Baylor recovered after blowing a 17-point lead and losing a star player, beating Notre Dame 82-81 for the NCAA women’s basketball championship Sunday when 2018 tournament hero Arike Ogunbowale missed a foul shot in the final seconds.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

As if he had a sense of what was coming, Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright paused as he took the field Sunday afternoon and urged the crowd at Busch Stadium to come with him.

Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

A nine-game trip that seemed like an eternity ended Sunday for the Cubs in a 4-2 loss to the rival Brewers at Miller Park.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University softball team took two from the Evansville Purple Aces Saturday to complete the three-game sweep of the Aces and run their win streak to 10 games. It’s the longest win streak for the Salukis since 2011.

Southern’s defense and pitching were once again exceptional in SIU’s two wins Saturday. Brianna Jones, Claire Miller and Holly Marousek combined to allow just one run on nine hits in 14 innings. Miller won game one in the circle as she threw five and two third innings, allowed one run on six hits and struck out three. Jones picked her league-leading fourth save after she retired all four batters she faced.

In game two, Marousek got the start and lasted three innings and allowed just two hits while striking out two. Jones came on in relief of Marousek and went four innings, allowed just one hit and struck out four. In doing so, Jones improved to 15-6 in the circle this season and broke a tie with Cassidy Scoggins for second on SIU’s all-time wins list with her 82nd career victory.

SIU’s defense, which came into Saturday’s contests ranked No. 8 nationally in fielding percentage, extended its streak of innings without an error to 62 after it went error-free in both games Saturday.

“We were a little disappointed offensively but you have to give credit to Evansville’s pitching staff,” 20th-year head coach Kerri Blaylock said. “We were uncharacteristically undisciplined at the plate. But wow- amazing pitching and defense today. Holly, Claire and Bri all were outstanding and our defense was phenomenal.”

The Salukis won game one Saturday after they scratched across two runs in the sixth, highlighted by a go-ahead solo home run from Maddy Vermejan.

In the second game of the day, Megan Brown manufactured a run in the fourth and Katelyn Massa crushed a solo shot to the deepest part of Charlotte West Stadium in the sixth to give Jones all the run support she needed.

“Maddy and Katelyn’s home runs both were huge,” Blaylock said. “Maddy came up clutch in a big spot while Massa hit hers into the teeth of the wind when we didn’t think we would get one out.”

In game one, both teams put up zeros through the first four innings. Miller worked around traffic on the base paths, as Evansville stranded runners on third in four of the first five innings. After she got out of the fifth unscathed, SIU’s offense broke through in the bottom of the frame.

Maddy Vermejan belted an opposite field solo home run, her second of the season, to plate Southern’s first run. Ashley Wood then roped a two-out single, stole second and came in to score on a RBI-single by Katelyn Massa.

Evansville got a run back with a solo homer in the sixth and notched back-to-back, two-out singles to chase Miller. Jones came on in relief and needed just 16 pitches to shut down the Aces and complete the save.

In the series finale, Southern matched zeros with Evansville through the first three innings thanks in part to their defense. Jenny Jansen made back-to-back putouts in the third, including a diving grab in centerfield to steal a hit away from Evansville for the second out.

The Salukis broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth thanks to the base running of Megan Brown. Brown crushed a single, advanced to second on a grounder, stole third and came into score after the throw to third went into the outfield.

Southern added to its lead in the sixth after Massa hit a solo home run, her fifth of the season, to put the Salukis ahead 2-0. SIU loaded the bases with two outs in the frame but couldn’t scratch another run across.

The Aces got two on in the seventh and sent the winning run to the plate but Jones got Allison Daggett to tap out to second for the final out.

Southern will play its next 11 games on the road beginning Tuesday, April 9 at Missouri State. First pitch of game three in the Missouri Valley Conference series is slated for a 12 p.m. start time.
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