-4 victory in the first game of the Astrodome twin bill, Dave Giusti and the Astros beat the Cubs again in the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader, 6-1, to extend the first-place team’s winning streak to double digits. The ten consecutive victories will remain a club record until 1999.
1966 Indian right-hander Sam McDowell, yielding only a third-inning double to Don Buford, hurls his second consecutive one-hitter when he blanks Chicago, 1-0, at Cleveland Stadium. In his previous start, ‘Sudden Sam’ also limited his opponents to one hit, a sixth-inning single by Kansas City outfielder Jose Tartabull.
1969 After being crushed for six runs in Cincinnati’s 14-0 rout of the Astros a week ago, Don Wilson no-hits the Reds at Crosley Field, 4-0. The performance by the 24-year-old right-hander, who also authored a hitless game as a rookie, comes on the heels of Jim Maloney’s no-no against Houston yesterday.
1972 Philadelphia starter Dick Selma goes the distance, three-hitting the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine, 2-1. The victory is the fifth consecutive complete game thrown by a Phillies starter, with Steve Carlton, Woody Fryman, Barry Lersch, and Bill Champion finishing their game without help from the bullpen.
1973 The Giants, one out from defeat, score seven runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to stun the Pirates at Candlestick Park, 8-7. Chris Arnold pinch-hits a two-out grand slam, and three batters later, Bobby Bonds delivers a walk-off three-run double to left field to complete San Francisco’s incredible come-from-behind victory.
1974 Pirates starter Dock Ellis, upset with his opponent’s swagger, hits the first three Reds batters he faces with the first five pitches he throws. After plunking Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen, the pitcher deliberately throws two pitches behind Tony Perez’s head before walking the clean-up hitter and then goes 0-2 on Johnny Bench before Pittsburgh pilot Danny Murtaugh removes him.
1974 The commissioner’s office suspends 16 Dodger players and three coaches for going into the stands during the Wrigley Field scuffle with fans on May 16. The suspensions totaling 60 games for players and 24 games for coaches is the harshest penalty ever handed down by major league baseball.
1979 In the bottom of the 11th inning, pinch-hitter Roger Freed blasts a two-out walk-off ultimate grand slam, giving the Cardinals an incredible 7-6 comeback victory over Houston. In the top of the frame, the Astros had scored three runs to take a 6-3 lead before the 34-year-old reserve player dramatically ended the game.
1980 Commissioner Bowie Kuhn fines the Mets due to disparaging remarks made against the Yankees by Jerry Della Femina, the president of the team’s advertising agency. The high-powered ad man’s campaign, in which the club paid $400,000 to bolster the sagging attendance at Shea Stadium, included sarcastic comments concerning Reggie Jackson and Bucky Dent and was quoted as saying their Bronx ballpark was in an unsafe neighborhood.
1980 Mets starter Pete Falcone sets a franchise record when he strikes out the first six batters he faces, a group that includes Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt among the half dozen batters, in the team’s 2-1 loss to the Phillies at Shea Stadium. The southpaw’s mark remains intact for 34 years until Jacob DeGrom, who will become the National League’s Rookie of the Year, fans eight Miami batters from the start of a 2014 game to tie Jim Deshaies’ major league record.
1984 Dwight Gooden becomes the first teenager to strike out at least ten players since Bert Blyleven accomplished the feat in 1970. The Mets’ 19-year-old phenom, who will break Herb Score’s rookie record with 276 Ks this season, will have 15 double-digit strikeout games this year.
1985 Jimmy Key becomes the first left-handed starter in more than four years to win a game for the Blue Jays when the team beats California, 6-3. Paul Mirabella, who beat Boston on the season’s final day in 1980, was the last southpaw starter during the past 614 games to get a victory for Toronto.
1991 Rangers right-hander Nolan Ryan pitches the seventh no-hitter of his career when he defeats the Blue Jays at Arlington Stadium, 3-0. The 44-year-old Texan fireballer, who strikes out 16 batters, becomes the oldest major leaguer ever to throw a no-hit game.
1991 Rickey Henderson passes Lou Brock to become baseball’s all-time stolen base leader with his 939th career steal. The A’s outfielder, who will finish his 25-year career with 1,406, establishes the new major league mark when he swipes third base in the team’s 7-4 victory over New York at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
1996 With his 6-for-8 performance in an 11-6 extra-inning victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards, Gerald Williams becomes only the second Yankee in franchise history to collect six hits in a game. Myril Hoag had accomplished the feat for the Bronx Bombers in 1934 in a contest played at Fenway Park.
1997 Randy Myers gets the last two outs of the ninth inning in the Orioles’ 3-2 win over the Twins in the Metrodome. The southpaw Baltimore closer has recorded eleven consecutive saves to start the season.
2000 San Francisco’s left fielder Barry Bonds becomes the first player to hit a ball into San Francisco Bay, aka McCovey’s Cove. The first ‘splashdown’ home run at Pacific Bell Park helps the Giants to beat the Mets, 10-3.
2000 Thanks to Quilvio Veras’ third-inning homer, the Braves establish a modern franchise record with the team’s 14th straight victory, beating the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine, 2-1. In 1891, the Boston Beaneaters won 18 consecutive contests, setting the all-time club mark.
2001 The ulna bone in Mike Fyhrie’s left arm breaks due to being struck by the flying barrel of a broken bat. The Cubs’ righty reliever used his arm to protect himself when the Padres’ Santiago Perez’s broken bat exploded in the direction of the mound.
2002 Trevor Hoffman, recording his 321st save for San Diego, establishes a new big-league record for the most saves for one team, surpassing Dennis Eckersley’s mark of 320 with Oakland. The long-time Padres closer, now eighth on the all-time list, was traded as a rookie pitcher by the Marlins as part of the Gary Sheffield deal in 1993.
2004 In the Giants’ 6-3 victory over Florida at Pac Bell Park, Barry Bonds sets a major league record by being walked four times intentionally in a nine-inning game. In 1990, Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson was given five intentional passes in a 16-inning contest against the Reds.
2004 In the nightcap of a twin bill at US Cellular Field, Frank Catalanotto becomes the first Blue Jay in franchise history to collect six hits in one game. The left fielder’s double and five singles contribute to Toronto’s 10-6 victory over the White Sox.
2005 Johan Santana’s 17-game winning streak is snapped when the Twins drop a 2-1 decision to the Angels. The American League’s reigning Cy Young Award winner allows just two hits over eight innings, but they are solo home runs by Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Molina.
2006 With a police escort from the airport, Doug Mirabelli, changing into his uniform in the car, arrives at Fenway Park 13 minutes before the game starts. The Red Sox reacquired the fan-favorite backstop from the Padres earlier in the day to continue his familiar role as a personal catcher to knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, tonight’s starting pitcher against the Yankees.
2009 Joe Mauer makes his delayed season debut memorable by hitting a home run in his first at-bat during the Twins’ 7-5 victory over the Royals at the Metrodome. The two-time batting champion, who missed spring training and the first 22 games while recovering from an inflammation in his lower back, gets his fourth standing ovation of the night when Sidney Ponson’s first-inning fastball sails into the left-field stands.
2009 With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Duaner Sanchez walks Russell Martin, who checks his swing on a full count with the bases loaded, bringing home the winning run in L.A.’s 1-0 triumph over the Padres. The win keeps the Dodgers undefeated at home, extending their record at Chavez Ravine to 8-0 with their ‘walk-off’ victory.
2011 The Phillies fans attending the ESPN Sunday Night Game against the Mets start chanting “USA, USA” when word spreads of the death of Osama Bin Laden. The sellout crowd’s reaction comes as a surprise to the players on the field, unaware of the historic event.
2012 With the final payment received on the record $2.15-billion purchase price, Frank McCourt’s turbulent era of the Dodger ownership comes to an end. The team’s new ownership group, fronted by Magic Johnson and incoming club president Stan Kasten, includes Mark Walter, the CEO of the Guggenheim Financial, who arranged the financing and holds a controlling interest in the franchise.
2012 Twenty years after getting his first win managing New York at the old Yankee Stadium, Buck Showalter records his 1,000th career managerial victory when Baltimore beats his former team at the new Bronx ballpark. The 55-year-old detail-driven skipper has compiled a 1,000-958 record during his stints with the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers, and Orioles.
2015 “Congratulations to Alex Rodriguez on his 660th home run. Milestones in baseball are meant to be broken and I wish him continued success throughout his career” – WILLIE MAYS, congratulating A-Rod on tying him for fourth on the all-time home run list. Amidst very audible boos at Fenway Park, Alex Rodriguez blasts a 3-0 fastball over the Green Monster for his 660th career home run, tying Willie Mays for fourth on the all-time home run list. The eighth-inning round-tripper, the first pinch-hit homer of A-Rod’s career, proves to be the difference in the Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Red Sox.
2020 Major League Baseball suspends Emmanuel Clase, the Indians’ biggest offseason acquisition, for 80 games after he tested positive for Boldenone, a banned anabolic steroid developed for veterinary use, primarily for the treatment of horses. Cleveland traded two-time Cy Young Award recipient Corey Kluber to obtain the 24-year-old hard-throwing right-handed reliever from the Rangers.
2021 Before pitching three innings and taking the loss against the Orioles, A’s southpaw Jesus Luzardo broke the pinkie finger on his pitching hand while playing a video game. The 23-year-old Parkland (FL) native will be put on the 10-day injured list tomorrow when an x-ray reveals he sustained a hairline fracture thumping on a table while gaming four hours prior to starting at RingCentral Coliseum.