June 22, 2021 3:48 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist and Andrei Vasilevskiy notched his fourth career playoff shutout, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning rout the New York Islanders 8-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup semifinal series. The defending NHL champions improved to 13-0 in games following a postseason loss since launching their 2020 title run and will take a 3-2 series lead over the Islanders into Game 6 of their best-of-7 matchup Wednesday night in Uniondale, New York. Brayden Point had a goal for the eighth straight game, and postseason scoring leader Nikita Kucherov had three assists for the Lightning.
June 22, 2021 3:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – In a ruling that could help push changes in college athletics, the Supreme Court has unanimously sided with a group of former college athletes in a dispute with the NCAA over rules limiting certain compensation. The high court ruled today that NCAA limits on the education-related benefits that colleges can offer athletes who play Division I basketball and football can’t be enforced. Under current NCAA rules, students cannot be paid, and the scholarship money colleges can offer is capped at the cost of attending the school. The NCAA had defended its rules as necessary to preserve the amateur nature of college sports. The case doesn’t decide whether students can be paid salaries.
June 21, 2021 3:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Josh Naylor foiled Pittsburgh’s strategy with an RBI single in the seventh inning, helping the Cleveland Indians beat the Pirates 2-1. Cleveland avoided a three-game sweep by the Pirates, who had lost 10 straight entering the series. The Indians have won seven of 10. The lefty-swinging Naylor sent the first pitch he saw from left-handed reliever Chasen Shreve to right, driving in Eddie Rosario to break a 1-all tie. The hit came after Pirates manager Derek Shelton pulled right-handed starter JT Brubaker with two out in the seventh. Brubaker threw just 76 pitches, gave up three hits and tied his career-high with nine strikeouts.
June 21, 2021 3:58 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Jon Rahm made an early move as the final group teed off at the U.S. Open, giving him the momentum he needed to capture his first major championship. Rahm closed with a 4-under 67 to finish 6 under at Torrey Pines, one stroke ahead of Louis Oosthuizen. Rahm got up and down from a greenside bunker on the par-5 18th hole, sinking an 18-foot birdie putt to pull away. That followed a 24-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th, which put him even with Oosthuizen. Oosthuizen birdied his final hole for an even-par 71. Harris English finished alone in third at minus-3, one ahead of Guido Migliozzi and Brooks Koepka. Oosthuizen was the only one of the three co-leaders entering the final round to shoot well. Russell Henley closed with a 76 to finish in a tie for 13th. Mackenzie Hughes gave up six strokes with a 77.
June 21, 2021 3:59 am
MONTREAL (AP) – The Vegas Golden Knights have evened their Stanley Cup semifinal series at two games apiece by outlasting the Canadiens in Montreal. Nicolas Roy converted his own rebound 1:18 into overtime to give the Knights a 2-1 win over the Habs. Vegas was staring and a 3-1 series deficit until Brayden McNabb beat Carey Price midway through the third period. Robin Lehner got the start in place of Marc-Andre Fleury and stopped 27 shots. Lehner blanked the Canadiens after Paul Byron scored on a breakaway with 1:05 left in the second period. Carey Price stopped 17 shots for the Canadiens, who had won its previous four overtime games this postseason. Game 5 is Tuesday in Las Vegas.
June 20, 2021 7:32 am
PITTSBURGH — Michael Perez and Bryan Reynolds hit three-run home runs during the seventh inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied for a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday. Perez homered to right off Bryan Shaw (1-2) to put the Pirates ahead. Four batters later, Reynolds hit a 98 mph fastball from James Karinchak that sailed over the stands in right, bounced into the Allegheny River and was measured at 428 feet. Down 2-0 entering the seventh, the Pirates were aided by six walks, three each by Shaw and Karinchak. It is the most walks the Pirates have drawn in an inning since also coaxing six bases on balls in 1976 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Perez’s home run was his fifth of the season in the backup catcher’s 27 games. Prior to this season, he had gone deep just twice in 84 games. Reynolds has a team-leading 12 homers. He has homered five times in 16 games in June while batting .345. Pittsburgh has won the first two games of the series after entering on a 10-game losing streak.
June 20, 2021 7:33 am
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — With goalie Semyon Varlamov out of position in the closing seconds, New York defenseman Ryan Pulock knew he needed to get in the way of Ryan McDonagh’s shot at the open net. It was the biggest play in the Islanders’ latest series-tying Game 4 win. Matt Martin capped a three-goal second period, Pulock made a diving stop and the Islanders held on to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 Saturday night to even their Stanley Cup semifinal series at two games apiece. Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal also scored, and Cal Clutterbuck and Adam Pelech each had two assists. Semyon Varlamov finished with 28 saves to help the Islanders win a Game 4 to tie a series after dropping the previous game at home for the third time this postseason.
June 19, 2021 1:32 am
Tri-Valley’s only senior, Allie Huhn, doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Tri-Valley rallied past West Greene, 2-1, to win the PIAA Class 1A softball championship. Moments earlier, Grace Header hit a grounder off WG pitcher Kiley Meek allowing the tying run to score. Header sprinted home without a challenge on Huhn’s drive to the right-center gap. The state title is the first for Tri-Valley.
BreAnn Jackson gave West Greene a 1-0 in the top of the second. With Anna Durbin at first, Jackson doubled to the left-center gap, picking up her 10th RBI in the season.
Tri-Valley ran into several outs on the bases, keeping the Bulldogs off the board until the ninth. West Greene turned a 9-2-5 double play in the fifth, leaving Tri-Valley with just four batters in an inning in which the Bulldogs had three base hits. With one out and runners at first and second, a flyball dropped in right field. Olivia Kiger came up throwing to the plate to get the lead runner. Catcher London Whipkey threw to Lexi Six who tagged out the trail runner, ending the inning.
West Greene did not have a hit after the fourth inning, losing in walk-off fashion for the second time in the state. Williams Valley beat the Pioneers, 3-2, in the 2016 title game before West Greene beat Williams Valley the next two years at Penn State.
June 19, 2021 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Gregory Polanco hit a two-run homer in a five-run first inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates nearly squandered a 10-run lead before holding on to beat the Cleveland Indians 11-10, snapping a 10-game losing streak. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a three-run double to highlight a five-run sixth inning and the Pirates seemingly had the game in hand 11-1. The Indians rallied with six runs in the seventh inning and three runs in the eighth, cutting the deficit to a run. The Pirates bullpen nearly blew the double-digit lead after winning pitcher Chad Kuhl allowed just one run in six innings.
June 19, 2021 4:01 am
MONTREAL (AP) – Josh Anderson scored his second goal of the night at 12:53 of overtime, Carey Price made 43 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Friday night to a take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup semifinal series. Cole Caufield also scored to help Montreal win without interim head coach Dominique Ducharme. He tested positive for COVID-19 before the game. Luke Richardson took over behind the bench. Nicolas Roy and Alex Pietrangelo scored for Vegas, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24 shots. Game 4 is Sunday night in Montreal.
