INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
WEST VIGO 7 N. NEWTON 2
FORT WAYNE CARROLL 1 PENN 0
WEST VIGO 20 N. NEWTON 4
AUSTIN 10 BROWN COUNTY 0
SOUTH CENTRAL 10 PLYMOUTH 7
MADISON GRANT 2 DELTA 0
WASHINGTON 8 BARR REEVE 3
PERRY CENTRAL 12 TELL CITY 4
HAUSER 17 EDINBURGH 2
WEST CENTRAL 8 FRONTIER 4
SOUTH RIPLEY 4 WALDRON 3
MORRISTOWN 12 N. DECATUR 1
RIVERTON PARKE 11 S. VERMILLION 1
PARKE HERITAGE 6 N. VERMILLION 3
NORWELL 21 EASTBROOK 2
SCOTTSBURG 13 BORDEN 3
SHAKAMAK 5 N. DAVIESS 0
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 11 GIBSON SOUTHERN 3
SWITZERLAND COUNTY 4 JAC CEN DEL 1
MUNSTER 12 VALPARAISO 5
TRI WEST 7 CASCADE 3
TRI 6 EASTERN HANCOCK 5
CLINTON PRAIRIE 14 SOUTHMONT 9
VINCENNES LINCOLN 7 LOOGOOTEE 4
SEEGER 6 N. MONTGOMERY 5
WHITKO 13 OREGON DAVIS 1
DELPHI 16 W. LAFAYETTE 8
IRVINGTON PREP 5 BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 1
CRAWFORDSVILLE 2 PORTAGE CENTRAL 1
BENTON CENTRAL 10 RENSSELAER CENTRAL 7
ARGOS 11 SOUTH BEND ACADEMY 5
SHELBYVILLE 9 TRITON CENTRAL 7
COLUMBUS NORTH 3 DECATUR CENTRAL 2
NORTH NEWTON 11 TRI COUNTY 1
ROSSVILLE 2 NORTHWESTERN 1
MACONQUAH 10 LEWIS CASS 7
CENTERVILLE 8 RUSHVILLE 7
CRISPUS ATTUCKS 9 INDY GENESIS 8
BOONVILLE 22 EVANSVILLE BOSSE 2
BEN DAVIS 6 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 4
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 12 BROWNSBURG 8
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 15 21ST CENTURY 3
EASTERN 1 LANESVILLE 0
WESTERN 6 AVON 3
MARTINSVILLE 2 NORTHVIEW 1
ROCHESTER 13 EASTERN 0
SOUTHPORT 4 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 3
KOKOMO 9 TWIN LAKES 0
EAST CENTRAL 4 JENNINGS COUNTY 1
FISHERS 2 ZIONSVILLE 1
HARRISON 5 CROWN POINT 4
JASPER 9 NORTHEAST DUBOIS 0
COWAN 11 ELWOOD 4
LAPORTE 11 GRIFFITH 1
LEBANON 4 PIKE 1
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 10 YORKTOWN 5
MCCUTCHEON 10 HUNTINGTON NORTH 0
SEYMOUR 10 SALEM 7
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 2 EVANSVILLE REITZ 1
MADISON 2 SOUTHWESTERN 0
HUNTINGTON NORTH 4 LAFAYETTE JEFF 2
PLAINFIELD 13 DANVILLE 0
EASTERN GREENE 8 WOOD MEMORIAL 1
MOUNT VERNON 6 DELTA 2
COVINGTON 6 DANVILLE 5
NORTH PUTNAM 2 MONROVIA 1
PERU 8 BLUFFTON 6
LAVILLE 6 TAYLOR 3
TINLEY PARK 10 HAMMOND CENTRAL 0
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
BELLMONT 20 GARRETT 3
KNOX 7 FRONTIER 0
SPRINGS VALLEY 12 CRAWFORD COUNTY 2
HAUSER 9 EDINBURG 8
WEST WASHINGTON 2 N. HARRISON 1
LAVILLE 22 SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 3
NEW PRAIRIE 1 LAKESHORE 0
HERITAGE HILLS 15 VINCENNES LINCOLN 2
EVANSVILLE HARRISON 11 EVANSVILLE BOSSE 1
WAPAHANI 8 HAGERSTOWN 3
TRI VILLAGE 22 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 0
PARKE HERITAGE 10 N. VERMILLION 0
BOONE GROVE 15 HOBART 2
MITCHELL 15 PAOLI 4
LAPORTE 4 SOUTH BEND CLAY 1
SOUTH VERMILLION 7 RIVERTON PARKE 4
SOUTH KNOX 5 N. KNOX 0
NORTH DAVIESS 14 BLOOMFIELD 8
BORDEN 2 EASTERN 1
COWAN 6 ALEXANDRIA MONROE 4
COLUMBUS EAST 5 BROWN COUNTY 1
ATTICA 15 CRAWFORDSVILLE 2
DECATUR CENTRAL 21 PERRY MERIDIAN 10
FORT WAYNE CARROLL 16 LEWIS CASS 4
MADISON 6 SILVER CREEK 3
SHELBYVILLE 1 E. CENTRAL 0
GREENCASTLE 14 SOUTHMONT 2
NORTH DECATUR 20 MORRISTOWN 5
SHAKAMAK 12 LOOGOOTEE 6
GREENWOOD 9 PIKE 4
FRANKLIN COUNTY 6 NORTHEASTERN 1
BEECH GROVE 14 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 4
LANESVILLE 5 ORLEANS 2
NORTH POSEY 7 TELL CITY 6
KOKOMO 15 PERU 5
SULLIVAN 4 W. VIGO 3
NEW PALESTINE 10 PLAINFIELD 0
NORTH PUTNAM 12 MONROVIA 2
MARTINSVILLE 10 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 9
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 6 TECUMSEH 2
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 7 MOORESVILLE 2
CASTLE 17 N. CENTRAL 1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
CHICAGO CUBS 2 TEXAS 1
PITTSBURGH 13 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 9
KANSAS CITY 3 SAN FRANCISCO 1
BALTIMORE 7 NY YANKEES 6
SEATTLE 5 CLEVELAND 3
MINNESOTA 3 HOUSTON 2 (10)
TAMPA BAY 9 OAKLAND 5
TORONTO 4 LA ANGELS 3
NY METS 9 MIAMI 3
PHILADELPHIA 5 CINCINNATI 2
SAN DIEGO 5 ATLANTA 4
MILWAUKEE 4 ST. LOUIS 0
WASHINGTON 10 COLORADO 5
ARIZONA 6 LA DODGERS 3
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS 5 LOUISVILLE 3
NBA SCOREBOARD
DETROIT 122 INDIANA 115
WASHINGTON 114 MIAMI 108
HOUSTON 112 CHARLOTTE 109
PHILADELPHIA 136 ATLANTA 131 OT
BOSTON 121 TORONTO 102
BROOKLYN 101 ORLANDO 84
NEW ORLEANS 113 NEW YORK 105
MEMPHIS 137 MILWAUKEE 114
CHICAGO 115 DALLAS 112
GOLDEN STATE 119 SACRAMENTO 97
LA LAKERS 121 PHOENIX 107
NHL SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP INDIANA (RELEASES)
PACERS BASKETBALL
The 2022-23 Indiana Pacers took the floor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the final time on Friday night. Playing without several key players, Indiana fell to the Pistons, 122-115.
It was the third straight loss and the seventh over their last eight games for the Pacers (34-47), who were once again without leading scorers Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner as well as second-year guard Chris Duarte, who have all been out for the past two weeks due to injury. Backup point guard T.J. McConnell (hip) and third-year big man Jalen Smith (knee) joined them on the inactive list on Friday.
The Pistons (17-64), owners of the NBA’s worst record, have been undermanned themselves, but got a combined 57 points and 15 assists from their young backcourt of 21-year-old Killian Hayes and rookie Jaden Ivey to come away with the win.
It was just the second victory for Detroit in its last 24 games. Both of those wins have come over the Pacers. The Pistons snapped an 11-game skid with a win over Indiana in Detroit on March 13, then dropped another 11 straight before Friday.
Buddy Hield led Indiana with 22 points in as many minutes on Friday, going 5-for-11 from 3-point range off the bench. The Pacers once again started five players all 24 or younger. Every member of the young first unit reached double figures, led by 16 points from rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin, but it wasn’t enough to add up to a victory.
Detroit led 112-99 following Ivey’s jumper with 6:33 remaining before the Pacers reeled off seven unanswered points. Hield drilled his fifth three of the night with 6:20 left in the game, George Hill scored off a dish from Hield the next trip down the floor, and then Hill connected with Hield to set up a dunk that made it a six-point game with 5:03 to play.
After a Detroit timeout, Ivey knocked down another jumper with 4:39 remaining. Hayes added a bucket in the lane at 3:40.
Two-way guard Gabe York drained a three from the right wing with 2:46 remaining, but former Pacer Cory Joseph answered with a triple of his own on the other end.
The Pacers got actually off to a torrid start on Friday. The Blue & Gold scored the first seven points and knocked down their first three 3-point attempts — two by Aaron Nesmith and one by Jordan Nwora — to jump out to an early 17-6 lead.
But the Pistons’ young backcourt answered with a run of their own, as Hayes scored seven points and Ivey added five during an 18-5 Detroit run that gave the visitors a brief lead.
That lead last all of eight seconds, as Hield drained a three on the other end. But the Pistons moved back in front a couple minutes later on Hayes’ trey from the top of the arc with 2:28 remaining in the first quarter and added on to the margin for the rest of the frame, leading 35-27 after one.
Ivey scored seven quick points in the first 55 seconds of the second quarter and suddenly the Pistons led by 15.
“We had a very good start and then things sputtered,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “It felt like Detroit turned up their defense a little bit and we just had a wave of turnovers.”
Hield did his best to keep Indiana in the game, scoring seven points during a 9-2 Pacers run that got the Blue & Gold back within eight. But Hayes and Ivey kept the Pistons’ offense chugging along. Ivey’s windmill dunk on a breakaway pushed Detroit’s lead to 64-46 with 2:58 remaining in the first half.
That forced a timeout for Carlisle, but even after the stoppage, Indiana couldn’t get a stop. The Pistons scored on their next four possessions to push the lead to 21.
Isaiah Jackson scored on a putback with 30.8 seconds remaining and then added a three-point play just before the final buzzer to trim the deficit to 73-57 heading into the intermission.
The Pacers scored the first six points of the second half to get back within 10. That’s where the margin hovered for the majority of the third quarter.
Back-to-back threes by Hill and York made it a seven-point game with three minutes remaining in the frame. James Johnson’s spinning layup with 1:15 left in the period cut Detroit’s lead to 93-87, but Joseph’s three with 17.8 seconds remaining in the frame pushed the Pistons’ advantage back to nine entering the fourth quarter.
Hield knocked down a pair of treys early in the final frame, the latter of which made it 99-95 with 10:06 to play. But the Pistons got threes from Joseph and Marvin Bagley III over the next two minutes to get the lead back to double digits.
The Pacers never seriously threatened the rest of the way, as the Pistons held on for the victory.
Ivey finished with 29 points, five rebounds, and nine assists, while Hayes added 28 points, four boards, six assists, and four steals to help lead the Pistons to victory.
Jackson tallied 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds, and three blocks for the Pacers. Andrew Nembhard recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists, Nwora added 13 points, six boards, and three assists, and Nesmith scored 10.
Joseph went 4-for-9 from 3-point range en route to 18 points and five assists against his former team. Fellow reserve Bagley added 14 points and five rebounds for Detroit.
The Pacers will wrap up the 2022-23 season on Sunday afternoon in New York.
Inside the Numbers
Nembhard recorded his fifth double-double of the season and his third over his last 10 games.
Mathurin went just 4-for-10 from the field, but 8-for-10 from the free throw line. It was the rookie’s 14th game this season attempting 10 or more free throws and his first with double-digit free throw attempts since Jan. 25.
Indiana scored 16 second-chance points off of nine offensive rebounds.
Hill played 18 minutes off the bench, his first action since March 29, and tallied nine points and five assists.
York, a 29-year-old out of Arizona who spent this season in the G League with the Fort Wayne mad Ants, went 2-for-7 from 3-point range and tallied eight points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal in just under 30 minutes off the bench in his fourth career NBA game and his second since signing a two-way contract with Indiana on March 30.
The Pistons scored 34 points off 19 Indiana turnovers. 23 of those points and 13 of those turnovers came in the first half.
You Can Quote Me On That
“In the fourth, every time we got close, they’d knock in a shot or get a tip-in or something like that. We’re getting some valuable experience for guys that need it. We’re learning things.” -Carlisle on the end of the game
“It’s been a great year, just learning and getting better start to finish. I didn’t really put too much expectations on what I wanted to get out of the season. I just wanted to get better.” -Nembhard on takeaways from his rookie season
“Detroit’s undermanned, but they’ve battled a lot of teams and battled a lot of teams to close games. And tonight, they (had) a really good shot-making group. The two guards were terrific, Ivey and Hayes, and their bigs caused problems around the basket. They earned the win.” -Carlisle on the Pistons
“You appreciate and you always applaud aggressiveness of other guys, especially with guys like George and James (Johnson) out there that don’t always get a chance to play a lot. You want them to be aggressive.” -Hield on veterans Hill and Johnson getting extended playing time on Friday
“The fans have been great. The fans have been super supportive, super encouraging of the team. I’ve really enjoyed my time here and playing in front of these fans.” -Nembhard on connecting with Indiana fans as a rookie
“The fans in Indiana have been so great to me since I’ve been here. The move was a smooth transition. Nothing but love and respect for them. They opened their arms and welcomed me to the city…The organization, the fans, everybody just opened their arms and showed us love. I feel really appreciated and this feels like home. I love being here. And hopefully next year we can give these fans what they really want and get in the playoffs.” -Hield on being embraced by Pacers fans
Stat of the Night
With five threes on Friday, Hield extended his franchise-record total for the season to 283. That is a new career high for Hield, who made 282 3-pointers in 2020-21.
Hield is one of just five players in NBA history to make 280 or more threes in a season. The others are Stephen Curry (six times), James Harden (twice), Paul George, and Klay Thompson, who leads the NBA with 290 threes this season entering Friday night.
Noteworthy
Reserve Oshae Brissett hurt his back with a fall on Friday and Nesmith took a shot to the eye in the fourth quarter. Carlisle said after the game that he did not yet have an update on either player’s status.
Friday was Fan Appreciation Night presented by Kroger. The entire Pacers roster stayed on the court following the conclusion of the game, autographing mini basketballs and throwing them to fans in the stands.
Indiana finished the season 20-21 at home, the third straight year the Pacers have had a losing record at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Prior to that, Indiana had had a winning record at home for 31 consecutive seasons, the third-longest streak in NBA history.
The Pacers and Detroit officially split the season series with Friday’s result. The Pistons’ two wins against Indiana are their only divisional victories this season. Detroit is 2-13 in the division heading into Sunday’s season finale in Chicago.
Up Next
The Pacers play their final game of the season in New York against the Knicks on Sunday, April 9 at 1:00 PM ET.
INDY INDIANS BASEBALL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tucupita Marcano roped a career-high three doubles as the Indianapolis Indians secured their third straight victory over the Louisville Bats at Louisville Slugger Field on Friday night, 5-3. The Indians can secure their first series win of the season with a victory on Saturday afternoon.
Marcano’s impressive night marked the first time an Indians batter hit three doubles in a single game since Josh Bell on June 11, 2016 vs. Syracuse. It was the 17th occurance of the Victory Field era record and the first time a three-double game happened on the road since Jaff Decker on June 27, 2014 at Durham.
In the Indians (3-4) first plate appearance, Marcano smacked his first double of the night and walks issued to Mark Mathias and Nick Gonzales loaded the bases. A wild pitch by Louisville (2-5) starter Brandon Williamson (L, 0-1) plated Marcano to give Indy an early 1-0 lead.
Both teams traded a pair of runs in the fifth frame. With the bases loaded and one out, Cal Mitchell grounded into an RBI fielders’ choice and Miguel Andújar followed with an RBI single. Louisville responded with a pair of RBI singles.
Leading 3-2 in the top of the sixth, Endy Rodríguez roped an RBI single that resulted in the eventual winning run of the contest. J.C. Flowers (W, 1-0) entered the game in the bottom of the sixth and tossed a scoreless frame to earn his first career Triple-A win.
Louisville cut the deficit to one run again with a Chuckie Robinson RBI single and threatened to do more damage in the eighth. They had the bases loaded with an out, but reliever John O’Reilly (S, 1) retired the next two batters to escape the jam en route to a five-out save.
Marcano clinched his historic feat with his third double in the top of the ninth and later scored an insurance run on a throwing error by shortstop Matt Reynolds to pad the Indians lead.
The Indians and Bats will continue their series on Saturday afternoon at Louisville Slugger Field with a 1:05 PM ET start. RHP Mike Burrows (0-0, 1.80) will toe the rubber for Indy against RHP Chase Anderson (0-0, 3.60).
INDY ELEVEN SOCCER
#INDvOAK Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Oakland Roots SC
Saturday, April 8, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. ET
IUPUI Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
2023 USL Championship Records:
Indy Eleven: 1W-0L-2D (+1 GD), 5 pts.; T-5th in Eastern Conference
Oakland Roots SC: 1W-1L-1D (-1 GD), 4 pts.; T-6th in Western Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report:
OUT: None
QUESTIONABLE: None
Discipline Report:
IND: none
OAK: none
Another week, another new opponent at home for Indy Eleven. Last weekend, Indiana’s Team began a three-game week at Carroll Stadium by rolling out the welcome mat for Las Vegas Lights FC for the first time, and this Saturday it will do the same when it closes out the home stretch by hosting Oakland Roots SC in the squads’ debut meeting.
Like every other USL Championship squad (save for Pittsburgh), both Indy Eleven and Oakland will enter Round 5 play this weekend on short rest due to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action midweek. While Oakland has to deal with cross-country travel, it also had an extra day of rest after dispatching El Farolito FC from the tournament 3-1 on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, Indy used 17 different players during a 3-1 win of its own on Wednesday night, though it expended much more energy after being pushed to added extra time by Michigan Stars FC.
That makes line-up decisions all the trickier for Eleven Head Coach Mark Lowry, who saw regular starters Sebastian Guenzatti, Younes Boudadi, and Jesus Vazquez all log the full 120 minutes on Wednesday in addition to Solomon Asante, Aodhan Quinn, Robby Dambrot, and Cam Lindley all going at least 75 minutes as well. While rest may be one issue health will not be, as getting Dambrot and Jonas Fjeldberg back on the field this week leaves the injury report empty and the full roster open for consideration.
Indy’s impressive possession numbers have climbed every week (there’s no broadcast or official stats to substantiate this claim, but Wednesday’s possession was likely closer to a 90-10 split than last weekend’s 80-20 ledger against Las Vegas), and the next step for Lowry’s squad is to create more big chances and end those lengthy spells with the ball with at the very least high-quality looks – and ideally goals. The Indy Eleven gaffer has mentioned the need to be sharper with their chances, and while frustration on this front certainly mounted after going into the half down 0-1 on Wednesday, the second half saw more aggression in the final third from the Boys in Blue – thanks in no small part to the set-up skills of Solomon Asante, who came in at the break and provided assists on all three tallies.
While the Eleven have managed to score just twice across its first three league matches, on the flip side it has only conceded once – and didn’t allow a single shot on target (and only three shots in total) in last weekend’s 0-0 result with Las Vegas. While goalkeeper Yannik Oettl has made some crucial stops in the early going, the team’s holistic approach to defending and pressing tactics have led to a stingy level of defense not seen around these parts since the squad’s last playoff season in 2019, when it allowed only 29 goals in 34 regular season contests. “Control” has been the key word for Lowry when it comes to how he wants his squad to perform, and that’s manifested itself on the defensive end with just 19 shots allowed in total and only seven on frame across the first three outings.
Meanwhile, Oakland has been consistent in the early going by scoring once in each of its first three matches – although that output has garnered three different results in contests at San Antonio FC (1-3 L) and Rio Grande Valley FC (1-1 D) and its first home game last weekend against New Mexico United (1-0 W). A balanced attack featuring six players with either three or four shots has been spearheaded early by Johnny Rodriguez, who tallied a late equalizer at RGV and scored the match-winner last Saturday midway through the second half.
In defense, Indy Eleven fans will be on the lookout for old friend Neveal Hackshaw, who was not on Roots FC’s 18-man roster for their first two contests but did appear on the bench for last Saturday’s match vs. New Mexico. In goal, Paul Blanchette has been a busy man, stopping 12 of the 16 shots he’s faced early in the season, which may be an encouraging sign for an Indy squad that appears ready to take its multi-faceted attack to the next level when it comes to testing the opposing netminder.
Series vs. Oakland:
USL Championship regular season: First meeting
Like last week’s home opener against Las Vegas, tonight’s match marks the first ever meeting between Indy Eleven and Oakland Roots SC, which was founded in 2018 and, after two seasons of play in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), joined the ranks of the USL Championship for the 2021 season.
In addition to Vegas and Oakland, Indiana’s Team will debut against two more teams in 2023 in road contests at Sacramento Republic FC on May 13 and Phoenix Rising FC on Sept. 20.
#INDvOAK Familiar Faces:
There will be one very familiar face on the Oakland sideline Saturday in ex-Eleven standout Neveal Hackshaw. The Trinidad & Tobago international suited up for Indy Eleven from 2019-22 and finished his tenure with 5 goals and 3 assists while placing in the top five on the club’s career charts with 93 appearances (5th) and 82 starts (4th). Hackshaw also earned All-USL Championship honors while with the Boys in Blue in both 2019 (First Team) and 2020 (Second Team).
Eleven Player to Watch: FW Douglas Martinez
As one of the few regulars to not appear during Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup clash, Martinez should be well rested and ready to provide his usual battering ram of a performance on Saturday night.
While Martinez has not had any opportunities in front of goal during his two starts for Indiana’s Team, don’t mistake that for a lack of activity or productivity. The energy Martinez brings to the table has been plenty evident (his five fouls suffered included the second yellow card shown to Yazeed Mathews in the 1-0 win at Detroit City FC), while the support he’s provided in possession has been vital to the Eleven’s overbalanced attack down on the right side of the pitch.
INDIANA BASEBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – One game does not make a series and the Indiana baseball program will look to bounce back from a series-opening 7-1 loss to Iowa on Friday (April 7) at Bar Kaufman Field. The loss snapped a 16-game home winning streak that dated back to the 2022 season and was the second longest in program history.
Iowa (22-6, 2-2 B1G) opened the game with a single run in the first inning and added two in the fourth and one in the fifth and one in the seventh to build a 5-0 lead. Indiana (20-10, 5-2 B1G) got a single run in the bottom of the seventh inning, before the Hawkeyes capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth.
Sophomore Brock Tibbitts and senior Hunter Jessee were each on base twice in the game, as Tibbitts extended his reached base streak to 13 games with a pair of walks. Jessee singled, walked and drove in two RBIs in the contest. Freshman Devin Taylor had one of the four IU hits to move his hitting streak to five games and reached base streak to 19 straight. Senior Phillip Glasser moved his reached base streak to 30 games with a walk in the contest.
The loss went to senior Ben Seiler (0-2) after three runs – two earned – allowed over 3 1/3 innings of work. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out three.
Iowa used just two pitchers in the game as starter Brody Brecht (3-1) fired seven innings of two hit, one run work to earn the victory. He struck out seven and walked four. Jacob Henderson tossed the final two innings scoreless with all six outs via strikeout. Kyle Huckstrof and Raider Tello each drove in two RBIs in the game and Brennen Dorighi had two hits, including a home run, and scored three times.
Scoring Recap
Top First
A two-out hit-by-pitch was followed by an error to put two runners on base for Raider Tello. A base hit through the right side of the infield scored the first run.
Iowa 1, Indiana 0
Top Fourth
A strikeout started the inning for Ben Seiler, but a walk and hit batter ended his outing. Brooks Eye entered and allowed back-to-back base hits, the second of the two-RBI variety from Brayden Frazier.
Iowa 3, Indiana 0
Top Fifth
Brennen Dorighi started the inning with a double, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a Tello groundout.
Iowa 4, Indiana 0
Top Seventh
Dorighi hit a solo home run to center field with two outs.
Iowa 5, Indiana 0
Bottom Seventh
Brock Tibbitts walked to lead off the inning, moved to second base on a wild pitch and scored on a Hunter Jessee base hit to right field.
Iowa 5, Indiana 1
Top Ninth
Ben Wilmes reached on an error with one out and a hit batter and walk followed to load the bases. After a pitching change, Kyle Huckstrof doubled with two outs to bring two runs across.
Iowa 7, Indiana 1
Up Next
The second game of the series will be televised on Big Ten Network on Saturday (April 8) at Noon. The game can also be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Freshman Taryn Kern hit a three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to break the single-season record and help lead the No. 18/RV Indiana Hoosiers (30-9, 9-0 B1G) past the Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-15, 2-5 B1G), 9-3, at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on Friday evening.
INDIANA 9, MINNESOTA 3
KEY MOMENTS
• It was a slow start for both teams as the defenses battled it out until sophomore pitcher Brianna Copeland hit a deep home run into center field for the lead in the top of the fourth inning.
• Minnesota would even the ball game with on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning.
• In the top of the fifth, Indiana sophomore Kinsey Mitchell earned a base hit on a bunt before senior Cora Bassett hit one between the gap in right center, advancing Kinsey to third.
• Kern would make history in her next at bat as she hit her 17th career home run for three RBI, 4-1.
• The momentum was contagious as sophomore Taylor Minnick stepped up to the plate hitting a bomb to left center field to extend the lead.
• The Gophers added two runs to cut the lead, 5-3, to end the fifth.
• IU’s bats were on fire to start the sixth as they scored three runs on four hits from Copeland, freshman Avery Parker, Mitchell and Bassett, 8-3, before shutting down UM on the defensive end.
• In the top of the seventh, freshman pinch runner Elle Smith added Indiana’s last run capitalizing on a passed ball by the Gophers as Indiana extended their win streak to 23.
NOTABLES
• Indiana improves to 30-9 on the season and 9-0 in conference play as they lead the Big Ten and remain the only undefeated team.
• The win over UM extends the record-breaking win streak to 23 wins.
• Kern hit her 17th career bomb to break the single-season home run record that was set by IU Hall of Famer and Olympian Michelle Venturella in 1994.
• Kern also leads the Big Ten in home runs (17) and RBI (47).
• Copeland holds a 14-0 record inside the circle after tallying eight strikeouts against the Gophers.
• IU outhit UM 10-6 and totaled eight RBI on the evening.
• Junior Brooke Benson rests on top of the conference leaderboard in assists with 104 after she totaled a team-high of four against UM.
UP NEXT
Indiana will return to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for game two against the Gophers. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET.
PURDUE BASEBALL
MINNEAPOLIS – Khal Stephen matched his career high with eight strikeouts over six innings of three-hit ball and Purdue baseball scored three times on just one hit in the seventh inning to shut out Minnesota 3-0 in Friday’s series opener.
The Boilermakers (13-15, 4-3 B1G) improved to 3-0 on Fridays in Big Ten play and 6-2 when Stephen starts on the mound this season. Purdue has also won six of its last eight games at Minnesota’s Siebert Field dating back to 2017.
Mike Bolton Jr. made a run-saving catch in left field with two outs and runners on the corners in the second inning. It helped keep the game scoreless until the seventh inning.
Jo Stevens led off the seventh with a base hit to left field, extending his on-base streak to 11 consecutive games. He took second on a pitch in the dirt and quickly scampered into third when the Gophers’ catcher threw the ball into center field. After a walk to Jake Parr and pitching change, Evan Albrecht successfully got the bunt down as head coach Greg Goff called for the squeeze on the first pitch from the new hurler. Albrecht was able to bunt a breaking ball back to the mound. Stevens slid in safely on a close play at the plate.
Two batters later, Couper Cornblum delivered a sacrifice fly on a line out to center field. Albrecht scored when the ball got away on the backside of attempted 4-6-3 double play turn.
Stephen (4-1) threw a season-high 114 pitches while working into the seventh inning. He gave Purdue six strong innings for the third straight Friday, matching zeros with Minnesota (7-21, 2-2 B1G) lefty Tucker Novoty. Both pitchers struck out eight over six innings.
Stephen worked three 1-2-3 innings and struck out Minnesota’s 4-5-6 hitters in order in the bottom of the fourth after giving up a leadoff single.
CJ Backer stranded a pair of inherited runners in the seventh inning after replacing Stephen with two on and no outs. Jackson Dannelley retired both batters he faced in the eighth inning, retiring the Gophers’ 4-5 hitters with a runner aboard. Aaron Suval pitched a hitless ninth inning for his second save of the season. Suval has closed out each of Purdue’s three Friday victories over the first three weekends of league play.
Connor Caskenette and Parr both reached base safely twice on a day in which the Boilermakers only had three hits and five free passes.
Purdue won a Big Ten road game in shutout fashion for the first time since March 2018 at Penn State.
The series continues Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In the series opener vs. Wisconsin, the Purdue softball team dropped a 0-7 decision. With the result, Purdue falls to 17-20 (2-7 Big Ten) while Wisconsin moves to 18-10 (5-2 Big Ten).
The game remained scoreless until the fifth inning when the Badgers’ bats got hot, posting five run in the frame.
Receiving just her second loss of the season was starting pitcher Madi Elish, who moves to 6-2 on the year. Elish pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing two runs. Alexa Pinarski and Alex Echazarreta both saw time in relief.
Defensively, despite three Boilermaker errors, Purdue dished up two double plays. dished up a double play to end the third inning when right fielder Jordyn Ramos made the catch and threw to first in time to tag the Badger runner out.
Purdue was out-hit 0-8 in the game, the first no-hitter of the year.
The Boilermakers will be back tomorrow for Game 2 vs. Wisconsin at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on B1G+.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team bounced back from a game-one loss to defeat Villanova, 2-0, in game two of the three-game BIG EAST series. The Bulldogs (15-22, 9-2 BIG EAST) earned their second shutout of the season as the Wildcats (20-17, 6-5 BIG EAST) were limited to only five hits, with no more than one hit in any inning.
How It Happened
In the first inning, an Ella White (2-3, HR, RBI, 2 R) solo shot over the left field fence gave Butler an early one-run lead.
In the third, White led off with a single. After Monique Hoosen drew a walk, Kieli Ryan (2-2, 2B, RBI) hit a double to the center field wall, pushing White home. The 2-0 lead held through the end of the game.
Sydney Cammon (4-5) pitched a complete-game shutout for Butler. In 7.0 innings, she allowed only five hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
Bulldog Bits
Sydney Cammon’s shutout in the circle was her second of the season, as well as the second for the team. It was Cammon’s third complete game of the season.
Ella White’s home run was her sixth of the season and the 11th of her career.
Kieli Ryan’s double was her eighth of the season.
Up Next
Butler and Villanova play the third and final game of their BIG EAST series on Saturday at 12 p.m. Next Wednesday, the Bulldogs travel to Southern Indiana.
BUTLER BASEBALL
CINCINNATI – Butler hit two solo home runs at Xavier on Friday afternoon, but those would be the only two hits of the game for the Bulldogs. Musketeer starter Brant Alazaus tossed eight full innings to record the win and Clay Schwaner came in for the ninth to collect the save.
Kollyn All got Butler on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with a two-out, solo home run to center. In the fifth, Ryan O’Halloran would lead off the frame with a solo shot to left.
All six runs in the game came from the long ball. DePrey homered to center in the first and McCormick homered to right to double the Xavier lead in the second. The third Musketeer homerun was a two-run swing to right center from Cushing.
Cory Bosecker got the start for the Bulldogs and tossed six innings before exiting the mound for Dawson Taylor. Bosecker struck out six and only walked one. He only allowed four hits, but three left the diamond. Taylor was solid in relief. He limited Xavier to just one hit over two frames while striking out two.
The final game of the series will be played tomorrow at 1 PM.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Ball State baseball team returned to the diamond for a doubleheader with The Citadel on Friday. Blake Bevis launched two home runs as the Cardinals and the Bulldogs split the doubleheader.
With the split, Ball State moved to 23-8 on the year, while The Citadel is now 15-16 on the season. Decker Scheffler extended his hitting streak to 15 games in game one but was snapped in game two.
Game One – Ball State 9, The Citadel 8
Bevis put the Cardinals on top with a solo home run over the scoreboard in left field in the top of the second.
The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead after a two-run second inning powered by three hits.
Peltier led off the top of the third with a double to left center. Decker Scheffler recorded a fly out to right field, but Peltier tagged up and moved to third. Logan Flood belted a double to left center and drove in Peltier. Casey Turturici traded places with Flood with an RBI double off the right field wall. Bevis notched an RBI double down the left field line and plated Turturici. The Cardinals took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the third.
In the bottom of the third, the Citadel scored two runs, on three hits, and tied the game at 4-4 after three innings in the books. The Bulldogs added two runs, on two hits, and one Cardinal error, and took a 6-4 lead into the fifth inning. The Citadel extended its lead with one run on no hits in the bottom of the fifth.
Bevis led off the top of the sixth with a solo blast over the left field wall. Gregory battled and drew a seven-pitch walk with one out. Adam Tellier doubled down the left field line and scored Gregory. Scheffler recorded an RBI single through the right side that scored Tellier from second. The Cardinals tied the game at 7-7, as the game went to the home half of the sixth.
Justin Conant led off the top of the eight with a five-pitch walk. Gregory dropped down a sac bunt and moved Conant to second. Tellier reached on a fielder’s choice as the shortstop made a throwing error that scored Conant. Peltier was intentionally walked. Scheffler recorded a sac fly to deep center as Tellier tagged up from second and turned on the jets to score from second. The Cardinals took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
The Bulldogs did not go down quietly as they scored one run on two hits and stranded a runner on base. The Cardinals held on to take game one, 9-8.
Bevis had a phenomenal game at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance with two home runs and a double. Tellier and Peltier each finished the game with two hits.
Trennor O’Donnell got the start for the Cardinals and went 3 1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts and surrendered six runs, four earned. Brady Owens went 2/3 of an inning with one strikeout. He gave up one earned run on no hit. Owen Quinn went 2 1/3 innings of relief and surrendered just one hit. Logan Schulfer got the win with 1 2/3 innings. He struck out one batter and surrendered one earned run on two hits. He improved to 2-0 on the year.
Ben Hutchins got the nod on the mound for The Citadel. He went three innings and had three strikeouts. He gave up four earned runs on eight hits. Connor Cummiskey went 2 1/3 innings in relief with four strikeouts. He surrendered three earned runs on two hits. Will Holmes picked up the loss and fell to 2-1 on the season. He had four strikeouts and surrendered two unearned runs.
Game Two – The Citadel 4, Ball State 0
The Citadel jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on two hits. The Bulldogs added another run in the bottom of the fourth on three hits. The Citadel scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on one hit. The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead into the top of the sixth. The Citadel extended its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth on one hit.
Ty Johnson got the start for the Cardinals. He went three innings and had five strikeouts. He surrendered one unearned run on two hits. He got the loss and fell to 3-2 on the season. Will Jacobson went three innings with one strikeout. He gave up three earned runs on five hits.
Cameron Reeves tossed a gem on the mound for the Bulldogs. He threw a complete game with seven innings and struck out eight batters. Reeves improved to 5-1 on the season.
The Cardinals and Bulldogs return to Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park on Saturday for the final game of the series. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Notre Dame softball team secured the series with a 13-6 victory over the Louisville Cardinals Friday night at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville. The Fighting Irish offense put up crooked numbers in each of the first four innings as they cruised to their seventh ACC win of the season. The Irish improve to 23-10-1 and 7-6-1 in ACC play. Louisville falls to 24-12, and 9-4 in ACC action.
The win is number 848 for head coach Deanna Gumpf, tying her for the most wins all-time by a head coach at Notre Dame with Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Muffet McGraw.
Shannon Becker started in the circle. The sophomore threw the first 1.2 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs. Micaela Kastor picked up the win in relief, throwing 5.1 innings, scattering five hits, three earned runs and striking out five.
The Irish offense was led by junior Karina Gaskins. Gaskins finished 2-for-3 with four RBI, scored two runs and hit her team-leading 11th home run of the season. Carlli Kloss added a 3-for-4 effort with a triple, three RBI and scored twice. Joley Mitchell finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Mickey Winchell added a two-hit effort, driving in two. Macie Eck and Brooke Marquez each added a hit as Eck scored three times, Marquez once and both drove in a run.
How It Happened
The Irish jumped on top early, manufacturing three runs in the first inning. A Kloss single and a well-placed bunt single from Mitchell put runners on the corners. Gaskins got handcuffed on an inside pitch, but muscled it to shallow left to score one and move Mitchell to third. Emily Tran pinch ran for Gaskins and stole second. A fielder’s choice at the shortstop brought in a run as Mitchell slid into home safe for the second run, putting runners on the corners again. With another pinch runner, the Irish tried the double steal attempt, but had the runner going to second erased, allowing the runner on third to score on the play.
Louisville brought a run in during their half of the first, using a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to cut the lead to 3-1.
Notre Dame kept the pressure on in the second, scoring five more runs. Eck led the inning off with a double and moved to third with a single to right from Marquez. Kloss drove in two, singling past the shortstop who was playing in. Mitchell added a single to left to put two on for Gaskins who left the yard for the 11th time this season, pushing the lead to 8-1.
The Cardinals again had an answer in the bottom of the second. With two outs, back-to-back singles ignited the rally. A walk loaded the bases for Taylor Roby who drove a single to left to bring in a pair and cut the lead to 10-3.
After holding Louisville scoreless in the third, Notre Dame tacked on three more in the fourth. Two walks and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases as another walk brought in a run. Another fielder’s choice scored the second run of the inning. Winchell drove in the third run of the frame with a single off the first baseman’s outstretched hand, bringing in Eck and extending the lead to 13-3.
Louisville ran two home in the bottom of the fourth. A walk and a single put two on for Sarah Gordon who doubled down the left field line to score one and put a runner on third. A sacrifice fly to left brought in another run to cut the lead to 13-5.
Louisville extended the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Both teams went scoreless over the next two innings as the Irish earned the 13-6 victory.
Up Next
The Irish look to complete their first conference sweep of the season a they take on the Cardinals at 2 p.m. on ACC Network tomorrow.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
PITTSBURGH, PA – The Fighting Irish take the series against Pitt after defeating the Panthers in game two on the road at Charles L. Cost Field on Thursday, April 7. The 11-2 victory puts the Irish on a four-game winning streak as they advance to 17-11 on the year and 7-7 in the ACC.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was scoreless frames to start game two as both the Irish and Panthers hung zeros on the board in the first two innings. Notre Dame struck first after Danny Neri was able to reach via a walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt from TJ Williams. A base hit to center field from Jack Penney scored Neri and put the Irish on the board. The RBI single from Penney gave Notre Dame the 1-0 advantage heading into the fourth.
Jackson Dennies started on the mound for the Irish and recorded his fifth strikeout of the day in the bottom of the fourth as Notre Dame held Pitt scoreless for another frame. Dennies would record his sixth strikeout in the bottom of the fifth before he was relieved by Aidan Tyrell. Dennies finished the day pitching 4.2 innings, recording six strikeouts, and allowing no runs and just one hit.
After a scoreless sixth, the Irish would extend their lead in the seventh. Neri led off for the Irish and reached via a walk before he advanced to third on a William’s double to left field. With two of the Irish in scoring position, Zack Prajzner sent it to deep left for a 2-RBI double to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
The Panthers recorded their first run of the day on a solo home run to start the bottom of the seventh and closed the gap at 3-1. The Irish responded with a solo run of their own. Jefferson singled and stole second. He took third on a wild pitch and scored on the same play as the catcher couldn’t locate the ball.
Leading 4-1 heading into the top of the ninth, the Irish offense dominated in the final inning. After back-to-back base hits from Putz and Coetzee, pinch hitter Nick Juaire doubled to left field to score the pair of runs and extend the Irish lead 6-1. Moreno recorded an RBI single and Williams recorded a 2-RBI single as the Irish took the 9-1 advantage. Putz would close out the scoring frenzy with a 2-RBI single to center field as he scored Neri and Williams.
Scoring seven runs off of six hits in the frame, Notre Dame extended their lead to 11-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Panthers recorded another solo home run, but the Irish would take home the 11-2 victory and Tyrell would record his sixth win of the year.
UP NEXT
The Irish will take on Pitt in game three tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Charles L. Cost Field. Notre Dame is back at home on Tuesday, April 11 to take on Michigan State at Frank Eck Stadium before resuming conference play at Clemson for a three-game series starting on Friday, April 14.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Matt Jachec allowed just one runner to reach scoring position in a dominant display on the mound as Indiana State topped Illinois State on Friday night at Bob Warn Field in the MVC series opener, 2-0.
Jachec (3-2) retired 11 in a row from the second to the sixth inning and allowed just one runner to reach second base in his second complete game of the 2023 season. The redshirt junior was masterful in the first shutout of his collegiate career scattering five singles and posting six strikeouts in the effort.
Jachec allowed multiple runners in just one inning, but the ISU (16-12, 6-1 MVC) defense came through in the sixth inning to keep the Redbirds off the board. Grant Magill threw out his 10th baserunner of the 2023 season, while Mike Sears and Keegan Watson both caught fly balls in foul territory to keep the shutout intact.
Randal Diaz provided all the run support Jachec would need with an RBI sacrifice fly scoring Seth Gergely in the bottom of the first inning. Miguel Rivera executed a safety squeeze bunt perfectly in the bottom of the eighth scoring Josue Urdaneta to add insurance in the 2-0 win.
Jachec utilized 119 pitches in the complete game effort. Illinois State (10-14, 2-5 MVC) mounted one final rally with a two-out single in the top of the ninth to bring up the cleanup hitter. However, Adrian Flores’ soft fly ball to center was corralled by a sliding Seth Gergely for the final out to close out the complete game shutout.
Luis Hernandez extended his on-base streak to 21 consecutive games with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, while Urdaneta added two hits as the Sycamores posted seven hits in the game. Urdaneta added a pair of stolen bases, while Diaz and Rivera recorded both of ISU’s RBI.
Illinois State’s Derek Salata (2-3) nearly matched Jachec pitch for pitch over the first six innings in taking the loss. The Redbirds’ right-hander allowed four hits and one run while walking two and striking out six. Erik Kubiatowicz went 1.2 innings in relief allowing the second ISU run. Tyrelle Chadwick closed out the game on the mound getting the final Sycamore out.
How They Scored
Randal Diaz connected on an RBI sacrifice fly to left field scoring Seth Gergely in the bottom of the first inning to give the Sycamores the early 1-0 lead.
With runners on the corners in the bottom of the eighth inning, Miguel Rivera dropped down the one-out suicide squeeze bunt scoring Josue Urdaneta to provide the final 2-0 margin.
News & Notes
Matt Jachec became the first ISU pitcher to post two complete games in the same season since Geremy Guerrero went the distance twice in the 2021 season (Valparaiso – Apr. 16, 2021, Illinois State – May 26, 2021).
Jachec’s first complete game of 2023 came back on March 10 at Memphis as the right-hander allowed four hits and one run in ISU’s 5-1 win over the Tigers.
Jachec’s shutout win over the Redbirds was the first shutout of his Indiana State career coming in his 21st start in the Sycamore Blue & White.
Jachec nearly completed the deal last season in the MVC Championships carrying a perfect game into the ninth against Valparaiso on March 25, 2022, before turning the ball over to the bullpen.
Jachec has gone at least eight innings in three of his last four starts and has posted a 3-1 mark over the stretch.
The Indiana State pitching staff has posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since the 2016 season. The last time the Sycamores achieved the feat came at the end of the 2016 season when ISU shut out Evansville in back-to-back games on May 20 & 21, 2016 by scores of 7-0 and 3-0.
The Sycamore pitchers have gone 22.0 scoreless innings dating back to last Sunday at UIC (Apr. 3) after the Flames’ leadoff hitter connected on a solo home run in the sixth inning.
Mike Sears’ career-best on-base streak came to an end after 23 consecutive games. It was ISU’s seventh-longest stretch dating back to the 2011 season and dated back to February 25 against Northeastern.
Luis Hernandez extended his on-base streak to 21 games following his single up the middle in the bottom of the sixth inning. He went 2-for-4 from the plate adding a single in the bottom of the eighth.
Hernandez’s two-hit game marked his 10th double-digit hit contest of the 2023 season.
Josue Urdaneta added two more hits to his 2023 total for his 11th multi-hit game of the year.
Urdaneta is on a season-best seven-game hitting streak with six multi-hit contests over the stretch. He’s posted at least two hits in each of his last five games and posted RBI in four of the last five contests.
Seth Gergely extended his on-base streak to 12 games after walking and singling in his first two at-bats of the game.
Josue Urdaneta became the second ISU player to post a multi-steal game in the 2023 season with his two swipes of second on Friday night. Urdaneta’s pair of steals marked his second and third thefts of 2023 and first since February 18 against Quinnipiac.
Matt Jachec Completes The Shutout
The final out as @mattjachec9 goes the distance in his first complete game shutout in the Sycamore Blue & White.
ISU moves to 6-1 in #MVCBaseball with the win on Friday night at Bob Warn Field#MarchOn pic.twitter.com/7ETYJVk94A
— Indiana State Baseball (@IndStBaseball) April 8, 2023
Up Next
Indiana State continues Missouri Valley play this weekend as the Sycamores take on the Redbirds in game two of the weekend series on Saturday afternoon at Bob Warn Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. and will be streamed live on 105.5 The Legend.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball fell in the series opener against UNI on Friday as the Panthers won 8-3 on a sunny afternoon at Price Field.
The Sycamores (18-18, 7-4) scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to begin a comeback bid but UNI (21-10, 10-0) was able to hold on for the victory.
The Action
UNI jumped out to an early lead, plating two runs in the top of the first. Sycamore starter Lexi Benko struck out Panther cleanup hitter Mya Dodge for the second out, but UNI was able to notch a two-out 2-RBI single up the middle to go up 2-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, Isabella Henning led off the frame with a double off the wall in left center. Kennedy Shade moved Henning to third with a SAC bunt followed by an Annie Tokarek RBI groundout which scored Henning to put the Sycamores on the board and trim the Panther lead to 2-1.
The Panthers put up three runs on four hits in the top of the fifth, chasing Sycamore starter Lexi Benko who was replaced by Hailey Griffin. UNI would plate three more in the sixth, extending their lead to 8-1.
After a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh by Griffin, Indiana State came to the plate looking for a rally.
UNI went to their bullpen to begin the inning and the Sycamores rattled off back-to-back-to-back singles from Kennedy Shade, Annie Tokarek and Maeve McDonough. Shade would later score on a wild pitch to made it a 8-2 contest. After a TeAnn Bringle lineout, Morgan Goodrich legged out an infield single for her first career hit to load the bases again.
With the bases loaded and one out, the Panthers reentered starter Samantha Heyer to try and close it out. Heyer struck out Luci Kapelka but walked Olivia Patton, bringing home pinch-runner Hannah Welch to make it a 8-3 game. With two away in the inning, Danielle Henning hit it hard to left but it was tracked down by the left fielder to end the contest.
The Sycamores finished with six hits while UNI had 12 on the afternoon.
Lexi Benko took the loss for ISU, dropping to 8-6 on the season.
Up Next
The series continues tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET at Price Field.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – Alanah Jones was lethal from the circle on Friday (April 7), leading Purdue Fort Wayne softball to a 3-1 win over IUPUI in the first game of the three-game series.
Jones threw 12 strikeouts in the pitcher’s duel, besting IUPUI’s Madison Bryant’s 11. Jones is the first Mastodon to record multiple 12-strikeout performances in a season since Miranda Kramer and Megan Flenniken did in 2014. She is the first freshman to do so in the Mastodons’ Division I history.
Jones picks up her team-best sixth win of the season in her 11th complete game. She is averaging more than a strikeout per inning in her 100 innings pitched, up to 105 for the season. Bryant falls to 3-7.
The Mastodons opened the scoring in the second inning when Epiphany Hang got a triple then scored on a passed ball. IUPUI answered in the bottom of the frame with a pair of hits, a double and a single.
Jones and Bryant traded strikeouts until the sixth inning when the ‘Dons struck again. Taryn Jenkins doubled and advanced to third on an error from the leadoff spot, then Taylor Warne joined her on the bases with a bunt. Grace Hollopeter put the IUPUI defense in a tough spot with the squeeze bunt to bring Jenkins home.
The ‘Dons put an insurance run on the board in the seventh when Brayden Lickey snuck home after a wild pitch.
Warne had a 2-for-3 performance from the plate. She now has a .550 batting average in league play.
Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 12-18 (3-3 Horizon League) while IUPUI falls to 9-19 (5-3 Horizon). These two teams will meet again tomorrow (April 8) for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
ROCHESTER, Mich. – Ben Higgins had two doubles and a single in a 7-2 loss for the Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team at Oakland on Friday (April 7).
Grant Thoroman hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning to score Higgins. It made the score 1-1.
It stayed that way until the Golden Grizzlies pushed one across in the fourth. It became a 4-1 game on a two-run home run by Oakland’s Ian Cleary in the fifth.
Thoroman had the Mastodons’ second RBI, a fielder’s choice, in the eighth. Higgins finished with two doubles and a single. Jarrett Bickel has two singles. Owen Willard took the loss. He is 0-2. He started the game and allowed four runs (three earned) with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings.
Hunter Pidek is 1-1 after starting and going six inning for the win for Oakland. Noah Stants threw the final three innings for the save.
The ‘Dons fall to 8-23 (5-6 Horizon League). Oakland improves to 12-17 (6-5 Horizon League). The two teams will close the series on Saturday.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The visiting Valparaiso University baseball team scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning on Friday night to snap a 1-1 tie, and the Beacons never looked back, as Valparaiso took the Missouri Valley Conference series-opener from the University of Evansville Purple Aces, 6-1, at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
Evansville jumped to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a single by graduate outfielder Eric Roberts and an RBI double by fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug. But, UE would not put another runner into scoring position until the eighth inning, and by that point, Valparaiso had a 3-1 lead.
The Beacons tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning without the use of a base hit, as Valpo took advantage of uncharacteristic wildness from UE starter Nick Smith. Smith issued two walks and a hit batter in the inning. He entered the night with just seven walks in 33.2 innings of work on the season.
The game would remain tied at 1-1 though until the sixth inning, when Valparaiso scored two runs off UE reliever Shane Harris (2-2). After a one-out walk and single put two Beacons on base, catcher Kade Reinertson doubled down the right-field line to give the Beacons a 2-1 lead. Then, third baseman Alex Thurston followed with a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze bunt to move the lead to 3-1.
UE would put two men on in the eighth inning on a pair of walks, but reliever Grant Jablonski got a ground out by UE junior shortstop Simon Scherry to get out of the jam. Then, after Valparaiso added to the lead with back-to-back home runs by second baseman Nolan Tucker and outfielder Kyle Schmack in the top of the ninth inning, Jablonski struck out the side in order to earn his first save of the year and make a winner out of Valpo starter Griffin McCluskey (2-4). McCluskey was dominant, holding Evansville to just the first-inning run on four base hits, while striking out six. He did not allow a runner past first base after the first inning in 7.1 innings of work.
With the victory, Valparaiso improves to 10-12 overall and 2-5 in the MVC. Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 17-12 overall and 3-4 in the MVC. The two teams will continue the series on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. UE LHP Tyler Denu (2-1, 4.22 ERA) is expected to be opposed by Valparaiso RHP Nathan Chasey (0-0, 1.90 ERA). Saturday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network from Learfield.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Southern Illinois scored seven runs in the second inning on their way to a 17-1 victory over the University of Evansville softball team on Friday evening at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium.
Following a scoreless first inning, the Salukis pounced with seven runs in the second. SIU recorded four runs and four hits in the frame.
Evansville’s first hit came from the bat of Hannah Hood in the bottom of the second but UE could not get on the board. Southern Illinois came back with three runs in the third and four in the fourth to extend the lead to 14-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Purple Aces pushed their first run across the plate. Taylor Howe hit a leadoff single and Callie Meinel followed with a walk. Dori Brown singled to left field to bring in Howe. It marked Brown’s second career hit.
Three more Salukis runs scored in the fifth push the advantage to 17-1.
Elizabeth Warwick led the Salukis with seven runs batted in. Emma Austin and Aubree DePron scored four runs apiece. Evansville tallied four hits.
Tomorrow, the teams resume the series with a 2 p.m. contest.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
CHARLESTON, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Softball won an extra-inning thriller, 8-5, against Eastern Illinois University late Friday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader after getting edged by a final score of 2-0 in the series opener.
Heading into the weekend series, USI was in fourth place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, while Eastern Illinois was atop the league table with an unblemished record in conference play.
The doubleheader started with a pitcher’s duel in Friday’s first game. USI sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) matched up against EIU junior pitcher Olivia Price. The two pitchers held the offenses to a combined five hits in game 1.
After two scoreless innings, Eastern Illinois scored one run in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI double. The Panthers tallied their second run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run.
Newman went six innings, allowing two runs off three hits with four strikeouts in the game 1 start. Her counterpart, Price, gave up only two hits with a pair of strikeouts in seven innings of work. She moved to 8-2 on the season with the win.
In game 2, Southern Indiana jumped ahead first in the top of the third inning. Following a double by sophomore outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana), freshman outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) recorded an RBI single. Two batters later, and with runners on the corners, junior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) shot one to the track for a two-RBI triple. USI led 3-0 after the top of the third, but an Eastern Illinois three-run home run in the home half of the frame knotted the game, 3-3.
The Screaming Eagles retook the lead, 5-3, in the top of the fifth inning. After another single by Stapleton and a walk to senior Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana), sophomore Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) rocketed a double to the left-center gap to score both. The Panthers came back to tie the game at five with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth.
The game proceeded to extra innings, where both teams went scoreless in the eighth.
Entering the top of the ninth, Southern Indiana had the top of the order due up. Junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) led off with a double before Stapleton walked. After a productive out to advance both runners, Fair delivered a clutch hit that scored both runners and gave USI a 7-5 advantage. Senior infielder Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) brought in Fair for an insurance run to put USI up by three heading into the bottom of the ninth.
In the EIU half of the ninth, Newman, who came into the game in relief in the middle of the fifth inning, sealed the win for the Screaming Eagles.
At the plate, USI had five players register multi-hit games in the win. Fair led the way with three hits and four RBIs, and Stapleton had two hits and three runs scored. Bedrick, Goodin, and Kihega also had two-hit games. Kihega had a double in game 1 as well.
Newman picked up the win in relief, moving to 11-7 on the season. The sophomore struck out two, pitching 3.2 innings. Gotshall started the second game, taking a no-decision after tossing the first three innings and allowing three runs. Freshman pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky) pitched 2.1 innings in middle relief, giving up two runs.
For Eastern Illinois, sophomore Alexa Rehmeier took the loss, moving to 5-4 this season. She worked 5.1 innings in middle relief, surrendering four runs. Senior pitcher Rachel Kaufman started the game for the Panthers, lasting 2.2 innings after allowing three runs.
Following Saturday’s results, Southern Indiana improved to 13-17 overall and into third place in the OVC standings with a 7-6 mark. Eastern Illinois went to 20-14 overall and into second place in the OVC with a 9-1 conference record, as Southeast Missouri State jumped into first place.
The Screaming Eagles and Panthers will conclude the three-game set Saturday at 12 p.m. with the series up for grabs in the rubber game. The game can be seen with an ESPN+ subscription and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage links are on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball rallied to knocked off Southeast Missouri State University, 9-6, Friday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI watched its record go to 9-21 and 2-6 in the OVC, while SEMO goes to 17-16, 6-2 OVC.
The Redhawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead after an inning-and-a-half, scoring on a first inning solo shot and a second inning two-run blast.
USI rallied to take a 5-3 lead with five unanswered runs in the bottom of the second and third frames. Eagles’ junior first baseman Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana) closed the gap to 3-2 in the second with a two-run bullet over the left center fence, while junior leftfielder Gavin McLarty (Buckner, Kentucky) gave USI a 5-3 lead with a bases-clearing, three-run double in the third.
SEMO chipped away at the two-run USI advantage and tied the game with a single tally in the fourth and fifth innings. The Eagles took back the lead in the bottom of the fifth, 6-5, on a RBI-single by junior rightfielder Steven Molinet (Elberfeld, Indiana), scoring Ellis, who singled and stole second to get into scoring position.
USI would go on to extend the lead in the fifth to 7-5 when junior centerfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) knocked in Molinet with a single to right field. McLarty sealed the victory in the bottom of the sixth when he drove in his fourth and fifth runs of the contest to increase the lead to four runs, 9-5.
The USI hurlers took over from that point, blanking SEMO in the three of the final four innings, allowing a tallying in the ninth before closing out the 9-6 victory. USI sophomore right-hander Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana) picked the win in relief, throwing the four-plus in the final five frames.
Seebold (2-3) allowed two runs on three hits, three walks, and four hit batters, while striking out a season-high six in 4.1 innings of work. Sophomore right-hander Adam Weihe (Louisville, Kentucky) picked up his first save of the season after getting the Eagles out of the ninth inning bases-loaded jam, allowing an inherited runner on one hit.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles and the Redhawks conclude the three-game set Saturday with a noon contest at the USI Baseball Field.
Following Saturday’s series finale, USI continues the four-game homestand Tuesday when it hosts St. Louis University for the second game of a home-and-home series in 2023. The Eagles took the first game of the series on the road, 10-2, on March 14. USI senior centerfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) led the Eagles with three hits and three runs scored in the victory.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
Valparaiso University Director of Athletics Dr. Charles Small has announced that Roger Powell Jr. has been selected as the 23rd head coach of the Valparaiso University men’s basketball program.
After helping guide Gonzaga University to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returns to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. Powell becomes the first Black head coach in the history of the Valpo men’s basketball program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Powell and his family back to Valparaiso University,” Small said. “His track record of on-court success started during his time as a student-athlete and has continued throughout his coaching career. Coach Powell’s experience at one of the nation’s most successful programs coupled with his familiarity with our institution will serve him well in his new role. His faith, family values and high character all reflect those of our University and athletic department. I cannot wait to see our student-athletes flourish under his leadership.”
Powell was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. The 2020-21 team spent the entire season ranked No. 1 in the nation by the Associated Press. The Bulldogs were the No. 1 overall seed in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2021 and 2022.
“My family and I are extremely blessed to have the opportunity to come back to Valparaiso University where my coaching career started,” Powell said. “Now as the head men’s basketball coach, I have some unfinished business to attend to. It’s time to get to work, so let’s go Beacons!”
Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. In his first season in Nashville, he helped lead the Commodores to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Vanderbilt notched five top-25 wins, six top-50 victories and 11 top-100 RPI wins while playing the toughest strength of schedule nationally.
During Powell’s first stint on the Valpo bench, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. Valpo reached postseason tournaments in each of his five seasons on staff, including the memorable run to the NIT title game in 2016 which featured wins over Florida State, Saint Mary’s and BYU.
A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell was a three-year starter for the University of Illinois during his playing days, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition in each of his final two seasons after being named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team as a sophomore. His winning track record dates as far back as his days playing for the Illini, when he helped the team to three Big Ten regular-season titles, two Big Ten Tournament crowns and three Sweet Sixteen berths. During his senior year in 2004-05, Powell was part of an Illini team that finished 37-2, won 29 straight to open the season and reached the national title game.
Powell accumulated 1,178 points and 531 rebounds during his four-year career at Illinois. He finished his career ranked among the top 30 scorers in program history. Following his collegiate tenure, Powell began a professional career that included a stint in the NBA with the Utah Jazz during the 2006-2007 season. He also played for the Rockford Lightning (CBA, 2005-06), Arkansas Rimrockers (2006-07, D-League), Siviglia Wear Teramo (Italy, 2007-08), Murcia (Spain, 2009-10), JDA Dijon (France, 2010) and Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany, 2010-11).
Off the court, Powell founded RPJ Ministries Organization, which mentors and trains young leaders to be Godly examples on their sports team and school campuses. He also founded Integrity Sports Corporation, a company focused on building basketball skills and integrity of high school and junior high athletes. Powell is a 2005 graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in speech communications and received his master’s degree in Sports Administration from Valpo in 2016.
Powell and his wife, Tara, have four children – Bria, Liam, Gabriel and Faith.
Powell becomes just the sixth Valpo men’s basketball head coach in the last 43 years.
With 14 NCAA tournament appearances and 10 conference tournament championships, Valpo men’s basketball has a tradition of excellence. The program has produced eight NBA players, 10 conference players of the year and 20 20-win seasons.
Stay tuned for information regarding the Coach Powell introductory press conference.
VALPO BASEBALL
Quality starting pitching, solid relief work, small ball early and power hitting late all added up to a series-opening victory for the Valparaiso University baseball team on Friday night as the Beacons went on the road and bested Evansville 6-1. Griffin McCluskey (Normal, Ill. / Normal Community) turned in 7 1/3 strong innings before Grant Jablonski (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) went the rest of the way to nail it down.
How It Happened
Valpo played from behind early as two batters into the bottom of the first, Evansville had used a single and a double to jump out to a 1-0 lead. The fast start was not a sign of things to come for the Purple Aces’ offense against McCluskey.
The Beacons manufactured a run without the benefit of a hit in the top of the second, taking advantage of a walk and hit batter when Kade Reinertson (Huxley, Iowa / Ballard) started the Valpo scoring with a grounder to short.
McCluskey permitted a bunt single in the bottom of the second, but that would be the last Purple Ace hit until the sixth. He sent down seven straight including 1-2-3 frames in both the third and fourth.
The Valpo righty again faced the minimum in the fifth as a leadoff walk was erased on a double play.
Evansville went to the bullpen in the top of the sixth, and the Beacon bats took advantage when Reinertson placed a double down the right-field line for his second RBI of the game to put the team in front 2-1. Valpo added to the lead thanks to a squeeze bunt by Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) that allowed Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) to scamper home and make it 3-1.
A strike him out, throw him out double play ended the UE seventh, then McCluskey finally reached the end of his quality day with one out in the eighth. Jablonski got out of that inning with nothing across.
Both halves of the ninth inning put exclamation marks on the series-opening win. Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. South Central) and Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) hit back-to-back jacks in the ninth – with Tucker’s coming with a man aboard – to balloon the lead to 6-1. In the bottom of the frame, Jablonski struck out the side to seal the triumph.
Inside the Game
Hannahs had a team-high three hits including a pair of doubles. Schmack added two hits.
Tucker’s home run was his fourth this season and the sixth of his collegiate career.
Schmack’s long ball was his fifth this season and the 14th of his career.
After a shaky defensive series against Murray State, Valpo played clean defense on Friday as neither team committed an error.
McCluskey’s final line featured 7 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit ball while striking out six. He achieved his second win of the season and the fourth of his collegiate career.
Jablonski worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings without allowing a hit and walked one while striking out four. The save was the first of his collegiate career.
Renfro walked twice to extend his on-base streak to 22.
Up Next
Valpo (10-12, 2-5 MVC) and Evansville will continue the series with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. There will be no video stream but live video and stats courtesy of Evansville Athletics are available with the links posted on ValpoAthletics.com.
VALPO SOFTBALL
For the second straight game, the Valpo softball team grabbed a first-inning lead courtesy of the bat of senior Lauren Kehlenbrink (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway), but the Beacons were unable to make that stand up, as host Murray State came back to earn a 6-1 victory.
How It Happened
The Beacons cracked the scoreboard in the top of the first for the second time this week. Junior Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) watched five straight pitches go by for a one-out walk, and Kehlenbrink followed with a liner to the opposite field. The Murray State right fielder made a diving attempt at it, but came up empty, and when the dust settled, Johnson had crossed the plate for a 1-0 lead and Kehlenbrink was standing on third with a triple.
Junior Caitlin Kowalski (Temperance, Mich./Notre Dame Academy) pitched around a one-out single in the first to keep the Racers off the board, but Murray State took the lead on a two-run, two-out homer in the second.
Valpo got the potential tying run into scoring position in the third, as Johnson reached second on a two-out error, but could not plate the run.
After Kowalski tossed a perfect bottom of the third, freshman Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) tallied a one-out infield single in the top of the fourth. But she was left stranded on first.
Murray State broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning.
Senior Easton Seib (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) tossed a scoreless fifth, working through trouble after back-to-back singles to start off the frame, and then combined with freshman Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) on a perfect sixth to keep the Racers from adding to their lead.
Offensively, the Beacons went down in order in each of the final three innings.
Inside the Game
Kehlenbrink picked up a run-scoring hit in her first at-bat for the second time this week, this one the first triple of her four-year career.
The senior has 10 RBIs on the season and is just two shy of 50 career RBIs.
Valpo was limited to just two hits on the afternoon.
Kowalski took the loss in the circle, while Seib tossed 2.1 innings of relief and gave up just one run.
The Beacons were errorless in the field, their first game with zero errors since March 15 at Illinois.
Next Up
Valpo (4-26, 1-10 MVC) continues the three-game series with the Racers on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
INDIANAPOLIS BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – University of Indianapolis student-athlete Brady Ware had a game for the ages Friday. In leading the Greyhounds to a 13-0 shutout in the second game of a doubleheader against visiting Drury University, the graduate student out of Poway, Calif., pulled off one of the rarest of feats, tossing a no-hitter on the mound while hitting for the cycle at the plate in the same game.
Ware’s no-no was the first for a Greyhound since Jordan Tackett’s in 2015, while his cycle is first since Jake Hartley’s in 2013. He is the first Hound to accomplish both in the same game, and perhaps the first ever NCAA student athlete to accomplish this feat.
Ware opened his legendary performance striking out two of the first three batters he saw. Offensively, he was the catalyst for a massive eight-run third inning for the Hounds, hammering a ball over the right field wall for the first run of the contest. As the Hounds batted around in the inning, Ware added another extra-base hit in th third, this time with a base-loaded triple to the right-center gap.
Just an inning later, Ware grabbed two more ribbies on a rocket down the left field line, earning a two-base hit and making it 11-0 Hounds. On the mound, he struck out the side in both the fourth inning to keep the Panther bats guessing.
The time came in the bottom of the fifth, leading off just as he had done in the second, where Ware accomplished the cycle. Jumping on a 1-1 breaking ball, he roped it through the right side to make it a 4-for-4 day with five RBIs.
A three-strikeout sixth was followed by two quick outs in the seventh. With everyone on their feet, hoping for a chance to see history, Ware induced a harmless pop-up to shallow centerfield for the final out.
GAME 1 | UIndy 8, Drury 7
After a Drew Donaldson RBI double in the first inning, the Panthers answered back with a four spot in the second to build a lead. It later grew to 7-3 in the top of the sixth.
Down but not out, the Hounds went to work in the bottom of the sixth, starting off with a RBI double by Easton Good. Brandon DeWitt and Donaldson followed with RBI singles to make it a one-run ballgame. Caleb Vaughn was the man to tie the contest, rifling a ball through the left side game to make it seven-all.
Despite the prowess shown by the hitters, it was the patience they showed that won them the first game, with Nick Lukac working a bases-loaded walk to give the Hounds a 8-7 edge that ultimately stood.
GAME 2 | UIndy 13, Drury 0
Aside from the historic and electrifying performance by Ware, multiple Greyhounds performed admirably in the contest. Donaldson had another solid performance, going 2-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Easton Good, the Hounds speedy nine-hole shortstop, was quality out of the bottom half of the lineup, going 2-4 with a RBI and a stolen base to his name. Jared Bujdos reached three times via walk, scoring three times and swiping two bags.
UP NEXT
The Hounds close out the series tomorrow, looking for a sweep of the panthers. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS—The No. 6-ranked UIndy softball team endured its first loss in nearly a month on Friday, splitting a home doubleheader versus McKendree. The Greyhounds upped their win streak to 18 with a 2-0 shutout in game 1, but the Bearcats returned the favor in the capper with a 7-0 victory.
GAME 1 | UIndy 2, McK 0
In the GLVC’s marquee pitching matchup, All-American Kenzee Smith took on McKendree No. 1 Ellie Quaethem. Both student-athletes appeared on the recently-released Tucci/NFCA DII Player & Pitcher of the Year Watchlist as the only two GLVC pitchers on the list.
The aces kept their opponents’ bats quiet through five innings, but the sixth proved adventurous for both. The Bearcats had their best scoring chance of the game in the top half, putting runners on first and third with one out. But Smith delivered a couple of nasty change-ups to Olivia Stransbury before freezing the Bearcat first baseman for a backwards K. Then third baseman Emily O’Connor barehanded a dribbler down the line before Shelby Cook made a great pick at first to end the threat.
Megan Nichols led off the bottom of the sixth and promptly provided the first run of the game with a solo shot to left. Emily O-Connor made it back-to-back jacks, depositing a 3-2 pitch into the right field netting to make it 2-0.
There the score would stay, as Smith pitched around two more base runners in the top of the seventh to complete the shutout. She moved to 20-3 on the year, striking out seven and walking only one. Quaethem fell to 13-3.
GAME 2 | Mck 7, UIndy 0
UIndy had a rocky start the game two, as the Bearcats pushed across five runs in the top of the first. They had three hits in the frame and took advantage of five walks.
Meanwhile, McKendree’s game 2 starter Sophia Koesterer threw perhaps the best game of her career, spinning a two-hit shutout against the loaded UIndy lineup.
UIndy employed three pitchers in the contest, highlighted by freshman Alexa Huth’s five strikeouts in 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
Lexy Rees and Shelby Cook accounted for the two base hits, both infield singles.
UP NEXT
UIndy’s homestand rolls on with another double at Baumgarnter Field tomorrow. The top two teams in the GLVC standings face off, as the Greyhounds host Maryville University starting at noon Eastern.
MARIAN WOMEN’S LAX
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – The Marian lacrosse team netted a season-high 23 goals in a dominant performance, as the Knights rolled past Rochester on Friday afternoon. Marian’s win is their third straight, giving them the 11-3 overall record and 6-1 in WHAC play.
The scoring began almost immediately for Marian when Madison Ash got the feed from Grace Martin to get on the board, followed by Ella Grace Giedd scoring goal number two of the game in at the 13:37 mark. A little over a minute went by before Emily Blackburn began her tear. The sophomore attacker picked up the hat trick during the last 12 minutes of action, giving the Knights the 5-0 lead. With nine seconds on the clock, Katelynn Gray executed on the free position shot to expand Marian’s lead to 6-0 after quarter one.
Madeline Dumke, Lizzie Piercy, Kate. Gray, and Anna Moore continued the charge for Marian in the second quarter, as they drove their goal total to double digits with 7:38 to play. Aliyah Evans and Ashlynn Gray got in on the action, as they scored the next three with Evans registering a pair. The scoring was not finished for the Knights with Martin and Taleah Nool each netting a goal before the end of the half.
Rochester had no answer as the Knights erupted for 15 total goals in the first half. Marian’s defense was also on lockdown mode, allowing zero shots in the first half.
Marian would keep their foot on the gas with Nool scoring her first of two goals in the quarter to put Marian ahead 16-0, before back-to-back goals from Piercy, a goal from Jada Taylor, and Nool with 36 seconds left gave the Knights their 20th goal.
The Warriors ended Marian’s hopes of the shutout, scoring their first goal of the game at the 13:02 mark, but Tori Farkas responded with a goal of her own on the assist from Ash. Gray. With under four minutes to go in the game, two more Knights finished the scoring with Mallory Miranda and Hayli Irvin netting one past the Rochester goalie.
Blackburn, Nool, and Piercy led Marian in their 23-1 victory, each recording the hat trick. Kate. Gray and Evans each netted two goals, while ten Knights added one goal. Five different players dished out two assists, while Kate. Gray led Marian defensively as she caused three turnovers and Miranda added two. Katherine Hrisch and Grace Coyne each played in cage, while Hirsch picked up the win and picked up one save.
Marian will be on the road one last time this regular season, as they travel to Bethel on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. contest.
MARIAN BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian baseball team was unable to cool off the bats of St. Francis Thursday evening at MU Ballpark, as the Knights suffered a sweep against the Cougars from Fort Wayne. Marian’s pair of losses drop them back to 7-11 on the year in CL play, while falling to 13-17 overall.
Game 1 | Marian 2-8 St. Francis
The opening game of the evening opened as a pitcher’s dual, with Damien Wallace and Deron Swanson matching each other with perfect first innings. Wallace was perfect once more in the second inning and the Knights plated the first hit of the game with JJ Rivera’s lead-off double in the home half of the inning, but Marian was unable to get a run across as both Rivera and Dawson Estep were stranded on base.
Double plays in the third inning on both sides of the diamond kept the quick paced game moving as each starting pitcher got help from the defense, but in the fourth the shutout would see an end as David Miller belted a solo home run off of Wallace deep over the right field fence for the first run of the night. Wallace was able to get out of the inning and was near run support in the home side as a Caden Jones walk and Rivera single gave the Knights a pair of base runners, but the Knights were unable to score despite Estep loading the bases with a two-out walk.
The game would be decided in the top of the fifth inning, as Wallace struggled early in the frame allowing back to back lead-off doubles. St. Francis continued to fill the bases after the pair of hits as a walk and fielder’s choice would eventually put runners on the corners, with a failed stolen base defensive play from the Knights allowing another Cougar to cross the plate. Following a second walk in the frame the Cougars had two men on, giving Miller a chance for three RBI as the grad student for the Cougars took Wallace deep for a three-run home run, ending the scoring with St. Francis in front 6-0.
Marian left two men on the in the fifth as they were unsuccessful in their attempt to plate a run, but in the home half of the sixth would erase the goose egg as Estep singled for his first hit, while Caden Mason roped a triple to right field to bring in the home team’s first run. The Knights were unable to add to their total following the pair of two out hits, and left the bases loaded in the seventh as they were unable to capture momentum from Joe Nelan’s pair of strikeouts. Nelan would allow two runs in the eighth as Miller took the reliever deep for a solo home run that Rivera just missed at keeping in the yard, while a sacrifice fly brought in the eighth run. A Jackson Hogg RBI single in the bottom of the ninth would be the final score of the day, as the Knights fell 8-2.
Wallace allowed six runs with four crossing the plate as earned as he dropped to 4-2 on the year. Wallace managed to strikeout three in his five innings, while Nelan fanned three in his three innings of relief. Seth Risley tossed a perfect relief inning in the ninth to close the mound. At the plate Rivera had two of Marian’s eight hits, with Mason and Hogg notching the only RBI.
Game 2 | Marian 4-17 St. Francis
The second act of the night opened with an even first inning, with both team’s pushing a run across in the first inning. A lead-off hit and pair of stolen bases from Jayden Lepper put Craig Nixon in a tough spot to open, as the pitcher would allow a run with Miller grounding out. Nixon would allow two more Cougars to reach before getting out of the inning, keeping it a 1-0 score. Trey Heidlage led off the home half with a four-pitch walk as Marian looked to match the damage. The senior moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and an error, and scored one batter later on a passed ball tying the score after one complete.
In the second inning, Nixon was not as lucky on the hill as the Cougars piled on runs six total runs in the inning. Nixon gave up two walks, four base hits, and hit two batters, seeing six runs cross the plates as his day ended after making two outs in the frame. Taylor Soper ended the inning after allowing two hits, closing the frame with the score 8-1.
Soper stranded a pair of hits in the third inning to hold the score as is, but in the fourth the Marian bullpen struggled to find the zone, as three different pitchers combined to give up eight runs on three base hits. After four complete the score stood at 16-1, as Marian fell flat at the plate and were unable to respond against Blaine McRae. The Cougars would add a run off of Jace Stoops in the sixth to increase their lead, and in the bottom of the seventh Kameron Salazar and Donavan Shepherd earned later RBI wearing bases-loaded hit by pitches. Will Isom would score on a wild pitch to end the scoring, as the Knights fell 17-4.
JJ Rivera had the lone hit in the second game for Marian, and nine Knights in total reached base as the Cougars walked or hit eight others. Jace Stoops had the longest outing on the mound throwing 2.2 innings, collecting six strikeouts in his work. Justin Johnson finished the game on the hill, fanning a pair of batters in his seventh inning work.
Marian will start a six-game road trip on Monday afternoon as they look to get back in the win column, traveling to Grace College for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
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
NATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES
BROOKS KOEPKA A MAJOR PRESENCE AGAIN, LEADS THE MASTERS
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) The notion that players who joined LIV Golf would risk being sharp and properly prepared for the majors doesn’t apply to Brooks Koepka. It never really mattered how much or how well Koepka was playing. The majors always seemed to bring out his best.
Based on two rounds at the Masters, they still do.
Gaining confidence and a bit of swagger in his step, Koepka breezed around Augusta National without a bogey on Friday for a 5-under 67, giving him the lead over U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett and allowing him to take shelter as the weather became a force.
Storms stopped play for 21 minutes. Less than an hour after it resumed, play was stopped again as gusts raged through the Georgia pines and felled at least three trees that crashed near spectators along the 17th tee.
The club said no one was injured, and roars soon were replaced by the rumbling motors of chain saws. Whether it was the cleanup or the storm cells, the second round was suspended until Saturday morning.
Jon Rahm was three shots behind through nine holes. Tiger Woods was hovering around the cut line at 2 over – his first shot Saturday in the chill will be from the tee at the par-3 12th. Woods has never missed the cut at the Masters as a pro.
Koepka played in the morning, and after making four par putts from about the 6-foot range through six holes, he was on his way. He was 5 under on the par 5s – including an eagle on No. 8 with a 3-iron to about 15 feet – and set the target at 12-under 132.
“I’m able to do everything I need to,” Koepka said. “And the confidence is there. The confidence was lost just because of my knee, and that was it.”
The real surprise was who was chasing him – Bennett, the Texas A&M senior, who had another 68 and posted the lowest 36-hole score at the Masters by an amateur since Ken Venturi in 1956.
He was four shots behind.
“I think I am prepared. The hard work’s done. I made the cut as an amateur. I kind of made my mark. I played steady golf,” Bennett said. “Now it’s time for me to go out and enjoy, soak it all in, be able to play the weekend at the Masters.”
The other surprise was Rory McIlroy, the No. 2 player in the world looked upon as one of the favorites to finally get the one major keeping him from the career Grand Slam. That likely will have to wait at least another year.
McIlroy, the loudest voice against the Saudi-funded rival league, was headed for an early exit. He has failed to break par in the Masters in six of his last eight rounds.
Jason Day was trying to hang with Koepka until playing his last four holes in 4 over and having to settle for a 72 that left him at 5-under 139. Another shot back was Phil Mickelson, who birdied his last hole for a 69.
Koepka was a force in the majors when he was healthy, winning four out of the eight he played in one stretch – back-to-back U.S. Opens (2017-18) and PGA Championships (2018-2019). Four of his first six wins on the PGA Tour were majors.
But he missed the 2018 Masters with a wrist injury and didn’t want to be left out again. That’s why he tried to play at Augusta in 2021, just three weeks after surgery to repair his shattered kneecap. He could only stoop over to read putts and missed the cut.
He missed the cut again last year, and he was so frustrated he said he tried to smash the back window in his courtesy car with his fist – not once, but twice.
That was a failure, too.
“Apparently, not strong enough,” Koepka said. “I guess Mercedes makes a pretty good back window.”
So much has transpired from then to now, most significantly LIV Golf.
Koepka signed for a reported $100 million, a big temptation for someone who wasn’t entirely confident his body – and his game – would ever be what it was. He was asked Friday if the decision to sign with LIV would have been more difficult had he not been injured.
“If I’m being completely honest, I think it would have been,” he said. “But I’m happy with the decision I made.”
He became the first player to win twice in the 10 events LIV has staged (each worth $4 million to him), and that has not gone unnoticed.
Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth (70) was seven shots behind and quickly acknowledged Koepka has slept on major championship leads more often than he has.
“Ideally it would be somebody who would care more and potentially be feeling different than maybe Brooks will be,” Spieth said. “But at the same time, it’s been a little while for him, too.
“He did win last week. I don’t know kind of the way that feels on the LIV Tour, but he did win there against really good players, and comes in playing in great control of his game and has dealt with pushing a lead already out here.”
Most telling of the turnaround for Koepka was on the par-5 13th when he faced a 30-foot putt from just off the green. Waiting his turn, Koepka crouched to study his line and stayed in that position for nearly a minute. Two years ago, he couldn’t have done that for a second.
“It feels really good, being able to just get down and not have to think about it,” he said.
Viktor Hovland, tied with Koepka and Rahm after Thursday, was 1 over for his round and at 6 under through 10 holes. Cameron Young put up nine pars and was still at 5 under. Those were the closest threats to Koepka among those who hadn’t finished their rounds.
Those are the kind of players Koepka once faced regularly until leaving for the 48-man league of LIV Golf and its 54-hole tournaments and guaranteed money.
He misses that competition – Koepka played a practice round with McIlroy on Tuesday to measure his game – and now only gets that in the majors.
“That’s what I think makes these majors so cool,” he said.
Koepka always thrived in them even in different times. Along with four titles, he has 12 finishes in the top 10 dating to 2014. Now he looks to be back on track.
He is walking – and talking – like the Koepka of old.
“The whole goal is to win the Grand Slam, right? I feel like all the greats have won here and they have all won British Opens, as well,” he said. “Look, I guess it’s one more box for me to tick to truly feel like I’ve done what I should have accomplished in this game.”
BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: RAYS BEAT A’S TO STAY UNDEFEATED
Isaac Paredes’ grand slam highlighted a six-run second inning, and Tampa Bay homered five times to improve to 7-0 with a 9-5 victory over visiting Oakland in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Harold Ramirez, Manuel Margot, Christian Bethancourt and Wander Franco went deep, while Paredes added two singles for Tampa Bay, which is off to the majors’ best start since Baltimore went 7-0 in 2016.
The Rays have outscored their opponents 53-18, and won each by at least four runs — the first team since the 1884 St. Louis Maroons did so in their first 13 games.
For Tampa Bay, Zach Eflin (2-0) allowed three runs on nine hits, striking out seven without a walk in six innings. Ryan Noda and Shea Langeliers (two hits) each homered and Aledmys Diaz had two hits with an RBI for Oakland. Athletics starter Ken Waldichuk (0-2) yielded eight runs on eight hits, including four homers, in three innings.
Brewers 4, Cardinals 0
Brandon Woodruff and five relievers combined on a five-hitter as Milwaukee extended its winning streak to six with a shutout victory over visiting St. Louis in the opener of the weekend series.
Woodruff (1-0), allowed four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two in an 84-pitch outing. Joel Payamps, Gus Varland, Hoby Milner and Matt Bush kept the Cardinals off the board until the ninth, when Bryse Wilson retired three straight to preserve the Brewers’ third shutout.
Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty (1-1) gave up two runs on four hits in five innings and walked six while striking out three.
Mets 9, Marlins 3
Tylor Megill tossed six scoreless innings and host New York took advantage of 12 walks by Miami pitchers to roll to a victory in their home opener.
The Mets, who snapped a three-game losing streak, improved to 41-21 in home openers, including 11-4 since Citi Field opened in 2009. They beat the Marlins for the fourth time in five meetings already this season.
Megill (2-0) allowed three hits and walked two while striking out three in his longest appearance since last Apr. 24. The Mets took a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in the third without hitting the ball out of the infield, when Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor began the inning with walks against Edward Cabrera (0-1). After Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil struck out, Mark Canha worked a walk to score Nimmo and chase Cabrera.
Cubs 2, Rangers 0
Marcus Stroman allowed just two hits over six more strong innings, and Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ each delivered two-out RBIs, as Chicago beat visiting Texas.
After Stroman (2-0) struck out eight in six innings of three-hit ball in Chicago’s 4-0 home victory over Milwaukee on Opening Day, the right-hander on Friday fanned six while walking three. Stroman has allowed two runs and 17 hits over 32 innings while winning each of his last five home starts.
The Rangers totaled 27 runs against Philadelphia in its first two games of the season, but have scored just nine in the last five. Texas has already been shut out twice in 2023. The Rangers have lost 15 of their last 19 road games.
Phillies 5, Reds 2
J.T. Realmuto blasted a tape-measure two-run homer to left-center to snap a seventh-inning tie and lead Philadelphia past visiting Cincinnati in the home opener for the defending National League champions.
Trea Turner opened the inning with a single and, one out later, Realmuto crushed a pitch from Derek Law (0-1) 448 feet to left-center for a 4-2 advantage.
Edmundo Sosa added his first homer of the season, a solo shot, in the eighth for insurance. Gregory Soto (1-1) pitched a perfect seventh inning to earn the win and Craig Kimbrel, the active MLB saves leader, earned his 395th career save and first of 2023.
Mariners 5, Guardians 3
Julio Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth to lift Seattle to a victory over host Cleveland.
Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run, while J.P. Crawford went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs for the Mariners, who won for just the second time in their past seven games.
Josh Naylor went 2-for-4 and Josh Bell and Myles Straw each had RBI singles for the Guardians.
Twins 3, Astros 2 (10 innings)
Kyle Farmer drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning as Minnesota rallied for a victory over Houston in Minneapolis.
Farmer grounded a 1-1 fastball by Houston reliever Ryne Stanek (1-1) up the middle against a drawn-in infield to drive in Trevor Larnach for his second career walk-off hit and first since 2017.
Miranda finished 3-for-5 with an RBI, Solano and Buxton each had two hits and scored a run, and Michael Taylor had a double among two hits for the Twins. Jorge Lopez (1-0) picked up the win. Mauricio Dubon went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and run scored, and Kyle Tucker also had a double for Houston.
Pirates 13, White Sox 9
Bryan Reynolds drove in six runs on a home run and a triple and Pittsburgh rode a five-run fifth inning to win its home opener over Chicago.
Carlos Santana also homered for Pittsburgh. Ji Hwan Bae, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Connor Joe each had an RBI double, and Oneil Cruz and Jason Delay hit RBI singles for the Pirates. Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill allowed seven runs and eight hits in four innings.
Luis Robert Jr. hit a pair of two-run homers and an RBI single, and Jake Burger and Oscar Colas also homered for the White Sox. Chicago starter Lucas Giolito gave up seven runs and 12 hits in four innings.
Royals 3, Giants 1
Salvador Perez belted the 224th home run of his career, Vinnie Pasquantino hit his first of the season and Kansas City opened a six-game trip with a victory, spoiling San Francisco’s home opener.
Nicky Lopez added an RBI single and right-hander Brad Keller (1-1) threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run, three-hit ball, helping the Royals snap a three-game losing streak with just their second win of the season.
Alex Cobb (0-1) was the hard-luck loser for the Giants after holding the Royals to two runs on seven hits in seven innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.
Orioles 7, Yankees 6
Ramon Urias hit a tiebreaking RBI double with one out in the seventh inning and started a key double play at third base in the eighth to help Baltimore recover from a blown four-run lead and record a victory over New York in its home opener.
The Orioles gave up five straight runs after taking a 4-0 lead through three off New York starter Clarke Schmidt, who allowed four runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings, fanning three and walking three.
Adley Rutschman hit a tying single in the sixth off Ron Marinaccio (0-1) before the Orioles scored twice against Jimmy Cordero.
Padres 5, Braves 4
Xander Bogaerts rolled a single through the right side of the infield to drive home Trent Grisham in the sixth inning, lifting visiting San Diego to a victory over Atlanta.
The Padres’ bullpen held the Braves scoreless over the final 4 1/3 innings with Brent Honeywell (1-0) earning the win and Josh Hader picking up his second save on his 29th birthday, snapping Atlanta’s four-game winning streak.
Grisham walked to open the sixth against Braves reliever Michael Tonkin (0-1). He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jose Azocar and scored when Bogaerts leaned out to punch a hit through the right side.
Nationals 10, Rockies 5
Alex Call and Jeimer Candelario hit back-to-back homers opening the game, CJ Abrams, Victor Robles and Lane Thomas each had three of Washington’s 19 hits in a victory over Colorado in Denver.
MacKenzie Gore tossed six solid innings and Dominic Smith, Keibert Ruiz, Joey Meneses and Luis Garcia had two hits for Washington. Gore (2-0) allowed five hits and two walks while fanning six in his second straight win to open the season.
Ryan McMahon homered and Charlie Blackmon and Yonathan Daza had two hits each for Colorado. Jose Urena (0-2) allowed six runs, four earned, on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Diamondbacks 6, Dodgers 3
Evan Longoria and Corbin Carroll hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning to help lift Arizona to a victory over Los Angeles in Phoenix.
Longoria led off the inning with a 398-foot blast to left off Clayton Kershaw to forge a 3-3 tie. Carroll’s solo shot to right-center gave Arizona its first lead. Relievers Drey Jameson (2-0), Miguel Castro and Andrew Chafin took care of the rest, combining for 4 1/3 innings of scoreless, hitless relief.
The strong bullpen effort got Arizona starter Madison Bumgarner off the hook. He went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with six walks and five strikeouts. Kershaw (1-1) took the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked two and fanned four.
Blue Jays 4, Angels 3
Bo Bichette’s two-out, three-run home run in the seventh inning lifted Toronto to a come-from-behind victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
A Mike Trout home run and six strong innings by Patrick Sandoval helped the Angels to a 3-1 lead heading into the seventh inning. But with Sandoval out of the game, the Blue Jays took advantage of the Angels’ bullpen.
Toronto starter Chris Bassitt (1-1) threw six innings and allowing three runs (two earned). Yimi Garcia, Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano (fourth save) each pitched a scoreless inning to finish it off. Jimmy Herget (0-1) took the loss.
BASKETBALL
PISTONS BEAT PACERS 122-115 TO SNAP ANOTHER 11-GAME SKID
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Jaden Ivey relished taking the stage in front of his family and friends Friday night.
Then he stole the show.
The rookie finished with 29 points and nine assists, and Killian Hayes scored a career-high 28 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Indiana Pacers 122-115. It was just Detroit’s second win since the All-Star Break – both against the Pacers to snap 11-game losing streaks.
“I felt all the nerves, the happiness, the energy,” Ivey said. “It’s always fun to come back to your home state. I have a lot of memories here so it’s great and I’m glad we got the win.”
Even better was the fact this win came in the same building his mother, Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey, started her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever. She was in the crowd Friday, too.
Buddy Hield made five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points to lead six Indiana players in double figures. But it wasn’t enough to avoid a third straight loss, this time in the home finale.
Instead, the Pacers blew an early 11-point lead when the Pistons went on an 18-0 run over the final three minutes of the first quarter and the first two of the second to take a 42-27 lead.
The Pistons made it 70-50 late in the first half and fended off every second-half challenge Indiana posed.
“We just didn’t have a very good night,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Detroit’s been undermanned but tonight they got really good play from Ivey and Hayes and they earned the win.”
When Indiana cut the deficit to eight in the third quarter, Detroit went on a 9-4 run. When the Pacers closed to 99-95 early in the fourth, the Pistons answered with an 11-4 spurt. And when the Pacers got to 112-106 with 5:03 to go, Detroit pulled away to seal a rare victory.
“It’s big,” Ivey said. “This is why you play the game – to win.”
TIP-INS
Pistons: Wound up with a split in the four-game season series. … James Wiseman missed most of the first half after getting hit in the face less than two minutes into the game. He returned in the second half. … Hayes also had six assists and four steals.
Pacers: George Hill, a 14-year veteran who attended high school and college in Indianapolis, had nine points and five assists in what could be the final game in his hometown. … Andrew Nembhard had 12 points and 10 assists. … Isaiah Jackson had 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. … Bennedict Mathurin had 16 points.
SHORT-HANDED
With the season winding down and both teams banged up, the coaches were working with extremely short-handed benches.
Eight Detroit players sat out including Bojan Bogdanovic (left Achilles tendon) and Cade Cunningham (stress fracture in left tibia). The Pacers held out six players including All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton (sprained right ankle), two-time NBA blocks leader Myles Turner (sore left ankle).
TIED UP
While Turner missed his seventh straight game, Haliburton missed his fifth in a row and it could come at a cost. Indiana’s star guard is second in the NBA with 10.4 assists per game but has only played in 56 games this season and with one left will fall one game short of being eligible to officially rank among the league leaders.
HISTORICAL SAVE
While the Pisons already are assured of completing a franchise-worst third straight season with a winning percentage under .300, Friday’s win allowed them to avoid matching the lowest winning percentage in franchise history. They went 16-66, for a .195 mark, in 1979-80, a season that included the firing of coach Dick Vitale just 12 games into the season.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Finish the season Sunday at Chicago, with the NBA’s worst record.
Pacers: Close out the season Sunday at the New York Knicks.
GAFFORD, KISPERT POWER WIZARDS PAST HEAT 114-108
WASHINGTON (AP) Daniel Gafford had 22 points and eight rebounds, and the Washington Wizards beat the Miami Heat 114-108 on Friday night in a meeting of short-handed teams.
Corey Kispert scored 19 points for Washington, and Jordan Goodwin added 16 points. The Wizards have been without three-time All-Star Bradley Beal for the last nine games because of a sore left knee.
Washington (35-46) stopped a four-game losing streak.
“It’s good to see them celebrate each other even when it’s not going well,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “To offer words of encouragement. To try to breathe life or confidence in certain guys. It goes a long way.”
Victor Oladipo scored 20 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and hit seven 3-pointers for Miami, which rested six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and two other starters from Thursday’s 129-101 win at Philadelphia.
Cody Zeller added 17 points as the Heat (43-38) prepare for an NBA play-in tournament appearance.
“This is our reality, and you have to embrace that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This is a totally new experience for all of us. It’s not exactly where we wanted to be heading into this season, going back to training camp. But that is totally irrelevant. We have this in front of us and it’s competition. It’s great competition with a lot at stake.”
No. 7 Miami will play host to No. 8 Atlanta on Tuesday night, while No. 9 Toronto will get a visit from No. 10 Chicago on Wednesday night in the first two games of the East play-in.
“Maybe this is the path for this group, that’s the way I look at it,” said Spoelstra, whose team finished first in the East a season ago before losing in the conference finals. “We’re a dangerous team. We’re getting a confidence about how we’re playing.”
The Wizards broke a 55-all tie and took control in the third quarter with a 29-6 run.
Delon Wright hit a floater off the glass and then converted a three-point play from a driving layup to stretch Washington’s lead to 10. Kispert followed with two 3-pointers before Goodwin’s putback stretched it to a 20-point advantage, and Jay Huff’s free throws made it 84-61.
Miami cut the lead to single digits late, pulling as close as six when Oladipo’s last 3 made it 111-105 with 31.4 seconds left.
TIP-INS
Heat: Were assessed two delay of game warnings in the span of 45 seconds in the fourth quarter. … In addition to Butler (right hand bruise), C Bam Adebayo (left quad strain), G Tyler Herro (right quad bruise), G Kyle Lowery (sore left knee) and F/C Kevin Love (rib bruise) also rested after playing Thursday. … C Omer Yurtseven picking up his fourth personal foul by the 5:14 mark of the second quarter before returning with 7:14 left in the fourth.
Wizards: In addition to Beal, C Kristaps Porzingis (illness) missed his fifth straight game and F Kyle Kuzma (right ankle sprain) missed his 10th.
ATLANTA AGAIN
The play-in meeting with the Hawks represents a rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series, which Miami won in five games. The Heat also won three of four meetings during the 2022-2023 regular season.
“This will be a different format, so let’s go for it. Let’s do it,” Spoelstra said.
UP NEXT
Heat: Home against Orlando on Sunday
Wizards: Home against Houston on Sunday
ROCKETS BEAT HORNETS 112-109 FOR 2ND STRAIGHT VICTORY
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green each had 26 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Charlotte Hornets 112-109 on Friday night.
Kenyon Martin Jr. added 14 points, Alperen Sengun had 14 points and 21 rebounds and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 13 points. The Rockets won consecutive games for the fifth time this season, improving to 21-50.
The Hornets (26-55) played their home finale without injured starters LaMelo Ball (right ankle surgery), Gordon Hayward (left thumb sprain), Terry Rozier (right foot injury), P.J. Washington (right foot sprain) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (left shoulder sprain) and top reserve Dennis Smith (right toe sprain).
Svi Mykhailiuk led Charlotte with 25 points, Theo Maledon had 22 and Bryce McGowens 16.
Houston trailed 26-25 after the first quarter but took the lead for good in the middle of the second quarter and led 55-49 at the break, 85-73 after three quarter and by 14 points early in the fourth quarter before Charlotte pulled within three.
The Rockets scored the next six points to play to push it to 108-99 before Charlotte surged again. Charlotte twice had a chance to tie on Mykhailiuk’s 3-point tries in the final 13.1 seconds. But his first attempt was well-defended by Smith and came up short. And his second, after Martin missed two free throws, was off to the left at the buzzer.
In a season that started 2-12, Houston coach Stephen Silas was happy to see his team get an “ugly win.”
“It shows that we definitely have a solid foundation for the future and that these guys work, work and work and, like we said at the All-Star break, we want to be playing our best at the end of the season,” said Silas, whose team is 8-15 since the break, “It wasn’t a great game by any stretch. But it was a win. To have ugly win is something we haven’t done much.”
Porter agreed with his team, saying the youthful team whose five starters are 22 or younger is gaining more and more seasoning.
“We’re starting to getting the reps together and our chemistry is starting to gel,” Porter said. “With experience, you’re seeing growth.”
Hornets coach Steve Clifford thought his team’s 17 turnovers that led to 28 points were a difference as were his team’s inability to defend Houston’s pick-and-roll plays.
“The last three and a half minutes of the game, they ran the same play every time,” Clifford said. “We had a coverage, and we never got to the coverage, as you saw. Some of it is tough matchups, but you’ve got to be able to execute there, and we didn’t.”
TIP-INS
Rockets: Rookie Tari Eason is one game away from becoming the first rookie to play an entire 82-game season since 2018-19. Eason, a rookie out of LSU, also is close to becoming the third player in NBA history to have 190 or more offensive rebounds and 90 or more steals while playing fewer than 1,800 minutes in a season.
Hornets: Charlotte has lost 258 player games this season due to injury or illness.
UP NEXT
Rockets: At Washington on Sunday.
Hornets: At Cleveland on Sunday.
76ERS REST ALL 5 STARTERS, STILL BEAT HAWKS 136-131 IN OT
ATLANTA (AP) The Philadelphia 76ers managed to gain momentum for the playoffs even while resting all their starters.
It’s easy to see why coach Doc Rivers was giddy afterward.
Georges Niang scored 24 points, including a decisive 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining in overtime, as the 76ers used a lineup of backups to beat the Atlanta Hawks 136-131 on Friday night.
“I wanted to win the game,” Rivers said. “I thought it would be good for our guys. I thought this could be an important game for our role players. … I was into this. This was a lot of fun.”
Niang scored eight points in overtime. Jalen McDaniels scored 24 points with 11 rebounds for the 76ers, who were already locked into the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Philadelphia will play Brooklyn in the first round.
Rivers assembled a lineup of backups that included Jaden Springer, who had a career-high 19 points only hours after his arrival from the G League.
“I wanted to show them I can go out and compete and help them out in any way they needed me to,” Springer said.
Despite the loss, the Hawks clinched the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with Toronto’s 121-102 loss to Boston.
Trae Young scored 27 points and set a career high 20 assists but he also committed nine turnovers in a disappointing showing by the Hawks, who led by 15 points in the third quarter. The Hawks saw their three-game winning streak end.
“We have to be consistent with what’s going good,” Young said, adding the loss would mean “going back to the film room and understand what got us there” in the three-game winning streak.
Young’s jumper gave Atlanta the lead before Springer offensive rebound and basket tied the game at 119 with 25 seconds remaining in regulation. Young dribbled down the shot clock before his air ball set up the overtime.
The 76ers, held out all five regular starters – Tobias Harris, P.J. Tucker, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden. Sixth man De’Anthony Melton also missed the game.
Rivers wouldn’t commit to playing his regulars in Philadelphia’s final regular-season game at Brooklyn on Sunday.
“I won’t tell you that, but we have a plan,” Rivers said before the game.
Rivers said the issue of resting starters in late-season games when postseason seeds are set “hasn’t changed since ever. It’s always been the case. … We have to do what’s good for our team.”
Hawks coach Quin Snyder said the loss was “obviously not the result we wanted” but he cautioned against letting the loss hurt his players’ confidence.
“Obviously, the postseason is where your focus is,” Snyder said. “We need to make sure we do what we need to do as far as our guys being rested. At the same time, we shouldn’t let tonight’s game be some dramatic statement about where we are.”
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Shake Milton had 15 points and 15 assists, and Montrezl Harrell added 11 points and 10 rebounds as the 76ers had three players post double-doubles.
SOBERING SUGGESTION
After helping the Delaware Blue Coats win the NBA G League, Mac McClung and Springer flew to Atlanta to join the Sixers on Friday. Rivers said he warned the two “to watch their consumption” when celebrating the G League title on Thursday night because they would be playing on Friday night.
Springer was named the G League Finals MVP after averaging 34 points in two wins over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. McClung’s 3-pointer late in the third period cut Atlanta’s lead to 86-84.
TIP-INS
76ers: Maxey (neck stiffness) missed his second consecutive game. Injury designations also were listed for Embiid (right calf recovery), Harden (left Achilles injury recovery), Tucker (right calf tightness), Melton (right calf tightness) and Harris (left hip).
Hawks: F De’Andre Hunter (left knee) had 14 points in his return after missing four games.
UP NEXT
76ers: Close regular season at Brooklyn on Sunday.
Hawks: Visit Boston on Sunday to end regular season.
HAUSER SCORES CAREER-HIGH 26, CELTICS BEAT RAPTORS 121-102
BOSTON (AP) Sam Hauser scored a career-high 26 points and the Boston Celtics cruised past the Toronto Raptors 121-102 on Friday night.
Jayson Tatum finished with 21 points and sat out the entire second half as the Celtics posted a 4-0 sweep in the season series. It is Boston’s first sweep over Toronto since 2009-10.
The Celtics, who secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs in Wednesday’s win over Toronto, played without All-Star Jaylen Brown after he accidentally cut a finger on his shooting hand on Thursday. He also will miss Sunday’s regular-season finale against Atlanta but expects to be ready to go in time for the start of the postseason.
Boston will face the winner of Miami and Atlanta in the first round.
With one game still left on its schedule, Tatum believes his team is in a good head space.
“Experience is the best teacher. And this group, the last two years, we’ve been through a lot,” he said. “We’ve accomplished a lot and we’ve failed. And we’ve failed together. Essentially, we’ve worked all off season and all preseason and had a great regular season…to get back to this point, to get back to the playoffs. To get another opportunity. Another shot.”
Hauser’s scoring barrage was punctuated in the third quarter when Al Horford intercepted a pass, tossed ahead a bounce pass and Hauser threw down a one-handed dunk. It was one of his three dunks for the game.
“I haven’t had that many dunks in a game since high school, so I’ll take it,” Hauser said.
Tatum said Hauser’s growth has put him in position to be called on in the postseason if needed.
“It’s just a testament to how hard he’s worked this offseason and this season to be prepared for moments like this,” Tatum said. “He wants to go out there and produce and we trust him to.”
Pascal Siakim led Toronto with 19 points, and Precious Achiuwa added 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Raptors entered Friday with a chance to improve their seeding for the play-in tournament. But the loss locks them into ninth. They will host 10th-seeded Chicago on Wednesday.
Toronto missed nine of its first 11 shots as Boston built an early 24-7 lead.
Tatum scored 15 points in the opening period and the Celtics ended it with a 34-16 advantage.
The lead ballooned to as many as 36 points in the second as Boston got to the rim with ease, connecting on 60% (24 of 40) of its field-goal attempts in the half.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Shot 30% (15 of 50) from the field in the first half.
Celtics: Marcus Smart (neck spasms) and Malcolm Brogdon (back) also sat out. … Payton Pritchard returned from an 11-game absence due to a left heel issue. … Boston went 15 of 15 on 2-point shots in the first half.
NEW KICKS
Tatum distributed several pairs of his first Jordan Brand Tatum 1 Blueprint Zoo sneakers to members of the Celtics on Friday.
He handed out pairs to the coaching and training staff after the team’s morning shoot-around. By game time, more pairs were visible on the feet of support staff at TD Garden from bench personnel to arena workers who mop the floor during timeouts.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host top-seeded Milwaukee on Sunday in regular-season finale.
Celtics: Host Atlanta on Sunday in regular-season finale.
NETS BEAT MAGIC 101-84, WILL BE NO. 6 SEED IN EAST PLAYOFFS
NEW YORK (AP) The Brooklyn Nets made sure a season that started turbulently will end in the playoffs.
Not only that, they did it with a better record and seeding than last season, even after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“This group just endured,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “I mean, we chose to be courageous over comfort many times and that’s hard to do in this league.”
Mikal Bridges scored 22 points and the Nets, shortly after clinching the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, beat the Orlando Magic 101-84 on Friday night.
The Nets no longer needed the victory by the time the game was over, having wrapped up a playoff spot when Miami lost at Washington while their game was in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn earned the final guaranteed spot in the East and will face the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
First, those teams meet on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn for what is now a meaningless regular-season finale.
The Nets lost their star power when they dealt Durant and Irving in February. But the players they brought back have recent postseason success, with Bridges and Cam Johnson playing for Phoenix in the 2021 NBA Finals, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith helping Dallas reach the West finals last year.
“Now again, we have to come together, new system, new city, all of the other stuff, so it’s not going to be an easy task by any stretch and they have the probable MVP (Joel Embiid),” Dinwiddie said of the 76ers. ”So again, like I said, there’s an appropriate respect, give Philly their credit, but at the same time we do feel like we belong in that arena.”
Bridges was 1 for 12 from 3-point range and fellow starting guard Dinwiddie was 0 for 6 on a night both teams were miserable behind the arc. But Johnson scored 18 points, Nic Claxton finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Dinwiddie had 14 assists and seven rebounds.
The Nets replaced coach Steve Nash with Vaughn after starting 1-5, traded Durant and Irving within days of each other and got a disappointing, injury-shortened season out of Ben Simmons.
Despite all that, Brooklyn fared better than last season. The Nets improved to 45-36 after going 44-38 in 2021-22, when they had to win a play-in game to get the No. 7 seed before being swept by Boston in the first round.
Cole Anthony had 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Magic. Goga Bitadze added 12 points and 15 rebounds.
After being eliminated from contention for a play-in spot Tuesday with a loss to Cleveland in the opener of a two-game series, the Magic sat all of their starters while losing the second game Thursday. They kept No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero out again Friday but started regulars Franz Wagner and Markelle Fultz.
The Nets blew it open in the second quarter, with an 11-0 spurt to open the period pushing a four-point lead to 38-23. It grew to 46-28 when Seth Curry made his second four-point play of the period – giving him eight points on just two field goals – and would reach 24 before the Nets took a 58-39 lead to the break.
“When they broke that lead open, it was a lot of turnovers and a lot of fouls,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “So I think the more we can focus on being able to take care of the basketball and defend without fouling, those will continue to be our keys.”
It was 78-62 entering the fourth, matching the fewest points the Nets allowed through three quarters this season.
Brooklyn was 9 for 42 (21.4%) on 3s and Orlando finished 7 for 38 (18.4%).
TIP-INS
Magic: Wagner scored 12 points. … Orlando has lost 15 of its last 19 games in Brooklyn.
Nets: Curry scored 13 points. … The Nets converted the deal for guard David Duke Jr. into a standard NBA contract. Terms were not released. He has appeared in 22 games off the bench for Brooklyn this season . … The Nets finished 16-2 against the Southeast Division.
GOOD FRIDAY
The Nets finished 12-2 on Friday, the best record in the NBA on that day.
UP NEXT
Magic: At Miami on Sunday.
Nets: Host Philadelphia on Sunday.
TREY MURPHY SCORES 31 POINTS, PELICANS BEAT KNICKS 113-105
NEW ORLEANS (AP) Trey Murphy scored 31 points, C.J. McCollum added 23 and the New Orleans Pelicans improved their chances of avoiding the play-in round with a 113-105 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night. The Pelicans (42-39) will need to beat Minnesota on the road in their regular-season finale Sunday and get some help from some combination of Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers and the Clippers to climb higher than the seventh seed. They also will finish above .500 for the first time since 2017-18.
“It’s a tremendous blessing to have a winning record,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “It’s hard to win in the NBA.”
The Knicks, locked into the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, were without leading scorer Julius Randle (ankle injury), second-leading scorer Jalen Brunson (right hand) and center Mitchell Robinson (rest). The game began inauspiciously when Herb Jones blocked RJ Barrett’s 3-point shot and Immanuel Quickley threw a wild pass into the seats on their first two possessions, but they hung around until the final two minutes.
Trailing 100-99, New Orleans went ahead for good on Jones’ drive for a lay-up and took a 106-100 lead on McCollum’s 3-pointer with 3:22 left. After the Knicks closed to 106-103, Brandon Ingram lobbed one-handed to Jones in the corner for another 3 with 1:40 left.
“He (Ingram) makes some nice passes and that one was crazy,” McCollum said. “He’s smart and knows how to read the defense.”
Murphy, who had hit at least six 3s every time he scored 30 points or more in his two-year career, had 20 points in the first half despite sinking only one from long distance. He finished 3 for 10 on 3s.
“We’re watching Trey grow up right in front of us,” Green said. “He’s having a better understanding that when teams close out on him, it’s a quick decision for him getting to the basket and finishing, drawing fouls or kicking it out to teammates.”
Barrett led New York with 28 points. Quickley added 24, hitting six 3s, but the Knicks did not get enough stops, allowing the Pelicans to shoot 53.2 percent. Jones finished 7 of 7.
“I like the effort, I didn’t like our defense,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We did a very good job offensively, creating open shots and we missed some really good shots. We were in a position all the way to the end. We didn’t do enough things to win but we put ourselves in a position to win and fell short.”
TIP-INS
Knicks: Obi Toppin started for only the fourth time this season, with Isaiah Hartenstein getting his eighth start. New York’s five-game winning streak ended.
Pelicans: New Orleans executive vice president David Griffin said Friday at the shootaround that Zion Williamson would not return at the earliest until a first-round playoff series, missing the last game of the regular season and any play-in games. Williamson has been out with a hamstring injury since Jan. 2. … New Orleans finished 27-14 at home, its best home record since 2014-15 when it went 28-13.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host Indiana on Sunday to finish the regular season.
Pelicans: At Minnesota on Sunday to close the regular season.
GRIZZLIES BEAT BUCKS 137-114, SECURE NO. 2 SEED IN WEST
MILWAUKEE (AP) Jaren Jackson had 36 points, Luke Kennard added 19 and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 137-114 on Friday night to wrap up the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season.
Memphis entered the game with a two-game lead over Sacramento for second place in the West, but the Kings owned the tiebreaker. Denver took the No. 1 seed in the West on Wednesday night.
“It’s very important,” Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said about the second seed. “We’re a very good team at home, so we obviously want that home-court advantage. Definitely big time for us.”
Morant, who finished with 12 points and eight assists, went to the locker room early in the game after sustaining a right wrist and hand injury in a collision with Milwaukee’s Jae Crowder. Morant, who later returned to the game, had a large wrap on his right arm in the locker room afterward.
When asked about his condition, Morant said: “I’m good.”
After trailing by one point at the half, Memphis took command with a 24-7 run to start the third. The Grizzlies led by 24 in the quarter and held the Bucks at bay throughout the remainder of the game.
“Our communication wasn’t great in the first half,” Kennard said. “We didn’t play up to how we have been playing, especially on the defensive end. We weren’t very physical and we kind of laid back a little bit.”
Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said he challenged the team at halftime to be more physical and communicate better.
“We raised our level in that third quarter,” Jenkins said.
The Grizzlies held the Bucks to 15 points in the third after surrendering 41 points in the second.
“Better discipline, a little bit more effort,” Jackson said. “We figured it out and I’m glad we did.”
The increased intensity on defensive after halftime gave a boost to the Grizzlies offense, Kennard said.
“We didn’t give them many second chance opportunities and we were able to get out in transition and get some easy looks,” he said.
Lindell Wigginton had 25 points and Crowder a season-high 24 to lead Milwaukee. Wigginton had a total of eight points in limited action this season prior to Friday’s output. He also had 11 assists.
“It was a great opportunity for Lindell,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He brings a toughness, a competitiveness. He makes shots. He gets to the paint.”
The Bucks, who clinched the NBA’s best record and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a victory over Chicago on Wednesday, sat six players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.
Antetokounmpo, who also sat out Wednesday, was listed on the injury report with a sore right knee. Holiday and Lopez rested, while Middleton was held out with a right knee issue. Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton also sat out with ankle injuries.
Bobby Portis and Joe Ingles were active but didn’t play.
The Bucks’ makeshift lineup got off to a hot start and led by nine in the first quarter before the Grizzlies pulled ahead and led 36-31 after the period.
After the Grizzlies charged to an 11-point lead in the second, the Bucks rallied to take a 72-71 lead at the half, paced by 18 points from Crowder, who made all seven of his shots from the field, including four from 3-point range. Milwaukee shot 15 of 30 from deep over the first two quarters, which allowed them to hold the lead despite Memphis shooting 65% overall in half.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Kennard, who came in averaging 9.1 points per game, had 11 in the first quarter. … Jackson had 22 first-half points. … Outscored the Bucks 62-34 in the paint. … Finished 16-24 on the road.
Bucks: Antetokounmpo was honored in a pregame ceremony for his accomplishments this season, including becoming the franchise leader in points, assists and games played. He was joined on the court by Middleton, former Bucks star Paul Pressey and one-time general manager John Hammond, who selected Antetokounmpo with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Bucks: At Toronto on Sunday.
DEPLETED MAVS LOSE TO BULLS, ELIMINATED FROM PLAY-IN RACE
DALLAS (AP) Kyrie Irving had a seat next to Dallas owner Mark Cuban, and fellow All-Star Luka Doncic wasn’t far away in sweats after his limited duty was finished.
Neither was available to address how the Mavericks essentially pulled the plug on their season before they were eliminated from the postseason.
That chore was left to coach Jason Kidd – again.
Coby White scored 24 points and the short-handed Chicago Bulls rallied past the depleted Mavericks 115-112 on Friday night, eliminating Dallas from play-in contention a year after the club reached the Western Conference finals.
Kidd said before the game an “organizational decision” was made to limit Doncic to the first quarter while sitting Irving and four other regulars when Dallas still had a chance to catch Oklahoma City for the final play-in spot as the 10th seed in the West.
Despite the move, the Mavericks led by double digits in the second half before a rag-tag bunch filled mostly with players who spent the season on the end of the Dallas bench slowly let the lead slip away.
“It’s not so much waving the white flag,” Kidd said. “It’s decisions sometimes are hard in this business. We’re trying to build a championship team. With this decision, this is maybe a step back. But hopefully it leads to going forward.”
The Bulls sat their top two scorers in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, but they are already locked in to the 10th seed in the East. They will visit No. 9 seed Toronto in a play-in game Wednesday night.
The Dallas loss clinched the 10th seed and final play-in spot in the West for Oklahoma City.
Patrick Williams scored 23 points for Chicago, and Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 10 rebounds. White also had 11 assists.
“I thought Coby did a really nice job,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “It was good to see him be aggressive shooting it and get downhill.”
Irving was out for right foot injury recovery. The others sitting with him were Tim Hardaway Jr. with left ankle soreness, Maxi Kleber for right hamstring injury recovery and Josh Green and Christian Wood for rest.
Doncic, who scored 13 points, ended up playing a few seconds into the second quarter on a night when the Mavericks paid tribute to his home country of Slovenia.
Keeping Doncic in was an apparent attempt to get him an ovation after Kidd suggested before the game it would be the 24-year-old superstar’s final action of the season. The move didn’t work because fans didn’t seem aware and therefore didn’t cheer.
The move to sit the other three highest scorers for the Mavs in apparent attempt to lose almost didn’t work either.
Markieff Morris scored 13 points in the second quarter and rookie Jaden Hardy hit a half-court shot to beat the halftime buzzer for a 67-54 Dallas lead.
Neither Morris nor Hardy played in the second half, and the seldom-used players who dominated the lineup after halftime managed to keep the game close in the final minutes.
McKinley Wright IV’s layup got Dallas within a point with 39 seconds left before Dalen Terry scored on an alley-oop dunk from White with 23 to go.
Theo Pinson missed a potential tying 3-pointer for Dallas, which had three more attempts at a tying 3 in the final seconds.
Kidd said the decision was made by Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison to rest most of the regulars. Dallas entered the game tied with Chicago for the 10th-worst record in the NBA.
If the Mavericks have a top-10 pick in the draft in June, they get to keep it. If the pick is 11th or lower, it goes to the New York Knicks as final payment for Dallas’ trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. Next month’s draft lottery will determine the final order.
Kidd shared the front office’s decision with the players before the game, and said he was pleased they carried out his orders to play to win.
“I don’t think I have to smooth over anything with the players,” Kidd said. “I’ve been very honest with the players. I was very honest with them before the game.”
Wright joined Doncic and Morris with 13 points to lead the Mavs.
SCORING RACE
Kidd said Doncic – along with Irving – won’t play in the lone remaining game, which should clinch the scoring title for Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid. Doncic is at 32.4 points per game to Embiid’s 33.1. The Sixers’ MVP candidate is probably finished for the regular season with his team locked in to the third seed in the East.
UP NEXT
Both teams are at home for their regular-season finales Sunday. The Bulls play Detroit. The Mavs face San Antonio.
WARRIORS BEAT RESTING KINGS 119-97 TO CLOSE IN ON PLAYOFFS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Klay Thompson scored 29 points, Stephen Curry added 25 and the Golden State Warriors closed in on a playoff berth by beating the short-handed Sacramento Kings 119-97 on Friday night.
The defending-champion Warriors missed a chance to clinch the postseason when New Orleans won earlier in the night but can still get in as one of the top six seeds in the Western Conference by winning at Portland in the season finale on Sunday.
“I think for us, you go in and you try to win the game and we get what we want,” guard Donte DiVincenzo said. “What we want is to not be in that play-in game. So simple as that.”
Golden State could get in with a loss Sunday depending on other results but could be relegated to the play-in tournament instead.
DiVincenzo added 18 points for the Warriors, who have won seven of nine games.
Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu each scored 15 points to lead the Kings, who were locked in as the No. 3 seed in the West after Memphis won earlier in the night.
“Both halves we started out real slow,” coach Mike Brown said. “We had to play catch-up. Fighting uphill against a team like that … made it tough.”
With little at stake, the Kings rested their top three scorers with De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Huerter all getting the night off.
That took some of the energy out of a sold-out building that had been excited for a possible playoff preview between the two neighboring franchises who have never even made the playoffs in the same year since the Kings moved to Sacramento for the 1985-86 season.
“That would be amazing,” Thompson said of a possible Warriors-Kings playoff matchup. “That’d be special for Northern California. The Kings have great fans. We have great fans. Mike B. has them boys playing together and hard and that would be really cool.”
The Warriors raced to a 32-16 lead after one quarter but got sloppy in the second when the Kings took advantage of seven turnovers in the quarter and good outside shooting to cut the deficit to 53-48 at the half.
“Carelessness was the main cause,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Sacramento played hard and they got into the ball and they forced a couple. But you saw some of the careless passing that we’re not going to be able to get away with in the playoffs.”
Golden State built the lead back up to 13 points in the third quarter and were never seriously threatened in the final quarter.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Kevon Looney’s 13 rebounds in the first half were the most for a Warriors player in the opening half of a regular season game since Andris Biedrins had 15 on Dec. 29, 2008, against the Lakers. … Golden State improved to 10-30 on the road. The Warriors are trying to be the first team to make the playoffs despite losing at least 30 road games since Miami did it with 31 road losses in 1991-92. … Thompson has made at least five 3-pointers in six straight games.
Kings: Sixth man Malik Monk (left leg) also missed the game. … Sacramento made eight 3-pointers in the second quarter, tied for their fourth most in any quarter this season. … The Kings finished the regular season with a 23-18 record at home. They are 25-15 on the road with one game remaining.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Visit Portland on Sunday.
Kings: Visit Denver on Sunday.
LAKERS BEAT SUNS TO KEEP HOPES ALIVE OF AVOIDING PLAY-IN
LOS ANGELES (AP) DeAngelo Russell scored 24 points, Austin Reaves had 22 and Malik Beasley 21 as the Los Angeles Lakers kept their hopes alive of avoiding a spot in the play-in tournament with a 121-107 victory over the resting Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
LeBron James had 16 points and Anthony Davis finished with 14 points and 21 rebounds, helping Los Angeles pull away in the fourth quarter. The Lakers remained the seventh seed and in a play-in spot in the Western Conference after Golden State’s victory over Sacramento.
Los Angeles (42-39) has won eight of its last nine.
The Suns, who are locked into the fourth spot in the West, rested starters Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. It was the second game of a back-to-back set after Phoenix beat Denver on Thursday.
Torrey Craig led Phoenix with 18 points, Jock Landale had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Josh Okogie scored 16 points.
It was tied at 96 early in the fourth quarter before the Lakers scored 11 straight points as part of a 13-2 run. James had seven points during the spurt and Rui Hachimura added four.
TIP INS
Suns: Phoenix had a pair of injuries occur during the second quarter. Bismack Biyombo injured his right knee after a collision with Anthony Davis. Earlier, Cameron Payne tweaked his lower back in a hard fall.
Lakers: Beasley scored 11 points in the second quarter. … Davis had eight rebounds during the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Suns: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday in what could be a first-round preview.
Lakers: Host Utah on Sunday.
SPORTS EXTRA
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Tampa Bay | 7 | 0 | 1.000 | – | 4 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 1 – 0 | 7 – 0 | W 7 |
| Toronto | 5 | 3 | .625 | 2.5 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 1 | 1 – 0 | 5 – 3 | W 4 |
| Baltimore | 4 | 3 | .571 | 3 | 1 – 0 | 3 – 3 | 2 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 4 – 3 | W 1 |
| NY Yankees | 4 | 3 | .571 | 3 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 3 | L 1 |
| Boston | 3 | 4 | .429 | 4 | 2 – 4 | 1 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 1 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | W 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 5 | 2 | .714 | – | 1 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 1 – 0 | 5 – 2 | W 1 |
| Cleveland | 5 | 3 | .625 | 0.5 | 0 – 1 | 5 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 3 | 5 – 3 | L 1 |
| Chi White Sox | 3 | 5 | .375 | 2.5 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 2 | 3 – 5 | L 2 |
| Detroit | 2 | 5 | .286 | 3 | 0 – 1 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 2 – 5 | L 2 |
| Kansas City | 2 | 6 | .250 | 3.5 | 1 – 6 | 1 – 0 | 1 – 3 | 0 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 6 | W 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Angels | 4 | 3 | .571 | – | 0 – 1 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 3 | L 1 |
| Texas | 4 | 3 | .571 | – | 4 – 2 | 0 – 1 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 3 | L 1 |
| Houston | 3 | 5 | .375 | 1.5 | 3 – 4 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 5 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 5 | L 1 |
| Seattle | 3 | 5 | .375 | 1.5 | 2 – 5 | 1 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 3 | 1 – 2 | 3 – 5 | W 1 |
| Oakland | 2 | 5 | .286 | 2 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 1 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 5 | L 2 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 6 | 2 | .750 | – | 1 – 1 | 5 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 3 – 0 | 1 – 1 | 6 – 2 | L 1 |
| NY Mets | 4 | 4 | .500 | 2 | 1 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 4 – 1 | 0 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 4 | W 1 |
| Miami | 3 | 5 | .375 | 3 | 3 – 4 | 0 – 1 | 1 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 5 | L 1 |
| Philadelphia | 2 | 5 | .286 | 3.5 | 1 – 0 | 1 – 5 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 5 | W 1 |
| Washington | 2 | 6 | .250 | 4 | 1 – 5 | 1 – 1 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 1 | 2 – 6 | W 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Milwaukee | 6 | 1 | .857 | – | 4 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 3 – 0 | 3 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 1 | W 6 |
| Pittsburgh | 5 | 2 | .714 | 1 | 1 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 2 | W 4 |
| Chi Cubs | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2.5 | 2 – 2 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 | W 2 |
| Cincinnati | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2.5 | 3 – 2 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 1 | 3 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 | L 2 |
| St. Louis | 2 | 5 | .286 | 4 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 3 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 5 | L 4 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Dodgers | 5 | 3 | .625 | – | 4 – 2 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 3 | 5 – 3 | L 1 |
| Arizona | 4 | 4 | .500 | 1 | 1 – 1 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 4 | 4 – 4 | W 1 |
| San Diego | 4 | 4 | .500 | 1 | 3 – 3 | 1 – 1 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 | 4 – 4 | W 1 |
| San Francisco | 3 | 4 | .429 | 1.5 | 0 – 1 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | L 1 |
| Colorado | 3 | 5 | .375 | 2 | 1 – 1 | 2 – 4 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 4 | 3 – 5 | L 1 |
NBA STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 xyz-Milwaukee | 58 | 23 | .716 | — | 32-9 | 26-14 | 11-5 | 35-16 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| 2 xy-Boston | 56 | 25 | .691 | 2.0 | 31-9 | 25-16 | 11-5 | 33-18 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 3 x-Philadelphia | 53 | 28 | .654 | 5.0 | 29-12 | 24-16 | 9-6 | 33-18 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 4 x-Cleveland | 51 | 30 | .630 | 7.0 | 31-9 | 20-21 | 13-3 | 34-17 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| 5 x-New York | 47 | 34 | .580 | 11.0 | 23-17 | 24-17 | 8-8 | 32-19 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 6 x-Brooklyn | 45 | 36 | .556 | 13.0 | 23-17 | 22-19 | 7-8 | 30-21 | 6-4 | 2 W | ||
| 7 xy-Miami | 43 | 38 | .531 | 15.0 | 26-14 | 17-24 | 9-6 | 23-28 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 8 Atlanta | 41 | 40 | .506 | 17.0 | 24-17 | 17-23 | 8-8 | 26-25 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 9 Toronto | 40 | 41 | .494 | 18.0 | 26-14 | 14-27 | 4-12 | 25-26 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 10 Chicago | 39 | 42 | .481 | 19.0 | 21-19 | 18-23 | 6-9 | 26-25 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 11 Washington | 35 | 46 | .432 | 23.0 | 19-21 | 16-25 | 8-8 | 21-31 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| 12 Indiana | 34 | 47 | .420 | 24.0 | 20-21 | 14-26 | 7-9 | 23-28 | 2-8 | 3 L | ||
| 13 Orlando | 34 | 47 | .420 | 24.0 | 20-21 | 14-26 | 7-8 | 20-31 | 5-5 | 3 L | ||
| 14 Charlotte | 26 | 55 | .321 | 32.0 | 13-28 | 13-27 | 7-9 | 14-37 | 4-6 | 4 L | ||
| 15 Detroit | 17 | 64 | .210 | 41.0 | 9-32 | 8-32 | 2-13 | 8-43 | 1-9 | 1 W | ||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 xyz-Denver | 52 | 28 | .650 | — | 33-7 | 19-21 | 10-5 | 33-17 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 2 xy-Memphis | 51 | 30 | .630 | 1.5 | 35-6 | 16-24 | 13-3 | 30-21 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 3 xy-Sacramento | 48 | 33 | .593 | 4.5 | 23-18 | 25-15 | 9-7 | 32-19 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 4 x-Phoenix | 45 | 36 | .556 | 7.5 | 28-12 | 17-24 | 9-6 | 30-21 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| 5 Golden State | 43 | 38 | .531 | 9.5 | 33-8 | 10-30 | 7-9 | 29-22 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 6 LA Clippers | 42 | 38 | .525 | 10.0 | 22-18 | 20-20 | 8-7 | 25-25 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 7 LA Lakers | 42 | 39 | .519 | 10.5 | 22-18 | 20-21 | 6-10 | 26-25 | 8-2 | 1 W | ||
| 8 New Orleans | 42 | 39 | .519 | 10.5 | 27-14 | 15-25 | 11-5 | 29-22 | 8-2 | 2 W | ||
| 9 Minnesota | 40 | 40 | .500 | 12.0 | 21-19 | 19-21 | 8-8 | 27-23 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 10 Oklahoma City | 39 | 42 | .481 | 13.5 | 23-17 | 16-25 | 9-7 | 24-27 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| 11 Dallas | 38 | 43 | .469 | 14.5 | 23-17 | 15-26 | 9-6 | 28-23 | 2-8 | 1 L | ||
| 12 Utah | 36 | 44 | .450 | 16.0 | 22-18 | 14-26 | 5-10 | 23-27 | 2-8 | 4 L | ||
| 13 Portland | 33 | 47 | .413 | 19.0 | 17-23 | 16-24 | 7-9 | 23-27 | 2-8 | 2 L | ||
| 14 San Antonio | 21 | 59 | .263 | 31.0 | 14-26 | 7-33 | 2-13 | 9-41 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| 15 Houston | 21 | 60 | .259 | 31.5 | 14-27 | 7-33 | 4-12 | 12-40 | 3-7 | 2 W | ||
Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.
X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference
NHL STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 xyz-Boston Bruins | 78 | 61 | 12 | 5 | 127 | 57 | 288 | 167 | 32-4-3 | 29-8-2 | 9-1-0 | |
| 2 x-Carolina Hurricanes | 78 | 50 | 19 | 9 | 109 | 46 | 251 | 201 | 27-10-3 | 23-9-6 | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 x-New Jersey Devils | 79 | 50 | 21 | 8 | 108 | 48 | 279 | 218 | 23-13-4 | 27-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 x-New York Rangers | 79 | 46 | 21 | 12 | 104 | 42 | 269 | 213 | 23-12-4 | 23-9-8 | 6-2-2 | |
| 5 x-Toronto Maple Leafs | 78 | 46 | 21 | 11 | 103 | 45 | 263 | 215 | 26-8-6 | 20-13-5 | 5-3-2 | |
| 6 x-Tampa Bay Lightning | 79 | 45 | 28 | 6 | 96 | 42 | 271 | 243 | 27-7-5 | 18-21-1 | 4-6-0 | |
| 7 Florida Panthers | 79 | 41 | 31 | 7 | 89 | 39 | 281 | 263 | 23-12-4 | 18-19-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 8 New York Islanders | 79 | 40 | 30 | 9 | 89 | 39 | 233 | 215 | 23-13-3 | 17-17-6 | 6-3-1 | |
| 9 Pittsburgh Penguins | 79 | 39 | 30 | 10 | 88 | 38 | 253 | 255 | 23-12-5 | 16-18-5 | 5-5-0 | |
| 10 Buffalo Sabres | 77 | 38 | 32 | 7 | 83 | 36 | 278 | 284 | 15-20-4 | 23-12-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 11 Ottawa Senators | 79 | 37 | 35 | 7 | 81 | 35 | 248 | 261 | 22-14-3 | 15-21-4 | 4-4-2 | |
| 12 Detroit Red Wings | 78 | 35 | 33 | 10 | 80 | 32 | 237 | 259 | 19-15-5 | 16-18-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 13 Washington Capitals | 78 | 34 | 35 | 9 | 77 | 32 | 242 | 249 | 17-15-6 | 17-20-3 | 2-6-2 | |
| 14 Philadelphia Flyers | 78 | 29 | 36 | 13 | 71 | 27 | 210 | 261 | 17-17-5 | 12-19-8 | 4-4-2 | |
| 15 Montreal Canadiens | 79 | 31 | 42 | 6 | 68 | 26 | 225 | 291 | 17-20-3 | 14-22-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 16 Columbus Blue Jackets | 78 | 24 | 46 | 8 | 56 | 23 | 206 | 315 | 15-21-2 | 9-25-6 | 3-6-1 | |
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 x-Vegas Golden Knights | 79 | 49 | 22 | 8 | 106 | 44 | 264 | 225 | 24-15-1 | 25-7-7 | 7-1-2 | |
| 2 x-Colorado Avalanche | 77 | 47 | 24 | 6 | 100 | 41 | 262 | 212 | 21-13-5 | 26-11-1 | 8-2-0 | |
| 3 x-Edmonton Oilers | 79 | 47 | 23 | 9 | 103 | 47 | 312 | 256 | 22-12-6 | 25-11-3 | 9-0-1 | |
| 4 x-Dallas Stars | 78 | 43 | 21 | 14 | 100 | 40 | 271 | 214 | 20-10-9 | 23-11-5 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 x-Los Angeles Kings | 79 | 45 | 24 | 10 | 100 | 39 | 269 | 250 | 25-10-4 | 20-14-6 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 x-Minnesota Wild | 78 | 44 | 24 | 10 | 98 | 37 | 233 | 213 | 24-11-4 | 20-13-6 | 5-3-2 | |
| 7 x-Seattle Kraken | 78 | 44 | 26 | 8 | 96 | 44 | 276 | 245 | 19-16-4 | 25-10-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 8 Winnipeg Jets | 78 | 43 | 32 | 3 | 89 | 42 | 234 | 218 | 24-13-2 | 19-19-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 9 Calgary Flames | 79 | 37 | 27 | 15 | 89 | 35 | 253 | 245 | 19-16-4 | 18-11-11 | 6-3-1 | |
| 10 Nashville Predators | 78 | 40 | 30 | 8 | 88 | 35 | 219 | 227 | 21-14-4 | 19-16-4 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 St. Louis Blues | 79 | 37 | 35 | 7 | 81 | 34 | 258 | 290 | 18-16-6 | 19-19-1 | 6-2-2 | |
| 12 Vancouver Canucks | 78 | 35 | 36 | 7 | 77 | 30 | 265 | 287 | 18-20-2 | 17-16-5 | 5-3-2 | |
| 13 Arizona Coyotes | 79 | 27 | 39 | 13 | 67 | 24 | 218 | 286 | 20-14-4 | 7-25-9 | 1-7-2 | |
| 14 San Jose Sharks | 78 | 22 | 40 | 16 | 60 | 21 | 228 | 301 | 8-21-11 | 14-19-5 | 3-4-3 | |
| 15 Chicago Blackhawks | 78 | 25 | 47 | 6 | 56 | 23 | 190 | 283 | 14-22-3 | 11-25-3 | 1-9-0 | |
| 16 Anaheim Ducks | 78 | 23 | 45 | 10 | 56 | 20 | 196 | 320 | 12-23-3 | 11-22-7 | 1-9-0 | |
Eight teams in each conference qualify for the divisional playoff format. The top three teams from each division make up the first six spots. The two remaining teams with the highest points, regardless of division, qualify for the final two wild card spots.
X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference
TV SATURDAY
| BOXING | TIME ET | TV |
| Featherweights: Shakur Stevenson vs. Shuichiro Yoshino | 10:00pm | ESPN |
| COLLEGE BASEBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Iowa at Indiana | 12:00pm | BTN |
| LSU at South Carolina | 12:00pm | SECN |
| Florida at Tennessee | 2:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Arkansas at Ole Miss | 3:00pm | SECN |
| Rutgers at Maryland | 3:00pm | BTN |
| NC State at Wake Forest | 4:00pm | ACCN |
| Mississippi State at Alabama | 6:00pm | SECN |
| Virginia Tech at Duke | 7:00pm | ACCN |
| Oklahoma State at TCU | 9:00pm | ESPNU |
| COLLEGE SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Notre Dame vs Louisville | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| Mississippi St. vs Texas A&M | 8:00pm | SECN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| Masters | 3:00pm | CBS |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Boston at Detroit | 1:10pm | Bally Sports NESN |
| Houston at Minnesota | 2:10pm | Bally Sports ATTSN-SW |
| Cincinnati at Philadelphia | 4:05pm | Bally Sports NBCS-PHI |
| Texas at Chi. Cubs | 4:05pm | FS1 MARQ Bally Sports |
| Kansas City at San Francisco | 4:05pm | NBCS-BAY Bally Sports |
| Miami at NY Mets | 4:10pm | Bally Sports SNY |
| Oakland at Tampa Bay | 4:10pm | NBCS-CA Bally Sports |
| Seattle at Cleveland | 6:10pm | Root Sports Bally Sports |
| Chi. White Sox at Pittsburgh | 6:35pm | NBCS-CHI ATTSN-PIT |
| NY Yankees at Baltimore | 7:05pm | YES MASN/2 |
| St. Louis at Milwaukee | 7:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports |
| San Diego at Atlanta | 7:20pm | MLBN Bally Sports |
| Washington at Colorado | 8:10pm | MLBN MASN/2 ATTNS-RM |
| LA Dodgers at Arizona | 8:10pm | Spectrum Bally Sports |
| Toronto at LA Angels | 9:07pm | MLBN Sportsnet Bally Sports |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| NASCAR Truck: Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt | 8:00pm | FS1 |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Denver at Utah | 3:30pm | ATTSN-RM ALT |
| Minnesota at San Antonio | 4:00pm | Bally Sports |
| Portland at LA Clippers | 4:00pm | Root Sports Bally Sports |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Carolina at Buffalo | 12:30pm | Bally Sports MSG-BUF |
| Pittsburgh at Detroit | 1:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Vegas at Dallas | 3:30pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Edmonton at San Jose | 4:00pm | NBCS-CA Sportsnet |
| Anaheim at Arizona | 5:30pm | Bally Sports |
| Nashville at Winnipeg | 7:00pm | Bally Sports Sportsnet |
| Florida at Washington | 7:00pm | NBCS-WSH Bally Sports |
| Montréal at Toronto | 7:00pm | Sportsnet |
| NY Rangers at Columbus | 7:00pm | MSG Bally Sports |
| Tampa Bay at Ottawa | 7:00pm | Sportsnet Bally Sports |
| Philadelphia at NY Islanders | 7:30pm | NBCS-PHI MSGSN |
| St. Louis at Minnesota | 8:00pm | Bally Sports |
| New Jersey at Boston | 8:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Calgary at Vancouver | 10:00pm | Sportsnet |
| Chicago at Seattle | 10:00pm | NBCS-CHI Root Sports |
| Colorado at Los Angeles | 10:30pm | ALT Bally Sports |
| RUGBY | TIME ET | TV |
| MLR: Chicago at New England | 2:00pm | FS1 |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Udinese vs Monza | 6:30am | Paramount+ |
| English Premier League: Manchester United vs Everton | 7:30am | USA |
| La Liga: Osasuna vs Elche | 8:00am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Fiorentina vs Spezia | 8:30am | Paramount+ |
| Bundesliga: Augsburg vs Köln | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Mainz 05 vs Werder Bremen | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Freiburg vs Bayern München | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund vs Union Berlin | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| English Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Chelsea | 10:00am | USA |
| English Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton & Hove Albion | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Leicester City vs AFC Bournemouth | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Brentford vs Newcastle United | 10:00am | Peacock |
| English Premier League: Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest | 10:00am | Peacock |
| La Liga: Espanyol vs Athletic Club | 10:15am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Sampdoria vs Cremonese | 10:30am | Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Atalanta vs Bologna | 10:30am | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Angers SCO vs Lille | 11:00am | beIN Sports |
| English Premier League: Southampton vs Manchester City | 12:30pm | NBC |
| Bundesliga: Hertha BSC vs RB Leipzig | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Real Sociedad vs Getafe | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Torino vs Roma | 12:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Hellas Verona vs Sassuolo | 12:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Lazio vs Juventus | 2:45pm | CBSSN |
| La Liga: Real Madrid vs Villarreal | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Nice vs PSG | 3:00pm | beIN Sports |
| Argentina Primera División: Gimnasia La Plata vs Racing Club | 5:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Unión Santa Fe vs Belgrano | 5:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Liga MX: León vs Cruz Azul | 7:00pm | Univision |
| Liga MX: Guadalajara vs Necaxa | 7:00pm | Peacock |
| MLS: Los Angeles FC vs Austin | 7:30pm | FOX |
| MLS: Cincinnati vs Philadelphia Union | 7:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: DC United vs Columbus Crew | 7:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: Inter Miami vs Dallas | 7:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: New England vs CF Montréal | 7:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: New York RB vs SJ Earthquakes | 7:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: New York City vs Atlanta United | 7:30pm | MLS Pass |
| Argentina Primera División: Defensa y Justicia vs Central Córdoba SdE | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Atlético Tucumán vs San Lorenzo | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |
| MLS: Houston Dynamo vs LA Galaxy | 8:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: Chicago Fire vs Minnesota United | 8:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: Sporting KC vs Colorado Rapids | 8:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: Nashville SC vs Toronto FC | 8:30pm | MLS Pass |
| Liga MX: Tigres UANL vs Mazatlán | 9:05pm | Univision |
| MLS: Real Salt Lake vs Charlotte | 9:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Portland Timbers | 10:30pm | MLS Pass |
| MLS: Seattle Sounders FC vs St. Louis City | 10:30pm | MLS Pass |
| Liga MX: América vs Monterrey | 11:10pm | Univision |
| XFL | TIME ET | TV |
| Vegas at St. Louis | 1:00pm | ESPN |
| Arlington at Orlando | 4:00pm | ESPN |