CONCORDIA – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team had a rough Sunday offensively and the Cloud County Thunderbirds took full advantage to earn a Jayhawk West series win over the Blue Dragons.

The Blue Dragons were limited to just eight total hits in two games on Sunday at Doyen Field as Hutchinson lost 5-2 and 16-4 in eight innings to the Thunderbirds. Cloud County won the series 3-1 after a Thursday split at Hobart-Detter Field.

Hutchinson (26-11, 8-8 Jayhawk West) does not have a mid-week game scheduled this week and will open a four-game series with the Butler Grizzlies on Thursday at McDonald Stadium in El Dorado. The Blue Dragons and Grizzlies play at Hobart-Detter Field at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Cloud County is now 26-11 overall and 15-5 in the KJCCC.

GAME 1 RECAP – Cloud County 5, Hutchinson 2 The Blue Dragons got off to a great start. After an Anthony Mazza walk, he scored on a Quinn Maher triple. Maher later scored on a balk to give the Dragons a 2-0 lead.

The Blue Dragons had just one hit and four overall baserunners over the final six innings of the game. Cloud County pitcher Caden Marcum retired 14 Blue Dragons in a row before being lifted in the fifth inning. He had 10 strikeouts in the game.

Maher’s triple in the first inning and Taber Stokes single in the sixth were the only two hits in a season-low total for the Blue Dragons.

Hutchinson had its chances in the sixth and seventh innings. Jarrett Herrmann walked to lead off the sixth and Stokes singles, but the Dragons hit into a double play to end that threat. C.J. Reid and A.J. Mustow walks to lead off the seventh, but the Dragons had a strikeout and a game-ending double play to finish the game.

Cloud County scored one run in the third, two in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead and scored two sixth-inning insurance runs.

Lachlan Rosser (3-2) took the pitching loss for the Blue Dragons, going 5 1-3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. He allowed eight hits and five earned runs.

GAME 2 RECAP – Cloud County 16, Hutchinson 4 (8 innings) Trailing 3-0 after three innings, but Blue Dragons rallied with a two-run fourth. Mazza scored on a Cloud County error and Leo Griffin singled home Nick Glantz to help the Dragons cut the Thunderbird lead to 3-2.

Cloud County then exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth and the Thunderbirds scored 13 runs in their final five at-bats to run-rule the Dragons.

Cloud County out-hit Hutchinson 16-6 in the game. Six different Blue Dragons had hits. C.J. Reid hit a solo home run in the sixth to cut the T-Bird lead to 8-3. Reid, Glantz, Griffin and Cael Hamrick all had RBIs.

Four Blue Dragon pitchers allowed 16 hits and 16 runs with 10 strikeouts and six walks. Seth Ainsworth (3-1) suffered the loss, pitching 3 2-3 innings in his start.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743996522035.png" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationCONCORDIA – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team had a rough Sunday offensively and the Cloud County Thunderbirds took full advantage to earn a Jayhawk West series win over the Blue Dragons.The Blue Dragons were limited to just eight total hits in two games on Sunday at Doyen Field as Hutchinson lost 5-2 and 16-4 in eight innings to the Thunderbirds. Cloud County won the series 3-1 after a Thursday split at Hobart-Detter Field.Hutchinson (26-11, 8-8 Jayhawk West) does not have a mid-week game scheduled this week and will open a four-game series with the Butler Grizzlies on Thursday at McDonald Stadium in El Dorado. The Blue Dragons and Grizzlies play at Hobart-Detter Field at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Cloud County is now 26-11 overall and 15-5 in the KJCCC.GAME 1 RECAP – Cloud County 5, Hutchinson 2 The Blue Dragons got off to a great start. After an Anthony Mazza walk, he scored on a Quinn Maher triple. Maher later scored on a balk to give the Dragons a 2-0 lead.The Blue Dragons had just one hit and four overall baserunners over the final six innings of the game. Cloud County pitcher Caden Marcum retired 14 Blue Dragons in a row before being lifted in the fifth inning. He had 10 strikeouts in the game.Maher’s triple in the first inning and Taber Stokes single in the sixth were the only two hits in a season-low total for the Blue Dragons.Hutchinson had its chances in the sixth and seventh innings. Jarrett Herrmann walked to lead off the sixth and Stokes singles, but the Dragons hit into a double play to end that threat. C.J. Reid and A.J. Mustow walks to lead off the seventh, but the Dragons had a strikeout and a game-ending double play to finish the game.Cloud County scored one run in the third, two in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead and scored two sixth-inning insurance runs.Lachlan Rosser (3-2) took the pitching loss for the Blue Dragons, going 5 1-3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. He allowed eight hits and five earned runs.GAME 2 RECAP – Cloud County 16, Hutchinson 4 (8 innings) Trailing 3-0 after three innings, but Blue Dragons rallied with a two-run fourth. Mazza scored on a Cloud County error and Leo Griffin singled home Nick Glantz to help the Dragons cut the Thunderbird lead to 3-2.Cloud County then exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth and the Thunderbirds scored 13 runs in their final five at-bats to run-rule the Dragons.Cloud County out-hit Hutchinson 16-6 in the game. Six different Blue Dragons had hits. C.J. Reid hit a solo home run in the sixth to cut the T-Bird lead to 8-3. Reid, Glantz, Griffin and Cael Hamrick all had RBIs.Four Blue Dragon pitchers allowed 16 hits and 16 runs with 10 strikeouts and six walks. Seth Ainsworth (3-1) suffered the loss, pitching 3 2-3 innings in his start.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ HutchCC swept at Cloud County Sunday

The Hutchinson Community College softball team tied and broke a 38-year program record for winning streaks on Sunday at Fun Valley.

Tailor Golly drove in three runs and Haley Kruger homered to finish off an 8-0 Blue Dragon win over the Friends University Junior Varsity in five innings in Game 1 on Sunday, tying the record for longest winning streak in program history.

Gabby Stauffer went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles and seven different Blue Dragons drove in runs in a 9-1 victory in sixth inning for the Blue Dragons’ program-record 18th-consecutive victory.

Now 27-5 overall, the 2025 Blue Dragons surpassed the 1986 and 1987 Hutchinson teams, which both had 17-game win streaks in each of those seasons.

The Blue Dragons travel to play Butler at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday at East Park in El Dorado in a return to Jayhawk Conference action.

GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 8, Friends JV 0 (5 innings) Sophomore pitcher Morgan Tomlinson earned her 28th career victory and improved her season record to 13-2 with four shutout innings. Tomlinson struck out four and allowed just one hit. Tomlinson moved past Amy Derischweiler into fifth place on the Blue Dragon career pitching wins list.

The Blue Dragons gave the Tomlinson plenty of run support.

Brooke Backhaus hit a two-run double to get the Blue Dragons on the board in the first inning. The Dragons scored three unearned runs in the second. Golly’s two-run double gave the Dragons a 5-0 lead after two innings.

Golly had another RBI double in the fourth and Brie Brawner singled her home for a 7-0 lead. Then Hailey Kruger led off the fifth with an opposite-field home run to right center to end the game by mercy rule.

Brooke Backhaus led the Blue Dragons’ 11-hit attack, going 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Golly was 2 for 3 with two doubles and three RBIs. Kaibryn Kruger went 2 for 3 with two doubles and three runs scored.

Freshman pitcher Mia Williams pitched the fifth innings and had a strikeout and a hit allowed.

GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 9, Friends JV 1 (6 innings) Pitchers Aubree Thomas and Jessica Schmidt teamed up to keep the Falcons off balance and the Dragons hammered out 15 hits as Hutchinson earned a six-inning run-rule win in Game 2.

Thomas (11-2) worked the first four innings to earn the pitching victory. Over her four innings, Thomas allowed only two hits and one run with three strikeouts and no walks. Schmidt retired all six Friends batters she faced with four strikeouts.

Offensively, Thomas had her first career four-hit game and her team-high 18th and 19th doubles this season. She scored two runs and drove in one run.

Bailey Backhaus, Kaibryn Kruger and Golly had two hits each. Bailey Backhaus had two stolen bases – she has 39 for the season – with two RBIs. Now with 172 career hits, she is third on Hutchinson’s career hits list and with 64 stolen bases, she is third in that career category.

All nine starters had at least one hit. Brawner had two RBIs in going 1 of 2 with a sacrifice fly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743997171827.jpeg" alt="Second baseman Emily Dice makes the pivot on a 6-4-3 double play in Game 2 of a Blue Dragon Softball doubleheader week of the Friends University JV on Sunday at Fun Valley. (Andrew Carpenter/Digital Fox Photography)" />
 <figcaption>Second baseman Emily Dice makes the pivot on a 6-4-3 double play in Game 2 of a Blue Dragon Softball doubleheader week of the Friends University JV on Sunday at Fun Valley. (Andrew Carpenter/Digital Fox Photography)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College softball team tied and broke a 38-year program record for winning streaks on Sunday at Fun Valley.Tailor Golly drove in three runs and Haley Kruger homered to finish off an 8-0 Blue Dragon win over the Friends University Junior Varsity in five innings in Game 1 on Sunday, tying the record for longest winning streak in program history.Gabby Stauffer went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles and seven different Blue Dragons drove in runs in a 9-1 victory in sixth inning for the Blue Dragons’ program-record 18th-consecutive victory.Now 27-5 overall, the 2025 Blue Dragons surpassed the 1986 and 1987 Hutchinson teams, which both had 17-game win streaks in each of those seasons.The Blue Dragons travel to play Butler at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday at East Park in El Dorado in a return to Jayhawk Conference action.GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 8, Friends JV 0 (5 innings) Sophomore pitcher Morgan Tomlinson earned her 28th career victory and improved her season record to 13-2 with four shutout innings. Tomlinson struck out four and allowed just one hit. Tomlinson moved past Amy Derischweiler into fifth place on the Blue Dragon career pitching wins list.The Blue Dragons gave the Tomlinson plenty of run support.Brooke Backhaus hit a two-run double to get the Blue Dragons on the board in the first inning. The Dragons scored three unearned runs in the second. Golly’s two-run double gave the Dragons a 5-0 lead after two innings.Golly had another RBI double in the fourth and Brie Brawner singled her home for a 7-0 lead. Then Hailey Kruger led off the fifth with an opposite-field home run to right center to end the game by mercy rule.Brooke Backhaus led the Blue Dragons’ 11-hit attack, going 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Golly was 2 for 3 with two doubles and three RBIs. Kaibryn Kruger went 2 for 3 with two doubles and three runs scored.Freshman pitcher Mia Williams pitched the fifth innings and had a strikeout and a hit allowed.GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 9, Friends JV 1 (6 innings) Pitchers Aubree Thomas and Jessica Schmidt teamed up to keep the Falcons off balance and the Dragons hammered out 15 hits as Hutchinson earned a six-inning run-rule win in Game 2.Thomas (11-2) worked the first four innings to earn the pitching victory. Over her four innings, Thomas allowed only two hits and one run with three strikeouts and no walks. Schmidt retired all six Friends batters she faced with four strikeouts.Offensively, Thomas had her first career four-hit game and her team-high 18th and 19th doubles this season. She scored two runs and drove in one run.Bailey Backhaus, Kaibryn Kruger and Golly had two hits each. Bailey Backhaus had two stolen bases – she has 39 for the season – with two RBIs. Now with 172 career hits, she is third on Hutchinson’s career hits list and with 64 stolen bases, she is third in that career category.All nine starters had at least one hit. Brawner had two RBIs in going 1 of 2 with a sacrifice fly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Dragons extend record win streak to 18 games with sweep of Friends

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743992992368.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita Wind Surge
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (April 6, 2025)&mdash;The Wichita Wind Surge split a doubleheader with a 5-0 loss and 10-2 win against the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field. Wichita&rsquo;s offense came alive in Game 2 after a quiet first two games of the season.
In Game 1, the Wind Surge were held to just one hit across seven innings, while the Cardinals put together a three-run second and tacked on two more across the third and sixth frames to cruise along to a shutout victory.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/aaron-rozek-702065">Aaron Rozek</a>&nbsp;took the loss after giving up four runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Game 2 went a little differently, and it all started in the top of the second.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/noah-cardenas-681433">Noah Cardenas</a>&nbsp;lined an RBI single to right field, bringing around&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/rubel-cespedes-686438">Rubel Cespedes</a>&nbsp;to score. The next batter,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/tanner-schobel-802355">Tanner Schobel</a>, followed that with a long double to left for two more runs. An infield single from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/ricardo-olivar-691627">Ricardo Olivar</a>&nbsp;made it three straight at-bats with a run involved in the scoresheet. Then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/kala-i-rosario-693850">Kala&rsquo;i Rosario</a>&nbsp;improved that tally to four by lining a two-run blast to right center for a six-run frame where Wichita batted around.
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After two more came in for the Wind Surge on a fielder&rsquo;s choice and a single to left by Schobel in the next inning,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/ben-ross-805346">Ben Ross</a>&nbsp;left the yard on a solo homer to left center in the fourth for a 9-0 Wind Surge lead. Springfield made sure the shutout didn&rsquo;t last much longer by scoring twice in the bottom half of the fourth.
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Schobel brought Wichita to double-digit runs for the first time this season with an infield groundout in the top of the fifth, getting to four RBIs individually and a 10-2 score that remained the rest of the game.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/joel-cesar-666802">Joel Cesar</a>&nbsp;earned the win with a hitless inning of relief with a strikeout.
POSTGAME NOTES
<ul>
<li>April 6, 2025, marks the earliest doubleheader in Wichita Wind Surge franchise history, beating last year&rsquo;s April 12, 2024, by six days, which also came at Hammons Field against the Springfield Cardinals.</li>
<li>Today&rsquo;s doubleheader was one of three doubleheaders across all of Double-A and one of two within the Texas League (Arkansas/Midland).</li>
<li>Game 2 was the first pitching appearance for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/trent-baker-694536">Trent Baker</a>&nbsp;as a member of the Minnesota Twins organization. He had spent the last four seasons within the St. Louis Cardinals system, making five appearances (three starts) against the Wind Surge last year.</li>
<li>For the second consecutive season, Kala&rsquo;i Rosario connects on the first home run for the Wind Surge. He hit a three-run jack last year in the second game of Opening Weekend against the Frisco RoughRiders. Even more coincidentally, both long balls came on April 6.</li>
<li>All six Wichita runs in the second inning of Game 2 came with two outs. In the end, seven of the 10 total runs scored amidst two-out scenarios.</li>
</ul>
The Wind Surge kick off their home season at Equity Bank Park with the opener against the Midland RockHounds on Tuesday, April 8, at 6:35 PM. The first 5,000 fans through the gates will receive a Wichita Wind Surge Magnet Schedule courtesy of Coca-Cola, and fireworks will take place postgame. You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/MiLB.TV">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://windsurge.com/tickets">windsurge.com/tickets</a>.</div>

⚾ Wind Surge split Sunday doubleheader with Cardinals

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743991840171.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
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ORLANDO, Fla. &ndash;&nbsp;No. 23 Kansas baseball extended its winning streak to nine games with a 13-4 victory at UCF to finish off a Big 12 series sweep on Sunday. Kansas hit two more home runs and is now 27-6 on the season and 9-3 in Big 12 play, both of which are the best marks in program history. &nbsp; Kansas jumped on UCF for 13 runs in the first four innings of the game. The Jayhawks sent all nine hitters to the plate in three of the first four innings.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jackson-hauge/16155" rel="smarttag" rev="16155">Jackson Hauge</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-ballinger/16147" rel="smarttag" rev="16147">Brady Ballinger</a></dfn>&nbsp;each hit a long ball for the Jayhawks. &nbsp; <dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/cooper-moore/16136" rel="smarttag" rev="16136">Cooper Moore</a></dfn>&nbsp;started for Kansas and went a career-high eight innings despite UCF scoring three runs in the first inning. Moore was able to hold the Knights to four total runs over his eight innings, allowing eight hits and one walk while recording six strikeouts. &nbsp; HOW IT HAPPENED &bull; Kansas sprinted out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning and sent all nine hitters to the plate. The first four Kansas batters recorded hits and all four came around to score.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/derek-cerda/16140" rel="smarttag" rev="16140">Derek Cerda</a></dfn>&nbsp;and Ballinger got on base with singles and Hauge brought them home with a three-run homer, his Big 12-best 14th homer of the season.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/michael-brooks/16122" rel="smarttag" rev="16122">Michael Brooks</a></dfn>&nbsp;came up next and hit a double. With two outs,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ian-francis/16139" rel="smarttag" rev="16139">Ian Francis</a></dfn>&nbsp;drove in Brooks with an RBI single. &bull; UCF (18-12, 3-8 Big 12) answered back in the bottom of the first with three runs of their own. Lex Boedicker hit a two-run double and Andrew Sundean had an RBI groundout to make it a 4-3 game. &bull; The Jayhawks were able to get one of those runs back in the top of the second inning. Ballinger hit a solo homer off the scoreboard in right-center field to give the Jayhawks a 5-3 advantage. &bull; Similar to the first inning, KU sent all nine hitters to the plate in the third and scored four runs once again.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/tommy-barth/16141" rel="smarttag" rev="16141">Tommy Barth</a></dfn>&nbsp;scored the first run of the frame on a fielding error. Hauge came up two batters later and hit a two-run single. Brooks closed out the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly. That stretched the Kansas lead to 9-3. &bull; Kansas did the same thing in the fourth inning with nine hitters coming to the plate and four runs coming across. Francis and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/sawyer-smith/16138" rel="smarttag" rev="16138">Sawyer Smith</a></dfn>&nbsp;each had RBI doubles, while Ballinger and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/dariel-osoria/16146" rel="smarttag" rev="16146">Dariel Osoria</a></dfn>&nbsp;each brought in a run with an RBI single. Kansas held a 13-3 edge. &bull; The Knights closed out the scoring in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single by DeAmez Ross to make it 13-4. &bull; There were no runs by either team over the final five innings. &nbsp; PITCHERS OF RECORD Win:&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/cooper-moore/16136" rel="smarttag" rev="16136">Cooper Moore</a></dfn>&nbsp;(3-0) Final line: 8.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 SO Loss: Dom Stagliano (1-2) Final line: 1.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 1 SO <iframe title="Video: Kansas at UCF Highlights - Game 3 - University of Kansas" src="https://kuathletics.com/showcase/embed.aspx?Archive=2142&amp;autoplay=false" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" align="" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> &nbsp; SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME
<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" class="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=%40KUBaseball&amp;dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1908931865429295174&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fkuathletics.com%2Fnews%2F2025%2F4%2F6%2Fbaseball-no-23-kansas-secures-series-sweep-of-ucf-with-13-4-victory.aspx&amp;sessionId=5341e2ed88904f9dfab41c6f905714db5d8fc097&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" width="300" height="150" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-twitter-extracted-i1743991737241549946="true">
3-RUN BOMB ??????<a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonHauge?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JacksonHauge</a>&nbsp;hits his 14th HR of the year to give the Jayhawks an early lead! TOP 1 | Kansas 3, UCF 0&nbsp;<a href="https://t.co/KkGpzdP9gr">pic.twitter.com/KkGpzdP9gr</a>
&mdash; Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball)&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/KUBaseball/status/1908931865429295174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
 QUOTABLES &amp; NOTABLES "It was a great day. A bunch of things were going well. One, we scored early and often and our guys did a great job at the plate. Then, Cooper after the first inning really settled in. He did not have a clean first and he was kind of feeling for it. For him to get back on the rails and get us through eight was really impressive. Great fight by the guys against a team that was leading the Big 12 in pitching and offense coming into the weekend. That's a really good UCF team, so that's a really big deal to sweep those guys." &ndash; Head Coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/dan-fitzgerald/871" rel="smarttag" rev="871">Dan Fitzgerald</a></dfn> &nbsp; "I was just competing. Not always going to have a clean inning to start the game. You have to give your team at least six innings. Going out there and knowing that my offense is always going to put up runs I know I have to fill up the zone. We have one of the best offenses in the country and knowing that in the back of my mind I just need to fill up the zone." &ndash;&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/cooper-moore/16136" rel="smarttag" rev="16136">Cooper Moore</a></dfn> &nbsp; "We had a lot of fun. It's fun to hit in our lineup and when we do our job someone ends up coming through. Ballinger came through the other night, Counsell had a big night the other night and I got to have a cool night tonight. We all love coming to the ballpark every day and just getting to see each other. When you have a really close team that competes for each other you're going to have ups and downs, but we just ride the wave and have a lot of fun." &ndash;&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jackson-hauge/16155" rel="smarttag" rev="16155">Jackson Hauge</a></dfn> &nbsp; &bull; Kansas improved to 27-6 overall on the season, the best 33-game record in school history. &bull; Kansas is now 9-3 in conference play, which is the best Big 12 start in program history. The last time Kansas won at least six conference games in a row was the 2014 season when the Jayhawks won each of the last nine conference games. &bull; Kansas extended its winning streak to nine games. The nine-game winning streak is the longest in the&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/dan-fitzgerald/871" rel="smarttag" rev="871">Dan Fitzgerald</a></dfn>&nbsp;era. The last time Kansas won nine consecutive games was Feb. 24-March 12, 2019. &bull; Kansas has hit 73 home runs this season through the first 33 games. The program record for home runs is 75 in 2006 and 2023. Last season, Kansas finished with 68 home runs. Kansas is 24-3 this season when hitting a home run. &bull; Kansas has multiple home runs in 21 games this year. &bull; Kansas had seven different players hit a home run in the series (Ballinger, Cerda, Brooks, Smith, Hauge,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-counsell/16135" rel="smarttag" rev="16135">Brady Counsell</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/chase-diggins/16124" rel="smarttag" rev="16124">Chase Diggins</a></dfn>). The Jayhawks hit a total of 10 home runs on the weekend. &bull; Kansas recorded its first Big 12 series sweep on the road this season and the first since March 28-29, 2024 at BYU. &bull; Kansas now has five series sweeps this season (at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi, at Tarleton State, vs. Milwaukee, vs. Oklahoma State). &bull; Kansas outscored UCF 32-15 in the series sweep. &bull; Seven Jayhawks had multi-hit games (Ballinger, Hauge, Brooks, Osoria, Barth, Francis, Smith) on Sunday. &bull; Kansas has scored at least 10 runs in 14 games this season, including in six of the last eight games. &bull; Kansas finished with 17 hits, its most in conference play since April 7, 2024 vs. West Virginia. The 17 hits are the most in a conference game on the road since April 30, 2010 at Oklahoma State (20 hits). &bull; Hauge hit his conference-high 14th home run of the season. He is tied for fifth in school history for home runs in a season. Hauge has reached base safely in each of the last 19 games. He finished with three hits and five RBIs. &bull; Ballinger crushed his 12th homer of the season. The home run extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Ballinger has 14 multi-hit games this season, which is tied for the most on the team. &bull; Cerda has hit safely in each of the last 12 games. &bull; Osoria recorded his 14th multi-hit game of the season and now has a 10-game on-base streak. &bull; Moore tossed a career-high eight innings and improved to 3-0 on the season. &bull; Barth has a 10-game on-base streak. &nbsp; UP NEXT Kansas will play Nebraska in a midweek contest at Hoglund Ballpark on Tuesday, April 8 at 6 p.m. CT. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking&nbsp;<a title="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkuathletics.evenue.net%2Fcgi-bin%2Fncommerce3%2FSEGetGroupList%3FgroupCode%3DBSB%26linkID%3Dkansas%26shopperContext%3D%26caller%3D%26appCode%3D%26utm_source%3Dnavbar%26utm_medium%3Dwebsite%" href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkuathletics.evenue.net%2Fcgi-bin%2Fncommerce3%2FSEGetGroupList%3FgroupCode%3DBSB%26linkID%3Dkansas%26shopperContext%3D%26caller%3D%26appCode%3D%26utm_source%3Dnavbar%26utm_medium%3Dwebsite%26utm_campaign%3Dnavbar_website&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cdself%40ku.edu%7C26864e0ad5fa418efa0908dd72e3cebf%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638793044934414680%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=JvFR8gMM2jIfRo6qhD6Y4WHDsdtvfaNzTe8ALFauEy4%3D&amp;reserved=0">here</a>.</div>

⚾ KU completes sweep of UCF to sit atop Big 12 standings

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743992251178.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas State Athletics
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STILLWATER, Okla. &ndash;&nbsp;Oklahoma State claimed both games of a Sunday doubleheader with No. 22 K-State at O'Brate Stadium, taking the middle game 7-0 before a 10-2 win in the series finale. "Frustrating day for our program," said seventh-year head coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/2603" rel="smarttag" rev="2603">Pete Hughes</a></dfn>. "We didn't pitch, play defense, or hit like we were capable." The Wildcats, who moved to 20-11 overall and 8-4 in Big 12 play, were held to two runs on the day as the Cowboys (15-14, 4-6 Big 12) handed the Cats their first series loss of the season. "We all played a part in today's losses, and I hold myself accountable. I made a defensive decision that really hurt us. We'll be better. I'll be better," added Hughes. "I do know this, our kids, they are tough and resilient and can handle the adversity that we've been dealt.&nbsp;A college baseball season is about managing the highs and lows. The highs are fun and easy, but the lows are only for the tough and we are K-State tough." Seven different Wildcats registered hit on the day, led by two in Game 1 by freshman&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/donte-lewis/12313" rel="smarttag" rev="12313">Donte Lewis</a></dfn>&nbsp;&ndash; his four game with two or more hits. <dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/aj-evasco/12312" rel="smarttag" rev="12312">AJ Evasco</a></dfn>&nbsp;recorded a game-tying home run in the third inning of Game 2. The true freshman is now one of four players to have six or more home runs on the year. GAME 1: OKLAHOMA STATE 7, K-STATE 0 Nolan Schubart, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, spotted Quevedo for a solo homer in the opening frame. OSU expanded on its lead, 6-0, with the help of a three-run blast from Kolin Ritchie in the fourth. The Wildcats were left without a hit through five innings, as OSU's starter Sean Youngerman retired 17 consecutive batters with eight strikeouts. Freshman&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/donte-lewis/12313" rel="smarttag" rev="12313">Donte Lewis</a></dfn>&nbsp;singled into left field to break up Youngerman's perfect game attempt, but a chopper to second kept momentum in favor of OSU. K-State's best look to scoring came in the eighth when designated hitter&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/sam-flores/12310" rel="smarttag" rev="12310">Sam Flores</a></dfn>&nbsp;hit through the left side and moved into scoring position on Lewis' second hit of the game. The duo advanced 90-feet on the shortstop's attempt to make the play at first but were left stranded as Youngerman punched out his 11th&nbsp;batter of the game. INSIDE THE BOX&nbsp;(Game 1)
<ul>
<li>K-State was left scoreless and held to three hits, committed no errors and left four on base.</li>
<li>OSU scored seven runs on six hits with one error committed and three runners left on base.</li>
<li>Youngerman and Ure combined for the shutout.</li>
<li>Youngerman (1-1) earned the win, striking out 11 and scattering three hits in his eight-inning start.</li>
<li>Quevedo (4-1) was tagged for the loss, surrendering six earned runs) on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.</li>
<li>Ruhl was spotted for one run, while striking out a career-high seven in his 4 1/3 innings of work.</li>
<li>Two Cats recorded a hit in the loss &ndash; Lewis (2), Flores.</li>
<li>Six different players registered a hit for the Cowboys, with Ritchie driving in a game-high three RBI followed by Smith (2).</li>
</ul>
GAME 2: OKLAHOMA STATE 10, K-STATE 2 OSU tagged two runs to the board in the first inning, led by an RBI single from Colin Brueggemann. After 11 scoreless innings on Saturday, K-State broke through with a two-out, two-run shot to right field by freshman&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/aj-evasco/12312" rel="smarttag" rev="12312">AJ Evasco</a></dfn>&nbsp;&ndash; his sixth of the season. The Cowboys broke up the 2-2 tie and scored eight unanswered runs in a three-inning span, highlighted by six in the sixth. INSIDE THE BOX&nbsp;(Game 2)
<ul>
<li>K-State scored two runs on five hits, committed two errors and stranded five on base.</li>
<li>OSU scored 10 runs on 11 hits, had no errors and left six runners on base.</li>
<li>The Cowboys scored eight unanswered runs in three innings to put the game away.</li>
<li>O'Connor recorded the first extra-base hit of the series for K-State with a two-out double in the first.</li>
<li>Evasco homered in the second, driving in two RBI.</li>
<li>Five different Cats recorded a hit in the game.</li>
</ul>
TEAM NOTES
<ul>
<li>OSU leads the all-time series 181-62, that includes a 105-18 record in games played in Stillwater.</li>
<li>Oklahoma State has won four straight matchups in the series and clinched their eighth consecutive series win over K-State in Stillwater.</li>
<li>The Wildcats have dropped a season-high three straight games, moving to 6-4 in their last 10.</li>
<li>Game 1 marked the first shut out loss for K-State this season.</li>
</ul>
UP NEXT K-State will host Missouri State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium. &nbsp;The midweek can be seen on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while radio coverage is available on KMAN. A free live audio can be found for all K-State baseball games at kstatesports.com/watch. K-State baseball single-game tickets are available, and can be purchased by visiting&nbsp;<a name="_Hlk192492882"></a>KStateSports.com, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stopping by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.</div>

⚾ Oklahoma State finishes off sweep of K-State

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743992012733.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
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<a style="font-weight: 400;" href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/stats/2025/arizona-state/boxscore/19958">Box Score</a>&nbsp;TEMPE, Ariz. -&nbsp;Kansas mounted a late comeback with two solo home runs in the fifth inning, but the rally fell just short as the Jayhawks dropped a 4-3 battle to Arizona State, closing out the series in Tempe. The Jayhawks started at the plate, with junior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/hailey-cripe/6977">Hailey Cripe</a>&nbsp;recording the first hit of the game&mdash;a single through the left side. However, Kansas was unable to capitalize, leaving the first inning scoreless.&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/kaelee-washington/15853">Kaelee Washington</a>&nbsp;took the mound and got the start for the Jayhawks. Arizona State responded quickly, hitting a home run to take an early 2-0 lead. Freshman. Washignton&nbsp; recorded her first strikeout of the day to end the inning.&nbsp; Both defenses tightened up in the second inning, and neither team put up any runs on the scoreboard. Arizona State got back on the scoreboard late in the third inning to extend the Sun Devils lead to 4-0 heading into the fourth inning.&nbsp; Kansas got their first run on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning, following an RBI single from sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/anna-soles/6934">Anna Soles</a>&nbsp;bringing home senior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/olivia-bruno/6949">Olivia Bruno</a>&nbsp;to cut the Arizona State lead. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lizzy-ludwig/6881">Lizzy Ludwig</a>&nbsp;replaced Washington on the mound for the Jayhawks in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kansas' defense held Arizona State scoreless for the second inning of the day and entered the fifth inning down 4-1.&nbsp; Kansas gained momentum in the fifth inning with two solo home runs from senior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/natalie-marshall/6919">Natalie Marshall</a>&nbsp;and junior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/aynslee-linduff/6968">Aynslee Linduff</a>, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Marshall's home run was the first of her career and season, bringing her hit total to 10. Linduff's home run was her second of the season, with her last coming against Utah on March 21, and the sixth of her career. In the bottom of the fifth, the Jayhawks went with their third pitcher of the day when Bruno replaced Ludwig on the mound. Bruno retired the first three batters faced, and the Jayhawk defense kept Arizona State scoreless for the second straight inning. Going into the sixth inning, the score was 4-3 in favor of Arizona State.&nbsp; The Kansas defense continued its strong performance in the sixth inning, allowing just one hit and no runs for the third straight frame. However, the Jayhawks couldn't generate any offense and entered the final inning trailing by one. Kansas fought to extend the game but was unable to bring in the game-tying run in the seventh, falling to Arizona State 4-3 and dropping the series 2-1.&nbsp; Pitchers of Record:&nbsp; Win: Kenzie Brown (14-4) Line: 7 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 12 SO Loss:&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/kaelee-washington/15853">Kaelee Washington</a>&nbsp;(3-5) Line: 3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 SO Up Next Kansas concludes its series against Arizona State and returns home to host number 12th-ranked opponent Arizona from April 11-13.&nbsp; Notables&nbsp;
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/hailey-cripe/6977">Hailey Cripe</a>&nbsp;recorded her second successful stolen base of the season, making it her eighth stolen base of her career.&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/anna-soles/6934">Anna Soles</a>&nbsp;recorded her third stand-up double of the season, marking the fourth of her career.</li>
<li>Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/natalie-marshall/6919">Natalie Marshall</a>&nbsp;earned herself a sol0&nbsp;home run, making it the first of the season and the first of her entire career</li>
<li><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/aynslee-linduff/6968">Aynslee Linduff</a>&nbsp;recorded a solo home run, her second of the season and sixth of her career, tying her career high for home runs in a single season</li>
</ul></div>

🥎 KU drops series finale in Tempe

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — During the final sweet moments of UConn’s 12th national title, Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers embraced after the star guard departed her final game with the Huskies.

“They’ve all been gratifying, don’t get me wrong,” Auriemma said. “But this one here, because of the way it came about and what’s been involved, it’s been a long time since I’ve been that emotional when a player has walked off the court.”

Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong led the way as UConn returned to the top of women’s college basketball by rolling to an 82-59 victory over defending champion South Carolina on Sunday.

Fudd, who was named the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-championship-2d717e7707b0eec193eb236ac2059ca9">Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four</a>, scored 24 points. Strong had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Bueckers scored 17 points for UConn (37-3).

“Well, it’s amazing to have three players, three people like that on the same team,” said the 71-year-old Auriemma, who became the oldest coach in major college basketball to win a championship. “And Sarah, you would think Sarah was graduating the way she plays, right? All three of them complement each other so well. They all have such unique skill sets.”

Bueckers capped her stellar career with the Huskies’ first championship since 2016, ending a nine-year drought for the team. That was the longest period for Auriemma and his program without a title since Rebecca Lobo and Jen Rizzotti led the Huskies to their first championship in 1995.

Since then the Huskies have had dominant championship runs, including in the early 2000s led by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, 2009-10 with Maya Moore and finally the four straight from 2013-16 with Breanna Stewart. All were in attendance in Florida on Sunday to see the Huskies’ latest title.

“You just never know if you’ll ever be back in this situation again,” Auriemma said. “And there were so many times when I think we all questioned, ‘Have we been here too long? Has it been time?’ And we kept hanging in there and hanging in there and that’s because these players make me want to hang in there every day.”

Bueckers, the expected No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 14, delivered for the Huskies throughout their championship season.

Winning a title was the only thing missing from an incredible UConn career that was slowed by injuries. She was the first freshman to win AP Player of the Year before missing a lot of her sophomore season with a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear. She then tore an ACL before the next season.

“It’s been a story of resilience, gratitude of overcoming adversity and responding to life’s challenges,” Bueckers said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

UConn closed the first half up 10 points and then put the game away in the third quarter, with Fudd, Strong and Bueckers combining for 23 of the team’s 26 points in the period. UConn was up 50-39 with 3:21 left before closing with a 12-3 run.

Fudd and Strong got it started with back-to-back 3s, and the rout was on. Auriemma subbed Bueckers, Fudd and Strong out with 1:32 left in the game.

UConn’s leading trio finished the tourney with 368 points, including an NCAA freshman record 114 for Strong. It was the highest point total for three teammates in a single NCAA Tournament, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1909013553547206852" target="_blank">Stats Perform</a>. Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Semeka Randell scored 363 points for Tennessee in the 1998 women’s tournament, and Glen Rice led the way for a trio of Michigan men that had 366 points in 1989.

The UConn trio proved to be way too much for South Carolina.

Dawn Staley’s team was trying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-south-carolina-uconn-6a653397d08048fdc7c1bcad36307efa">a third title in four years</a>&nbsp;and fourth overall. It would have tied her with Kim Mulkey for third most behind Auriemma and former Tennessee Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, who had eight.

“Our kids gave it all they had. When you can understand why you lost and when you’ve been on the other side of that three times, you understand it,” Staley said. “You can swallow it. We lost to a very good basketball team.”

UConn had reached the title game only once during its drought since 2016. The Huskies had been eliminated by heartbreaking last-second losses in the Final Four on buzzer-beaters. The Huskies’ last title game appearance came in 2022 when Staley’s team beat UConn to start the Gamecocks’ current run of success, a game that ended Auriemma’s perfect record in title games.

There seemed to be no nerves early for either team as the game got off to a fast start. The teams traded baskets for the first few minutes before the defenses started to clamp down. The Huskies led 19-14 after one quarter and then extended the advantage to 36-26 at the half. Fudd had 13 points and Strong added eight points and 11 rebounds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743992759336.jpeg" alt="UConn head coach Geno Auriemma holds up the championship trophy after UConn defeated South Carolina in the NCAA women's national championship game, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raoux)" />
 <figcaption>UConn head coach Geno Auriemma holds up the championship trophy after UConn defeated South Carolina in the NCAA women's national championship game, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raoux)</figcaption>
 </figure>TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — During the final sweet moments of UConn’s 12th national title, Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers embraced after the star guard departed her final game with the Huskies.It was the moment they wanted all along.“They’ve all been gratifying, don’t get me wrong,” Auriemma said. “But this one here, because of the way it came about and what’s been involved, it’s been a long time since I’ve been that emotional when a player has walked off the court.”Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong led the way as UConn returned to the top of women’s college basketball by rolling to an 82-59 victory over defending champion South Carolina on Sunday.Fudd, who was named the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-championship-2d717e7707b0eec193eb236ac2059ca9">Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four</a>, scored 24 points. Strong had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Bueckers scored 17 points for UConn (37-3).“Well, it’s amazing to have three players, three people like that on the same team,” said the 71-year-old Auriemma, who became the oldest coach in major college basketball to win a championship. “And Sarah, you would think Sarah was graduating the way she plays, right? All three of them complement each other so well. They all have such unique skill sets.”Bueckers capped her stellar career with the Huskies’ first championship since 2016, ending a nine-year drought for the team. That was the longest period for Auriemma and his program without a title since Rebecca Lobo and Jen Rizzotti led the Huskies to their first championship in 1995.Since then the Huskies have had dominant championship runs, including in the early 2000s led by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, 2009-10 with Maya Moore and finally the four straight from 2013-16 with Breanna Stewart. All were in attendance in Florida on Sunday to see the Huskies’ latest title.“You just never know if you’ll ever be back in this situation again,” Auriemma said. “And there were so many times when I think we all questioned, ‘Have we been here too long? Has it been time?’ And we kept hanging in there and hanging in there and that’s because these players make me want to hang in there every day.”Bueckers, the expected No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 14, delivered for the Huskies throughout their championship season.Winning a title was the only thing missing from an incredible UConn career that was slowed by injuries. She was the first freshman to win AP Player of the Year before missing a lot of her sophomore season with a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear. She then tore an ACL before the next season.“It’s been a story of resilience, gratitude of overcoming adversity and responding to life’s challenges,” Bueckers said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”UConn closed the first half up 10 points and then put the game away in the third quarter, with Fudd, Strong and Bueckers combining for 23 of the team’s 26 points in the period. UConn was up 50-39 with 3:21 left before closing with a 12-3 run.Fudd and Strong got it started with back-to-back 3s, and the rout was on. Auriemma subbed Bueckers, Fudd and Strong out with 1:32 left in the game.UConn’s leading trio finished the tourney with 368 points, including an NCAA freshman record 114 for Strong. It was the highest point total for three teammates in a single NCAA Tournament, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1909013553547206852" target="_blank">Stats Perform</a>. Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Semeka Randell scored 363 points for Tennessee in the 1998 women’s tournament, and Glen Rice led the way for a trio of Michigan men that had 366 points in 1989.The UConn trio proved to be way too much for South Carolina.Dawn Staley’s team was trying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-south-carolina-uconn-6a653397d08048fdc7c1bcad36307efa">a third title in four years</a>&nbsp;and fourth overall. It would have tied her with Kim Mulkey for third most behind Auriemma and former Tennessee Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, who had eight.“Our kids gave it all they had. When you can understand why you lost and when you’ve been on the other side of that three times, you understand it,” Staley said. “You can swallow it. We lost to a very good basketball team.”UConn had reached the title game only once during its drought since 2016. The Huskies had been eliminated by heartbreaking last-second losses in the Final Four on buzzer-beaters. The Huskies’ last title game appearance came in 2022 when Staley’s team beat UConn to start the Gamecocks’ current run of success, a game that ended Auriemma’s perfect record in title games.There seemed to be no nerves early for either team as the game got off to a fast start. The teams traded baskets for the first few minutes before the defenses started to clamp down. The Huskies led 19-14 after one quarter and then extended the advantage to 36-26 at the half. Fudd had 13 points and Strong added eight points and 11 rebounds.

🏀 UConn women claim 12th national title with romp of South Carolina

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743992564912.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. --&nbsp;Wichita State carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning but allowed four runs and could not rally in a 5-4 defeat to Charlotte on Sunday afternoon at&nbsp;Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. The Shockers (11-20, 4-5) had just taken a two-run lead with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, breaking a 1-1 deadlock. After a one-out single and a hit by pitch,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jaden-gustafson/9178" rel="smarttag" rev="9178">Jaden Gustafson</a></dfn>&nbsp;bounced an RBI single into right-center field to give the Shockers a 2-1 advantage.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/josh-livingston/9185" rel="smarttag" rev="9185">Josh Livingston</a></dfn>&nbsp;added the second run of the inning on an RBI ground out, pushing the lead to 3-1. <dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/karsen-richard/9405" rel="smarttag" rev="9405">Karsen Richard</a></dfn>&nbsp;(0-1), who had recorded the final out of the seventh inning, stayed out for the eighth and retired the leadoff man on a grounder to shortstop. From there, however, Richard issued a pair of walks sandwiched around a single to load the bases with one out. The Shockers summoned&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-potter/9404" rel="smarttag" rev="9404">Nick Potter</a></dfn>&nbsp;from the bullpen, who issued another walk to force in a run that cut the lead to 3-2. Pinch-hitter Thad Ector tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center, then&nbsp;Connor Maryniak put Charlotte (18-13, 6-3) in front with a two-run double to right-center. Down to their final three outs and trailing 5-3, Wichita State mounted a rally of their own in the ninth.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/ryan-callahan/9175" rel="smarttag" rev="9175">Ryan Callahan</a></dfn>&nbsp;led off the inning with a single, then after two consecutive outs,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jordan-rogers/9191" rel="smarttag" rev="9191">Jordan Rogers</a></dfn>&nbsp;smacked an RBI double to cut the 49ers lead to 5-4 with the tying run at second base. Left-hander Tanner Kaler came out of the Charlotte bullpen and retired&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/camden-johnson/9183" rel="smarttag" rev="9183">Camden Johnson</a></dfn>&nbsp;on a ground ball to second for the final out and Kaler's second save. Adam Stanton (2-1) picked up the win for Charlotte, working 1.1 innings in relief while allowing three hits and one run. Both starters put together quality outings.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-hamilton/9179" rel="smarttag" rev="9179">Brady Hamilton</a></dfn>&nbsp;held Charlotte to six hits and just one run over 5.0-plus innings, striking out five and walking two in a no-decision. Sebastian Perez allowed two hits and one run in his 3.0 innings for the 49ers, followed by 4.1 frames from lefty Chase Carson. The two teams traded solo homers to reach 1-1.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jaden-gustafson/9178" rel="smarttag" rev="9178">Jaden Gustafson</a></dfn>&nbsp;skied his first career home run in the top of the first to open the scoring and&nbsp;Johnny&nbsp;Sutryk answered with a solo blast for Charlotte in the bottom of the fifth. The Shockers are back in action on Tuesday against Newman. First pitch from Eck Stadium is scheduled for 11:00 am CT.</div>

⚾ Shockers fall in series finale to 49ers

By MARC BOWMAN&nbsp; Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kris Bubic took a shutout into the seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals won their first series of the season with a 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Bubic (2-0) allowed five hits, walked one and struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings. His streak of 12 shutout innings was snapped when Ryan Mountcastle tripled to lead off the seventh and scored on Bubic's wild pitch one out later.

Bobby Witt Jr. had three of the Royals' 13 hits, falling a home run shy of the cycle. Salvador Perez, Mark Canha and Maikel Garcia each had two hits and scored a run.

Carlos Estévez earned his second save with a hitless ninth for the Royals. Kansas City, which swept Baltimore in the wild-card round last year, won its first regular-season series against the Orioles since Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, 2019, after having lost six of the last eight series with two ties.

Jorge Mateo – starting in center field for the first time since April 20, 2024 – misplayed Witt's slicing liner into a triple, keying Kansas City's three-run first inning.

Freddy Fermin's second-inning RBI single snapped an 0-for-12 skid as eight of the Royals' first 11 batters hit safely and Kansas City took a 4-0 lead.

Orioles starter Cade Povich (0-1) allowed four runs and a career-high 13 hits in six innings with four strikeouts.

Mountcastle had three of the Orioles' five hits.

Witt's diving stop robbed Jordan Westburg of a first-inning hit – nearly starting an inning-ending double play – then tripled and scored after Mateo's misplay as the Royals took a 3-0 lead in the bottom half.

Witt is hitting .377 at Kauffman Stadium since the start of last season, MLB's best home batting average in that span.

Orioles: Travel to Arizona to begin a three-game series Monday with RHP Zach Eflin (1-1, 3.75 ERA) opposing Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.38).

Royals: Begin a four-game homestand with Minnesota as Twins RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-0, 4.50) faces RHP Michael Lorenzen (0-1, 5.06).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743972202037.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARC BOWMAN&nbsp; Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kris Bubic took a shutout into the seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals won their first series of the season with a 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.Bubic (2-0) allowed five hits, walked one and struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings. His streak of 12 shutout innings was snapped when Ryan Mountcastle tripled to lead off the seventh and scored on Bubic's wild pitch one out later.Bobby Witt Jr. had three of the Royals' 13 hits, falling a home run shy of the cycle. Salvador Perez, Mark Canha and Maikel Garcia each had two hits and scored a run.Carlos Estévez earned his second save with a hitless ninth for the Royals. Kansas City, which swept Baltimore in the wild-card round last year, won its first regular-season series against the Orioles since Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, 2019, after having lost six of the last eight series with two ties.Jorge Mateo – starting in center field for the first time since April 20, 2024 – misplayed Witt's slicing liner into a triple, keying Kansas City's three-run first inning.Freddy Fermin's second-inning RBI single snapped an 0-for-12 skid as eight of the Royals' first 11 batters hit safely and Kansas City took a 4-0 lead.Orioles starter Cade Povich (0-1) allowed four runs and a career-high 13 hits in six innings with four strikeouts.Mountcastle had three of the Orioles' five hits.Key momentWitt's diving stop robbed Jordan Westburg of a first-inning hit – nearly starting an inning-ending double play – then tripled and scored after Mateo's misplay as the Royals took a 3-0 lead in the bottom half.Key statWitt is hitting .377 at Kauffman Stadium since the start of last season, MLB's best home batting average in that span.Up nextOrioles: Travel to Arizona to begin a three-game series Monday with RHP Zach Eflin (1-1, 3.75 ERA) opposing Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.38).Royals: Begin a four-game homestand with Minnesota as Twins RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-0, 4.50) faces RHP Michael Lorenzen (0-1, 5.06).—AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

⚾ Bubic takes a shutout into the seventh to pitch Royals past Orioles 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743992383148.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas State Athletics
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AUGUSTA, Ga.&nbsp;&ndash; With her third-straight round of 4-under par 68 on Saturday, Kansas State senior women's golfer&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-golf/roster/carla-bernat/12238" rel="smarttag" rev="12238">Carla Bernat</a></dfn>&nbsp;held off the best amateurs in the world to take home the title at the Augusta National Women's Amateur with a 54-hole score of 12-under par 204 at the historic Augusta National Golf Club. Capturing the championship of one of the world's most prestigious amateur events, Bernat held a one-shot lead heading to the 18th tee box. After a drive that found the fairway, the Castellon, Spain, product hit an approach shot that landed on the back of the green, needing two putts for the title. Her first putt got to within five feet of the hole before her second putt found the bottom of the cup for the victory. Bernat's winning score of 12-under par was the lowest in the history of the event. Additionally, she became the first player ever to shoot in the 60s in all three rounds of the championship. "It feels amazing. I am over the moon," Bernat told Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley in an interview on NBC. "As of right now, I don't think my brain has processed that I've won." After a birdie on the par-5 2nd hole, Bernat bogeyed No. 4, but she quickly came back with another birdie on the par-4 5th in addition to birdies on Nos. 8 and 9. With a one-shot lead entering the final nine holes, Bernat's approach shot into the 10th green went right of the hole and into the pine straw. However, Bernat was able to chip over a bunker and onto the green before a long par-saving putt kickstarted her back 9. "I knew the tournament was going to start on No. 10 because I watch all the Masters," Bernat said. "So, as soon as I hit that second shot, I was like, 'Oh, you need to get it together and just get this par.' That was the key." From there, Bernat birdied a pair of par-5s &ndash; Nos. 13 and 15 &ndash; and bogeyed No. 17 before her winning par on the 54th and final hole of the championship. Bernat stayed one shot clear of 16-year old Asterisk Talley &ndash; who also went 4-under par on the day &ndash; while she finished three shots ahead of Florida State's Lottie Woad, who was the defending champion. This was Bernat's third start at the Augusta National Women's Amateur. After missing the cut in 2022, Bernat returned last year and finished in a tie for 17th place at 3-over par 219. Bernat and the Wildcats will now turn their attention to preparation for the 2025 Big 12 Championship, which will be held April 15-17, at Houston Oaks Golf Club in Hockley, Texas.
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⛳ K-State’s Bernat captures Augusta National Women’s Amateur title

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jackson Holliday highlighted Baltimore's four-run sixth inning with a two-run single, Tomoyuki Sugano was solid through five-plus innings and the Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals 8-1 on Saturday to snap a three-game skid.

Heston Kjerstad and Ramón Urías also had RBI singles in Baltimore's big inning. Gary Sánchez hit a two-run single in the second and Tyler O'Neill had a two-run triple in the seventh for the Orioles, whose five through nine batters went 8 for 19 with all eight RBIs.

Leadoff man Gunnar Henderson was 0 for 5 with four strikeouts, dropping to 1 for 9 since returning from a a right intercostal strain.

Sugano (1-1) got the first eight Royals hitters out and allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four, walked one and hit one batter.

Royals starter Michael Wacha (0-2) tossed 5 2/3 innings and gave up four runs and six hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Bobby Witt Jr. hit his first homer of the season for Kansas City, a 399-foot shot to left field in the sixth.

After giving up back-to-back singles to start the fifth and pitching with a 2-0 lead, Sugano kept the Royals off the board, stranding the runners at first and second. The Orioles then responded with their four-run sixth.

Baltimore had 12 hits after entering the game tied for first in the American League in that category.

The teams will play the rubber game of the series Sunday. The Royals had seven series last season during which they won the first game and dropped the next two of the series. LHP Cade Povich (0-0, 6.23 ERA) will start for Baltimore and LHP Kris Bubic (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will take the mound for Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743902376380.jpeg" alt="Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday hits a two-run single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday hits a two-run single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jackson Holliday highlighted Baltimore's four-run sixth inning with a two-run single, Tomoyuki Sugano was solid through five-plus innings and the Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals 8-1 on Saturday to snap a three-game skid.Heston Kjerstad and Ramón Urías also had RBI singles in Baltimore's big inning. Gary Sánchez hit a two-run single in the second and Tyler O'Neill had a two-run triple in the seventh for the Orioles, whose five through nine batters went 8 for 19 with all eight RBIs.Leadoff man Gunnar Henderson was 0 for 5 with four strikeouts, dropping to 1 for 9 since returning from a a right intercostal strain.Sugano (1-1) got the first eight Royals hitters out and allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four, walked one and hit one batter.Royals starter Michael Wacha (0-2) tossed 5 2/3 innings and gave up four runs and six hits with five strikeouts and one walk.Bobby Witt Jr. hit his first homer of the season for Kansas City, a 399-foot shot to left field in the sixth.<h2>Key moment</h2>After giving up back-to-back singles to start the fifth and pitching with a 2-0 lead, Sugano kept the Royals off the board, stranding the runners at first and second. The Orioles then responded with their four-run sixth.<h2>Key stats</h2>Baltimore had 12 hits after entering the game tied for first in the American League in that category.<h2>Up next</h2>The teams will play the rubber game of the series Sunday. The Royals had seven series last season during which they won the first game and dropped the next two of the series. LHP Cade Povich (0-0, 6.23 ERA) will start for Baltimore and LHP Kris Bubic (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will take the mound for Kansas City.

⚾ Holliday and Sugano help Orioles to victory over Royals

Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky's NHL record with his 894th goal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin has tied Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record by scoring the 894th of his career. Ovechkin scored his second goal of the Washington Capitals' 5-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks with 13:46 left in the third period. Earlier in the night, he got his 893rd to move one away from tying and two from breaking Gretzky's mark that long seemed unapproachable. The 39-year-old Russian superstar is now one away from breaking it with six left to play this season.

At Final Four, Houston slowing Duke's Cooper Flagg could come down to a stopper named Joseph Tugler

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Pretty much every basketball fan has heard of Duke's Cooper Flagg. Nowhere near as many have heard of Houston's Joseph Tugler. If the Cougars are going to spring an upset over the Blue Devils in the all-1-seed Final Four on Saturday, it will almost surely be because one of the country's best defenders, Tugler, figured a way to hold down the country's best overall player, Flagg. Duke is a 5 1/2-point favorite over Houston, which boasts the nation's best defense. The winner will play either Florida or Auburn for the national title on Monday.

South Carolina returns to the NCAA title game and gets a rematch of 2022 against Bueckers and UConn

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The journey has been more challenging than usual, but Dawn Staley and defending national champion South Carolina are still getting the job done. The Gamecocks (35-3) overwhelmed Southeastern Conference rival Texas 74-57 on Friday night in the Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament, advancing to the title game Sunday against UConn (36-3), an 85-51 winner over No. 1 overall seed UCLA. Coach Geno Auriemma's Huskies traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, in the regular season and dominated the Gamecocks, winning 87-58 on Feb. 16. This is the seventh time The Associated Press preseason Nos. 1 and 2 teams will play in the women's NCAA championship game. South Carolina beat UConn in the 2022 title game after the teams began that season ranked 1-2.

Strong, Fudd help UConn blow out UCLA 85-51 in Final Four as Bueckers moves 1 win from elusive title

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd didn't even need much help from superstar Paige Bueckers to propel UConn into the national title game, leading the Huskies to a remarkably easy 85-51 victory over UCLA in the Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament. Strong finished with 22 points and Fudd scored all of her 19 points in the first half for the second-seeded Huskies, who are one win away from their 12th national championship and first since the team won four straight from 2013-16 led by former great Breanna Stewart. UConn will face defending champion South Carolina on Sunday for the title.

Defending national champion South Carolina returns to title game with 74-57 rout of Texas

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Defending national champion South Carolina left no doubt it would return to the title game, getting 14 points from Te-Hina Paopao and overwhelming Texas 74-57 in the Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks are a win away from becoming the first team to secure consecutive titles since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. Now the teams will meet for the championship after UConn routed UCLA later Friday night. Freshman Joyce Edwards added 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for South Carolina, which used its experience and poise to weather an early deficit and took control with its depth at both ends of the floor.

Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg named the AP men's college basketball player of the year

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Duke star Cooper Flagg is The Associated Press men's college basketball national player of the year. Flagg is just the fourth freshman to win the award. He joins Duke's Zion Williamson, Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Texas star Kevin Durant. He is also the eighth Duke player to win the award, the most of any school. Flagg received 41 of 61 votes from AP Top 25 poll voters to beat Auburn's Johni Broome. They were the only two players to receive votes. Both have their teams in the Final Four this weekend.

Soto at home in Polar Bear's house: Big bats power Mets in `storybook' Citi Field opener

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto's home debut with the New York Mets was a huge success. Citi Field is still Pete Alonso's house, though. Alonso hit an early two-run homer, Soto added an RBI double and the New York Mets beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 behind the pair of power hitters they signed in free agency last offseason. With the Mets back from a 3-3 trip to start the season, fans were fired up for Soto's first home game since agreeing to a record $765 million, 15-year contract in December. The slugger's No. 22 jersey dotted the stands in a sellout crowd of 43,945, and T-shirts with Seven Juan Eight written on the front were available for purchase — a clever nod to the 718 area code in Queens.

Cleveland's José Ramírez hits 3 homers and claims another piece of Guardians history

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — José Ramírez blasted three homers and carried the Guardians to a victory. The veteran slugger claimed another place in Cleveland baseball history in the process. Ramírez hit a solo homer in the first, a tying two-run shot in the fifth and another solo shot in the ninth inning of the Guardians' 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Ramírez's 26th career multi-homer game moved him even with Albert Belle and Jim Thome for the most multi-homer performances in the history of a franchise that began play in 1901. It was also the second three-homer game of Ramírez's career spent entirely with Cleveland.

Verstappen takes pole for Sunday's F1 Japanese Grand Prix ahead of Norris and Piastri

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Max Verstappen of Red Bull will start from pole position in the Japanese Grand Prix after turning the top time in qualifying on Saturday in his final attempt. Lando Norris of McLaren will start alongside with teammate Oscar Piastri on the second row with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Norris and Piastri have won the first two Formula 1 races of the season. Now Verstappen in set up in good shape to win his fourth straight race in Japan. Lewis Hamilton the seven-time champion will start from eighth on Sunday for Ferrari.

NBA fines Grizzlies' Ja Morant $75,000 for continued finger-gun gestures, after warning him to stop

MIAMI (AP) — Ja Morant showed off an imaginary gun. The NBA hit back with a real fine. A day after Morant again used his aiming-a-gun gesture to celebrate making a 3-pointer, the Grizzlies' star was fined $75,000 by the league Friday. It's the second time this week that Morant — who was suspended twice in 2023 for incidents with actual weapons — heard from the league about mimicking the act of using a gun during a game. The first interaction with the league office resulted in a warning, after Morant and Golden State's Buddy Hield made the gesture at one another during a Grizzlies-Warriors game on Tuesday.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Saturday, April 5th" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Saturday, April 5th</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for April 5th, 2025:Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky's NHL record with his 894th goalWASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin has tied Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record by scoring the 894th of his career. Ovechkin scored his second goal of the Washington Capitals' 5-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks with 13:46 left in the third period. Earlier in the night, he got his 893rd to move one away from tying and two from breaking Gretzky's mark that long seemed unapproachable. The 39-year-old Russian superstar is now one away from breaking it with six left to play this season.At Final Four, Houston slowing Duke's Cooper Flagg could come down to a stopper named Joseph TuglerSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Pretty much every basketball fan has heard of Duke's Cooper Flagg. Nowhere near as many have heard of Houston's Joseph Tugler. If the Cougars are going to spring an upset over the Blue Devils in the all-1-seed Final Four on Saturday, it will almost surely be because one of the country's best defenders, Tugler, figured a way to hold down the country's best overall player, Flagg. Duke is a 5 1/2-point favorite over Houston, which boasts the nation's best defense. The winner will play either Florida or Auburn for the national title on Monday.South Carolina returns to the NCAA title game and gets a rematch of 2022 against Bueckers and UConnTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The journey has been more challenging than usual, but Dawn Staley and defending national champion South Carolina are still getting the job done. The Gamecocks (35-3) overwhelmed Southeastern Conference rival Texas 74-57 on Friday night in the Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament, advancing to the title game Sunday against UConn (36-3), an 85-51 winner over No. 1 overall seed UCLA. Coach Geno Auriemma's Huskies traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, in the regular season and dominated the Gamecocks, winning 87-58 on Feb. 16. This is the seventh time The Associated Press preseason Nos. 1 and 2 teams will play in the women's NCAA championship game. South Carolina beat UConn in the 2022 title game after the teams began that season ranked 1-2.Strong, Fudd help UConn blow out UCLA 85-51 in Final Four as Bueckers moves 1 win from elusive titleTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd didn't even need much help from superstar Paige Bueckers to propel UConn into the national title game, leading the Huskies to a remarkably easy 85-51 victory over UCLA in the Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament. Strong finished with 22 points and Fudd scored all of her 19 points in the first half for the second-seeded Huskies, who are one win away from their 12th national championship and first since the team won four straight from 2013-16 led by former great Breanna Stewart. UConn will face defending champion South Carolina on Sunday for the title.Defending national champion South Carolina returns to title game with 74-57 rout of TexasTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Defending national champion South Carolina left no doubt it would return to the title game, getting 14 points from Te-Hina Paopao and overwhelming Texas 74-57 in the Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks are a win away from becoming the first team to secure consecutive titles since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. Now the teams will meet for the championship after UConn routed UCLA later Friday night. Freshman Joyce Edwards added 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for South Carolina, which used its experience and poise to weather an early deficit and took control with its depth at both ends of the floor.Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg named the AP men's college basketball player of the yearSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Duke star Cooper Flagg is The Associated Press men's college basketball national player of the year. Flagg is just the fourth freshman to win the award. He joins Duke's Zion Williamson, Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Texas star Kevin Durant. He is also the eighth Duke player to win the award, the most of any school. Flagg received 41 of 61 votes from AP Top 25 poll voters to beat Auburn's Johni Broome. They were the only two players to receive votes. Both have their teams in the Final Four this weekend.Soto at home in Polar Bear's house: Big bats power Mets in `storybook' Citi Field openerNEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto's home debut with the New York Mets was a huge success. Citi Field is still Pete Alonso's house, though. Alonso hit an early two-run homer, Soto added an RBI double and the New York Mets beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 behind the pair of power hitters they signed in free agency last offseason. With the Mets back from a 3-3 trip to start the season, fans were fired up for Soto's first home game since agreeing to a record $765 million, 15-year contract in December. The slugger's No. 22 jersey dotted the stands in a sellout crowd of 43,945, and T-shirts with Seven Juan Eight written on the front were available for purchase — a clever nod to the 718 area code in Queens.Cleveland's José Ramírez hits 3 homers and claims another piece of Guardians historyANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — José Ramírez blasted three homers and carried the Guardians to a victory. The veteran slugger claimed another place in Cleveland baseball history in the process. Ramírez hit a solo homer in the first, a tying two-run shot in the fifth and another solo shot in the ninth inning of the Guardians' 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Ramírez's 26th career multi-homer game moved him even with Albert Belle and Jim Thome for the most multi-homer performances in the history of a franchise that began play in 1901. It was also the second three-homer game of Ramírez's career spent entirely with Cleveland.Verstappen takes pole for Sunday's F1 Japanese Grand Prix ahead of Norris and PiastriSUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Max Verstappen of Red Bull will start from pole position in the Japanese Grand Prix after turning the top time in qualifying on Saturday in his final attempt. Lando Norris of McLaren will start alongside with teammate Oscar Piastri on the second row with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Norris and Piastri have won the first two Formula 1 races of the season. Now Verstappen in set up in good shape to win his fourth straight race in Japan. Lewis Hamilton the seven-time champion will start from eighth on Sunday for Ferrari.NBA fines Grizzlies' Ja Morant $75,000 for continued finger-gun gestures, after warning him to stopMIAMI (AP) — Ja Morant showed off an imaginary gun. The NBA hit back with a real fine. A day after Morant again used his aiming-a-gun gesture to celebrate making a 3-pointer, the Grizzlies' star was fined $75,000 by the league Friday. It's the second time this week that Morant — who was suspended twice in 2023 for incidents with actual weapons — heard from the league about mimicking the act of using a gun during a game. The first interaction with the league office resulted in a warning, after Morant and Golden State's Buddy Hield made the gesture at one another during a Grizzlies-Warriors game on Tuesday.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUEFinal	Boston	13	St. Louis	9	Final	N.Y. Mets	5	Toronto	0	Final	N.Y. Yankees	9	Pittsburgh	4	Final	Athletics	6	Colorado	3	Final	San Francisco	10	Seattle	9	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	7	Chicago White Sox	4	Final	Texas	5	Tampa Bay	2	Final	Kansas City	8	Baltimore	2	Final	Cleveland	8	L.A. Angels	6	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Chicago Cubs	3	San Diego	1	Final	Philadelphia	3	L.A. Dodgers	2	Final	Arizona	6	Washington	4	Final	Atlanta	10	Miami	0	Final	Milwaukee	3	Cincinnati	2	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Sacramento	125	Charlotte	102	Final	Indiana	140	Utah	112	Final	Boston	123	Phoenix	103	Final	Detroit	117	Toronto	105	Final	Cleveland	114	San Antonio	113	Final	Chicago	118	Portland	113	Final	Houston	125	Oklahoma City	111	Final	Golden State	118	Denver	104	Final	L.A. Clippers	114	Dallas	91	Final	L.A. Lakers	124	New Orleans	108	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	5	Carolina	3	Final	Washington	5	Chicago	3	Final	N-Y Islanders	3	Minnesota	1	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		N-Y Yankees	at	Pittsburgh	4:05 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Boston	4:10 p.m.			Toronto	at	N-Y Mets	7:10 p.m.			Athletics	at	Colorado	8:10 p.m.			Seattle	at	San Francisco	9:05 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Chi White Sox	at	Detroit	1:10 p.m.			Houston	at	Minnesota	2:10 p.m.			Baltimore	at	Kansas City	4:10 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Texas	7:05 p.m.			Cleveland	at	L-A Angels	9:38 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		San Diego	at	Chi Cubs	2:20 p.m.			Arizona	at	Washington	4:05 p.m.			L-A Dodgers	at	Philadelphia	4:05 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	Milwaukee	7:10 p.m.			Miami	at	Atlanta	7:15 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		New York	at	Atlanta	3 p.m.			Memphis	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Miami	8 p.m.			Dallas	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		N-Y Rangers	at	New Jersey	12:30 p.m.			Florida	at	Ottawa	2 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	Dallas	3 p.m.			Anaheim	at	Vancouver	4 p.m.			Edmonton	at	Los Angeles	4 p.m.			Carolina	at	Boston	7 p.m.			Colorado	at	St. Louis	7 p.m.			Columbus	at	Toronto	7 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Montreal	7 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Buffalo	7 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Utah	7 p.m.			Seattle	at	San Jose	10 p.m.			Vegas	at	Calgary	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(2)Houston	at	(1)Duke	8:49 p.m.			(3)Florida	at	(4)Auburn	6:09 p.m.	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER		Nashville	at	Charlotte FC	2:30 p.m.			LA Galaxy	at	Real Salt Lake	4:30 p.m.			FC Dallas	at	Atlanta	7:30 p.m.			New England	at	Cincinnati	7:30 p.m.			CF Montréal	at	Columbus	7:30 p.m.			Chicago	at	New York	7:30 p.m.			Orlando City	at	Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.			Portland	at	Austin FC	7:45 p.m.			Los Angeles FC	at	Houston	8:30 p.m.			St Louis City	at	Sporting Kansas City	8:30 p.m.			Colorado	at	Vancouver	9:30 p.m.			Seattle	at	San Diego FC	10:30 p.m.	___

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Saturday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino each had three RBIs to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-2 on a rainy Friday night.

The Royals broke it open in eighth inning, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five times.

Garcia ripped a double down the left-field line to score Mark Canha and give Kansas City a 4-2 lead. Kyle Isbel followed with a bunt to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who underhanded it to the plate, but Garcia beat the throw to make it 5-2.

Pasquantino gave the Royals a six-run lead on a bloop single that cleared the bases.

Kansas City starter Seth Lugo (1-0) went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned).

Dean Kremer (1-1) went 4 1/3 innings in the start for Baltimore, allowing eight hits and three runs (two earned).

Baltimore ended its string of five straight series-opening wins dating to last September.

Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who started the season on the injured list,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orioles-henderson-7bd05b6688776e59bba26d836e2229d5">made his 2025 debut</a>&nbsp;for Baltimore and went 1 for 4.

Kansas City opened the scoring in the first when Salvador Perez sent a high fly ball to left with two outs that Heston Kjerstad misplayed, allowing Bobby Witt Jr. to score.

The Royals took advantage of an error and a wild pitch in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Garcia singled up the middle to score Perez and Cavan Biggio.

The Royals have scored 18 of their 31 runs this season in the seventh inning or later.

The Orioles have not recorded a save through the first eight games of a season for the first time since 2003.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743820698402.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino each had three RBIs to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-2 on a rainy Friday night.The Royals broke it open in eighth inning, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five times.Garcia ripped a double down the left-field line to score Mark Canha and give Kansas City a 4-2 lead. Kyle Isbel followed with a bunt to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who underhanded it to the plate, but Garcia beat the throw to make it 5-2.Pasquantino gave the Royals a six-run lead on a bloop single that cleared the bases.Kansas City starter Seth Lugo (1-0) went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned).Dean Kremer (1-1) went 4 1/3 innings in the start for Baltimore, allowing eight hits and three runs (two earned).Baltimore ended its string of five straight series-opening wins dating to last September.Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who started the season on the injured list,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orioles-henderson-7bd05b6688776e59bba26d836e2229d5">made his 2025 debut</a>&nbsp;for Baltimore and went 1 for 4.Kansas City opened the scoring in the first when Salvador Perez sent a high fly ball to left with two outs that Heston Kjerstad misplayed, allowing Bobby Witt Jr. to score.<h2>Key moment</h2>The Royals took advantage of an error and a wild pitch in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Garcia singled up the middle to score Perez and Cavan Biggio.<h2>Key stats</h2>The Royals have scored 18 of their 31 runs this season in the seventh inning or later.The Orioles have not recorded a save through the first eight games of a season for the first time since 2003.<h2>Up next</h2>

⚾ Garcia and Pasquantino lead Royals to win over Orioles

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743820396154.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State&nbsp;Athletics
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. &ndash;&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/9318" rel="smarttag" rev="9318">Taylor Sedlacek</a></dfn>&nbsp;hit two home runs to lead Wichita State in a 7-3 win at UAB in the series opener Friday night at Mary Bowers Field. Wichita State (18-17-1, 6-6-1) racked up 13 hits on the night, eight of those coming from the first four spots in the lineup. Sedlacek recorded the third multi-home run game of her career and second this season with her two home runs and four RBIs.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-lucas/9314" rel="smarttag" rev="9314">Lauren Lucas</a></dfn>&nbsp;was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/camryn-compton/9311" rel="smarttag" rev="9311">Camryn Compton</a></dfn>&nbsp;set a new career high with three hits, including a solo home run. <dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/brookelyn-livanec/9329" rel="smarttag" rev="9329">Brookelyn Livanec</a></dfn>&nbsp;had a pair of hits to go with an RBI.&nbsp;&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/ellee-eck/9322" rel="smarttag" rev="9322">Ellee Eck</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/jodie-epperson/9323" rel="smarttag" rev="9323">Jodie Epperson</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/gabby-scott/9324" rel="smarttag" rev="9324">Gabby Scott</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/9312" rel="smarttag" rev="9312">Sami Hood</a></dfn>&nbsp;all had a hit apiece. <dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/ryley-nihart/9325" rel="smarttag" rev="9325">Ryley Nihart</a></dfn>&nbsp;(5-3) went 5.0 innings in the win, allowing no earned runs on three hits, two walks and two strikeouts.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/ava-sliger/9327" rel="smarttag" rev="9327">Ava Sliger</a></dfn>&nbsp;tossed 2.0 innings in relief. She allowed one run on three hits. Three batters into the game, Wichita State grabbed an early 2-0 lead courtesy of a two-run home run of the bat of Sedlacek. Two innings later, Sedlacek added her second of the night on another two-run shot, this one to right-center. The very next batter, Compton, unleashed a laser shot to right-center to make it back-to-back home runs. The home runs extended Wichita State's lead to 5-0. In the top of the fourth, Lucas pushed across another run on an RBI double over the head of the left fielder. UAB broke up the shutout in the home half of the fourth on a pair of fielder's choice RBIs, cutting the margin to 6-2. Livanec got a run back for Wichita State in the fifth on an RBI single. UAB threatened with a big inning in the bottom half of the fifth, but Nihart escaped a bases loaded jam to keep the score at 7-2. UAB put some late-game pressure on the Shockers in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a run with no outs, and runners on first and third. It looked like the Blazers were about to make it a 7-4 game with softly hit grounder in the 5-6 hole, but Hood rifled a throw home to cut down the would-be run. Sliger retired the next two hitters to secure the win. Up Next Wichita State and UAB wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.</div>

🥎 Sedlacek homers power WSU past UAB

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743820301968.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State&nbsp;Athletics
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. --&nbsp;Wichita State scored the game's first run but allowed seven unanswered from that point on as Charlotte claimed the series opener with a 7-1 win on Friday night at Hayes Stadium. <dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/mauricio-millan/9186" rel="smarttag" rev="9186">Mauricio Millan</a></dfn>&nbsp;got the Shockers (10-19, 3-4) on the board first with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the second. The lead did not last long, however, as Charlotte (17-12, 5-2) struck back for two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning; Cody Gunderson cracked a solo home run to level the score and&nbsp;Johnny&nbsp;Sutryk plated the go-ahead run by beating out a fielder's choice grounder. The game stayed at 2-1 into the bottom of the fifth as Shocker starter&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/grant-adler/9422" rel="smarttag" rev="9422">Grant Adler</a></dfn>&nbsp;(3-2) hung two zeroes on the board and retired the first two men he faced in the fifth. But the 49ers rapped out six consecutive two out hits to blow the game open, getting two-run singles from Gunderson and Logan Poteet for a 6-1 lead. Poteet tacked on another RBI single in the seventh for the final margin. Charlotte starter Blake Gillespie (4-3) allowed just two hits and one unearned run over 6.0 innings, striking out eight along the way. The Shockers got five baserunners over the final three innings against the 49ers bullpen but could not push a run across. Millan and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/gannon-snyder/9192" rel="smarttag" rev="9192">Gannon Snyder</a></dfn>&nbsp;finished with two hits apiece to lead the Shockers offensively. The Shockers and 49ers continue the series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm CT.</div>

⚾ Shockers drop opener to 49ers

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School softball team dropped a pair of games to Andover on Friday at Fun Valley.

Game 1 — Andover 8, Hutchinson 0

Andover (2-3) scored in four of the first five innings, including a three-run third and two-run fourth. The Trojans were led by Ella Friederich, who finished 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs. Kaelyn White added two hits and two RBIs, while Brodie Christensen and Allie Conard each scored twice.

Hutchinson (1-4) managed four hits, including singles from Jaden Durant, Jayanna Cornejo, and Brooke Hogan. Hogan also recorded the team’s lone extra-base hit with a triple.

Kohlbie Craft took the loss in the circle, allowing three earned runs on four hits over four innings. Mauree Garland started and worked three innings, giving up two runs (none earned).

Craft and Hogan each struck out one, while Garland walked none in her three-inning outing. Hutchinson stranded five runners on base.

Allie Wells went the distance for Andover, scattering four hits and striking out four over seven shutout innings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Game 2 — Andover 16, Hutchinson 0

Andover (3-3) jumped out to a 13-4 lead by the third inning and piled up 17 hits, including four from McKinley Castleberry and three each from Conard and Christensen. Chloe Gantz drove in four runs, while Friederich and White added two RBIs apiece. Eight different Trojans recorded at least one hit.

Hutchinson (1-5) cut the deficit to six with a four-run fifth inning and added two more in the sixth, but the rally fell short. The Salthawks were led at the plate by Sadie Marciano, who went 3-for-3 with a run and two RBIs. Kiarah Sterling and Jayanna Cornejo each had two hits and a run scored. Annalee Eckhoff drove in a pair of runs, and Brooke Hogan tallied a hit and an RBI.

Addison Coupe took the loss, allowing 10 earned runs over three innings. Sterling pitched the final inning and struck out two.

Hutchinson totaled 10 hits in the loss but was hurt by six errors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648640359585.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School softball team dropped a pair of games to Andover on Friday at Fun Valley.Game 1 — Andover 8, Hutchinson 0Andover (2-3) scored in four of the first five innings, including a three-run third and two-run fourth. The Trojans were led by Ella Friederich, who finished 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs. Kaelyn White added two hits and two RBIs, while Brodie Christensen and Allie Conard each scored twice.Hutchinson (1-4) managed four hits, including singles from Jaden Durant, Jayanna Cornejo, and Brooke Hogan. Hogan also recorded the team’s lone extra-base hit with a triple.Kohlbie Craft took the loss in the circle, allowing three earned runs on four hits over four innings. Mauree Garland started and worked three innings, giving up two runs (none earned).Craft and Hogan each struck out one, while Garland walked none in her three-inning outing. Hutchinson stranded five runners on base.Allie Wells went the distance for Andover, scattering four hits and striking out four over seven shutout innings.-----------------------------------------------------------------------Game 2 — Andover 16, Hutchinson 0Andover (3-3) jumped out to a 13-4 lead by the third inning and piled up 17 hits, including four from McKinley Castleberry and three each from Conard and Christensen. Chloe Gantz drove in four runs, while Friederich and White added two RBIs apiece. Eight different Trojans recorded at least one hit.Hutchinson (1-5) cut the deficit to six with a four-run fifth inning and added two more in the sixth, but the rally fell short. The Salthawks were led at the plate by Sadie Marciano, who went 3-for-3 with a run and two RBIs. Kiarah Sterling and Jayanna Cornejo each had two hits and a run scored. Annalee Eckhoff drove in a pair of runs, and Brooke Hogan tallied a hit and an RBI.Addison Coupe took the loss, allowing 10 earned runs over three innings. Sterling pitched the final inning and struck out two.Hutchinson totaled 10 hits in the loss but was hurt by six errors.

🥎 Hutch High drops pair to Andover

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School Salthawk baseball team picked up two big wins over the Andover Trojans on Friday at Hobart-Detter Field.&nbsp;

Game 1 — Hutchinson 3, Andover 2

Jack Davis tossed a complete game and Hutchinson held off a late push from Andover for a 3-2 win Friday afternoon at Hobart-Detter Field.

Davis allowed just two earned runs on five hits while striking out five and walking one over seven innings to earn the win.

Hutchinson (2-3) got on the board early, scoring single runs in the first, second and fourth innings. Gabe Valadez went 1-for-3 with an RBI single in the first, while Cole Bleything and Jack Davis each drove in a run in the fourth to give the Salthawks a 3-0 lead.

Andover (5-2) cut the deficit to one in the fifth inning on a two-run double from Barrett Hill, but Davis worked a scoreless sixth and seventh to secure the win.

Caiden Beavers and Jack Yoder each had a hit and a stolen base for Hutchinson. Carter Morgan added a steal and scored on a heads-up steal of home in the third inning.

Hill finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Andover. Maverick Hurt took the loss, allowing three runs over five innings with three strikeouts.

<a href="https://web.gc.com/teams/F6koAwQz7SsQ/2025-spring-hutchinson-varsity-salthawks/schedule/0049cdb7-9d70-47c9-9aff-9577beb3725e/box-score">BOXSCORE</a>

Game 2 — Hutchinson 4, Andover 2

The Salthawks (3-3) scored all four of their runs in the first inning, capitalizing on two Andover errors and an RBI single from Jack Yoder. Caiden Beavers also singled and scored in the frame, while Juju Lyons and Jack Davis each came around on miscues.

Lyons earned the win on the mound, striking out five over 4.2 innings and allowing just two earned runs. Cole Bleything recorded the final seven outs for the save, striking out three and giving up one hit.

Yoder went 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI, while Beavers finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base to pace Hutchinson at the plate.

Andover (5-3) got both of its runs in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Kale Brodhagen and a Hutchinson error. Aiden Henry took the loss, allowing four runs — none earned — over four innings.

The Salthawks will travel to Derby on Tuesday afternoon for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.

<a href="https://web.gc.com/teams/F6koAwQz7SsQ/2025-spring-hutchinson-varsity-salthawks/schedule/486648ee-3392-4d17-b54a-e026b5b50466/box-score">BOXSCORE</a>

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649241499588.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School Salthawk baseball team picked up two big wins over the Andover Trojans on Friday at Hobart-Detter Field.&nbsp;Game 1 — Hutchinson 3, Andover 2Jack Davis tossed a complete game and Hutchinson held off a late push from Andover for a 3-2 win Friday afternoon at Hobart-Detter Field.Davis allowed just two earned runs on five hits while striking out five and walking one over seven innings to earn the win.Hutchinson (2-3) got on the board early, scoring single runs in the first, second and fourth innings. Gabe Valadez went 1-for-3 with an RBI single in the first, while Cole Bleything and Jack Davis each drove in a run in the fourth to give the Salthawks a 3-0 lead.Andover (5-2) cut the deficit to one in the fifth inning on a two-run double from Barrett Hill, but Davis worked a scoreless sixth and seventh to secure the win.Caiden Beavers and Jack Yoder each had a hit and a stolen base for Hutchinson. Carter Morgan added a steal and scored on a heads-up steal of home in the third inning.Hill finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Andover. Maverick Hurt took the loss, allowing three runs over five innings with three strikeouts.<a href="https://web.gc.com/teams/F6koAwQz7SsQ/2025-spring-hutchinson-varsity-salthawks/schedule/0049cdb7-9d70-47c9-9aff-9577beb3725e/box-score">BOXSCORE</a>-----------------------------------------------------------------------Game 2 — Hutchinson 4, Andover 2The Salthawks (3-3) scored all four of their runs in the first inning, capitalizing on two Andover errors and an RBI single from Jack Yoder. Caiden Beavers also singled and scored in the frame, while Juju Lyons and Jack Davis each came around on miscues.Lyons earned the win on the mound, striking out five over 4.2 innings and allowing just two earned runs. Cole Bleything recorded the final seven outs for the save, striking out three and giving up one hit.Yoder went 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI, while Beavers finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base to pace Hutchinson at the plate.Andover (5-3) got both of its runs in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Kale Brodhagen and a Hutchinson error. Aiden Henry took the loss, allowing four runs — none earned — over four innings.The Salthawks will travel to Derby on Tuesday afternoon for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.<a href="https://web.gc.com/teams/F6koAwQz7SsQ/2025-spring-hutchinson-varsity-salthawks/schedule/486648ee-3392-4d17-b54a-e026b5b50466/box-score">BOXSCORE</a>

⚾ Pitching shines for Salthawks in sweep of Trojans 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743820193820.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
TAMPA, Fla. &ndash;&nbsp;Kansas guard&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/s-mya-nichols/15529" rel="smarttag" rev="15529">S'Mya Nichols</a></dfn>&nbsp;has concluded her sophomore season with the recognition of All-America Honorable Mention as chosen by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the organization has announced.&nbsp; &nbsp; The 2024 WBCA Division I Coaches' All-America team is comprised of the 10 best players in NCAA Division I regardless of position. In addition to the first team, 40 student-athletes received All-America Honorable Mention. &nbsp; A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Nichols picks up her first All-America honor following a standout sophomore season. She led the Jayhawks and ranked fifth in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game. Nichols scored in double figures 26 times in 30 games, with 16 games of scoring 20 or more points. During the season, she became the 33rd player in program history to score 1,000 career points, doing so in her 58th career game to become the second-fastest player in school history to hit reach the milestone. &nbsp; A&nbsp;two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection,&nbsp;Nichols&nbsp;led the Big 12 and ranked second nationally in free throws made (218), shattering the previous school record for single-season free throws. She finished the season ranked fifth in league history with her 218 made free throws and she shot 83.8 percent (218-260) from the line to rank fifth in the Big 12 this season. Nichols has already moved into the top 10 in school history for free throws made with 384 in her career. &nbsp; Kansas has had three players named to the WBCA All-American team in its history, including Tamecka Dixon in 1997, Angela Aycock in 1995 and Lynette Woodard, a&nbsp;four-time&nbsp;honoree&nbsp;from 1978-81. With Nichols' selection, the Jayhawks have now had a player receive WBCA All-America Honorable Mention in each of the past three seasons, with center&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taiyanna-jackson/1412" rel="smarttag" rev="1412">Taiyanna Jackson</a></dfn>&nbsp;earning the honor in 2023 and 2024.</div>

🏀 KU's Nichols named WBCA All-American

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawk Varsity boys baseball team will continue the 2025 season with a double header hosting Andover at home today at 4pm at Hobart-Detter field in Carey Park.

Catch all the action on hutchpost.com and the <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/team/845404/boys-varsity-baseball">fan.hudl.com Network</a>.

Sean Boston with the call and&nbsp; Hutch High Senior Matt Peterson will provide the fan.hudl.com Network and Hutchpost.com video stream for all the home games. 

Catch all the road games here on hutchpost.com with audio only.

The broadcast is available and archived on the <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/team/845404/boys-varsity-baseball">Hutch High&nbsp;fan.hudl.com.</a> The stream&nbsp;is available as a pay-per-view event.&nbsp;

Game 1 @ 4pm link: <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/watch?ib=2323105">CLICK HERE</a>

Game 2 @ 6pm LINK: <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/watch?ib=2323110">CLICK HERE</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743759799548.png" alt="Hutch High Baseball vs Andover Double Header today" />
 <figcaption>Hutch High Baseball vs Andover Double Header today</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawk Varsity boys baseball team will continue the 2025 season with a double header hosting Andover at home today at 4pm at Hobart-Detter field in Carey Park.Catch all the action on hutchpost.com and the <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/team/845404/boys-varsity-baseball">fan.hudl.com Network</a>. Sean Boston with the call and&nbsp; Hutch High Senior Matt Peterson will provide the fan.hudl.com Network and Hutchpost.com video stream for all the home games. Catch all the road games here on hutchpost.com with audio only.The broadcast is available and archived on the <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/team/845404/boys-varsity-baseball">Hutch High&nbsp;fan.hudl.com.</a> The stream&nbsp;is available as a pay-per-view event.&nbsp;Audio Only:<div><iframe src="https://eagle-media-sports-hutch.mixlr.com/embed" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="200px" width="100%"></iframe><a href="https://mixlr.com/" style="color:#1a1a1a;display:block;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:left;padding: 4px 0;">EAGLE Media Sports - Hutch is on Mixlr</a></div>Game 1 @ 4pm link: <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/watch?ib=2323105">CLICK HERE</a><div><iframe src="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/2323105?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>Game 2 @ 6pm LINK: <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/watch?ib=2323110">CLICK HERE</a><div><iframe src="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/2323110?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>

🎧🎥⚾ Hutch High Baseball hosts Andover today at Hobart-Detter Field

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/roehler_trenton_pudh">Trenton Roehler</a>&nbsp;tossed a season-high six innings and combined with Collin Flores to hold Cloud County to three hits as the Hutchinson Community College baseball team extended its winning streak to eight games in Game 1 of a Jayhawk West doubleheader on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.

Roehler and Flores teamed up to win a 2-1 pitchers' duel in Game 1. That win streak came to an end in Game 2 on Thursday as Cloud County rallied from two deficits with 10 unanswered runs in a 13-5 victory to even the four-game league series at 1-1.

Became of potential rainy weather forecast for both Friday and Saturday, games 3 and 4 will now be at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday at Doyen Field in Concordia.

GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 2, Cloud County 1 Coming off a career-high 11 strikeout performance and earning both Jayhawk West and NJCAA Division I National Pitcher of the Week honors, Roehler kept on rolling on Thursday.

The Blue Dragon right-hander retired the first six batters he faced. After allowing a single run in the third, the Thunderbirds had Roehler on the ropes in the fourth after a walk and single had runners on first and second with no out, Roehler retired the next three Cloud batters by strikeout, pop-out and strikeout.

Then in the fifth, the Thunderbirds loaded the bases, but Roehler escaped that inning without allowing a run, protecting a 2-1 lead.

Roehler (3-1) worked a season-high six innings, allowing two hits, one run and four walks while striking out six Thunderbirds.

Flores earned his third save of the season with a scoreless seventh. He allowed one hit and hit one batter.

Offensively, the Blue Dragons out-hit Cloud County 6-3.

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first when&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/maher_quinn_nqj4">Quinn Maher</a>&nbsp;singled in&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/stokes_taber_u8n0">Taber Stokes</a>. Cloud County tied the game in the top of the third inning but immediately regained the lead in the bottom of the third when&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/tygart_baker_ked6">C.J. Reid</a>&nbsp;singled to center to score&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/mazza_antony_9347">Anthony Mazza</a>&nbsp;for a 2-1 lead.

Reid was 2 for 2 with an RBI to lead the Blue Dragons.

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/stokes_taber_u8n0">Taber Stokes</a>, Mazza, Maher and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/mustow_adam_sf8t">A.J. Mustow</a>&nbsp;all had singles in the game.

GAME 2 RECAP – Cloud County 13, Hutchinson 5 The nightcap got off to a fast start with four lead changes in the first five innings.

The Dragons took a 2-1 lead in the first inning when Mazza hit a two-run home run to center field. Then trailing 3-2 in the third, Reid hit a two-run triple to right field to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third.

Starting in the fifth, the Thunderbirds took control of the game with 10 unanswered runs – six runs in the fifth and four more runs in the sixth.

The Blue Dragons were out-hit 10-8. Seven Blue Dragon pitchers allowed six walks and hit nine Cloud County batters.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/perry_gabe_wq1l">Gabe Perry</a>&nbsp;(4-2) was the losing pitcher in the second game.

Mazza was 2 for 4 with his sixth home run of the season. He drove in a pair of runs. Reid was 1 of 4 with a triple and two RBIs. Mustow,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/griffin_leo_z3t1">Leo Griffin</a>&nbsp;and Stokes had doubles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743781176660.jpeg" alt="Trenton Roehler reacts after getting out of a fifth-inning jam in the Blue Dragons' 2-1 victory over Cloud County on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>Trenton Roehler reacts after getting out of a fifth-inning jam in the Blue Dragons' 2-1 victory over Cloud County on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports Information<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/roehler_trenton_pudh">Trenton Roehler</a>&nbsp;tossed a season-high six innings and combined with Collin Flores to hold Cloud County to three hits as the Hutchinson Community College baseball team extended its winning streak to eight games in Game 1 of a Jayhawk West doubleheader on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.Roehler and Flores teamed up to win a 2-1 pitchers' duel in Game 1. That win streak came to an end in Game 2 on Thursday as Cloud County rallied from two deficits with 10 unanswered runs in a 13-5 victory to even the four-game league series at 1-1.Became of potential rainy weather forecast for both Friday and Saturday, games 3 and 4 will now be at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday at Doyen Field in Concordia.GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 2, Cloud County 1 Coming off a career-high 11 strikeout performance and earning both Jayhawk West and NJCAA Division I National Pitcher of the Week honors, Roehler kept on rolling on Thursday.The Blue Dragon right-hander retired the first six batters he faced. After allowing a single run in the third, the Thunderbirds had Roehler on the ropes in the fourth after a walk and single had runners on first and second with no out, Roehler retired the next three Cloud batters by strikeout, pop-out and strikeout.Then in the fifth, the Thunderbirds loaded the bases, but Roehler escaped that inning without allowing a run, protecting a 2-1 lead.Roehler (3-1) worked a season-high six innings, allowing two hits, one run and four walks while striking out six Thunderbirds.Flores earned his third save of the season with a scoreless seventh. He allowed one hit and hit one batter.Offensively, the Blue Dragons out-hit Cloud County 6-3.The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first when&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/maher_quinn_nqj4">Quinn Maher</a>&nbsp;singled in&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/stokes_taber_u8n0">Taber Stokes</a>. Cloud County tied the game in the top of the third inning but immediately regained the lead in the bottom of the third when&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/tygart_baker_ked6">C.J. Reid</a>&nbsp;singled to center to score&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/mazza_antony_9347">Anthony Mazza</a>&nbsp;for a 2-1 lead.Reid was 2 for 2 with an RBI to lead the Blue Dragons.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/stokes_taber_u8n0">Taber Stokes</a>, Mazza, Maher and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/mustow_adam_sf8t">A.J. Mustow</a>&nbsp;all had singles in the game.GAME 2 RECAP – Cloud County 13, Hutchinson 5 The nightcap got off to a fast start with four lead changes in the first five innings.The Dragons took a 2-1 lead in the first inning when Mazza hit a two-run home run to center field. Then trailing 3-2 in the third, Reid hit a two-run triple to right field to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third.Starting in the fifth, the Thunderbirds took control of the game with 10 unanswered runs – six runs in the fifth and four more runs in the sixth.The Blue Dragons were out-hit 10-8. Seven Blue Dragon pitchers allowed six walks and hit nine Cloud County batters.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/perry_gabe_wq1l">Gabe Perry</a>&nbsp;(4-2) was the losing pitcher in the second game.Mazza was 2 for 4 with his sixth home run of the season. He drove in a pair of runs. Reid was 1 of 4 with a triple and two RBIs. Mustow,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/bios/griffin_leo_z3t1">Leo Griffin</a>&nbsp;and Stokes had doubles.

⚾ Dragons split first two games of series with T-Birds

Grizzlies' Ja Morant, on criticism: 'I feel like I've been the villain for the last two years now'

MIAMI (AP) — It was the sort of moment that Ja Morant craves. He hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to lift the Memphis Grizzlies past the Miami Heat, then skipped down the court listening to the silence he created. He was the villain. And he doesn't mind. Morant has certainly spent plenty of time in that role. His ability to take over games was on display Thursday night; the game-winner capped a 30-point night and helped Memphis snap a four-game losing streak. That could have been the story. It wasn't. At least, not the whole story.

Curry scores 37 points and Warriors beat Lakers 123-116 in a potential first-round playoff preview

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 37 points, Brandin Podziemski added 28 and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 123-116 for their fourth win in a row in a potential first-round playoff preview. LeBron James had 33 points and nine assists to lead the Lakers. Austin Reaves added 31 points, including nine 3-pointers, Rui Hachimura had 24 points and Luke Doncic had 19 points, missing all six of his 3-point attempts. Podziemski had a career-high eight 3-pointers on a night when Curry was 4 of 11 from long range.

F1's Japanese GP has storylines that may be as fleeting as the country's cherry blossoms

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Friday, April 4th, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Friday, April 4th, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for April 4th, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Sports in a Minute for April 4th, 2025" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=i6mqa-186f79f-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Grizzlies' Ja Morant, on criticism: 'I feel like I've been the villain for the last two years now'MIAMI (AP) — It was the sort of moment that Ja Morant craves. He hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to lift the Memphis Grizzlies past the Miami Heat, then skipped down the court listening to the silence he created. He was the villain. And he doesn't mind. Morant has certainly spent plenty of time in that role. His ability to take over games was on display Thursday night; the game-winner capped a 30-point night and helped Memphis snap a four-game losing streak. That could have been the story. It wasn't. At least, not the whole story.Curry scores 37 points and Warriors beat Lakers 123-116 in a potential first-round playoff previewLOS ANGELES (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 37 points, Brandin Podziemski added 28 and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 123-116 for their fourth win in a row in a potential first-round playoff preview. LeBron James had 33 points and nine assists to lead the Lakers. Austin Reaves added 31 points, including nine 3-pointers, Rui Hachimura had 24 points and Luke Doncic had 19 points, missing all six of his 3-point attempts. Podziemski had a career-high eight 3-pointers on a night when Curry was 4 of 11 from long range.F1's Japanese GP has storylines that may be as fleeting as the country's cherry blossomsSUZUKA, Japan (AP) — The Japanese Grand Prix is only the third Formula 1 race of the season, but several storylines are developing that promise a few twists. And they could be as fleeting as the cherry blossoms seen all over Japan at this time of the year. Watch McLaren, which has won the first two races of the season. Keep an eye on Lewis Hamilton as he chases his first win with Ferrari. And Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda will be the crowd favorite as he drives for Red Bull's main team for the first time.Once pariahs, now winners, Final Four coaches Pearl, Sampson a reflection of a changing gameSAN ANTONIO (AP) — A decade ago, Bruce Pearl of Auburn and Kelvin Sampson of Houston were looking to resurrect their careers after being handed show-cause penalties by the NCAA for recruiting violations. This week, they're coaching at the Final Four. Their return is a sign of the success they've enjoyed since their comebacks but also the shifting priorities that have overtaken college sports. These days, when coaches go job hunting, they need the school to not only be able to pay them, but the players they hope to land for their rosters.USC star JuJu Watkins is the AP Player of the Year and just the fourth sophomore to earn that honorTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — JuJu Watkins, the sensational sophomore who led Southern California to its best season in nearly 40 years, is The Associated Press women's college basketball Player of the Year. Watkins, whose Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season title for their first conference crown in 31 years, received 29 votes and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo got the other two. Watkins is the first USC player to win the award and just the fourth to do it as a sophomore, joining Oklahoma's Courtney Paris and UConn stars Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart.Trump again says he wants to see PGA Tour, LIV Golf mergedDORAL, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump arrived at his Doral resort Thursday for a LIV Golf event, shortly after reiterating to reporters aboard Air Force One that he wants to see the two men's professional tours united. The president has spoken out on the subject before, and Trump has been involved in some of the talks that may eventually unify the PGA Tour and Saudi-funded LIV. Those talks have gone on for at least a year and how — or if — a deal can be struck is unclear. Trump told reporters that "having them merge would be a great thing."Giannis' NBA 1st of 35 points, 20 assists, 17 rebounds sends Bucks past 76ers 126-113PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history to have 35 points, 17 rebounds and a career-high 20 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 126-113. Brook Lopez scored 17 points, Kyle Kuzma had 16 and AJ Green hit four 3-pointers for 12 points for the Bucks. Rookie Adem Bona led the 76ers with a career-high 28 points on 13-for-15 shooting. Quentin Grimes had 24 points with 10 assists, and Guerschon Yabusele added 22 points.Judge gets 500th extra-base hit, 3rd-fastest Yankee to reach mark behind DiMaggio, GehrigNEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge became the third-fastest New York Yankees player to reach 500 extra-base hits with a three-run homer in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks, trailing only Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig. Judge lined a 1-1 fastball from Merrill Kelly to the opposite field and into the Yankees bullpen for a 3-0 lead. The two-time AL MVP has five homers and 15 RBIs in six games this season. Judge has 320 homers, 175 doubles and five triples in 999 games. DiMaggio reached 500 extra-base hits in 853 games and Gehrig in 869.Demand for viral 'torpedo' baseball bats has sent a Pennsylvania factory into overdriveKING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (AP) — Torpedo bats drew attention over the weekend when the New York Yankees hit a team-record nine homers in one game. Using a strikingly different model in which wood is moved lower down the barrel after the label and shapes the end a little like a bowling pin, the bat has become baseball's latest fad. All-Star and even amateur hardball players all want to take their swings with the bat. The torpedo bat took the league by storm in only 24 hours, and days later, the calls and orders, and test drives -- from big leaguers to rec leaguers -- are humming inside Victus Sports. The company is the official bat of MLB and has seen sales and interest spike in the bat.Patriots trade QB Milton to Cowboys, giving Dallas a new backup behind Dak PrescottDALLAS (AP) — The New England Patriots have agreed to trade quarterback Joe Milton III to the Dallas Cowboys. Milton confirmed the trade via a social media post. ESPN, which first reported the deal, said that the Cowboys will receive Milton, along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick. The acquisition of the 25-year-old Milton, who the Patriots drafted in the sixth round in 2024, gives the Cowboys a young backup behind starting quarterback Dak Prescott after Cooper Rush signed with Baltimore in free agency. Rush started eight games for the Cowboys last season while Prescott was injured.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Yankees	9	Arizona	7	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Boston	8	Baltimore	4	Final	Houston	5	Minnesota	2	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	3	Colorado	1	Final	Milwaukee	1	Cincinnati	0	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Milwaukee	126	Philadelphia	113	Final	Orlando	109	Washington	97	Final	Portland	112	Toronto	103	Final	Minnesota	105	Brooklyn	90	Final	Memphis	110	Miami	108	Final	Golden State	123	L.A. Lakers	116	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Ottawa	2	Tampa Bay	1	Final	Montreal	4	Boston	1	Final	Colorado	7	Columbus	3	Final	Dallas	5	Nashville	1	Final OT	St. Louis	5	Pittsburgh	4	Final	Los Angeles	4	Utah	2	Final	Calgary	4	Anaheim	1	Final	Winnipeg	4	Vegas	0	Final	Edmonton	3	San Jose	2	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		St. Louis	at	Boston	2:10 p.m.			Toronto	at	N-Y Mets	3:10 p.m.			Athletics	at	Colorado	4:10 p.m.			N-Y Yankees	at	Pittsburgh	4:12 p.m.			Seattle	at	San Francisco	4:35 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Chi White Sox	at	Detroit	1:10 p.m.			Baltimore	at	Kansas City	7:40 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Texas	8:05 p.m.			Cleveland	at	L-A Angels	9:38 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		San Diego	at	Chi Cubs	2:20 p.m.			Arizona	at	Washington	6:45 p.m.			L-A Dodgers	at	Philadelphia	6:45 p.m.			Miami	at	Atlanta	7:15 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	Milwaukee	8:10 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Sacramento	at	Charlotte	7 p.m.			Utah	at	Indiana	7 p.m.			Detroit	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.			Phoenix	at	Boston	7:30 p.m.			Cleveland	at	San Antonio	8 p.m.			Oklahoma City	at	Houston	8 p.m.			Portland	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Denver	at	Golden State	10 p.m.			Dallas	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.			New Orleans	at	L.A. Lakers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Carolina	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Chicago	at	Washington	7 p.m.			Minnesota	at	N-Y Islanders	7:30 p.m.	___