April 28, 2022 Morning Sports

<a href="https://www.milb.com/wichita/news/wind-surge-take-game-two-in-arkansas">Via WindSurge.com</a>

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —

The Wind Surge scored seven runs on nine hits to win 7-4 in game two of the six-game series against the Arkansas Travelers behind an efficient start from Louie Varland on the mound.

Wichita grabbed an early second inning 3-0 lead from smart base running and a Austin Martin RBI single to right field, he extended his on base streak to 16 consecutive games.

The Surge were able to score runs in the next four innings to build the lead to 7-0 featuring a solo home run from Edouard Julien and a two run home run from Cole Sturgeon.

Surge starter Louie Varland was lights out on the mound, pitching 5.1 innings and only allowing three hits on four strikeouts before being relieved by Kody Funderbunk in the sixth inning.

Cole Sturgeon had himself a night going two for three at the plate and adding three RBIs alongside Spencer Steer and Edouard Julien who each had two hits.

The Travelers sent nine to the plate in the eighth inning as Surge reliever Steven Cruz found himself in a jam giving up three runs to shrink the Wichita lead to 7-4 heading into the ninth. Surge reliever Alex Scherff was able to close the game out in the ninth to secure the win.

The Wind Surge will take the field again Thursday for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch for game three of the six-game road trip against the Arkansas Travelers.

<a href="https://www.milb.com/wichita/news/wind-surge-take-game-two-in-arkansas">Via WindSurge.com</a>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —

The Wind Surge scored seven runs on nine hits to win 7-4 in game two of the six-game series against the Arkansas Travelers behind an efficient start from Louie Varland on the mound.Wichita grabbed an early second inning 3-0 lead from smart base running and a Austin Martin RBI single to right field, he extended his on base streak to 16 consecutive games.The Surge were able to score runs in the next four innings to build the lead to 7-0 featuring a solo home run from Edouard Julien and a two run home run from Cole Sturgeon.Surge starter Louie Varland was lights out on the mound, pitching 5.1 innings and only allowing three hits on four strikeouts before being relieved by Kody Funderbunk in the sixth inning.Cole Sturgeon had himself a night going two for three at the plate and adding three RBIs alongside Spencer Steer and Edouard Julien who each had two hits.The Travelers sent nine to the plate in the eighth inning as Surge reliever Steven Cruz found himself in a jam giving up three runs to shrink the Wichita lead to 7-4 heading into the ninth. Surge reliever Alex Scherff was able to close the game out in the ninth to secure the win.The Wind Surge will take the field again Thursday for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch for game three of the six-game road trip against the Arkansas Travelers.

Wind Surge win Thursday in Arkansas

CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox stopped an eight-game slide with a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals. 

The winning rally for the White Sox started when Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson hit consecutive two-out singles off Collin Snider. Scott Barlow then came in, and Vaughn drove his first pitch into the home bullpen in left. 

The White Sox added another run in the eighth when Leury García scampered home on Reese McGuire’s double-play grounder.

CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox stopped an eight-game slide with a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The winning rally for the White Sox started when Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson hit consecutive two-out singles off Collin Snider. Scott Barlow then came in, and Vaughn drove his first pitch into the home bullpen in left. The White Sox added another run in the eighth when Leury García scampered home on Reese McGuire’s double-play grounder.

White Sox win over Royals Thursday

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports Information

LIBERAL – Easton Swanson’s go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh inning of Game 2 against Seward County pushed the No. 15-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team to a KJCCC doubleheader sweep and a 10-game winning streak on Wednesday.

Emily Munson and Riley Wertz combined for a three-hit shutout in the Blue Dragons’ 4-0 win over the Seward County Saints in Game 1 at French Family Field. Swanson’s go-ahead single in the top of the seventh broke Game 2’s second tie and was the difference in a 7-6 Blue Dragon victory.

The Blue Dragons improved to 36-6 overall and 27-3 in the Jayhawk Conference. Hutchinson swept the season series with Seward County (23-23, 14-16).

The 36 wins tied the 2006 Blue Dragons for the seventh-most wins in a season in program history. The Dragons have won 10 games in a row – the second win streak of 10 or more games this season – and have won 23 of their last 25 games.

Hutchinson will close out the regular season with a doubleheader on Saturday at Pratt.

The Blue Dragons had leads of 4-0 and 6-4, only to have Seward County battle back and tie the game on both occasions.

Wertz led off the seventh inning with a single and was pinch-ran for by Lexi Pitcher. With two out and Pitcher still at second, Swanson hit a sharp groundball through the left side of the infield to score Pitcher for a 7-6 Blue Dragon lead.

Wertz, who entered the game in the bottom of the fourth, retired the Saints in order in the seventh inning to earn the pitching victory and improve her season record to 12-1.

Hutchinson took a 4-0 lead when Wertz hit a grand slam to left field in the third inning. Seward County tied the game at four with four runs in the fourth inning, which snapped the Blue Dragon pitching staff’s consecutive scoreless streak at 19 innings.

The Blue Dragons scored single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Goetz broke the 4-all tie with a two-out RBI single in the fifth for a 5-4 lead. The Dragons took a two-run lead in the sixth when Natalie Bevan grounded out to third to score Haley Miller.

Swanson had her third career three-hit game, going 3 for 4 in Game 2 with three singles and her go-ahead hit in the top of the seventh. Swanson’s three hits are a season high for the sophomore outfielder.

Wertz was 3 for 3 with the team’s second grand slam this season – Goetz had the other grand slam, which came against the Ottawa JV on January 29. Wertz struck out five in 3 2-3 innings to up her season total to 140. Wertz moved past Elise Beguelin for ninth on the Blue Dragon single-season strikeout list. Wertz allowed three earned runs on two hits and three walks.

Munson and Wertz combined for the Blue Dragons’ ninth shutout of the season in the opener.

Munson improved to 8-0 for the season with 5 1-3 shutout innings. She allowed three hits and one walk while striking out four.

Wertz extended her Blue Dragon single-season and career records for saves with her eighth of the season. She retired all five batters she faced with three strikeouts.

The Blue Dragons out-hit Seward County 8-3.

Ella Dougherty had the only multi-hit game, going 2 for 4 with a pair of single and a run scored. Wertz broke a 12-game streak without a home run, going 1 for 3 with a homer to left field.

The Blue Dragons took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Dougherty scored on a passed ball and Grimes’ groundout plated Miller. An error off the bat of Bevan scored Miller in the fifth inning. Wertz then homered to lead off the sixth for a 4-0 lead.

Miller had a bunt single in the first inning, her 22nd bunt for a base hit this season.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationLIBERAL – Easton Swanson’s go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh inning of Game 2 against Seward County pushed the No. 15-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team to a KJCCC doubleheader sweep and a 10-game winning streak on Wednesday.Emily Munson and Riley Wertz combined for a three-hit shutout in the Blue Dragons’ 4-0 win over the Seward County Saints in Game 1 at French Family Field. Swanson’s go-ahead single in the top of the seventh broke Game 2’s second tie and was the difference in a 7-6 Blue Dragon victory.The Blue Dragons improved to 36-6 overall and 27-3 in the Jayhawk Conference. Hutchinson swept the season series with Seward County (23-23, 14-16).The 36 wins tied the 2006 Blue Dragons for the seventh-most wins in a season in program history. The Dragons have won 10 games in a row – the second win streak of 10 or more games this season – and have won 23 of their last 25 games.Hutchinson will close out the regular season with a doubleheader on Saturday at Pratt.GAME 2 RECAPThe Blue Dragons had leads of 4-0 and 6-4, only to have Seward County battle back and tie the game on both occasions.Wertz led off the seventh inning with a single and was pinch-ran for by Lexi Pitcher. With two out and Pitcher still at second, Swanson hit a sharp groundball through the left side of the infield to score Pitcher for a 7-6 Blue Dragon lead.Wertz, who entered the game in the bottom of the fourth, retired the Saints in order in the seventh inning to earn the pitching victory and improve her season record to 12-1.Hutchinson took a 4-0 lead when Wertz hit a grand slam to left field in the third inning. Seward County tied the game at four with four runs in the fourth inning, which snapped the Blue Dragon pitching staff’s consecutive scoreless streak at 19 innings.The Blue Dragons scored single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Goetz broke the 4-all tie with a two-out RBI single in the fifth for a 5-4 lead. The Dragons took a two-run lead in the sixth when Natalie Bevan grounded out to third to score Haley Miller.Swanson had her third career three-hit game, going 3 for 4 in Game 2 with three singles and her go-ahead hit in the top of the seventh. Swanson’s three hits are a season high for the sophomore outfielder.Wertz was 3 for 3 with the team’s second grand slam this season – Goetz had the other grand slam, which came against the Ottawa JV on January 29. Wertz struck out five in 3 2-3 innings to up her season total to 140. Wertz moved past Elise Beguelin for ninth on the Blue Dragon single-season strikeout list. Wertz allowed three earned runs on two hits and three walks.GAME 1 RECAPMunson and Wertz combined for the Blue Dragons’ ninth shutout of the season in the opener.Munson improved to 8-0 for the season with 5 1-3 shutout innings. She allowed three hits and one walk while striking out four.Wertz extended her Blue Dragon single-season and career records for saves with her eighth of the season. She retired all five batters she faced with three strikeouts.The Blue Dragons out-hit Seward County 8-3.Ella Dougherty had the only multi-hit game, going 2 for 4 with a pair of single and a run scored. Wertz broke a 12-game streak without a home run, going 1 for 3 with a homer to left field.The Blue Dragons took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Dougherty scored on a passed ball and Grimes’ groundout plated Miller. An error off the bat of Bevan scored Miller in the fifth inning. Wertz then homered to lead off the sixth for a 4-0 lead.Miller had a bunt single in the first inning, her 22nd bunt for a base hit this season.

Dragon softball win streak at 10 after sweep of Seward County

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox stopped an eight-game slide with a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The winning rally for the White Sox started when Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson hit consecutive two-out singles off Collin Snider. Scott Barlow then came in, and Vaughn drove his first pitch into the home bullpen in left. The White Sox added another run in the eighth when Leury García scampered home on Reese McGuire's double-play grounder.

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Blues are no longer the big, bruising team they were when they won the Stanley Cup in 2019. This incarnation is reliant far more on speed, skill and scoring. The Blues will try to win that way this time around starting with their first-round series against Minnesota. Three years ago they battered their way through the playoffs to win the first title in franchise history. Only 10 players remain from that Cup team and even they have altered their approach. Craig Berube is even coaching differently to his personnel to get the most out of a talented roster.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State men's basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger has promoted Nate Schmidt from recruiting and player development coordinator to assistant coach. He takes the spot of Daniyal Robinson, who was hired as head coach at Cleveland State. Schmidt had been a graduate assistant and player development coordinator at Iowa State from 2014-17. He returned to the Cyclones with Otzelberger last year. Schmidt worked on Otzelberger's staff at UNLV. Otzelberger also announced that former Northern Iowa assistant coach Erik Crawford has been named the director of player development and graduate assistant Mo Ba has been promoted to assistant director of player development.

UNDATED (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 30 points in his return to Golden State's starting lineup and the Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets 102-98 to end their first-round series in five games.

Curry converted a three-point play with 1:33 left and scored again with 29 seconds remaining to held sent the Warriors on to the second round in the Western Conference.

Nuggets' star Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) scored 12 of his 30 points in the final 3:46 and finished with 19 rebounds and eight assists.

The Warriors advanced to play the winner of the Memphis-Minnesota, with the Grizzlies up 3-2 going into Game 6 on Friday night in Minneapolis.

In the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) led the defending NBA champion Bucks with 33 points as Milwaukee routed the Chicago Bulls 116-100 to finish off the first-round series in five games.

The third-seeded Bucks advance to face second-seeded Boston in conference semifinals, with Game 1 on Sunday in Boston.

After splitting the first two games, the Bucks won the last three by an average margin of 23.3 points. They won those three games without Khris Middleton. The All-Star sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the fourth quarter of Game 2.

Chicago didn't handle the loss of key players quite as well. The Bulls played without the starting backcourt they used for the first four games because two-time All-Star Zach LaVine was in health and safety protocols and Alex Caruso was in concussion protocol.

Arenado buzzed, frustrated Mets brawl with Cardinals in loss

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Mets' hit-by-pitch frustrations boiled over when reliever Yoan López threw a pitch near Nolan Arenado's head, sparking a benches-clearing brawl that led to Arenado's ejection in the St. Louis Cardinals' 10-5 victory.

Arenado reached four times and drove in three runs before the incident in the eighth inning.

Mets hitter J.D. Davis left in the top of the eighth after being hit in the left foot by a pitch from Génesis Cabrera, the major league-leading 19th hit-by-pitch for the Mets this season. Lopez zipped a 94 mph fastball near Arenado's head, and Arenado began yelling for Lopez to "do it again," sparking the melee.

The New York Mets are upset after several of their hitters have been hit by pitches over the first few weeks of the season. Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt says bad baseballs are to blame. The actual problem is probably multifaceted, ranging from cold weather to bad luck.

The Mets have been hit 20 times this season in 19 games, which leads the league by a wide margin.

MLB-wide hit-by-pitch rates were actually down slightly heading into Wednesday's games.

— Taylor Ward hit a grand slam and finished a single shy of the cycle and the surging Los Angeles Angels rolled to a 9-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians for their fourth consecutive win. Shohei Ohtani showed off his two-way prowess, winning his second straight start while also delivering three hits and driving in a run.

— The Oakland Athletics ended the Giants' five-game winning streak with a 1-0 victory over San Francisco. Paul Blackburn and five relievers combined on a three-hitter, making Chad Pinder's leadoff homer stand up for the A's. Blackburn allowed three hits in five innings, lowering his ERA to 1.35.

— Giancarlo Stanton hit his 350th career homer and lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, sending the New York Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles 5-2. Joey Gallo also homered for the second straight night. Stanton is the seventh fastest player to 350 homers, getting there in 1,341 games.

— The Boston Red Sox celebrated the return of manager Alex Cora by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1. Cora missed the past six games because of COVID-19, and Boston lost five of them. Xander Bogaerts went 4 for 4 with four singles and a walk for the Red Sox, while Michael Wacha earned his second straight win.

— The Tampa Bay Rays beat Seattle 3-2, ending the Mariners' four-game winning streak. Drew Rasmussen struck out nine in six shutout innings for the Rays, while Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run home run.

— Kyle Tucker hit a three-run double in the fifth inning and Cristian Javier won his first start of the season as the Houston Astros held off the Texas Rangers 4-3. Javier allowed two runs in five innings, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out four.

— Joe Ryan threw seven innings of one-hit ball and Max Kepler stayed hot with a pair of home runs as the streaking Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-0. Ryan Jeffers homered, doubled and drove in three runs for the Twins, who won their sixth game in a row. Ryan was dominant from the start, walking just one batter and striking out nine.

— The Philadelphia Phillies won their third straight over the Colorado Rockies, 7-3. Bryce Harper had a triple among his three hits, while Odubel Herrera homered and drove in two runs, and Didi Gregorius added a double, single and two RBIs for Philadelphia.

— Willson Contreras gave Chicago the lead with a run-scoring double in the 10th inning and Patrick Wisdom followed with a two-run homer, as the Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3. The Cubs recovered after right-hander Mychal Givens blew a 3-1 lead in the eighth. David Robertson relieved Givens and got the win.

— Aaron Ashby combined with four relievers on a one-hitter, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1. Neither team got a hit until the sixth inning, but Tyrone Taylor singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning for the Brewers.

— The Miami Marlins moved above .500 for the first time this season, beating the slumping Washington Nationals 2-1. Pablo López lowered his majors-best ERA to 0.39 by throwing six shutout innings. He's now 3-0, having allowed just one run in four starts. The Marlins have won four games in a row, while the Nationals have lost seven straight.

— Jurickson Profar hit a three-run homer, MacKenzie Gore struck out 10 over five innings and the San Diego Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-5. San Diego will go for its second sweep of the season Thursday of the hard-luck Reds. Cincinnati has lost 12 of 13 amid a rash of injuries and slumps, and their 3-15 record is the worst in the majors.

— Arizona scored two runs after Max Muncy's throwing error in the eighth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1. Zac Gallen pitched six scoreless innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

— Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox stopped an eight-game slide with a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The winning rally for the White Sox started when Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson hit consecutive two-out singles off Collin Snider. Scott Barlow then came in, and Vaughn drove his first pitch into the home bullpen in left.

UNDATED (AP) — The Dallas Stars wrapped up the Western Conference's final playoff spot despite a 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes.

After a seven-round shootout win at home over Vegas on Tuesday night, the Stars needed only one point to join Nashville in the two wild-card spots. The Stars got that point by getting to overtime, though they blew a 3-0 lead in the third period and lost when Travis Boyd scored his 16th goal 1:43 into the extra period past Scott Wedgewood.

— The Chicago Blackhawks beat Vegas 4-3 in a shootout, eliminating the Golden Knights from the playoff race. Tyler Johnson scored in the seventh round of the shootout, the only goal in 14 attempts.

— The Montreal Canadiens snapped a nine-game losing streak, beating the playoff-bound New York Rangers 4-3. Jeff Petry scored his second goal of the game with 31 seconds remaining to put Montreal ahead for the fourth time and forge the victory. The Rangers rested seven regulars in a night after losing at home to first-place Carolina, assuring New York would finish second in the Metropolitan Division.

— Lias Andersson's his first goal of the season for Los Angeles snapped a tie early in the third period and the Kings beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3. Jonathan Quick made 36 saves to get his fifth straight win.

— Eric Comrie made 35 saves for his first NHL shutout in the Winnipeg Jets' 4-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Winnipeg's Kyle Connor had an empty-net goal and two assists to push his season points total to 92, the most since the franchise moved from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011.

AP source: Jags, LT Robinson agree to 3-year, $54M extension

UNDATED (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars essentially have ruled out taking a left tackle with the top pick in the NFL draft by agreeing to terms with veteran Cam Robinson on a three-year extension. That's according to a person familiar with the negotiations, who tells The Associated Press that Robinson's new deal totals just shy of $54 million, roughly $18 million a year.

Robinson signed his franchise tender two weeks ago, guaranteeing him $16.7 million next season. But he ended up getting more from the extension. The move also means Jacksonville will likely chose between a pair of pass rushers at No. 1. It's expected to be either Georgia's Travon Walker or Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson.

— The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have picked up the fifth-year contract option on Pro Bowl linebacker Devin White, who has 15 sacks, four forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries over three NFL seasons. White was a key contributor during Tampa Bay's Super Bowl championship run two years ago and a first-time Pro Bowl selection last season.

— The Tennessee Titans have picked up the fifth-year option on defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. It's worth $10.7 million. Simmons is coming off his best season yet after posting a career-high 8 1/2 sacks and led the Titans with 58 quarterback pressures.

— The Washington Commanders have picked up edge rusher Montez Sweat's fifth-year option as expected. Sweat has 21 sacks in 42 NFL games with Washington.

— Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has thrown his support behind struggling head coach Matt Rhule (rool), saying it takes patience and time to build a winning foundation in the NFL. Rhule is 10-23 in his two seasons with the Panthers. Only the Lions, Texans, Jets and Jaguars have won fewer games than Carolina since Rhule's arrival in 2020. He's entering the third year of a seven-year, $62 million contract.

Ex-NBA Players Association VP and Jazz assistant arrested

NEW YORK (AP) — A former vice president of the National Basketball Players Association and current assistant coach for the Utah Jazz has been arrested in a fraud case. Keyon Dooling was among three individuals added to a case first brought in New York in October, when 18 former NBA players were charged.

Dooling, like the others, is charged with illegally pocketing thousands of dollars by defrauding the league's health and welfare benefit plan. Authorities say Dooling pocketed $350,000 himself.

Dooling was a union officer for eight years and eventually became its first vice president. Now an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz, he spent parts of 13 seasons in the NBA. The Jazz placed Dooling on paid administrative leave after learning of the indictment.

Akron extends coach John Groce's contract thru 2030 season

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Following a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Akron has extended coach John Groce's contract through the 2029-30 season. Groce led the Zips to Mid-American Conference tournament title last season and the league's automatic NCAA bid. Groce's previous deal was to expire after the 2026 season.

Hearing officer recommends 2-year NYRA ban for Bob Baffert

UNDATED (AP) — A retired New York State Supreme Court Justice has recommended a two-year suspension for trainer Bob Baffert for repeated medication violations after a New York Racing Association hearing.

Baffert's camp and NYRA have two weeks to offer rebuttals before a three-person panel makes a final decision on the Triple Crown-winning trainer's status.

Churchill Downs has banned Baffert from entering horses in the Kentucky Derby this year and next.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox stopped an eight-game slide with a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The winning rally for the White Sox started when Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson hit consecutive two-out singles off Collin Snider. Scott Barlow then came in, and Vaughn drove his first pitch into the home bullpen in left. The White Sox added another run in the eighth when Leury García scampered home on Reese McGuire's double-play grounder.UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Blues are no longer the big, bruising team they were when they won the Stanley Cup in 2019. This incarnation is reliant far more on speed, skill and scoring. The Blues will try to win that way this time around starting with their first-round series against Minnesota. Three years ago they battered their way through the playoffs to win the first title in franchise history. Only 10 players remain from that Cup team and even they have altered their approach. Craig Berube is even coaching differently to his personnel to get the most out of a talented roster.AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State men's basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger has promoted Nate Schmidt from recruiting and player development coordinator to assistant coach. He takes the spot of Daniyal Robinson, who was hired as head coach at Cleveland State. Schmidt had been a graduate assistant and player development coordinator at Iowa State from 2014-17. He returned to the Cyclones with Otzelberger last year. Schmidt worked on Otzelberger's staff at UNLV. Otzelberger also announced that former Northern Iowa assistant coach Erik Crawford has been named the director of player development and graduate assistant Mo Ba has been promoted to assistant director of player development.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA PLAYOFFSWarrior, Bucks advanceUNDATED (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 30 points in his return to Golden State's starting lineup and the Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets 102-98 to end their first-round series in five games.Curry converted a three-point play with 1:33 left and scored again with 29 seconds remaining to held sent the Warriors on to the second round in the Western Conference.Nuggets' star Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) scored 12 of his 30 points in the final 3:46 and finished with 19 rebounds and eight assists.The Warriors advanced to play the winner of the Memphis-Minnesota, with the Grizzlies up 3-2 going into Game 6 on Friday night in Minneapolis.In the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) led the defending NBA champion Bucks with 33 points as Milwaukee routed the Chicago Bulls 116-100 to finish off the first-round series in five games.The third-seeded Bucks advance to face second-seeded Boston in conference semifinals, with Game 1 on Sunday in Boston.After splitting the first two games, the Bucks won the last three by an average margin of 23.3 points. They won those three games without Khris Middleton. The All-Star sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the fourth quarter of Game 2.Chicago didn't handle the loss of key players quite as well. The Bulls played without the starting backcourt they used for the first four games because two-time All-Star Zach LaVine was in health and safety protocols and Alex Caruso was in concussion protocol.MLB-SCHEDULEArenado buzzed, frustrated Mets brawl with Cardinals in lossUNDATED (AP) — The New York Mets' hit-by-pitch frustrations boiled over when reliever Yoan López threw a pitch near Nolan Arenado's head, sparking a benches-clearing brawl that led to Arenado's ejection in the St. Louis Cardinals' 10-5 victory.Arenado reached four times and drove in three runs before the incident in the eighth inning.Mets hitter J.D. Davis left in the top of the eighth after being hit in the left foot by a pitch from Génesis Cabrera, the major league-leading 19th hit-by-pitch for the Mets this season. Lopez zipped a 94 mph fastball near Arenado's head, and Arenado began yelling for Lopez to "do it again," sparking the melee.The New York Mets are upset after several of their hitters have been hit by pitches over the first few weeks of the season. Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt says bad baseballs are to blame. The actual problem is probably multifaceted, ranging from cold weather to bad luck.The Mets have been hit 20 times this season in 19 games, which leads the league by a wide margin.MLB-wide hit-by-pitch rates were actually down slightly heading into Wednesday's games.Elsewhere around the majors:— Taylor Ward hit a grand slam and finished a single shy of the cycle and the surging Los Angeles Angels rolled to a 9-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians for their fourth consecutive win. Shohei Ohtani showed off his two-way prowess, winning his second straight start while also delivering three hits and driving in a run.— The Oakland Athletics ended the Giants' five-game winning streak with a 1-0 victory over San Francisco. Paul Blackburn and five relievers combined on a three-hitter, making Chad Pinder's leadoff homer stand up for the A's. Blackburn allowed three hits in five innings, lowering his ERA to 1.35.— Giancarlo Stanton hit his 350th career homer and lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, sending the New York Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles 5-2. Joey Gallo also homered for the second straight night. Stanton is the seventh fastest player to 350 homers, getting there in 1,341 games.— The Boston Red Sox celebrated the return of manager Alex Cora by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1. Cora missed the past six games because of COVID-19, and Boston lost five of them. Xander Bogaerts went 4 for 4 with four singles and a walk for the Red Sox, while Michael Wacha earned his second straight win.— The Tampa Bay Rays beat Seattle 3-2, ending the Mariners' four-game winning streak. Drew Rasmussen struck out nine in six shutout innings for the Rays, while Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run home run.— Kyle Tucker hit a three-run double in the fifth inning and Cristian Javier won his first start of the season as the Houston Astros held off the Texas Rangers 4-3. Javier allowed two runs in five innings, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out four.— Joe Ryan threw seven innings of one-hit ball and Max Kepler stayed hot with a pair of home runs as the streaking Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-0. Ryan Jeffers homered, doubled and drove in three runs for the Twins, who won their sixth game in a row. Ryan was dominant from the start, walking just one batter and striking out nine.— The Philadelphia Phillies won their third straight over the Colorado Rockies, 7-3. Bryce Harper had a triple among his three hits, while Odubel Herrera homered and drove in two runs, and Didi Gregorius added a double, single and two RBIs for Philadelphia.— Willson Contreras gave Chicago the lead with a run-scoring double in the 10th inning and Patrick Wisdom followed with a two-run homer, as the Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3. The Cubs recovered after right-hander Mychal Givens blew a 3-1 lead in the eighth. David Robertson relieved Givens and got the win.— Aaron Ashby combined with four relievers on a one-hitter, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1. Neither team got a hit until the sixth inning, but Tyrone Taylor singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning for the Brewers.— The Miami Marlins moved above .500 for the first time this season, beating the slumping Washington Nationals 2-1. Pablo López lowered his majors-best ERA to 0.39 by throwing six shutout innings. He's now 3-0, having allowed just one run in four starts. The Marlins have won four games in a row, while the Nationals have lost seven straight.— Jurickson Profar hit a three-run homer, MacKenzie Gore struck out 10 over five innings and the San Diego Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-5. San Diego will go for its second sweep of the season Thursday of the hard-luck Reds. Cincinnati has lost 12 of 13 amid a rash of injuries and slumps, and their 3-15 record is the worst in the majors.— Arizona scored two runs after Max Muncy's throwing error in the eighth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1. Zac Gallen pitched six scoreless innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks.— Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox stopped an eight-game slide with a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The winning rally for the White Sox started when Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson hit consecutive two-out singles off Collin Snider. Scott Barlow then came in, and Vaughn drove his first pitch into the home bullpen in left.NHL SCHEDULEStars take final playoff in OT lossUNDATED (AP) — The Dallas Stars wrapped up the Western Conference's final playoff spot despite a 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes.After a seven-round shootout win at home over Vegas on Tuesday night, the Stars needed only one point to join Nashville in the two wild-card spots. The Stars got that point by getting to overtime, though they blew a 3-0 lead in the third period and lost when Travis Boyd scored his 16th goal 1:43 into the extra period past Scott Wedgewood.Elsewhere in the NHL:— The Chicago Blackhawks beat Vegas 4-3 in a shootout, eliminating the Golden Knights from the playoff race. Tyler Johnson scored in the seventh round of the shootout, the only goal in 14 attempts.— The Montreal Canadiens snapped a nine-game losing streak, beating the playoff-bound New York Rangers 4-3. Jeff Petry scored his second goal of the game with 31 seconds remaining to put Montreal ahead for the fourth time and forge the victory. The Rangers rested seven regulars in a night after losing at home to first-place Carolina, assuring New York would finish second in the Metropolitan Division.— Lias Andersson's his first goal of the season for Los Angeles snapped a tie early in the third period and the Kings beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3. Jonathan Quick made 36 saves to get his fifth straight win.— Eric Comrie made 35 saves for his first NHL shutout in the Winnipeg Jets' 4-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Winnipeg's Kyle Connor had an empty-net goal and two assists to push his season points total to 92, the most since the franchise moved from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011.NFL-NEWSAP source: Jags, LT Robinson agree to 3-year, $54M extensionUNDATED (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars essentially have ruled out taking a left tackle with the top pick in the NFL draft by agreeing to terms with veteran Cam Robinson on a three-year extension. That's according to a person familiar with the negotiations, who tells The Associated Press that Robinson's new deal totals just shy of $54 million, roughly $18 million a year.Robinson signed his franchise tender two weeks ago, guaranteeing him $16.7 million next season. But he ended up getting more from the extension. The move also means Jacksonville will likely chose between a pair of pass rushers at No. 1. It's expected to be either Georgia's Travon Walker or Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson.In other NFL news:— The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have picked up the fifth-year contract option on Pro Bowl linebacker Devin White, who has 15 sacks, four forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries over three NFL seasons. White was a key contributor during Tampa Bay's Super Bowl championship run two years ago and a first-time Pro Bowl selection last season.— The Tennessee Titans have picked up the fifth-year option on defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. It's worth $10.7 million. Simmons is coming off his best season yet after posting a career-high 8 1/2 sacks and led the Titans with 58 quarterback pressures.— The Washington Commanders have picked up edge rusher Montez Sweat's fifth-year option as expected. Sweat has 21 sacks in 42 NFL games with Washington.— Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has thrown his support behind struggling head coach Matt Rhule (rool), saying it takes patience and time to build a winning foundation in the NFL. Rhule is 10-23 in his two seasons with the Panthers. Only the Lions, Texans, Jets and Jaguars have won fewer games than Carolina since Rhule's arrival in 2020. He's entering the third year of a seven-year, $62 million contract.NBA-NEWSEx-NBA Players Association VP and Jazz assistant arrestedNEW YORK (AP) — A former vice president of the National Basketball Players Association and current assistant coach for the Utah Jazz has been arrested in a fraud case. Keyon Dooling was among three individuals added to a case first brought in New York in October, when 18 former NBA players were charged.Dooling, like the others, is charged with illegally pocketing thousands of dollars by defrauding the league's health and welfare benefit plan. Authorities say Dooling pocketed $350,000 himself.Dooling was a union officer for eight years and eventually became its first vice president. Now an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz, he spent parts of 13 seasons in the NBA. The Jazz placed Dooling on paid administrative leave after learning of the indictment.COLLEGE BASKETBALLAkron extends coach John Groce's contract thru 2030 seasonAKRON, Ohio (AP) — Following a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Akron has extended coach John Groce's contract through the 2029-30 season. Groce led the Zips to Mid-American Conference tournament title last season and the league's automatic NCAA bid. Groce's previous deal was to expire after the 2026 season.HORSE RACING-BAFFERT BANHearing officer recommends 2-year NYRA ban for Bob BaffertUNDATED (AP) — A retired New York State Supreme Court Justice has recommended a two-year suspension for trainer Bob Baffert for repeated medication violations after a New York Racing Association hearing.Baffert's camp and NYRA have two weeks to offer rebuttals before a three-person panel makes a final decision on the Triple Crown-winning trainer's status.Churchill Downs has banned Baffert from entering horses in the Kentucky Derby this year and next.

Sports Highlights for Thursday

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;Ayoka Lee continues to collect honors for her outstanding 2021-22 season, as she has been recognized by the Kansas City Sports Commission with the 2022 Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine Center Sportswoman of the Year award.

Lee will receive her award at the 49th&nbsp;annual of the Kansas City Sports Awards Banquet presented by Populous on Thursday, June 9, at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott – Muehlebach Tower. A reception at 5:30 p.m., precedes the dinner and awards program, which starts at 7 p.m. Tables are currently available exclusively for sponsors. More information can be found at sportskc.org/awards-banquet.

A product of Byron, Minnesota, Lee was a First Team All-American by The Athletic and&nbsp;Sports Illustrated, a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and USBWA, a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention recipient, a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award, a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection by the league’s coaches and garnered her first selection to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.

Lee completed the 2021-22 season with career-highs in a number of statistical categories including points (727), points per game (22.0), field goals made and attempted (296-526), free throws made and attempted (135-175), rebounds (339), blocks (95), steals (39), assists (23) and double-doubles (20).

Lee was the only player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball in the 2021-22 season to register 725 or more points, 325 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocks. This was the first time in the 54-season history of K-State women’s basketball in which a player reached the statistical combination of 725 or more points, 325 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocks in a single-season.

With her scoring average of 22.0 points per game and total of 296 field goals made, Lee set the single-season school records for scoring average and field goals made. Her point total of 727 ranks second in school history for points in a season and set a school record for points in a junior season.

Lee is the first player in K-State women’s basketball history to average a double-double in at least two seasons, as she achieved the feat in her freshman season in 2019-20 and again in 2021-22.

As part of her 2021-22 statistical resume, Lee set the NCAA Division I single-game record of 61 points scored against Oklahoma on January 23. She also led the Big 12 for field goal percentage and a Big 12-high eight games with 30 or more points.

A two-time United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week recipient, Lee’s 339 rebounds established a new school record for rebounds in a season.

Lee, a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection and a three-time ESPN.com National Player of the Week honor, set the school record for double-doubles with 20. She became the sixth player in the history of the Big 12 to register 20 or more double-doubles in a season.

In Big 12 play, Lee led the league in field goal percentage (.555), 30-point games in league play (4), games with 10 or more rebounds (11) and double-doubles (11). She finished second in the Big 12 in scoring (21.89 ppg), rebounding (9.78 rpg) and blocked shots (2.4 bpg).

In her career, Lee ranks ninth in school history for points scored with 1,661, sixth for rebounds with 887, third for blocks with 235, sixth for field goals made with 665 and sixth for free throws made with 331. She is also second for double-doubles with 49.

In the classroom in the 2021-22 season, Lee was the 2021-22 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year in addition to her second CoSIDA Academic All-America honor (second team in 2021; first team in 2022), her third career Academic All-Big 12 First Team honor.

Lee graduated in May of 2021 with her undergraduate degree in psychology and is currently pursuing her graduate degree in couples and family therapy. Lee is the second player in K-State women’s basketball history to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, joining Laurie Koehn in 2004. Lee and Koehn are the only two-time recipients of CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in the history of the program.

K-State completed its 54th&nbsp;season of action with a 20-13 overall record, its 17th&nbsp;NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the second round for the third time in four NCAA Tournament bids under head coach Jeff Mittie. The Wildcats will enter the 2022-23 season two wins shy of 1,000 in its history. Mittie needs one victory to reach 600 in his coaching career and five wins to reach 150 during his time in Manhattan.&nbsp;

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;Ayoka Lee continues to collect honors for her outstanding 2021-22 season, as she has been recognized by the Kansas City Sports Commission with the 2022 Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine Center Sportswoman of the Year award.Lee will receive her award at the 49th&nbsp;annual of the Kansas City Sports Awards Banquet presented by Populous on Thursday, June 9, at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott – Muehlebach Tower. A reception at 5:30 p.m., precedes the dinner and awards program, which starts at 7 p.m. Tables are currently available exclusively for sponsors. More information can be found at sportskc.org/awards-banquet.A product of Byron, Minnesota, Lee was a First Team All-American by The Athletic and&nbsp;Sports Illustrated, a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and USBWA, a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention recipient, a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award, a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection by the league’s coaches and garnered her first selection to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.Lee completed the 2021-22 season with career-highs in a number of statistical categories including points (727), points per game (22.0), field goals made and attempted (296-526), free throws made and attempted (135-175), rebounds (339), blocks (95), steals (39), assists (23) and double-doubles (20).Lee was the only player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball in the 2021-22 season to register 725 or more points, 325 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocks. This was the first time in the 54-season history of K-State women’s basketball in which a player reached the statistical combination of 725 or more points, 325 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocks in a single-season.With her scoring average of 22.0 points per game and total of 296 field goals made, Lee set the single-season school records for scoring average and field goals made. Her point total of 727 ranks second in school history for points in a season and set a school record for points in a junior season.Lee is the first player in K-State women’s basketball history to average a double-double in at least two seasons, as she achieved the feat in her freshman season in 2019-20 and again in 2021-22.As part of her 2021-22 statistical resume, Lee set the NCAA Division I single-game record of 61 points scored against Oklahoma on January 23. She also led the Big 12 for field goal percentage and a Big 12-high eight games with 30 or more points.A two-time United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week recipient, Lee’s 339 rebounds established a new school record for rebounds in a season.Lee, a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection and a three-time ESPN.com National Player of the Week honor, set the school record for double-doubles with 20. She became the sixth player in the history of the Big 12 to register 20 or more double-doubles in a season.In Big 12 play, Lee led the league in field goal percentage (.555), 30-point games in league play (4), games with 10 or more rebounds (11) and double-doubles (11). She finished second in the Big 12 in scoring (21.89 ppg), rebounding (9.78 rpg) and blocked shots (2.4 bpg).In her career, Lee ranks ninth in school history for points scored with 1,661, sixth for rebounds with 887, third for blocks with 235, sixth for field goals made with 665 and sixth for free throws made with 331. She is also second for double-doubles with 49.In the classroom in the 2021-22 season, Lee was the 2021-22 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year in addition to her second CoSIDA Academic All-America honor (second team in 2021; first team in 2022), her third career Academic All-Big 12 First Team honor.Lee graduated in May of 2021 with her undergraduate degree in psychology and is currently pursuing her graduate degree in couples and family therapy. Lee is the second player in K-State women’s basketball history to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, joining Laurie Koehn in 2004. Lee and Koehn are the only two-time recipients of CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in the history of the program.K-State completed its 54th&nbsp;season of action with a 20-13 overall record, its 17th&nbsp;NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the second round for the third time in four NCAA Tournament bids under head coach Jeff Mittie. The Wildcats will enter the 2022-23 season two wins shy of 1,000 in its history. Mittie needs one victory to reach 600 in his coaching career and five wins to reach 150 during his time in Manhattan.&nbsp;

K-State’s Lee Named KCSC Sportswoman of the Year

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Chris Bassitt pitched six strong innings, and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 for their franchise-best sixth straight series win to start a season. Bassitt struck out six batters and allowed two hits and two walks. Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Hicks allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in two innings before being pulled in the top of the third inning after being struck on the right wrist. His X-rays were negative. The Mets have been plunked a major-league leading 18 times after it happened three times. Bassitt said the baseballs are bad and the league doesn't care.

DENVER (AP) — Valeri Nichushkin scored one of Colorado's three goals in the second period and the Avalanche held on late to match the franchise record for points in a season with a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Erik Johnson and Josh Manson also scored in the second. Artturi Lehkonen added a goal just nine seconds into the third period to make it 4-1. St. Louis rallied late, but Nazem Kadri ended the threat by scoring an empty-net goal with 46.2 seconds left. The Avalanche have amassed 118 points to tie the team mark set by the 2000-01 squad. Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and Brandon Saad added another for the Blues.

CHICAGO (AP) — Daniel Lynch pitched six crisp innings and the Kansas City Royals handed the Chicago White Sox their eighth straight loss with a 6-0 victory. Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits and Carlos Santana drove in two runs, helping Kansas City stop a four-game slide. The Royals were outscored 22-12 in a sweep at Seattle over the weekend. Lynch allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked two. The White Sox issued 11 walks and committed two more errors, running their major league-leading total to 20. It's the longest losing streak for Chicago since it also dropped eight in a row in June 2018.

UNDATED (AP) — The Big 12 has a trio of new head football coaches and a few new starting quarterbacks. Only Oklahoma has both. More than 75,000 fans showed up over the weekend for Oklahoma's spring game after the departures of coach Lincoln Riley and two quarterbacks. New Sooners coach Brent Venables already has a proven starter in Dillon Gabriel. The redshirt junior transfer threw for 8,037 yards at future Big 12 school UCF. New TCU coach Sonny Dykes and Texas Tech's Joey McGuire wrapped up their first spring drills without naming a starter.

UNDATED (AP) — Iowa State sophomore Hunter Dekkers is in line to take over for Brock Purdy, the winningest quarterback in school history. He is one of the several new starting quarterbacks in the 10-team league, and among the players expected to have a big impact for his team in the 2022 season. Defending Big 12 champion Baylor replaces the departed Big 12 defensive player of the year at their STAR position with former four-star recruit Lorando Johnson. Oklahoma's Marvin Mims and TCU's Quentin Johnston are receivers expected to be among the league's top playmakers. Texas returns running back Bijan Robinson.

UNDATED (AP) — Quarterback Jaxson Dart didn't know exactly where he wanted to go upon deciding to leave USC, just that the Southeastern Conference was a preferred destination. Dart wound up landing at Mississippi and in the SEC, along with a number of other top players in the transfer portal. In some cases, such as Alabama, the rich got richer. Other teams may have picked up a new starting quarterback, runner, pass rusher or receiver.

UNDATED (AP) — Alabama returns likely the biggest stars in college football next season, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson. But there are several other Southeastern Conference players who appear poised to have breakout seasons or newcomers figuring to have big impacts. The group includes quarterback transfers such as Mississippi's Jaxson Dart and South Carolina's Spence Rattler. New tailbacks who have impressed include the Rebels' Zach Evans and Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs. Transfer portal pickups figure to impact most of the teams.

UNDATED (AP) — Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat moved into the Eastern Conference semifinals by beating the Atlanta Hawks 97-94.

Tyler Herro scored 16, Max Strus scored 15 and Caleb Martin added 10 for the top-seeded Heat, who ousted the eighth-seeded Hawks in five games. And Miami got the series-clincher without Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, both of whom sat out Tuesday with injuries. Trae Young's rough series for Atlanta remained that way: He finished 2 for 12 from the floor, scoring just 11 points. For the series, the Hawks' guard shot 32% against Miami's swarming defense.

— Mikal Bridges scored 31 points, Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists and the top-seeded Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 112-97 to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first-round series. The Suns never trailed but also never totally pulled away against the feisty Pelicans. Phoenix improved to 50-0 this season when leading after three quarters. Bridges closed the Suns' scoring with two emphatic dunks in the final minute. Brandon Ingram scored 22 points to lead the Pelicans.

— Ja Morant scored on a layup with a second left, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109 and grab a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference series. The NBA's most improved player scored 18 in the fourth quarter and finished with 30 and had 13 rebounds and nine assists. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 28 points.

UNDATED (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has been named the NBA's teammate of the year for the second time in three seasons.

A panel of league executives selected 12 finalists for the honor, which is officially named the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. More than 300 current NBA players voted on the winner from that list of 12 finalists. Dallas Mavericks center Boban Marjanovic finished second in the voting and Chicago Bulls guard/forward DeMar DeRozan was third.

— Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has been fined $15,000 for publicly criticizing the officiating in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans. Williams was upset by the disparity in foul shots — 42-15.

— The Chicago Bulls might have to get by without Zach LaVine when they try to avoid playoff elimination by the Milwaukee Bucks. The two-time All-Star is in the NBA's health and safety protocols. He tested positive for the coronavirus last April and again in December.

UNDATED (AP) — Travis Demeritte hit his first big league homer in nearly three years and made a sliding catch to back another strong outing by Max Fried. That gave the Atlanta Braves a much-needed 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The reigning World Series champions won for only the third time in their last eight games. The Cubs have now lost six of seven.

— David Peralta hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning and also started one of Arizona's five double plays as the Diamondbacks put on a defensive clinic to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3. Arizona, which began the game with a majors-worst .189 batting average, had more double plays than hits. Peralta's two-run drive was its fourth and final hit. The Diamondbacks also picked a runner off first base. Arizona won for just the fourth time in its last 21 games against the Dodgers.

— Carlos Rodón had nine strikeouts in six sharp innings, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics 8-2 on Tuesday night. Wilmer Flores homered and drove in four runs. Austin Slater also connected as the Giants won their first game back at Oracle Park following an 8-3 road trip. Rodón (3-0) allowed three hits and one run, which raised his ERA from 1.06 to 1.17. The left-hander walked two and broke Tim Lincecum's franchise record for most strikeouts through a pitcher's first four starts with the team with 38. Lincecum had 35 Ks in 2009.

— Mike Trout homered and drove in three runs, and Patrick Sandoval pitched seven innings of two-hit ball as the surging Los Angeles Angels defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 for their third straight victory. Trout drove a slider from Triston McKenzie into the bullpens in left field for a two-run shot in the third inning to give the Angels a 3-0 lead. He was inches from a second home run in the fifth, but the ball hit the wall in the left-field corner for an RBI double to score Shohei Ohtani. The three-time AL MVP has a nine-game hitting streak. Sandoval, who struck out nine, has not allowed an earned run in three starts this season.

— Miami outfielders Jesús Sánchez and Avisaíl García each threw out a runner at the plate in the fourth inning, and Joey Wendle hit a three-run shot that helped the Marlins beat the reeling Washington Nationals 5-2.

— Odubel Herrera homered, doubled and drove in three runs, Zach Eflin pitched six strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies again took advantage of some shaky Colorado defense in a 10-3 rout of the Rockies.

— Daniel Lynch pitched six crisp innings and the Kansas City Royals handed the Chicago White Sox their eighth straight loss with a 6-0 victory. It's the longest losing streak for Chicago since it also dropped eight in a row in June 2018.

— Jake Odorizzi allowed one hit over six innings to end a long winless drought, and a rejuvenated Kyle Tucker homered and drove in three runs to power the Houston Astros past the Texas Rangers 5-1. Odorizzi permitted just two baserunners and won for the first time in 10 starts since last August.

— Anthony Rizzo homered three times to take over the major league lead, Aaron Judge connected on his birthday and Joey Gallo ended the longest home-run drought of his career as the New York Yankees outslugged the Baltimore Orioles 12-8. Gallo connected for the first time in 23 games.

— Willy Adames homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-8. Adames hit a two-run blast in the first inning and a three-run drive during a six-run sixth for the NL Central-leading Brewers.

— Eric Hosmer hit his first homer of the season and Jake Cronenworth added a bases-loaded triple during an eight-run fourth inning that sent the San Diego Padres past the struggling Cincinnati Reds 9-6. The Padres have won 10 of 11 against Cincinnati since the start of last season.

— Chris Bassitt pitched six strong innings, and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 for their franchise-best sixth straight series win in a chippy game. The Cardinals have lost three straight for the first time this season.

Yankees were fined $100,000 for improper use of dugout phone

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Yankees were fined $100,000 by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred for using their dugout phone to relay information about opposing teams' signs during the 2015 season and part of 2016.

The fine was disclosed in a Sept. 14, 2017, letter from Manfred to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman that is set to be unsealed in U.S. District Court in New York this week as part of a dismissed lawsuit by a fan.

— Major League Baseball and the players' association are allowing teams to have an additional pitcher for most of May. MLB and the union says teams may carry as many as 14 pitchers from May 2 through May 29, a change the league said was "for player health purposes."

— The Atlanta Braves have placed slumping outfielder Eddie Rosario on the 10-day injured list with blurred vision and swelling in his right eye. He is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks.

UNDATED (AP) — Auston Matthews scored his NHL-leading 59th and 60th goals of the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 to clinch home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The 24-year-old, who snapped a five-game goal drought, is the first player to score 60 times in a campaign since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12.

— Miro Heiskanen made the only shot in a seven-round shootout and the Dallas Stars moved closer to clinching a playoff spot with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas and Nashville are tied atop the Western Conference wild-card standings with 95 points with two games left. The top two teams advance.

— Jake DeBrusk snapped a 2-2 tie in the second period, Linus Ullmark made 19 saves and the Boston Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 4-2 to clinch the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. Florida lost for the second straight game after rattling off 13 wins.

— Matthew Tkachuk forced overtime by scoring with a second left in the third and Elias Lindholm's OT goal secured the Calgary Flames' 5-4 victory over the Nashville Predators. Nashville would have clinched its eighth consecutive playoff berth with a regulation win.

— Vincent Trochek had a goal and an assist, rookie Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 31 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 4-3 Tuesday night to clinch the Metropolitan Division title. The Hurricanes set franchise records with 53 wins and 114 points, topping marks set in 2005-06.

— Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists to outduel Sidney Crosby, and the surging Edmonton Oilers rolled past the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. McDavid pushed his season point total to an NHL-best 122.

— The Washington Capitals missed an opportunity to move up in the standings by losing to the New York Islanders 4-1. Washington failed to pass rival Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division after the Penguins lost at home to Edmonton. New York snapped a five-game skid.

Ovechkin injury clouds Capitals outlook week from playoffs

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Capitals are listing Alex Ovechkin as day to day with an upper-body injury. But there's legitimate concern about the longtime captain's health moving forward. Ovechkin slammed into the boards left shoulder first in the Capitals game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night and did not return. The 36-year-old Russian winger did not take part in Washington's morning skate before facing the New York Islanders.

— U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized 10 counterfeit Stanley Cup rings for the 1936 Detroit Red Wings championship team due to trademark violations. Customs officers at the Port of Champlain facility in New York found the rings valued at $15,000 earlier this month after examining a shipment. CBP said the shipment violated the intellectual property rights of the Red Wings' trademark. The 1936 Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Cup Final.

UNDATED (AP) — Running back Bilal Powell has signed a one-day contract with the New York Jets to retire as a member of the only NFL franchise he played for. The 33-year-old Powell was a fourth-round draft pick out of Louisville in 2011 and ranks eighth in Jets history with 3,675 yards rushing. His last season was 2019 when he came back a year after suffering a career-threatening neck injury.

— The Buffalo Bills have picked up the fifth-year option of Ed Oliver's rookie contract in a decision which locks up the defensive tackle through the 2023 season. Olive is playing under a four-year, $19.6 million contract. He's now guaranteed to make $10.7 million next year, though the two sides can negotiate a longer-term contract.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert is stepping down after 12 years on the job. NCAA Board of Governors Chairman John DeGioia announced the move Tuesday and said it was by mutual agreement. Emmert will continue to serve in his role until a new president is selected and in place or until June 30, 2023. Emmert, a former university president, was appointed to the job in April 2010.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Chris Bassitt pitched six strong innings, and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 for their franchise-best sixth straight series win to start a season. Bassitt struck out six batters and allowed two hits and two walks. Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Hicks allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in two innings before being pulled in the top of the third inning after being struck on the right wrist. His X-rays were negative. The Mets have been plunked a major-league leading 18 times after it happened three times. Bassitt said the baseballs are bad and the league doesn't care.DENVER (AP) — Valeri Nichushkin scored one of Colorado's three goals in the second period and the Avalanche held on late to match the franchise record for points in a season with a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Erik Johnson and Josh Manson also scored in the second. Artturi Lehkonen added a goal just nine seconds into the third period to make it 4-1. St. Louis rallied late, but Nazem Kadri ended the threat by scoring an empty-net goal with 46.2 seconds left. The Avalanche have amassed 118 points to tie the team mark set by the 2000-01 squad. Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and Brandon Saad added another for the Blues.CHICAGO (AP) — Daniel Lynch pitched six crisp innings and the Kansas City Royals handed the Chicago White Sox their eighth straight loss with a 6-0 victory. Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits and Carlos Santana drove in two runs, helping Kansas City stop a four-game slide. The Royals were outscored 22-12 in a sweep at Seattle over the weekend. Lynch allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked two. The White Sox issued 11 walks and committed two more errors, running their major league-leading total to 20. It's the longest losing streak for Chicago since it also dropped eight in a row in June 2018.UNDATED (AP) — The Big 12 has a trio of new head football coaches and a few new starting quarterbacks. Only Oklahoma has both. More than 75,000 fans showed up over the weekend for Oklahoma's spring game after the departures of coach Lincoln Riley and two quarterbacks. New Sooners coach Brent Venables already has a proven starter in Dillon Gabriel. The redshirt junior transfer threw for 8,037 yards at future Big 12 school UCF. New TCU coach Sonny Dykes and Texas Tech's Joey McGuire wrapped up their first spring drills without naming a starter.UNDATED (AP) — Iowa State sophomore Hunter Dekkers is in line to take over for Brock Purdy, the winningest quarterback in school history. He is one of the several new starting quarterbacks in the 10-team league, and among the players expected to have a big impact for his team in the 2022 season. Defending Big 12 champion Baylor replaces the departed Big 12 defensive player of the year at their STAR position with former four-star recruit Lorando Johnson. Oklahoma's Marvin Mims and TCU's Quentin Johnston are receivers expected to be among the league's top playmakers. Texas returns running back Bijan Robinson.UNDATED (AP) — Quarterback Jaxson Dart didn't know exactly where he wanted to go upon deciding to leave USC, just that the Southeastern Conference was a preferred destination. Dart wound up landing at Mississippi and in the SEC, along with a number of other top players in the transfer portal. In some cases, such as Alabama, the rich got richer. Other teams may have picked up a new starting quarterback, runner, pass rusher or receiver.UNDATED (AP) — Alabama returns likely the biggest stars in college football next season, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson. But there are several other Southeastern Conference players who appear poised to have breakout seasons or newcomers figuring to have big impacts. The group includes quarterback transfers such as Mississippi's Jaxson Dart and South Carolina's Spence Rattler. New tailbacks who have impressed include the Rebels' Zach Evans and Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs. Transfer portal pickups figure to impact most of the teams.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA PLAYOFFSHeat advance, Grizzlies go aheadUNDATED (AP) — Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat moved into the Eastern Conference semifinals by beating the Atlanta Hawks 97-94.Tyler Herro scored 16, Max Strus scored 15 and Caleb Martin added 10 for the top-seeded Heat, who ousted the eighth-seeded Hawks in five games. And Miami got the series-clincher without Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, both of whom sat out Tuesday with injuries. Trae Young's rough series for Atlanta remained that way: He finished 2 for 12 from the floor, scoring just 11 points. For the series, the Hawks' guard shot 32% against Miami's swarming defense.In more playoff action:— Mikal Bridges scored 31 points, Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists and the top-seeded Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 112-97 to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first-round series. The Suns never trailed but also never totally pulled away against the feisty Pelicans. Phoenix improved to 50-0 this season when leading after three quarters. Bridges closed the Suns' scoring with two emphatic dunks in the final minute. Brandon Ingram scored 22 points to lead the Pelicans.— Ja Morant scored on a layup with a second left, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109 and grab a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference series. The NBA's most improved player scored 18 in the fourth quarter and finished with 30 and had 13 rebounds and nine assists. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 28 points.NBA-NEWSJrue Holiday named teammate of the yearUNDATED (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has been named the NBA's teammate of the year for the second time in three seasons.A panel of league executives selected 12 finalists for the honor, which is officially named the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. More than 300 current NBA players voted on the winner from that list of 12 finalists. Dallas Mavericks center Boban Marjanovic finished second in the voting and Chicago Bulls guard/forward DeMar DeRozan was third.In other NBA news:— Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has been fined $15,000 for publicly criticizing the officiating in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans. Williams was upset by the disparity in foul shots — 42-15.— The Chicago Bulls might have to get by without Zach LaVine when they try to avoid playoff elimination by the Milwaukee Bucks. The two-time All-Star is in the NBA's health and safety protocols. He tested positive for the coronavirus last April and again in December.MLB-SCHEDULEBraves pick up much-needed victoryUNDATED (AP) — Travis Demeritte hit his first big league homer in nearly three years and made a sliding catch to back another strong outing by Max Fried. That gave the Atlanta Braves a much-needed 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The reigning World Series champions won for only the third time in their last eight games. The Cubs have now lost six of seven.In other MLB Tuesday action:— David Peralta hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning and also started one of Arizona's five double plays as the Diamondbacks put on a defensive clinic to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3. Arizona, which began the game with a majors-worst .189 batting average, had more double plays than hits. Peralta's two-run drive was its fourth and final hit. The Diamondbacks also picked a runner off first base. Arizona won for just the fourth time in its last 21 games against the Dodgers.— Carlos Rodón had nine strikeouts in six sharp innings, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics 8-2 on Tuesday night. Wilmer Flores homered and drove in four runs. Austin Slater also connected as the Giants won their first game back at Oracle Park following an 8-3 road trip. Rodón (3-0) allowed three hits and one run, which raised his ERA from 1.06 to 1.17. The left-hander walked two and broke Tim Lincecum's franchise record for most strikeouts through a pitcher's first four starts with the team with 38. Lincecum had 35 Ks in 2009.— Mike Trout homered and drove in three runs, and Patrick Sandoval pitched seven innings of two-hit ball as the surging Los Angeles Angels defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 for their third straight victory. Trout drove a slider from Triston McKenzie into the bullpens in left field for a two-run shot in the third inning to give the Angels a 3-0 lead. He was inches from a second home run in the fifth, but the ball hit the wall in the left-field corner for an RBI double to score Shohei Ohtani. The three-time AL MVP has a nine-game hitting streak. Sandoval, who struck out nine, has not allowed an earned run in three starts this season.— Miami outfielders Jesús Sánchez and Avisaíl García each threw out a runner at the plate in the fourth inning, and Joey Wendle hit a three-run shot that helped the Marlins beat the reeling Washington Nationals 5-2.— Odubel Herrera homered, doubled and drove in three runs, Zach Eflin pitched six strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies again took advantage of some shaky Colorado defense in a 10-3 rout of the Rockies.— Daniel Lynch pitched six crisp innings and the Kansas City Royals handed the Chicago White Sox their eighth straight loss with a 6-0 victory. It's the longest losing streak for Chicago since it also dropped eight in a row in June 2018.— Jake Odorizzi allowed one hit over six innings to end a long winless drought, and a rejuvenated Kyle Tucker homered and drove in three runs to power the Houston Astros past the Texas Rangers 5-1. Odorizzi permitted just two baserunners and won for the first time in 10 starts since last August.— Anthony Rizzo homered three times to take over the major league lead, Aaron Judge connected on his birthday and Joey Gallo ended the longest home-run drought of his career as the New York Yankees outslugged the Baltimore Orioles 12-8. Gallo connected for the first time in 23 games.— Willy Adames homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-8. Adames hit a two-run blast in the first inning and a three-run drive during a six-run sixth for the NL Central-leading Brewers.— Eric Hosmer hit his first homer of the season and Jake Cronenworth added a bases-loaded triple during an eight-run fourth inning that sent the San Diego Padres past the struggling Cincinnati Reds 9-6. The Padres have won 10 of 11 against Cincinnati since the start of last season.— Chris Bassitt pitched six strong innings, and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 for their franchise-best sixth straight series win in a chippy game. The Cardinals have lost three straight for the first time this season.MLB-NEWSYankees were fined $100,000 for improper use of dugout phoneUNDATED (AP) — The New York Yankees were fined $100,000 by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred for using their dugout phone to relay information about opposing teams' signs during the 2015 season and part of 2016.The fine was disclosed in a Sept. 14, 2017, letter from Manfred to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman that is set to be unsealed in U.S. District Court in New York this week as part of a dismissed lawsuit by a fan.In other MLB news:— Major League Baseball and the players' association are allowing teams to have an additional pitcher for most of May. MLB and the union says teams may carry as many as 14 pitchers from May 2 through May 29, a change the league said was "for player health purposes."— The Atlanta Braves have placed slumping outfielder Eddie Rosario on the 10-day injured list with blurred vision and swelling in his right eye. He is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks.NHL-SCHEDULELeafs clinch home-ice advantageUNDATED (AP) — Auston Matthews scored his NHL-leading 59th and 60th goals of the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 to clinch home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The 24-year-old, who snapped a five-game goal drought, is the first player to score 60 times in a campaign since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Miro Heiskanen made the only shot in a seven-round shootout and the Dallas Stars moved closer to clinching a playoff spot with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas and Nashville are tied atop the Western Conference wild-card standings with 95 points with two games left. The top two teams advance.— Jake DeBrusk snapped a 2-2 tie in the second period, Linus Ullmark made 19 saves and the Boston Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 4-2 to clinch the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. Florida lost for the second straight game after rattling off 13 wins.— Matthew Tkachuk forced overtime by scoring with a second left in the third and Elias Lindholm's OT goal secured the Calgary Flames' 5-4 victory over the Nashville Predators. Nashville would have clinched its eighth consecutive playoff berth with a regulation win.— Vincent Trochek had a goal and an assist, rookie Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 31 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 4-3 Tuesday night to clinch the Metropolitan Division title. The Hurricanes set franchise records with 53 wins and 114 points, topping marks set in 2005-06.— Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists to outduel Sidney Crosby, and the surging Edmonton Oilers rolled past the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. McDavid pushed his season point total to an NHL-best 122.— The Washington Capitals missed an opportunity to move up in the standings by losing to the New York Islanders 4-1. Washington failed to pass rival Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division after the Penguins lost at home to Edmonton. New York snapped a five-game skid.NHL-NEWSOvechkin injury clouds Capitals outlook week from playoffsUNDATED (AP) — The Washington Capitals are listing Alex Ovechkin as day to day with an upper-body injury. But there's legitimate concern about the longtime captain's health moving forward. Ovechkin slammed into the boards left shoulder first in the Capitals game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night and did not return. The 36-year-old Russian winger did not take part in Washington's morning skate before facing the New York Islanders.Also happening in the NHL:— U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized 10 counterfeit Stanley Cup rings for the 1936 Detroit Red Wings championship team due to trademark violations. Customs officers at the Port of Champlain facility in New York found the rings valued at $15,000 earlier this month after examining a shipment. CBP said the shipment violated the intellectual property rights of the Red Wings' trademark. The 1936 Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Cup Final.NFL-NEWSJets Bilal Powell retiringUNDATED (AP) — Running back Bilal Powell has signed a one-day contract with the New York Jets to retire as a member of the only NFL franchise he played for. The 33-year-old Powell was a fourth-round draft pick out of Louisville in 2011 and ranks eighth in Jets history with 3,675 yards rushing. His last season was 2019 when he came back a year after suffering a career-threatening neck injury.In other NFL news:— The Buffalo Bills have picked up the fifth-year option of Ed Oliver's rookie contract in a decision which locks up the defensive tackle through the 2023 season. Olive is playing under a four-year, $19.6 million contract. He's now guaranteed to make $10.7 million next year, though the two sides can negotiate a longer-term contract.NCAA-EMMERTNCAA head departingINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert is stepping down after 12 years on the job. NCAA Board of Governors Chairman John DeGioia announced the move Tuesday and said it was by mutual agreement. Emmert will continue to serve in his role until a new president is selected and in place or until June 30, 2023. Emmert, a former university president, was appointed to the job in April 2010.

Sports Headlines for Wednesday

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;#8 Oklahoma State scored six times in the top of the fifth to overturn a 5-3 deficit, eventually doubling up Wichita State 12-6 on Tuesday night at Riverfront Stadium. The decisive inning started with five consecutive Oklahoma State runners, including a pair of RBI doubles from Griffin Doersching and Nolan McClean. After a sacrifice fly made it 7-5, Ian Daugherty hit a two-run homer for his first long ball of the season, extending the Oklahoma State lead to 9-5. The barrage came against starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6250">Jace Miner</a>&nbsp;and relievers&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5916">Creighton Hansen</a>&nbsp;(0-1) and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Caden Favors</a>, though three of the six runs in the inning were unearned due to a Wichita State error earlier in the frame. The Shockers (13-28) got a solo home run from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6245">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;in the bottom of the eighth, but were otherwise unable to dent the Cowboys bullpen the rest of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642614489507.jpeg" alt="WSU vs OSU.jpg" />
 <figcaption>WSU vs OSU.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;#8 Oklahoma State scored six times in the top of the fifth to overturn a 5-3 deficit, eventually doubling up Wichita State 12-6 on Tuesday night at Riverfront Stadium. The decisive inning started with five consecutive Oklahoma State runners, including a pair of RBI doubles from Griffin Doersching and Nolan McClean. After a sacrifice fly made it 7-5, Ian Daugherty hit a two-run homer for his first long ball of the season, extending the Oklahoma State lead to 9-5. The barrage came against starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6250">Jace Miner</a>&nbsp;and relievers&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5916">Creighton Hansen</a>&nbsp;(0-1) and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Caden Favors</a>, though three of the six runs in the inning were unearned due to a Wichita State error earlier in the frame. The Shockers (13-28) got a solo home run from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6245">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;in the bottom of the eighth, but were otherwise unable to dent the Cowboys bullpen the rest of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾️ Wichita State loses to OSU at Riverfront Tuesday

HASTINGS, Nebraska – The No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s golf team will have an opportunity to defend its 2021 NJCAA national championship.

The Blue Dragons finished second in the NJCAA District III (Central District)/Region VI Championship on Tuesday at Lochland Country Club to qualify for the NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship for the 21st consecutive season and for the 24th time in program history.

The Blue Dragons won their third-straight Region VI team championship and sophomore Harry Crockett became the first Blue Dragon player to win back-to-back District titles and was the second to repeat as Region VI individual champion.

Hutchinson will now play in the 2022 NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship on May 10-13 at the Odessa Country Club in Odessa, Texas.

Leading by a single stroke after 36 holes, the Blue Dragons posted a 300 team score in Tuesday’s final round – the Dragons counted scores of 72 from Ben Partridge, 73 from Crockett 73, 77 from Blake Saffel and 78 from Addison Alonzo.

The Blue Dragons finished at 889 (+25). No. 9-ranked Iowa Western shot 291 on Tuesday and defeated the Blue Dragons by seven strokes for the District at 882.

Iowa Western, Hutchinson, Indian Hills, Dodge City and Garden City are the five teams to qualify for nationals from the Central District.

The Blue Dragons won their third-straight Region VI title and 21st in program history with an 11-stroke victory over Dodge City. Both Dodge City and Garden City posted team scores of 303 on Tuesday. The Conquistadors closed at 893 and Broncbusters at 898.

This is the third time the Blue Dragons have won three-straight Region VI team championships. Hutchinson also three-peated in the region in 1993-95 and 2007-09.

Hutchinson finished as a district team runner-up for the fourth time in program history (1998, 2014 and 2019).

Crockett repeated as both the District and Region VI individual champion with a two-stroke victory over Indian Hills’ Fran Vucic. Crockett shot 1-over 73 on Tuesday and finished at even-par 216 to win his second-straight tournament.

Crockett is the fourth Blue Dragon to win the District and the 10th Blue Dragon to win a Region VI individual championship. Crockett joins Alex Wasinger (2007 and 2008) as Blue Dragons to repeat as a regional champion.

Crockett is also the third-straight Blue Dragons to win both the District and Regional championships. Crockett’s brother, Charlie, won both titles in 2019. The 2020 season was canceled because of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Crockett and Partridge both earned All-District and All-Region first-team honors with Top 5 finishes on Tuesday.

Partridge shot 72 on Tuesday to finish fifth at 4-over 220. Saffel tied for 12th at 9-over 225. Alonzo tied for 21st at 12-over 228. Dominic Clemons shot 82 on Tuesday and finished 36th at 243.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationHASTINGS, Nebraska – The No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s golf team will have an opportunity to defend its 2021 NJCAA national championship.The Blue Dragons finished second in the NJCAA District III (Central District)/Region VI Championship on Tuesday at Lochland Country Club to qualify for the NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship for the 21st consecutive season and for the 24th time in program history.The Blue Dragons won their third-straight Region VI team championship and sophomore Harry Crockett became the first Blue Dragon player to win back-to-back District titles and was the second to repeat as Region VI individual champion.Hutchinson will now play in the 2022 NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship on May 10-13 at the Odessa Country Club in Odessa, Texas.Leading by a single stroke after 36 holes, the Blue Dragons posted a 300 team score in Tuesday’s final round – the Dragons counted scores of 72 from Ben Partridge, 73 from Crockett 73, 77 from Blake Saffel and 78 from Addison Alonzo.The Blue Dragons finished at 889 (+25). No. 9-ranked Iowa Western shot 291 on Tuesday and defeated the Blue Dragons by seven strokes for the District at 882.Iowa Western, Hutchinson, Indian Hills, Dodge City and Garden City are the five teams to qualify for nationals from the Central District.The Blue Dragons won their third-straight Region VI title and 21st in program history with an 11-stroke victory over Dodge City. Both Dodge City and Garden City posted team scores of 303 on Tuesday. The Conquistadors closed at 893 and Broncbusters at 898.This is the third time the Blue Dragons have won three-straight Region VI team championships. Hutchinson also three-peated in the region in 1993-95 and 2007-09.Hutchinson finished as a district team runner-up for the fourth time in program history (1998, 2014 and 2019).Crockett repeated as both the District and Region VI individual champion with a two-stroke victory over Indian Hills’ Fran Vucic. Crockett shot 1-over 73 on Tuesday and finished at even-par 216 to win his second-straight tournament.Crockett is the fourth Blue Dragon to win the District and the 10th Blue Dragon to win a Region VI individual championship. Crockett joins Alex Wasinger (2007 and 2008) as Blue Dragons to repeat as a regional champion.Crockett is also the third-straight Blue Dragons to win both the District and Regional championships. Crockett’s brother, Charlie, won both titles in 2019. The 2020 season was canceled because of the Coronavirus Pandemic.Crockett and Partridge both earned All-District and All-Region first-team honors with Top 5 finishes on Tuesday.Partridge shot 72 on Tuesday to finish fifth at 4-over 220. Saffel tied for 12th at 9-over 225. Alonzo tied for 21st at 12-over 228. Dominic Clemons shot 82 on Tuesday and finished 36th at 243.

⛳ Dragon golf headed to nationals; Crockett wins individually

<a href="https://www.milb.com/wichita/news/the-wind-surge-fell-in-series-opener-against-travelers">Via Windsurge.com</a>

Little Rock, Arkansas - The Wind Surge fell in their series opener against the Arkansas Travelers 10-4 Tuesday.

The Travelers grabbed an early lead in the second with a pair of runs. Jack Larson homered for Arkansas ending their week-long home run drought. The Travs finished the day with three home runs.

Matt Wallner gave hope for the Surge, when he smacked his second home run of the season on a line drive to right field.

The Surge remained scoreless while the Travelers picked six more runs through the seventh.

Spencer Steer, named hitter of the week, led the Surge at the top of the eighth with his fourth double and seventh RBI of the season. Wallner followed Steer’s lead with an RBI double, his second hit of the day quickly dropping the Travelers’ lead to 8-4. However, Arkansas bounced back and responded with two runs at the bottom of the eighth.

The Wind Surge could not recover, although Edouard Julien collected the final RBI of the day.

Travs starter George Kirby earned the win, pitching five innings. Chris Vallimont took the loss for Wichita. Wichita drops to 8-8 on the season and Arkansas improves to 9-7.

The Surge will continue their series against Arkansas on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.

<a href="https://www.milb.com/wichita/news/the-wind-surge-fell-in-series-opener-against-travelers">Via Windsurge.com</a>Little Rock, Arkansas - The Wind Surge fell in their series opener against the Arkansas Travelers 10-4 Tuesday.The Travelers grabbed an early lead in the second with a pair of runs. Jack Larson homered for Arkansas ending their week-long home run drought. The Travs finished the day with three home runs.Matt Wallner gave hope for the Surge, when he smacked his second home run of the season on a line drive to right field.The Surge remained scoreless while the Travelers picked six more runs through the seventh.Spencer Steer, named hitter of the week, led the Surge at the top of the eighth with his fourth double and seventh RBI of the season. Wallner followed Steer’s lead with an RBI double, his second hit of the day quickly dropping the Travelers’ lead to 8-4. However, Arkansas bounced back and responded with two runs at the bottom of the eighth.The Wind Surge could not recover, although Edouard Julien collected the final RBI of the day.Travs starter George Kirby earned the win, pitching five innings. Chris Vallimont took the loss for Wichita. Wichita drops to 8-8 on the season and Arkansas improves to 9-7.The Surge will continue their series against Arkansas on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.

⚾️ Surge lose to Arkansas Tuesday

CHICAGO (AP) — Daniel Lynch pitched six crisp innings and the Kansas City Royals handed the Chicago White Sox their eighth straight loss with a 6-0 victory. 

Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits and Carlos Santana drove in two runs, helping Kansas City stop a four-game slide. The Royals were outscored 22-12 in a sweep at Seattle over the weekend. Lynch allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked two. The White Sox issued 11 walks and committed two more errors, running their major league-leading total to 20. 

It’s the longest losing streak for Chicago since it also dropped eight in a row in June 2018.

CHICAGO (AP) — Daniel Lynch pitched six crisp innings and the Kansas City Royals handed the Chicago White Sox their eighth straight loss with a 6-0 victory. Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits and Carlos Santana drove in two runs, helping Kansas City stop a four-game slide. The Royals were outscored 22-12 in a sweep at Seattle over the weekend. Lynch allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked two. The White Sox issued 11 walks and committed two more errors, running their major league-leading total to 20. It’s the longest losing streak for Chicago since it also dropped eight in a row in June 2018.

⚾️ Royals shut out White Sox Tuesday

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutch Salthawks can't seem to catch a break. They led in both games of the double-header at Hobart-Detter vs Ark City, but then they couldn't find the strike zone Tuesday night losing to Ark City 16-3 in 7 innings in game 1 then dropping the late night game 8-4.&nbsp; Big innings cost the Salthawks in both games.&nbsp; In game 1, Ark City scored 7 runs after an error on a routine play took Hutch out of the game.&nbsp; Arkansas City scored seven runs in the seventh inning. Lucas Barnes, Trevor Pierce, Aiden Whetstone, Cadon Clark, and Seth Zimmerman each had RBIs in the frame.

In game 2, the Salthawks only trailed 5-4 going into the 7th, but they let the Bulldogs score 3 runs in the top of the inning to take control of the game.&nbsp; Seth Zimmerman&nbsp;and&nbsp;Gabe Welch&nbsp;all contributed for Ark City in the big inning with RBIs.

Kinser Newquist&nbsp;,&nbsp;Lakin Franz&nbsp;, Caiden Beavers,&nbsp;Carter Morgan, and Jax Heneha&nbsp;each collected one hit each to lead&nbsp;Hutchinson Salthawks in hitting.

Next action is Friday as the Maize Eagle come to town for another twilight double-header beginning at Hobart-Detter at 4pm on Hutchpost.com.

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutch Salthawks can't seem to catch a break. They led in both games of the double-header at Hobart-Detter vs Ark City, but then they couldn't find the strike zone Tuesday night losing to Ark City 16-3 in 7 innings in game 1 then dropping the late night game 8-4.&nbsp; Big innings cost the Salthawks in both games.&nbsp; In game 1, Ark City scored 7 runs after an error on a routine play took Hutch out of the game.&nbsp; Arkansas City scored seven runs in the seventh inning. Lucas Barnes, Trevor Pierce, Aiden Whetstone, Cadon Clark, and Seth Zimmerman each had RBIs in the frame.In game 2, the Salthawks only trailed 5-4 going into the 7th, but they let the Bulldogs score 3 runs in the top of the inning to take control of the game.&nbsp; Seth Zimmerman&nbsp;and&nbsp;Gabe Welch&nbsp;all contributed for Ark City in the big inning with RBIs.Kinser Newquist&nbsp;,&nbsp;Lakin Franz&nbsp;, Caiden Beavers,&nbsp;Carter Morgan, and Jax Heneha&nbsp;each collected one hit each to lead&nbsp;Hutchinson Salthawks in hitting.Next action is Friday as the Maize Eagle come to town for another twilight double-header beginning at Hobart-Detter at 4pm on Hutchpost.com.