April 2, 2023 7:48 am
CINCINNATI (AP) — Jake Fraley came off the bench to hit a three-run homer, Kevin Newman had a two-run shot against his former team and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2. Jonathan India added a solo homer and Nick Lodolo overcame a challenging first inning as Cincinnati snapped an eight-losing streak to Pittsburgh that dated to last season, when both teams lost 100 games. Fraley’s second career pinch-hit homer in the sixth off right-hander Chase De Jong reached the visitors’ bullpen down the right-field line. Lodolo needed 109 pitches to navigate five innings. The Pirates reached the second-year lefty for seven hits and two runs. He finished with nine strikeouts and two walks in a game that took just 2 hours, 16 minutes.
April 1, 2023 4:50 am
DALLAS (AP) — LSU is going to the women’s national championship game for the first time. Alexis Morris scored 27 points, Angel Reese had 24 and the Tigers beat top-seeded Virginia Tech 79-72 in a national semifinal game. The Tigers are in their second season since coach Kim Mulkey returned to her home state to take over an LSU program that once lost five consecutive national semifinal games. LSU will play Sunday against the winner of the South Carolina-Iowa semifinal. Elizabeth Kitley had 18 points for Virginia Tech, the ACC champion that was in the Final Four for the first time.
DALLAS (AP) — Caitlin Clark had another sensational game with 41 points to help Iowa spoil South Carolina’s perfect season with a 77-73 victory in the Final Four. The spectacular junior guard set a record for the highest-scoring semifinal game and became the first women’s player to post back-to-back 40-point games in the NCAA Tournament. She now has the Hawkeyes in a spot they’ve never been in before — one victory away from a national championship. They’ll have to beat another SEC team to do that as Iowa will face LSU in the title game on Sunday afternoon after the Tigers beat Virginia Tech in the other national semifinal. The loss ended a tremendous season for the defending champion Gamecocks. They finished 36-1.
March 31, 2023 3:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tristan Jarry turned away 27 shots to outduel Juuse Saros and the Pittsburgh Penguins edged Nashville 2-0. Jason Zucker scored his 26th goal in the second period to give Jarry all the help he would need on his way to his 13th career shutout. Jake Guentzel provided some breathing room with a power-play goal in the later stages of the third period. Pittsburgh held on to the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the victory. Juuse Saros made 43 saves for the Predators but Nashville fell a game after stunning NHL-leading Boston on the road.
March 31, 2023 2:28 am
CINCINNATI (AP) — Oneil Cruz homered shortly after a pitch clock violation and later drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on opening day. The game was played in 3 hours, 2 minutes under new rules this season designed to speed things up. There were a combined 15 walks and 26 strikeouts, and one pitch clock violation for each team. Spencer Steer homered for Cincinnati. Rob Zastryzny got the win. Buck Farmer took the loss. David Bednar fanned two in the ninth for the save.
March 30, 2023 3:50 am
A major shift is coming to Major League Baseball, starting on opening day this Thursday. New rules are now in effect. There will be clocks at stadiums to hurry along pitchers and hitters, and there are restrictions on defensive shifts for fielders. The full slate of 15 games includes matchups at Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge will aiming at his own home run record, Shohei Ohtani will be trending with every pitch and swing and Houston manager Dusty Baker is trying to win another World Series ring.
March 30, 2023 3:48 am
Penn State has hired VCU’s Mike Rhoades to be its men’s basketball coach. The Pennsylvania native takes over a program coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than a decade. The Penn State board of trustees approved a seven-year deal worth $25.9 million for Rhoades. He replaces Micah Shrewsberry, who was hired away by Notre Dame last week. Penn State is coming off its first NCAA appearance since 2011 and first NCAA victory since 2001. Rhoades was 129-61 in six seasons as head coach at VCU, including three NCAA Tournament bids. A few hours after Rhoades’ hire was announced on Wednesday, VCU announced it hired Utah State coach Ryan Odom to replace him.
March 29, 2023 3:56 am
DETROIT (AP) — David Perron had a hat trick in the third period and the Detroit Red Wings overcame the ejection of coach Derek Lalonde to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-4. Perron posted his ninth career three-goal game. He scored on a wrist shot early in the third, put Detroit ahead 5-4 on the power play with 3:40 left and added his 19th goal of the season 45 seconds later. Lalonde was assessed a game misconduct during the second period. He profanely argued after unsuccessfully challenging Pittsburgh’s third goal on a claim of goalie interference. Detroit squandered an early three-goal lead and won for just the fourth time in 16 games.
March 29, 2023 3:58 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Dan Snyder’s departure from the NFL is moving closer to reality. A group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales and another group led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos have submitted fully financed bids for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Two people confirmed the bid from Harris. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because details of the bid have not been publicly announced. The Harris/Rales group includes basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also has been in the running. Snyder had yet to accept an offer when the league’s finance committee met Monday so his future wasn’t openly discussed.
March 28, 2023 3:50 am
SEATTLE (AP) — South Carolina is two wins away from completing the 10th undefeated season in women’s college basketball history. The Gamecocks headline a Final Four that features tons of star power and the return of a school to the game’s grandest stage in 30 years. South Carolina, which is led by Aliyah Boston, will face Iowa and Caitlin Clark in one semifinal. LSU will play Virginia Tech in the other matchup Friday night. It’s the Hokies first trip to the Final Four in school history. Coach Kenny Brooks is the third Black male coach to take a team this far in NCAA women’s basketball history. Dallas will host the national semifinals this weekend as well as the Division II and III championship games.
March 28, 2023 3:48 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Elizabeth Kitley scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Georgia Amoore added 24 points and top-seeded Virginia Tech advanced to the Final Four for the first time in school history with an 84-74 win over No. 3 seed Ohio State in the Seattle 3 Regional final. Playing in its first regional final, Virginia Tech won its 15th straight game and will head to the Final Four having not lost in more than two months. The Hokies will face LSU in the national semifinals on Friday in Dallas. Taylor Mikesell led Ohio State with 25 points, but 19 of those came in the first half.V
