April 5, 2021 4:05 am
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Jordan Spieth has ended a slump that lasted 82 starts and nearly four years, closing with a 6-under 66 to win the Valero Texas Open. It’s his first victory since the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale. Now he heads to Augusta National as one of the favorites at the Masters. Spieth sealed it with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole, and he won by two shots over Charley Hoffman.
April 3, 2021 2:24 am
NCAA March Madness hits its crescendo this weekend with the Women’s & Men’s Final Four and the National Championship games.
You can hear the Women’s National Championship game Sunday and the Men’s title game Monday on WJPA-AM (1450) and online Listen Here! From the first tip to the final whistle, we’re you home for NCAA March Madness!
Women’s Final Four (Friday):
#1 Stanford 66, #1 South Carolina 65
#3 Arizona 69, #1 UConn 59
Men’s Final Four (Saturday):
#1 Baylor 78, #2 Houston 59
#1 Gonzaga 93, #11 UCLA 90 OT
Women’s National Championship (Sunday):
5:30 pm #1 Stanford vs. #3 Arizona
Men’s National Championship (Monday):
7:00 pm #1 Baylor vs. #1 Gonzaga
April 4, 2021 6:49 am
BOSTON — Brad Marchand had two of his three goals and set up another in Boston’s five-goal second period, and the Boston Bruins rebounded from a lackluster effort with a 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon. Patrice Bergeron moved into a tie for fourth on the club’s all-time scoring list. David Pastrnak scored twice, David Krejci and Bergeron each had a goal for Boston. Bergeron has 899 career points to equal Rick Middleton (898). Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Jared McCann, Mark Jankowski and Cody Ceci each scored for the Penguins, who had ended a 10-game winless stretch in Boston (0-8-2) with a 4-1 victory over the Bruins on Thursday. It was their first win in TD Garden since Nov. 24, 2014. The loss ended Pittsburgh’s five-game winning streak and was just its fourth in the last 15 games (11-3-1). Casey DeSmith had 21 saves for Pittsburgh. He had allowed just two goals or less in his last eight games for a 1.05 goals-against-average.
April 4, 2021 6:47 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Arrieta pitched six solid innings in a triumphant return to the Cubs, Kris Bryant and Jason Heyward homered, and Chicago beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Saturday afternoon. Arrieta (1-0) got a warm reception prior to the game, then gave up just one run and six hits. The 35-year-old right-hander struck out five and walked one. Arrieta played 4 1/2 years for Chicago, winning a Cy Young Award and a World Series, before signing with Philadelphia in March 2018. He returned to the Cubs in February for a $6 million, one-year contract. Pittsburgh’s Ke’Bryan Hayes left the game because of discomfort in his left wrist. He jammed his hand diving back to first on a pickoff attempt after walking in the first inning. Hayes scored on Kevin Newman’s two-out single. But Erik González batted for him in the third and remained at third base. Anderson (0-1) went five innings in his Pirates debut, allowing three runs and five hits. The left-hander, who signed with Pittsburgh in free agency, struck out seven and walked two.
April 3, 2021 4:03 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Associated Press has learned that the NCAA has not tested players for performance-enhancing drugs at March Madness and other recent college championships. Three people with direct knowledge of NCAA testing protocols tell AP that testing has not resumed since the coronavirus pandemic shut down college sports a year ago. Although athletes may have been tested on campus, the NCAA has not ramped up its usual testing program at national championships such as the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The women’s Final Four semifinals games are Friday, with the men playing Saturday. á The people who spoke to AP about testing all confirmed the same thing: No samples from the organization’s signature events have been sent to the labs that analyze NCAA tests.
April 3, 2021 4:05 am
UNDATED (AP) – There will be no baseball played in Washington this weekend, and no All-Star Game in Atlanta this summer. A COVID-19 outbreak affecting more than a third of the Nationals’ roster has caused the postponement of their season-opening, three-game series against the visiting New York Mets. General manager Mike Rizzo says four of Washington’s players have tested positive for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, and another five were quarantining after contact tracing determined they might have been exposed. The Mets plan to spend the weekend practicing at Nats Park before heading to Philadelphia to play their new season opener on Monday. The Nationals still hope to open their scheduled series with the Braves on Monday. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball is pulling this year’s All-Star Game from Atlanta over objections to sweeping changes to Georgia voting laws that critics have condemned as being too restrictive. The decision to move the July 13 game from Truist Park amounts to the first economic backlash against Georgia for the voting law that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp quickly signed into law last week. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred made the decision to move the All-Star events and the amateur draft from Atlanta after discussions with the Major League Baseball Players Association, individual players and the Players Alliance.
April 2, 2021 8:02 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — Joey Koroly rushed for 138 yards and a third quarter touchdown as the Washington & Jefferson football team registered a 20-6 victory over Geneva College Thursday evening at Cameron Stadium. The weather was no April Fools joke, as the two teams battled cold temperatures and occasional snowfall throughout the contest. The game, which was the first played at Cameron Stadium in 502 days, was completed in just 2 hours and 19 minutes. The two teams combined to run the ball 93 times and attempt just 29 passes. W&J limited Geneva to 205 total yards. The Golden Tornado’s offense fumbled seven times, three of which were lost to the Presidents. Justin Heacock completed 13-of-23 pass attempts for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Koroly averaged 6.3 per rush as he carried 22 times for 138 yards and a score. Andrew Wolf hauled in five catches for 61 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Alex Bellinotti led the defense with 11 tackles and a fumble recovery. Will Paczkoskie finished with seven tackles and forced a pair of fumbles in the victory.
April 2, 2021 3:56 am
BOSTON (AP) -Mike Matheson scored a highlight-reel goal after a lengthy rush, and the surging Pittsburgh Penguins ended a long winless drought in Boston with a 4-1 victory over the Bruins. Zach Aston-Reese, Jason Zucker and Jake Guentzel also scored for the Penguins, who won their fifth straight game and improved to 11-2-1 in their last 14. Casey DeSmith stopped 30 shots as Pittsburgh won in Boston for the first time since an overtime win Nov. 24, 2014, ending an 0-8-2 stretch since then. The Bruins had gone 12-0-1 in their last 13 games in TD Garden against the Penguins. Brad Marchand scored his 14th goal and rookie goalie Dan Vladar stopped 19 shots in his third career start for Boston, which had collected at least a point in five of its previous six games (4-1-1).
April 2, 2021 3:59 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a two-run homer and Pittsburgh’s relievers dominated in a two-hitter, helping the Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on a chilly opening day. The gametime temperature at Wrigley Field was 36 degrees, and the flags at the iconic ballpark rippled in the breeze for much of the sunny afternoon. A crowd of 10,343 dressed in winter jackets, hooded sweatshirts and hats for the return of fans to Wrigley after they were kept out last summer because of the pandemic. Anthony Rizzo, Joc Pederson and Willson Contreras each hit a sacrifice fly for Chicago, but that was it for the reigning NL Central champions.
April 2, 2021 4:00 am
UNDATED (AP) – Francisco Lindor has committed to the Mets for the long haul before his first game. Lindor has agreed to a 10-year, $341 million deal with New York late Wednesday night. The deal currently is the largest ever for a shortstop, passing Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego signed in February.
