June 7, 2024 4:28 am
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma slugged its way to a record fourth straight NCAA softball title, getting a go-ahead, bases-clearing double from Cydney Sanders and beating Texas 8-4 for a two-game sweep of the Women’s College World Series championship. The Sooners won their eighth title overall, all under coach Patty Gasso, and moved into a tie with Arizona for the second-most national championships behind UCLA’s 12. Second-seeded Oklahoma scored eight runs in each of the two games and pounded 21 hits total against a top-seeded Texas team that came in having thrown three consecutive one-hit shutouts in the World Series.
June 7, 2024 4:31 am
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 20 in his first game in more than a month and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title. Porzingis, who had been sidelined since April 29 with a strained right calf, came off the bench and provided an immediate spark, adding six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes. Six Celtics finished in double figures.
June 6, 2024 5:40 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin Bruihl is hoping to hit the reset button with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The left-handed reliever has joined the Pirates less than a week after opting out of his minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds. The 26-year-old Bruihl pitched well at Triple-A Louisville, going 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 19 appearances. But with his path to the majors with the Reds seemingly blocked, Bruihl bet on himself and became a free agent on June 1. The Pirates are looking for a second left-handed reliever to go with veteran Aroldis Chapman.
June 6, 2024 4:42 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes made a quick impression on Los Angles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Skenes struck out Ohtani on three fastballs that reached 100 mph during their first meeting of what became a 10-6 Pittsburgh win. Ohtani exacted revenge later, dinging Skenes for a two-run homer and adding a single. Skenes still improved to 3-0 after striking out eight over five innings. Skenes says there is still plenty to work on through five career starts. Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal says when Skenes figures everything out he is going to be a “nightmare” for opposing hitters.
June 6, 2024 4:47 am
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma needs just one more win to make softball history. Tiare Jennings’ two-run homer in the first inning sparked an 8-3 win over Texas on Wednesday night that left the Sooners one victory short of a record fourth straight Women’s College World Series title. Oklahoma (58-7) had nine hits and three home runs against a Texas squad that had thrown three one-hit shutouts in three World Series games. Jennings had two hits and three RBIs and Kinzie Hansen had two hits, including a two-run homer, for the Sooners in Game 1 of the best-of-three series. The second-seeded Sooners could clinch their eighth overall championship in Game 2 on Thursday night.
June 6, 2024 1:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cameron Sutton is getting a second chance in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have signed the veteran defensive back to a one-year deal. The agreement comes more than two months after he was released by the Detroit Lions for his involvement in an alleged domestic violence incident in Florida. Sutton eventually surrendered to authorities and entered a pretrial diversion program after the charges were reduced from a felony to misdemeanor battery.
June 5, 2024 4:29 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie Jared Jones pitched six shutout innings and Jack Suwinski homered after being called up from the minor leagues as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0. Jones (4-5) allowed three hits to the NL West-leading Dodgers while striking out six and walking three. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani went 1 for 4, striking out twice and grounding into a double play. Hours before the game, Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud in a Santa Ana, California, courtroom and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off sports betting debts. The Dodgers lost for the second time in seven games. The Pirates had dropped four of their previous six games.
June 5, 2024 4:28 am
NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by Major League Baseball in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades. MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling. Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues and a three minor leaguers also were banned for one year for betting on big league games: pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and infielder José Rodríguez of Philadelphia.
June 5, 2024 4:33 am
PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff and defending champion Iga Swiatek have set up a showdown in the French Open semifinals. Gauff came back to defeat Ons Jabeur 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in Tuesday’s first quarterfinal. Swiatek followed with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova to stretch her Roland Garros winning streak to 19 matches as she seeks a fourth title in five years in Paris. Swiatek is ranked No. 1 and Gauff is No. 3. Gauff is the reigning U.S. Open champion and made it to the final four at the Australian Open in January. Swiatek has won 10 of their 11 previous meetings.
June 3, 2024 12:01 am
Avella baseball, Bentworth, Chartiers-Houston and Carmichaels softball each won opening round PIAA playoff games Monday, advancing to Thursday’s quarterfinals. Burgettstown baseball & West Greene softball lost and were eliminated.
The Avella win comes in the Eagles’ first-ever appearance in the PIAA playoffs. Bryce Wright, Isaiah Bradick, Westley Burchianti and Brayden Fuller each had three hits for Avella. The Bearcats are in the state tournament for just the second time. Kylie Glaze hit a two-run home run, Sydney Gonglik homered, scored twice and struck out 14 batter in Monday’s PIAA win, the first ever for the Bearcats. Winning pitcher Meadow Ferri singled in the go-ahead run leading Chartiers-Houston to a spot in the quarterfinals. Ferri fanned nine Belin batters. PIAA Brackets: Softball Baseball
Monday, June 3
PIAA 1st-Round Softball
1A Chartiers-Houston 2, Berlin-Brothersvalley 1
1A Carmichaels 2, Cambridge Springs 1 (8 innings)
1A Claysburg-Kimmel 6, West Greene 1
2A Bentworth 4, Everett 1
PIAA 1st-Round Baseball
2A Redbank Valley 5, Burgettstown 4
1A Avella 12, West Middlesex 9
