Sports Radio 1400 WSJM @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Tuesday, March 31, 2015
NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Chicago Blackhawks 4, Los Angeles Kings 1
Blackhawks 4, Kings 1 – Blackhawks get big 4-1 victory over Kings
Defensemen Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson scored 1:04 apart in the second period, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 on Monday. Marian Hossa added a goal and an assist as the Blackhawks won their second straight game in as many nights and pulled within a point of the second-place Blues in the Central Division. Chicago plays St. Louis twice in its final six games. Jake Muzzin scored for the defending champion Kings, who dropped their second straight in the finale of a five-game road trip. They also lost ground to Calgary in their bid for the final playoff berth in the West.
Tonight
Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Tonight
Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.
NBA – Rose takes contact in practice
Bulls star Derrick Rose took contact in practice Monday for the first time since undergoing right knee surgery late last month. The Bulls hope to get the former MVP point guard back for a playoff run. He had a minor procedure on Feb. 27 and was expected to miss four to six weeks. Rose sat out most of last season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee. He also tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the 2012 playoff opener and missed the entire following season.
NCAA Tournament – Women’s – Sweet 16
Last Night
(1) Connecticut 91, (7) Dayton 70 (Albany Regional Final)
(1) Maryland 58, (2) Tennessee 48 (Spokane Regional Final)
Roundup
The Connecticut Huskies are back in the women’s Final Four for the eighth straight season. UConn rolled to a 91-70 win against Dayton as the Huskies pulled within two victories of their third straight national championship. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (kah-LEE’-nah mahs-KAY’-dah loo-ihs) scored 27 points for Connecticut, which trailed at halftime for the first time in two seasons before a 15-3 run put the Huskies ahead 58-47 with 13:56 remaining. Connecticut’s semifinal opponent will be No. 1 seed Maryland, which is in the Final Four for the second straight year following a 58-48 stifling of Tennessee. Lexie Brown scored 13 of her 15 points during the second half of the Spokane regional final, and Brionna Jones finished with 14 points and nine rebounds in the Terrapins’ 28th consecutive win.
NCAA Tournament – Women’s – Four No. 1 seeds in the women’s Final Four
The women’s Final Four will have a familiar feel to it with three of last year’s teams back in the national semifinals. No. 1 seeds UConn, Notre Dame and Maryland all return to the Final Four while South Carolina is making its first appearance. It’s the third time in the history of the Final Four that all four of the top seeds made it this far. It also happened in 1989 and 2012. The Huskies will be trying for their third straight national championship and 10th overall which would move Geno Auriemma into a tie with vaunted UCLA men’s coach John Wooden for the most all-time. UConn will face Maryland and Notre Dame plays South Carolina on Sunday in Tampa, Florida. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley will become the second person to both play and coach in the Final Four, joining Baylor’s Kim Mulkey.
NCAA – Connecticut governor: move `16 Final Four unless law changes
Connecticut’s governor and UConn’s athletic director are calling on the NCAA to consider moving next year’s Women’s Final Four out of Indianapolis unless changes are made to Indiana’s new religious-objections law. Gov. Dannel Malloy and other critics contend the law would allow businesses to deny service to gays and lesbians based on religious beliefs. The governor on Monday signed an executive order banning state spending on travel to Indiana and says the NCAA would be wise to move the tournament. Connecticut Athletic Director Warde Manuel tells The Associated Press he finds the law unacceptable. He says he hopes the state of Indiana rectifies the situation before UConn or any other institution considers a boycott of the 2016 Final Four.
MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Atlanta Braves 4, Detroit Tigers 2
Cleveland Indians 4, Chicago White Sox 1
Chicago Cubs 8, San Francisco Giants 5
Braves 4, Tigers 2 – Simon allows 1 run in 6 innings as Tigers lose to Braves 4-2
Alfredo Simon allowed one run over six innings for his best start of spring training in the Detroit Tigers’ 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Simon gave up five hits, walked three and struck out two. He lowered his ERA to 5.56. Todd Cunningham and Jace Peterson both had three hits for the Braves.
Indians 4, White Sox 1 – Bauer pitches well, Indians beats White Sox 4-1
Trevor Bauer struck out seven as the Cleveland Indians connected for three home runs yesterday in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Bauer gave up four hits in 6 1-3 innings. He fanned Melky Cabrera and Adam LaRoche three times apiece but walked Adam Eaton.
Cubs 8, Giants 5 – Hendricks’ shutout streak ends, Cubs top Giants
Chicago Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks gave up his first runs this spring after extending his scoreless streak to 12 innings in an 8-5 win over the San Francisco Giants yesterday. Hendricks didn’t allow a run in his first two exhibition outings. He threw five shutout innings against the Giants before they scored five times in the sixth.
Today
Pittsburgh vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Chicago Cubs vs. Texas (ss) at Surprise, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox vs. L.A. Dodgers at Glendale, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.
MLB – Cubs demote Bryant, upsets union
Third baseman Kris Bryant was reassigned by the Chicago Cubs to their minor league camp despite an outstanding spring training at the plate, triggering a threat of litigation from the players’ association. Bryant hit .425 in the exhibition season with nine homers and 15 RBIs in 40 at-bats. If the 23-year-old spends 12 or more days in the minor leagues, Chicago would delay him from becoming eligible for free agency by one year, until after the 2021 season, according to baseball’s collective bargaining agreement. The Cubs also optioned second baseman Javy Baez to Triple-A Iowa and reassigned shortstop Addison Russell to minor league camp.
MLB – Verlander to miss start Thursday, hopes to pitch April 8
Justin Verlander will miss his scheduled spring training start Thursday but hopes to take his first scheduled regular-season turn for the Detroit Tigers on April 8 against Minnesota. The 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner and MVP left Friday’s exhibition outing with a cramp in his right triceps. He threw on Sunday but still had soreness on Monday. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he expects Verlander to follow David Price in the rotation and pitch the second game of the season. Ausmus said Anibal Sanchez would move up, if necessary. “We just have to wait and see,” Ausmus said. “He has to pitch sometime before the regular season.” Ausmus said it was possible Verlander might throw in a minor league game before the team heads north.
NFL – NFL sanctions Browns, Falcons
The Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons have been disciplined by the NFL. Browns general manager Ray Farmer has been suspended without pay for the first four games next season for sending text messages to the sideline during games. Farmer has acknowledged sending the messages. The Browns were fined $250,000. The Falcons have been fined $350,000 and will forfeit their fifth-round selection in the 2016 draft. If the Falcons have multiple picks in that round, the highest selection will be forfeited. Atlanta team president Rich McKay has been suspended from the from the league’s Competition Committee beginning April 1 following the team’s use of fake noise at home games.
Golf – Stricker, out since December, plans return at Masters
Steve Stricker plans to return from back surgery at the Masters next week. He has not played since the Hero World Challenge in early December. He had surgery two days before Christmas on a bulging disk in his lower back that was causing recurring hip problems. Stricker recently returned from a week in Naples, Florida, to make sure he was fit. He tells The Associated Press on Monday he spent the last three days walking the golf course and felt good except for a little stiffness. He had planned to play the Shell Houston Open. Doctors feared two weeks in a row might be too much. He plans a trip to Augusta National before going to Indianapolis to watch Wisconsin play Kentucky on Saturday in the Final Four.
MCCAA – Junior College Baseball
Today
Lake Michigan College at Muskegon Community College, 2:00 p.m.
MCCAA – Junior College Softball
Today
Lake Michigan College at Grand Rapids Community College, 3:00 p.m.
MHSAA – Michigan High School Athletic Association – High School Sports
Yesterday
Baseball
Lawrence 7, Martin 0 – Game 1
Lawrence 15, Martin 0 – Game 2
Soccer
South Haven 5, Bangor 2
Today
Baseball
Benton Harbor at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Plainwell at Portage Northern, 4:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Portage Central, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Marcellus at Bangor, 4:30 p.m.
Softball
Plainwell at Portage Northern, 4:00 p.m.
Lawton at Paw Paw, 4:30 p.m.
Marcellus at Bangor, 4:30 p.m.
Track and Field
Gull Lake at Portage Central, 4:00 p.m.
South Haven at Dowagiac, 4:15 p.m.
Allegan at Sturgis, 4:15 p.m.
Otsego at Three Rivers
Paw Paw at Edwardsburg, 4:15 p.m.
Soccer
Kalamazoo Christian at Mattawan, 6:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 6:45 p.m.
