Hutchinson Community College freshman golfer Ben Partridge was named NJCAA Division I winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award on Sunday.

The Jack Nicklaus Award is given to the golfer named National Player of the Year in all three NJCAA and NCAA divisions and NAIA. The announcement was made on Sunday during the final round of The Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, a tournament created by the Hall of Fame and multi-major tournament winner Nicklaus.

The 2020-21 season has been extraordinary for Partridge, a freshman from London, England. Back in May, Partridge helped the Blue Dragon men’s golf team win the NJCAA team championship. Then Partridge won a four-hole playoff with teammate Harry Crockett to claim the NJCAA individual national championship.

Partridge is a first-team NJCAA All-American.

Partridge had a season stroke average of 71.2 over 29 rounds played over the combined fall and spring seasons.

Over the final three tournaments in 2021 – the KJCCC Championship, District III/Region VI and the NJCAA Championship – Partridge averaged 70.8 strokes per round with 7 of 10 rounds shot under par.

In addition to winning the NJCAA Individual title, Partridge won the NJCAA National Preview, also at The Rawls Course in Lubbock – site of the 2021 national championships. He was Jayhawk Conference regular-season co-champion with teammate Charlie Crockett.

Partridge had two tournament titles, six Top-3 finishes and placed in the Top 10 in 9 of 10 total tournaments this season.

Partridge is the Blue Dragons’ first National Player of the Year in men’s golf and just the seventh in Blue Dragon athletics history. Partridge joins Eugene Kinlaw (2008 Football), Kadeem Allen (2014 Men’s Basketball), Kyle Simonds (2014 Baseball), Sarah Rothe (2014 Softball), Shakur Juiston (2017 Men’s Basketball) and Michael Helman (2017 Baseball) as Blue Dragon National Player of the Year.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchinson CC Sports InformationHutchinson Community College freshman golfer Ben Partridge was named NJCAA Division I winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award on Sunday.The Jack Nicklaus Award is given to the golfer named National Player of the Year in all three NJCAA and NCAA divisions and NAIA. The announcement was made on Sunday during the final round of The Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, a tournament created by the Hall of Fame and multi-major tournament winner Nicklaus.The 2020-21 season has been extraordinary for Partridge, a freshman from London, England. Back in May, Partridge helped the Blue Dragon men’s golf team win the NJCAA team championship. Then Partridge won a four-hole playoff with teammate Harry Crockett to claim the NJCAA individual national championship.Partridge is a first-team NJCAA All-American.Partridge had a season stroke average of 71.2 over 29 rounds played over the combined fall and spring seasons.Over the final three tournaments in 2021 – the KJCCC Championship, District III/Region VI and the NJCAA Championship – Partridge averaged 70.8 strokes per round with 7 of 10 rounds shot under par.In addition to winning the NJCAA Individual title, Partridge won the NJCAA National Preview, also at The Rawls Course in Lubbock – site of the 2021 national championships. He was Jayhawk Conference regular-season co-champion with teammate Charlie Crockett.Partridge had two tournament titles, six Top-3 finishes and placed in the Top 10 in 9 of 10 total tournaments this season.Partridge is the Blue Dragons’ first National Player of the Year in men’s golf and just the seventh in Blue Dragon athletics history. Partridge joins Eugene Kinlaw (2008 Football), Kadeem Allen (2014 Men’s Basketball), Kyle Simonds (2014 Baseball), Sarah Rothe (2014 Softball), Shakur Juiston (2017 Men’s Basketball) and Michael Helman (2017 Baseball) as Blue Dragon National Player of the Year.

Partridge named Nicklaus National Player of the Year

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Not even seven minutes had elapsed in the national championship game before No. 1 Hutchinson Community College found itself in a 14-0 hole.

The Dragons went three-and-out on their first two possessions while No. 2 Snow College scored two touchdowns in just nine plays.

Deuce Roberson's 8-yard grab capped an 8-play, 52-yard drive to open the scoring for the Badgers.

On Snow's second possession, Tejhuan Palmer caught a Garrison Beach deep ball for six. The 69-yard TD put Snow up 14-0 with 8:17 left in the first quarter of play.

Hutchinson would answer with an 11-play, 66-yard drive that produced only a 22-yard field goal from C.J. Moya. Hutchinson's drive stalled after a first-and-goal chance from the five.

After turning the ball over on downs, Hutchinson took its next drive to the house in only two plays. Tye Edwards broke loose for a 68-yard scamper.

Edwards finished the day with 139 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Edwards was named the game's MVP.

After trailing 14-0 early, Hutchinson went into halftime down only four.

"I know a lot of it was just fighting back and these guys just not giving up and having a little 'come to Jesus' meeting at halftime about just playing Hutch Football," head coach Drew Dallas said after the game.

Named the NJCAA Coach of the Year, Dallas said the coaches didn't have to say anything at halftime. He said the leaders on the team said what needed to be said.

"The only thing you can control is your attitude and your effort and your response to the situation. We were prepared (because of the) adversity we faced the last 16, 17 months," Dallas said.

Snow took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and looked poised to add another touchdown to its 14-10 advantage. Quarterback Garrison Beach burst into the red zone before being tackled from behind by Marquise Gilbert.

Beach was slow to get up as trainers rushed to his side. Beach was helped off the field with a knee injury and never returned. He finished the day with 185 yards passing and two touchdowns. Beach also ran for 42 yards. He ended the day leading the Badgers in both categories.

Beach was replaced by backup Gabe Sweeten, who entered the game with only 7 passing attempts on the season. Sweeten struggled to hit wide receivers and was just 2 of 9 in relief of Beach. Sweeten was sacked twice, threw for 54 yards and one interception.

After Beach left the game, the Badgers could not finish the drive. Despite driving the ball to Hutchinson's one, Snow was pushed backed when Sweeten mishandled a shotgun snap and took a 5-yard loss. That was followed by a false start two plays later. The Badgers came away empty after kicker Stockton Lund missed a 27-yard field goal. Lund came into the contest with two misses on the season. He missed three times in the national championship (49, 31, 27).

Sweeten did hurt the Dragons with his legs. He ran for 30 yards and a TD.

Hutchinson held Snow's leading rusher, Seth Kaelin, to just 37 yards. Kaelin entered the game as one of only six rushers in the nation to average 100 yards per contest.

Snow added to its lead late in the third quarter after a Dylan Laible interception. Laible, who threw for 11 TDs and just one interception after replacing an injured C.J. Ogbonna this year, went 10 of 22 for 150 yards and an interception.

Laible overthrew Tyrone Howell and Kieonte Scott took advantage with a pick. Mekhi Kimble turned the interception into points on an 11-yard TD run. With 4:50 left in the third, Hutchinson was down 21-10.

That's when Drew Dallas made a move. At halftime, he told both of his quarterbacks that a change might be coming. "If we need a little bit of momentum, we're going to make this change and really not for anything other than our offense just (needs) a spark," Dallas told Laible and C.J. Ogbonna during the break.

Ogbonna came in and completed his first pass for 34 yards to Cortez Braham. Two plays later, Anwar Lewis ran 29 yards for a touchdown.

Lewis scored twice Saturday, his second touchdown was from three yards out. The run capped an 89-yard drive that took just six plays.

Two touchdowns from Lewis and one more from Edwards were part of a 19-0 run that put Hutchinson up 29-21 with 7:27 remaining. The Dragons failed to convert twice on two-point conversions during that run.

Ogbonna provided the spark the Blue Dragons needed by completing all five of his passes for 128 yards.

Between Laible and Ogbonna, the Dragons racked up 278 passing yards. Tyrone Howell caught six passes for 108 yards. Braham tallied 112 yards on four receptions.

Snow would not go away without a fight. The Badgers scored with 4:50 left in the game on a Sweeten 6-yard run. The Badgers drove 75 yards in six plays but failed to tie the game when Sweeten couldn't hit Palmer on the two-point try.

With a two-point lead, Hutchinson took 2:37 off the clock before seemingly sealing the victory on a fourth down punt fake. Dylan Kedzior took a direct snap in punt formation and ran for the first down. The play was called back for an illegal formation. Caleb Brickhouse pinned the Badgers inside their own 20 after the penalty.

Without any timeouts, Snow had to throw. Enter: Tre Pinkney. The nation's leader in sacks knew the comeback route was coming from wide receiver Myller Royals. When Royals cut back to his quarterback, Pinkney jumped the passing lane and sealed the victory.

Hutchinson put up 511 yards of total offense while giving up 390. The Dragon defense held the Badgers to just 3 of 10 on third down.

Hutchinson finishes the year 8-0. Drew Dallas went undefeated in his first season as head coach and was named the NJCAA Coach of the Year.

Snow finishes 8-1 under first-year head coach Zac Erekson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622955252552.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson outscored Snow College 29-7 after trailing by 14 early. The Blue Dragons won their first national title in 89 years of the program's history." />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson outscored Snow College 29-7 after trailing by 14 early. The Blue Dragons won their first national title in 89 years of the program's history.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostLITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Not even seven minutes had elapsed in the national championship game before No. 1 Hutchinson Community College found itself in a 14-0 hole.The Dragons went three-and-out on their first two possessions while No. 2 Snow College scored two touchdowns in just nine plays.Deuce Roberson's 8-yard grab capped an 8-play, 52-yard drive to open the scoring for the Badgers.On Snow's second possession, Tejhuan Palmer caught a Garrison Beach deep ball for six. The 69-yard TD put Snow up 14-0 with 8:17 left in the first quarter of play.Hutchinson would answer with an 11-play, 66-yard drive that produced only a 22-yard field goal from C.J. Moya. Hutchinson's drive stalled after a first-and-goal chance from the five.After turning the ball over on downs, Hutchinson took its next drive to the house in only two plays. Tye Edwards broke loose for a 68-yard scamper.Edwards finished the day with 139 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Edwards was named the game's MVP.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620593828731.jpeg" alt="Tye Edwards (20) ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He was named the game's MVP." />
 <figcaption>Tye Edwards (20) ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He was named the game's MVP.</figcaption>
 </figure>After trailing 14-0 early, Hutchinson went into halftime down only four."I know a lot of it was just fighting back and these guys just not giving up and having a little 'come to Jesus' meeting at halftime about just playing Hutch Football," head coach Drew Dallas said after the game.Named the NJCAA Coach of the Year, Dallas said the coaches didn't have to say anything at halftime. He said the leaders on the team said what needed to be said."The only thing you can control is your attitude and your effort and your response to the situation. We were prepared (because of the) adversity we faced the last 16, 17 months," Dallas said.Snow took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and looked poised to add another touchdown to its 14-10 advantage. Quarterback Garrison Beach burst into the red zone before being tackled from behind by Marquise Gilbert.Beach was slow to get up as trainers rushed to his side. Beach was helped off the field with a knee injury and never returned. He finished the day with 185 yards passing and two touchdowns. Beach also ran for 42 yards. He ended the day leading the Badgers in both categories.Beach was replaced by backup Gabe Sweeten, who entered the game with only 7 passing attempts on the season. Sweeten struggled to hit wide receivers and was just 2 of 9 in relief of Beach. Sweeten was sacked twice, threw for 54 yards and one interception.After Beach left the game, the Badgers could not finish the drive. Despite driving the ball to Hutchinson's one, Snow was pushed backed when Sweeten mishandled a shotgun snap and took a 5-yard loss. That was followed by a false start two plays later. The Badgers came away empty after kicker Stockton Lund missed a 27-yard field goal. Lund came into the contest with two misses on the season. He missed three times in the national championship (49, 31, 27).Sweeten did hurt the Dragons with his legs. He ran for 30 yards and a TD.Hutchinson held Snow's leading rusher, Seth Kaelin, to just 37 yards. Kaelin entered the game as one of only six rushers in the nation to average 100 yards per contest.Snow added to its lead late in the third quarter after a Dylan Laible interception. Laible, who threw for 11 TDs and just one interception after replacing an injured C.J. Ogbonna this year, went 10 of 22 for 150 yards and an interception.Laible overthrew Tyrone Howell and Kieonte Scott took advantage with a pick. Mekhi Kimble turned the interception into points on an 11-yard TD run. With 4:50 left in the third, Hutchinson was down 21-10.That's when Drew Dallas made a move. At halftime, he told both of his quarterbacks that a change might be coming. "If we need a little bit of momentum, we're going to make this change and really not for anything other than our offense just (needs) a spark," Dallas told Laible and C.J. Ogbonna during the break.Ogbonna came in and completed his first pass for 34 yards to Cortez Braham. Two plays later, Anwar Lewis ran 29 yards for a touchdown.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622955217386.jpeg" alt="Anwar Lewis ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns Saturday. His two touchdowns were part of a 19-o Hutchinson run that began late in the third quarter." />
 <figcaption>Anwar Lewis ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns Saturday. His two touchdowns were part of a 19-o Hutchinson run that began late in the third quarter.</figcaption>
 </figure>Lewis scored twice Saturday, his second touchdown was from three yards out. The run capped an 89-yard drive that took just six plays.Two touchdowns from Lewis and one more from Edwards were part of a 19-0 run that put Hutchinson up 29-21 with 7:27 remaining. The Dragons failed to convert twice on two-point conversions during that run.Ogbonna provided the spark the Blue Dragons needed by completing all five of his passes for 128 yards.Between Laible and Ogbonna, the Dragons racked up 278 passing yards. Tyrone Howell caught six passes for 108 yards. Braham tallied 112 yards on four receptions.Snow would not go away without a fight. The Badgers scored with 4:50 left in the game on a Sweeten 6-yard run. The Badgers drove 75 yards in six plays but failed to tie the game when Sweeten couldn't hit Palmer on the two-point try.With a two-point lead, Hutchinson took 2:37 off the clock before seemingly sealing the victory on a fourth down punt fake. Dylan Kedzior took a direct snap in punt formation and ran for the first down. The play was called back for an illegal formation. Caleb Brickhouse pinned the Badgers inside their own 20 after the penalty.Without any timeouts, Snow had to throw. Enter: Tre Pinkney. The nation's leader in sacks knew the comeback route was coming from wide receiver Myller Royals. When Royals cut back to his quarterback, Pinkney jumped the passing lane and sealed the victory.FINAL: Hutchinson 29 Snow 27<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHutchPost%2Fvideos%2F547594903291716%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Hutchinson put up 511 yards of total offense while giving up 390. The Dragon defense held the Badgers to just 3 of 10 on third down.Hutchinson finishes the year 8-0. Drew Dallas went undefeated in his first season as head coach and was named the NJCAA Coach of the Year.Snow finishes 8-1 under first-year head coach Zac Erekson.PHOTO GALLERY:<figure>
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🏈 Dragons erase 14-point deficit to win first national title

KANSAS CITY,— Whit Merrifield capped a nine-run first inning with a three-run homer and&nbsp; Royals beat the Twins 14-5 Friday night for their fifth straight win.

Merrifield started the big burst with a leadoff single and his home run ended the evening for Matt Shoemaker. He retired just one batter, allowing six hits and two walks.

Kansas City made it 13-0 in the second. All nine Royals in batting order had already scored with no outs in the inning.

Michael A. Taylor drove in three runs for the Royals.

Brad Keller got his third straight win and hasn't allowed more than three runs in an outing since April. He went five innings, giving up two earned runs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621811490166.jpeg" alt="Royals Logo.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Royals Logo.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY,— Whit Merrifield capped a nine-run first inning with a three-run homer and&nbsp; Royals beat the Twins 14-5 Friday night for their fifth straight win.Merrifield started the big burst with a leadoff single and his home run ended the evening for Matt Shoemaker. He retired just one batter, allowing six hits and two walks.Kansas City made it 13-0 in the second. All nine Royals in batting order had already scored with no outs in the inning.Michael A. Taylor drove in three runs for the Royals.Brad Keller got his third straight win and hasn't allowed more than three runs in an outing since April. He went five innings, giving up two earned runs.Minnesota lost its fourth in a row.

Royals use big first inning to down Twins

WICHITA, Kan.— For the second straight night the Wichita Wind Surge won in their last at bat. 

Jose Miranda hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the Arkansas Travelers 8-5.

Wichita has back-to-back walk-off wins over the Travs. The Surge have four walk-off wins this season.&nbsp;

It was Miranda's seventh home run of the season. The surge are 17-11 on the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620213249405.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.— For the second straight night the Wichita Wind Surge won in their last at bat. Jose Miranda hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the Arkansas Travelers 8-5.Wichita has back-to-back walk-off wins over the Travs. The Surge have four walk-off wins this season.&nbsp;It was Miranda's seventh home run of the season. The surge are 17-11 on the season.

Wind Surge win in walk off fashion

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

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Luis Castillo earned his first victory since April 7, and rookies Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India homered as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Friday night. Castillo picked up his first quality start and win since his second start of the season. Castillo snapped a seven-start losing streak against the Cardinals. The Reds have won four of their last five games. The Cardinals have lost five of their last six. &nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield capped a nine-run first inning with a three-run homer and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 14-5 for their fifth straight win. Merrifield started the big burst with a leadoff single and his home run ended the evening for Twins starter Matt Shoemaker. Kansas City made it 13-0 in the second. All nine Royals in batting order had already scored with no outs in the inning. Brad Keller got his third straight win. Minnesota lost its fourth in a row. Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sano and Nick Gordon homered for the Twins.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Red Sox acquired outfielder Freddy Valdez from the New York Mets, and left-handers Luis De La Rosa and Grant Gambrell from Kansas City to complete the three-team trade that sent outfielder outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Royals on Feb. 10. Valdez and De La Rosa have not appeared in a game this season. Valdez, 19, was the Mets' Dominican summer league player of the year in 2019. De La Rosa, 18, was pitcher of the year that summer for one of the Royals' DSL teams. Gambrell, 23, was a third-round pick of the Royals in the 2019 amateur draft.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thongchai Jaidee closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead Friday in the PGA Tour Champions' Principal Charity Classic. Thongchai, the 51-year-old from Thailand making his fifth senior start, eagled the par-5 15th and had seven birdies and two bogeys at Wakonda Club. Dicky Pride and Doug Barron were tied for second. Fred Couples was another stroke back at 67 with Rod Pampling, Jerry Kelly, Shane Bertsch, Tom Gillis and Tim Herron.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — American defender Tim Ream will stay with Fulham after yet another relegation. The club says the 33-year-old from St. Louis had agreed to a new contract. Ream has been with Fulham since the start of the 2015-16 season. Ream appeared in just seven league matches this season, down from 44 in 2019-20. Following an Oct. 24 loss to Crystal Palace, he was limited to a pair of FA Cup appearances until after relegation was assured. He then played in the final two games, against Manchester United on May 18 and the season finale against Newcastle five days later

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Tim Elko's second grand slam of the season — and his first since tearing his ACL on April 5 — helped propel Ole Miss to a 6-3 win over Southeast Missouri State in the Oxford Regional. Elko recorded his sixth game this season with four or more RBI and tied Kevin Graham for the team lead with 14 home runs on the season. Elko's homer occurred in the bottom of the third to give the Rebels a 4-0 advantage. Connor Basler and Andrew Keck each went 2-for-4 for the Redhawks.

FAYETEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Cam Chick's three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning helped Nebraska rally to beat Northeastern 8-6 in the Fayeteville Regional. Nebraska will meet No. 1 overall seed Arkansas on Saturday. Down 4-0 at the end of three, the Cornhuskers' win marked their second-largest comeback victory in post-season history. Max Viera went 3-for-5 with a double and drove in a run and Ian Fair and Jared Dupere each drove in two runs for Northeastern.

DALLAS (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers have stretched their NBA first-round series to the limit.

Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard tied his playoff career high with 45 points and the Clippers forced a Game 7 with a 104-97 win at Dallas. Leonard scored eight straight LA points, including back-to-back 3-pointers for a 98-90 lead with 1:41 remaining. 

The Clippers trailed for long stretches before going in front for good with six minutes left on a jumper by Paul George, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Reggie Jackson scored 14 of his 25 points in the first quarter to help LA stay close.

Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) scored 29 points but was just 2 of 9 from 3-point range. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 23 points but missed a 3-pointer and a layup in the closing minutes.

It's the first postseason series in NBA history with the road team winning the first six games.

UNDATED (AP) — Joel Embiid's (joh-EHL' ehm-BEEDZ') status for Game 1 of Philadelphia's playoff series against Atlanta is still unknown because of a knee injury that leaves him day to day.

The NBA MVP finalist suffered a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee during Game 4 of the opening round against Washington. He was held out of yesterday's practice.

— Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has won the 2020-21 Joe Dumars Trophy that goes annually to the NBA player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. Boston's Kemba Walker finished second in the balloting this year after winning the award in 2017 and 2018.

— Katherine Evans is joining the Wizards as the first woman to head the research or analytics department of an NBA franchise. Her new title is vice president of research and information systems. 

Knights get within 2-1 of Avs...Habs beat Jets for 2-0 lead

UNDATED (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights staged a late rally to avoid falling behind three-games-to-none in their Stanley Cup second-round series.

Jonathan Marchessault (MAHR'-sheh-soh) and Max Pacioretty (pash-uh-REH'-tee) scored 45 seconds apart to lift the Knights past the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2. The Avs led 2-1 until Marchessault tallied with 5:18 remaining.

William Karlsson also scored for the Golden Knights, who outshot the Avs by a 43-20 margin.

Mikko Rantanen's (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehnz) power-play goal snapped a 1-1 tie 5:04 into the third period.

Meanwhile, one goal was enough for the Canadiens as they defeated the Jets to take a two-games-to-one lead in their second-round series.

Tyler Toffoli (tah-FOH'-lee) provided the lone goal, beating Connor Hellebuyck (HEH'-leh-buhk) for a short-handed tally 1:41 into the second period. Carey Price made the lead hold up, making 14 of his 30 saves in the third period to secure his first shutout of the postseason and eight of his career.

The Canadiens have won five in a row since falling behind three-games-to-one against the Maple Leafs in the opening round.

Jets' Scheifele won't appeal 4-game suspension

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Jets forward Mark Scheifele (SHYF'-lee) won't be appealing his four-game suspension for a crushing blow to the head and shoulder of Montreal's Jake Evans. 

Scheifele calls the NHL's punishment "excessive" but says he doesn't want to be a distraction for his team. He says he did not intend to injure Evans and was only trying to stop him from scoring. 

The hit came in the final minute of Montreal's 5-3 win in Game 1 of their second-round series Wednesday night. Evans' head struck the ice and he was taken off the ice on a stretcher. He wasn't hospitalized but the Canadiens say he has a concussion and is out indefinitely.

— Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has had surgery on his right knee and will not be available when the team reports for training camp in September. Malkin injured the knee in a collision against Boston on March 16. He missed seven weeks before returning to appear for the final four games of the regular season.

— Blue Jackets center Max Domi (DOH'-mee) is expected to miss the beginning of the 2021-22 season after surgery to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen (YAHR'-moh kehk-eh-LY'-nehn) says Domi is expected to make a full recovery in five to six months.

UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Red Sox were winners in the first of their 19 meetings with the New York Yankees this season.

Rafael Devers (DEH'-vurz) banged out a three-run homer in the first inning and Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL'-dee) won his third straight start as the Red Sox earned a 5-2 victory in the Bronx. Marwin González added a two-run double to help the Sox end an 11-game losing streak in the Bronx since June 2019.

Eovaldi blanked his former team until the sixth. He allowed one earned run and eight hits over six frames, including Aaron Judge's solo homer.

Yankees hitters struck out 15 times, four by Gary Sánchez.

— The Rangers' nine-game losing streak is over after Kyle Gibson returned from the injured list to pitch 5 1/3 scoreless innings to lead a 5-4 decision over the Rays. Joey Gallo hit in his 10th homer and Charlie Culberson drove in a run with a squeeze bunt to help Texas recover from an 0-9 road trip.

— The Astros blew out the Blue Jays, 13-1 as Zack Greinke (GREHN'-kee) scattered six hits in his first complete game since 2017. Carlos Correa homered twice, Martin Maldonado (mahr-TEEN mal-doh-NAH'-doh) hit a grand slam and Aledmys (ah-lehd-mees) Díaz also homered as Toronto lost for the first time in four games at Buffalo.

— The Orioles managed just one hit until Ryan Mountcastle slammed a go-ahead, two-run home run in the seventh inning to push Baltimore past Cleveland, 3-1. The Birds have won their first three games this month after dropping 14 in a row to end May.

— Rookie Yermín (yehr-MEEN') Mercedes hit a game-ending single after Yasmani Grandal (yahs-MAH'-nee grahn-DAHL') homered twice in the White Sox's 9-8 verdict over the Tigers. Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa tied John McGraw for second place on baseball's career wins list with No. 2,763.

— Whit Merrifield capped a nine-run first inning with a three-run homer in the Royals' fifth consecutive win, 14-5 over the Twins. Michael A. Taylor drove in three runs for Kansas City.

— The Angels were 3-2 winners over the Mariners behind Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee), who pitched six innings of four-hit ball with a season high-tying 10 strikeouts. Justin Upton hit a two-run homer and closer Raisel Iglesias escaped a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the eighth before closing out Ohtani's second win.

— Sean Murphy and Matt Canha (KAN'-ah) homered off Jon Gray before the Rockies right-hander left with elbow soreness in the Athletics' 9-5 win at Colorado. Murphy had three hits and three RBIs for Oakland, which has won seven of 10 road games and improved to 17-8 away from home.

— Chris Taylor lined a three-run double to cap the Dodgers' eight-run fifth in a 9-5 win against the Braves. Julio Urias (oo-REE'-uhs) drove in a run with a bunt single and scattered four hits over five innings, including Freddie Freeman's first-inning homer.

— Blake Snell took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Manny Machado hit a solo shot in the first inning of the Padres' second straight win over the Mets, 2-0. Snell struck out 10 and pitched into the seventh inning for the first time this season.

— Steven Duggar and Alex Dickerson homered off Jake Arrieta as part of a six-run second that fueled the Giants' 8-5 win against the Cubs. Jason Vosler and LaMonte Wade Jr. added back-to-back shots in the fourth, helping San Francisco win for the eighth time in 10 games.

— Freddy Peralta carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning on his 25th birthday before the Brewers completed a 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Opponents are hitting .133 this season versus Peralta, who has allowed more than three hits in just three of his 11 starts. 

— Max Scherzer outpitched Zack Wheeler and Juan Soto hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the Nationals' 2-1 downing of the Phillies. Scherzer struck out nine in 7 2/3 dominant innings, allowing one run on five hits.

— Rookie Ke'Bryan Hayes homered for the second game in a row since being activated from the injured list and drove in three runs to lead the Pirates to a 9-2 thrashing of the Marlins. NL hits leader Adam Frazier had two hits, two RBIs and three runs scored for Pittsburgh.

— Rookies Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India homered to power the Reds to a 6-4 win over the Cardinals. Luis Castillo picked up his first win since early April by allowing one run and three hits with five strikeouts over six innings.

20 of 30 MLB teams reach 85% vaccinations, relax protocols

UNDATED (AP) — Two-thirds of Major League Baseball's 30 teams have been able to relax coronavirus protocols after four additional clubs reached 85% vaccinations for players and other on-field personnel. 

Two additional teams have reached the level of having received final doses and will be able to relax protocols within the next two weeks once they are fully vaccinated. 

— Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin is back with the team after battling the coronavirus, a bacterial infection in his kidneys and a staph infection. The former big league All-Star said he lost 22 pounds and was forced to miss the major league debut of his son, Tyler Nevin, with the Orioles.

— The Red Sox have received three minor leaguers to complete a trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Royals. Boston also gave Kansas City $2.8 to defray the cost of Benintendi's contract.

— Wrigley Field is going to start packing the place beginning next Friday against the Cardinals. The team has received approval from state and city officials to host games at 100% of Wrigley Field's capacity. 

— Major League Baseball will offer incentives to unvaccinated fans through a program called "MLB Vaccinate At The Plate," taking place throughout June. Each of the 30 teams will host at least one event in June where unvaccinated fans will be able to receive a free ticket to a game if they get a COVID-19 vaccination shot at the event. 

AAA pitcher hospitalized but stable after liner to head

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Minor league pitcher Tyler Zombro was kept overnight at a hospital and remains in stable condition. He was struck in the head by a line drive, a frightening scene that prompted Triple-A Durham to suspend its game. 

Zombro crumbled awkwardly to the ground, lay motionless for a moment face down, then began to convulse uncontrollably as teammates and a trainer rushed toward the mound. 

The Rays said Friday morning that they had received positive updates on his status.

Serena Williams beats Collins...Top 3 women out

PARIS (AP) — Serena Williams recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the second set of a 6-4, 6-4 win over fellow American Danielle Collins in the third round of the French Open.

Williams next faces Elena Rybakina, who defeated Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the first time at a major.

The seventh-seeded Williams is again chasing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.

No. 15 Victoria Azarenka also reached the Round of 16 by downing American Madison Keys, 6-2, 6-2.

The women's bracket is now without its top three seeds. Third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka was upset by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-4, 2-6, 6-0. Top-seeded Ash Barty retired from her second-round match with an injury on Thursday. Second-seeded Naomi Osaka withdrew after the first round.

Men's second seed Daniil Medvedev, fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 6 Alexander Zverev won their third-round matches. Medvedev advanced to the fourth round after never having previously reached the second round at Roland Garros.

PARIS (AP) — A Russian tennis player suspected of match-fixing last year arrested Thursday during the French Open. 

The prosecutor's office says Yana Sizikova was arrested on charges of "sports bribery and organized fraud for acts likely to have been committed in September 2020." 

The prosecutor's office said the probe centered on suspicions about one match at Roland Garros last year. It did not specify the match. 

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Patrick Cantlay ran off three straight birdies to close out a 5-under 67 and the lead in the rain-delayed Memorial.

Cantlay was at 8 under after completing 33 holes on Friday.

Scottie Scheffler recovered from three bogeys in his opening four holes to scratch out a 71 and was at 6-under among those who completed the second round. 

Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm are among 56 players who will complete their second rounds on Saturday. Rahm was tied for the lead at 8 under through 13 holes, making a 2-foot birdie putt before darkness halted play. Morikawa was right there with him until a triple bogey on the 12th hole.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thongchai Jaidee closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead through one round of the PGA Tour Champions' Principal Charity Classic.

The 51-year-old from Thailand eagled the par-5 15th and had seven birdies and two bogeys at Wakonda Club.

Dicky Pride and Doug Barron were tied for second.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Luis Castillo earned his first victory since April 7, and rookies Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India homered as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Friday night. Castillo picked up his first quality start and win since his second start of the season. Castillo snapped a seven-start losing streak against the Cardinals. The Reds have won four of their last five games. The Cardinals have lost five of their last six. &nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield capped a nine-run first inning with a three-run homer and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 14-5 for their fifth straight win. Merrifield started the big burst with a leadoff single and his home run ended the evening for Twins starter Matt Shoemaker. Kansas City made it 13-0 in the second. All nine Royals in batting order had already scored with no outs in the inning. Brad Keller got his third straight win. Minnesota lost its fourth in a row. Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sano and Nick Gordon homered for the Twins.NEW YORK (AP) — The Red Sox acquired outfielder Freddy Valdez from the New York Mets, and left-handers Luis De La Rosa and Grant Gambrell from Kansas City to complete the three-team trade that sent outfielder outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Royals on Feb. 10. Valdez and De La Rosa have not appeared in a game this season. Valdez, 19, was the Mets' Dominican summer league player of the year in 2019. De La Rosa, 18, was pitcher of the year that summer for one of the Royals' DSL teams. Gambrell, 23, was a third-round pick of the Royals in the 2019 amateur draft.DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thongchai Jaidee closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead Friday in the PGA Tour Champions' Principal Charity Classic. Thongchai, the 51-year-old from Thailand making his fifth senior start, eagled the par-5 15th and had seven birdies and two bogeys at Wakonda Club. Dicky Pride and Doug Barron were tied for second. Fred Couples was another stroke back at 67 with Rod Pampling, Jerry Kelly, Shane Bertsch, Tom Gillis and Tim Herron.&nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — American defender Tim Ream will stay with Fulham after yet another relegation. The club says the 33-year-old from St. Louis had agreed to a new contract. Ream has been with Fulham since the start of the 2015-16 season. Ream appeared in just seven league matches this season, down from 44 in 2019-20. Following an Oct. 24 loss to Crystal Palace, he was limited to a pair of FA Cup appearances until after relegation was assured. He then played in the final two games, against Manchester United on May 18 and the season finale against Newcastle five days laterOXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Tim Elko's second grand slam of the season — and his first since tearing his ACL on April 5 — helped propel Ole Miss to a 6-3 win over Southeast Missouri State in the Oxford Regional. Elko recorded his sixth game this season with four or more RBI and tied Kevin Graham for the team lead with 14 home runs on the season. Elko's homer occurred in the bottom of the third to give the Rebels a 4-0 advantage. Connor Basler and Andrew Keck each went 2-for-4 for the Redhawks.FAYETEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Cam Chick's three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning helped Nebraska rally to beat Northeastern 8-6 in the Fayeteville Regional. Nebraska will meet No. 1 overall seed Arkansas on Saturday. Down 4-0 at the end of three, the Cornhuskers' win marked their second-largest comeback victory in post-season history. Max Viera went 3-for-5 with a double and drove in a run and Ian Fair and Jared Dupere each drove in two runs for Northeastern.NBA PLAYOFFSClippers stay aliveDALLAS (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers have stretched their NBA first-round series to the limit.Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard tied his playoff career high with 45 points and the Clippers forced a Game 7 with a 104-97 win at Dallas. Leonard scored eight straight LA points, including back-to-back 3-pointers for a 98-90 lead with 1:41 remaining. The Clippers trailed for long stretches before going in front for good with six minutes left on a jumper by Paul George, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds.Reggie Jackson scored 14 of his 25 points in the first quarter to help LA stay close.Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) scored 29 points but was just 2 of 9 from 3-point range. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 23 points but missed a 3-pointer and a layup in the closing minutes.It's the first postseason series in NBA history with the road team winning the first six games.Game 7 is Sunday in Los Angeles.Knee injury has Embiid questionableUNDATED (AP) — Joel Embiid's (joh-EHL' ehm-BEEDZ') status for Game 1 of Philadelphia's playoff series against Atlanta is still unknown because of a knee injury that leaves him day to day.The NBA MVP finalist suffered a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee during Game 4 of the opening round against Washington. He was held out of yesterday's practice.In other NBA news:— Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has won the 2020-21 Joe Dumars Trophy that goes annually to the NBA player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. Boston's Kemba Walker finished second in the balloting this year after winning the award in 2017 and 2018.— Katherine Evans is joining the Wizards as the first woman to head the research or analytics department of an NBA franchise. Her new title is vice president of research and information systems. NHL PLAYOFFSKnights get within 2-1 of Avs...Habs beat Jets for 2-0 leadUNDATED (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights staged a late rally to avoid falling behind three-games-to-none in their Stanley Cup second-round series.Jonathan Marchessault (MAHR'-sheh-soh) and Max Pacioretty (pash-uh-REH'-tee) scored 45 seconds apart to lift the Knights past the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2. The Avs led 2-1 until Marchessault tallied with 5:18 remaining.William Karlsson also scored for the Golden Knights, who outshot the Avs by a 43-20 margin.Mikko Rantanen's (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehnz) power-play goal snapped a 1-1 tie 5:04 into the third period.Game 4 is Sunday in Las Vegas.Meanwhile, one goal was enough for the Canadiens as they defeated the Jets to take a two-games-to-one lead in their second-round series.Tyler Toffoli (tah-FOH'-lee) provided the lone goal, beating Connor Hellebuyck (HEH'-leh-buhk) for a short-handed tally 1:41 into the second period. Carey Price made the lead hold up, making 14 of his 30 saves in the third period to secure his first shutout of the postseason and eight of his career.The Canadiens have won five in a row since falling behind three-games-to-one against the Maple Leafs in the opening round.Game 3 is Sunday in Montreal.NHLJets' Scheifele won't appeal 4-game suspensionWINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Jets forward Mark Scheifele (SHYF'-lee) won't be appealing his four-game suspension for a crushing blow to the head and shoulder of Montreal's Jake Evans. Scheifele calls the NHL's punishment "excessive" but says he doesn't want to be a distraction for his team. He says he did not intend to injure Evans and was only trying to stop him from scoring. The hit came in the final minute of Montreal's 5-3 win in Game 1 of their second-round series Wednesday night. Evans' head struck the ice and he was taken off the ice on a stretcher. He wasn't hospitalized but the Canadiens say he has a concussion and is out indefinitely.In other NHL news:— Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has had surgery on his right knee and will not be available when the team reports for training camp in September. Malkin injured the knee in a collision against Boston on March 16. He missed seven weeks before returning to appear for the final four games of the regular season.— Blue Jackets center Max Domi (DOH'-mee) is expected to miss the beginning of the 2021-22 season after surgery to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen (YAHR'-moh kehk-eh-LY'-nehn) says Domi is expected to make a full recovery in five to six months.MLBRed Sox top YanksUNDATED (AP) — The Boston Red Sox were winners in the first of their 19 meetings with the New York Yankees this season.Rafael Devers (DEH'-vurz) banged out a three-run homer in the first inning and Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL'-dee) won his third straight start as the Red Sox earned a 5-2 victory in the Bronx. Marwin González added a two-run double to help the Sox end an 11-game losing streak in the Bronx since June 2019.Eovaldi blanked his former team until the sixth. He allowed one earned run and eight hits over six frames, including Aaron Judge's solo homer.Yankees hitters struck out 15 times, four by Gary Sánchez.Elsewhere around the majors:— The Rangers' nine-game losing streak is over after Kyle Gibson returned from the injured list to pitch 5 1/3 scoreless innings to lead a 5-4 decision over the Rays. Joey Gallo hit in his 10th homer and Charlie Culberson drove in a run with a squeeze bunt to help Texas recover from an 0-9 road trip.— The Astros blew out the Blue Jays, 13-1 as Zack Greinke (GREHN'-kee) scattered six hits in his first complete game since 2017. Carlos Correa homered twice, Martin Maldonado (mahr-TEEN mal-doh-NAH'-doh) hit a grand slam and Aledmys (ah-lehd-mees) Díaz also homered as Toronto lost for the first time in four games at Buffalo.— The Orioles managed just one hit until Ryan Mountcastle slammed a go-ahead, two-run home run in the seventh inning to push Baltimore past Cleveland, 3-1. The Birds have won their first three games this month after dropping 14 in a row to end May.— Rookie Yermín (yehr-MEEN') Mercedes hit a game-ending single after Yasmani Grandal (yahs-MAH'-nee grahn-DAHL') homered twice in the White Sox's 9-8 verdict over the Tigers. Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa tied John McGraw for second place on baseball's career wins list with No. 2,763.— Whit Merrifield capped a nine-run first inning with a three-run homer in the Royals' fifth consecutive win, 14-5 over the Twins. Michael A. Taylor drove in three runs for Kansas City.— The Angels were 3-2 winners over the Mariners behind Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee), who pitched six innings of four-hit ball with a season high-tying 10 strikeouts. Justin Upton hit a two-run homer and closer Raisel Iglesias escaped a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the eighth before closing out Ohtani's second win.— Sean Murphy and Matt Canha (KAN'-ah) homered off Jon Gray before the Rockies right-hander left with elbow soreness in the Athletics' 9-5 win at Colorado. Murphy had three hits and three RBIs for Oakland, which has won seven of 10 road games and improved to 17-8 away from home.— Chris Taylor lined a three-run double to cap the Dodgers' eight-run fifth in a 9-5 win against the Braves. Julio Urias (oo-REE'-uhs) drove in a run with a bunt single and scattered four hits over five innings, including Freddie Freeman's first-inning homer.— Blake Snell took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Manny Machado hit a solo shot in the first inning of the Padres' second straight win over the Mets, 2-0. Snell struck out 10 and pitched into the seventh inning for the first time this season.— Steven Duggar and Alex Dickerson homered off Jake Arrieta as part of a six-run second that fueled the Giants' 8-5 win against the Cubs. Jason Vosler and LaMonte Wade Jr. added back-to-back shots in the fourth, helping San Francisco win for the eighth time in 10 games.— Freddy Peralta carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning on his 25th birthday before the Brewers completed a 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Opponents are hitting .133 this season versus Peralta, who has allowed more than three hits in just three of his 11 starts. — Max Scherzer outpitched Zack Wheeler and Juan Soto hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the Nationals' 2-1 downing of the Phillies. Scherzer struck out nine in 7 2/3 dominant innings, allowing one run on five hits.— Rookie Ke'Bryan Hayes homered for the second game in a row since being activated from the injured list and drove in three runs to lead the Pirates to a 9-2 thrashing of the Marlins. NL hits leader Adam Frazier had two hits, two RBIs and three runs scored for Pittsburgh.— Rookies Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India homered to power the Reds to a 6-4 win over the Cardinals. Luis Castillo picked up his first win since early April by allowing one run and three hits with five strikeouts over six innings.20 of 30 MLB teams reach 85% vaccinations, relax protocolsUNDATED (AP) — Two-thirds of Major League Baseball's 30 teams have been able to relax coronavirus protocols after four additional clubs reached 85% vaccinations for players and other on-field personnel. Two additional teams have reached the level of having received final doses and will be able to relax protocols within the next two weeks once they are fully vaccinated. In other MLB news:— Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin is back with the team after battling the coronavirus, a bacterial infection in his kidneys and a staph infection. The former big league All-Star said he lost 22 pounds and was forced to miss the major league debut of his son, Tyler Nevin, with the Orioles.— The Red Sox have received three minor leaguers to complete a trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Royals. Boston also gave Kansas City $2.8 to defray the cost of Benintendi's contract.— Wrigley Field is going to start packing the place beginning next Friday against the Cardinals. The team has received approval from state and city officials to host games at 100% of Wrigley Field's capacity. — Major League Baseball will offer incentives to unvaccinated fans through a program called "MLB Vaccinate At The Plate," taking place throughout June. Each of the 30 teams will host at least one event in June where unvaccinated fans will be able to receive a free ticket to a game if they get a COVID-19 vaccination shot at the event. PITCHER HIT IN HEADAAA pitcher hospitalized but stable after liner to headDURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Minor league pitcher Tyler Zombro was kept overnight at a hospital and remains in stable condition. He was struck in the head by a line drive, a frightening scene that prompted Triple-A Durham to suspend its game. Zombro crumbled awkwardly to the ground, lay motionless for a moment face down, then began to convulse uncontrollably as teammates and a trainer rushed toward the mound. The Rays said Friday morning that they had received positive updates on his status.Durham postponed Friday's game.FRENCH OPENSerena Williams beats Collins...Top 3 women outPARIS (AP) — Serena Williams recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the second set of a 6-4, 6-4 win over fellow American Danielle Collins in the third round of the French Open.Williams next faces Elena Rybakina, who defeated Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the first time at a major.The seventh-seeded Williams is again chasing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.No. 15 Victoria Azarenka also reached the Round of 16 by downing American Madison Keys, 6-2, 6-2.The women's bracket is now without its top three seeds. Third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka was upset by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-4, 2-6, 6-0. Top-seeded Ash Barty retired from her second-round match with an injury on Thursday. Second-seeded Naomi Osaka withdrew after the first round.Men's second seed Daniil Medvedev, fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 6 Alexander Zverev won their third-round matches. Medvedev advanced to the fourth round after never having previously reached the second round at Roland Garros.Russian player arrested for match-fixingPARIS (AP) — A Russian tennis player suspected of match-fixing last year arrested Thursday during the French Open. The prosecutor's office says Yana Sizikova was arrested on charges of "sports bribery and organized fraud for acts likely to have been committed in September 2020." The prosecutor's office said the probe centered on suspicions about one match at Roland Garros last year. It did not specify the match. PGA-MEMORIALCantlay has leadDUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Patrick Cantlay ran off three straight birdies to close out a 5-under 67 and the lead in the rain-delayed Memorial.Cantlay was at 8 under after completing 33 holes on Friday.Scottie Scheffler recovered from three bogeys in his opening four holes to scratch out a 71 and was at 6-under among those who completed the second round. Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm are among 56 players who will complete their second rounds on Saturday. Rahm was tied for the lead at 8 under through 13 holes, making a 2-foot birdie putt before darkness halted play. Morikawa was right there with him until a triple bogey on the 12th hole.PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSJaidee leads Tour Champions eventDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thongchai Jaidee closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead through one round of the PGA Tour Champions' Principal Charity Classic.The 51-year-old from Thailand eagled the par-5 15th and had seven birdies and two bogeys at Wakonda Club.Dicky Pride and Doug Barron were tied for second.NFLGiants ink first-rounder ToneyUNDATED (AP) — The New York Giants have completed signing their draft picks, getting first-rounder Kadarius Toney under contract.The Giants selected Toney at No. 20 overall after swapping first-round picks with Chicago. He played 38 games with 13 starts at Florida, catching 120 passes for 1,490 yards and 12 touchdowns. In other NFL moves:— The Vikings have addressed a need in their secondary by reaching contract terms with Bashaud Breeland. — A person with knowledge of the deal says punter Michael Dickson has reached agreement on a four-year, $14.5 million extension with the Seahawks. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

Sports Headlines for Saturday

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Back in 2019, the Hutchinson Community College football team missed an opportunity to play in the NJCAA Football Championship Game by a grand total of three points.

One season later, the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons get the opportunity to play for that coveted first national title when Hutchinson (7-0) takes on No. 2-ranked Snow College (8-0) in the 2020-21 NJCAA Championship Game presented by Bob McCloskey Insurance.

Kickoff will be at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 5, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">KHUT-Country 102.9 FM</a> and will be televised live by CBS Sports Network, Cox Channel 260 locally.

No. 1 Hutchinson (7-0) vs No. 2 Snow College (8-0) NJCAA Football Championship Game.

When: Saturday, June 5, 2021 Where: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas Game Time: 4 p.m. Radio:&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">KHUT-FM (102.9), 3 p.m.</a>&nbsp;(Countdown to Kickoff) - Glen Grunwald, PBP; Daren Dunn, Color) TV: CBS Sports Network, 4 p.m. (Cox Cable Channel 260) Twitter: @bluedragonsport <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/files/National_Championship_Game_Notes.pdf">BLUE DRAGON GAME NOTES</a> <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/files/National_Championship_Media_Guide.pdf">BLUE DRAGON CHAMPIONSHIP GAME MEDIA GUIDE</a>

This will be the Blue Dragons' first opportunity to play for a national football championship. The Blue Dragons will also be making their 23rd postseason appearance.

The Badgers will play for a national title for the third time. Snow won the national championship in 1985 and lost to Jayhawk Conference rival Butler in double overtime in 2008.

Hutchinson completed its regular season undefeated for the third time in program history (1947, 1969). The Blue Dragons won the seventh KJCCC league title in program history. The Blue Dragons had two wins over ranked teams this season - No. 3 Garden City, 23-7, and No. 7 Independence, 42-24. Coffeyville and Butler were receiving votes.

Snow has one victory over a nationally-ranked opponent. The Badgers defeated then-No. 2 Iowa Western 31-30 in Council Bluffs on opening weekend. Snow is 3-0 vs. the state of Iowa this season with road wins at Ellsworth and Iowa Central.

The 2020-21 NJCAA championship game will feature the top two scoring offenses in the NJCAA this season - Snow is No. 1 at 52.1 points per game, the Blue Dragons are No. 2 at 47.7 points per game. Defensively, the Blue Dragons are No. 3 in the nation in scoring defense at 11.4 points per game. Snow is No. 6 in scoring defense at 13.9 points per game.

Both head coaches in the championship game - Hutchinson's Drew Dallas and Snow's Zak Erekson - are in the first seasons at their respective schools.

Neither team has played since the third week in May. The Dragons clinched a KJCCC title on May 16 with a 70-14 win over Dodge City at Gowans Stadium. Snow closed its season on May 15 with a 77-0 win over Gordon's Fine Arts and Sports Academy.

Hutchinson and Snow College will meet for the first time ever in football.

NOTING THE BLUE DRAGONS + The Blue Dragons have started a season 8-0 only five times - 1947, 1948, 1969, 2010 and 2014.

+ Offensively, the Blue Dragons boast the No. 2 scoring offense, No. 2 rushing offense and No. 5 total offensive team in the NJCAA this season.

+ Defensively, the Dragons rank No. 3 in scoring defense, No. 6 in rush defense and No. 7 in total defense.

+ Despite an injury to starting quarterback C.J. Ogbonna in the second quarter of the Independence game in Week 5, this position has been a pillar of strength in the Dragons. Ogbonna is completing 60.2 percent of his passes for 609 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/laible_dylan_mrze">Dylan Laible</a>&nbsp;jumped right in after Ogbonna's injury. He is completing 59.5 percent for 631 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception.

+ The Blue Dragons have a deep, deep stable of running backs led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/edwards_tye_vovm">Tye Edwards</a>, who has two 100-yard games this season. Edwards is 11th in the NJCAA at 81.6 yards per game. Game-breaker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/lewis_anwar_oe0l">Anwar Lewis</a>&nbsp;averages 10.5 yards per carry and 66.3 yards per game. Both Edwards and Lewis have six rushing touchdowns.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/kedzior_dylan_cbc8">Dylan Kedzior</a>&nbsp;is averaging 11.2 yards per carry with two scores. Four different backs have at least 200 yards.

+ The receiving corps were a question entering the season. The question was answered.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/henderson_cam_tgg8">Cam Henderson</a>&nbsp;has a team-high 21 receptions for 256 yards and two scores. Tight End&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/thomas_ivan_quha">Ivan Thomas</a>&nbsp;and receiver&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/braham_cortes_6fw6">Cortez Braham</a>&nbsp;have a combined 11 TDs.

+ Return specialist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/thomas_jalik_0dfw">Jalik Thomas</a>&nbsp;leads the NJCAA in kickoff return average at 31.2 yards per return on eight returns. He has a 100-yard return for a touchdown vs. Butler.

+ Henderson is seventh in the NJCAA in punt returns at 9.4 yards per return on 13 attempts.

+ Linebacker Trey Pinkney leads the nation with 8.5 quarterback sacks and is second in tackles for loss with 13.

+ Kicker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/moya_c.j._5x11">C.J. Moya</a>&nbsp;has stepped in to take over the bulk of the place-kicking duties. He is 27 of 27 on extra points and made his only field goal. He has 20 touchbacks on kickoffs.

NOTING THE BADGERS + Snow College plays in its third NJCAA football national title game. Back in 1985, the Badgers defeated NEO 29-14 in the Mid-America Bowl. That team was inducted into the NJCAA Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010. The Badgers were national runner-up in 2008 when they lost to Butler 37-30 in double overtime in the first NJCAA designated title game.

+ The then-No. 10 Badgers knocked off then-No. 2 Iowa Western in Council Bluffs on opening weekend. That's Snow's only win over a ranked opponent, but it's 3-0 in three road trips to Iowa, also defeating Ellsworth and Iowa Central.

+ The Badgers are the No. 1 scoring team in the country at 52.1 points per game.

+ Snow is also ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA in rushing defense at 37.8 yards per game allowed. The Badgers are allowing 1.3 yards per carry.

+ Running Back Seth Kaelin is just 1 of 6 running backs in the nation this season to average at least 100 yards per game rushing. Kaelin is averaging 100.4 yards per game. He has nine rushing touchdowns and averaged 5.9 yards per rush.

+ Taylor Larsen is a versatile player, who is seventh in the NJCAA in all-purpose yards at 140.3 yards per game. He is 16th in the nation in receiving with 65.1 receiving yards per game (32 catches for 456 yards) and is fifth in the nation in punt returns at 14.4 yards per return.

+ Quarterback Garrison Beach ranks ninth in the NJCAA in passing at 191.5 yards per game. He is completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 1,532 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

+ Receiver Tejhuan Palmer is seventh in the NJCAA at 80.9 yards per game. He has 28 catches for 566 yards and 10 touchdowns. Palmer is averaging 20.2 yards per catch.

+ Punter Brody Taylor is averaging 43.2 yards per punt this season with a long of 70 yards and 10 punts inside the 20-yard line.

+ Kicker Stockton Lund is 38 of 40 on extra-point tries this season. He is 7 of 8 on field goals with a long of 51 yards

+ Snow has two kickoff/punt returns for touchdowns.

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By STEVE CARPENTERBlue Dragon Sports InformationLITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Back in 2019, the Hutchinson Community College football team missed an opportunity to play in the NJCAA Football Championship Game by a grand total of three points.One season later, the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons get the opportunity to play for that coveted first national title when Hutchinson (7-0) takes on No. 2-ranked Snow College (8-0) in the 2020-21 NJCAA Championship Game presented by Bob McCloskey Insurance.Kickoff will be at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 5, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">KHUT-Country 102.9 FM</a> and will be televised live by CBS Sports Network, Cox Channel 260 locally.Information Box:No. 1 Hutchinson (7-0) vs No. 2 Snow College (8-0) NJCAA Football Championship Game.When: Saturday, June 5, 2021 Where: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas Game Time: 4 p.m. Radio:&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">KHUT-FM (102.9), 3 p.m.</a>&nbsp;(Countdown to Kickoff) - Glen Grunwald, PBP; Daren Dunn, Color) TV: CBS Sports Network, 4 p.m. (Cox Cable Channel 260) Twitter: @bluedragonsport <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/files/National_Championship_Game_Notes.pdf">BLUE DRAGON GAME NOTES</a> <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/files/National_Championship_Media_Guide.pdf">BLUE DRAGON CHAMPIONSHIP GAME MEDIA GUIDE</a>This will be the Blue Dragons' first opportunity to play for a national football championship. The Blue Dragons will also be making their 23rd postseason appearance.The Badgers will play for a national title for the third time. Snow won the national championship in 1985 and lost to Jayhawk Conference rival Butler in double overtime in 2008.Hutchinson completed its regular season undefeated for the third time in program history (1947, 1969). The Blue Dragons won the seventh KJCCC league title in program history. The Blue Dragons had two wins over ranked teams this season - No. 3 Garden City, 23-7, and No. 7 Independence, 42-24. Coffeyville and Butler were receiving votes.Snow has one victory over a nationally-ranked opponent. The Badgers defeated then-No. 2 Iowa Western 31-30 in Council Bluffs on opening weekend. Snow is 3-0 vs. the state of Iowa this season with road wins at Ellsworth and Iowa Central.The 2020-21 NJCAA championship game will feature the top two scoring offenses in the NJCAA this season - Snow is No. 1 at 52.1 points per game, the Blue Dragons are No. 2 at 47.7 points per game. Defensively, the Blue Dragons are No. 3 in the nation in scoring defense at 11.4 points per game. Snow is No. 6 in scoring defense at 13.9 points per game.Both head coaches in the championship game - Hutchinson's Drew Dallas and Snow's Zak Erekson - are in the first seasons at their respective schools.Neither team has played since the third week in May. The Dragons clinched a KJCCC title on May 16 with a 70-14 win over Dodge City at Gowans Stadium. Snow closed its season on May 15 with a 77-0 win over Gordon's Fine Arts and Sports Academy.Hutchinson and Snow College will meet for the first time ever in football.NOTING THE BLUE DRAGONS + The Blue Dragons have started a season 8-0 only five times - 1947, 1948, 1969, 2010 and 2014.+ Offensively, the Blue Dragons boast the No. 2 scoring offense, No. 2 rushing offense and No. 5 total offensive team in the NJCAA this season.+ Defensively, the Dragons rank No. 3 in scoring defense, No. 6 in rush defense and No. 7 in total defense.+ Despite an injury to starting quarterback C.J. Ogbonna in the second quarter of the Independence game in Week 5, this position has been a pillar of strength in the Dragons. Ogbonna is completing 60.2 percent of his passes for 609 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/laible_dylan_mrze">Dylan Laible</a>&nbsp;jumped right in after Ogbonna's injury. He is completing 59.5 percent for 631 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception.+ The Blue Dragons have a deep, deep stable of running backs led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/edwards_tye_vovm">Tye Edwards</a>, who has two 100-yard games this season. Edwards is 11th in the NJCAA at 81.6 yards per game. Game-breaker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/lewis_anwar_oe0l">Anwar Lewis</a>&nbsp;averages 10.5 yards per carry and 66.3 yards per game. Both Edwards and Lewis have six rushing touchdowns.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/kedzior_dylan_cbc8">Dylan Kedzior</a>&nbsp;is averaging 11.2 yards per carry with two scores. Four different backs have at least 200 yards.+ The receiving corps were a question entering the season. The question was answered.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/henderson_cam_tgg8">Cam Henderson</a>&nbsp;has a team-high 21 receptions for 256 yards and two scores. Tight End&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/thomas_ivan_quha">Ivan Thomas</a>&nbsp;and receiver&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/braham_cortes_6fw6">Cortez Braham</a>&nbsp;have a combined 11 TDs.+ Return specialist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/thomas_jalik_0dfw">Jalik Thomas</a>&nbsp;leads the NJCAA in kickoff return average at 31.2 yards per return on eight returns. He has a 100-yard return for a touchdown vs. Butler.+ Henderson is seventh in the NJCAA in punt returns at 9.4 yards per return on 13 attempts.+ Linebacker Trey Pinkney leads the nation with 8.5 quarterback sacks and is second in tackles for loss with 13.+ Kicker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2020-21/bios/moya_c.j._5x11">C.J. Moya</a>&nbsp;has stepped in to take over the bulk of the place-kicking duties. He is 27 of 27 on extra points and made his only field goal. He has 20 touchbacks on kickoffs.NOTING THE BADGERS + Snow College plays in its third NJCAA football national title game. Back in 1985, the Badgers defeated NEO 29-14 in the Mid-America Bowl. That team was inducted into the NJCAA Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010. The Badgers were national runner-up in 2008 when they lost to Butler 37-30 in double overtime in the first NJCAA designated title game.+ The then-No. 10 Badgers knocked off then-No. 2 Iowa Western in Council Bluffs on opening weekend. That's Snow's only win over a ranked opponent, but it's 3-0 in three road trips to Iowa, also defeating Ellsworth and Iowa Central.+ The Badgers are the No. 1 scoring team in the country at 52.1 points per game.+ Snow is also ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA in rushing defense at 37.8 yards per game allowed. The Badgers are allowing 1.3 yards per carry.+ Running Back Seth Kaelin is just 1 of 6 running backs in the nation this season to average at least 100 yards per game rushing. Kaelin is averaging 100.4 yards per game. He has nine rushing touchdowns and averaged 5.9 yards per rush.+ Taylor Larsen is a versatile player, who is seventh in the NJCAA in all-purpose yards at 140.3 yards per game. He is 16th in the nation in receiving with 65.1 receiving yards per game (32 catches for 456 yards) and is fifth in the nation in punt returns at 14.4 yards per return.+ Quarterback Garrison Beach ranks ninth in the NJCAA in passing at 191.5 yards per game. He is completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 1,532 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions.+ Receiver Tejhuan Palmer is seventh in the NJCAA at 80.9 yards per game. He has 28 catches for 566 yards and 10 touchdowns. Palmer is averaging 20.2 yards per catch.+ Punter Brody Taylor is averaging 43.2 yards per punt this season with a long of 70 yards and 10 punts inside the 20-yard line.+ Kicker Stockton Lund is 38 of 40 on extra-point tries this season. He is 7 of 8 on field goals with a long of 51 yards+ Snow has two kickoff/punt returns for touchdowns.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

No. 1 HutchCC Blue Dragons, No. 2 Snow College Badgers set for title tilt today

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Pérez became only the fourth Kansas City player with consecutive multi-homer games and Jarrod Dyson scored the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning when centerfielder Gilberto Celestino made a pair of errors on a simple fly ball, helping the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5. Pérez hit a 456-foot solo homer in the first and another solo and drive that just cleared the wall in the fifth off JA Happ. With the score 5-5 in the seventh, Jarrod Dyson scored from first &nbsp;when Celestino dropped the ball and followed with an errant throw.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jesse Winker hit a two-run homer, Vladimir Gutiérrez earned his first career win and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2. Gutiérrez pitched five innings of two-run ball, settling down nicely after a shaky start. He allowed three hits, struck out three and walked three in his second big league game. Tejay Antone followed Gutiérrez with two scoreless innings, and Lucas Sims got six outs for his fourth save.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rarely has the crucial but often overlooked positions on the offensive line been so scrutinized as they have been in Kansas City. But after a miserable performance in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs have a whole bunch of new faces protecting their half-billion dollar quarterback. Through the first two weeks of voluntary workouts, Patrick Mahomes has liked what he's seen from the guys up front. And together, they could help Mahomes reach the 20-0 goal he talked about this past week.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The NCAA baseball tournament opens Friday with regional play at 16 sites. The tournament is back after being canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional winners advance to best-of-three super regionals next week. The College World Series opens June 19 in Omaha, Nebraska. Arkansas is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. VCU rides the longest win streak into the tournament at 21 games. Florida State has made the most consecutive appearances with 43. Texas is in for a 60th time. LSU's Paul Mainieri begins his 21st and final national tournament. He is retiring after the season.

UNDATED (AP) — It will be the Phoenix Suns taking on the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the NBA playoffs after both teams won last night.

The Suns closed out a six-game series by dominating the first 12 minutes of a 113-100 win over the Lakers. Devin Booker poured in 22 of his 47 points while Phoenix outscored the defending champs, 36-14 in the first quarter. Booker was 6-for-6 from 3-point range and 8-for-9 overall in the period.

Jae Crowder scored 18 points for the second-seeded Suns, who won three consecutive games to send LeBron James to a first-round series loss for the first time in his 18-year NBA career.

Lakers forward Anthony Davis gave it a go despite a groin injury, but he left after going scoreless over five minutes.

James had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a losing effort.

Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) poured in 36 points and the Nuggets stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Blazers, 126-115 in Game 6. Jokic hit a 3-pointer to put Denver ahead 108-106 and Denver stretched it to 117-108 on Austin Rivers' 3 with 3:52 left. 

Michael Porter Jr. had six 3-pointers in the first quarter alone, tying an NBA playoff record for most 3s a period. Porter scored 22 of his 26 points in the opening quarter to help the Nuggets reach the second round for the third straight season.

Damian Lillard finished with 28 points and 13 assists for the sixth-seeded Blazers.

UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Bruins have taken a two-games-to-one lead in the Stanley Cup second-round series, while the Carolina Hurricanes have climbed within 2-1 in their series.

Brad Marchand scored 3:36 into overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders.

The Bruins went ahead, 1-0 on Craig Smith's goal 5:52 into the contest. Boston maintained the lead until Mat Barzal (bahr-ZAL') notched his first goal of the postseason, beating Tuukka (TOO'-kah) Rask with 5:26 left in regulation. Rask stopped Barzal on a point-blank shot early in OT and finished with 28 saves.

Semyon Varlamov (SEHM'-yuhn vahr-LAH'-mahv) handled 39 shots for the Islanders, who will host Game 4 on Saturday.

In Tampa, Carolina blew a 2-0 lead before Jordan Staal netted a power-play goal 5:57 into the extra session to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 victory. It was Staal's fifth goal of the playoffs and left the home team 0-3 in the series.

Brett Pesce (PEH'-shee) and Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) scored 2:25 apart early in the second period, but Brayden Point tallied 77 seconds later before setting up Alex Killorn's (kih-LOHRNZ') goal late in the second.

Petr Mrazek (muh-RA'-zehk) stopped 35 shots in his first appearance of the postseason.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL has handed down a four-game suspension to Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele (SHY'-flee) for charging Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup second round series on Wednesday.

The incident occurred as Evans scored an empty-net goal in the final minute of the Canadiens' 5-3 victory. Scheifele was assessed a major penalty for charging and game misconduct.

If the term of the suspension is not fully served during the playoffs, the remaining game will be served at the beginning of next season.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (shuh-SHEHF'-skee) feels the time is right to step away from a Hall of Fame career. 

The winningest coach in the history of Division I men's college basketball announced Wednesday that next season will be his last with the Blue Devils program he has built into one of college basketball's bluebloods. 

The 74-year-old Krzyzewski said during a Thursday news conference that he has no health concerns and wasn't leaving in reaction to the difficulties of playing last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic or the changing landscape of college basketball. 

Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils to five NCAA championships and has won 1,170 games for Army and Duke.

UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have left the Bronx with a four-game split of the New York Yankees.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Pérez became only the fourth Kansas City player with consecutive multi-homer games and Jarrod Dyson scored the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning when centerfielder Gilberto Celestino made a pair of errors on a simple fly ball, helping the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5. Pérez hit a 456-foot solo homer in the first and another solo and drive that just cleared the wall in the fifth off JA Happ. With the score 5-5 in the seventh, Jarrod Dyson scored from first &nbsp;when Celestino dropped the ball and followed with an errant throw.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jesse Winker hit a two-run homer, Vladimir Gutiérrez earned his first career win and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2. Gutiérrez pitched five innings of two-run ball, settling down nicely after a shaky start. He allowed three hits, struck out three and walked three in his second big league game. Tejay Antone followed Gutiérrez with two scoreless innings, and Lucas Sims got six outs for his fourth save.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rarely has the crucial but often overlooked positions on the offensive line been so scrutinized as they have been in Kansas City. But after a miserable performance in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs have a whole bunch of new faces protecting their half-billion dollar quarterback. Through the first two weeks of voluntary workouts, Patrick Mahomes has liked what he's seen from the guys up front. And together, they could help Mahomes reach the 20-0 goal he talked about this past week.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The NCAA baseball tournament opens Friday with regional play at 16 sites. The tournament is back after being canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional winners advance to best-of-three super regionals next week. The College World Series opens June 19 in Omaha, Nebraska. Arkansas is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. VCU rides the longest win streak into the tournament at 21 games. Florida State has made the most consecutive appearances with 43. Texas is in for a 60th time. LSU's Paul Mainieri begins his 21st and final national tournament. He is retiring after the season.NBA PLAYOFFSSuns, Nuggets advanceUNDATED (AP) — It will be the Phoenix Suns taking on the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the NBA playoffs after both teams won last night.The Suns closed out a six-game series by dominating the first 12 minutes of a 113-100 win over the Lakers. Devin Booker poured in 22 of his 47 points while Phoenix outscored the defending champs, 36-14 in the first quarter. Booker was 6-for-6 from 3-point range and 8-for-9 overall in the period.Jae Crowder scored 18 points for the second-seeded Suns, who won three consecutive games to send LeBron James to a first-round series loss for the first time in his 18-year NBA career.Lakers forward Anthony Davis gave it a go despite a groin injury, but he left after going scoreless over five minutes.James had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a losing effort.Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) poured in 36 points and the Nuggets stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Blazers, 126-115 in Game 6. Jokic hit a 3-pointer to put Denver ahead 108-106 and Denver stretched it to 117-108 on Austin Rivers' 3 with 3:52 left. Michael Porter Jr. had six 3-pointers in the first quarter alone, tying an NBA playoff record for most 3s a period. Porter scored 22 of his 26 points in the opening quarter to help the Nuggets reach the second round for the third straight season.Damian Lillard finished with 28 points and 13 assists for the sixth-seeded Blazers.B's, Canes win in OTUNDATED (AP) — The Boston Bruins have taken a two-games-to-one lead in the Stanley Cup second-round series, while the Carolina Hurricanes have climbed within 2-1 in their series.Brad Marchand scored 3:36 into overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders.The Bruins went ahead, 1-0 on Craig Smith's goal 5:52 into the contest. Boston maintained the lead until Mat Barzal (bahr-ZAL') notched his first goal of the postseason, beating Tuukka (TOO'-kah) Rask with 5:26 left in regulation. Rask stopped Barzal on a point-blank shot early in OT and finished with 28 saves.Semyon Varlamov (SEHM'-yuhn vahr-LAH'-mahv) handled 39 shots for the Islanders, who will host Game 4 on Saturday.In Tampa, Carolina blew a 2-0 lead before Jordan Staal netted a power-play goal 5:57 into the extra session to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 victory. It was Staal's fifth goal of the playoffs and left the home team 0-3 in the series.Brett Pesce (PEH'-shee) and Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) scored 2:25 apart early in the second period, but Brayden Point tallied 77 seconds later before setting up Alex Killorn's (kih-LOHRNZ') goal late in the second.Petr Mrazek (muh-RA'-zehk) stopped 35 shots in his first appearance of the postseason.Game 4 is Saturday.NHLScheifele gets four-game banNEW YORK (AP) — The NHL has handed down a four-game suspension to Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele (SHY'-flee) for charging Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup second round series on Wednesday.The incident occurred as Evans scored an empty-net goal in the final minute of the Canadiens' 5-3 victory. Scheifele was assessed a major penalty for charging and game misconduct.If the term of the suspension is not fully served during the playoffs, the remaining game will be served at the beginning of next season.COLLEGE BASKETBALLCoach K makes it officialDURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (shuh-SHEHF'-skee) feels the time is right to step away from a Hall of Fame career. The winningest coach in the history of Division I men's college basketball announced Wednesday that next season will be his last with the Blue Devils program he has built into one of college basketball's bluebloods. The 74-year-old Krzyzewski said during a Thursday news conference that he has no health concerns and wasn't leaving in reaction to the difficulties of playing last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic or the changing landscape of college basketball. Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils to five NCAA championships and has won 1,170 games for Army and Duke.MLBRays rip YanksUNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have left the Bronx with a four-game split of the New York Yankees.Ryan Yarbrough tossed the Rays' first complete game in more than five years, leading a 9-2 rout of the Yankees. Yarbrough hadn't won a start since August 29, serving as an opener much of that time. He scattered six hits while fanning six with no walks, helping the AL East leaders move 4 ½ games ahead of New York.Austin Meadows homered and drove in five as Tampa Bay improved to 10-3 in the Bronx since the start of last season. Meadows homered three times in the series.Gerrit Cole was tagged for five runs over five innings, matching his worst start of the season.The Yankees have lost seven of their last 10.In other baseball finals:— Martín Pérez (mahr-TEEN' peh-REHZ') pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and the Red Sox avoided a four-game sweep with a 5-1 victory over the Astros. Christian Arroyo slammed a three-run homer to support Pérez, who scattered six hits while fanning four.— Jake Fraley hit his first major league homer and the Mariners opened a 10-game road trip by winning for the eighth time in 11 games, 6-2 against the Angels. Winning pitcher Justus Sheffield struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings, yielding two runs and six hits in his third victory in his last four starts. — Yoán Moncada (yoh-AHN mohn-KAH'-dah) and Jake Lamb hit two of the White Sox's four home runs to back Lance Lynn in a 4-1 downing of the Tigers. Lynn went six innings, allowing one run and four hits to improve to 6-0 in his last seven starts.— Jarrod Dyson scored the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning when centerfielder Gilberto Celestino made a pair of errors on a simple fly ball, helping the Royals beat the Twins, 6-5. Salvador Pérez became only the fourth Kansas City player with consecutive multi-homer games.— Dansby Swanson belted a two-run homer in a four-run sixth that secured the Braves' win over the Nationals, 5-1. Tucker Davidson was a winner following his recall from Triple-A, allowing just five hits with five walks and five strikeouts over 5 2/3s.— Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES') Jr. smashed a two-run home run off Taijuan (TY'-wahn) Walker to power the Padres to their first win in five games, 4-3 over the Mets. Yu Darvish is 6-1 after giving up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.— Brandon Crawford belted a tiebreaking, three-run homer and the Giants opened a four-game homestand between two of the NL's hottest teams by whipping the Cubs, 7-2. Anthony DeSclafani pitched six solid innings and hit an RBI double to help the NL West leaders win for the seventh time in nine games.— The Reds doubled up the Cardinals, 4-2 as Jesse Winker cracked a two-run homer and Vladimir Gutiérrez earned his first career win. Gutiérrez pitched five innings of two-run ball, giving up three hits and settling down nicely after a shaky start.— Christian Yelich (YEH'-lihch) smacked his second home run of the season, a three-run shot in the third inning of the Brewers' 7-4 verdict over the Diamondbacks. Jackie Bradley Jr., Luis Urías (oo-REE'-uhs) and Avisaíl (av-ih-sah-EEL') García also homered for Milwaukee. — Jacob Stallings laced a three-run double in the eighth inning to lift the Pirates past the Marlins, 5-3. Bryan Reynolds also homered as he and rookie Ke'Bryan Hayes had two hits each to help Pittsburgh end a three-game losing streak.— The Rangers have ended a franchise-worst 0-9 road trip with an 11-6 loss to the Rockies. Austin Gomber pitched six shutout innings and Charlie Blackmon homered as Colorado dealt Texas its 15th consecutive road loss.White Sox place Vaughn on COVID-19 listUNDATED (AP) — The Chicago White Sox have placed outfielder Andrew Vaughn on the COVID-19 injured list, with general manager Rick Hahn saying the prized rookie was asymptomatic. Manager Tony La Russa said Vaughn was held out of Monday's doubleheader at Cleveland because of allergies. The 23-year-old Vaughn is batting .226 with four homers and 12 RBIs. Also around the majors:— Diamondbacks broadcaster Bob Brenly is stepping away from the booth over the next week following backlash for an on-air comment about Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman's headwear. Commenting on Stroman's head covering underneath his cap, Brenly said "Pretty sure that's the same du-rag that Tom Seaver used to wear when he pitched for the Mets." He says he voluntarily decided to take some time off to listen, reflect and devote his attention to awareness training related to diversity and inclusion to enhance his understanding and appreciation of others. FRENCH OPENAsh Barty retires with injury; Swiatek, Federer, Djokovic advancePARIS (AP) — Rafael Nadal celebrated his 35th birthday at the French Open with another victory against Richard Gasquet. Nadal won 6-0, 7-5, 6-2 to improve to 17-0 for his career against the Frenchman since they first met in 2004. Gasquet hasn't even won a set in the past 12 losses to Nadal and not since 2008.The defending champion improved to 102-2 at Roland Garros as he bids to win a record 21st Grand Slam title. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic reached the third round for the 16th straight year with a straight-set win over Pablo Cuevas. Defending women's champion Iga Swiatek advanced by beating Rebecca Peterson 6-1, 6-1.Former champion Roger Federer beat Marin Cilic (CHIHL'-ihch) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6, 6-2. Top-ranked Ash Barty retired from her second-round match because of an injury. The 2019 champion trailed 6-1, 2-2 when she returned to her chair and signaled she was not able to continue against Polish rival Magda Linette. Winners on the women's side include 2020 runner-up Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, fifth seed Elina Svitolina (svih-toh-LEE'-nah) and former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, who beat a top-10 players for the first time in 2 1/2 years. Stephens downed 10th-ranked Karolina Pliskova (PLIHSH'-koh-vah). PGAMorikawa leads when Memorial is suspendedDUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Collin Morikawa was the leader when the first round of the The Memorial was suspended. Morikawa opened with a 6-under 66 that put him one shot ahead of Adam Long. Xander Schauffele (SHOW'-flee) is in a four-way tie for third with Bo Hoag, Nick Taylor and Rafa Cabrera Bello.The weather was bad enough that the first round was suspended twice, with only half the field finishing the round.NFLNFL judge: Lawyers for Black players can join mediationUNDATED (AP) — The federal judge presiding over the NFL's $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims has invited lawyers for Black players who call the settlement racially biased to join mediation over the issue. The lawyers have challenged the settlement's use of "race-norming" in dementia testing since 2018. The practice assumes Black players start with lower cognitive skills and makes it harder for them to show injury and get an award. The judge's order comes a day after the NFL pledged to end the practice and review the scores of retired players who believe the race-based scoring adjustments deprived them of settlements that average $500,000 or more.In other NFL news:— The Vikings have signed former Titans cornerback Tye Smith. The move adds a little depth and experience to a group that was lacking both last season. Smith spent the last four years with the Titans.— Lions defensive tackle Jashon Cornell has been suspended by the NFL for the first three games of the season for violating the league's policy and program on substances of abuse. The NFL said Thursday that Cornell can play in preseason games and participate in practices before the season begins. — The Bills have agreed to sign their top draft pick, edge-rusher Greg Rousseau, to a four-year contract. Buffalo selected Rousseau with the 30th pick in the draft in April as part of a bid to upgrade its pass rush. USFL RELAUNCHUSFL relaunching next year, four decades after its birthUNDATED (AP) — The USFL is relaunching in 2022, four decades after the spring football league's short-lived run that featured such stars as Reggie White, Herschel Walker, Steve Young, Jim Kelly and future president Donald Trump.The new USFL announced Thursday it will play next spring with a minimum of eight teams, Teams and schedules have not been announced, but the league said it retains the rights to "key original team names."<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;