“THE SCOREBOARD”

CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES SATURDAY

NORTH CENTRAL 5 WARREN CENTRAL 0

WESTERN BOONE 8 PIKE 2

PERRY MERIDIAN 7 FRANKLIN 4

FRANKLIN 2 PERRY MERIDIAN 0

BLOOMINGTON NORTH 5 FT. WAYNE NORTHRUP 3

BLOOMINGTON NORTH 17 MARTINSVILLE 3

KNIGHTSTOWN 20 EASTERN HANCOCK 3

KNIGHTSTOWN 17 EASTERN HANCOCK 10

NORTHVIEW 13 DANVILLE 11

CASCADE 5 BENTON CENTRAL 3

CASCADE 8 BORDEN 7

MOORESVILLE 5 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 3

GREENCASTLE 3 CLOVERDALE 0

WHITELAND 3 TRI-WEST 2

WHITELAND 15 TRI-WEST 2

WAPAHANI 15 NORTHEASTERN 14

NORTHEASTERN 7 WAPAHANI 3

CRAWFORDSVILLE 7 BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 5

HAGERSTOWN 4 MONROE CENTRAL 0

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 13 EAST CENTRAL 3

COLUMBUS EAST 3 GREENSBURG 2

SHERIDAN 10 SHORTRIDGE 0

SHERIDAN 24 SHORTRIDGE 5

TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 6 INDIANAPOLIS KINGS 0

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 17 COMMUNITY 4

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 5 INDY GENESIS 4

BREBEUF 16 SPEEDWAY 2

CONNERSVILLE 15 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 6

FRANKLIN CENTRAL 3 AVON 1

RICHMOND 13 NEW CASTLE 0

CENTERVILLE 15 JAY COUNTY 5

HOMESTEAD 3 CATHEDRAL 0

CATHEDRAL 7 HOMESTEAD 6

DALEVILLE 19 SETON CATHOLIC 0

PARKE HERITAGE 10 COVINGTON 0

COVINGTON 8 PARKE HERITAGE 3

WINCHESTER 2 UNION CITY 0

WINCHESTER 5 UNION CITY 4

NORTH PUTNAM 8 SOUTH PUTNAM 0

FRANKLIN COUNTY 6 UNION COUNTY 3

UNIVERSITY 13 ST. ANTHONY 3

SHELBYVILLE 7 MT. VERNON 6

IRVINGTON PREP 29 TINDLEY 3

HAMILTON HEIGHTS 9 CLINTON PRAIRIE 8

NEW PALESTINE 7 BEN DAVIS 1

MADISON GRANT 17 ANDERSON PREP 0

COMMUNITY 11 INDY GENESIS 7

BREBEUF 10 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 0

STATE SCOREBOARD: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/baseball/scores/

CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES SATURDAY

WAPAHANI 9 PRINCETON 5

BEECH GROVE 7 WEST VIGO 3

FISHERS 10 INDY LUTHERAN 0

COLUMBUS EAST 7 MT. VERNON 6

EASTERN HANCOCK 8 TRI 3

SHELBYVILLE 7 YORKTOWN 1

GREENWOOD 11 SCECINA 1

DALEVILLE 8 PIKE 3

FRANKLIN 11 PERRY MERIDIAN 3

ZIONSVILLE 6 KOKOMO 1

TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 5 DECATUR CENTRAL 3

PLAINFIELD 13 DANVILLE 0

LAKE CENTRAL 11 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 0

CATHEDRAL 8 WESTFIELD 6

CASCADE 8 AVON 5

HARRISON 1 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 0

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 4 CROWN POINT 2

MOORESVILLE 4 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 0

BROWNSBURG 4 WESTERN BOONE 0

CENTER GROVE 9 PENN 8

PENN 18 CENTER GROVE 9

MT. VERNON 10 COLUMBUS EAST 1

GREENWOOD 15 SPEEDWAY 3

LAPEL 15 ANDERSON 2

EDGEWOOD 17 NEW CASTLE 0

WES-DEL 7 DELTA 6

LAFAYETTE JEFF 4 BREBEUF 1

SOUTHPORT 7 BEN DAVIS 4

FISHERS 10 WHITELAND 1

NORTH CENTRAL 8 INDY LUTHERAN 7

TERRE HAUTE 12 DECATUR CENTRAL 8

INDIAN CREEK 13 DANVILLE 0

EMINENCE 21 PURDUE POLY 4

PARKEY HERITAGE 20 COVINGTON 10

FRANKLIN COUNTY 15 UNION COUNTY 5

LIVING WATER 12 LAWRENCE NORTH 5

PENDLETON HEIGHTS 7 ALEXANDRIA MONROE 2

SOUTH DEARBORN 3 CONNERSVILLE 1

BEN DAVIS 6 SOUTHPORT 1

WAPAHANI 10 EVANSVILLE HARRISON 7

MARTINSVILLE 13 EASTERN GREENE 0

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 10 LAWRENCE NORTH 5

KNOX 11 BREBEUF 7

WINCHESTER 6 UNION CITY 4

MADISON GRANT 9 ELWOOD 1

STATE SCOREBOARD: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/softball/scores/

INDIANA GIRLS TENNIS

TRI-WEST 4 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 1

TRI-WEST 3 SOUTHRIDGE 2

MOORESVILLE 4 TRI-WEST 1

FISHERS 4 NORTHWOOD 1

FISHERS 5 HOMESTEAD 0

FISHERS 5 PENN 0

INDIANA TRACK AND FIELD

BEN DAVIS RELAYS: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/610339-ben-davis-relays-2024/results

KENNY RANDLE INVITE: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/612051-kenny-randle-invite-2024/results

MADISON INVITE: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/579930-madison-invitational-2024/results

NEW ALBANY RELAYS: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/586818-new-albany-relays-2024/results

PATRIOT RELAYS: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/582738-patriot-relays-2024/results

MASTERS LEADERBOARD

https://www.pga.com/leaderboards

NBA SCOREBOARD

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

STANDINGS: https://www.nba.com/standings

NHL SCOREBOARD

NY RANGERS 3 NY ISLANDERS 2

DALLAS 3 SEATTLE 1

WINNIPEG 7 COLORADO 0

FLORIDA 3 BUFFALO 2 OT

PHILADELPHIA 1 NEW JERSEY 0

WASHINGTON 4 TAMPA BAY 2

DETROIT 5 TORONTO 4 OT

OTTAWA 5 MONTRÉAL 4

BOSTON 6 PITTSBURGH 4

NASHVILLE 6 COLUMBUS 4

VANCOUVER 3 EDMONTON 1

MINNESOTA 6 SAN JOSE 2

LOS ANGELES 3 ANAHEIM 1

STANDINGS: https://www.nhl.com/standings/2024-04-13/division

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

NY YANKEES 3 CLEVELAND 2

MINNESOTA 11 DETROIT 5 (12)

KANSAS CITY 11 NY METS 7

CINCINNATI 5 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 0

TORONTO 5 COLORADO 3

PHILADELPHIA 4 PITTSBURGH 3

HOUSTON 9 TEXAS 2

MILWAUKEE 11 BALTIMORE 5

WASHINGTON 3 OAKLAND 1

SAN FRANCISCO 11 TAMPA BAY 2

MIAMI 5 ATLANTA 1

BOSTON 7 LA ANGELS 2

MINNESOTA 4 DETROIT 1

NY YANKEES 8 CLEVELAND 2

ARIZONA 4 ST. LOUIS 2

LA DODGERS 5 SAN DIEGO 2

CHICAGO CUBS 4 SEATTLE 1

STANDINGS:  https://www.mlb.com/standings/

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES

TOLEDO 3 INDIANAPOLIS 2

FT. WAYNE 4 LAKE COUNTY 3

FT. WAYNE 3 LAKE COUNTY 0

SOUTH BEND 11 WISCONSIN 3

UFL SCORES

DC 29 ARLINGTON 28

STANDINGS: https://www.foxsports.com/ufl/standings

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

PORTLAND 2 LOS ANGELES 2

NEW YORK CITY 2 NEW ENGLAND 0

ORLANDO CITY 3 DC 2

NEW YORK 0 CHICAGO 0

MONTRÉAL 2 CINCINNATI 1

CHARLOTTE 3 TORONTO 2

DALLAS 0 SEATTLE 0

HOUSTON 2 MINNESOTA 1

MIAMI 3 KANSAS CITY 2

SALT LAKE 0 COLUMBUS 0

COLORADO 3 SAN JOSE 0

LA GALAXY 3 VANCOUVER 1

COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES

NORTH CAROLINA 7 NOTRE DAME 3

NEBRASKA 16 RUTGERS 1

GEORGETOWN 13 BUTLER 4

GEORGETOWN 9 BUTLER 5

MICHIGAN 8 MINNESOTA 1

MINNESOTA 8 MICHIGAN 3

IOWA 3 OHIO STATE 2

ILLINOIS 16 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 5

NORTHWESTERN 11 MARYLAND 1

INDIANA 10 PENN STATE 9

PURDUE 14 MICHIGAN STATE 0

PURDUE FT. WAYNE 11 OAKLAND 6

OAKLAND 8 PURDUE FT. WAYNE 3

BALL STATE 12 AKRON 1

BALL STATE 17 AKRON 7

INDIANA STATE 11 BRADLEY 1

VALPO 10 BELMONT 9

EVANSVILLE 6 ILLINOIS STATE 5

SOUTHERN INDIANA 12 SE MISSOURI STATE 6

ROSE HULMAN 14 EARLHAM 2

ROSE HULMAN 11 EARLHAM 1

HANOVER 14 MANCHESTER 4

MARIAN 11 DOMINICAN 2

BETHEL 5 CONCORDIA-MOOREHEAD 0

BETHEL 6 CONCORDIA-MOOREHEAD 1

WABASH 17 HIRAM 3

CALVIN 6 TRINE 5

COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES

NORTHWESTERN 12 MARYLAND 1

FLORIDA STATE 7 NOTRE DAME 3

BUTLER 11 GEORGETOWN 6

MICHIGAN 8 IOWA 6

MICHIGAN 9 IOWA 8

PURDUE 11 ILLINOIS 4

INDIANA 15 MINNESOTA 2

WISCONSIN 10 OHIO STATE 5

NEBRASKA 13 RUTGERS 5

PENN STATE 6 MICHIGAN STATE 3

PURDUE FT. WAYNE 8 IUPUI 7 (12)

IUPUI 8 PURDUE FT. WAYNE 7

BALL STATE 7 BOWLING GREEN 1

BALL STATE 10 BOWLING GREEN 0

ILLINOIS STATE 8 VALPO 3

ILLINOIS CHICAGO 4 INDIANA STATE 1

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 20 EVANSVILLE 3

INDIANAPOLIS 6 MISSOURI S&T 0

INDIANAPOLIS 9 MISSOURI S&T 1

MARIAN 15 GOSHEN 0

MARIAN 3 GOSHEN 2

HANOVER 4 EARLHAM 1

EARLHAM 6 HANOVER 3

FRANKLIN 4 DEFIANCE 2

FRANKLIN 9 DEFIANCE 4

NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES

GOLF NEWS

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER TAKES 1-SHOT LEAD AFTER 3 ROUNDS AT MASTERS

Scottie Scheffler sank an 8-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole to complete an eventful 1-under 71 and take sole possession of the lead after three rounds of the 88th Masters on Saturday in Augusta, Ga.

Scheffler broke a tie with Collin Morikawa to head to the clubhouse at 7-under 209. The World No. 1 and 2022 Masters winner will play with two-time major champ Morikawa in the final pairing on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Max Homa is in third place at 5 under after posting a 73, Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg moved into fourth at 4 under with a 70 and Bryson DeChambeau salvaged a 75 with an improbable chip-in birdie on the last hole to take fifth place at 3 under.

Morikawa made the most of moving day at the Masters, shooting a 3-under 69; Chris Kirk’s 68 was the only other round in the 60s on Saturday. Morikawa, 27, would be a U.S. Open shy of the career Grand Slam if he wins on Sunday.

He opened his round with three straight birdies — including a 27-foot putt at the first hole and an 11-footer at the third. That brought him to 6 under, where Scheffler, Homa and DeChambeau had started the day.

Morikawa picked up his only bogey at the par-3 sixth before rebounding with a short birdie at the par-5 eighth.

Five players were tied for the lead roughly midway through their round, but one by one they picked up a bogey to drop out of the group until only Morikawa remained at 6 under.

Scheffler, meanwhile, chipped in for birdie at the first hole and added another at the third to briefly stand at 8 under before a bogey at No. 4. But things began coming apart when he made a mess of the 10th hole, narrowly missing a 60-foot par putt before his 4-footer for bogey lipped out.

A bogey followed at No. 11 to bring him to 4 under, but Scheffler reached the green in two at No. 13 and made a right-to-left putt from 31 feet for an eagle — the only eagle on the hole all day — to tie Morikawa for the lead.

One birdie and one bogey later, Scheffler stuck his approach shot at the last hole in close range and drained one last putt for the lead.

Morikawa finished his round with 10 straight pars, though he might regret a three-putt par at the par-5 13th.

Homa never got his putter going, making 17 pars and one bogey at the par-3 12th.

Aberg, the rising star and Ryder Cup participant competing in his first major, had reached 6 under thanks to four birdies before missing back-to-back short par putts at Nos. 14 and 15.

Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard briefly held the solo lead at 7 under when he birdied Nos. 8, 9 and 10. He proceeded to bogey his next five holes, carding a 74 to drop to 2 under and a tie for sixth with Xander Schauffele (70) and Australia’s Cameron Davis (73).

Cameron Smith of Australia, Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood of England and Byeong Hun An of South Korea all shot 72 and are tied at 1 under.

Tiger Woods posted a 10-over 82, the worst Masters round of his career, to drop to 11 over for the tournament but said he will return Sunday to finish the event. Sunday will be Woods’ 100th career round at the Masters.

Woods was undone by a four-hole, 6-over stretch, as he made bogey, double bogey, double bogey, bogey at Nos. 6-9. He had just two birdies on the day along with eight bogeys, including another four in a row at Nos. 14-17.

NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: STARS WIN FIRST CENTRAL TITLE SINCE ’16

Miro Heiskanen had a goal and two assists and Jason Robertson added one of each as the Dallas Stars clinched their first Central Division title since 2016 with a 3-1 victory against the visiting Seattle Kraken on Saturday afternoon.

Craig Smith also scored for the Stars, who had a chance to clinch the Western Conference regular-season crown if Vancouver lost in regulation at Edmonton, but the Canucks won 3-1. Jake Oettinger made 26 saves as Dallas remained one point behind the New York Rangers for first place overall in the NHL.

Jake Oettinger made 26 saves as Dallas remained one point behind the New York Rangers for first place overall in the NHL. Kailer Yamamoto scored and Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 of 30 shots for the Kraken, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

The Stars scored in the final minute in each of the first two periods. Seattle spoiled Oettinger’s shutout bid at 14:11 as Tomas Tatar stole Oettinger’s clearance attempt along the left-wing boards and fed Yamamoto for a tip-in at the top of the crease.

Rangers 3, Islanders 2 (SO)

Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck scored in the shootout as the host Rangers rallied late for a victory over the Islanders.

Panarin also netted the tying goal to extend his points streak to 12 games when his shot from the right circle went over Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin and banked off the top of the net with 4:17 remaining in regulation. The goal gave him 118 points — five shy of Jaromir Jagr’s 2005-06 single-season team record.

Panarin scored in the first round of the shootout and Trocheck netted the clinching goal in the third round as the Rangers set a team record for regular-season wins (54) and pulled three points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division race. Brock Nelson scored twice in the final 8:18 of the second period for the Islanders, who saw a season-high tying six-game winning streak stopped.

Red Wings 5, Maple Leafs 4 (OT)

Captain Dylan Larkin scored a power-play goal 41 seconds into overtime to fuel Detroit’s win over host Toronto.

The Red Wings are tied with the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card. Alex DeBrincat scored two goals, David Perron and Larkin each collected a goal and an assist and defenseman Simon Edvinsson also tallied. James Reimer celebrated playing in his 500th career game by making 32 saves against his former team for the Red Wings.

Toronto’s Auston Matthews netted his NHL-leading 69th goal to extend his goal-scoring streak to a career-high eight games and his point streak to 14 games. Matthews’ goal total is the most in the NHL since Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux had 69 in 1995-96. Mitch Marner collected a goal and two assists and captain John Tavares and Nicholas Robertson also tallied. Ilya Samsonov turned aside 27 shots for the Maple Leafs.

Bruins 6, Penguins 4

Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist as visiting Boston beat Pittsburgh to move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

Jake DeBrusk, Kevin Shattenkirk, Brad Marchand, Morgan Geekie and Danton Heinen also scored, and Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak each added two assists for the Bruins, who have won five of six. Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark made 28 saves.

Michael Bunting scored twice, Drew O’Connor had a goal and an assist, and Bryan Rust also scored for the Penguins, who had their 10-game point streak (7-0-3) snapped and are one point behind a trio of teams that are tied for the second wild-card berth in the East.

Flyers 1, Devils 0

Travis Konecny scored his NHL-best sixth short-handed goal midway through the second period and Philadelphia kept its playoff chances alive with a victory over visiting New Jersey.

The Flyers won their second straight after getting outscored 42-18 in an eight-game losing streak. Philadelphia posted consecutive wins for the first time since a four-game winning streak Feb. 6-12. Konecny scored Philadelphia’s 16th short-handed goal and first since Jan. 6, reaching 400 career points in the process. Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson made 20 saves for his fourth shutout this season and his fifth career shutout.

The Devils dropped to 2-5-1 in their past eight games and mustered little offense after earning a 6-5 win in Toronto Thursday. New Jersey was blanked for the fourth time this season after scoring 12 goals in the first three meetings with the Flyers.

Jets 7, Avalanche 0

Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist, Adam Lowry also scored twice, and Winnipeg routed Colorado in a preview of their first-round playoff series.

Connor Hellebuyck had 30 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and the second in a row for the Jets, who have won six straight.

The Avalanche have dropped four of their past six games. Colorado also lost defenseman Samuel Girard to an upper-body injury in the first period. He didn’t return.

Panthers 3, Sabres 2 (OT)

Sam Reinhart scored with 1:02 left in overtime as Florida continued its run of dominance over Buffalo with a win in Sunrise, Fla.

Reinhart beat his former team with his 55th goal this season and his 10th game-winner of the season. The Panthers clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, where they will face either the Toronto Maple Leafs or Tampa Bay Lightning.

Over the past three seasons, Florida has defeated Buffalo in 10 of 11 meetings. Anton Lundell and Kevin Stenlund also scored for the Panthers.

Capitals 4, Lightning 2

John Carlson set a franchise record with a tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period and Washington boosted its playoff chances with a win over visiting Tampa Bay.

At 8:29 of the third, Carlson put Washington ahead 3-2 with his 150th career goal — and ninth of the season. He now has the most markers by a defenseman in Capitals franchise history, passing Kevin Hatcher (149). Washington moved into a tie for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Anthony Duclair and Brandon Hagel found the back of the net for Tampa Bay, which holds the top wild card in the East. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 30 shots.

Predators 6, Blue Jackets 4

Roman Josi scored twice and added two assists as Nashville dealt Columbus its 11th straight loss on the road (0-10-1).

Nashville increased its lead to five points over the Vegas Golden Knights for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Tommy Novak scored twice and added an assist, and Cody Glass and Filip Forsberg also tallied. Juuse Saros made 31 saves.

Trey Fix-Wolansky scored twice, James Malatesta had a goal and an assist, and Alexandre Texier added a goal for the Jackets. Jet Greaves stopped 31 shots.

Senators 5, Canadiens 4 (SO)

Drake Batherson scored the deciding goal in the shootout to lift Ottawa over visiting Montreal.

Brady Tkachuk had two goals and an assist, and Jake Sanderson had three assists for the Senators. Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves.

Cole Caufield scored twice, Mike Matheson and Alex Newhook each had a goal and an assist, and Cayden Primeau made 40 saves for the Canadiens.

COLLEGE HOCKEY

DENVER BLANKS BC, SECURES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Goaltender Matt Davis stopped all 35 shots he faced, including 23 in the third period, to lead Denver to a 2-0 win over Boston College in the men’s ice hockey championship on Saturday evening in Saint Paul, Minn.

Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz scored one goal apiece for third-seeded Denver (32-9-3), which won the title for the second time in three seasons and earned its NCAA-record 10th championship. The Pioneers previously were tied with Michigan with nine titles apiece.

Ryan Leonard fired eight shots on goal for Boston College (34-6-1), which was the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. Will Smith added seven shots for the Eagles, who could not find a way to beat Davis as they lost for the first time in 16 games.

Denver players poured over the bench and onto the ice as the final horn sounded. They tossed their sticks, gloves and helmets into the air and formed a mob along the boards as Leonard and several other Boston College players fell to their knees and hunched over the ice.

The game remained scoreless for nearly 30 minutes before Denver broke the stalemate.

The Pioneers grabbed a 1-0 lead with 10:18 to go in the second period. Wright handled the puck in the left circle and fired a shot that hit the post, bounced off the back of Eagles goaltender Jacob Fowler and trickled into the net.

The sequence ended with the 15th goal of the season for Wright, a sophomore forward who grew up in Burnsville, Minn., and scored the biggest goal of his college career in his home state.

Denver increased its lead to 2-0 with 4:47 remaining in the second period. Lorenz took a pass from Zeev Buium and ripped a wrist shot from the left circle for his 16th goal.

Boston College played at a desperate pace late in the third period but could not find the back of the net. The Eagles had a two-minute power play after Denver’s Jack Devine went to the penalty box for tripping with 7:54 remaining, but Davis turned aside multiple shots to maintain the shutout.

The pressure continued as Boston College pulled Fowler for an extra attacker with about 2:40 to go. Davis stopped shot after shot, and Denver cleared the puck in the waning seconds.

Fowler recorded 17 saves.

BASEBALL NEWS

MLB ROUNDUP: PHILLIES ENJOY WALK-OFF WIN VS. PIRATES

Nick Castellanos had two hits and delivered a walk-off single in the ninth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

With the bases loaded and one out, Castellanos stepped up and lined the first pitch he saw from Roansy Contreras over the head of Jack Suwinski in center field to secure the Phillies’ third win in four games.

Jeff Hoffman (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Phillies to earn the win. Philadelphia’s bullpen pitched five shutout innings and logged seven strikeouts in relief of Spencer Turnbull, who allowed three runs on four hits over four innings. Turnbull struck out three and walked four.

Oneil Cruz hit a 2-run home run for the Pirates, while Bryan Reynolds went 1-for-1 with three walks.

Yankees 3, Guardians 2 (Game 1)

Oswaldo Cabrera clubbed a two-run homer in the sixth inning and visiting New York stayed hot with a victory over Cleveland in the opener of a split doubleheader.

New York’s Clarke Schmidt (1-0) went five-plus innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and three hits. Clay Holmes gave up a leadoff double to Ramon Laureano in the ninth, then retired the next three batters for his sixth save.

Back with the Guardians and making his first home start in Cleveland since 2020, Carlos Carrasco (0-1) grinded through 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and five walks but only one run. Andres Gimenez had two of the five hits for Cleveland.

Yankees 8, Guardians 2 (Game 2)

Cody Poteet allowed one run in six innings of his first major league appearance in nearly two years, and Juan Soto broke things open with a three-run homer, as New York completed a twin-bill sweep of host Cleveland.

The right-hander Poteet (1-0) did not pitch in the majors last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Poteet surrendered six hits but just one run, a fifth-inning homer to ex-Yankee Estevan Florial. He didn’t issue a walk and struck out four.

Meanwhile, Soto’s third homer of the season highlighted a four-run fourth for New York, which is 12-3 overall, best in the majors, and 8-1 on the road. Anthony Rizzo had two hits and an RBI.

Twins 11, Tigers 5 (Game 1, 12 innings)

Matt Wallner smacked a three-run homer as part of a seven-run top of the 12th for Minnesota, which defeated host Detroit in the first game of a doubleheader.

Ryan Jeffers hit a game-tying homer in the eighth and drove in two runs for the Twins. Jorge Alcala (1-0) pitched two innings and picked up the win. Minnesota starter Joe Ryan piled up a career-best 12 strikeouts in six innings.

Detroit starter Kenta Maeda, facing his former team, gave up two runs (one earned) and five hits in six innings. Kerry Carpenter hit a two-run homer and Colt Keith also drove in two runs for the Tigers.

Twins 4, Tigers 1 (Game 2)

Simeon Woods Richardson pitched six strong innings after being called up from the minors, earning his first major league win as visiting Minnesota completed a doubleheader sweep with a victory over Detroit.

Woods Richardson (1-0) gave up one run and two hits while recording five strikeouts. Willi Castro blasted a two-run homer and Edouard Julien supplied a solo shot to lead the attack for the Twins, who won the opener while scoring seven runs in the 12th.

Tigers starter Matt Manning (0-1), recalled from Triple-A Toledo, gave up four runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Wenceel Perez had the first two hits of his major league career.

Astros 9, Rangers 2

Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker each recorded two-run doubles while Houston sent 11 batters to the plate in a seven-run seventh inning en route to a victory over visiting Texas.

Victor Caratini keyed the uprising with a pinch-hit RBI single that scored Jon Singleton and snapped a 2-2 deadlock. Altuve followed with a double into the left-field corner, chasing home Jose Abreu and Jake Meyers and knocking Texas reliever Jose Urena (0-1) from the game.

The rally came immediately after the Rangers blew an opportunity to break the tie in the top of the seventh against Astros reliever Bryan Abreu (1-1), who allowed two hits and issued a two-out walk to Corey Seager before getting a called third strike on Evan Carter.

Marlins 5, Braves 1

Max Meyer pitched six impressive innings to lead Miami to a victory over visiting Atlanta.

Meyer (2-0) gave up six hits and one run while striking out seven and walking none. Marlins left fielder Bryan De La Cruz finished 2-for-4 and drove in three runs.

Braves starter Chris Sale (1-1) gave up six hits, five runs and three walks. He struck out seven. Marcell Ozuna drove in Atlanta’s lone run with a groundout.

Blue Jays 5, Rockies 3

Daulton Varsho hit a grand slam in a five-run first inning and Toronto defeated visiting Colorado.

Rockies right-hander Dakota Hudson (0-3) allowed five runs, five hits and three walks with five strikeouts in six innings. Brenton Doyle hit a solo home run for the Rockies, who won the series opener.

Blue Jays right-hander Yariel Rodriguez made his major league debut and allowed one run, four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

Royals 11, Mets 7

Salvador Perez homered and finished with four RBIs for visiting Kansas City, which beat New York in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.

Bobby Witt Jr. finished 2-for-5 with four runs scored for the Royals, who have won eight of nine. Nick Loftin was 2-for-3 with three RBIs while Hunter Renfroe had two hits and two RBIs.

Pete Alonso went 3-for-3 with two homers and three RBIs for the Mets, who lost for just the third time in their past nine games.

Reds 5, White Sox 0

Nick Lodolo threw five no-hit innings before allowing a ground-ball single to open the sixth in his first start in 11 months as Cincinnati rode a five-run second inning to win at Chicago.

Spencer Steer continued his torrid start to the season with a three-run double against White Sox starter and loser Garrett Crochet (1-2). Luke Maile added a two-run single in the big frame for the Reds, who clinched a winning road series against the White Sox for the first time since the 1919 World Series.

Lodolo (1-0) was making his first start since May 6, 2023, after missing most of last season due to a stress reaction in his left leg and a left calf injury in spring training. The lefty starter held the White Sox hitless over the first five innings, striking out 10, walking one and hitting two batters in his 5 2/3 innings.

Brewers 11, Orioles 5

Jake Bauers hit a three-run home run and finished with four RBIs as Milwaukee overcame an early three-run deficit to defeat host Baltimore.

Five relievers combined for 5 2/3 shutout innings and helped the Brewers to win their fourth straight game.

Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman homered for the Orioles. Westburg posted three of Baltimore’s 12 hits.

Giants 11, Rays 2

Thairo Estrada homered twice and three other Giants homered as San Francisco evened its three-game series against Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Giants starter Logan Webb (1-1) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings. He struck out four and walked one. Rays starter Ryan Pepiot (1-2) was tagged for four runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked one.

LaMonte Wade Jr., Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman also homered for San Francisco, which had lost three of four.

Nationals 3, Athletics 1

Left-hander MacKenzie Gore struck out 11 in five shutout innings to help Washington hold on for a win over host Oakland.

Gore (2-0) struck out three in the first inning despite allowing two baserunners, and he fanned the side in the fifth. He gave up four hits and walked one. Kyle Finnegan picked up his fifth save in six opportunities by pitching a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.

CJ Abrams opened the scoring by tripling home a run for Washington in the third inning off Oakland starter Joe Boyle (1-2). Luis Garcia Jr. delivered a run-scoring double with two outs in the sixth to expand the lead.

Red Sox 7, Angels 2

Masataka Yoshida and Triston Casas each drove in two runs as Boston scored six runs in the first two innings en route to beating visiting Los Angeles.

The Red Sox totaled 11 hits in the game after the hot start against Angels right-hander Griffin Canning (0-2). Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu and Reese McGuire were all 2-for-4, while Casas contributed his third home run of the season to Boston’s offense.

Greg Weissert (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings in relief, yielding one hit and no walks with three strikeouts. The Angels’ only scoring was a Taylor Ward two-run homer in the third. Ward, Anthony Rendon and Logan O’Hoppe each had two hits for Los Angeles.

FOOTBALL NEWS

DEFENDERS RALLY IN LAST TWO MINUTES, EDGE RENEGADES

Matthew McCrane’s third field goal, a 49-yarder with four seconds left, capped the D.C. Defenders’ late 11-point rally to defeat the host Arlington Renegades 29-28 on Saturday afternoon.

Arlington (0-3) led 28-18 on Taylor Russolino’s 49-yard field goal with 2:08 left in the game, but D.C. began its comeback with Cam’Ron Harris’ 1-yard touchdown run, plus the two-point conversion rush by quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, with 48 seconds to go.

Rathan than a traditional kickoff, the Defenders (2-1) opted to stage a do-or-die fourth-and-12 play from their own 28, and they converted on Ta’amu’s 19-yard completion to Ty Scott. The winning kick came three plays later.

McCrane earlier had field goals of 54 and 58 yards. Ta’amu completed 11 of 24 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Rowland and Brandon Smith had TD catches.

Renegades quarterback Luis Perez went 24 of 40 passing for 290 yards and two touchdowns. One of those scores went to Tyler Vaughns (nine catches, 109 yards), and the other to J.P. Payton. Lindsey Scott Jr. rushed for a touchdown.

INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS

INDIANA HS BASKETBALL FUTURES ROSTER

NORTH

CAMDEN BELL, WAPAHANI, SO

JUSTIN CURRY II, NOBLESVILLE, SO.

JASON GARDNER JR., FISHERS, FR. 

REGINALD HINTON, GARY WEST, SO

ELIJAH KING, SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH, FR. 

KAI MCGREW, LAWRENCE NORTH, SO.

BRENNAN MILLER, LAWRENCE NORTH, SO.

STEVEN REYNOLDS III, SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON, SO.

ETHAN ROSEMAN, BISHOP CHATARD, SO.

DIKEMBE SHAW, CROWN POINT, SO.

COOPER ZACHARY, FISHERS, FR.

SOUTH

J.J. CRAIG, WARREN CENTRAL, FR.

KASEN DAEGER, SILVER CREEK, SO.

LUKE ERTEL, MT. VERNON, SO.

DEZHON HALL, PIKE, SO.

EVAN HARRELL, CARMEL, SO.

EDWARD HAZELETT III, FRANKLIN CENTRAL, SO.

JAMES KALALA, SOUTHPORT, SO. 

JAYLAN MITCHELL, EVANSVILLE REITZ, FR.

BLAKE NEILL, BLOOMFIELD, SO.

TREIGH SCHELSKY, PARKE HERITAGE, SO.

ELI SEGO, TRITON CENTRAL, SO.

JULIEN SMITH, MT. VERNON, SO.

INDIANA PACERS GAME PREVIEW VS. ATLANTA

One game remains, and the Indiana Pacers control their postseason fate.

The Pacers (46-35) will conclude their 2023-2024 campaign on Sunday in a matinee matchup with the Atlanta Hawks (36-45) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

With the Pacers losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers (48-33) on Friday night and the Philadelphia 76ers (46-35) topping the Orlando Magic (46-35), the Pacers currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The top six teams in the East will automatically advance to the playoffs, while the seven through 10 seeds will start their postseason in the Play-In Tournament.

Indiana, currently in a three-way tie with the Magic and Sixers, will finish anywhere from the fifth to eighth seed.

While there are a variety of seeding scenarios considering tiebreakers, the Pacers can ensure a playoff berth by beating the Hawks. If Indiana loses, they could fall into a Play-In spot depending on how the other games shake out.

The final result of Sunday’s game won’t change Atlanta’s postseason fate. The Hawks are locked into the 10 seed in the Play-In and will face the No. 9 Chicago Bulls in an elimination game next week.

“Sunday’s what you play your whole season for,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s one game at home with an opportunity.”

Indiana, which owns a 3-0 series lead over the Hawks this season, has won three of its last four games while Atlanta has dropped five straight.

On Friday night, the Pacers rallied late but couldn’t overcome the duo of Donovan Mitchell (33 points) and Jarrett Allen (29 points) in a 129-120 loss to the Cavs. Nine Pacers scored in double figures in the loss, led by 19 each from Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.

Atlanta enters its finale after dropping a 109-106 game to the Minnesota Timberwolves (56-25) on Friday. In the loss, Trae Young — in his second game back after missing 23 straight due to finger surgery — had 19 points and seven assists, and Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 17.

If Sunday’s game emulates previous results this season, the Pacers and Hawks could get into a shootout. For almost the entire season, the teams have both ranked in the top six for pace and scoring.

Each game between the teams has produced big (and sometimes record-breaking) numbers: 157-152, 150-116, and 126-108.

Indiana has relied on a balanced scoring attack in its wins against Atlanta, with at least seven players recording double-digit points in each victory.

For the Hawks, guard Dejounte Murray has given the Blue and Gold trouble, scoring at least 28 points in all three games. Young leads the Hawks in scoring at 26.1 points per game but has scored just 13 points in both of his last two games against Indiana.

The final matchup will look slightly different personnel-wise for Indiana than the previous three games against Atlanta. The Pacers and Hawks haven’t played since Jan. 12, five days before the Pacers traded for Siakam. In 40 games with Indiana, Siakam is averaging 21.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Projected Starters

Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner

Hawks: G – Trae Young, G – Garrison Mathews, F – Bogdan Bogdanovic, F – Vit Krejci, C – Clint Capela

Injury Report

Pacers: Isaiah Jackson – questionable (left hamstring strain), Obi Toppin -questionable (left ankle sprain), Bennedict Mathurin – out (right shoulder labral tear)

Hawks: Clint Capela – questionable (rest), AJ Griffin – questionable (right ankle sprain), Dejounte Murray – questionable (right quad contusion), Saddiq Bey – out (torn ACL, left knee), Jalen Johnson – out (right ankle sprain), Seth Lundy – out (left medial ankle impingement), Wesley Matthews – out (right hamstring tightness), Onyeka Okongwu – out (left big toe sprain)

Last Meeting

Jan. 12, 2024: Indiana shot a franchise record 67.1 percent in a 126-108 win over Atlanta at State Farm Arena.

After leading 68-62 at halftime, the Pacers broke the game open in the third quarter by outsourcing the Hawks 31-19. The Pacers held on in the final frame after leading by as many as 27 points in the third.

Six players scored in double figures for the Blue & Gold, led by Obi Toppin and Buddy Hield’s 18 points each and Bennedict Mathurin’s 15 points. While Tyrese Haliburton was sidelined with a calf strain, the Pacers still dished out 41 assists as a team.

Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 29 points, Saddiq Bey scored 17, and Jalen Johnson scored 16. Trae Young scored 13 points and dished out six assists.

Indiana dominated the rebounding margin 45-28 and outscored the Hawks 76-48 in the paint. The Pacers struggled to take care of the ball, turning it over 27 times.

Noteworthy

The Pacers are 47 points from reaching 10,000 for the season. Assuming they reach the mark, it will make them the seventh team in NBA history to reach the milestone. The last team to reach 10,000 points was 40 years ago when the Denver Nuggets achieved 10,147 during the 1983-84 season.

If the Pacers have 19 assists on Sunday, they will hit 2,500 as a team for the season. Four teams in the league’s history have reached that mark, with the Phoenix Suns (1978-79) the last to do it.

With a win, the Pacers would sweep the Hawks for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.

Win or lose, the Pacers will finish with their best record since the 2019-20 season (45-28).

Pascal Siakam is three assists short of reaching 2,000 for his career.

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

INDY ELEVEN SOCCER

GUENZATTI MOVES UP IN USL CHAMPIONSHIP CAREER RANKINGS

INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, April 13, 2024) – Indy Eleven fell, 4-2, to USL Championship Eastern Conference leader Charleston Battery on Saturday evening at Carroll Stadium. Charleston improves to 4-0-3 on the season, while Indy moves to 1-4-1.

The first half saw a flurry of goals including back-to-back strikes from the Boys in Blue in the 27th and 28th minutes of action.

After going down early in the 19th minute off an Emilio Ycaza tally, Tega Ikoba found the back of the net for his first goal in an Indy Eleven uniform thanks to a through ball at the top of the 18-yard box. Just over a minute later, Sebastian Guenzatti moved himself up to a tie for sixth all-time in the USL Championship regular season rankings with his 72nd career goal. His second goal of the season was a diving header struck from the back post.

Max Schneider (Ikoba) and Aedan Stanley (Guenzatti) picked up assists on the goals, to bring their season totals to a team-high two apiece.

Despite Charleston holding 58% of the possession in the first frame, Indy out shot the visitors 10-3, with a 4-3 advantage in shots on target.

The second half went in favor of Charleston, after scoring got started with an own goal in the 75th minute and an insurance strike from MD Myers in the 86th.

Indy finished with the 18-14 shot advantage, including 7-5 on frame. Jack Blake registered a game-high four shots, with a pair on frame. Ikoba, Guenzatti and Augi Williams accounted for three apiece.

The Boys in Blue take a hiatus from USL Championship action to travel to Chicago Fire II Wednesday for Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action. League play resumes Saturday, April 20 at Western Conference foe Colorado Spring Switchbacks SC. 

USL Championship Regular Season

Indy Eleven 2:4 Charleston Battery

Saturday, April 13, 2024 – 7 p.m. ET 

Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis

2024 USL Championship Records

Indy Eleven: 1-4-1 (-5), 4 pts Eastern Conference

Charleston Battery: 4-0-3 (+8), 15 pts Eastern Conference

Scoring Summary

CHS – Emilio Ycaza (Nick Markanich) 19’

IND – Tega Ikoba (Max Schneider) 27’

IND – Sebastian Guenzatti (Aedan Stanley) 28’

CHS – Nick Markanich 45+2’

CHS – Own goal 75’

CHS – MD Myers (Emilio Ycaza) 86’

Discipline Summary

CHS – Chris Allan (caution) 31’

IND – Callum Chapman-Page (caution) 45+2’

IND – Jack Blake (caution) 52’

IND – Aedan Stanley (caution) 68’

CHS – Graham Smith (caution) 78’

IND – Macca King (caution) 90+1’

Indy Eleven line-up (4-3-3): Yannik Oettl, Aedan Stanley, Adrian Diz Pe, Callum Chapman-Page, Younes Boudadi (Macca King 45’), Jack Blake, Tyler Gibson (captain) (Ben Mines 79’), Max Schneider (Douglas Martinez 65’), Tega Ikoba, Sebastian Guenzatti, Augi Williams

Indy Subs: Hunter Sulte, Elliot Collier, Banjamin Ofeimu, Laurence Wooton

Charleston line-up: Adam Grinwis, Nathan Dossantos, Graham Smith, Leland Archer, Mark Segbers, Chris Allen (Robbie Crawford 65’), Aaron Molloy, Emilio Ycaza, Diego Gutierrez (Jake LaCava 59’), MD Myers (Matthew Dean 87’), Nick Markanich (Josh Drack 87’)

Charleston Subs: Baedyn Cobb, Daniel Kuzemka, Sebastian Palma

INDIANS BASEBALL

INDIANS DROP BOTH GAMES OF DOUBLEHEADER AT TOLEDO

TOLEDO, Ohio – Quinn Priester struck out eight over 4.0 innings pitched and Liover Peguero and Grant Koch smacked their first home runs of the season, but the Toledo Mud Hens won both ends of a doubleheader, 3-2 and 13-4, against the Indianapolis Indians on Saturday at Fifth Third Field.

The Indians (6-8) opened the scoring in the first inning of Game 1 against Mud Hens southpaw Brant Hurter when Peguero narrowly cleared the right field wall with a two-run blast. However, Peguero’s shot was all Indianapolis could muster, as Hurter settled in and Toledo right-hander Drew Anderson (W, 2-1) worked three scoreless innings out of the Mud Hens bullpen.

Toledo (8-6) got its scoring done early in the opener as well, as they jumped on Indians starter Quinn Priester (L, 1-1) with back-to-back doubles by Jace Jung and Keston Hiura in the bottom of the first. One inning later, Akil Baddoo roped a two-out, two-run triple.

After Priester exited at 81 pitches, Kyle Nicolas kept the Indians within one with 2.0 scoreless innings and five punchouts. The offense – which had four batters reach safely in the opening frame – had just four batters reach base over the final six innings. The loss dropped Indy’s record in one-run games to 2-6.

The Mud Hens carried momentum into Game 2 and scored seven runs in the first off Cam Alldred (L, 0-2). Justyn-Henry Malloy launched a two-run shot to get the ball rolling, and Ryan Vilade and Buddy Kennedy added run-scoring singles. Two innings later, Andrew Navigato and Anthony Bemboom hit back-to-back home runs off Kade McClure.

Mud Hens starter Bryan Sammons (W, 1-1) pitched well with the lead and tallied four strikeouts in 5.0 innings of two-run ball, only allowing three hits and two walks.

Indy’s highlights in the nightcap included a Canaan Smith-Njigba two-run triple in the second, a web gem and throw from Malcom Nuñez in the the fourth and Koch’s solo blast in the final inning.

Nick Gonzales singled in the first contest and doubled in his last at-bat of the second affair to extend his on-base streak to 14 games.

The Indians and Mud Hens conclude their six-game series on Sunday at 2:05 PM. In a rematch of Tuesday’s series opener, LHP Michael Plassmeyer (1-1, 4.50) gets the nod for Indy against RHP Austin Bergner (0-0, 6.75).

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

HOOSIERS GET PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR IN PORTAL

Washington State transfer guard Myles Rice committed to Indiana. Rice made the announcement through Instagram. Rice was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Pac-12 and averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game this season.  Many web sites ranked him in the top 20 transfers available in the portal.

Indiana is also pursuing Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle (#10), Arizona Center Oumar Ballo (#2 ) and Bradley guard Connor Hickman. Hickman will visit Bloomington Sunday.

INDIANA BASEBALL

BART KAUFMAN MAGIC STRIKES AGAIN

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Against the wall early in the game, the Indiana Baseball team (19-16, 4-4 B1G) provided one of the best comebacks of head coach Jeff Mercer’s coaching career. The Hoosiers went down eight runs in the top half of the second inning, watching ace Connor Foley get pulled after recording just five outs.

From there it was all IU as the home team went on a 10-1 scoring run over the final seven-and-a-half frames, capping the outstanding comeback off with a pair of RBI-singles from sophomores Devin Taylor and Tyler Cerny and a wild pitch walk-off winner with junior outfielder Nick Mitchell at the plate.

Graduate student pitcher Drew Buhr was the hero on the mound, tossing 4.1 innings of scoreless ball while striking out eight batters. He scattered just three hits to 16 batters faced while throwing 77 pitches to eat up valuable innings and keep IU within striking distance.

After the eight spot in the top of the second, the Hoosiers responded with five of their own in the bottom of the frame. There were 13 total runs scored in a second inning that lasted nearly an hour. Junior third baseman Josh Pyne had a big two-run double while freshman designated hitter Andrew Wiggins and junior outfielder Carter Mathison each drove in runs.

Wiggins did damage later in the game to bring the Hoosiers within one, unleashing a massive 432-foot home run, 113 miles per hour off the bat, over the center field wall. Sophomore pitcher Brayden Risedorph (W, 1-5) did a good job to manage the final two innings (one run, two strikeouts) to bring IU to the plate in the ninth.

Pyne struck out in the ninth but Wiggins got hit by a pitch to quickly put a runner on. Mathison popped out in foul territory but freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver, with two strikes, worked a walk on a near 10-pitch at-bat. Taylor laced a ball up the middle to score Wiggins. Cerny, who had a home run wiped off earlier in the game, singled to left field to score Taylor. The first pitch to Mitchell got away from the catcher, allowing Taylor to score the winning run.

A new burst of life for the Hoosiers will be much needed ahead of a massive rubber match tomorrow at 1:00 PM. IU is looking for back-to-back series victories in conference play, needing to do it in reverse order against Penn State this weekend in Bloomington.

Scoring Recap

Top Second

After a straightforward first inning, Penn State jumped all over IU starting pitcher Connor Foley. He was chased after just five outs recorded and eight runs allowed. Adam Cecere and Bryce Molinaro reached on a pair of walks and were brought around to score on a double down the left field line from Matt Maloney. With more runners on, Joe Jaconski and Bobby Marsh each drove in runs on a pair of back-to-back singles. J.T. Marr, one of the Big Ten’s most prolific hitters, got a hold of a two-strike pitch and hit it over the fence for a three-run home run. Winded, Foley conceded a no-doubt long ball to Cecere in the next at-bat.

Penn State 8, Indiana 0

Bottom Second

The Hoosiers nearly batted around in their trip to the plate in the second, sending eight guys into the box. Jake Stadler walked on a full-count pitch with the bases loaded to score the first run. Josh Pyne hit a line drive into left field to score Joey Brenczewski and Nick Mitchell. Andrew Wiggins grounded out to the shortstop for the first out but managed to score Stadler. Mathison then flew out to the left fielder on a sacrifice fly that scored Pyne. IU quickly cut the gap to just three in an inning that saw 13 runs combined.

Penn State 8, Indiana 5

Bottom Seventh

After four full scoreless innings, Andrew Wiggins mashed a 432-foot, two-run home run over the wall in center field. The ball came off the bat at 113 miles per hour and cut the deficit to just one.

Penn State 8, Indiana 7

Top Eighth

Penn State added a bit of insurance in the eighth. Back-to-back balls hit through the right side, including a run-scoring single from Marsh, added to the visitors’ lead.

Penn State 9, Indiana 7

Bottom Ninth

IU wouldn’t be denied the result it wanted after scrapping back from down eight. After Wiggins and Jasen Oliver reached on a hit-by-pitch and walk respectively, Devin Taylor laced a ball up the middle to score one run. Tyler Cerny followed with a single to left field to tie the game and advance Taylor to third. The very next pitch from Will Perkowski got away from the catcher and allowed Taylor to score the game-winning run.

Indiana 10, Penn State 9

Top Hoosier Performers

#13 Wiggins, Andrew

2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR

#24 Buhr, Drew

4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 8 K

#8 Cerny, Tyler

3-5, 1 R, 1 RBI

Notes to Know

• Tonight’s game was the 14th time this year that IU has scored 10+ runs in a game. IU’s 13-1 this year when scoring 10+ runs, losing only a 15-11 contest against Troy in March.

• The eight-run deficit was the largest overturned deficit in an IU victory since 2010. Today’s game saw the Hoosiers go down eight runs in the top of the second. In 2010, at the old Sembower Field, IU trailed 16-8 at the stretch and went on to win 18-17 in May, nearly 14 years ago.

• Tyler Cerny now leads the team with 18 multi-hit contests in 2024. His three-hit day gave him seven games with three-plus hits in his sophomore season. Devin Taylor (6) is the only other player with more than five

• IU’s bullpen threw the final 7.1 innings of the contests. Three pitchers, including Drew Buhr, allowed just six hits and one run while striking out 11 batters.

Up Next

IU will go for the series victory in tomorrow’s contest against Penn State. With an expected bullpen today, nearly every IU pitcher will be up and hot in the bullpen. The game will be streamed on BTN+ or can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.

INDIANA SOFTBALL

THE HOOSIERS ROUT MINNESOTA IN SERIES-CLINCHING WIN

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– Indiana had a standout performance on Saturday, defeating Minnesota, 15-2, behind Sophie Kleiman’s impressive outing in the circle and the red-hot Hoosier bats.

With the win, the Hoosiers move to 28-12 on the season, with a 5-6 record in Big Ten play.

INDIANA 15, MINNESOTA 2 (F/5)

KEY MOMENTS

• Indiana took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single to shortstop from freshman Aly VanBrandt to score junior Brianna Copeland.

• IU capitalized on offensive opportunities throughout the bottom of the first inning to build a 5-0 lead by the end of it, including a two-RBI single through the right side from freshman Tristian Thompson.

• The offensive momentum continued into the second inning as Indiana would add on six more runs in the second to make it an 11-0 game. VanBrandt, redshirt senior Cora Bassett, freshman Alex Cooper, senior Brooke Benson, and juniors Taylor Minnick and Sarah Stone all drove in runs in the bottom of the second.

• Just like the first and second inning, the Hoosiers continued their offensive prowess in the third inning. Indiana had three-straight RBI singles from Cooper, Benson and Copeland to bring it to a 14-0 game.

• Minnick hit an RBI single to right field to bring Benson home for Indiana’s 15th run of the game.

• Sophomore Sophie Kleiman would throw two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 inning the bottom of the fourth to keep Minnesota’s offense at bay.

• Kleiman had control throughout the entirety of the game, not allowing a hit until the final inning and throwing five strikeouts.

NOTABLES

• With Bassett’s two runs scored today, she is now the career leader in all-time runs scored as a Hoosier with 158 career runs.

• Kleiman threw a spectacular game, only allowing one hit and zero earned runs while throwing five strikeouts in the win.

• Kleiman’s record now stands at 8-3 on the season with 59 strikeouts and a 2.97 ERA.

• Nine different Hoosiers scored a run.

• Copeland, VanBrandt and Cooper each had three hits. Minnick and Benson both had two. All five had multiple RBI as well: Copeland (2), VanBrandt (2), Cooper (3), Minnick (2) and Benson (2).

• IU outhit the Minnesota 16-1.

• Indiana has won five games in a row.

UP NEXT

Indiana will finish their weekend series against Minnesota tomorrow at noon.

PURDUE BASEBALL

3-RUN INNINGS, WAGNER’S GEM PROPEL PURDUE TO SHUTOUT WIN

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball scored three times in four different innings and Luke Wagner needed only 79 pitches to complete seven scoreless innings as the Boilermakers rolled to their third shutout win of the season 14-0 vs. Michigan State on Saturday at Alexander Field.

Purdue (22-13, 7-4 Big Ten) clinched another series victory and has won six straight games in Big Ten play for the first time since reeling off nine consecutive conference wins in 2018.

Wagner (5-0) did not issue a walk over seven innings of four-hit ball. The lefty worked four flawless 1-2-3 frames and did not face more than four batters in an inning. He has led the way in two of the three shutout wins this season, becoming the Boilermakers’ first starting pitcher to be on the mound for multiple shutouts since Tanner Andrews and Trent Johnson both did it in 2018.

Purdue raced out to a 9-0 lead with three consecutive three-run innings to begin the game. The Boilermakers have outscored Michigan State (14-18, 3-5 Big Ten) 21-2 over the first two games of the series.

Jo Stevens delivered a rare three-run single on a full-count pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the first inning. It was the only ball put in play by the seven batters in the frame. Thomas Green led off the following frame with his first home run as a Boilermaker.

Luke Gaffney had three hits for the third time in the last five games. His team-leading 18th multi-hit game improved his batting average to .404 for the season. Gaffney also registered the 40th RBI of his breakout campaign and turned a 3-6-3 double play to help preserve the shutout in the third inning.

Couper Cornblum and Gaffney connected for consecutive RBI doubles in the second inning and back-to-back RBI singles the following frame.

Great to have Hall of Famer Gene Keady with us again at the ballpark. Welcome to Alexander, Coach!! #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/Vge69WXCrd

— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 13, 2024

MORE SATURDAY NOTABLES

• Purdue clinched its first three-game weekend series victory vs. Michigan State since April 2012 at Lambert Field.

• The 14 runs were the Boilermakers’ most in a Big Ten game since scoring 15 in a Saturday win at Minnesota in April of last season. The series victory at Minnesota also featured the program’s last shutout win in Big Ten play.

• Purdue has three shutout wins in a season for the first time since 2019. Saturday was the team’s first shutout victory at home since April 2022 vs. Indiana.

• The Boilermakers have posted 16 scoreless frames on the mound in the series. Jordan Morales and Luke Wagner have pitched a combined 14 2/3 innings in the series, marking the first time Purdue pitchers went seven innings in consecutive games since Calvin Schapira (8) and Trent Johnson (7) did it against Michigan State in back-to-back wins in Champaign in April 2021.

• Couper Cornblum recorded his 100th collegiate RBI (49 at Purdue, 51 at Wichita State).

STREAKS EXTENDED

• Jo Stevens – 21-game on-base streak; 10-game hit streak; 14-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 5/18/23); 14-game on-base streak at home

• Mike Bolton Jr. – 14-game on-base streak; 6-game hit streak; 17-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23)

• Luke Gaffney – 13-game on-base streak; 11-game on-base streak in Big Ten play

• Connor Caskenette – 11-game on-base streak; 9-game on-base streak in Big Ten play

• Keenan Spence – 8-game on-base streak; 7-game hit streak in Big Ten play

• Couper Cornblum – 8-game on-base streak in Big Ten play; 88 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)

Purdue drew 10 free passes (8 walks, 2 HBP), with six of those runners coming around to score.

Camden Gasser executed a squeeze bunt in the third inning for his team-leading seventh sacrifice. Keenan Spence slid in under the tag on a close play at the plate and was originally called out before the ruling was overturned by a replay review.

After the Boilermakers went to the bench beginning in the sixth inning, Ty Gill (single) and Chase Brown (double) both plated a pair of runs with pinch hits.

Griffin Lohman induced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play, Purdue’s 39th twin killing turned this season.

The series finale is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

PURDUE SOFTBALL

11-RUN GAME SECURES SERIES AT ILLINOIS

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Behind Purdue’s 11 runs, the program clinched its third consecutive Big Ten series win as the team downed Illinois, 11-4. The victory marked the most consecutive series wins for the program since 2014.

It was Purdue’s eighth straight win of the season as they improve to a 20-18 (7-4 Big Ten) record, while Illinois falls to 15-24 (2-9 Big Ten) on the season.

The Boilermakers never trailed in the game, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Fighting Illini came back with a three-run second inning to even the score, however Purdue poured on the runs in the fourth inning, a feat that proved insurmountable for Illinois.

Purdue matched a season-high 14 hits as it out-hit Illinois, 14-5 in the outing, recording two triples along the way, which were Purdue’s most in a single game since 2022. In total, eight Boilermakers registered at least one run and three (Sage Scarmardo, Alivia Meeks and Tyrina Jones) produced two runs. Meanwhile, four Boilermakers: Moriah Polar (4), Tyrina Jones (3), Khloe Banks (2) and Meeks (2) each registered multiple hits.

Taking after her uniform number (44) Polar went a perfect 4-4 from the plate, becoming the first Boilermaker since Rachel Becker in 2021 to accomplish the feat, registering a career-high four hits in the outing while registering her second triple this week (last: vs. Indiana State, 4/9). Meanwhile, her three RBI are the most since setting a career-high four vs. Southern Illinois (2/25).

Relief pitcher Kendall Klochack secured the victory to move to 5-3 on the season. The junior allowed one run on two hits while striking out two batters over 4.2 innings in the circle. In total, she threw 42 strikes in 62 total pitches. Klochack entered the game for Madi Elish, who tossed the first 2.1 innings, with three hits and three runs.

Although Purdue scored 11 runs, 11 Boilermakers were left stranded. The Boilermakers were two runs shy of tying their season-high of 13.

Purdue will look to complete the series sweep tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET at Illinois.

PURDUE FOOTBALL

DEFENSIVE STARTERS LEAD TEAM HAMMER DOWN TO VICTORY IN PURDUE FOOTBALL SPRING GAME

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Sophomore rush end Will Heldt’s pick six sparked a second half rally, as the Hammer Down team defeated the Boiler Up team 17-13 in the Purdue Football Spring Game on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium.

The Hammer Down team consisted of the defensive starters and the offensive backups, while the Boiler Up team featured the offensive starters and the defensive backups.

Hudson Card found Andrew Sowinski for a 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter to get Boiler Up out to an early lead, but Heldt and the starting defense battled back to help lead their team to victory and bragging rights in the annual team scrimmage.

The game featured a running clock for the majority of the final three quarters, but there was still plenty of action as the Boilermakers battled in front of their fans for the first time in 2024. It was an opportunity for head coach Ryan Walters to see his team compete on both sides of the ball.

“I thought the format allowed for a controlled environment where we kept guys healthy, but still got good work and got to evaluate and see some things in terms of in-game situations, in your home stadium, in front of your home crowd, while it’s on TV,” said Walters. “All those things can add to the experience to get us ready for the fall.”

Facing fourth-and-goal on the final drive of the game, redshirt-freshman Jake Wilson connected with fellow redshirt-freshman Ryne Shackelford for a 6-yard touchdown pass to complete the comeback for Hammer Down.

While the annual spring game usually marks the end of spring ball, the Boilermakers have one more week of practice before the end of the semester.

NOTRE DAME BASEBALL

IRISH FALL 7-2 IN GAME TWO AGAINST UNC

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (15-17, 2-15) were back at North Carolina (28-7, 13-4) on Saturday, April 13, falling 7-2 as they head into their final game of the three-game series tomorrow afternoon.

The Irish finished with nine hits on the day, led by Simon Baumgardt who recorded two hits, one run, and one RBI. Connor Hincks who finished with two hits and one RBI, followed by TJ Williams who finished with one hit and one run for the Irish.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UNC would take the 1-0 advantage in the first inning as the Irish responded with two hits in the top of the second. Baumgardt and Hincks started the frame with back-to-back singles and while it was followed by a Tito Flores sac bunt, the Irish would strikeout in the next two at bats.

The Tar Heels led off the bottom of the second with a solo blast to left field, giving UNC the 2-0 lead after two.

Jack Radel started on the mound for the Irish, recording two strikeouts across the third and fourth innings as UNC went three up, three down in back-to-back frames.

Flores led off the top of the fifth with a single to left field and advanced to scoring position, but the Irish closed the frame with three groundouts to head to the bottom of the inning.

The Tar Heels tacked on another run on the board after doubling to left field and being scored on an RBI single up the middle.

Trailing 3-0, the Irish would close the gap in the top of the sixth. TJ Williams led off with a single first base and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Baumgardt drove in WIlliams with an RBI single and was able to advance to second on the throw to home. Hincks followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Baumgardt and bring the Irish within one.

Recording three base hits and two runs in the bottom frame of the sixth, the Tar Heels extended their lead back to three at 5-2. They followed with a solo home run in the seventh, making it 6-2 heading into the eighth inning.

Jack Penney would record his first hit of the day in the eighth, but the Irish remained scoreless in the frame.

UNC tripled to lead off the bottom of the eighth and scored on a sac fly to make it 7-2 heading into the final frame. Brady Gumpf and Joey Spence each recorded base hits in the ninth, but the Tar Heels would go on to take game two of the series.

Radel (2-2) finished the day throwing 4.2 innings, striking out six batters, and gave up four hits and three runs. He was relieved by Caden Spivey, who finished with 1.2 innings pitched, two strikeouts, five hits, and three runs. Sammy Cooper pitched the final 1.2 innings, recording one strikeout and giving up two hits and one run.

The Irish and Tar Heels face each other in game three tomorrow at 1 p.m.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX

HALFPENNY HITS MILESTONE, IRISH BEAT VIRGINIA TECH

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Notre Dame women’s lacrosse head coach Christine Halfpenny made history Saturday as her Irish team secured their 13th win of the season, rolling out to a 20-9 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies to mark Halfpenny’s 150th win on the Irish bench.

The Irish got on the board first with a turnaround shot by Arden Tierney on a pass from Madison Ahern at 2:13 of the first.

The Hokies answered shortly after with a free position goal to make it a 1-1 game with 12:16 to play in the first quarter.

Notre Dame regained the lead after a series of possession changes between the two teams. Arden Tierney picked up the ground ball after a shot by the Irish sailed just wide before burying her second shot of the day to make it a 2-1 contest.

The Irish extended their lead with a pair of goals from to make it a 4-1 contest late in the opening quarter. Madison Ahern buried a shot from the free position before Jackie Wolak snuck a pass behind the net to Abby Maichin to make it 4-1.

Notre Dame won the following draw to keep possession and capitalize on the play as Wolak net her first of the game to give the Irish the four-goal lead with 3:34 left in the first quarter.

The Hokies snapped the Irish scoring streak with 21 seconds remaining in the opening quarter to cut the lead to 5-2.

Virginia Tech took advantage of the powerplay opportunity to start the second quarter, making it a two-goal game early in the frame.

Wolak got the Irish back in the scoring category with a free position goal to double the Hokies’ score with just 2:13 elapsed in the second quarter. The Hokies answered however with a goal of their own a minute later to make it a 6-4 contest.

Ahern buried her second free position goal of the day to give the Irish the 7-4 lead but the Hokies scored once more on the powerplay to cut the Irish lead back to two-goals with 10:49 to play in the half.

Virginia Tech took advantage of an intercepted pass in the Irish end to make it a one-goal game halfway through the frame.

Tierney lined up at the draw and won the control to give the Irish possession following the Hokies goal.

After a save for the Hokies’ goalkeeper, Ahern picked up an errant pass in the offensive end and walked it in for her third goal of the day and 11th hat trick of the season.

The Irish took the 9-6 lead into the halftime break behind a pair of hat tricks from Ahern and Tierney.

Wolak opened the second half scoring with a shot off the free position, giving the Irish the 10-6 lead with 11:30 to play in the third quarter.

Kasey Choma net her first of the day, floating a shot in off the free position and beating the goalkeeper for the 11-6 tally.

The Irish scored twice more off the free position, behind goals from Kathryn Morrissey and Choma to take the 13-6 lead halfway through the frame.

Choma scored her third of the day with a behind the back shot to give the Irish an eight-goal edge.

The Irish kept the offense on their end of the field after a caused turnover while a player down to create a three-on-two rush where Wolak found Ahern for her fourth of the day to take the 15-6 lead.

Notre Dame drew a foul late in the frame as Choma capitalized on the free position to force the running clock with the 16-6 score.

The Hokies got one back to make it a 16-7 contest early in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of a miscue on the other end of the field.

Wolak reclaimed the 10-goal Irish lead, redirecting a pass from Ahern to make it a 17-7 game with just over 11 minutes to play in regulation.

Virginia Tech took advantage of a card against an Irish defender and scored on the free position  to draw within nine of the Irish but a goal from MK Doherty shortly after the ensuing draw gave the Irish the running clock again as they led, 18-8.

Ahern set a season high with her fifth goal of the day to give the Irish the 19-8 lead but the Hokies would answer with a goal of their own late in the contest.

Fran Frieri rounded out the scoring Saturday afternoon in Virginia, giving the Irish their 20th of the game for the 20-9 final as the team improved to 13-2 on the season.

KEY STATS

The win Saturday against the Hokies marked head coach Christine Halfpenny’s, a Virginia Tech alum, 150th career win at Notre Dame as the team set a program record for goals against the Hokies.

The Irish opened the game with the first four draw controls of the game and finished the day with the 18-13 edge at the circle.

With five goals on the day, Madison Ahern led the team while adding two assists for a seven-point game. The five goals for the graduate set a season high.

With 20 goals against the Hokies, the Irish set a program record for most goals against Virginia Tech. The 20+ goal outing was the team’s sixth of the season.

With eight draw controls on the day, Kelly Denes led the team in the category and now boasts 109 on the season – her third consecutive season hitting triple digits at the draw control.

The attacking trio of Ahern, Kasey Choma and Jackie Wolak combined for 18 points in the contest and 13 of the team’s goals.

Keelin Schlageter’s three caused turnovers was a team best as the Irish forced 11 turnovers on the day.

In the cage, Lilly Callahan picked up her 13th win of the season and registered nine saves for a .500 save percentage at Virginia Tech.

UP NEXT

The Irish close out the regular season with a trip to Louisville on April 18. The game against the Cardinals is set for noon.

NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL

IRISH FALL AT #18/18 FLORIDA STATE

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The University of Notre Dame softball team dropped a 7-3 contest to the 18th-ranked Florida State Seminoles Saturday evening. The Fighting Irish battled back after falling behind, but couldn’t find the big inning it needed to overcome the deficit. The Irish fall to 23-16 overall, and 7-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Micaela Kastor started in the circle. The sophomore threw 1.1 innings, allowing seven hits, only one of which went for extra bases as she allowed six earned runs and suffered the loss. Alexis Laudenslager came on in relief, throwing 4.2 innings. The graduate student allowed six hits, one earned run and struck out three.

The Irish offense went for 10 hits in the contest, with four multi-hit efforts. Carlli Kloss led the charge with a 3-for-3 performance, with a triple and a run scored. Cassidy Grimm added a 2-for-4 effort, scoring a run. Karina Gaskins finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a her seventh home run of the year. Rachel Allen added two hits, driving in a run. Emily Tran added a single in the contest to round out the offense.

How It Happened

The Seminoles got the scoring rolling in the bottom of the second. Florida State strung together eight hits to score seven runs and take a commanding 7-0 lead.

The Irish responded for a couple runs in the third. Kloss got a rally going with a one-out triple and scored on an Addison Amaral sacrifice fly. Gaskins followed with a homer the other way to cut the lead to 7-2.

Notre Dame added another run in the top of the fifth. The top of the order got a one-out rally working. Grimm and Kloss hit back-to-back singles and a walk to Gaskins loaded the bases. Allen knocked a single to left to bring in a run and cut the lead to 7-3.

The Irish put runners on in the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn’t continue its comeback efforts.

Up Next

The series concludes on the ACC Network Sunday afternoon with a 4 p.m. first pitch.

BUTLER BASEBALL

‘DAWGS DROP TWO VS. GEORGETOWN ON SATURDAY

INDIANAPOLIS – Georgetown won each game of a doubleheader at Butler on Saturday to improve their overall record to 25-9. They scored six runs in the second inning of game one to move forward and claim a 13-4 victory. Game two was much closer, but a five-run top of the ninth by GU allowed the Hoyas to walk away with a 9-5 win.

Wins on the mound went to Cody Jensen and Cody Bowker. Tyler Banks was hit with the loss in game one while Andrew Citron was credited with a save. In the nightcap, Bowker tossed the final four innings to improve to 3-1 on the hill. Ben Whiteside got the start and BU was on top after he exited the game in the sixth. Andrew Crumbley got an out for BU and Cole Graverson would go the final 3.1.

Georgetown’s offense was the story of game one with the Hoyas recording 16 hits to come up with their 13 runs. Josh Rolling went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Lead-off man Jake Hyde had three RBI and Owen Carapellotti led the team with four.

Xavier Carter was the best bat in the BU lineup in the opener. Carter hit a triple, double and a single before being walked in his final at-bat. Carter Dorighi and Joey Urban each had two hits at the top of the order and Zach Munton led the team with two RBI.

Banks threw the first four innings in game one and Grant Brooks took the final five. Banks struck out five and only walked one. Brooks struck out three.

Game two got going with BU in front 1-0 after the second inning. That lead increased to 3-0 after the fifth, but GU would score two in the sixth and two more in the seventh to go in front. Their five-run ninth sealed the deal and gave the visitors the sweep.

Joey Urban went 4-for-5 in the game with an RBI. Kade Lewis was 3-for-5 with an RBI and Carter Dorighi was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Whiteside allowed just five hits over 5.1 innings, limiting GU to two runs. Andrew Crumbley got the second out of the sixth before Graverson finished off the Hoyas.

Each team had 13 hits in game two giving the two clubs a grand total of 53 hits over the two games.

The final game of the weekend series will be played at Bulldog Park tomorrow at 12 PM.

BUTLER SOFTBALL

BUTLER SOFTBALL CLINCHES GEORGETOWN SERIES WITH GAME-TWO WIN

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Butler softball team came from behind in game two of the three-game BIG EAST series at Georgetown, winning by the final score of 11-6. The Hoyas (10-25, 1-13 BIG EAST) held a 6-3 lead after four innings, but the Bulldogs (19-21, 8-9 BIG EAST) used a six-run fifth to take the lead for good.

Game 2: Butler 11, Georgetown 6 (7 innings)

In the top of the first inning, a walk along with singles from Hailey Conger and Makena Alexander give Butler an early 2-0 lead. Georgetown answered in the bottom half with a three-run home run and took a 3-2 lead after one complete.

In the third, the Bulldogs tied the game on a sacrifice fly from Monique Hoosen. The Hoyas answered again in the bottom half, using a two-run home run to spark a three-run inning. Georgetown’s 6-3 lead held through the fourth.

In the fifth, Butler’s bats were hot. Ella White and Hoosen each had two-run dingers, and Teagan O’Rilley plated two more with a double. Butler took back the lead, 9-6.

Hoosen hit her second sacrifice fly of the day, in the top of the sixth inning, pushing the lead for the Dawgs to 10-6. One inning later, Paige Dorsett singled in the final run of the game.

Butler used four pitchers in the win. Kayla Noerr (3R, 2H) started in the circle but was replaced by Rylyn Dyer in the first inning. Dyer (2.0IP, 3R, 2H, 2BB) lasted into the third and was then replaced by Sydney Cammon. Cammon (7-9) pitched 2.1 innings without yielding a run. She allowed three hits and two walks and was credited with the win. Katie Petran (2.2IP, H, 3K) provided relief in the bottom of the fifth, finished the game, and picked up a save.

Bulldog Bits

Ella White’s home run was her eighth of the season and 20th of her career. She is now seventh on Butler’s all-time list for career home runs. Her stolen base was her second of the season and fifth of her career.

Monique Hoosen’s home run was her ninth of the season and 36th of her career. Her four RBI matched her season high (IUPUI, 3/6), and her two sacrifice flies were her first this season.

Teagan O’Rilley’s double was her seventh of the season and 14th of her career.

Hailey Conger’s double was her fifth of the season. Her stolen base was her fifth.

Makena Alexander’s double was a career first.

Sydney Carter’s double was her fifth of the season and 12th of her career.

Olivia Moxley’s stolen base was her second of the season and fifth of her career.

Sydney Cammon’s win in the circle was her seventh of the season and 11th at Butler.

Katie Petran’s save was her third of the season.

Up Next

Butler remains in Washington D.C. for the third and final game in the BIG EAST series with Georgetown. First pitch for Sunday’s game two is scheduled for 11 a.m.

BUTLER WOMEN’S GOLF

BULLDOGS AND FREITAS IN SECOND AFTER FIRST ROUND OF LADY JAGUAR INVITATIONAL

The Bulldogs are off to a strong start at the Lady Jaguar Invitational as Butler stands in second after Saturday’s opening round.

The event, hosted by IUPUI, is being played at Plum Creek Golf Club in Carmel.

As a team, the Bulldogs combined to shoot 10-over 298 in the first round. Ball State holds a two-shot lead over the Bulldogs after the opening round. Butler is two shots clear of third-place Ohio (300; +12). There are 11 teams in the field.

Freshman Ashley Freitas shot an even-par 72 Saturday; her round included five birdies on the 6,157-yard course. She is joined in the Top 10 by teammate Cybil Stillson, who is tied for sixth after a two-over 74 to start her weekend.

THE BULLDOGS:

T2) Ashley Freitas, 72 (E)

T6) Cybil Stillson, 74 (+2)

T13) Kelli Scheck, 75 (+3)

T17) Alaina Bowie (playing as an individual), 76 (+4)

T24) Sophie McGinnis, 77 (+5)

T42) Katie Steinman, 79 (+7)

T42) Lily Celentano (playing as an individual), 79 (+7)

T52) Madalin Small (playing as an individual), 81 (+9)

T56) Gianna Medica (playing as an individual), 82 (+10)

T68) Jolie Guyette (playing as an individual), 85 (+13)

Ball State is led by Sabrina Langerak, who owns the 18-hole lead after an opening round, one-under 71. That is one shot better than a trio of players, including Frietas, who shot even-par 72 Saturday.

Sunday’s final round is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Live scoring will be available via GolfStat.

IUPUI WOMEN’S GOLF

BUSKER AND FOX SHARE SECOND PLACE AFTER ROUND ONE OF LADY JAGUAR INVITATIONAL

CARMEL, Ind. – After the first round of the Lady Jaguar Invitational the IUPUI women’s golf team sits in fourth, shooting 303 (+15) on Saturday (Apr. 13). Seniors Shelby Busker and Annaliese Fox led the way, carding even-par rounds of 72, just one shot off the lead held by Ball State’s Sabrina Langerak. IUPUI follows closely behind Ball State, Butler and Ohio who sit first, second and third, respectively.

The Jaguars got off to a hot start with Annaliese Fox opening her round with a birdie and Shelby Busker and Madeline Pape both birdying the par-5 second to jump out to an early lead.

Following the birdie on two, Busker tallied back-to-back bogeys to move to 1-over through four. The senior quickly returned to even-par after a three on the par-4 fifth. Fox was steady after the opening hole birdie, carding six straight pars before birdying the par-5 eighth. She would par the final hole of her opening nine, making the turn at 2-under to hold a one-shot lead.

Like her opening nine, Busker began the back nine with a bang, going 2-under through her first three holes to move to second on the leaderboard and propel the Jags to second place. She dropped a shot at the difficult par-4 thirteenth. Busker then recorded four pars in a row before giving back a shot on the final hole of the day to finish even-par.

“It felt really good to hit some solid shots and to grind out the holes I needed to,” stated Busker after the round. Busker will be focused on “coming in with a good mindset and not getting worked up about the wind and potential conditions” in her final round.

Fox’s solid play bled into the back nine, where she began with three straight pars. After a bogey on 13, the senior birdied the next to get back to 2-under. Following two more pars, Fox carded back-to-back bogeys to close out her round and drop to even-par. Despite the disappointing finishes for Busker and Fox, the two are in a tie for second place with Butler’s Ashley Frietas heading into the final round.

“Fairways and greens really helped me out today,” Fox exclaimed. “I think I hit 16 (of 18) greens and that was what helped me out the best.”

Unlike her teammates, Yanah Rolston was slow out of the gates, carding four bogeys in her opening nine. However, she maintained her composure to register eight pars and a single bogey to finish 5-over.

After her birdie at hole two, Pape struggled to get any momentum, shooting a 40 (4-over) in her opening nine. The back nine featured similar results for the senior, carding a 42 to finish 10-over and round out the scoring for the Jags.

Playing as individuals, Reagan Sohn and Sydni Zebrauskas also got off to quick starts, birdying number one to jump out to an early lead. Both would give two shots back in their opening nine to finish 1-over. Sohn was one of many who bogeyed the thirteenth, but she quickly got the shot back by birdying the next. After three pars, Sohn recorded a bogey at the last to finish with a 2-over 74—tying her career low round—and inside the top 10. Zebrauskas stumbled at the start of the back nine, shooting 4-over in the first two holes. She didn’t let the scores affect her, finishing the round with six pars and one bogey to end with a 78—her career low round.

“I’m very proud of the girls today,” said head coach Jamie Broce. “We’ve had a very balanced team in general. We had two players play really well today and we had a few players that feel like they probably left a few shots out there. We’ve been practicing this afternoon and we all have the right attitudes, so I’m excited for tomorrow and I think we can get some momentum heading into conference.”

BALL STATE BASEBALL

CARDS CRUISE TO DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team rode impressive offensive displays by Hunter Dobbins, Decker Scheffler and Matthew Kamins and strong pitching performances from Merritt Beeker, Nate Blain and Keegan Johnson for a Saturday sweep of Akron at Ball Diamond.

The Cardinals (22-13, 9-8 Mid-American Conference) took the opener 5-1 before handling the Zips (6-27, 1-13 MAC) by a score of 17-7 in the second contest. Dobbins put together a 5-for-6 day at the plate with three home runs, a double and five RBI while starting both games behind the dish.

“Our boys battled all day long to earn the sweep,” head coach Rich Maloney said. “Great team effort! We got our bats going in Game Two which was very encouraging.”

Game 1: Ball State 5, Akron 1

Nick Gregory plated Dylan Grego on a single to right field in the third inning before Nick Husovsky scored Blake Bevis on an RBI safety in the bottom of the fourth to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. After Akron hit a solo home run in the sixth, Ball State responded with a two-run homer off the bat of Dobbins in the seventh inning and an RBI single from Houston King in the eighth to give more than enough production for the duo of Beeker and Blain to work with.

Beeker (5-2) picked up the win by striking out eight and allowing one run in 5.1 innings of work. Blain came on in relief and fired 3.2 innings of shutout baseball while striking out three Zips and surrendering only two hits for his second save of the year.

Eight different Cardinals collected a hit in Game One with Dobbins going 2-for-3 with the pair of RBI.

Akron starter Jared Schaeffer fell to 0-6 after surrendering four runs in 7.0 innings pitched.

Game 2: Ball State 17 Akron 7

The Cardinals scored early and often, highlighted by a 7-run third inning featuring big blasts by Kamins and Scheffler, to cruise to a doubleheader sweep.

Bevis hit into a grounder to third that allowed Scheffler to score, and Dylan Grego and Dobbins followed with RBI doubles to put Ball State ahead 3-0 after the first. Scheffler knocked in Houston King with a single in the second inning to increase the edge.

The Zips responded with an RBI grounder in their half of the third, but the Cardinals exploded in the bottom half compliments of a Kamins grand slam and Scheffler three-run homer to go ahead 11-1. Dobbins clobbered solo shots in the fourth and sixth, while Nick Gregory, Michael Hallquist and Bevis each hit solo homers in the seventh for a 16-4 Cardinals advantage.

Korbin Griffin plated Corey Miley on an RBI single for the day’s final scoring.

Ball State starting pitcher Keegan Johnson toughed out 6.0 innings of four-run ball (three earned) and struck out six to improve to 5-0 for the year. Akron’s Spencer Atkins (0-6) gave up three runs and got three outs to be hit with the loss.

Hallquist went 3-for-5 and scored two runs, and Dobbins batted 3-for-3 with three RBI on three extra-base hits including his second multi-homer game of 2024. Scheffler and Kamins drove in four runs each to help the Cardinals clinch the series win.

Ball State and Akron are scheduled to wrap up the three-game set at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

INDIANA STATE BASEBALL

SYCAMORES SECURE 14TH CONSECUTIVE MVC BASEBALL SERIES WITH 11-1 VICTORY OVER BRADLEY

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Adam Pottinger and Mike Sears connected on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning and Brennyn Cutts went the distance on the mound as Indiana State secured the Missouri Valley Conference series win with an 11-1 victory over Bradley on Saturday afternoon.

Pottinger, Sears, and Luis Hernandez all homered for the Sycamores (26-7, 9-2) as Indiana State connected on 13 hits in their second consecutive run-rule win over the Braves (10-21, 4-7) over the weekend series. Pottinger finished with a team-high four RBIs in the win, while five ISU players had multi-hit games as ISU picked up its 14th consecutive conference series win.

The Sycamores struck early in the bottom of the first as Pottinger connected on a two-out, three-run home run off Bradley starter Travis Lutz (2-5). Sears followed on the next pitch with a drive into the trees beyond the center field fence to stake Cutts (4-1) to the early 4-0 lead.

That was all the support Cutts needed in the contest as the junior right-hander went the distance in his first collegiate complete game facing 25 batters and throwing just 83 pitches in the win. The Greenup, Ill. native retired 10 batters in a row at one point and surrendered just Jackson Chatterton’s solo home run in the third and Beau Durbin’s single in the sixth in the complete-game, two-hit effort. He finished with six strikeouts on the mound.

The Sycamores scored four runs in the first, two in the second, two in the third, one in the fourth, and the final two in the sixth as Indiana State continued to put the pressure on the Bradley pitching staff on the weekend. Randal Diaz and Dominic Listi both connected on two doubles apiece in in the win, while Sears was on base in all four plate appearances in the win.

Lutz took the loss on the mound for the Braves allowing 12 hits and 10 runs while striking out six over 5.1 innings of work. Nick Hainline went the final two outs to close out Bradley’s time on the mound.

How They Scored

Indiana State connected on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning as Adam Pottinger connected on a two-out, three-run blast over the right center wall scoring Randal Diaz and Dominic Listi, while Mike Sears followed with a solo shot to straightaway center on the next pitch to put the Sycamores ahead 4-0.

The Sycamores added to the lead in the bottom of the second inning as Listi connected on an RBI double to center field one-hopping the wall to bring home Diaz, while Luis Hernandez followed with a bloop single scoring Listi to give ISU the 6-0 edge.

Jackson Chatterton put the Braves on the board in the top of the third inning with a one-out solo home run to right center to cut the Sycamore lead down to 6-1.

Diaz put two more across for Indiana State in the bottom of the third inning as the junior shortstop connected on a bases-loaded, two-run double scoring Sears and Grant Magill to put the Sycamores ahead 8-1.

Hernandez connected on home run No. 10 to lead off the bottom of the fourth driving the ball over the trees in left center to give Indiana State the 9-1 lead.

Pottinger singled home Hernandez and Joe Kido connected on a sacrifice fly to right scoring Stinson to give the Sycamores the final 11-1 advantage in the bottom of the sixth inning to cap the scoring.

News & Notes

Indiana State connected on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning marking the second such occurrence for the Sycamores this season. Luis Hernandez and Parker Stinson went back-to-back on March 19 against Indiana in the Sycamores’ 15-7 win over the Hoosiers.

Indiana State connected on three home runs on Saturday afternoon marking the 14th game of the 2024 season with multiple homers on the year and seventh game with three or more this season.

Josue Urdaneta ran his on-base streak to 22 consecutive games on Saturday afternoon as the second baseman connected on a third-inning single. He finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Luis Hernandez connected on his 10th home run of the season joining Mike Sears (13) as the lone players on the Sycamore roster with double-digit homers this year.

Indiana State ran its Missouri Valley Conference series winning streak to 14 consecutive series after Saturday’s win over Bradley. The Sycamores have gone a perfect 14-0 in the second game of the series dating back to the end of the 2022 season.

Since the start of the final series of the 2022 season, Indiana State has posted a 35-5-1 record in MVC play.

Brennyn Cutts posted his second consecutive quality start and first collegiate complete game in the 7.0-inning contest against Bradley. The 7.0-inning start equaled a career-long for the junior, while his six strikeouts were one off his season-high.

ISU recorded its first back-to-back run-rule wins in Valley play in the Mitch Hannahs era following Saturday’s game as the Sycamores topped the Braves 14-2 and 11-1 over the first two games of the series.

Adam Pottinger tied a career-high four RBIs on Saturday afternoon marking the third time in his ISU career he’s achieved the feat and first since bringing home four last season on April 24, 2023, against Southern Illinois.

Up Next

Indiana State closes out the weekend series against Bradley at Bob Warn Field on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.

Sunday’s promotion at The Bob is 90’s Day. Anyone with a valid ID with a birthday in the 1990’s can get a $5 GA ticket.

EVANSVILLE BASEBALL

BASEBALL WALKS OFF REDBIRDS, 6-5

EVANSVILLE, Ind. –  The University of Evansville baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday, capped by pinch-runner Drew Howard scoring from third base on a wild pitch for the game-winning run, as the Purple Aces knocked off the visiting Illinois State Redbirds, 6-5, at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville. 

“What a win!” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “Our offense really went out and got it for us today.  I am just proud of our overall effort today.  Our pitchers did a good job of keeping us in it, and their starter was pretty electric today, but we just kept grinding.  That’s the Aces’ baseball club that we’re accustomed to.”

Illinois State took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, before Evansville was able to rally for two runs on a two-run single by graduate first baseman Chase Hug to tie the game at 4-4.  The Redbirds once again grabbed the lead in the ninth inning on an RBI double by outfielder J.T. Sokolove, but UE was not done yet.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, junior second baseman Cal McGinnis opened the frame with a single to right-center field.  After a fly out, pinch-hitter Evan Waggoner singled sharply through the left side of the Illinois State infield to put runners on the corners with one out.

A sacrifice fly to right field by senior shortstop Simon Scherry tied the game at 5-5, before junior outfielder Harrison Taubert singled to right field on a 1-2 pitch to send Howard from first to third base with two outs.  Then, after a mound visit, Howard was able to score on a wild pitch on the first pitch to graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger to give UE the 6-5 win.

Hug led Evansville offensively by going 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI.  McGinnis also had two hits for UE and scored two runs.  Three Illinois State hitters had two-hit days at the plate.

With the victory, Evansville gets back to even record-wise at 17-17 and improves to 6-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference.  Illinois State, meanwhile, drops to 18-14 overall and 7-4 in the Valley with the loss.  The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.  Redshirt senior RHP Shane Harris (2-4, 3.86 ERA) will get the start for UE.  Sunday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live on ESPN+.

EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL

ACES FALL TO SALUKIS IN SATURDAY CONTEST

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Two 9-run innings by Southern Illinois saw them pull away for a 20-3 win over the University of Evansville softball team on Saturday at Charlotte West Stadium.

Evansville jumped on the board in the top of the first.  Alexa Davis’ leadoff triple was followed by a Zoe Frossard walk.  With two outs, Brooke Voss stepped to the plate and launched a 3-run home run, her fifth of the season, to put the Purple Aces in front.

Following a scoreless bottom of the first, the Salukis erupted for nine runs in the second.  Elizabeth Warwick and Sidney Jones each had 2-run hits in the frame as SIU took control.  They added two more runs in the third and nine in the fourth to clinch the 20-3 win.

Sydney Weatherford made the start for UE, allowing nine runs in two innings.  Madi Eberle gave up three runs on two hits and kept the Aces hitless after the first inning.  Jones and Kiana McDowell recorded three RBI apiece to pace SIU.

Sunday’s series finale begins at 12 p.m. in Carbondale.

SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL

EAGLES OUTSLUG REDHAWKS 12-6

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball outslugged Southeast Missouri State University 4-3 in home runs and won the game, 12-6, Saturday afternoon in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. USI is 15-20 overall and 5-6 in the OVC, while SEMO goes to 17-18, 7-4 OVC.

The Screaming Eagles snapped a 13-inning scoreless streak with a pair of runs in the second inning on a two-blast by senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana). The home run drove in senior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas), who had singled to lead off the frame, and was Ellis’ team-high seventh of the year.

The two-run second would start a streak of four-straight scoring innings for the Eagles.

USI would lead 2-0 until the Eagles increased the lead to 3-0 in the third when junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) singled in junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela). The Redhawks would bounce back to get their first run of the game with a tally in the bottom half of the frame to leave the score 3-1 after three.

USI senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) put USI on the scoreboard for the third-straight frame when he launched a rocket over the right field wall for a 4-1 Eagle advantage. The home run was Tachioka’s first of the season.

The Eagles sealed the victory in the top of the fifth with a five-run frame. Junior leftfielder Adam Euler (Evansville, Indiana) and Van Grieken got the rally going with RBI-singles to center, before sophomore shortstop Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) hit USI’s third home run of the game, a three-run blast for the 9-1 advantage. Niehaus’ home run was his second of the spring.

Following a pair of home runs by the Redhawks in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 9-3, Euler boosted the Eagles advantage to 10-3 with a RBI-single to right center. The score remained 10-3 until the bottom of the eighth when SEMO put three runs across the plate to get to 10-6.

USI put a stop to the SEMO comeback attempt when Niehaus hit his second home run of the game and his third of the year, a two-run blast, to make the score 12-6. Niehaus finished the game three-for-six with two home runs, five RBIs and two runs scored.

On the mound, junior right-hander Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana) started and picked up the win for the Eagles. Seebold (4-2) posted his team-high fourth win of the season, going five innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. The right-hander also struck out a career-high seven batters.

Up Next for the Eagles:

The Eagles and the Redhawks conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m.

Following Sunday’s series and USI four-game road swing finales, the Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field for a five-game homestand. The homestand starts Tuesday at 6 p.m. with a non-conference visit from Western Kentucky University; follows April 19-20 with a three-game OVC series versus the University of Tennessee at Martin; and concludes April 23 with a non-conference contest with Belmont University.

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S TENNIS FALL TO TSU ON SENIOR DAY

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis (2-13) battled Tennessee State University (6-17) in a Horizon League match at the USI Tennis Courts, falling 6-1.

Screaming Eagle senior Dylan Brown (Evansville, Indiana) was celebrated after the match for his hard work and dedication to the program for four strong years. The local Reitz High School product played an important leadership role being the lone senior as the USI community congratulates his accomplishments and looks forward to what the rest of the season holds.

Doubles: The doubles number two match was unfinished, but USI fell behind early losing both doubles competitions. Junior Guy Finkelstein (Lehavim, Israel) and freshman Eytan Michaeli (Beer Sheva, Israel) battled their opponent to a close 6-3 loss.

Singles: Sophomore standout Mathys Bove (Lyon, France) won a riveting matchup in the singles one matchup. Bove roared back after dropping the first set 0-6, by rallying to win the next sets 6-1 and 1-0. Bove’s singles record improves to an impressive 9-4 mark.

Junior Quinten Gillespie (Whiteland, Indiana) dropped his match by a narrow margin of 7-5, 5-7, 1-0.

NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:

USI travels to Jeffersonville, Indiana tomorrow to compete against both Hanover College and Indiana University Southeast. The Eagles turn around to take on Brescia University at the USI Tennis Courts on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

VALPO BASEBALL

BASEBALL RALLIES FOR BALK-OFF WIN OVER BELMONT

The path to get there may not have been how the Valparaiso University baseball team drew it up, but Saturday’s result was exactly what the Beacons needed as the team came from 7-0 down to beat Belmont 10-9, snapping a five-game losing streak and leveling this weekend’s series at one victory apiece. Valpo walked off with three runs in the bottom of the ninth, including a game-ending balk as Carson Husmann (Hanna, Ind. / South Central [Bradley]) broke for the plate as the pitcher began his windup, leading to the balk that sent Valpo into celebration mode on a sunny and pleasant day at Emory G. Bauer Field.

How It Happened

The game had humble beginnings from a Valpo perspective as Belmont got four in the top of the first including a three-run homer by Jeff Clarke.

Mason Landers drilled a three-run bomb in the top of the second, and suddenly the wheels appeared to be off early with Belmont leading 7-0 through an inning and a half.

One of two crucial innings of the day – and of the Valpo season for that matter – was the bottom of second. Three singles and two walks started the inning as the first five Valpo batters reached, including a two-run single by Kade Reinertson (Huxley, Iowa / Ballard Community) and a run-scoring hit by Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central).

A key blow of the frame was a two-run double down the first-base line by Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest), then Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) lifted a fly ball to center that was lost in the sun and went for an RBI double to cut the lead to 7-6.

A solo homer led off the top of the third to extend the edge back to two at 8-6, but Valpo got that run right back in the bottom of the inning as Brady Nowicki (Big Bend, Wis. / Mukwonago [Indiana Hills CC]) drilled a long ball to left to make it 8-7.

The slugfest continued in the top of the fourth with another solo shot for Belmont making it 9-7.

After a rare rough outing by Valpo ace Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) in which he allowed nine runs on nine hits including four home runs while walking none and striking out four in four innings, Valpo turned to Griffin McCluskey (Normal, Ill. / Normal Community) beginning in the fifth inning. McCluskey had a heroic day out of the bullpen, allowing just two hits and one walk over five shutout innings while striking out six.

Although McCluskey kept the Bruins at bay, what had been a slugfest through three and a half evolved into a mound showdown. Neither team scored in the fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth innings and it remained 9-7 Belmont going to the bottom of the ninth.

The inning started with a single through the right side by Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central), then Maka doubled to right center and Husmann ripped a two-run single to tie the game at nine. After scooting to third on a knock by Renfro, Husmann broke for the plate and prompted the walk-off balk. 

Inside the Game

This was Valpo’s second win this season when trailing after eight innings, joining the 10-5, 10-inning win over The Citadel on March 8.

McCluskey picked up his first win of the season and the seventh of his collegiate career. He got back on track with the clutch outing after entering the game with an 0-3 record and 10.12 ERA over 18 2/3 innings this season.

This was Valpo’s first walk-off win since a 7-6, 11-inning victory over Milwaukee on March 28, 2023. Kaleb Hannahs ended that one with a double.

This was Valpo’s sixth one-run game of the season as the Beacons improved to 2-4 in such contests. The Beacons have a knack for winning the close ones at home as they are 5-0 in one-run games played at Emory G. Bauer Field over the last two seasons.

Nowicki’s home run was the first of his three-year Valpo career.

Maka doubled twice, the fourth time a Valpo player has had multiple doubles in a game this season.

Schmack enjoyed two hits, the first of which represented a career milestone, the 200th of his collegiate career. He was one of four Beacons with a multi-hit game, joining Maka, Husmann and Renfro.

Valpo outhit Belmont 13-11 and Valpo pitching issued just one base on balls.

The 10 runs tied for the team’s second-highest total of the season (13 March 31 vs. Bradley; 10 March 8 at The Citadel.)

Head coach Brian Schmack picked up his 199th career win, needing one more to become the third skipper in program history to reach the 200 milestone.

Up Next

Valpo (11-21, 3-8 MVC) will close out the three-game series with Sunday’s 1 p.m. rubber match at Emory G. Bauer Field. The game will air on ESPN+.

VALPO TRACK

ONE-TWO FINISHES IN MEN’S DISCUS, JAVELIN AMONG HIGHLIGHTS AT WMU

The Valparaiso University track & field team competed at Western Michigan’s Jack Shaw Invitational this weekend in Kalamazoo, Mich. One-two finishes in both the men’s discus and men’s javelin were among the highlights for the Beacons.

How It Happened

In the discus, Will Rinker (Valparaiso, Ind. / Chesterton) and Nate Smith (Lake Station, Ind. / Lake State) took the top two spots, both establishing personal bests in the process. Rinker won the event at 43.34 meters (142-2), while Smith followed at 42.18m (138-4). Rinker added a runner-up finish in the hammer throw at 43.48m (142-8).

Valpo also boasted a 1-2 punch in the javelin, as Ethan Litavecz (Highland, Ind. / Highland) took top honors with a mark of 53.03m (173-11), followed by Tommy Palmer (Saco, Maine / Phillips Exeter Academy) at 42.51m (139-5).

Elsewhere in the men’s throws, Nate Smith (Lake Station, Ind. / Lake Station) was second in the shot put at 14.10m (46-3.25) and Gabe Quinn (LaPorte, Ind. / LaPorte) set a PR at 12.92m (42-4.75) in that event.

In the women’s throws, Tori Gerhardt (Westville, Ind. / Chesterton) paced the team in the shot put, discus and hammer. She recorded season-best marks in all three events, turning in tosses of 11.31m (37-1.25) in the shot, 37.40m (122-8) in the discus and 42.27m (138-8) in the hammer.

A javelin heave of 27.24 (91-0) allowed Rhena Kiger (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) to finish second.

In the sprints, Taylor Pusateri (Portage, Ind. / Portage) was the runner-up in the 100 at 12.81 and set a new PR by finishing sixth of 15 in the 200 at 26.33. Juliana Ferrara (Fox River Grove, Ill. / Cary-Grove) and Kai Dilosa also had runner-up finishes with Ferrara’s coming in the 400 at 1:01.08 and Dilosa’s in the 400 hurdles at 1:11.26.

On the men’s side, Tim Whitelaw (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) finished fourth of 15 in the 200 at 22.48, while Anthony Vassolo’s (Tinley Park, Ill. / Andrew) 400 time of 53.28 seconds placed him in fourth. In the 100 hurdles, Chaise Magnuson led the team with a third-place time of 16.04.

In the mid-distance, Noah Meacham (Tulsa, Okla. / Broken Arrow) placed fourth of 15 in the 1500 at 4:01.56. Sean Curran was the runner-up in the 3000 steeplechase with a PR of 10:04.08.

On the women’s side, Joely Overstreet (Genoa, Ill. / Genoa-Kingston) finished the 1500 in sixth of 21 at 5:02.71.

In the jumps, Micah Mullings (Minesing, Ontario, Canada / Barrie North) was second in the men’s long jump at 6.77m (22-2.5) and Katie Koryczan (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point [Purdue Northwest]) set a PR in that event on the women’s side at 4.78m (15-8.25). 

Up Next

The Beacons compete in the Gibson Invitational hosted by Indiana State next weekend in Terre Haute, Ind.

UINDY SOFTBALL

HOUNDS SWEEP MINERS IN SATURDAY MATCHUP

INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 5 UIndy softball team downed the Miners of Missouri S&T in a conference doubleheader bout on Saturday. The Greyhounds are now on a seven-game win streak and remain undefeated at home.

GAME 1 | UIndy 6, Missouri S&T 0

Braxton Downs helped the Hounds start hot in the first.  With two runners on base, Downs sent the ball into center field for a two-RBI double. This capped a three-run rally for UIndy to start the game up 3-0. Downs added two more ribbies to her name with a homer into right center.

Kenzee Smith was the winning pitcher in game one and is now 20-1 on the season. The three-time All-American pitcher secured her 14th shutout of the season. Facing 28 batters, Smith struck out eight and walked only one.

Dominique Proctor and Lexy Rees each garnered a ribbie on a double. Shelby Cook also grabbed a double during game one.

GAME 2 | UIndy 9, Missouri S&T 1 (5 innings)

Entering the bottom of the fifth, the Hounds were up 5-1. Tori Angles stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter for the Greyhounds. With two Hounds on base, Angles sent the ball flying over the fence to enact the run rule. This is the junior’s first homer of the season and third of her career.

Jayden Casebolt grabbed her 13th win of the season. Facing 22 batters, Casebolt finished with one strikeout and two walks on the day.

Cook had another double in game two with Megan Nichols also hitting one. Proctor took one for the team and was hit by a pitch for the second time of the day.

UP NEXT

UIndy wraps up their homestand with a match-up against Maryville. The doubleheader is slated to begin at noon at Baumgartner Field.

UINDY MEN’S LAX

MEN’S LAX CELEBRATES 17 SENIORS WITH 17 GOALS ON SATURDAY

INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 11 UIndy men’s lacrosse team celebrated senior day in fashion on Saturday, defeating Quincy by a score of 17-7.

Coincidentally, there were 17 Greyhounds honored prior to the game, matching the number of goals the home team scored. Ten of those goals came in the first quarter, as the team tied that record set back in the program’s inaugural season in 2016.

As lights-out as the offense looked in the early going, it was a pair of seniors on the back line who finished with impressive stats. Netminder KC Carlson recorded eight saves to up his season percentage to .543, while midfielder Jack Sullivan secured six ground balls and five caused turnovers.

SENIORS

In addition to Carlson and Sullivan, the other seniors recognized on Saturday were Wyatt Auyer, Matt Bates, Joey Bertrand, Dylan Braddock, Owain Braddock, Dougie Crawford, Josh Gamble, Trevor Lockwood, Easton Ong, Caleb Parker, Sam Puzevic, Nick Randgaard, Kyle Rizzo, Jack Sullivan, and Justin Williams.

INS & OUTS

The game was seemingly over as soon as it began, with Parker taking the opening faceoff past the Quincy’s Ryan Riggs in just four seconds to give the Greyhounds the lead for good. The senior FOGO set a spark, as the Hounds netted nine more goals in the next 13+ minutes to reach double digits. Those goals came from the following: D. Braddock (2), Beau Howard, Nathan Lam (2), Nick Luitwieler, Brandon Nemit, and Williams (2).

After Quincy cut the lead in half, sending a shock to the UIndy attack, the Greyhounds blanked the Hawks in the third quarter to improve their lead back to 10. O. Braddock tallied a hat trick during the frame, while Randgaard also got in the scoring column.

UIndy finished strong, leading by as many as 11 after Luitweiler’s second goal with 6:14 remaining to finish the scoring.

The Greyhounds used the ride in the opening quarter to gain such a large advantage early, causing four turnovers on six Quincy clear attempts. Overall, the Hawks coughed up possession 31 times, marking the fifth time this season an opponent has committed 30+ turnovers.

INSIDE THE BOX

– Sullivan accounted for one-third of the team’s caused turnovers, recording five. Seamus Faulkner, along with Lockwood, tallied two apiece.

– Carlson added one ground ball to his eight saves.

– The Brothers Braddock combined for six goals in the win.

– Each team committed seven penalties on the day, while four faceoff violations were also whistled.

– Adam Wong scooped up a career-high five ground balls.

MORE NOTES

UIndy now leads the all-time series, 4-0 … QU’s Mason Marano led the team with three points, including two goals.

UP NEXT

The Greyhounds host Lewis next Saturday in the team’s final regular season home game. The GLVC contest is scheduled for 12 p.m. from Key Stadium.

MARIAN SOFTBALL

KNIGHTS SWEPT THE MAPLE LEAFS IN FIRST DOUBLE HEADER OF WEEKEND

INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian softball team swept the Goshen Maple Leafs at home, as the Knights won game one with a score of 15-0 and won game two with a score of 3-2 to start off the four game stretch. The Knights are now 29-7 overall and 17-5 in the conference.

Game 1 | Marian 15-0 Goshen | 5 innings

The Knights got off to a slow start in game one after a pair of scoreless innings. Lily Wendt doubled deep into left center to allow Grace Meyer and Sierra Norman to score the first two runs of the game. Anna Pritchett took advantage of a struggling pitcher and advanced on a walk to allow for Abbey Hofmann to score the third run of the game. Shortly after Savannah Harweger singled up the middle to allow Wendt to score to allow the Knights to take the 4-0 lead at the end of the second inning.

After another scoreless inning for both sides the home team got on a long hitting streak. Abby Madere started the rally off with a single up the middle to allow for Pritchett to score. The Knights had two doubles and three singles all in a row to allow for Marian to increase their lead to 11-0. Shortly after Harweger hit a deep three-run home run past center field to increase the lead to 14 runs. Raegan Hiatt finished up the inning with a single into center field to allow for Madere to score the last run of the game and seccure the 15-0 win for the Knights.

Savannah Harweger lead the team in hits and RBI’s with three hits and four RBI’s. Madere, Norman, Hofmann, and Wendt all tallied two hits each. Grace Meyer, Hiatt, Hayley Greene, Pritchett, and Mackenzie Dalton all tallied one hit each. Olivia Stunkel took the shutout win tallying five strikeouts and only gave up one hit. Abigail McPherson came in and closed out the game only giving up three hits.

Game 2 | Marian 3-2 Goshen

Marian got off to an early start in game two with Brooke Knox scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first to put the Knights in a 1-0 lead.

After coming off of two scoreless innings for both sides the Knights increased their lead with Knox hitting a sacrifice fly into right field to allow for Pritchett to score. At the next at bat Madere singled up the middle to allow for Harweger to score and bring the score 3-0 at the end of the fourth inning.

Both defenses were hot in game two claiming another pair of scoreless innings for both sides. In hopes of decreasing the Knights lead Smith from Goshen hit a ground out bunt to allow for Fillingam to score the first run of the day for the Maple Leafs. VanScoter doubled into right center to allow for the last run of the game to be scored to bring the final score 3-2 to allow the Knights to claim the win.

Madere and Hofmann led the team in hits with three each while, Harweger, Knox, Wendt, and Pritchett all had one. Madere and Knox lead the team in RBI’s with one each. Macy Coan pitches the complete game striking out three batters while taking her sixth win of the season.

The Knights will be back in action tomorrow, April 13th at Goshen for the second double header of the weekend with first pitch set for 1:00 pm.

MARIAN WOMEN’S LAX

#9 MARIAN LACROSSE FALL TO #3 LAWRENCE TECH IN FINAL REGULAR SEASON GAME

Southfield, Mich. – The Marian women’s lacrosse team suffered a tough loss on the road falling 15-10 to Lawrence Tech. The Knights are now 8-5 overall and 6-2 in conference following the ranked loss.

The Knights got off to a slow start in the first quarter with Huebner and Robinson of Lawrence Tech claiming the first two goals claiming an early 2-0 lead for the Blue Devils. Katelynn Gray and Ella Grace Giedd fought back with two consecutive goals bringing the game to a 2-2 tie at the 5:21 mark. The Blue Devils continued to increase their lead with three more goals to end off the quarter with a 5-2 score.

Lawrence Tech continued to increase their lead into the second quarter with four unanswered goals to increase their lead to seven goals. In the final minutes before half the Knights picked at the Blue Devils lead with a goal scored by Tori Farkas to bring the score 9-3 in favor of Lawrence Tech at the end of the quarter.

At the start of the third quarter Lawrence Tech and Marian trading a pair of goals for each team. Vander Zwaag for the Blue Devils scored the first goal, to be quickly followed up by Ruby Mason’s goal to bring the score 10-4. Vander Zwaag and Giedd traded the second pair of goals to bring the score to 11-5. Lawrence Tech ended off the quarter with three unanswered goals to increase their lead to nine.

The Knights put up two unanswered goals to start off the quarter by Katie Murphy and Giedd to decrease Lawrence Tech’s lead 14-7. The Blue Devils and the Knights traded goals once again with Robinson from Lawrence Tech scoring a goal to be quickly followed up my Gray of the Knights. In attempts to decrease the Blue Devils lead the Knights scored three unanswered goals by, Gray with two and Murphy with one to end out the game with a final score of 15-10 in favor of Lawrence Tech.

Offensively K. Gray and Giedd led the team in goals with three each, while K. Gray, Giedd, Ashlynn Gray, Taleah Nool, and Delaney Koles led the team in assists with one each. Defensively Murphy led the team in draw controls and recovered ground balls with, four draw controls and seven ground ball recoveries. K. Gray led the team in caused turnovers with four. In goal, Katherine Hirsch took the loss with 12 saves on the day.

The Knight’s will be back in action this Tuesday at home against Siena Heights in WHAC conference tournament play.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

“SPORTS EXTRA”

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

32 – 4 – 15 – 30 – 24 – 11 – 33 – 53 – 1

April 14, 1917 – Chicago White Sox pitcher Ed Cicotte no-hits the St Louis Browns in an 11-0 romp.

April 14, 1955 – Number 32,  Elston Howard became the first African-American to play for theNew York Yankees. The 26-year-old catcher/outfielder hit a single with an RBI in 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox in his debut.

April 14, 1964 – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax, Number 32 threw a game without allowing a walk in 4-0 Opening Day win over St. Louis Cardinals. The future Baseball Hall of Fame accomplished the feat 8 other times in his storied career.

Professional Hockey History of April 14

Here are a couple of items from the Vintage Hockey Jerseys website

April 14, 1928 – The New York Rangers beat the Montreal Maroons 2-1 in Game Five of the Finals, to become the 1928 Stanley Cup Champions. It was the first appearance by the Rangers in the Finals and was their first victory of the Stanley Cup in only their second season.

April 14, 1931 – Goalie George Hainsworth posted his sixth career playoff shutout to defeat the Chicago Black Hawks 2-0 as the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup successfully defending their 1930 Cup win.

April 14, 1955 – the Detroit Red Wings beat Montreal 3-1 in game 7, to become the 1955 Stanley Cup Champions with Number 15, Alex Delvecchio scoring two goals.

April 14, 1960 – Number 4, Jean Beliveau scored a pair of goals in a 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs in game 4 of the finals as the Canadiens swept the series to become the only team to win five straight Stanley Cups. Number 30, Jacques Plante recorded his 10th career playoff shutout.

NBA Basketball History for April 14

The website of NBA.com offers these nuggets of history for the day.

April 14, 1975 – In Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Golden State defeated Seattle 123-96. Led by Number 24, Rick Barry’s then playoff record eight steals, the Warriors set an NBA playoff record with a total of 22 steals for the game.

April 14, 1976 – Number 33, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers won the fourth of his record six NBA MVP awards, after averaging 27.7 ppg and league-leading totals of 16.9 rpg and 4.12 bpg.

April 14, 1985 – Mark Eaton, Number 53 of the UtahJazz finished the 1984-85 season with 456 blocked shots for an average of 5.56 bpg, both NBA records.

April 14, 1994 – Seattle became the second NBA team to have 10 different players score in double figures, during a 150-101 win over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, as Number 11, Detlef Schrempf led the scoring parade for the Sonics with 21 points. Seattle also had 10 double-figure scorers in a 135-104 win over Portland on March 30, 1980, with Gus Williams, Number 1 notching a team-high 23 points. Phoenix joined the group on November 23, 1994 during a 140-109 triumph over the visiting LA Clippers, as rookie Number 11, Wesley Person’s 19 points led 10 double-figure scorers for the Suns.

FOOTBALL HISTORY

April 14 Team Naming

April 14, 1960 – A team naming.  Back on March 20 the new Oakland AFL franchise held a “Name Your Football Team” contest  that kicked off per the Raiders.com. Soon the franchise announced that the nickname “Senors” was the most popular answer. On April 14 the team announced that the nickname was being changed to the “Raiders.”

Hall of Fame Birthdays for April 14

April 14, 1876 – Libby, Minnesota – The standout end of Carlisle Indian Industrial School from 1896 to 1898 and with Minnesota from 1900 to 1903, Eddie Rogers was born. Eddie Rogers received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968. There is more of Rogers by clicking his name.

April 14, 1900 – Stockton, Kansas – The starting quarterback of Washburn from 1919 to 1921 and later a halfback in 1921 with Yale, Mal Stevens recounted as his date of birth. The National Football Foundation’s website reports that legendary sports journalist Grantland Rice gave him his greatest football tribute, saying Stevens was “in 1923 one of the greatest running backs I ever saw.” The 1923 Yale team went 8-0 and out-scored its opponents 230-38. The stars were Stevens at halfback, Bill Mallory at fullback, and Century Milstead  who was a transfer from Wabash at tackle. All three were elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Stevens served Yale as assistant coach 1924-27 and head coach 1928-32, freshman coach in 1933. He was head coach at New York University 1938-41 and head coach of a pro team, the Brooklyn Dodgers of the All-America Conference or AAFC in 1946. He obtained his medical degree at Yale. During the years he coached at Yale and New York University, he taught orthopedic surgery at the same schools. He was 28 when he became Yale head coach in 1928, making him the youngest head coach in the nation at a major school. He was president of the American Football Coaches Association in 1931 and, at age 31, the youngest president in association history. The National Football Foundation selected the collegiate stats and stories of Mal Stevens for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 14

1910 — William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to throw out the first ball at a baseball opener in Washington.

1910 — Chicago’s Frank Smith pitched a one-hitter in the season opener to give the White Sox a win over the St. Louis Browns.

1915 — In the opening game at Philadelphia, left-hander Herb Pennock of the A’s blanked the Red Sox 5-0. He gave up only one hit — a scratch single by Harry Hooper with two outs in the ninth.

1917 — Ed Cicotte of the Chicago White Sox pitched an 11-0 no-hitter over the St. Louis Browns.

1925 — The Cleveland Indians opened the season with a 21-14 victory over the St. Louis Browns, the most runs scored by one club on opening day. The Indians scored 12 runs in the eighth inning when the Browns made five errors. Browns first baseman George Sisler had four errors in the game.

1925 — In the first regular-season Chicago Cubs game to be broadcast on the radio, Quin Ryan announces the contest from the grandstand roof for WGN.

1931 — Jack Quinn of the Brooklyn Robins becomes the oldest pitcher to start an Opening Day game at 47 years old.

1961 — The “new” Washington Senators franchise wins its first game, defeating the Cleveland Indians, 3-2.

1964 — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax throws his ninth complete game without allowing a walk.

1967 — Boston rookie Bill Rohr lost a no-hit bid in his first major league start when Elston Howard singled in the ninth inning for the New York Yankees’ only hit in a 3-0 loss to the Red Sox.

1969 — The first major league game outside the United States was played in Montreal’s Jarry Park with the Expos defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7.

1976 — In the 6th inning of today’s 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs, Mets’ Dave Kingman hits what will become widely regarded as the longest home run ever hit in Wrigley Field, estimated at 600 feet.

1991 — Nolan Ryan becomes the 12th pitcher in major league history to surpass 5,000 innings pitched.

1999 — John Franco struck out the side in the ninth inning of the New York Met’s 4-1 win over the Florida Marlins, becoming only the second pitcher to reach 400 career saves. The only reliever with more saves than Franco is Lee Smith, who retired with 478.

2004 — A day after Yankees teammate Mike Mussina earned his 200th career victory, Kevin Brown reaches the same plateau.

2005 — Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield got into a brief scuffle with a fan along the right-field fence at Fenway Park during New York’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

2010 — Jorge Cantu homered, making him the first player in major league history to have at least one hit and one RBI in each of his team’s first nine games, and the Florida Marlins beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3.

2014 — Neil Walker and Gaby Sanchez hit back-to-back homers twice, and the Pirates and Reds combined for 10 homers in only six innings before rain forced a suspension. Pittsburgh had three sets of back-to-back homers, only the third time that’s happened in major league history. The NL Central rivals completed the game the next day. Andrew McCutchen doubled and came around on Russell Martin’s single in the seventh inning, giving the Pirates an 8-7 win.

2016 — Bryce Harper makes the 100th home run of his career his first-ever grand slam.

2017 — The Braves open their new ballpark, SunTrust Park, with a 5 – 2 win over the Padres before a sellout crowd of 41,149.

2021 — Carlos Rodon of the White Sox throws the second no-hitter of the season, blanking the Indians, 8-0.

BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1974 (BASEBALL ALMANAC).

Off the field…

On August 8th, 1974 Richard Nixon became the first President in U.S. history to resign. His decision to step down came as the House of Representatives was poised to vote on the articles of impeachment against him due to his involvement the Watergate scandal.

Patricia Hearst, the heiress to the Hearst fortune, was kidnapped by a radical terrorist group called the “Symbionese Liberation Army” resulting in one of the largest manhunts of all time. While under control of the S.L.A., she was brainwashed and forced to rob a bank while protecting her “comrades in arms.” After she was found, Hearst was convicted for grand theft and served almost two years of a seven-year prison term. Finally, she was released with help from President Jimmy Carter and two decades later, President Bill Clinton granted her a full pardon.

Charles A. Lindbergh, the first man to fly across the Atlantic (from New York-to-Paris) in 1927 aboard the “Spirit of St. Louis”, died of cancer of the lymphatic system. The aviation pioneer had become a recluse after retiring to the island of Kipahulu, Hawaii where he developed an active concern with conservation. Upon hearing of his death, President Ford stated the courage and daring of his historic flight would never be forgotten and that he would be remembered as one of America’s all-time heroes.

In the American League…

“Ten-Cent Beer Night” in Cleveland backfired after drunken and disorderly fans stumbled onto the field of play causing the Indians to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers. With a five-all score in the ninth, Tribe fans poured onto the field and surrounded outfielder Jeff Burroughs while trying to take his hat and glove for souvenirs. After players from both sides rushed to his aid, the game was called in favor of the visitors.

Principal New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was suspended for two years by the Commissioner’s Office after he was convicted in federal court for making illegal contributions to the re-election campaign of President Richard Nixon.

The Oakland Athletics’ Gene Tenace proved that it’s not always what you do, but sometimes what you don’t. Tenace tied a 1930 mark set by John Clancy of the Chicago White Sox in which the first baseman played an entire nine-innings without ever having a fielding chance.

In the National League…

On Thursday April 4th, Hank Aaron hit a three-run homer off of Jack Billingham as the Atlanta Braves lost to the Reds 7-6, at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. The eleven inning game itself took a backseat to “Hammerin'” Hank, who had finally tied Babe Ruth with home run number 714. Both Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and Vice-president Gerald Ford were on hand to congratulate the slugger who had persevered over racial prejudice and death threats from several fans who did not want to see the Bambino’s record fall to a black man. Four days later, back home at Fulton County Stadium, Aaron hit number 715 off Los Angeles Dodgers’ lefty, Al Downing. Lost in the celebration was Aaron’s tying of Willie Mays’ National League record of 2,063 runs as well as his team’s 7-4 victory.

The Mets lost 4-3 to the Cardinals during a “long-distance” marathon night game on September 11th. After seven hours and twenty-five innings, the outing became the longest game to a decision in Major League history. In the end, New York had batted one-hundred three times and St. Louis was not far behind with ninety-nine plate appearances. A record one-hundred seventy-five official at-bats were recorded, with a Major League record of forty-five runners left stranded. Despite the historical moment, only a thousand fans were on hand when it finally ended at 3:13 a.m.

On June 29th, Lou Brock nabbed his seven-hundredth bag at Wrigley Field as the St. Louis Cardinals crushed the hometown “Cubbies” 11-2. Brock’s sixty-fifth robbery of the season put him in the company of baseball’s greatest “criminals” including Ty Cobb, who stole eight-hundred ninety-two bases, Eddie Collins (seven-hundred forty-three), Max Carey (seven-hundred thirty-eight) and Honus Wagner (seven-hundred one).

Around the League…

Forty-eight major leaguers opted to try the new arbitration procedure that had been established to aid in the negotiation of contract differences. The first to file was Minnesota pitcher Dick Woodson, who was seeking an agreement worth $29,000. The Twins had offered $23,000 and both parties presented their arguments to a Detroit lawyer and labor arbitrator Harry H. Platt. After reviewing the monetary amounts presented, the verdict was cast in Woodson’s favor.

A new organization known as the “Major League Scouting Bureau” was founded to cut expenditures across the league by centralizing scouting. Initially, membership was not mandatory (until 1984) resulting in only seventeen of twenty-four teams agreeing to pay the $118,000 fee for inclusion. All American League clubs except the White Sox and Toronto joined and only the Cubs, Expos, Pirates, Braves, Astros and the Reds represented the National League.

To prevent the sale of “counterfeit” memorabilia, a system was developed to maintain the integrity of authentic baseballs during Hank Aaron’s quest for Babe Ruth’s home run record. After Aaron’s 710th round-tripper, all official major league balls issued were “encoded” with a special serial number and a diamond symbol that was only visible under fluorescent light.

Twenty-seven years after Jackie Robinson first entered the majors, Frank Robinson became Major League Baseball’s first black manager. The thirty-nine year old player / manager signed a $175,000 contract with the Cleveland Indians making him the team’s twenty-eighth skipper. Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announced that it should have taken place much sooner and Robinson stated that his only wish was that Jackie could have been there to share in the moment.

BASEBALL’S GREAT PITCHERS

EDDIE PLANK (1901-1917)

Killer Stat: 66 Career Shutouts

One of the game’s first shut-down lefties, Eddie Plank helped the Philadelphia Athletics win three World Series in the 1910s.

The team played in five World Series during his career, and he put together an astonishing 1.32 ERA in his games in the Fall Classic, which is more than a full run less than his impressive career ERA of 2.35. Plank’s 66 career shutouts are the most for any left-handed pitcher in MLB history, and his win total of 326 ranks 13th among all pitchers.

TODAY IN NBA HISTORY

April 14, 1962

Elgin Baylor of the Los Angeles Lakers scored an NBA Finals record 61 points in Game 5 at Boston Garden as the Lakers defeated the Celtics 126-121. Baylor’s 22 field goals made set an NBA Finals record that was tied five years later by San Francisco’s Rick Barry.

April 14, 1975

In Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Golden State defeated Seattle 123-96. Led by Rick Barry’s then playoff record eight steals, the Warriors set an NBA playoff record with a total of 22 steals for the game.

April 14, 1976

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers won the fourth of his record six NBA MVP awards, after averaging 27.7 ppg and league-leading totals of 16.9 rpg and 4.12 bpg.

April 14, 1985

Mark Eaton of Utah concluded the 1984-85 season with 456 blocked shots for an average of 5.56 bpg, both NBA records.

April 14, 1992

New Jersey defeated host Miami 105-100, as Nets coach Bill Fitch established a record for the most games coached in NBA history (passing Dick Motta), with 1,720. Fitch was later passed in total games coached by all-time leader Lenny Wilkens.

April 14, 1994

Seattle became the second NBA team to have 10 different players score in double figures, during a 150-101 win over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, as Detlef Schrempf led the scoring parade for the Sonics with 21 points. Seattle also had 10 double-figure scorers in a 135-104 win over Portland on March 30, 1980, with Gus Williams notching a team-high 23 points. Phoenix joined the group on November 23, 1994 during a 140-109 triumph over the visiting LA Clippers, as rookie Wesley Person’s 19 points led 10 double-figure scorers for the Suns.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

April 14

1928 — The New York Rangers beat the Montreal Maroons for the Stanley Cup, 3-games-to-2.

1931 — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks 2-0 in the fifth game to win the Stanley Cup after trailing 2-games-to-1.

1941 — 45th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:30:38; his third victory in the event.

1948 — The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup in four games as they beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-2.

1955 — Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings win back-to-back titles; beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 for a 4-3 series victory.

1960 — The Montreal Canadiens win their fifth straight Stanley Cup with a four-game sweep of the Toronto Maple Leafs, including tonight’s 4-0 victory.

1962 — Elgin Baylor of Los Angeles scores a record 61 points to lead the Lakers to a 126-121 triumph over the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals.

1964 — LA Dodgers’ future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax throws his 9th complete game without allowing a walk.

1968 — Bob Goalby wins the Masters when Roberto de Vincenzo of Argentina is penalized for signing an incorrect scorecard.

1974 — 38th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Gary Player wins the 2nd of his 3 Masters titles.

1985 — Bernhard Langer beats Curtis Strange, Ray Floyd and Seve Ballesteros by two strokes to win the Masters.

1991 — Ian Woosnam of Wales made a par putt to turn back Tom Watson on the last hole and capture the Masters.

1993 — The NHL’s longest winning streak ends at 17 games as the Pittsburgh Penguins settled for a 6-6 tie with the New Jersey Devils on a late goal by Joe Mullen.

1996 — The Detroit Red Wings wrap up the winningest season in NHL history by defeating Dallas 5-1. The Red Wings finished with 62 victories, beating the 60 wins of the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens.

1996 — Greg Norman shoots a startling 78 in the greatest collapse in Masters history, giving Nick Faldo his third green jacket and sixth major championship.

2002 — Tiger Woods becomes the third player to win back-to-back Masters titles. He closes with a 1-under 71 to claim a three-stroke victory over Retief Goosen.

2013 — Adam Scott becomes the first Australian to win the Masters, beating Angel Cabrera on the second hole of a playoff on a rainy day at Augusta National.

2016 — Breanna Stewart leads a UConn sweep of the first three picks in the WNBA draft, going first overall to the Seattle Storm. Moriah Jefferson went second to San Antonio and Morgan Tuck third to Connecticut, the first time in draft history that three players from the same school went 1-2-3. It’s a first in any major sport.

2019 — 83rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods wins his 5th Masters title by 1 stroke from Xander Schauffele.

TV SPORTS SUNDAY

Sunday, Apr. 14

AUTO RACING

11 a.m.

FS1 — NHRA: Qualifying, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas (Taped)

2 p.m.

CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MX2, Pietramurata, Italy

2:30 p.m.

TBS — FIM MotoGP: The Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, Austin, Texas

3 p.m.

CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MXGP, Pietramurata, Italy

3:30 p.m.

FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas

7 p.m.

FS1 — NHRA: The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas (Taped)

1 a.m. (Monday)

CNBC — AMA Supercross Series: Round 13, Foxborough, Mass. (Taped)

BOWLING

Noon

FS1 — PBA: The WSOB PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship, Allen Park, Mich. (Taped)

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Noon

BTN — Nebraska at Rutgers

SECN — South Carolina at Florida

3 p.m.

PAC-12N — Stanford at Oregon St.

SECN — LSU at Tennessee

COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)

2 p.m.

ACCN — Virginia at Duke

7 p.m.

BTN — Johns Hopkins at Ohio St.

COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)

Noon

ESPNU — Michigan at Johns Hopkins

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

Noon

ACCN — Boston College at Virginia Tech

2:30 p.m.

ESPN2 — Georgia at Kentucky

4 p.m.

ACCN — Notre Dame at Florida St.

4:30 p.m.

ESPN2 — Texas A&M at Alabama

6 p.m.

ACCN — Duke at Clemson

PAC-12N — California at UCLA

FISHING

8 a.m.

FS1 — Bassmaster Elite Series: The 2024 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain, Leesburg, Fla.

GOLF

2 p.m.

ESPN — PGA Tour: The Masters, Final Round, Augusta National Golf Course, Augusta, Ga.

HORSE RACING

1 p.m.

FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

IIHF HOCKEY (WOMEN’S)

1 p.m.

NHLN — World Championship: TBD, Bronze Medal Game, Utica, N.Y.

5 p.m.

NHLN — World Championship: TBD, Gold Medal Game, Utica, N.Y.

LACROSSE (MEN’S)

5 p.m.

ESPNU — NLL: Albany at Panther City

MLB BASEBALL

1:30 p.m.

MLBN — Regional Coverage: NY Yankees at Cleveland OR LA Angels at Boston

4:30 p.m.

MLBN — Regional Coverage: Chicago Cubs at Seattle (4:10 p.m.) OR St. Louis at Arizona (4:10 p.m.)

7 p.m.

ESPN — San Diego at LA Dodgers

NBA BASKETBALL

1 p.m.

ESPN — Chicago at New York

3:30 p.m.

ESPN — LA Lakers at New Orleans

NHL HOCKEY

1 p.m.

TNT — Seattle at St. Louis

3:30 p.m.

TNT — Colorado at Vegas

TRUTV — Colorado at Vegas (MultiVersus NHL Face-Off)

RODEO

4 p.m.

CBSSN — PBR: Round 3 & Championship Round, Billings, Mont.

RUGBY (MEN’S)

6 p.m.

FS2 — MLR: Seattle at RFC Los Angeles

SOCCER (MEN’S)

9 a.m.

USA — Premier League: Crystal Palace at Liverpool

11:30 a.m.

USA — Premier League: Aston Villa at Arsenal

12:25 p.m.

ESPN2 — La Liga: Villarreal at Athletic Bilbao

2:30 p.m.

FOX — MLS: Philadelphia Union at Atlanta United FC

4:30 p.m.

FOX — MLS: Austin FC at St. Louis City SC

SWIMMING

1:30 p.m.

CNBC — TYR: Pro Swim Series, San Antonio (Taped)

TENNIS

6 a.m.

TENNIS — Monte Carlo-ATP Doubles Final

9 a.m.

TENNIS — Monte Carlo-ATP Singles Final

2:30 p.m.

TENNIS — Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers: U.S. vs. Belgium

5 a.m. (Monday)

TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds

6 a.m. (Monday)

TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds

UFL FOOTBALL

Noon

ABC — Houston at Michigan

3 p.m.

ABC — St. Louis at San Antonio