Friday Morning Sports Update-04/30/2021

NFL – Lions take Oregon OT Penei Sewell at No. 7 in NFL draft
The Detroit Lions have selected Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the No. 7 overall pick in the NFL draft. Sewell will likely start at right tackle to potentially make Detroit’s offensive line a strength with left tackle Taylor Decker and Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow. The 6-foot-5, 331-pound Sewell did not play last season after starting his first two years at Oregon. He opted out of last year’s delayed Pac-12 season. Lions general manager Brad Holmes is leading a front office for the first time.

NFL – Bears trade up with Giants, draft Ohio St QB Justin Fields
The Chicago Bears traded up nine spots with the New York Giants to draft Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at No. 11 overall. Fields is a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the year. He is the second quarterback drafted by general manager Ryan Pace since he was hired in 2015. The Bears traded up a spot in 2017 to take Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2 over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Trubisky is now a backup in Buffalo. The Bears went 8-8 last season for the second year in a row, then lost at New Orleans in the wild-card round.

NFL – Jags take Lawrence at No. 1
The worst-kept secret in the NFL is now public. The Jacksonville Jaguars have used the first overall pick in the draft to select Trevor Lawrence. The Clemson quarterback was outstanding in his three college seasons, completing 67% of his passes for 10,098 yards, 90 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions while also rushing for 943 yards. Lawrence is widely considered the best college QB prospect since Andrew Luck nearly a decade ago and will pair with new head coach Urban Meyer as the faces of the franchise. Lawrence won a national championship as a freshman, taking game MVP honors as the Tigers hammered Alabama, 44-16. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting as a junior last season before entering the draft. Quarterbacks also were taken with the next two picks as BYU’s Zach Wilson went second to the Jets and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance headed to the 49ers at No. 3.  It marks just the third time quarterbacks were taken with each of the first three picks in a draft.  The Falcons used the fourth choice to land Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, and LSU wideout Ja’Marr Chase went fifth to the Bengals.

NFL – Packers GM: ‘We are not going to trade Aaron Rodgers’
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst says he can’t envision any scenario in which he’d deal quarterback Aaron Rodgers. ESPN reported Thursday that Rodgers doesn’t want to return to the Packers. Gutekunst responded to the report by saying that “we are committed to Aaron in 2021 and beyond.” The 49ers asked the Packers about Rodgers but were turned away and wound up picking quarterback Trey Lance with the third overall pick.

 MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Chicago White Sox 3, Detroit Tigers 1 – F/7 – Game 1
Chicago White Sox 11, Detroit Tigers 0 – F/7 – Game 2
Chicago Cubs 9, Atlanta Braves 3

White Sox 3, Tigers 1/White Sox 11, Tigers 0 – Cease pitches shutout, White Sox complete DH sweep of Tigers
Dylan Cease struck out a season-best nine in his first career shutout, Yoán Moncada and Yermín Mercedes homered, and the Chicago White Sox completed a doubleheader sweep of the slumping Detroit Tigers with an 11-0 win. José Abreu and Leury García each drove in two to help doom the AL-worst Tigers to their 12th loss in 14 games. Chicago has won six of seven. Tigers starter Matthew Boyd left after facing seven batters because of left knee tendonitis.

Cubs 9, Braves 3 – Cubs find their bats, beat Braves 9-3 to snap 5-game skid
Jason Heyward drove in two runs with two hits and the Chicago Cubs emerged from their hitting slump to beat the Atlanta Braves 9-3 and end their five-game losing streak. The Cubs had 16 hits, topping their combined total of 13 in the first three games of the series. Jake Marisnick had a homer in the seventh. Every Cubs starter had at least one hit. Matt Duffy reached base four times on two hits and two walks. He scored two runs and drove in a run. Anthony Rizzo had three hits. Adbert Alzolay allowed two runs in six innings.

Today
Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees, 7:05 p.m.                  94.9 WSJM/103.7 Cosy-FM 6:45
Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds, 7:10 p.m.
Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Detroit Red Wings 1
Florida Panthers 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3 – OT

Hurricanes 3, Red Wings 1 – Teravainen produces as Hurricanes top Red Wings 3-1
Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and assist for his first points in more than two months, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 to stretch their points streak to nine games. Teravainen was in his second game back after sitting out 32 of 33 games because of a concussion. He hadn’t recorded a point since Feb. 19. Brady Skjei and Warren Foegele also scored and Sebastian Aho registered two assists for the Hurricanes, who opened a five-game homestand. Carolina goalie James Reimer played just his fourth game in April, making 16 saves for his team-high 15th victory. Jakub Vrana scored for Detroit.

Panthers 4, Blackhawks 3 – OT – Bennett scores in overtime, Panthers edge Blackhawks 4-3
Sam Bennett scored at 4:08 of overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. Alex DeBrincat scored on a one-timer with 18 seconds left in regulation for his 24th goal, tying the game at 3-all and forcing overtime. Alex Wennberg and Brandon Mountour each had a goal and assist for the Panthers. Anthony Duclair also scored. Spencer Knight made 24 saves. Adam Gaudette and Vinnie Hinostroza also scored for Chicago. Lankinen stopped 35 shots.

NHL – Ryan Miller’s time: Ducks goalie to retire at end of season
Anaheim Ducks goalie and former Michigan State Spartan Ryan Miller will retire after the season, ending the 18-year career of the winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history. The 40-year-old Miller has played nearly 800 games in his career, also with Buffalo, Vancouver and St. Louis, At Anaheim, he has spent the past four seasons primarily as John Gibson’s backup. Miller won the Vezina Trophy in 2010 as the NHL’s best goaltender for Buffalo. Miller also was named the most valuable player and best goaltender at the 2010 Winter Olympics while leading the U.S. team to a silver medal in Vancouver.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Dallas Mavericks 115, Detroit Pistons 105
Brooklyn Nets 130, Indiana Pacers 113

Mavericks 115, Pistons 105 – Hardaway scores 42, Mavericks beat Pistons 115-105
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a career-high 42 points, helping the Dallas Mavericks overcome the absence of Luka Doncic in a 115-105 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Trey Burke added 15 points for Dallas, which moved a game ahead of Portland for the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference. Doncic missed the game because of a left elbow issue, and the Pistons were without their leading scorer as well in Jerami Grant. The game was tight until the final minute. Hardaway scored 17 points in a row during a fourth-quarter stretch, capping that run with a 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining that put the Mavericks up 109-105.

Nets 130, Pacers 113 – Durant scores 42, Nets torch depleted Pacers 130-113
Kevin Durant scored a season-high 42 points, including 22 in the third quarter, and the Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets glided to a 130-113 victory over the struggling Indiana Pacers. Playing without Kyrie Irving and James Harden, the Nets built a double-digit lead by the second quarter and were never seriously threatened. Durant hit 16 of 24 shots and had 10 assists in his eighth start since being sidelined for nearly two months with a hamstring injury. It was the All-Star forward’s third game of 30 points or more since his return, which was also interrupted for three games by a thigh injury.

Tonight
Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls, 9:00 p.m.

Golf – PGA – Bradley on fire at start of Valspar Championship
Keegan Bradley missed only one green in a 7-under 64 that gives him the first-round lead at the PGA’s Valspar Championship. Bradley ran off four birdies over his last five holes, finishing with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th and a two-shot lead on a day of low scoring not typically seen at this PGA Tour stop. Riviera winner Max Homa had eight birdies and was in a large group at 66 that included Emiliano Grillo and Ryan Moore.

AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Chicago Wolves 4, Grand Rapids Griffins 2

MCCAA – Junior College Sports
Today
Softball
Lake Michigan College at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 3:00 p.m./5:00 p.m.

Saturday
Softball
Grand Rapids Community College at Lake Michigan College, 1:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.

Sunday
Softball
Aquinas College JV at Lake Michigan College, 1:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Baseball
Kalamazoo Central 4, St. Joseph 2 – Game 1
St. Joseph 13, Kalamazoo Central 2 – Game 2
Portage Central 9, Kal. Loy Norrix 4 – Game 1
Portage Central 18, Kal. Loy Norrix 1 – Game 2
Battle Creek Lakeview 16, Haslett 1 – Game 1
Battle Creek Lakeview 3, Haslett 1 – Game 2
Decatur 6, Bloomingdale 5
Watervliet 11, Fennville 0 – Game 1
Watervliet 12, Fennville 2 – Game 2
Edwardsburg 10, Otsego 0 – Game 1
Edwardsburg 14, Otsego 2 – Game 2
Parchment 6, Schoolcraft 5 – Game 1
Parchment 5, Schoolcraft 1 – Game 2
Galesburg-Augusta 7, Constantine 3 – Game 1
Galesburg-Augusta 7, Constantine 7 – Gm2 Darkness
Gobles 17, Saugatuck 7 – Game 1
Saugatuck 16, Gobles 1 – Game 2

Softball
St. Joseph 4, Kalamazoo Central 3 – Game 1
St. Joseph 6, Kalamazoo Central 2 – Game 2
Bridgman 10, South Haven 1 – Game 1
Bridgman 6, South Haven 3 – Game 2
Watervliet 17, Fennville 0 – Game 1
Watervliet 18, Fennville 0 – Game 2
Schoolcraft 2, Parchment 1 – Game 1
Schoolcraft 10, Parchment 4 – Game 2
Constantine 13, Galesburg-Augusta 8 – Game 1
Constantine 14, Galesburg-Augusta 3 – Game 2
Gobles 10, Saugatuck 6 – Game 1
Saugatuck 18, Gobles 7 – Game 2
Portage Central 9, Kal. Loy Norrix 7 – Game 1
Portage Central 19, Kal. Loy Norrix 0 – Game 2
Decatur 12, Bloomingdale 1 – Game 1
Decatur 15, Bloomingdale 3 – Game 2
Hartford 15, Bangor 0 – Game 1
Hartford 17, Bangor 2 – Game 2

Girls Soccer
Fennville 6, Hartford 2
Holt 2, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 1

Girls Tennis
Holland Christian 5, Allegan 3

Boys Golf
Gull Lake Tom Collins Memorial Invitational, Bedford Valley GC

1. Portage Northern                      324
2. Gull Lake                                  327
3. Chelsea                                     334
4. Lakeshore                                338
5. Portage Central                         339
6. St. Joseph                                341
7. Mattawan                                  350
8. Vicksburg                                  352
9. Grand Rapids Catholic Central   360
10. Kalamazoo Christian                   365
11. Schoolcraft                               379
12. Three Rivers                              391
13. Kalamazoo Central                     401
14. Edwardsburg                             402
15. Marshall                                   409

Today
Baseball
Benton Harbor at Comstock, 4:15 p.m.
St. Joseph at Berrien Springs, 4:15 p.m.
Michigan Lutheran at New Buffalo, 4:15 p.m.
River Valley at Lake Michigan Catholic, 4:15 p.m.
Coloma at Kalamazoo Christian, 4:30 p.m.
South Haven at Watervliet, 4:30 p.m.
Lawton at Eau Claire, 4:30 p.m.
Lawrence at Bridgman, 4:15 p.m.
Plainwell at Dowagiac, 4:00 p.m.
Otsego at Edwardsburg, 4:00 p.m.
Paw Paw at Sturgis, 4:00 p.m.
BC Lakeview at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 4:00 p.m.

Softball
Michigan Lutheran at New Buffalo, 4:15 p.m.
River Valley at Lake Michigan Catholic, 4:15 p.m.
Coloma at Kalamazoo Christian, 4:30 p.m.
Watervliet at Berrien Springs, 4:15 p.m.
Lawrence at Bridgman, 4:15 p.m.
Plainwell at Dowagiac, 4:00 p.m.
Otsego at Edwardsburg, 4:00 p.m.
Paw Paw at Sturgis, 4:00 p.m.
BC Lakeview at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 4:00 p.m.

Girls Soccer
Michigan Lutheran at Lake Michigan Catholic, 5:00 p.m.
Bangor at Berrien Springs, 6:30 p.m.
Bridgman at Holland Black River, 5:00 p.m.
Brandywine at Coloma, 5:00 p.m.
Saugatuck at Comstock, 4:30 p.m.
South Haven at Otsego, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Plainwell, 6:30 p.m.
Allegan at Portage Northern, 6:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Vicksburg, 6:00 p.m.
GR Christian at Gull Lake, 6:30 p.m.

Girls Tennis
St. Joseph at Sturgis, 4:00 p.m.