CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES
PERRY MERIDIAN 6 BEN DAVIS 1
PERRY MERIDIAN 12 AVON 6
FRANKLIN 12 SOUTHPORT 2
CONNERSVILLE 7 ANDERSON 0
NEW PALESTINE 11 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 6
BLOOMINGTON NORTH 10 MOORESVILLE 5
MOORESVILLE 7 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 6
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 21 EMINENCE 0
EDINBURG 17 EMINENCE 6
PARK TUDOR 12 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 7
AVON 7 DECATUR CENTRAL 1
WESTERN 13 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 3
ZIONSVILLE 8 MCCUTCHEON 0
ADAMS CENTRAL 16 MONROE CENTRAL 5
PLAINFIELD 5 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 4
CRAWFORDSVILLE 8 LEBANON 5
BLUE RIVER 15 FRANKTON 14
TRI-WEST 15 WESTERN BOONE 1
EAST CENTRAL 12 UNION COUNTY 5
EAST CENTRAL 6 UNION COUNTY 0
CRISPUS ATTUCKS 14 TINDLEY 7
INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON 15 CROUTHERSVILLE 10
TRINITY 4 CARMEL 3
TRINITY 7 CARMEL 6
FRANKLIN COUNTY 5 RICHMOND 2
SHENANDOAH 2 KNIGHTSTOWN 1
NORTHEASTERN 5 COWAN 0
COWAN 7 NORTHEASTERN 5
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 34 EDINBURGH 3
NOBLESVILLE 11 COLUMBUS NORTH 7
MUNCIE CENTRAL 4 MARION 1
WESTFIELD 10 NEW CASTLE 0
GUERIN CATHOLIC 7 HAMMOND NOLL 1
FISHERS 12 HUNTINGTON NORTH 0
FISHERS 11 HUNTINGTON NORTH 1
RONCALLI 11 FRANKLIN 9
SETON 12 SHORTRIDGE 2
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 5 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 4
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/BASEBALL/SCORES/?DATE=4/22/2023
CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 12 HAGERSTOWN 3
WHITELAND 10 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 3
FRANKLIN 5 COLUMBUS EAST 0
PERRY MERIDIAN 12 BEN DAVIS 10
COWAN 5 KNIGHTSTOWN 1
WESTFIELD 19 FRANKLIN COUNTY 14
PLAINFIELD 6 MCCUTCHEON 3
COLUMBUS NORTH 7 CENTER GROVE 4
SOUTH DEARBORN 13 BATESVILLE 3
EASTBROOK 10 DELTA 0
KOKOMO 7 SOUTH BEND RILEY 6
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 4 E. CENTRAL 1
BEECH GROVE 21 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 3
BROWNSBURG 16 CARMEL 5
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 4 CALUMET CHRISTIAN 0
TRI-WEST 5 WESTERN BOONE 1
NOBLESVILLE 6 CASTLE 3
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 26 WHITELAND 9
COWAN 15 KNIGHTSTOWN 5
EASTBROOK 16 DELTA 0
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 5 COLUMBUS NORTH 1
FRANKLIN 5 COLUMBUS EAST 0
PERRY MERIDIAN 19 BEN DAVIS 13
MCCUTCHEON 11 DECATUR CENTRAL 8
RONCALLI 10 TECUMSEH 0
PENN 13 RO PIC3NCALLI 0
WESTERN BOONE 8 TRI-WEST 7
WESTFIELD 11 KOKOMO 4
CENTER GROVE 7 BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 6
SEYMOUR 12 DECATUR CENTRAL 5
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 10 CATHEDRAL 2
AVON 7 CASTLE 6
PLAINFIELD 7 SEYMOUR 2
TECUMSEH 13 CARMEL 2
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/SOFTBALL/SCORES/?DATE=4/22/2023
NBA PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD
PHILADELPHIA 96 BROOKLYN 88
PHOENIX 112 LA CLIPPERS 100
MIAMI 121 MILWAUKEE 99
LA LAKERS 111 MEMPHIS 101
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NBA/SCOREBOARD.ASP
NHL PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD
VEGAS 5 WINNIPEG 4
TORONTO 4 TAMPA BAY 3
NEW JERSEY 2 NY RANGERS 1
COLORADO 6 SEATTLE 4
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
NY YANKEES 3 TORONTO 2
LA DODGERS 9 CHICAGO CUBS 4
WASHINGTON 10 MINNESOTA 4
MIAMI 6 CLEVELAND 1
MIAMI 3 CLEVELAND 2
MILWAUKEE 5 BOSTON 4
HOUSTON 6 ATLANTA 3
SEATTLE 5 ST. LOUIS 4
TAMPA BAY 4 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3
BALTIMORE 5 DETROIT 1
TEXAS 18 OAKLAND 3
KANSAS CITY 11 LA ANGELS 8
PHILADELPHIA 4 COLORADO 3
SAN FRANCISCO 7 NY METS 4
PITTSBURGH 2 CINCINNATI 1
SAN DIEGO 5 ARIZONA 3
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/MLB/SCOREBOARD.ASP
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
MEMPHIS 7 INDIANAPOLIS 2
SOUTH BEND 4 GREAT LAKES 2
FORT WAYNE 11 PEORIA 4
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
CHARLOTTE 1 COLUMBUS 0
CINCINNATI 2 PORTLAND 1
MONTRÉAL 2 NEW YORK 0
NEW ENGLAND 2 KANSAS CITY 1
NEW YORK CITY 3 DALLAS 1
DC 3 ORLANDO 1
PHILADELPHIA 4 TORONTO 2
HOUSTON 1 MIAMI 0
NASHVILLE 1 LAFC 1
COLORADO 1 ST. LOUIS 1
SALT LAKE 3 SAN JOSE 1
LA 2 AUSTIN 0
SEATTLE 1 MINNESOTA 0
XFL SCORES
ST. LOUIS 53 ORLANDO 28
DC 29 SAN ANTONIO 28
USFL
NEW ORLEANS 38 HOUSTON 31
BIRMINGHAM 42 MEMPHIS 2
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
BUTLER 12 SETON HALL 10
INDIANA 17 OHIO 2
WRIGHT STATE 17 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 6
BALL STATE 5 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 2
BALL STATE 16 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 12
VALPARAISO 5 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 4
INDIANA STATE 6 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 5
EVANSVILLE 7 MURRAY STATE 6
EASTERN ILLINOIS 22 SOUTHERN INDIANA 12
TOP NATIONAL NEWS
NBA PLAYOFFS
76ERS FINISH SWEEP OF NETS WITHOUT EMBIID IN 96-88 WIN
NEW YORK (AP) Tobias Harris had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-88 on Saturday, completing a sweep that made them the first team to reach the second round of the playoffs.
James Harden added 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the third-seeded 76ers, who will wait for the winner of the series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. The defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics have a 2-1 lead.
The 76ers hope Embiid will be recover from his sprained right knee in time for the start of the next series; the MVP finalist and two-time NBA scoring champion was ruled out Friday night and the 76ers struggled to score without him.
So they turned to their defense, and ended up outscoring the Nets 21-4 during a stretch of more than eight minutes in the third quarter.
Tyrese Maxey finished a strong series with 16 points and Paul Reed added 10 points and 15 rebounds after replacing Embiid in the starting lineup.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 20 points and Nic Claxton had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who were swept for the second straight year and have lost 10 straight postseason games. They went 0-8 this season against the 76ers.
Embiid went to the locker room early in Game 3 and was limping a couple times later in the game, but had a blocked shot to preserve a two-point lead with 8.8 seconds left and said afterward he was OK. But coach Doc Rivers said Embiid was complaining of soreness behind his knee and already had swelling shortly after the game. An MRI exam revealed the sprain.
Dorian Finney-Smith’s 3-pointer two minutes into the third quarter made it 53-42, matching the Nets’ largest lead of the game. But Harden and P.J. Tucker hit consecutive 3s to get the Sixers started on what became a 14-0 run that made it 56-53 on Reed’s basket.
Maxey’s 3-pointer extended it to 63-57 with 1:49 remaining in the period, capping the Nets’ lengthy drought that would have seemed unimaginable when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were in Brooklyn.
They were both dealt at midseason, and this team went down just as quickly as the one they led last season, when Brooklyn was also the first team eliminated after getting swept by Boston.
Embiid averaged only 20 points in the series, 13 below his NBA-leading average of 33.1, as the Nets heavily double-teamed him.
But those double-teams were leaving open looks for their guards that weren’t available Saturday, and the Sixers were just 2 for 11 from 3-point range in the first half as the Nets led 48-40.
But the 76ers limited them to 40 points in the second half and eventually pulled away to a 14-point lead as the cheers of the Sixers fans in the building grew louder.
TIP-INS
76ers: Philadelphia’s eight-game winning streak against Brooklyn in the playoffs is its second-longest ever against an opponent. The 76ers beat the New York Knicks 10 straight times in the early 1980s.
Nets: The Nets fell to 0-7 all-time at home against the 76ers in the postseason. … Patty Mills played for the first time in the series, going scoreless in five minutes. … Brooklyn’s last playoff win remains Game 5 against Milwaukee in the 2021 East semifinals.
DREADED LETTERS
Rivers said he doesn’t worry when he sees Embiid appear to be hurting, as he was at times during Game 3. His concerns begin when he is told the medical staff wants to do an MRI exam.
“As a coach I hate that word, I hate those three letters. I mean, because it never comes out well,” Rivers said. “It just feels like that whenever they tell a coach, ‘Hey, we’re going to get an MRI,’ it doesn’t turn out well most of the time and this one did not.”
LEBRON’S LAKERS BEAT GRIZZLIES 111-101, TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD
LOS ANGELES (AP) LeBron James and the Lakers came out in front of this franchise’s first sellout playoff crowd in a decade and immediately produced one of the greatest first quarters in team history. Los Angeles leaped to a 35-9 lead amidst one raucous ovation after another from fans eager for a return to playoff success.
Not even Ja Morant could carry the Memphis Grizzlies all the way back to prevent the Lakers from seizing Game 3.
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds, James finished with 25 points after Dillon Brooks was ejected for striking him in the groin, and Los Angeles survived Morant’s 24-point fourth quarter to beat the Grizzlies 111-101 Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Rui Hachimura scored 16 points in another strong effort off the bench for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who came out impressively in this long-awaited return to a true playoff atmosphere for a franchise with 17 titles. Los Angeles tied an NBA record by taking a 26-point lead into the second quarter, and Memphis couldn’t get closer than 13 points until the final two minutes.
“We had a game plan, and we executed it through those first 12 minutes,” James said.
Morant scored 45 points in his return from a one-game absence with a sore right hand, even scoring 22 consecutive points during his stunning fourth quarter while Memphis attempted to rally from an early 29-point deficit. Morant also had 13 assists and nine rebounds, but the second-seeded Grizzlies couldn’t fully recover after scoring a franchise-low nine points in the first quarter.
“I thought our crowd was phenomenal,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Really felt them in the building. Thank God we gave them something to cheer about, the way we came out.”
Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.
Brooks was ejected 17 seconds into the second half after the Memphis agitator struck James in the groin while guarding him near midcourt. While the top scorer in NBA history rolled on the court in pain, officials tossed Brooks after a brief video review.
With the Lakers’ sellout crowd booing his every move, Brooks had just seven points on 3-for-13 shooting before his ejection. He drew the Lakers fans’ ire for his behavior during and after Game 2, when the 27-year-old Brooks called the 38-year-old James “old” and belittled James’ abilities.
Brooks declined to speak to reporters after the game. Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins only commented tersely on Brooks’ ejection: “Officials made a call.”
This rivalry stayed chippy in the third quarter, with Lakers forward Hachimura getting a technical foul for a furious reaction to a foul.
Aside from the physical play, the Lakers were in control of Game 3 until the Grizzlies made it mildly interesting late, never getting closer than nine points.
“First quarter, I thought we were playing hard, (but) our offense significantly impacted our defensive ability,” Jenkins said. “The way our guys fought for quarters 2, 3 and 4 showed a lot of great resiliency. We’ve got to learn to get better from this. Adversity is going to bring out the best in us.”
Morant wore a black brace and padding on his hand and appeared tentative with it at times, but Memphis’ leading scorer started slowly before rounding into his usual unguardable form in the fourth quarter.
Desmond Bane scored 18 points for the Grizzlies.
The frenetic crowd was eager to cheer or to boo, and Brooks’ provocative behavior provided a perfect outlet for the fans’ energy. The fans ripped into Brooks in pregame warmups and each time he touched the ball before his ejection – but more importantly, the Lakers played with a similar edge from the opening tip.
Los Angeles rushed away to a double-digit lead and went up 35-9 after one quarter while the Grizzlies flailed offensively, going 3 for 25 with six turnovers. Brooks was particularly bad, missing 10 of his first 12 shots and making little impact on defense.
The Lakers led by 29 in the second quarter before Memphis finally shook off its road jitters and made a 10-0 run to close the first half, trimming its deficit to 16.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Brooks is the only player in franchise history to be ejected from multiple playoff games. He has been ejected six times in his six-year career, and he served two suspensions this season for an accumulation of technical fouls. … Memphis hadn’t played a postseason game in Los Angeles since 2013, facing the Clippers.
Lakers: D’Angelo Russell scored 17 points. He had a four-point play in the first quarter, the Lakers’ first such play in a postseason game since Kobe Bryant did it in 2009. … The 17-time NBA champions’ last playoff game with a full crowd was in 2013. The Lakers missed the next six ensuing postseasons, and their 2020 championship run occurred in the Florida bubble. They hosted three first-round games in 2021 with a half-full arena due to COVID-19 restrictions.
BUTLER SCORES 30, HEAT TOP GIANNIS-LESS BUCKS 121-99
MIAMI (AP) Jimmy Butler took a hard fall. Victor Oladipo took a harder one. And the Miami Heat still found a way to knock off the Milwaukee Bucks, reclaiming the lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Butler scored 30 points before leaving with a sore glute, leading the eighth-seeded Heat past the top-seeded Bucks 121-99 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
But what should have been a celebratory postgame – big win, series lead, halfway to upsetting the NBA’s top overall seed – was anything but, after Oladipo left in the fourth quarter after a knee injury that had the Heat fearing very bad news.
“I feel probably like how everybody feels,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It was a great win, but when you see a player go down like that – especially a player like Vic who’s gone through so much in the last three years … that’s definitely not a good feeling.”
Injuries have now become the biggest story in this series. The Bucks were without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for a second consecutive game because of a bruised lower back, an injury he suffered in Game 1. The Heat were already without Tyler Herro because of a broken right hand, also from Game 1.
Butler wasn’t moving well, and Oladipo’s situation – even without the Heat offering an initial diagnosis yet – did not seem good, based on the instant reaction of disbelief from teammates and staffers who rushed to his side as he grabbed at the knee.
“We’re all praying for the best,” said Heat guard Duncan Robinson, who scored 20 points on his 29th birthday for Miami. Kyle Lowry scored 15 for the Heat.
Khris Middleton scored 23 points, Jrue Holiday added 19 and Grayson Allen scored 14 for Milwaukee.
Game 4 is in Miami on Monday night, when the Heat will aim for a 3-1 lead. Miami took Game 1, Milwaukee took Game 2, Miami won Game 3 and now it’ll be the Bucks looking for another bounce-back.
“We need to be better,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Like I said, give them credit. They played well. We need to be better. We need to deal with a lot of things better. That’ll be the challenge going into the next game.”
With the win, the Heat are halfway to what would be a stunner – a No. 8 seed over a No. 1 seed, something that’s happened only five times since the NBA went to the 16-team playoff format in 1984.
Those who pulled it off: Denver over Seattle 3-2 in 1994, New York over Miami 3-2 in 1999, Golden State over Dallas 4-2 in 2007, Memphis over San Antonio 4-2 in 2011 and Philadelphia over Chicago 4-2 in 2012.
Butler got hurt midway through the third quarter after trying a shot near the rim and landing on his back. He stayed in the game briefly, departed for a short stint in the locker room and returned with a large wrap on his back – with the Heat saying he would return.
He didn’t, because he didn’t have to. The game was in hand, and Miami eventually led by as many as 29.
“We still had our chances,” Middleton said. “Just couldn’t get it together.”
The first half couldn’t have gone better for Miami. Butler had 17 points in the opening quarter, the Heat had a 19-0 run at one point, they set a franchise record by making 12 3’s in a half – and it was still only 66-53 at the break.
The reason, again: Milwaukee was getting 3’s, again. The Bucks made 25 of them in their easy Game 2 win and were 10 for 18 from deep in the first half Saturday.
But the Bucks cooled after halftime, shooting only 5 for 21 from 3-point range, and the outcome was never in doubt.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Holiday’s first 10 points came in the opening 4:43. He reached 10 points faster in only one other game this season, needing 4:18 to do so against Toronto on Jan. 17. … Pat Connaughton scored 11 for Milwaukee.
Heat: Kevin Love returned to the Miami starting lineup. … Robinson had been part of only one other Heat game on his birthday – it was last year, when Miami lost Game 3 of a first-round series against Atlanta 111-110. Miami was 6-0 all-time in games played on April 22 before that. … Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was courtside.
DURANT SCORES 31, SUNS BEAT CLIPPERS 112-100 FOR 3-1 LEAD
LOS ANGELES (AP) Phoenix’ big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul were all in go-mode.
As a result, the scrappy and shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers are on the verge of going home for the summer.
Durant scored 31 points, Booker added 30 and Paul bounced back big in the fourth quarter of a 112-100 victory over the Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers on Saturday to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.
“It’s definitely good when we all three are aggressive. We all did a solid job,” said Durant, acquired in February from the Brooklyn Nets. “We’re still growing and still trying to learn each other.”
The Clippers, who lost Game 3 by five points, again made a strong run with Leonard watching from the bench. He has missed two straight games with a sprained right knee. They’re also without Paul George, who hasn’t played since March 21 because of the same injury as Leonard.
“This team is going to stick around the whole game,” Durant said of the Clippers. “They’re never out of a game.”
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday in Phoenix.
“We make no excuses around here,” Clippers guard Russell Westbrook said. “We just got to make sure we rally around each other, keep competing and leave it on the floor.”
Westbrook, who joined the Clippers in February, carried them in the fourth. He had 14 points, including nine in a row when they twice pulled within two points.
Westbrook finished with a game-high 37 points. Norman Powell added 14 points and Terance Mann had 13 off the bench.
But as the fourth wound down, the Clippers ran out of gas.
Paul, who at 37 has had many late-game big moments, had 12 points in the fourth, hitting key jumpers from all over the court each time Los Angeles threatened.
“I was just happy a few of them fell,” said Paul, who shot 5 of 18 for 11 points in Game 3.
Paul finished with 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting, nine assists and no turnovers against his former team. Booker had nine rebounds and seven assists. Deandre Ayton had 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Looking ageless at 34 while playing a game-high 44 minutes, Durant scored 11 points in the third, capped by a 3-pointer as the Suns erased an early eight-point deficit. They led 83-78 going into the fourth.
“We did a solid job of staying poised,” Durant said. “We were just terrible to start the third.”
The Clippers scored the first nine points of the third and Suns coach Monty Williams called timeout.
“Typically you have to list three, four things you have to do,” he said. “I don’t have to do that with these guys. They understand before I get there.”
The Suns trailed by 11 points early in the second, when they outscored the Clippers 25-17 and led 48-47 at the break.
“It was a back and forth battle,” Durant said. “They threw punches, we threw punches. We threw the last one.”
TIP-INS
Suns: Cam Payne (low back soreness) has yet to play in the postseason.
Clippers: Westbrook became the sixth player in franchise history with consecutive postseason games of at least 30 points. He had 30 in Game 3. … Got outrebounded 49-33. … Bench outscored the Suns’ reserves, 26-9.
NHL PLAYOFFS
MICHAEL AMADIO SCORES IN 2ND OT, GOLDEN KNIGHTS TOP JETS 5-4
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Michael Amadio scored at 3:40 of the second overtime Saturday to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets and a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
Dylan Samberg’s clearing attempt for Winnipeg from the back boards, deflected off Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev’s skate to Amadio for a one-timer that went into the top right corner – going between goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s head and glove.
“It is something that I will remember forever for sure,” said Amadio, who scored his first playoff goal in his fourth career postseason game. “I kind of didn’t even see it go in. I just kind of put it on net and then I heard all the guys on the ice start screaming and that was when I knew.”
Jets coach Rick Bowness said he talked to Samberg after the game.
“You get in those situations and the puck takes a bounce off a skate or a stick and it goes to them. That’s usually how overtime games are ended,” Bowness said. “I talked to him right away. He’s a big part of why we’re here. We’ll keep playing him.”
Adam Lowry tied it for Winnipeg with 21.9 seconds left in regulation, beating goalie Laurent Brossoit of a rebound to cap a three-goal, third-period comeback.
“Give them credit, they had a good push in the third,” Vegas forward Jack Eichel said. “But coming in after the third before the first overtime, we had a lot of confidence in the room.” Nino Niederreiter scored at 2:04 of the third and Mark Scheifele connected on a power play with 5:52 left to cut it to 4-3.
Eichel had two power-play goals and added an assist. Chandler Stephenson had a goal and an assist, and Keegan Kolesar also scored. Brossoit, who spent three seasons with the Jets, made 30 saves.
Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg, and Hellebuyck stopped 43 shots.
A sold-out crowd of 15,325 at Canada Life Centre continued the “whiteout” playoff tradition of wearing white and waving white towels. Game 4 of the Western Conference series is Monday night in Winnipeg.
Winnipeg All-Star defenseman Josh Morrisey left four minutes into the first period with a lower-body injury. Morrissey collided knee-on-knee with Vegas defenseman Zach Whitecloud and appeared to be favoring his right knee.
Bowness said Morrissey will be gone for the remainder of the series.
“He’s got a lower-body (injury) and he’s done for the series,” Bowness said. “Now, when we get into next week, I’ll be able to give you a better answer. I just know he’s done for the series.”
REILLY SCORES IN OT TO LIFT MAPLE LEAFS PAST LIGHTNING, 4-3
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Down a goal and outplayed for much of the night, the Toronto Maple Leafs found a way to reclaim home-ice advantage in their first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Ryan O’Reilly scored with a minute left in regulation, then won a faceoff that set up Morgan Reilly’s goal at 19:15 of overtime that gave the Maple Leafs a 4-3 victory Saturday night in Game 3 of the best-of-seven matchup.
Ilya Samsonov stopped 36 shots for Toronto. He had eight saves in the extra period, one on Lightning star Nikita Kucherov from point-blank range, to give the Maple Leafs a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is Monday night at Amalie Arena.
Toronto, which hasn’t won a playoff series since 2004, also regained home-ice advantage in the series after watching it slip away during a lopsided loss at home in Game 1.
The Maple Leafs are 0 for 7 in their last seven postseason matchups, including first-round exits each of the past six years.
“It wasn’t the best game by us, but we did a good job of sticking with it,” O’Reilly said.
Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe also liked the way his team stayed the course, noting that in past years “we’ve lost this game.”
Auston Matthews and Noel Acciari scored early for Toronto, which forced overtime when O’Reilly slipped a shot past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy with 60 seconds remaining in the third period.
Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel scored in the opening period for Tampa Bay, which took a 3-2 lead on rookie Darren Raddysh’s first career playoff goal at 13:34 of the second.
Play was interrupted for several minutes early in the third period while officials sorted through a wild sequence that began with Reilly pushing Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point into the boards as the two battled for a loose puck.
The hit touched off several skirmishes, one of them involving Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and Matthews.
Stamkos and Matthews were sent to the penalty box for fighting, as were Kucherov and O’Reilly.
Reilly was initially assessed a five-minute penalty for boarding, but following a review, the officials ruled there was no penalty for the shove on Point, who skated to the locker room bent over in pain before returning in the closing minutes of regulation.
Matthews and Acciari scored in the first period for Toronto. The Maple Leafs forced overtime when O’Reilly scored from in front after Vasilevskiy blocked William Nylander’s shot from left of the net.
Tampa Bay wiped out a pair of one-goal deficits in the opening period, with Hagel’s first goal of the series making it 2-2. Raddysh skated from behind the net to lift a nifty shot over Samsonov for the 3-2 lead the Lightning held until O’Reilly tied it with exactly one minute left in the third.
“I really like the way we played,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said, adding that considering the adversity his team has faced in the first three games of the series, he feels like Tampa Bay is in a fairly good spot.
“We won one, and took another to overtime,” Cooper said. “This wasn’t the result we wanted … but it’s a gutty group. I liked the way we responded.”
NO GOAL
Two minutes after Raddysh scored, the Lightning appeared to go up 4-2. But what would have been a power-play goal for Point was waved off after officials used replay to determine that Samsonov had covered up the puck before Point poked it out from under the goaltender’s pad and into the net.
Cooper felt the whistle was blown too quickly on the play.
“Obviously unfortunate for us,” the Tampa Bay coach said. “But not why we lost the game.”
HEDMAN RETURNS
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman played after missing the final two periods of Game 1 and all of Game 2 due to an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Erik Cernak remained sidelined after taking a hit to the head from Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting in Game 1. Bunting drew a three-game suspension for an illegal check to the head and interference.
MARNER FACTOR
Toronto’s Mitchell Marner had two assists, giving him eight points (two goals, six assists) in the series. O’Reilly had two assists, in addition to his goal.
HAMILTON SCORES IN OT, DEVILS BEAT RANGERS 2-1 IN GAME 3
NEW YORK (AP) After losing big in the first two games at home, New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff turned to rookie goalie Akira Schmid for the start in the crucial Game 3. The move paid off and the Devils are back in the series.
Dougie Hamilton scored 11:36 into overtime and the Devils beat the New York Rangers 2-1 on Saturday night to cut their series deficit to 2-1.
Jack Hughes scored and Jesper Bratt had two assists for New Jersey, which lost the first two games at home by 5-1 scores. Schmid, starting in place of Vitek Vanecek, finished with 35 saves.
“We got whacked two games in a row … better feeling tonight,” Hughes said. “That’s huge for our belief tonight. We’re back in this thing and we’re excited. Now we’re really pumped to play the next game.”
The Devils turned to the 22-year-old Schmid after Vanecek gave up nine goals on 52 shots over the first two games. Schmid became the first rookie goalie to start a playoff game for the Devils since Martin Brodeur in 1994.
Schmid had 11 saves in the first period, 10 in the second, six in the third and eight in overtime to win his first playoff start.
“We know what he’s like, he’s like stone-cold, always relaxed and poised,” Hughes said about the young goalie. “We have a lot of confidence in (Schmid) coming in. I think he showed everyone how good he is and we’d like him to keep that going.”
Chris Kreider scored for New York. Igor Shesterkin stopped 26 shots.
The Rangers had 19 turnovers after combining for nine in the first two games of the series.
“You’re going to turn the puck over, but at times today we made the wrong decision,” New York’s Mika Zibanejad said. “That’s what they want. … They’re good, they pressure hard everywhere and try to force those turnovers so they can get it to their quick forwards and go on the counter-attack.”
In the extra period, Bratt found Hamilton on the right side, and the defenseman skated into the right circle and beat Shesterkin on the glove side.
“It started with a good breakout, a good flip out, and tried to get up in the rush and obviously a great play by Bratt to find me,” Hamilton said. “I think there were a couple of bodies in front, so i was just trying to be patient when i got the puck, saw a little spot to shoot at and thankfully I hit it.”
Game 4 is back at Madison Square Garden on Monday night and Game 5 will be in New Jersey on Thursday night.
Schmid made a left pad save on a shot by Braden Schneider about 1:40 into overtime. Shesterkin denied an attempt on the left side by Timo Meier two minutes later, and then the follow try on the rebound by Bratt. Schmid then gloved a shot by Vladimir Tarasenko six minutes into the extra period.
“The guys did a great job helping me out, blocking shots,” Schmid said. “Makes my life a little easier.”
Bratt had a try from 10 feet away 8:14 into the third but his attempt was turned aside by Shesterkin to keep the score tied.
The Rangers got their fifth power play of the game with six minutes remaining when the Devils’ Ryan Graves was sent off for high-sticking. Artemi Panarin had chance to give the Rangers the lead but his shot from the left circle was wide left of the net 32 seconds into the advantage.
Kreider got the Rangers on the scoreboard first as he fired a shot past Schmid’s blocker from the left circle at 3:39 of the second period. It was Kreider’s fifth goal of the series – after the first four came on power plays – and 39th postseason score of his career.
With the Devils on their third power play of the game, Hughes got a pass from Hamilton on the left side, skated into the left circle and fired a shot that beat Shesterkin on the blocker side with 9:23 left in the second. It was Hughes’ second goal of the series – the first came on a penalty shot in the third period of Game 1 – and the New Jersey’s second on a power play.
SETTING A FIRST
Kreider became the first Rangers player to score five goals in the first three playoff games of a postseason.
POWER PLAYS
The Rangers came in 4 for 10 on the power play over the first two games, but went 0 for 5 in Game 3.
“They did a job adjusting to our power play tonight,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “Our execution wasn’t good tonight as it was the other two nights and that was the biggest difference.”
New Jersey, which was 1 for 8 coming in, was 1 for 3.
MACKINNON, AVALANCHE SPOIL KRAKEN’S HOME PLAYOFF DEBUT, 6-4
SEATTLE (AP) Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar weren’t interested in being side characters to a historic night for the Seattle Kraken.
The trio took center stage and reclaimed home-ice advantage for the defending Stanley Cup champions.
MacKinnon and Rantanen scored in a 1:28 span early in the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche spoiled Seattle’s first home playoff game with a 6-4 victory Saturday night in Game 3 of the first-round series.
Tied at 3 after a wild first 40 minutes, the defending Stanley Cup champions relied on their best players to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
“I think scoring in the playoffs on the road is awesome. It’s a cool feeling, no matter how you get them. They feel great,” MacKinnon said. “A lot of guys scored some big goals tonight.”
MacKinnon scored his first two goals of the playoffs, Makar added his first of this postseason after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of last year’s championship run, and Rantanen scored for the second straight game, capping the victory with an empty-net goal with 2:14 left.
MacKinnon scored on a breakaway late in the first period to give Colorado a 2-1 lead. His second goal was even better, taking advantage of Seattle’s fourth line getting stuck on the ice and ripping a wrist shot past Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer for a 5-3 lead.
MacKinnon’s second goal came moments after Rantanen finished off a 3-on-2 rush and silenced fans in a frenzy after Seattle’s second-period rally.
“He was the difference-maker that we’ve come to expect in big games, in must win games, in critical games, regular season and playoffs,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said about MacKinnon. “He played with great speed, great competitiveness, physical, and then when he got the puck, he was really tough to check.”
J.T. Compher scored short-handed in the first period and Makar’s goal at 4:33 of the second period gave the Avalanche a 3-1 lead. Makar’s goal came off a clean faceoff win by Colorado and left Seattle’s fans murmuring uncomfortably instead of the deafening cheers in the opening moments of the game.
Alexandar Georgiev made 26 saves for the Avalanche. Game 4 is on Monday night in Seattle.
“We had a couple of lapses in the game, but overall I feel like we played to our strengths,” Makar said.
Jaden Schwartz became the answer to a trivia question when he gave Seattle a 1-0 lead tipping Justin Schultz’s shot past Georgiev just 6:08 into the game. Jamie Oleksiak and Matty Beniers then scored 19 seconds apart during a wild sequence in the second period to pull Seattle even.
Oleksiak’s seventh career playoff goal was a nifty backhanded finish after stickhandling through several Colorado defenders and Beniers scored the first of what Seattle hopes is many playoff goals at 13:10 of the second period.
But Colorado controlled the third period. Schwartz scored his second with 40 seconds left in the game.
Grubauer made 28 saves for Seattle.
“We knew it was gonna be a long series. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Schwartz said. “So we’ve got a lot of faith in our game, lot of belief in each other. Just got to regroup.”
The first home playoff game in Kraken history was met with fans lined up outside Climate Pledge Arena long before doors opened and in full throat with the puck finally dropped just after 7 p.m. local time. It was the first home game in Kraken history but games for the Stanley Cup had been played in Seattle – 104 years ago to be exact when the 1919 Stanley Cup final between Seattle and Montreal was abandoned after Game 5 due to a flu pandemic.
“We were ready for this one, no question,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “I loved our start tonight. Loved the atmosphere. Loved the fans, the feel of the building. That was a playoff feel. That part of it was awesome.”
MISSING
Both Colorado and Seattle had unexpected scratches from the starting lineup. The Kraken were without F Morgan Geekie, who missed the game after his wife went into labor. Geekie scored Seattle’s third goal in its Game 1 win. Colorado was without F Valeri Nichushkin and C Darren Helm. Bednar said after the game that Nichushkin was away from the team for a personal matter and had no estimate on when he may return. Helm missed Game 1 but returned in Game 2.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: ADOLIS GARCIA’S 3 HRS, 8 RBIS LEAD RANGERS’ ROUT
Adolis Garcia’s bat told the story on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas, as the Texas Rangers right fielder swatted three home runs among his five hits and drove in eight runs, leading an 18-3 thumping of the visiting Oakland A’s.
Texas’ offensive outburst saw the hosts regain traction after Oakland snapped the Rangers’ four-game win streak with a 5-4 win in the series opener Friday. The A’s allowed double-digit runs in a game for the ninth time this season, as the Rangers tallied 18 hits.
Though he struggled early, Texas starter Andrew Heaney (2-1) gave up just two runs in six innings. It was a sharp contrast to the showing from Oakland starter Shintaro Fujinami (0-4), who allowed eight runs in just 2 1/3 innings. The rookie right-hander’s ERA swelled to 14.40.
Texas’ Josh Jung proved to wield one of many hot bats for the Rangers, as he extended his hit streak to 10 games by going 2-for-6. Garcia’s five runs tied a franchise record.
Rays 4, White Sox 3 (10 innings)
Randy Arozarena, who homered in his first at-bat, delivered an RBI single to right field in the 10th inning to lift host Tampa Bay to a victory over Chicago in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Arozarena finished 3-for-5 and drove in all four Rays’ runs. The Rays improved to 18-3, and for the second straight game, walked-off the White Sox. Garrett Cleavinger (1-0) threw a scoreless top of the 10th to earn the win.
The White Sox chipped back in the second inning on Eloy Jimenez’s home run. And in the fifth inning, Yasmani Grandal’s home run to lead off the inning pulled the White Sox even at 2-2.
Royals 11, Angels 8
Kansas City scored five runs in the ninth inning to rally from a two-run deficit and post a victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Backup catcher Matt Thaiss hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Angels an 8-6 lead, one of four homers by the Angels in the game. Hunter Renfroe hit two and Mike Trout hit one. The Royals, however, rallied in the ninth against Angels reliever Jose Quijada (0-1), tagging the left-hander with his first blown save and loss of the season.
The Royals appeared to tie the game at 8-8 on Kyle Isbel’s two-run homer, but it was overturned after a replay review showed the ball hit the yellow line atop the right field fence. Kansas City, though, tied the game anyway when Edward Olivares followed with an RBI single. The Royals took the lead later in the inning when MJ Melendez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and they tacked on two more runs on a two-out single by Hunter Dozier.
Yankees 3, Blue Jays 2
Pinch hitter DJ LeMahieu singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as New York defeated visiting Toronto. The teams have split the first two games of the three-game series.
The Yankees took the lead on Anthony Volpe’s two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Toronto pinch hitter Danny Jansen tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.
Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole allowed four hits and two walks in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out four and hit a batter. Toronto right-hander Alek Manoah limited New York to two hits and one walk while striking out five in seven scoreless innings.
Pirates 2, Reds 1
Jack Suwinski’s RBI double in the fourth was the difference-maker as Pittsburgh won its sixth game in a row, defeating visiting Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill (2-2) allowed one run and six hits in five innings, with seven strikeouts and three walks. The walks and the fact the Reds had at least one baserunner in each inning he pitched got his pitch count up, and thus the Pirates’ streak of quality starts ended at 11 games.
The Reds have lost five straight and six of their past seven. They have managed just six runs through the first three games of this four-game series. Cincinnati starter Luis Cessa (0-3) pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and six hits, with four strikeouts and no walks.
Nationals 10, Twins 4
C.J. Abrams hit a three-run home run and Joey Meneses collected four hits and two RBIs, helping Washington defeat Minnesota in Minneapolis.
It was Abrams’ first home run since the Nationals acquired him in a deal with San Diego last August. Meneses had an RBI single in each of the first two innings. Dominic Smith, Luis Garcia, Jeimer Candelario and Victor Robles each added two hits for the Nationals, who can sweep the three-game series with a win on Sunday.
Byron Buxton homered for the Twins, who have lost six of their last seven. Carlos Correa had three hits for Minnesota.
Dodgers 9, Cubs 4
James Outman and Max Muncy each homered twice and combined for seven RBIs as visiting Los Angeles beat Chicago.
Dustin May (2-1) allowed two runs with two hits, while walking three and striking out six, in 5 1/3 innings for Los Angeles, which has split its first 22 games but has taken two of three in this four-game set.
Nico Hoerner belted his second homer in as many days for the Cubs, who had won four straight entering this series and rolled to a 13-0 win on Friday. Chicago’s Hayden Wesneski (1-1) yielded three runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Phillies 4, Rockies 3
Nick Castellanos hit two solo home runs and also doubled to lift host Philadelphia over Colorado.
Cristian Pache added a solo homer, single and two RBIs for the Phillies, who have won two straight.
Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez tossed 4 1/3 innings in his season debut and allowed five hits and three runs, with five strikeouts and two walks. Connor Brogdon (1-0) earned the win in relief. Craig Kimbrel threw a scoreless ninth inning for his second save in two chances.
Marlins 6, Guardians 1 (Game 1)
Bryan De La Cruz homered, and Miami struck early and never looked back in defeating host Cleveland in the first game of a doubleheader.
Friday night’s rainout of the series opener caused the twin bill, and Saturday’s first game was delayed by nearly two hours due to more showers. Marlins left-hander Devin Smeltzer made the start because Sandy Alcantara was scratched (biceps tendinitis). Smeltzer went four innings, and Andrew Nardi (2-1), Huascar Brazoban, Matt Barnes and Steven Okert combined for five innings of scoreless relief.
Guardians starter Shane Bieber (1-1) lasted just 5 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits while walking four and fanning four. Miami hitters drew a total of seven walks in the game.
Marlins 3, Guardians 2 (Game 2)
Garrett Hampson drove in two runs and scored another as visiting Miami completed a sweep of its doubleheader with a victory over Cleveland.
Hampson ripped an RBI double in the fourth inning, added a run-scoring single in the sixth and came around to score on Garrett Cooper’s sacrifice fly. Bryan De La Cruz had three doubles and Luis Arraez also had three hits for the Marlins.
Braxton Garrett (1-0) picked up the win after allowing just one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Giants 7, Mets 4
Brandon Crawford launched a three-run home run in the first, Logan Webb retained a comfortable lead through seven innings for his first win of the season and San Francisco finally got the better of visiting New York.
Wilmer Flores also homered for the Giants, who had lost seven of their previous eight, including 9-4 and 7-0 blowouts to the Mets on the first two nights of the four-game set. A 15-game winner last season, Webb finally broke into the win column this year, allowing two runs and five hits in his seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
After being shut out for seven innings by left-hander Joey Lucchesi the night before, the Giants jumped on fellow lefty David Peterson (1-3) for six runs in the first two innings, including four in the first. In the eighth, an RBI single by Starling Marte made it 7-3 and brought the potential tying run to the on-deck circle.
Orioles 5, Tigers 1
Ramon Urias drilled a three-run double and Kyle Gibson struck out 11 as Baltimore picked up a victory against visiting Detroit.
James McCann hit his first home run in an Orioles uniform against one of his former teams as Baltimore won its fifth game in a row.
Gibson (4-0) logged 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three walks. Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe completed what became a two-hitter, though Coulombe did issue a walk.
Brewers 5, Red Sox 4
Rowdy Tellez had a two-run homer, and the bullpen preserved Milwaukee’s victory over visiting Boston.
Rafael Devers pulled Boston to within 5-4 in the sixth with his eighth homer of the season, a 416-foot, two-run shot to right off Joel Payamps. Peter Strzelecki and Hoby Milner kept the Red Sox off the board until the ninth, when Devin Williams worked around a one-out single to pick of his third save of the year.
Brewers starter Wade Miley (3-1) allowed two runs on four hits in five innings, striking out three and walking one. Boston starter Garrett Whitlock (1-2) was tagged for all five runs on eight hits in four innings.
Astros 6, Braves 3
Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker each hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to power Houston to a win over host Atlanta.
Alvarez delivered a go-ahead home run for the second time in as many nights, as his sixth round-tripper of the season ignited a four-run sixth. With his homer, Alvarez extended his streak of consecutive games reaching base to 23, dating to last season.
Kyle Wright (0-1) cruised through five scoreless innings for Atlanta, but he gave up three hits to start the sixth inning and didn’t record an out. He was charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits.
Padres 5, Diamondbacks 3
Ha-Seong Kim snapped a 0-for-16 skid with a tiebreaking, two-run single in the top of the sixth inning to help lead visiting San Diego to a victory over Arizona in Phoenix.
Joe Musgrove (1-0) made his first start of the season for the Padres and gave up three runs on seven hits, with six strikeouts over five innings to earn the win. Four Padres relievers each worked a scoreless inning, with Josh Hader earning his seventh save.
Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly gave up four runs on three hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in five-plus innings to take the loss and fall to 1-3.
Mariners 5, Cardinals 4
Eugenio Suarez’s two-run single with two outs in the seventh inning broke a tie and Seattle went on to defeat visiting St. Louis.
Jarred Kelenic and Teoscar Hernandez homered for the Mariners, who will try to sweep the three-game interleague series Sunday afternoon. Tommy Edman hit a solo homer in the ninth for the Cardinals. Mariners reliever Matt Brash (2-2) struck out three batters in the top of the seventh and earned the victory. Seattle starter Luis Castillo allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings.
St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
WOMEN’S GOLF
ALLISEN CORPUZ, ANGEL YIN TAKE LEAD AT CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP
Angel Yin and Allisen Corpuz shot matching 67s to vault into the lead by one stroke at the Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas, on Saturday.
The pair sit at 10-under-par 206 after 54 holes of the LPGA’s first major of the season.
With Friday’s action suspended due to darkness, 31 players returned to the course early to finish their second rounds at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club at Carlton Woods.
South Korean Amy Yang fired 7-under 65 to jump 22 spots up the leaderboard and into a tie for third at 9 under. She’s joined there by Megan Khang (70 on Saturday) and Albane Valenzuela (68) of Switzerland.
Second-round leader A Lim Kim of South Korea shot 72 and fell into a tie for sixth at 8 under with three other players — Nelly Korda (70) and South Koreans Hyo Joo Kim (68) and Hye-Jin Choi (67).
Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul (68) sits solo 10th three shots back at 7 under. South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai (66) and Lilia Vu (73) are within striking distance at 6 under in a tie for 11th.
Corpuz turned in a bogey-free round, posting birdies on four of her first five holes. She added another on the par-5 13th for her 67. Turning in a clean card wasn’t easy, she said.
“I think it’s a pretty tough course, but I also think if you’re just making sure your misses are in the right spot, it’s doable,” Corpuz said. “I wouldn’t say it’s easy, but it’s out there.”
Yin posted an early bogey but carded six birdies for her round, including three of her final four holes. Yin was one of the players who had to complete her second round early Saturday, carding a second-round 70.
“I started out really early,” Yin said. “I was walking down 16, I was like, ‘Wow, I feel like I’ve been here before.’ Oh, I did. I was just here this morning. I think it really helped me warm up my body early in the morning. Though I’m tired, my body has been like swinging, turning around since 7 in the morning. I think it really helped.”
But the round of the day went to Yang, who put herself within striking distance with eight birdies against just one bogey.
“They were all good birdies,” Yang said. “Like every one of them was a solid shot, and putting was — I felt like everything was in sync out there today. It just gave me good momentum throughout the round.”
MEN’S GOLF
WYNDHAM CLARK, BEAU HOSSLER MAINTAIN LEAD AT ZURICH CLASSIC
Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler remained bogey-free Saturday to maintain a one-stroke lead over the rest of the field through three rounds at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
The pair combined for a 10-under-par 62 on Saturday to get to 26 under for the tournament. Their day featured 10 team birdies at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La.
“It’s going to be a cool environment and a unique experience frankly to have a chance to win a golf tournament with a partner, something that I have not had a chance to do,” Hossler said. “I know Wyndham has here in the past. So, it will be a nice little Sunday for us.”
The only team-based tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, the Zurich Classic uses a four-ball (best-ball) format in the first and third rounds, and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.
Clark pointed to the nature of the format being an advantage for keeping pressure at a minimum going into the final round.
“I just think it lightens the mood,” Clark said. “Sometimes when you’re alone, it feels like you’re out on an island. When the momentum gets going bad, when you’re on your own, sometimes it’s tough to turn that. With a teammate, you can kind of feed off each other and really not allow that momentum to get going in the wrong direction. So, I hope tomorrow we’re light and loose like we’ve been all three days … I think it will be great.”
The duo of Keith Mitchell and South Korea’s Sungjae Im sits a stroke back in second place. They matched the leaders with 10 birdies on their way to a 10-under 62 Saturday.
Mitchell credited his teammate for the strong showing.
“He was honestly incredible,” Mitchell said. “I’m feeling really good about Sungjae’s golf game. The guy has proven he’s one of the best players in the world. He’s only 25 years old, and the fact he’s only won twice, I think is underrated for how good his game is. Being 25, being his fifth year on Tour, and this amount of talent, I think we’re going to see a Hall of Famer in the future.”
Three other teams remain bogey-free entering Sunday, one of those being the pairing of Matthew NeSmith and Taylor Moore, who are tied for third after shooting a nine-under 63.
Also in third at 23 under are Sweden’s Vincent Norrman and Austria’s Matthias Schwab (10-under 62 on Saturday) and Nick Hardy and Davis Riley (9-under 63).
The rest of the top nine includes Sean O’Hair and Brandon Matthews (8-under 64 on Saturday) four strokes back in sixth, and three teams tied for seventh at 21 under: England’s Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick (10-under 62), Harris English and Tom Hoge (9-under 63) and France’s Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey (7-under 65)
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
INDIANS BASEBALL
Memphis, Tenn. – Despite a two-run homer by Miguel Andújar that gave the Indianapolis Indians an early lead, the Memphis Redbirds scored seven unanswered runs to take Saturday’s contest at AutoZone Park, 7-2.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Redbirds (15-5) quickly answered and took the lead with a four-run frame. A walk to Moises Gómez and a Luken Baker single set up a three-run blast by Tres Barrera off Indians (7-13) starter Osvaldo Bido (L, 1-1). Later in the inning, Juniel Querecuto notched an RBI double after Óscar Mercado singled and stole second base, making it a 4-2 Memphis advantage.
The Indians nabbed their first and only lead of the game with Andújar’s two-run blast off Memphis starter Gordon Graceffo (W, 1-1). It was his second home run of the season and his second in as many days, as well as the Indians only runs of the game. Andújar is hitting .406 (13-for-32) with four doubles, a triple, two homers and seven RBI in his last nine games.
Memphis extended their lead with three runs in the sixth. Gómez tripled and scored on a Baker RBI single and Querecuto later hit a two-run homer to wrap up the scoring and take a 7-2 lead.
The Indians and Redbirds will wrap up their six-game set on Sunday afternoon at 3:05 PM ET at AutoZone Park. Indians RHP Luis Ortiz (0-1, 2.08) will take the mound against Memphis’ LHP Matthew Liberatore (3-0, 2.38).
INDY ELEVEN SOCCER
INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, April 22, 2023) – Indy Eleven registered its first multi-goal game in league play in 2023, but the offensive effort wasn’t enough as Monterey Bay F.C. scratched across a pair in the second half to down Indy to a 2-3 loss at IUPUI Carroll Stadium.
The first goals of the season by Eleven forwards Solomon Asante and Sebastian Guenzatti in the first half helped Indiana’s Team overcome an early deficit and take a 2-1 lead into the halftime break. However, MBFC tallies by Christian Volesky and Nevello Yoseke five minutes apart midway through the second stanza gave the visitors the full three points, dooming the Boys in Blue to a third straight defeat in regular season action after a win and two draws to start the campaign.
Indy had grown accustomed to bossing possession with a league-leading 66% rate heading into the match, but the first half played out in a near statistical dead heat in that and most other categories. It was Monterrey striking first in the 17th minute, when defender Grant Robinson accepted Alex Dixon’s pass and slotted a low shot past diving Indy netminder Yannik Oettl and inside the right post.
An Indy squad that had yet to push across a goal in the first half changed that quickly to even the score in the 23rd minute through Asante. The shortest man on the pitch found space between defenders to get on the end of Aodhan Quinn’s pinpoint corner kick service to the six, his header to the back post leaving MBFC goalkeeper Carlos Herrera stranded and allowing the Brickyard Battalion to pop off smoke in celebration of a home goal for the first time in league play in 2023.
Asante then played provider on Indy’s second five minutes before halftime. The Ghanaian playmaker bent an inch-perfect ball behind the backline for Guenzatti to run onto, and his one-touch finish kissed off the right post and in to give Indy a 2-1 lead it would carry into halftime.
The second half began as a bit of a stalemate in midfield, but the 57th minute saw things break wide open on a play that began with defender Morey Doner’s lengthy run up the center channel. A short slip pass to Volesky at the top of the area set up a shot from 14 yards that nestled into the upper left corner to tie things heading into the hour mark. In the 62nd minute the visitors took advantage of an errant ball out of the back to start a quick counter-attack that ended four touches later with Yoseke’s shot from a similar distance that beat Oettl to the right post, once again giving MBFC the lead at 3-2.
Oettl came up big in the 71st minute, when he stood tall at his left post to chest away Chase Boone quick turning effort from the six. Indy saw its best chance of the half go wanting in the 76th minute, when nice work from substitute striker Harrison Robledo inside the area helped to set up Asante, whose attempt to pick out the upper right corner narrowly missed. Cam Lindley’s bending free kick from 35 yards out in the 87th minute looked threatening but ultimately didn’t force a save out of Herrera, and from there MBFC saw out the match to claim the full three points.
Next up, Indiana’s Team returns to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action this Wednesday, April 26, with a trip east on I-70 to take on Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew SC. The Eleven’s first competitive match against MLS opposition since the 2016 tournament is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Lower.com Field.
Then the Boys in Blue will then return to league play next Saturday, April 29, closing out a busy month at “The Mike” by hosting Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff on “Kick Cancer Night” at Carroll Stadium (live on MyINDY-TV 23, ESPN+ and Exitos Radio 94.3 FM).
Single-game tickets for all home games at IUPUI Carroll Stadium along with prorated Season Ticket Memberships, specially-priced group tickets, and an increased portfolio of hospitality options are available for purchase now via indyeleven.com/tickets or by calling 317-685-1100 during regular business hours (Mon.-Fri., 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
USL Championship Regular Season
Indy Eleven 2 : 3 Monterey Bay F.C.
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
Indy Eleven: 1W-3L-2D, 5 pts.
Monterey Bay F.C.: 3W-2L-2D, 11 pts
Scoring Summary:
MB – Grant Robinson (Hugh Dixon) 17’
IND – Solomon Asante (Aodhan Quinn) 23’
IND – Sebastian Guenzatti (Solomon Asante) 40’
MB – Christian Volesky (Morey Doner) 58’
MB – Nevello Yoseke (Christian Volesky) 63’
Discipline Summary:
IND – Jack Blake (caution) 46+’
IND – Douglas Martinez (caution) 78’
MB – Chase Boone (caution) 85’
Indy Eleven line-up (4-3-3): Yannik Oettl; Bryam Rebellon, Robby Dambrot, Jesus Vazquez, Younes Boudadi (Mechack Jerome 68’); Aodhan Quinn (Juan Tejada 85’), Cam Lindley, Jack Blake (Harrison Robledo 68’); Sebastian Guenzatti (captain), Jonas Fjeldberg (Douglas Martinez 37’), Solomon Asante
Indy subs: Tim Trilk (GK)
Monterey Bay F.C. line-up (4-3-3): Carlos Herrera; Kai Greene, Grant Robinson, Morey Doner, Hugh Roberts (captain); Mobi Fehr, Nevello Yoseke (Walmer Martinez 84’), Adrian Rebollar; Chase Boone, Alex Dixon, Christian Volesky (Jason Johnson 68’)
Monterey Bay subs: Antony Siaha (GK), Max Glasser, Alex Lara, Jesse Maldonado, Jesus Enriquez
FUEL HOCKEY
TOLEDO – The Fuel visited the Toledo Walleye again for game two of the division semifinals, looking to even the score after a 4-1 loss on Friday night. Special teams was the deciding factor once again as the Walleye scored two power play goals in the second half of the game to take the 4-2 win over the Fuel.
1ST PERIOD
Toledo got to work early with a goal by Andrew Sturtz just 1:34 into the game. At 4:45, we got some 4-on-4 hockey as Luc Brown and Sturtz took penalties for slashing and interference respectively.
That quickly turned into a 4-on-3 power play for the Fuel as Kirill Tyutyayev sat for holding. The Fuel piled on the shots during their power play opportunity but Lethemon stood strong in Toledo’s net.
As those penalties expired, Indy’s Seamus Malone took a roughing minor that sent him to the locker room, though he did return minutes later.
At 12:34, Indy’s Ross MacDougall took a holding call giving the Walleye another opportunity on the power play but they were able to kill that one off as well.
At 16:59, the Fuel tied the game up with a goal by Kyle Maksimovich on a strong slap shot after breaking into the zone on his own. Less than thirty seconds later, Chase Lang took a cross-checking penalty sending the Fuel to the penalty kill again.
At the end of the period, Toledo had surpassed Indy in shots, outshooting the Fuel 18-15.
2ND PERIOD
The second period started off with four consecutive icing calls that broke up momentum a bit but both teams carried on.
At 4:01 in the middle frame, Zach Vinnell took a tripping penalty putting Toledo back on the power play that they almost immediately capitalized on with a goal by Drew Worrad to make it 2-1.
The Walleye took the next two penalties though they were both killed off before they piled on a ton of shots that Weeks was able to skillfully block.
Things remained calm until time expired in the second period when a full line brawl broke out next to the Indy bench that left Chris Cameron and Brett McKenzie with five minute major penalties for fighting and a two minute roughing penalty for Kirill Chaika meaning the Fuel would start the third period on the power play.
3RD PERIOD
The Walleye’s power play unit got to work early in the third with a goal from Trenton Bliss just 40 seconds into the frame, making it 3-1.
A few minutes later, Toledo forced a turnover right in front of the net and a shot bounced off the crossbar that looked so close, the goal light went on for less than a second but ultimately it was not a goal.
At almost the ten minute mark in the third frame, it appeared the Walleye scored, however after a goal review, it was confirmed that Weeks was pushed into the net and the score remained 3-1.
Brandon Hawkins took a hooking penalty less than a minute later, giving the Fuel an important third power play opportunity of the game.
At 16:31, Maxim Golod and Charlie Curti took a pair of roughing penalties that turned into a 5-on-4 opportunity for the Fuel as they pulled Mitchell Weeks from goal. Just eight seconds later Eemil Viro scored the empty net goal to make it 4-1 for the Walleye.
A minute later, Kirill Chaika scored on a slap shot to make it 4-2 in favor of the Fuel but there was not enough time left to catch up and the Walleye took game two by a score of 4-2.
INDIANA BASEBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – On a windy Saturday (April 22) afternoon at Bart Kaufman Field, the Indiana baseball program collected a 17-2 decision over Ohio to earn its seventh straight series victory and its sixth straight win overall. The Hoosiers also continue their success at Bart Kaufman Field in 2023 with a venue-high-tying 21st win at home.
Ohio (15-19) opened the scoring for the second straight day with a single run in the second inning, before Indiana (29-11) put up four runs in the second and two in the third to build a 6-1 lead. A solo home run from Ohio in the sixth inning was followed by a three run bottom half of the frame for IU and a four-run eighth accounted for the final margin.
Sophomore Josh Pyne posted his second career four-hit game and added a pair of RBIs for his eighth multi-RBI game of the season. Freshman Tyler Cerny drove in a career-best six RBIs in his first career multi-home run contest as part of a three-hit afternoon. Sophomore Brock Tibbitts added his 14th multi-RBI game of the season with three RBIs and now has an RBI in four straight games.
Senior Phillip Glasser moved his reached base streak to 40 games and sophomore Carter Mathison pushed his streak to 13 straight on base with a home run, single and two walks. Redshirt junior Bobby Whalen and freshman Devin Taylor each extended hitting streaks to nine games, while Taylor has reached base in 28-striaght contests.
A career-high seven innings of work for starting pitcher Luke Sinnard (4-1) included four hits and two runs allowed. The right-hander walked two and struck out eight to earn the victory. Senior Ben Seiler fired the final two innings and allowed two hits with two strikeouts.
For Ohio, Will Sturek and Colin Kasperbauer each hit solo home runs and four other Bobcat hitters posted hits in the contest. Colin Sells (1-2) took the loss with six runs allowed over 2 1/3 innings in a start.
Scoring Recap
Top Second
Colin Kasperbauer led off the inning with a solo home run.
Ohio 1, Indiana 0
Bottom Second
Brock Tibbitts started the inning with a base hit and Carter Mathison walked in front of Josh Pyne’s RBI single. Tyler Cerny followed with a three-run home run to right field.
Indiana 4, Ohio 1
Bottom Third
A leadoff single from Bobby Whalen and a base hit from Devin Taylor put runners on first and third with no outs. Tibbitts followed with a sacrifice fly and Cerny pushed a run across on a fielder’s choice.
Indiana 6, Ohio 1
Bottom Fourth
After the first out was recorded, six straight batter reached base and Tibbitts’ two-RBI single opened the scoring. Mathison and Pyne followed with RBI base hits to cap the scoring.
Indiana 10, Ohio 1
Top Sixth
Will Sturek hit a one-out solo home run.
Indiana 10, Ohio 2
Bottom Sixth
Three hits added three runs in the inning as Mathison started the scoring with a one-out solo home run. After Pyne singled, Cerny hit a two-run home run to center field.
Indiana 13, Ohio 2
Bottom Eighth
Cerny led off the inning with a base hit and Morgan Colopy walked before the first out was recorded. Glasser delivered an RBI single, and Samuel Murrison followed with a pinch-hit two-run double. Taylor then added an RBI single to put a bow on the scoring.
Indiana 17, Ohio 2
Up Next
The series between Indiana and Ohio will wrap up at Noon on Sunday (April 23). The game can be found on B1G+ and heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network
INDIANA SOFTBALL
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Indiana softball (33-15, 11-5 B1G) dominated Rutgers (30-19, 7-9 B1G) in a 9-0 shutout, run-rule victory to clinch the series win in game two at the Rutgers Softball Complex.
INDIANA 9, RUTGERS 0
KEY MOMENTS
• The Hoosiers loaded the bases with three free passes before sophomore Sarah Stone stepped up to the plate to clear the bases on a three RBI triple to right field.
• Freshman Avery Parker hit an RBI single through the left side to score Stone and put IU up, 4-0, in the first.
• In the top of the third, sophomore Brianna Copeland hit a home run over the wall in left center.
• Indiana continued to string the hits together as freshman Cassidy Kettleman earns a base hit through the left side before sophomore Kinsey Mitchell slapped one over the shortstop into left field.
• Junior Brooke Benson hit a sac fly to score another run. Kettleman would advance home on an error from Rutgers to extend the lead, 7-0.
• Indiana found their offensive rhythm again scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the fifth. Senior Cora Bassett hit a double down the left field line to get things going, finding herself in scoring position after advancing to third on a wild pitch.
• Freshman Taryn Kern sent one to right field for an RBI scoring Bassett. Sophomore Taylor Minnick earned an RBI single hitting one off the wall in right field to score Kern, 9-0.
• Junior pitcher Heather Johnson and the Hoosier defense escaped the bottom of the fifth after allowing one hit to secure the shutout.
NOTABLES
• Indiana had 10 hits, eight RBI and eight free passes against Rutgers.
• Johnson recorded her 11th win inside the circle this season allowing only three hits.
• Copeland sent her ninth home run on the season and the 20th of her career.
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers look for their fourth Big Ten series sweep as they face the Scarlet Knights in the series finale at 12:00 p.m. ET at the Rutgers Softball Complex.
PURDUE BASEBALL
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland led Purdue 6-5 in the middle of the seventh inning when Saturday’s game was suspended until Sunday at 10 a.m. ET due to lightning followed by heavy rain showers.
The series finale remains set for Sunday at noon live on ESPNU. The Boilermakers won Friday’s series opener 10-8.
Saturday represents Purdue’s first suspended game since May 2021 vs. Penn State. The Boilermakers have won their last three suspended games dating back to 2017.
Purdue held leads of 2-0 and 4-2 Saturday but the Terrapins’ back-to-back home runs powered a four-run fourth inning that turned a two-run lead into a two-run deficit.
Paul Toetz and CJ Valdez both had two hits and a walk. Toetz doubled and scored on the second of two two-out RBI singles from Valdez. For the series, Toetz has five hits and Valdez has five RBI.
Mike Bolton Jr.’s speed generated an unearned run in the third inning. Bolton reached on an error, stole second base and took third when the UMD catcher threw the ball into center field. Couper Cornblum delivered an RBI ground out on the next pitch. Bolton registered his 69th career stolen base, moving into second place in team history and within one of the program’s all-time record that has stood since 1991.
Connor Caskenette and Jake Parr joined Toetz in extending their notable streaks with hits Saturday. Parr’s fly ball to the center field wall in the fifth inning plated Caskenette after UMD retired the first two batters of the frame.
EXTENDED STREAKS SATURDAY
• Caskenette – 16-game on-base streak; 9-game hit streak; 12-game on-base streak in Big Ten play
• Parr – 12-game on-base streak; 9-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Toetz – 10-game on-base streak; 8-game hit streak
Davis Pratt gave Purdue three innings of one-hit relief in his finest outing of the season. Starter Jonathan Blackwell issued a season-high five walks over three-plus innings, failing to go five innings for the first time in 10 starts this year. The lefty had only issued nine walks in 50 innings entering the season.
The Boilermakers will be playing two games in one day for the fourth time over the first five weekends of Big Ten play. It’s their seventh weekend of the season with two games in one day.
BUTLER BASEBALL
SOUTH ORANGE – The Bulldogs came up with a 12-10 win over Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon to collect their ninth win of the season. SHU scored six in the bottom of the eighth to knot the score at 10-10, but an RBI single from Ryan O’Halloran in the ninth would break the tie and push BU into the win column.
O’Halloran had a great day for the Bulldogs going 2-for-4 from the plate with a team-high three RBI and a run scored. Every ‘Dawg in the lineup had a hit in the victory. Scott Jones led the team with four and Kyle Van Liere also had a multi-hit game.
Butler trailed Seton Hall 3-0 after two innings, but would score six in the third and four in the fourth to grab a 10-3 advantage. The game got wild in the eighth with the home team plating six runs to tie the score at 10-10, but BU would answer with a pair of runs in the ninth.
Joey Urban doubled and Garret Gray tripled in the third inning to highlight the frame. O’Halloran’s double to left in the fourth would score Gray and Kollyn All to give the ‘Dawgs a seven-run lead.
Seton Hall battled back with a string of singles in the eighth to tie the game at 10-10. BU remained calm and would get the lead-off man on to start the ninth. A sac bunt would put Gray into scoring position and O’Halloran’s single to right returned the lead to Butler.
For the second-straight day, Cole Graverson would end the game on the mound for the Bulldogs. Graverson got the final four outs to earn the win (2-4). He struck out two and only allowed one hit.
Cory Bosecker got the start and tossed six innings. Clay Holzworth, Jon Vore and Cade Thune also touched the rubber in the victory.
The Bulldogs will go for the sweep tomorrow at noon.
IUPUI SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI softball team fell to Robert Morris on Saturday afternoon, 7-2. The Jaguars honored their seniors, Jaylin Calvert, Jordan Jenkins and Jaida Speth before the game.
The Colonials took the lead first in the top of the third inning with four runs on three hits. They extended their lead in the in the fourth inning with three more runs, 7-0.
The Jaguars got on the board in the fifth inning when Kennedy Cowan hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Maicey Bedrick, 7-1. IUPUI added one more run in the sixth inning when Kayla Freiberg knocked her second home run of the season over the centerfield wall. The Jags were unable to overcome the seven run deficit and fell, 7-2.
Madison Bryant took the loss in the circle for the Jags giving up four runs on three hits with four strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Freiberg went 2-for-3 with a home run while Cowan recorded a single.
IUPUI is now 12-27 overall and 8-9 in Horizon League play. They continue the three-game series against Robert Morris with a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1:00 PM.
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State’s quest to earn back-to-back Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament titles ended Saturday night with a 3-1 (25-27, 17-25, 25-19, 19-25) loss to Ohio State in the championship match at Worthen Arena.
As the top seed, the Cardinals (20-9) were looking to repeat their tournament success from the 2022 season that saw Ball State earn its first MIVA Tournament title in 20-years under then first-year head coach Donan Cruz. The Buckeyes (22-9) entered tonight’s contest as the No. 3 seed and has extended their win streak to 11-straight. The Buckeyes will now advance to the NCAA Tournament.
For their efforts, Kaleb Jenness and Tinaishe Ndavazocheva were both named to the All-MIVA Tournament Team for their play over the three postseason matches.
The Buckeyes opened the match up strong by taking the first two opening sets.
With the Cardinals down, 0-2 in the match, Ball State slowly began to find a rhythm which allowed them to take an early 3-1 edge over Ohio State in frame three.
The score was tied on six different occasions, but the Cardinals began to pull away as Keau Thompson served up six-straight points to give the Cardinals the 23-16 advantage over the Buckeyes. Ball State remained atop of Ohio State the remainder of the set winning, 25-19.
Despite Ball State’s efforts to send the match into overtime, the Buckeyes were connecting on all cylinders in set four. The Cardinals found themselves down and could not regain momentum, eventually falling to Ohio State, 25-19.
For the match, Jenness led the Cardinals with 16 kills while Ndavazocheva ended the night with 15. Jenness also hit a staggering .400 percent from the floor off 35 swings.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team returned to the Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark for a Saturday doubleheader against Northern Illinois. Ryan Peltier (2), Adam Tellier, and Blake Bevis all hit home runs for the Cardinals.
With the win in game one, Head Coach Rich Maloney won his 600th game at Ball State. The Cardinals improved to 25-13 overall and 12-5 in Mid-American Conference play, while the Huskies fell to 7-29 overall and 4-12 in league games.
Game One – Ball State 5, NIU 2
Nick Gregory led off the bottom of the first with a five-pitch walk. He stole second to move into scoring position. Peltier launched an 0-2 pitch over the right field wall for a two-run homer. The Cardinals took a 2-0 into the second inning.
Peltier got things started in the bottom of the third with a one-out triple down the right-field line. Decker Scheffler notched a sac fly to left field as Peltier tagged up from third. Ball State extended its lead to 3-0 after three innings.
The Huskies get on the board in the top of the sixth with a run on two hits.
Scheffler led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single. He stole second to move into scoring position. Andrew Wilhite doubled down the right field line, which allowed Scheffler to score from second. Logan Flood was hit by a pitch. Grant Miller came in and pinch ran for Wilhite. Hunter Dobbins singled to center field and drove in Miller from second. BSU took a 5-1 lead into the eighth inning.
NIU scored one run on two hits and cut the deficit to 5-2.
Trennor O’Donnell got the start for the Cardinals and went seven innings. He got the win and improved to 3-2 on the season. He tallied seven strikeouts and surrendered one earned run on six hits. Owen Quinn went a 1/3 of an inning in relief. He gave up one earned run on two hits. Ty Johnson recorded his first collegiate save with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings of work.
Brandon McPherson started the game on the mound for NIU. He picked up the loss and fell to 2-1 on the season. He struck out four batters and gave up three earned runs on six hits. Mason Ruh added three innings in relief. He gave up two earned runs on four hits.
Game Two – Ball State 8, NIU 2
The Huskies jumped out to an early 2-0 in the top of the second on three hits.
Gregory led off the home half of the first with a triple to the left center gap. Adam Tellier grounded out to second but drove in Gregory from third. The Cardinals cut the deficit to 2-1 after one inning of play.
Bevis led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run to right field. Flood singled up the middle. Dobbins was hit by a pitch. Justin Conant followed with a single up the middle to load the bases. Tellier drove in Flood and Dobbins on a single up the middle. Tellier stole second to move into scoring position. Peltier blasted his second homer of the day with a three-run shot to right center. The Cardinals took a 7-2 lead into the top of the third.
Bevis tripled to center field to start the bottom of the third. Flood recorded a sac fly to right as Bevis tagged up and scored. Ball State extended its lead to 8-2.
Northern Illinois cut the deficit to 8-6 with four runs on three hits.
Scheffler singled through the right side to start the bottom of the fourth inning. Wilhite followed with a five-pitch walk. Bevis was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Flood singled to right field and drove in Scheffler and Wilhite. The Cardinals extended their lead to 10-6 after four innings.
Gregory doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Tellier drew a seven-pitch walk. Peltier followed with a walk to load the bases. Gregory scored on a wild pitch. Scheffler was hit by a pitch and loaded the bases again. Wilhite singled to right field and drove in Tellier and Peltier. BSU took a 13-6 lead into the sixth.
Tellier led off the bottom of the seventh with a double down the left field line. Peltier reached on a throwing error by the shortstop to give the Cardinals runners on the corners. Wilhite singled through the right side and drove in Tellier. Ball State extended its lead to 14-6 after seven innings.
NIU scored six runs on two hits with five walks and one hit batter. The Huskies cut the deficit to 14-12 after 7.5 innings.
Matthew Rivera led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to center. Tellier put the Cardinals up four, 16-12, with a two-run home run over the right center field wall. Ball State went on to win the second game by the same score.
Ty Weatherly got the start on the mound and picked up a no decision. He struck out a career-high 10 batters in four innings of work. He surrendered six earned runs on seven hits. Sam Klein picked up the with 3 1/3 innings of relief and improved to 4-1 on the season. He struck out a career-best nine batters and scattered two hits. Brady Owens gave up four earned runs on three walks and a hit batter. Logan Schulfer went a 1/3 of an innings with one strikeout. He gave up two earned runs on one hit and two walks. Johnson closed out game two like he did game one. He struck out one batter and surrendered just one hit.
Dominic Hann got the start for the Huskies and picked up the loss. He fell to 0-5 on the year. He gave up 10 earned runs on 10 hits and struck out two batters. Nick Bonk went a 1/3 of an inning in relief with a strikeout. He gave up three earned runs on two walks and a hit. Sam Pederson closed out the game for NIU with 3 2/3 innings of relief. He struck out three and gave up three runs, two earned.
The Cardinals and Huskies close out the three-game series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – – The Ball State softball team extended its current winning streak to six games with a pair of solid victories, by scores of 8-0 (5) and 8-4, over Bowling Green Saturday afternoon at Meserve Field.
The Cardinals (23-21; 13-9 MAC) took control early in the opener as senior third baseman Haley Wynn walked, stole second, advanced to third on a single, and scored on a sacrifice bunt. It was part of a strong first game for Wynn, who went 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, two RBI, and a pair of stolen bases.
That was all the run support Ball State’s pitchers would need, as sophomore Angelina Russo fell one out shy of a complete game shutout, limiting the Falcons (8-32; 1-19 MAC) to just two hits over 4.2 innings of work. She would also strike out two while picking up her 10th win of the season.
Freshman Bridie Murphy picked up the final out, getting a strikeout to end the game after walking the first batter she faced.
Overall, all nine batters in the starting lineup registered at least one hit in the opening game as the Cardinals out-hit the Falcons 11-to-2 in the contest.
The nightcap saw BGSU jump out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Falcons added a third run in the bottom of the third, only to see the Cardinals score three in the fourth, aided by a two-run home run from sophomore third baseman Emma Richards.
Ball State carried the momentum into the fifth inning, adding five more runs, and never looked back to complete the doubleheader sweep and extend the Falcons’ losing streak to 17 games.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Cardinals stole a season-high eight bases in Saturday’s opening game and added three more in the nightcap for 11 on the day.
Junior center fielder Remington Ross picked up three stolen bases on the day, including one in the opener and two in the nightcap, to raise her season total to 21 … In fact, she is a perfect 21-for-21 on the year.
Sophomore Emma Eubank picked up the pitching win in the nightcap, entering with the game tied at 3-3 and throwing the final 4.0 innings … She held the Falcons to three hits and one run, while striking out one.
After tallying 11 hits in the opening game, the Cardinals smashed 13 more in the nightcap to raise its season average to .299.
SCORING SUMMARY- GAME 1: Ball State 8 – Bowling Green 0 (5)
T1 | A squeeze bunt from Timmons allows Wynn to score from third. (1-0)
T2 | Wynn smashes a bases loaded single through the left side, bringing home junior third baseman Samantha-Jo Mata who reached on an error. (2-0).
T2 | Senior catcher Jazmyne Armendariz followed with a two-run single to center field. (4-0)
T3 | Mata drops a blooper between the left fielder and shortstop to drive home junior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews from third. (5-0)
T3 | Wynn picks up her second RBI of the game with a single through the right side, driving in freshman pinch runner Grace Spencer. (6-0)
T5 | Following a double steal, a groundout to short from junior center fielder Remington Ross brought home junior right fielder Hannah Dukeman from third. (7-0)
T5 | Cardinals capitalize on an error, allowing Wynn to score from third. (8-0)
SCORING SUMMARY- GAME 2: Ball State 8 – Bowling Green 4
B1 | The Falcons strike first with an RBI triple to center from Sophie Weber. (1-0)
B1 | BGSU adds a second run on an RBI double to left field from Katie Hutter. (2-0)
B3 | Weber follows a triple from Wynnie Reid with a double for her second RBI of the game. (3-0)
T4 | Richards follows a one-out single by sophomore designated player Kaitlyn Gibson with a two-run home run to start the comeback. (3-2)
T4 | After an infield single, redshirt freshman shortstop McKenna Mulholland comes around to score on a BGSU error to tie the score. (3-3)
T5 | Gibson picks up a pair of RBIs with a single down the left field line. (3-5)
T5 | Gibson comes around to score on a Bowling Green error. (3-6)
T5 | Mulholland adds two more runs courtesy of a double to right center. (3-8)
B7 | After a leadoff triple, Peyton Dolejs scores on a sac bunt for the final run of the game. (4-8)
UP NEXT
The Cardinals and Falcons close their three-game series Sunday with a noon first pitch back at Meserve Field.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
The University of Notre Dame football team held the 92nd Annual Blue-Gold Game to cap its 2023 spring practice schedule on Saturday, April 22, in Notre Dame Stadium. Bolstered by a three-touchdown performance from quarterback Sam Hartman, the Gold defeated the Blue 24-0.
The two teams were drafted by members of the Fighting Irish program earlier this week. There were no kickoffs in the game, after each score the ball was placed at the 35-yard line. The final attendance of the game was 32,942.
Gold began with Hartman under center on the first drive. Early-enrollee freshman Jaden Greathouse kicked off his solid Notre Dame debut with a 21-yard catch followed by a Gi’Bran Payne 30-yard run.
Jayden Thomas scored the first touchdown of the game catching the ball at around the five-yard line and fighting his way across the goal line.
The Gold defense set the tone on its first play of the game, with Jordan Botelho sacking Tyler Buchner for a loss. Howard Cross III then ended Blue’s first drive with a sack of his own.
On the first play of Gold’’s next drive, Hartman delivered a 46-yard pass to Jayden Thomas, then hit Davis Sherwood for 11 yards and the Gold was right back into the red zone. On third and one, Payne fought for a first down to put the ball at the one and Hartman scored on a quarterback keeper on the next snap.
Blue put together a drive on its next possession led by two solid runs from Audric Estimé. On a key third down, Buchner connected with Deion Colzie to gain another set of downs at the Gold 35-yard line.
Jaiden Ausberry put Blue behind the down marker, however, with a tackle for loss and Jaden Mickey ended the scoring threat with an interception of a Buchner pass intended for Colzie at the 12-yard line.
The Gold drove to the Blue 40 on their next drive, but a key stop by Benjamin Morrison on a reverse for an eight-yard loss put the Gold behind schedule and forced their first punt of the game.
Blue could not take advantage of the opportunity however, and quickly went three-and-out. Thomas was key on the next Gold drive again turning a swing pass into a first down (he would finish the day with six catches for 71 yards and a touchdown). Sherwood tacked on a 19-yard catch and Hartman then found Greathouse on the slant pattern to the Blue 13-yard line.
Standing behind great protection from the offensive line, Hartman double-pumped and found a wide open Salerno at the back pylon in the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the game. Hartman’s day would end there, finishing 13-of-16 for 189 yards and three scores (one rushing).
That completed much of the scoring in the game, as after halftime the teams shifted to a running clock. Steve Angeli did lead a Gold scoring drive that overlapped the third and fourth quarter, keyed by a Greathouse 19-yard catch. Zach Yoakam ended the scoring in the game with a 28-yard field goal.
Greathouse finished the game with 11 catches for 118 yards. Payne led all rushers in the game with 51 yards, while Sam Assaf added another 42 for the Gold team. Jaylen Sneed led the Gold with seven tackles, while Nolan Ziegler had a game-high 10 for the Blue.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
BOSTON – The University of Notre Dame softball team swept the Saturday night twinbill against the Boston College Eagles Saturday night at the Harrington Athletics Village. The Fighting Irish homered in key points in both games to earn take the series from the Eagles. Notre Dame improves to 29-13-1 on the season, and 11-9-1 in league action.
Micaela Kastor started in the circle and gave the Irish what they needed to even the series. The freshman worked into the seventh inning, having shut out the Eagles through the first six. She allowed a couple hits in the seventh and finished the day allowing five hits, two earned runs and struck out eight to earn her seventh win of the season. Shannon Becker came on with the bases loaded in the seventh to earn the save. Becker recorded all three outs in the final frame, allowing one walk and a strikeout to earn her second save of the season.
The Irish offense had six hits in game one, by six different hitters. Lexi Orozco’s was the loudest as her grand slam in the fifth inning proved to be the difference. Karina Gaskins finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and drew two walks in game one. Joley Mitchell, Leea Hanks, Anna Holloway and Miranda Johnson each tallied a hit in the victory.
Payton Tidd started in the circle in the nightcap. The graduate student threw her 10th complete game of the season, allowing nine hits, three runs, two earned and struck out seven.
The offense again had seven hits by seven different contributors. Mitchell’s hit was the loudest with a go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the seventh inning. Carlli Kloss, Gaskins, Orozco, Jane Kronenberger and Brooke Marquez each tallied base hits in the nightcap.
How It Happened – Game One
After a scoreless four innings, the Irish got on the board in the fifth. A lead-off single from Johnson started the rally before a walk, and a fielder’s choice on a sacrifice bunt loaded the bases. Gaskins drew a walk to bring in the first run of the game before Orozco hit her 13th homer of the season to go up 5-0.
Boston College didn’t threaten until the bottom of the seventh inning. The first four Eagle hitters of the inning all connected for singles, bringing in a run as BC went station to station. After a pitching change, Becker got a pop up to third, and allowed another run. With one out, she struck out a pinch hitter on a change up on the outer half, before getting a ground ball to third to retire the side and preserve the win.
How It Happened – Game Two
The Eagles were first on the board in the nightcap. The rally started with a one-out double, and back-to-back singles brought her in as BC took the 1-0 lead in the first.
Notre Dame rallied for three runs in the top of the third inning. Kloss led off with a single and stole second. Gaskins brought her in with a double to the wall in right center before scoring on a two-base error from Orozco. Hanks brought in the third run of the inning with a single up the middle to extend the lead to 3-1.
Boston College scored solo runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game headed into the final frame.
In the seventh, Marquez led off the frame with a double and was pinch ran for by Emily Tran. A wild pitch on a Winchell walk put runners on the corners for Mitchell. Mitchell drove the 1-1 pitch over the wall in right center to put the Irish up 6-3.
Tidd retired the Eagles in order in the seventh to preserve the win and help the Irish take the series.
Up Next
The Irish are back in action next Friday at Melissa Cook Stadium as they host the top contender in the ACC, the Florida State Seminoles in a three-game conference series.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish sent the seniors and grad students out in fashion in the regular-season home finale, defeating No. 15/14 UNC by a score of 16-9 at Arlotta Stadium.
The Irish attack was very balanced on the afternoon, as 10 different players scored and five players totaled multiple goals in the victory. Eric Dobson paced the attack with three goals and now has recorded a hat trick in three straight outings.
Pat Kavanagh turned in a complete performance with four points off a goal and three assists while also adding four caused turnovers and a ground ball.
Liam Entenmann was masterful between the pipes, making 16 saves while allowing just nine goals in nearly 58 minutes of play. The 15 saves mark a season high for the senior.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish jumped on the Tar Heels early, scoring six times in the first frame while allowing just one to build a five-goal lead heading into the second stanza. Colin Hagstrom scored twice and Jake Taylor, Chris Kavanagh, Brian Tevlin and Griffin Westlin also got in on the action.
Notre Dame found the back of the net first in the second quarter, pushing the lead to 7-1 before the Tar Heel attack came alive and scored the final four goals of the half to trim the Irish lead to 7-5 at the half.
Notre Dame re-established its lead in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 4-1 to extend the lead to 11-6 heading into the final 15 minutes of play.
The Tar Heels struck first in the fourth frame before the Irish immediately answered with four straight to put the game out of reach at 15-7. Dobson was instrumental in the spurt, scoring twice. UNC scored twice in the final nine minutes and the Irish struck once to make the final score 16-9.
NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME
The seven-goal win gives Notre Dame eight wins this season of five goals or more and the Irish have now scored 15 or more goals in seven of 10 games this season.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
The Irish level the all-time series against the Tar Heels at 11-11 and have won three of the last four matchups.
Notre Dame held UNC to single digits, marking the fifth time this season the Irish have accomplished the feat.
The Irish finished with 13 caused turnovers, marking the seventh game this season with 10 or more. The 13 caused turnovers were just one shy of ND’s season high.
Notre Dame entered the game second in the country on the EMO with percentage of .609 and improved on that mark in the win, cashing in on three of four opportunities on Saturday.
Dobson recorded his sixth hat trick of the season and now has a career-best 24 goals on the season.
Pat Kavanagh finished with four points, totaling 199 in his career. He is one shy of becoming just the third player in program history to reach the 200-point milestone.
Pat Kavanagh’s four caused turnovers are a season high for the senior.
Entenmann recorded 16 saves, marking his eighth straight game with double-digit saves. Entenmann now has 31 saves over his last two games.
Hagstrom’s two goals were the first two for his career.
UP NEXT
The Irish hit the road for the final two games of the regular season for two ACC clashes. Notre Dame plays No. 3/4 Virginia at 2 p.m. ET at Klockner Stadium on Saturday, April 29. The game will air on ACCN.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Adam Pottinger scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the 10th inning on an errant throw as Indiana State took the series opener against Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Bob Warn Field, 6-5.
Pottinger led off the bottom of the 10th inning against SIU (23-15, 10-3 MVC) reliever Paul Bonzagni (7-3) with a double down the left field line to put ISU (24-14, 12-1 MVC) immediately in scoring position. Grant Magill followed with a bunt dropped in front of the mound and fielded by Bonzagni.
The SIU right-hander attempted to make a play on Pottinger advancing to third, but the throw sailed over the third baseman and down the line into the Indiana State bullpen allowing Pottinger to score on the play and sending the Sycamore dugout onto the field in celebration.
Cameron Holycross (4-0) went 4.0 innings in scoreless relief and retired nine Salukis in a row from the end of the seventh inning to two outs in the 10th in picking up his fourth win of the year. The right-hander surrendered just a two-out single in the top of the 10th and tied a career-high with five strikeouts in the win.
The Sycamores took control of the game early with Luis Hernandez (solo) and Seth Gergely (two-run) home runs in the first two innings to build a 3-0 lead. Gergely added an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to add to the Sycamore lead.
Southern Illinois swung the momentum back to the Salukis in the top of the seventh inning as Mathieu Vallee connected on a three-run home run off ISU starter Matt Jachec to give the visiting team their first lead of the contest.
Pottinger came through in the clutch in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game back up with a one-out RBI single scoring Randal Diaz to tie the game up at 5-5.
Indiana State threatened to win the game in the bottom of the ninth as the Sycamores put runners on the corners with two outs, but the SIU defense came through with a groundout up the middle to send the game into extra innings.
Holycross struck out the first two Salukis in the top of the 10th inning and was able to get SIU’s Kaeber Rog to pop up in the infield to send the game into the bottom of the frame for the walk-off.
Gergely and Adam Pottinger both had three hits apiece as the Sycamores tallied 13 hits in the contest against the Salukis. Mike Sears and Grant Magill both added a pair of singles in the win. Gergely led the team with three RBI.
Jachec went 6.0 innings in taking the no decision on Saturday afternoon. The Sycamore ace allowed seven hits and five runs while striking out six.
Bennett Eltoft and Rodriguez combined for four of SIU’s eight hits in the game. Eltoft added a pair of RBI while Steven Loden doubled in the loss.
Jordan Bloemer went the first 3.2 innings for SIU allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out five. Scott Harper added a 2.2 inning stint in relief, while Bonzagni closed out the final 2.2 innings in the contest.
How They Scored
Indiana State took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Luis Hernandez connected on a one-out solo home run to right field to put the Sycamores ahead early.
Seth Gergely connected on an 0-1 offering from SIU starter Jordan Bloemer and drove the pitch over the trees in right center scoring Josue Urdaneta with the two-run home run to put the Sycamores ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the second.
Southern Illinois cut the ISU lead down to 3-2 in the top of the third inning as the Salukis plated two on the Bennett Elftoft two-run single scoring Nathan Bandy and Mathieu Vallee in the frame.
Gergely added to the Indiana State lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as the redshirt senior connected on a two-out RBI single to right field scoring Adam Pottinger to put the Sycamores ahead 4-2.
Vallee put Southern Illinois ahead 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning with a three-run home run over the right field wall to give the Salukis their first lead of the game.
Adam Pottinger tied the game back up at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out RBI single to center field scoring Randal Diaz.
Pottinger scored on an errant throw on Grant Magill’s bunt in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Indiana State the walk-off 6-5 win over the Salukis.
News & Notes
Indiana State’s winning streak reached 12 consecutive games on Saturday afternoon equaling the longest winning streak in the Mitch Hannahs coaching era.
The streak equaled the 12-game stretch back in 2014 when ISU went undefeated from February 15 – March 10 that year with wins over Connecticut, Ohio State (twice), Lipscomb, Belmont, MTSU, New Orleans (three), and Western Illinois (three).
The 12-game winning streak ties the sixth-longest winning streak in program history according to current records on hand equaling the 12-game stretches in both 2014 and 1998 (Mar. 10-29).
ISU improved to 12-1 in Missouri Valley play equaling the best start to MVC play in program history set back in 2012.
The Sycamores 12-game winning streak is currently the third-longest active winning streak in the country trailing both Army (13) and Dallas Baptist (13).
Indiana State improved to 3-2 in extra-inning games this season with Saturday’s contest the Sycamores’ second walk-off on the year.
ISU previously walked off Illinois State back on April 8 on Josue Urdaneta’s 10th-inning RBI single scoring Mike Sears in the 4-3 win.
Luis Hernandez and Seth Gergely both homered in the game giving Indiana State 21 home runs in MVC play through the first 13 conference games. ISU hit 20 home runs in conference action in 2022.
Hernandez’s home run was his third of the season and first since going deep against Indiana back on April 4.
Gergely’s home run was his fourth of the year and first since a two-homer game back on March 25 against Valparaiso.
The Sycamores have homered 43 times this season and are two shy of their 2022 total (45) for the year.
ISU’s 13 hits on Saturday afternoon marked the fourth consecutive game the Sycamores have posted double-digit hits marking their longest streak of the season.
Adam Pottinger ran his on-base streak to 12 consecutive games and hitting streak to eight following his 3-for-4 day at the plate.
Pottinger’s three-hit game was the first of his Indiana State career and sixth multi-hit game of the season.
Gergely’s three-hit game was his four game with three or more hits this year and continues a stretch that has seen the centerfielder reach base in 34 of the 36 games played this season.
Cameron Holycross continues to excel out of the bullpen in 2023 as his ERA dropped to 1.20 on the year. He’s surrendered four earned runs over 30.0 innings with a 28:12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Mike Sears was hit by pitch in the game running ISU’s Missouri Valley leading total to a 61 through the first 36 games of the year.
Up Next
Indiana State and Southern Illinois are back in action tomorrow afternoon on national television as the Sycamores and Salukis will battle on ESPNU on Sunday afternoon at Bob Warn Field. First pitch for the game is set for 3 p.m. ET. The game will also be streamed live on 105.5 The Legend.
Sunday’s game is Youth Sports and Kids Club Day with all kids 8th grade and younger wearing their youth jerseys getting in for free. Parents and family get in at a discounted $4 rate.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball fell to Murray State, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at Price Field to even the weekend series at a game apiece.
Indiana State (23-22, 11-8 MVC) started Lauren Sackett who threw a complete game while striking out eight hitters in the loss. Sackett allowed just two hits while walking four batters. The Racers (29-16, 13-6 MVC) started Hannah James for the second consecutive game and James went the distance, shutting out ISU, walking one and striking out three while allowing eight hits.
The series finale will begin at noon ET on Sunday at Price Field with the contest being streamed live on ESPN+.
The Action
Another low-scoring affair between the Sycamores and Racers, Murray State jumped out to an early lead, scoring a pair of runs on a two-out double by Taylor Jackson in the bottom of the first. Lauren Sackett got her second strikeout of the inning to retire the side. A Danielle Henning single would be the only action for the Sycamores at the plate in the opening frame.
Sackett struck out two more hitters in a 1-2-3 top of the second, bringing the Sycamores to the plate where the first two batters would reach safely. Kennedy Shade singled followed by a Cassie Thomerson walk but Racers starter Hannah James was able to escape the jam and get the next three Indiana State hitters out.
In the top of the third, Lauren Sackett struck out two more, running her total to six for the game through three innings. Danielle Henning recorded her second hit of the game in the bottom half but that would be all for Indiana State.
After Sackett set down Murray State in order in the fourth, the Sycamores looked to be in business in the bottom half but the Racers were able to turn a double play to get out of the inning. Following a Cassie Thomerson single, TeAnn Bringle singled to right center but some confusion on the basepaths led to the end of the frame as Bringle was thrown out at second and Thomerson was tagged out at home.
Murray State added to their lead in the fifth, going up 3-0 on a RBI single to right field. The Sycamores went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Sackett recorded her seventh strikeout of the afternoon in the top of the sixth. Indiana State’s offense again could not convert, stranding two runners after Annie Tokarek and Kennedy Shade singled.
The top of the seventh saw Lauren Sackett tally her eighth and final strikeout of the contest during another scoreless frame for the Sycamore starter. Trailing 3-0, Indiana State came to the plate looking to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Abi Chipps would reach with an infield single but Murray State’s Hannah James was able to retire Olivia Patton for the game’s final out.
Kennedy Shade and Danielle Henning each finished 2-for-3 to lead the Sycamore offense. Lauren Sackett picked up her team-best sixth complete game of the year but drops to 5-8 with the loss.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
MARION, Ind. – The Wright State Raiders defeated Purdue Fort Wayne 17-6 on Saturday (April 22) in Horizon League play.
The ‘Dons put two runs on the board in the third to make the score 5-2. Cade Fitzpatrick doubled in a run and Tyler Nelson knocked in a run on a groundout. It stayed that way until Wright State opened the game up with a seven-run fifth inning.
Drew Dillon hit his first career home run in the ninth. Luke Miles knocked in two with a single in the seventh.
Andrew Patrick had two home runs for the Raiders as they recorded 14 hits to the Mastodons’ 10. Jake Shirk went seven innings for the win. Brody Fine started and suffered the loss.
Wright State improves to 22-17 (12-5 Horizon League). Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 10-30 (6-11 Horizon League). The two teams will conclude the series on Sunday (April 23) at Mastodon Field.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team dropped a pair of Horizon League games to Northern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon (April 22) 6-2 and 5-1.
GAME 1: Northern Kentucky 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
Northern Kentucky jumped out a 6-0 lead in the Mastodons behind four home runs, all coming in different innings. The Norse also had one RBI-single in the third.
In the sixth, Purdue Fort Wayne scored two. Taylor Warne grounded out but brought Bailey Manos home, then Grace Hollopeter had a sacrifice fly to center field to score Taryn Jenkins. Jenkins and Manos had the only two hits of the contest for the Mastodons.
Jenkins reached the base paths safely for the 25th consecutive game, but her streak ended there, as she did not reach in game two of the doubleheader.
Gracie Brinkerhoff tossed 2.2 innings and took the loss. Alicia Flores went 6.0 with 12 strikeouts and got the win to improve to 6-12. Alanah Jones threw 4.1 innings of relief.
GAME 2: Northern Kentucky 5, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
NKU used 11 hits to score five runs in the final game of the series, enough to beat the Mastodons 5-1.
The Norse played more small ball in the second game, but still had a home run in the fourth. It was their fifth of the day. NKU had four doubles from four different players, two of which were run-scoring hits.
In the third, the ‘Dons had a pair of base-runners in scoring position when Brooke Lickey doubled to left field and Bailey Manos singled to second base, but they were stranded there after a pair of strikeouts. An inning later, Sonia Solis drew a walk and Tori Countryman singled to get another two runners on, but they were also left on the bases. The ‘Dons ultimately finished with seven left on base.
Jones threw a complete game and took the loss. In the three-game series against the Norse, she threw 319 pitches. She is now 7-12. Madisyn Eads got the win in 4.0 innings with six strikeouts. Lauryn Hicks got her second save of the season with 3.0 innings pitched.
Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 16-27, 8-9 Horizon League while Northern Kentucky improves to 17-27, 12-7. The Mastodons return home next weekend for a series against Green Bay. Saturday’s doubleheader will be the Mastodons’ Senior Day. The Mastodons will recognize Jenkins, Solis, Warne and Thais Uyema.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
CHICAGO – With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Alannah Cran scored the game-winning run as UIC took a 7-6 win over the University of Evansville softball team on Friday evening at Flames Field.
Box Score
Evansville had the early momentum with two runs scoring in the top half of the second. Jess Willsey stole home for the first run of the day before Hannah Hood crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Lacy Smith opened the third inning with a single before Alexa Davis launched a 2-run home run to double the lead and make it a 4-0 score. UIC cut into the deficit with two runs scoring in the bottom of the frame.
Two innings later, it was Smith getting the job done once again. After reaching on a 1-out walk, she scored on a triple from Marah Wood. Jenna Nink hit Evansville’s second home run of the game in the top of the 6th. Her solo shot pushed the advantage to 6-2.
In the bottom of the 6th, UIC made a furious rally, accumulating four runs on five hits to tie the game at 6-6. Hailey Cowing had the big hit, posting a 2-RBI single with two outs to cap off the rally. UE had a scoring opportunity in the 7th with Zoe Frossard and Davis reaching with two outs. Willsey followed with a single and the Aces turned the corner at third in an attempt to score the go-ahead run, but a throw from the outfield recorded the out at home.
UIC was kept off the board in the bottom of the 7th and the Aces responded with a threat in the 8th, putting two more runners on. The Flames escaped any damage and took advantage in the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Cran circled the bases on a UE error to give her team the 7-6 win.
The Aces picked up seven hits on the day with Willsey recording a pair. Smith scored twice for UE. The Flames picked up eight hits in the contest. Mikayla Jolly made the start, allowing five runs in 5 1/3 innings. Megan Brenton suffered the tough loss, allowing two runs, one earned, in 2 1/3 innings.
On Saturday, the series resumes with a 2 p.m. game.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
MURRAY, Ky. – With the University of Evansville baseball team down to its final out on Saturday, junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse launched a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth inning, and junior closer Nate Hardman struck out the side in the bottom half of the frame to send the visiting Purple Aces past the Murray State Racers, 7-6, at Johnny Reagan Field in Murray, Kentucky.
“What a game!” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “I will be honest, we were outplayed in a lot of areas today, but the guys never quit, and Kip stepped up big for us late offensively to help us get this win. And, then to have Nate come in and slam the door in the bottom of the ninth was huge!
“Hopefully, this will be the spark that lights a fire for us down the stretch with this club!”
Murray State built a 6-1 lead through the first seven innings courtesy of some timing hitting and a pair of home runs by first baseman Brennan McCullough and outfielder Cade Sammons. Fougerousse provided a spark with a two-run home run to dead center field in the top of the eighth inning to trim the Murray State lead to 6-3, but the Racers brought on their closer, Ben Krizen, who entered the game with five saves and a sub-2.00 ERA, to get out of a mini-jam in the eighth inning and keep the score at 6-3.
After reliever Shane Harris (3-2) worked a perfect eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts, UE sent the top part of its batting order to the plate in the ninth inning to face Krizen. After Krizen struck out both Mark Shallenberger and Chase Hug to begin the frame, Evansville worked three-straight walks to load the bases with two outs, and Fougerousse blasted the third pitch he saw over the wall in left-center field to give UE its first lead of the day at 7-6.
Hardman would then come on in the bottom of the ninth inning to strike out McCullough, shortstop Drew Vogel and Sammons around a one-out walk to nail down his fourth save of the year and give UE an important series-opening win over the Racers.
Fougerousse finished the day going 2-for-5 with two home runs and a season-best six RBI. It marked his third-straight multi-hit game and extended his hitting streak to six games overall. Evansville only mustered six hits on the day, but the first eight men in the UE batting order all reached base thanks to earning 10 walks.
Harris earned the victory in relief for UE by scattering three runs on three hits in 3.2 innings of work, while striking out six. Krizen (0-2) suffered the loss by giving up a season-high four runs on just one base hit in 1.1 innings of work. It marked just the second time all year in which he had allowed more than one run in an outing.
With the victory, Evansville improves to 22-15 overall and 7-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Murray State, meanwhile, slips into a tie with Evansville in the Valley standings for fourth place with a 20-19 overall record and 7-6 conference mark. The two teams will conclude the series on Sunday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader. UE is expected to send junior LHP Donovan Schultz (4-2, 3.56 ERA) and senior LHP Tyler Denu (2-2, 4.35 ERA) to the mound in the doubleheader, which can be seen live on ESPN+ and heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network from Learfield.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball split a marathon doubleheader with Eastern Illinois University Saturday at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles took the opening game, 26-6, while the Panthers snatched the nightcap, 22-12.
USI watched its record go to 12-26 overall, 4-10 OVC, while EIU goes to 22-14, 4-7 OVC.
Game 1:
USI, which reached a season-best three-game winning streak with the victory, scored a season-high 26 runs on 19 hits and 15 walks in the opening game, 26-6 win. The Eagles scored seven in the third, 11 in the fourth, four in the fifth, three in the seventh, and one in the eight in cruising to the victory.
USI senior centerfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) led way for the Eagles with a career-high six RBIs, including a grand slam in the seven run third inning. Junior rightfielder/centerfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) followed with career-best four RBIs, two coming on a home run in the fifth.
Senior second baseman Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana), who is hitting .500 (8-16) in the last four games, had a team-best four hits in six at-bats, while scoring a team-best five runs in the victory.
On the mound, sophomore right-hander Adam Weihe (Louisville, Kentucky) picked up the win in relief. Weihe (1-3) allowed three runs on eight hits and struck a season-high seven batters in five innings of work.
Sophomore right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) got the no-decision after going the first four frames. Morris allowed three runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out two.
Game 2:
USI had the tables turned on them in the nightcap, falling 22-12. The Panthers had control of the game from the start, outscoring the Eagles, 17-1, after the first three-and-half frames.
The Eagles tried to battle back, outscoring EIU, 11-9, in the final five-and-a-half innings. Senior centerfielder Evan Kahre and junior catcher Parker Stroh (Grand Forks, North Dakota) led USI during the nightcap with four hits each. Stroh hit his second home run of the season and scored four times in game two.
USI freshman left-hander Will Kiesel (Wadesville, Indiana) started and took the loss, proceeding six Eagles to the bump. Kiesel (1-4) allowed four runs on three walks in the opening frame.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI and EIU conclude the three-game series Sunday at noon.
The Eagles’ five-game winning streak comes to an end Tuesday when they host former GLVC foe McKendree University for a 6 p.m. matchup. USI leads the all-time series with McKendree, 34-13; has won eight of the last 10 games; and will be playing the Bearcats for the first time since 2021 when the Eagles took three-of-four GLVC games.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
NASHVILLE – University of Southern Indiana Softball opened its weekend series at Tennessee State University with a 3-0 loss on Saturday, as a three-run second inning proved to be the difference in the contest.
Saturday began with a scheduled doubleheader on tap from Tiger Field in Nashville, Tennessee, but due to wet field conditions, the series slate was changed to a single game on Saturday and to a doubleheader on Sunday.
The two sides played a scoreless first inning, but the Tigers struck with all three of their runs in the second inning. The three runs came with the bases loaded for Tennessee State, who grabbed the 3-0 advantage after a two-RBI double in the second frame.
USI generated a couple of opportunities after the second inning, getting runners into scoring position in the third inning and in the last three innings, but Tennessee State’s pitching staff and defense held firm to maintain the shutout.
Offensively, for USI, junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) went 2-for-2 with a walk. Senior Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana), junior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana), and senior infielder Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) also tallied a hit each.
In the pitching circle, sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) tossed her 15th complete game of the season, going six innings with three runs allowed and two strikeouts. Newman’s record moved to 13-9 with the loss.
With Saturday’s shutout win, Tennessee State’s sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Manus moved to 12-12 on the season. Manus struck out one, surrendering five hits and four walks.
Southern Indiana is now 16-20 overall and 9-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while Tennessee State improved to 16-21-1 and 7-8 in the OVC. Through Saturday, both squads are jockeying for position in the middle of the OVC standings with only a couple of weeks remaining in the regular season.
The Screaming Eagles and Tigers conclude their weekend series with a Sunday doubleheader at 12 p.m. The games can be seen with an ESPN+ subscription and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage links are on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
VALPO BASEBALL
The Valparaiso University baseball team snapped a 4-4 tie with a go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth to defeat UIC 5-4 on Saturday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field. The one-run win helped Valpo extend its Missouri Valley Conference winning streak to five and nail down its second straight series victory. Jake Skrine (Longmont, Colo. / Mead [Indiana]) and Matt Olive (Minneapolis, Minn. / Blake School) both slugged home runs in the triumph. The game was played in less than ideal baseball weather as a wintry mix poured down at times throughout the contest and temperatures were in the low 40s.
How It Happened
UIC jumped in front by scoring twice in the first, the second of which came on a solo home run by Breck Nowik.
The Beacons tied the game with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the second, when Olive drilled a two-run shot, homering for the second consecutive game.
Home runs remained a big factor in the game when Sean Dee went deep in the third to put the Flames back in front, but the Beacons got even yet again when Skrine launched one to straight away center field in the fourth, a solo shot that tied the score at four.
The two teams exchanged sixth-inning runs with UIC poking a two-out single through the right side to take the lead in the top of the frame before Valpo answered back with Brady Nowicki’s (Big Bend, Wis. / Mukwonago [Indian Hills]) run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning.
After starter Nathan Chasey (Ames, Iowa / Gilbert [Indian Hills CC]) worked six innings of four-run, six-hit ball while walking three and striking out four, Valpo turned to Ryan Mintz (Lombard, Ill. / Willowbrook) in a tied game as the right-handed reliever was summoned to the bump to begin the seventh. He sent down the side in order in that frame before the first base runner against him was erased on a caught stealing in the eighth.
Three singles including a bunt that stayed fair along the third-base line by Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) began the Valpo half of the eighth, packing the sacks and prompting a UIC pitching change. Nowicki notched his second RBI of the day with a go-ahead sac fly – a necessary run that came before the Flames extinguished the threat for additional damage. The hosts went into the final frame clinging to an edge by the slimmest of margins.
Butterflies began to dance in the stomachs of Valpo fans in the top of the ninth when a leadoff double started the frame, but Mintz did his best Houdini act as that runner was eventually stranded at third. After a sac bunt moved the man up 90 feet, the Valpo righty notched a crucial strikeout before inducing a ground ball to short to wrap up the victory and reward the Beacon fans who withstood the elements by sending them home happy.
Inside the Game
Olive, who entered this weekend having missed the previous six games with a hamstring injury, made sure he didn’t need to run at full speed around the bases for the second time in as many days by launching his second home run of the season. He lifted his season long ball total to four and his career accumulation to six.
Skrine stayed red hot as well, as his dinger was No. 6 on the season, four of which have come in his last six games.
Mintz earned his first win of the season and his second in a Valpo uniform after logging three scoreless innings of two-hit ball while issuing no walks.
Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) spanked a double as part of a 3-for-3 day that also saw him draw a walk and cross the plate three times. Olive was 2-for-2 with two walks, while Thurston was 2-for-3 plus a base on balls.
The season-long on-base streak by Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) came to an end as this marked the first time all season that the Valpo first baseman did not reach safely. This snapped a 30-game on-base streak, Valpo’s longest since Nolan Lodden reached in 34 straight in 2016.
This represented Valpo’s seventh one-run game of the season with the Beacons upping their record to 5-2 in such contests.
Up Next
Valpo (16-15, 7-7 MVC) and UIC will close out the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Emory G. Bauer Field. There is no video streaming of this series due to home softball, but links to live audio (UIC broadcast) and stats are available on ValpoAthletics.com.
VALPO SOFTBALL
The Valpo softball offense had its highest output of hits since the start of MVC play on Saturday, led by a three-hit afternoon from freshman Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon), but it wouldn’t be enough to top visiting Drake, as the Bulldogs came away 8-4 victors.
How It Happened
Drake jumped on top from the start on Saturday, going up 3-0 three batters into the game on two walks and a home run.
The Bulldogs added another run in the first to push the lead to 4-0 and still had runners on second and third with nobody out. But senior Lauren Kehlenbrink (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway South) picked a timely moment for her second pickoff of the season, nailing the runner off third for the first out. Valpo then erased the lead runner on a ground ball and junior Caitlin Kowalski (Temperance, Mich./Notre Dame Academy) registered a strikeout to limit the damage to four runs.
Valpo knew it would have to chip away at the deficit and started to do so in the bottom of the first. With two outs and nobody on, junior Regi Hecker (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Blue Springs South) and Rodas beat out consecutive infield singles. Hecker came around to score on a Drake error to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Kowalski settled down after the rough opening frame, retiring nine of the 10 batters she faced over three straight shutout innings to keep the Bulldogs on four runs.
The top of the order produced another run in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) led off the frame with a single back through the middle and fifth-year Taylor Herschbach (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) worked a full-count walk to put two on with nobody out.
Both runners moved up 60 feet, giving the Beacons two in scoring position with one away. Rodas followed by dropping a single into shallow left-center to plate Johnson, making it 4-2, and the rookie moved up to second on the throw in to third to put the potential tying run in scoring position. But a strikeout and a groundout stranded the two runners in scoring position.
Valpo had another shot with a runner in position to score in the fourth, turning a leadoff single into a runner on second with two out, but a lineout ended that threat.
Drake looked poised to add more insurance in the top of the fifth, as its leadoff hitter reached third with nobody out on a single, wild pitch and error. Kowalski kept her there, however, as she induced a grounder to a drawn-in infield and a popup for the first two outs. After a walk and stolen base, the junior registered a strikeout looking to keep it a two-run game.
The turning point of the game came in the bottom of the fifth. Herschbach led off the inning with a single, and Hecker seemingly picked up a single of her own to put two on with nobody out. But Herschbach was adjudged to have left first early, negating the hit as she was called out. After an out, Rodas picked up a base knock — what could have been three straight singles to lead off the inning turned into just a runner on first with two outs, and the Beacons wouldn’t score in the inning.
Drake pushed its lead to 8-2 in the top of the sixth with its second four-run frame of the game.
Valpo refused to go quietly, coming right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth as junior Emily Crompton (Salem, Ill./Christ Our Rock Lutheran) came home on a pinch-hit RBI single from freshman Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) and pinch-runner Lyna Vasquez (Moreno Valley, Calif./Valley View) scored on an RBI grounder from Johnson.
Hecker drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the bottom of the seventh, prompting Drake to go to its bullpen and bring in Friday winning pitcher Mackenzie Hupke, who retired the next three in order to close the game.
Inside the Game
Valpo tallied eight hits on Saturday, its highest single-game total since recording nine hits against Eastern Illinois March 5.
Rodas picked up three of those hits, recording hits in each of her first three at-bats as she finished 3-for-4. It was the first three-hit game of the freshman’s career and the fourth by a Valpo player this season.
Hecker and Herschbach each reached base twice apiece as well, as both players registered a single and a walk.
With her walk in the third inning, Herschbach pushed her on-base streak to nine consecutive games — a career best. The nine-game on-base streak is also the best by a Valpo player this season.
Szostak improved to 4-for-11 coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter this season.
Kowalski went the distance in the circle, throwing her second complete game in the last week. The junior tossed 154 pitches to go the seven innings.
Next Up
Valpo (8-32, 4-15) concludes the series with Drake on Sunday at noon from the Valpo Softball Complex. The game can be seen live on ESPN+.
U OF I WOMEN’S GOLF
SMITHVILLE, Mo.—Led by medalist Katelyn Skinner, the UIndy women’s golf team wrapped up a dominating 54 holes of stroke play at the GLVC Championships on Saturday. The Greyhounds hung the lowest team score in all three rounds, outpacing the field by 47 strokes to easily snatch the top seed in the upcoming medal/match play semifinals.
Hosted at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville, Mo., the conference championships wrap up tomorrow with two semifinals in the morning and the medal/match play final in the afternoon. UIndy will face off with fourth-seeded Drury in the morning for a chance to advance to the final. The golfers will tee off from hole No. 1 starting at 9 a.m. ET. Check the “Championship Central” link above for pairings.
Skinner crafted a stellar performance during stroke play to secure the conference individual medal. The Evansville, Ind., native finished at even par for 54 holes, carding scores of 70-75-71. Battling cold and windy conditions Sunday, even a bout with snow, Skinner played three-under golf for the final 12 holes to squelch any ideas of a comeback from the field. She is the program’s 10th player to earn medalist honors at the conference tournament. A Greyhound has earned the individual crown in seven of the last 10 GLVC Championships.
Teammate Catharina Graf was one those conference medalists. The German import followed her 2022 individual title by sharing the runner-up spot this year. Graf finished at +8 to tie for second with Lewis’ Kendall Farm and grab All-GLVC honors as a top-five finisher.
Elyse Stasil garnered her third straight All-GLVC nod with a fourth-place showing at +10. Freshman Ava Ray finished one stroke out of the top five, settling at +12 and T-6. Sophomore Anci Dy (+13) was right behind at T-8.
FRIDAY
The UIndy women’s golf team kicked off its conference title defense Friday with a solid opening day at the 2023 GLVC Championships. Topping the leaderboard after 36 holes, the Greyhounds (+21) look to remain in a top-four spot after Saturday’s final round of stroke play to advance the medal/match play semifinals on Sunday morning.
With individual-leader Katelyn Skinner pacing the group, the Hounds set the tone out of the gate. Their opening-round team score of 289 built a 14-stroke lead while also marking the second-lowest single-round team score in the tournament’s history (UIndy – 287, 2018).
Skinner caught absolute fire at one point, ripping off an amazing five consecutive holes on her way to the 18-hole score of -2. Her morning-round 70 matched the program record at the GLVC tournament, tying UIndy-legend Pilar Echeverria and her final-round 70 back in 2018.
The Hounds went on to card the lowest team score in the second round as well (309), extending their lead to 27 strokes with 18 holes of stroke play remaining.
All five Greyhounds are positioned in the top 10 individually, including four at T-5 or better. Skinner sits at +1, five strokes ahead of teammate and defending-medalist Catharina Graf (+6) in second place. Fifth-year senior Elyse Stasil (+7) and freshman Ava Ray (+8) are both in the top five, while sophomore Anci Dy (+10) parred her final 10 holes of the day to move to T-10.
U OF I MEN’S TENNIS
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 5 University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team kept the sweeps coming as they battled the Rockhurst Hawks in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament, taking the match 4-0. The Hounds are moving onto the GLVC Championship on Sunday where they will play the winner of Drury vs. Southwest Baptist.
INS AND OUTS
The match was quick, with the Hounds taking the doubles point to start the contest. Nikolaj Talimaa and Louis Picaud were the first to strike victory, winning 6-3. Matthieu Derache and Erwan Momo Andre kept the wins rolling for the Hounds, finding a 6-4 dub.
Singles was 3, 1, 2 with Picaud once again striking first. A 6-1 first set dub was followed by an identical second set giving the Hounds a 2-0 lead. Tom Zeuch, the No. 11-ranked single player, proved that ranking accurate, fighting off a rough first set to win 6-4. His second set left no doubt however, winning 6-0.
Ending the match was Edgar Destouet, the No. 10-ranked player in the country and he faced another ranked foe in No. 44 Louis Keiner. Despite the ranking battle, Destouet made quick work, winning 6-4, 6-1 to send the Hounds to the finals.
UP NEXT
The Hounds are going to battle SBU for the title on Sunday at 2 p.m. Location is currently set for outdoors at the Center Grove Tennis Courts, but weather swtiches will be posted in the morning to @GLVCsports on Twitter.
U OF I SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS—The sixth-ranked UIndy softball team pulled out a pair of dramatic victories Saturday against the visiting Drury Lady Panthers. The Greyhounds earned a 3-2 walk-off win in the first contest, then held off a late surge for an exciting 4-3 victory in the capper.
Sophomore Megan Nichols had four hits on the day, including a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh in game one.
GAME 1 | UIndy 3, Drury 2
The opener featured a marquee pitching matchup with All-American Kenzee Smith and reigning GLVC Pitcher of the Year Kristina Bettis going head-to-head. The two aces dueled to a 2-2 stalemate until the bottom of the seventh when the Hounds delivered the fatal blow.
Maddy Stout got the rally started with a leadoff single and was moved up by a Tori Angles sacrifice. Jocelyn Calvin followed with a hard-hit single up the middle, with Stout wisely holding up at third.
That set the stage for Nichols, who sent a full-count offering back up the middle to bring home the game-winning run.
Smith (25-3) got the W in the circle, striking out seven while matching her win total from last season
Nichols went 3-for-4 with a double, adding a stolen base in the first inning. She was later caught stealing in the fifth, snapping her school-record streak of 49 successful stolen base attempts in a row. Lexy Rees had a pair of knocks, one run and one ribbie.
GAME 2 | UIndy 4, Drury 3
The Greyhounds built a 4-0 lead heading into seventh. With two down and no one on base, starting pitcher Jayden Casebolt was knocking on the door of her third complete-game shutout of the season before the suddenly Panthers clawed back.
Two bloops and a bomb followed to quickly position the visitors within striking distance. UIndy went to freshman hurler Alexa Huth, but the Panthers sandwiched an infield single with a pair of walks to load the bases and keep the pressure on.
With the tying run just 60 feet away, head coach Melissa Frost went back to her ace. Smith came in and promptly threw three straight balls, but with nowhere to put the batter, the hometown hero calmly fired two strikes before inducing a game-ending ground ball to earn the save and seal the sweep.
Rees, Jocelyn Calvin and Dominique Proctor each a two hits, while Nichols joined the former as the only Greyhounds to go yard on the day. Casebolt (10-1) had a two-hitter working before running into trouble in the seventh but ultimately earned the win.
UP NEXT
Senior Day is on tap when the Hounds host Southwest Baptist tomorrow in the final home doubleheader of the regular season. First pitch is set for noon Eastern.
U OF I BASEBALL
BOLIVAR, Mo. – The University of Indianapolis baseball team took a Saturday split with the SBU Bearcats, winning game one 12-2 before falling in game two 4-3. The Hounds now sit at 23-16 with a 9-14 mark in conference action. The Greyhounds will battle for a series win tomorrow while SBU will fight for a split.
GAME 1 | UINDY 12, SBU 2
The first contest of the day was a Denton Shepler show, as the junior out of Liberty, Ind. had a career high 5 RBIs on 2-3 from the plate. Shepler started his day with a sacrifice bunt to etch across the Hounds first run, later homering in the third to right center to make it 5-0. His final RBI came in the fourth where he roped a ball up the middle, sending home the speedy Caleb Vaughn.
Outside of the work by Shepler, Adam Rakestraw got his first bomb of the season, hammering a ball over the right field wall for two RBIs. Vaughn was incredibly productive from the plate as well, matching his two-dinger day from the day prior, hitting a triple into right center that scored two and then getting an RBI single up the middle in the sixth.
Brandon DeWitt was quality from the mound, going five innings with one earned run for his fifth decision of the year. His six strikeouts is his best mark since April 1 where he punched out eight. Out of the pen, both Steven Jones and Brandon Stidham ate some innings with each recording a strikeout.
GAME 2 | SBU 4, UINDY 3
Just like game one, the Hounds got going early with Nick Lukac recording three RBIs early, hitting a base clearing triple to right center for three RBIs, scoring Brady Ware, Vaughn and Drew Donaldson.
The early three spot was all the offense the Hounds could muster as a two run homer, a sac fly and an error scored the four runs for the home team. The Hounds had runners on first and second in the top of the seventh but were unable to plate the tying run, leaving the score 4-3.
UP NEXT
While the sweep is no longer on the table, the Hounds have an opportunity to take the series tomorrow as they take on SBU one more time. First pitch is currently penciled in for 1 p.m. ET.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian softball team took on No. 20 Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon in a doubleheader between two of the top teams in the Crossroads League. The Wildcats returned the favor from Marian’s sweep earlier in the season, as the Knights fall in both games for the first time this season, making their record 38-6 on the year and 27-5 in CL play.
Game 1 | Marian 0-1 Indiana Wesleyan
After the first few innings, it looked like the game was going to be a pitching duel between Olivia Stunkel and Alyssa Wagner, with the pair each dishing out four strikeouts through the first three innings. Both Marian and Indiana Wesleyan seemed to be putting on a defensive clinic as neither team could get anything going.
The Wildcats found themselves on the scoreboard first after a double to left center scored the first run of the game in the top of the sixth. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom half of the inning, the Knights registered their first hit off an Abby Madere single, before advancing to second on Sierra Norman’s walk. With runners in good position, Marian would be left stranded as back-to-back foul outs ended the inning.
Marian’s defense allowed no hits for Indiana Wesleyan to put themselves in a good spot as they headed into the bottom half of the final inning. However, Wildcats defense proved to be sound as they went three up three down to end the Knights’ chance at a comeback to win game one 1-0.
Madere had Marian’s only hit of the game. Stunkel threw all seven innings, dishing out seven strikeouts in the loss.
Game 2 | Marian 3-8 Indiana Wesleyan
Sydney Wilson was flawless through the first two innings to help Marian get off to a good start in game two. Indiana Wesleyan carried over their defensive efficiency from game one as they gave up no hits as well through the first two innings.
In the top of the third inning, the Wildcats picked up three runs to take the early 3-0 lead. Marian finally got the bats going after Savannah Baker started the bottom half of the inning off with a single to right field, before scoring a pair of plays later on Savannah Harweger’s single.
Wilson’s one-two-three in the next inning gave the Knights some momentum in the bottom of the fourth inning, but two runners would be left on as Marian still trailed 3-1 going into the fifth inning. The visitors kept their bats hot as they managed to tack on another run to go ahead by three, before padding their lead even more with two more scores in the top of the sixth.
Marian tried to answer in the bottom of the sixth, but the defense by the Wildcats continued to prove dominant. Two more runs were scored in the top of the final inning as Indiana Wesleyan grew their lead to 8-1, making for a lot of ground to be made up by the Knights.
Raegan Hiatt started the bottom of the seventh off with a bang as she homered to center field. Madere would later pick up the RBI single to make it 8-3, but the Marian deficit was too much to come back from as the Wildcats would hold off the late attempt from the Knights to win 8-3.
Harweger and Baker led Marian with two hits each, while Madere, Hayley Greene, Hiatt, and Maddy Trisler all recorded one hit. Hiatt had the Knights’ lone homerun of the day to also pick up the RBI. Harweger and Madere also added an RBI in the loss. Wilson took the loss in her six innings pitched, striking out one and giving up six hits. Abigail McPherson pitched one inning, giving up two hits.
Marian will be back home on Tuesday in their final home game of the year as they host Mt. Vernon Nazarene at 3 p.m.
MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos, and more.
MARIAN BASEBALL
Upland, Ind. – The Marian baseball team dropped games three and four of their series against the Taylor Trojans Saturday afternoon, getting swept in their final road games of the season. Marian’s losses drop them to 16-26 on the year, and 10-20 in Crossroads League play
Game 1 | Taylor 6-2 Marian
Marian’s defense held their own against the Trojans, shutting out the 21st ranked team in the NAIA through two innings of play behind the left arm of Taylor Soper. Soper’s scoreless streak came to a screeching halt in the bottom of the third inning, as the senior was tagged for a pair of hits in the first three batters he faced, with Camden Knepp’s double scoring the opening run of the game. After walking Kaleb Kolpein, Soper was charged with three more runs as TJ Bass took a pitch for a ride to center field, homering to make it a 4-0 game.
Soper got out of the inning with a pair of outs to the right side, and in the top of the fourth Marian got their closest to scoring as Jackson Hogg opened the inning with a single. A groundout and passed ball would advance the outfielder to third base, but a strikeout and pop up left Marian empty in the inning. Soper would strand a pair of Trojans in the bottom of the inning after allowing the bases to get loaded with a double play aiding his cause, and in the fifth got run support as a Rylan Huntley and Dawson Estep home run brought the visitors within two.
The Knights trailed 4-2 going into the sixth as they continued their rally efforts, but were retired in order in both the sixth and seventh despite getting scoreless innings out of their starter. In the bottom of the seventh, Taylor University managed to add to their lead as a single and hit batter would put a pair of runners on base. A wild pitch moved the pair of runners into scoring position, allowing Kolpien to drive in a run on a sacrifice fly. Soper exited after the flyout, and after Daniel Brenneman was able to get one out closer to ending the threat, a passed ball allowed Knepp to trickle home. Brenneman got out of the inning with a line drive out, as Taylor led 6-2 after seven complete.
Marian managed to get runners on base in each of their final two innings at the plate as they attempted to tie the game, but a single from Huntley and walk to Kameron Salazar were stranded in the eighth. In the ninth JJ Rivera roped a single, but was unable to score as he ended the game standing on third as Caden Jones popped out to end the game.
Soper fell to 1-3 on the season after pitching in his third start of the season, lasting 6.1 innings on the mound. The southpaw allowed seven hits and three walks, with all six runs charged to his final total. As a team the Knights had six hits, with Huntley leading the way with two. The shortstop Huntley and third baseman Estep had Marian’s only extra base hits of the game, with the duo scoring the only runs for the Knights.
Game 2 | Taylor 6-1 Marian
Taylor again struck first in the second act of the doubleheader, driving in the opening runs of the game in their first bats of the contest. After getting a pair of strikeouts to strand a Jackson Hogg single in the top of the first, a TJ Bass two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning against Damien Wallace provided the damage. Kade Vander Molen would add a double off of Wallace, but the ace on the staff was able to get a strikeout and fly out to end the inning. Marian attempted to answer right away in the second inning as Josh Lamb, Bryce Davenport, and Caden Jones each hit a single, but a double play and failed attempt at a stolen base ruined the chance.
Wallace rebounded after his rough start, tossing a perfect second inning while stranding a two-out double in a two-strikeout third inning. Wallace was again perfect in the fourth inning as the score remained 2-0, but in the fifth the right-hander lost his momentum as Taylor pieced the pitcher for four hits. Over the four-hit inning, the Trojans scored four runs, with Bass, Vander Molen, and Mason David recording RBI hits for the home team. A strikeout would strand David on second base, as Taylor led 6-0 after five complete.
Despite trailing by six, Marian continued to fight as they had six outs remaining. In the top of the sixth Kameron Salazar led the inning off with a single, while Jackson Hogg walked to put a second man on. After a pitching change Marian recorded back to back outs, but were able to load the bases as Lamb was walked. Despite the golden opportunity, Davenport was unable to keep up striking out to end the inning. Ethan Davis came on in relief in the sixth and faced the minimum after allowing a single, bringing the offense back to the plate. In their final at-bat of the game, Marian was able to pick up a pair of runners as Huntley and Salazar walked, and Jackson Hogg singled to score a run with two outs. With two on, Marian’s rally came up short, as a strikeout from Taylor pitcher Nick Crabtree ended the game.
Wallace fell to 4-4 on the year with the loss, allowing eight hits and six runs in the game. The right-hander recorded seven strikeouts in the start. Ethan Davis allowed one hit in his relief appearance, picking up two strikeouts in the game. At the plate Marian had six total hits, with Hogg leading the team in his 2-3 performance.
Marian will finish their regular season at home, with six games remaining against St. Francis and Huntington. Marian’s final games in the St. Francis series will begin at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon at MU Ballpark.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Tampa Bay | 18 | 3 | .857 | – | 12 – 0 | 6 – 3 | 5 – 2 | 5 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 7 – 3 | W 4 |
| Baltimore | 13 | 7 | .650 | 4.5 | 6 – 3 | 7 – 4 | 2 – 4 | 4 – 1 | 5 – 2 | 8 – 2 | W 5 |
| NY Yankees | 13 | 8 | .619 | 5 | 9 – 6 | 4 – 2 | 3 – 2 | 4 – 3 | 2 – 1 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Toronto | 12 | 9 | .571 | 6 | 4 – 2 | 8 – 7 | 3 – 2 | 5 – 2 | 3 – 3 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Boston | 11 | 11 | .500 | 7.5 | 7 – 6 | 4 – 5 | 2 – 5 | 5 – 1 | 3 – 1 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 11 | 10 | .524 | – | 4 – 4 | 7 – 6 | 3 – 4 | 5 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 4 – 6 | L 3 |
| Cleveland | 10 | 11 | .476 | 1 | 2 – 6 | 8 – 5 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 2 | 6 – 4 | 3 – 7 | L 2 |
| Detroit | 7 | 12 | .368 | 3 | 4 – 4 | 3 – 8 | 1 – 10 | 2 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 5 – 5 | L 3 |
| Chi White Sox | 7 | 14 | .333 | 4 | 3 – 6 | 4 – 8 | 1 – 4 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 2 | 2 – 8 | L 3 |
| Kansas City | 5 | 16 | .238 | 6 | 1 – 12 | 4 – 4 | 1 – 3 | 0 – 3 | 2 – 6 | 2 – 8 | W 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 13 | 7 | .650 | – | 7 – 4 | 6 – 3 | 1 – 2 | 5 – 1 | 3 – 2 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Houston | 11 | 10 | .524 | 2.5 | 6 – 7 | 5 – 3 | 2 – 1 | 4 – 6 | 1 – 2 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| LA Angels | 10 | 11 | .476 | 3.5 | 4 – 4 | 6 – 7 | 3 – 7 | 1 – 1 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Seattle | 10 | 11 | .476 | 3.5 | 7 – 8 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 1 – 2 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| Oakland | 4 | 17 | .190 | 9.5 | 2 – 10 | 2 – 7 | 1 – 6 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 3 | 2 – 8 | L 1 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 14 | 7 | .667 | – | 4 – 5 | 10 – 2 | 2 – 1 | 6 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 7 – 3 | L 3 |
| NY Mets | 14 | 8 | .636 | 0.5 | 4 – 2 | 10 – 6 | 5 – 2 | 0 – 3 | 6 – 3 | 8 – 2 | L 1 |
| Miami | 12 | 9 | .571 | 2 | 7 – 6 | 5 – 3 | 4 – 6 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 8 – 2 | W 2 |
| Philadelphia | 10 | 12 | .455 | 4.5 | 5 – 4 | 5 – 8 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 3 | 2 – 1 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| Washington | 7 | 13 | .350 | 6.5 | 2 – 9 | 5 – 4 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 2 | 4 – 6 | W 2 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Milwaukee | 15 | 6 | .714 | – | 6 – 2 | 9 – 4 | 3 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 3 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 15 | 7 | .682 | 0.5 | 6 – 3 | 9 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 4 | 3 – 0 | 8 – 2 | W 6 |
| Chi Cubs | 12 | 8 | .600 | 2.5 | 6 – 6 | 6 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 3 | 3 – 3 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| St. Louis | 8 | 13 | .381 | 7 | 5 – 8 | 3 – 5 | 0 – 3 | 3 – 4 | 3 – 3 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| Cincinnati | 7 | 14 | .333 | 8 | 6 – 6 | 1 – 8 | 3 – 7 | 3 – 5 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 7 | L 5 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Arizona | 12 | 10 | .545 | – | 6 – 4 | 6 – 6 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 2 | 7 – 6 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| LA Dodgers | 11 | 11 | .500 | 1 | 6 – 6 | 5 – 5 | 1 – 2 | 3 – 3 | 7 – 6 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| San Diego | 11 | 12 | .478 | 1.5 | 5 – 8 | 6 – 4 | 5 – 5 | 1 – 3 | 5 – 4 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| San Francisco | 7 | 13 | .350 | 4 | 3 – 6 | 4 – 7 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 2 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Colorado | 6 | 16 | .273 | 6 | 3 – 7 | 3 – 9 | 3 – 4 | 1 – 5 | 2 – 4 | 1 – 9 | L 2 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1902 In his major league debut, Luis Castro plays second base for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia’s A’s in an 8-1 victory over Baltimore at Oriole Park. The 25-year-old Medellin native becomes the first and last player from Colombia to appear in the big leagues until Orlando Ramrez joins the Angels in 1974.
1903 The Highlanders, previously called the Orioles before their recent move from Baltimore, win their first game representing New York. Spitballer Harry Howell goes the distance, throwing a two-hitter to get the win when the team that will become known as the Yankees beats Washington at American League Park, 7-2.
1919 Senator right-hander Walter Johnson records his fifth Opening Day shutout, beating the A’s at Griffith Stadium, 1-0. The Philadelphia starter Scott Perry matches zeros with the ‘Big Train’ for a dozen frames until pinch-runner Mike Menosky scores the decisive run for Washington with one out in the bottom of the 13th inning.
1921 Warren Spahn is born in Buffalo, New York, the son of a wallpaper salesman who had once played semi-pro baseball. The future Hall of Fame southpaw, a mainstay with the Braves in the 1950s, is named after Warren Harding, a right-hander recently sworn in as the president of the United States.
1924 On WMAQ, Hal Totten, a Chicago Daily News play-by-play reporter, does a play-by-play radio report of the 12-1 Cubs’ victory over the Cardinals. The broadcast of every Cub and White Sox home game of the season marks the first time a team’s games will be regularly heard on the airwaves.
1939 At Griffith Stadium, Senators’ right-hander Alejandro Carrasquel faces the Yankees in his major league debut. The 26-year-old from Caracas becomes the first player from Venezuela to appear in a major league game.
1944 Hack Miller homers in his first major league at-bat, hitting a three-run shot off Indian southpaw starter Al Smith in the eighth inning of the Tigers’ 4-3 victory over the Tribe at Cleveland Stadium. The 31-year-old rookie backstop, with only ten plate appearances, will hit .444 during a brief two-year stint with Detroit.
1952 Both starters at Sportsman’s Park toss a one-hitter, but Browns’ southpaw Bob Cain gets the victory when he beats Bob Feller and the Indians, 1-0. The lone run of the contest scores in the bottom of the first frame when third baseman Al Rosen’s error allows Bobby Young, who tripled to lead off the inning, to cross the plate.
1952 At the Polo Grounds, Hoyt Wilhelm hits a home run in his first major league at-bat, a fourth-inning blast off Dick Hoover in the Giants’ 9-5 victory over the Braves. The knuckle-balling future Hall of Fame hurler will never homer again during the next 21 years, covering 1070 games and 432 official at-bats.
1954 At Busch Stadium, Hank Aaron hits the first of his 755 career home runs in his seventh major league game. The Milwaukee outfielder’s sixth-inning solo round-tripper comes on a pitch thrown by Cardinal right-hander Vic Raschi in the Braves’ 7-6 extra-inning victory in St. Louis.
1955 At Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium, the White Sox tie a modern major league mark for most runs scored by a single team in a game when the team drubs the A’s, 29-6. The Red Sox also scored 29 runs against the Browns in 1950.
1958 In a 7-6 loss to Chicago at the LA Coliseum, two Dodger mainstays from Brooklyn and future Hall of Famers reach career milestones. First baseman Gil Hodges, who will finish his 18-year major league tenure with the most home runs (370) ever by a right-handed batter, hits his 300th career round-tripper, and Pee Wee Reese, the team captain and shortstop, plays in his 2000th game.
1961 Art Mahaffey sets a franchise record when he strikes out 17 batters in the Phillies’ 6-0 victory over Chicago. The 23-year-old right-hander whiffs at least one hitter in each inning during the Connie Mack Stadium contest.
1962 In the team’s tenth attempt, the Mets win their first game in franchise history, defeating the Pirates at Forbes Field, 9-1. Jay Hook’s five-hit complete-game victory snaps Pittsburgh’s record-tying winning streak of 10 games from the start of the season without a loss.
1964 At Colt Stadium, Ken Johnson becomes the first pitcher to lose a nine-inning no-hitter when the Reds beat the Colt .45s, 1-0. Pete Rose, attempting to bunt, reaches second on a throwing error by the pitcher, scores the game’s lone run in the top of the ninth inning when Nellie Fox boots Vada Pinson’s two-out ground ball to second base. Courtesy of the Houston Astros network via
1969 At Memorial Stadium, the Orioles walk off the Tigers, 3-2, in an extra-inning pitching duel that features Detroit’s Denny McLain retiring 21 straight batters and Baltimore’s Mike Cuellar getting 20 consecutive hitters. Mark Belanger’s tenth-inning single plates Ellie Hendricks, who had doubled to start the final frame to snap the Detroit right-hander’s streak, with the winning run for the Birds.
1969 The Boston fans at Fenway Park warmly welcome back team legend Ted Williams when he emerges from the visitor’s dugout to exchange lineups with the umpires. The new Washington manager shakes hands with the Red Sox coach and dear friend Bobby Doerr at home plate, much to the crowd’s delight.
1972 Trailing by four runs at Candlestick Park, the Astros score ten times in the ninth inning to beat the Giants, 13-7. Seven hits, two walks, a passed ball, and an error fuel the fireworks in the final frame.
1978 Joe Morgan’s major league record streak of 91 consecutive errorless games for a second baseman ends. The Reds infielder’s errant toss during a second-inning rundown is his first error since July 6, 1977.
1985 Don Baylor collects his 999th and 1000th RBIs when he hits a two-run home run off Oil Can Boyd in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Bronx Bombers on the board in New York’s 5-4 extra-inning loss to Boston at Yankees Stadium. The 36-year-old outfielder/DH will end his 19-year career driving in 1276 runs.
1990 White Sox utility player Steve Lyons plays all nine positions during an exhibition game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. ‘Psycho,’ however, will not join the small list of players, including Bert Campaneris (1965 A’s) and Cesar Tovar (1968 Twins), who have accomplished the feat in a major league game.
1995 In the Dodgers’ 8-4 victory over the Mets at Holman Stadium, Henry Rodriguez becomes the first to hit four homers in a spring training game. The LA right fielder sends a 3-0 fastball from Josias Manzanillo over the fence, capping a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate, much to the delight of the Vero Beach (FL) crowd.
1999 Fernando Tatis becomes the only player in baseball history to hit two grand slams in one inning when he collects eight RBIs in one frame to break the old record of six. The Cardinal third baseman hits both off Dodger starter Chan Ho Park in an 11-run third of the team’s 12-5 victory at Chavez Ravine.
2000 In a 10-7 victory over the Blue Jays at Toronto’s SkyDome, Yankees Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada become the first teammates to each homer from both sides of the plate in the same game. Felipe Lopez and Tony Clark become the second pair of teammates to accomplish the feat, homering from each side of the plate for the Diamondbacks on Opening Day in 2009.
2000 The Dodgers complete a sweep of the Reds to notch their 1,000th win over baseball’s oldest professional franchise. Since 1970, Los Angeles has been the only National League franchise to play over .500 ball (120-115) in Cincinnati (Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field).
2006 Keith Hernandez is reprimanded by Sportsnet New York, the Mets’ television network, for comments made last night about the female in full uniform sitting in the Padres dugout. Spotting Kelly Calabrese, the Padres’ full-time massage therapist, the Mets broadcaster remarked women “don’t belong in the dugout” and apologized for his insensitive comments during the telecast.
2007 Riding as a passenger in a car near San Francisco, 73-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam dies in an auto accident. The prolific writer’s books covered various topics in American history, including pennant races (The Summer of ’49), World Series (October 1964), and ballplayers who were lifelong friends (Teammates).
2008 2008 Joining the Giants, the Cubs become the second franchise in major league history to win 10,000 games, beating the Rockies in a ten-inning contest at Coors Field, 7-6. After winning six in a row, Chicago has a 10,000-9,465 all-time won-loss record during its 122-year existence in the Windy City.
2010 All-Star Ben Zobrist agrees to a three-year contract extension with the Rays that guarantees him $18 million for 2010-13. The team’s MVP last season, obtained in 2006 from Houston in the Aubrey Huff trade, had agreed to a one-year deal in March worth $438,100.
2010 The Rays’ 10-2 victory over Chicago concludes a 9-1 road trip, making it the team’s winningest road trip in the 13-year history of the franchise. Tampa’s success on the road translates into a 12-4 record overall, their best start ever.
2013 2008 Joining the Giants, the Cubs become the second franchise in major league history to win 10,000 games, beating the Rockies in a ten-inning contest at Coors Field, 7-6. After winning six in a row, Chicago has a 10,000-9,465 all-time won-loss record during its 122-year existence in the Windy City.
2014 Conrado Marrero, the oldest living former major leaguer, dies two days before his 103rd birthday. The 5-foot, 5-inch Cuban right-hander, named to the American League All-Star team in 1951, compiled a 39-40 record with an ERA of 3.96 during his five seasons with the Senators.
2014 Due to his effort to get a better grip on the baseball on a chilly spring night at Fenway Park, Michael Pineda, will be ejected in the second inning for using pine tar after concealing the foreign substance on his neck. The Yankees right-hander will get a ten-day suspension for using the sticky material, usually overlooked by opponents when discreetly used since it does not affect the ball’s flight.
2018 Jenny Cavna, the Rockies’ pre-and post-game host, becomes the first woman in 22 years to do televised play-by-play for a major league game when she details the action in the team’s 13-5 loss against the Padres at Coors Field. At the Metrodome in 1996, Yankee commentator Suzyn Waldman, after being an analyst for the first two games of the series, described the action in the Bronx Bombers’ 9-5 defeat of the Twins on a WPIX telecast.
2021 Jacob deGrom, fanning 15, becomes the first pitcher to strike out 50 batters through his first four games to start a season, breaking the mark of 48 established earlier this week by Indians’ starter Shane Bieber. With his 6-0 complete-game victory over the Nationals, the 32-year-old Mets right-hander joins Pedro Martinez (Red Sox, 1999) and Gerrit Cole (Astros, 2019) as the only pitchers to strike out 14 or more batters in three consecutive starts.
2022 Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera becomes the 33rd player and first Venezuelan to collect 3000 career hits, grounding an opposite-field first-inning single to right field off fellow countryman Antonio Senzatela in the team’s 13-0 rout of the Rockies at Comerica Park. The 39-year-old two-time American League MVP (2012 and 2013) joins Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Willie Mays, Rafael Palmeiro, Eddie Murray and Hank Aaron as the seventh major leaguer to have reached both the 3,000 hit and 500 home run milestones.
TV SUNDAY
| BOWLING | TIME ET | TV |
| PBA: WSOB World Championship | 12:00pm | FOX |
| COLLEGE BASEBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Vanderbilt at Tennessee | 12:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Purdue at Maryland | 12:00pm | ESPNU |
| Minnesota at Illinois | 2:00pm | BTN |
| SIU Carbondale at Indiana State | 3:00pm | ESPNU |
| COLLEGE SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Northwestern at Michigan | 12:00pm | BTN |
| Auburn at Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Louisville at Vriginia | 4:00pm | ACCN |
| Florida at Tennessee | 7:00pm | SECN |
| FISHING | TIME ET | TV |
| Bassmaster Elite Series | 8:00am | FS1 |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| LIV Golf League | 1:00pm | CW |
| PGA Tour: Zurich Classic | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| LPGA Tour: Chevron Championship | 3:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Zurich Classic | 3:00pm | CBS |
| LPGA Tour: Chevron Championship | 4:00pm | NBC |
| HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS | TIME ET | TV |
| Slovakia vs Canada | 7:00am | NHLN |
| US vs Finland | 1:00pm | NHLN |
| Michigan at Philadelphia | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Colorado at Philadelphia | 12:05pm | Peacock NBCS-PHI ATTSN-RM |
| Houston at Atlanta | 1:30pm | MLBN ATTSN-SW Bally Sports |
| Toronto at NY Yankees | 1:35pm | Sportsnet YES |
| Cincinnati at Pittsburgh | 1:35pm | Bally Sports ATTSN-PIT |
| Detroit at Baltimore | 1:35pm | Bally Sports MASN/2 |
| Chi. White Sox at Tampa Bay | 1:40pm | MLBN Bally Sports NBCS-CHI |
| Miami at Cleveland | 1:40pm | Bally Sports |
| Washington at Minnesota | 2:10pm | MASN/2 Bally Sports |
| Boston at Milwaukee | 2:10pm | NESN Bally Sports |
| LA Dodgers at Chi. Cubs | 2:20pm | Spectrum MARQ |
| Oakland at Texas | 2:35pm | NBCS-CA Bally Sports |
| Kansas City at LA Angels | 4:07pm | Bally Sports |
| San Diego at Arizona | 4:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports |
| St. Louis at Seattle | 4:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports Root Sports |
| NY Mets at San Francisco | 7:00pm | ESPN SNY NBCS-BAY |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| NASCAR Cup: GEICO 500 | 3:00pm | FOX |
| NBA PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| East Quarterfinals Game 4: Cleveland at New York | 1:00pm | ABC |
| West Quarterfinals Game 4: Sacramento at Golden State | 3:30pm | ABC |
| East Quarterfinals Game 4: Boston at Atlanta | 7:00pm | TNT |
| West Quarterfinals Game 4: Denver at Minnesota | 9:30pm | TNT |
| NHL PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| Game 4: Carolina at NY Islanders | 1:00pm | TNT |
| Game 4: Boston at Florida | 3:30pm | TNT |
| Game 4: Dallas at Minnesota | 6:30pm | TBS |
| Game 4: Edmonton at Los Angeles | 9:00pm | TBS |
| RUGBY | TIME ET | TV |
| MLR: Houston at New York | 2:30pm | FS1 |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Empoli vs Internazionale | 6:30am | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Reims vs Strasbourg | 7:00am | beIN Sports |
| La Liga: Elche vs Valencia | 8:00am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Monza vs Fiorentina | 9:00am | Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Udinese vs Cremonese | 9:00am | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Lorient vs Toulouse | 9:00am | beIN Sports |
| Ligue 1: Nantes vs Troyes | 9:00am | beIN Sports |
| Ligue 1: Nice vs Clermont | 9:00am | beIN Sports |
| Ligue 1: Ajaccio vs Brest | 9:00am | beIN Sports |
| Bundesliga: Freiburg vs Schalke 04 | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| English Premier League: Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur | 10:00am | USA |
| English Premier League: AFC Bournemouth vs West Ham United | 10:00am | Peacock |
| Brasileirão: Internacional vs Flamengo | 10:00am | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid | 10:15am | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Montpellier vs Rennes | 11:05am | beIN Sports |
| Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig | 11:30am | ESPN+ |
| FA Cup: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United | 11:30am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Milan vs Lecce | 12:00pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Mallorca vs Getafe | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Borussia M’gladbach vs Union Berlin | 1:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Rosario Central vs Boca Juniors | 2:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Juventus vs Napoli | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Olympique Lyonnais vs Olympique Marseille | 2:45pm | beIN Sports |
| La Liga: Sevilla vs Villarreal | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Brasileirão: Santos vs Atlético Mineiro | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Brasileirão: Vasco da Gama vs Palmeiras | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| MLS: Atlanta United vs Chicago Fire | 4:30pm | FS1 |
| Argentina Primera División: Instituto vs Banfield | 5:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Estudiantes vs Talleres Córdoba | 5:00pm | Paramount+ |
| NWSL: Kansas City Current vs Orlando Pride | 5:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Brasileirão: Coritiba vs Fortaleza | 5:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Brasileirão: Goiás vs Corinthians | 6:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: River Plate vs Independiente | 7:30pm | Paramount+ |
| NWSL: Angel City vs San Diego Wave | 8:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Liga MX: Santos Laguna vs Querétaro | 9:05pm | FS2 |
| USFL | TIME ET | TV |
| New Jersey vs. Pittsburgh | 1:00pm | NBC |
| Michigan at Philadelphia | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| XFL | TIME ET | TV |
| Houston at Arlington | 3:00pm | ESPN |
| Vegas at Seattle | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |