Saturday's Report: HS playoffs, Mercer, Henley, Houston County's Burress, Middle Georgia State; Falcons, Braves, Hawks, UGA/Tech; NBA, MLB, PGA Championship, NASCAR, college sports/ NCAA, WNBA, NHL
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High Schools
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾
GIAA Playoffs
Class AAAA
FPD 7, Stratford 1; FPD 6, Stratford 5 (Click here for full story)
Brady McHugh opened the sixth with a homer to break a scoreless tie and pitchers’ duel, and then Major Simmons sealed it with a grand slam. Hayden Camps and Conner Strandmark put on a pitching show in the first game with five shutout innings. In the nightcap, Stratford answered FPD innings and then tied it at 5 in the bottom of the sixth. A single and then an errant throw brought in McHugh with the lead run it the top of the seventh. Stratford loaded the bases against shortstop-turned-reliever Keon Johnson in the bottom half, but Johnson got a fly to right to end it.
Tattnall 9, Strong Rock 2; Tattnall 9, Strong Rock 6
Wyatt Still struck out 11 in six innings, the Trojans led by Marquez Wilson’s 3-for-4 game in the opener. The Trojans only outhit the Patriots by 2, getting 2-RBI games from Still and Griffey Gorman. Tattnall got 5 in the third on four singles, three walks, and a hit batter. Tattnall trailed 5-4 after 2, and tied it in the fourth but reeled off 3 in the sixth – on three straight singles, a bases loaded walk, and then a single and sacrifice fly - to win it. Starter Tucker Brown got six of the final seven batters to finish a 9-strikeout, 2-walk performance.
⚽ ⚽ ⚽ Soccer ⚽ ⚽ ⚽
GIAA Playoffs
Girls
FPD 9, George Walton 0 (Click here for full story)
Bowen Matthews scored six times to leads the fourth-seeded Vikings. Elcee Leslein added a pair of goals and two assists, with Katelynn Jackson scoring once and assisting twice. FPD led 9-0 at halftime, and plenty of Vikings saw action in the abbreviated second half.
Boys
Class AAAA
Stratford 2, Bulloch 0 (Click here for full story)
Class AAA
Brookwood 5, John Milledge 1
🏫🏫🏫College🏫🏫🏫
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾
Mercer 6, Samford 5
🥎 🥎 🥎Softball 🥎 🥎 🥎
Florida 8, Mercer 0, NCAA Tournament
Pro
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ MLB⚾ ⚾ ⚾
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Around/About Central Georgia
Henley’s PGA Championship trip a short one
By lunchtime, it was clear that Russell Henley could change his travel plans from the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
Henley gained no ground toward the cut line after a 6-over 77 on Thursday, missing the cut of the season’s second major after a 4-over second round for a 152.
Henley was joined by a quality list heading home early: Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Akshay Bhatia, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberk, Hideki Matsuyama,
Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland, Keith Mitchell, Jacob Bridgeman, Patrick Rodgers, Justin Rose, Erik van Rooyan, and Mackenzie Hughes, among others.
Barely advancing: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Brian Harman, Maverick McNealy, and Harris English, among others.
The day’s optimism of a round-opening birdie was short-lived with a bogey two holes later, and then another one four holes after that, dropping Henley back to a tie for 128th.
The early cut line Friday was 1 over, and Henley didn’t make any progress as one of the first players on the course south of Charlotte.
Henley ended his first nine, having started on No. 10, with a bogey for a 3-over score at the turn, 9 over for the tournament and in need of nothing but birdies and eagles on the second nine to play on.
That, of course, didn’t happen. He dropped to double digits at 10 over with a bogey on No. 14/5, and couldn't get back into single digits over par.
The 152 was six shots worse than the middle rounds last week at the Truist, Henley’s highest consecutive two-round total since 151 in the middle of the 2024 Masters.
Henley isn’t in the field in next week’s Charles Schwab Challenge, and is next expected in The Memorial in Ohio May 29-June 1.
BSB-Late rally lifts Mercer to series win over Samford
Alumni Update/Honor Roll
Houston County grad Burress a Dick Howser semifinalist
SSAC scholar-athletes: Middle Georgia State softball
Around/About Georgia
COLUMN: Atlanta’s schedule doesn't make path to postseason any easier
Penix Jr. among 5 second-year players expected to make a big splash in 2025 NFL season
Sale keeps 'ticking upward' with 8-K gem in triumphant return to Boston
Braves are facing surplus of starters as Smith-Shawver emerges and Strider leaves the IL
Cunningham: Hawks should go all-in for Giannis, despite risks
Sykes scores 22, rookie Citron adds 19 as Mystics beat Dream in opener
SB-No. 3 Tech dropped by No. 2 FAU in NCAAs
SB-Georgia comes back to beat Coastal Carolina in regional
BSB-No. 20 Duke gets back at Tech
BSB-Loss to A&M puts some pressure on Georgia
A Worthy Read
Do fans of men’s sports also watch women’s sports? What a new AP-NORC poll shows
NBA
Knicks hammer Celtics and advance to face Pacers
Tatum out of hospital, met with Celtics teammates ahead of Game 6
With ‘basketball mortality’ in mind, Curry looks to the near future for another title chance
The T-wolves are back in the Western finals, after staying patient and confident with their new look
Gordon has strained hamstring and availability for Game 7 at OKC is in doubt
PGA Championship
Vegas stays ahead in PGA Championship as Scottie Scheffler looms large
Schaffele battles back to make the cut at the PGA Championship, extends streak to 64 tournaments
Major Max: Homa shoots blistering 64 to put himself in contention at PGA Championship
Report: McIlroy’s driver deemed nonconforming ahead of PGA Championship
Baseball/MLB
Rose is now eligible for the Hall of Fame. But that doesn't mean he'll get the votes for induction.
McCullers Jr. returns to mound after online threats that followed his previous start
Soto has quiet night, Rodón wins 4th straight decision as Yanks top Mets in Subway Series opener
Harper reaches 1,000 RBIs in the Phillies’ victory over the Pirates
Kochanowicz limits Dodgers, and Angels turn 5 double plays in win in Freeway Series opener
Burnes has a season-high 10 strikeouts, D-backs win 8-0 as Rockies fall 30 games below .500
Auto Racing
Larson’s barnstorming includes commuting between 3 tracks for IndyCar and NASCAR
All-Star Race: How to watch, full race schedule and more
Tennis
Sinner to renew rivalry with Alcaraz in Italian Open final
Sinner cranks up his game to near-perfection in rout of Casper Ruud at Italian Open
NFL/USFL/UFL/Football
Purdy agrees to 5-year, $265 million extension with the 49ers, AP source says
Facts and figures about the NFL’s international games and growth
College Football
Illinois rewards football coach Bielema and hoops coach Underwood with 6-year extensions
Southern California’s Riley was paid $11.5 million in 2023
College Football/SEC/ACC/South
Belichick has addressed personal life with players
Which Auburn linebacker did Hugh Freeze say was going to be ‘special’?
College Sports
NCAA Division I Softball Regionals Glance
College Sports, the changing landscape
Charles Barkley on NIL: ‘There’s nobody, legal or illegal, who has given more money to Auburn
In dispute over college roster limits, a trial could loom if judge doesn’t approve latest proposal
WNBA/Women’s Basketball
Kiki Iriafen earns her second degree. She’s still learning as a Mystics rookie
Bueckers’ debut spoiled as Collier scores 34 in Lynx’s win over Wings
Fever veterans getting acclimated to new experience with Caitlin Clark in basketball-rich Indiana
Plum scores 37 points to lead the Sparks to an 84-67 win in the Valkyries’ debut
Hockey
Matthews breaks through, Maple Leafs beat Panthers 2-0 to force Game 7
Flyers name Rick Tocchet as head coach in a move to rebuild
Known for their shot volume, Hurricanes reach the East final by keeping the Capitals’ to a minimum
High school/youth sports
11 Syracuse high school athletes charged with unlawful imprisonment misdemeanor over alleged hazing
Scoreboards