SUNDAY SPORTS PAGE: SURGE TAKES DOWN RATTLERS
CEBL
The Calgary Surge (10-8) confirm their spot in the 2023 post-season as their stifling defence held the Saskatchewan Rattlers to their second-lowest point total of the year in a 79-64 win.
Saskatchewan entered the night as winners of four of their last five games, averaging 88.8 points per game during that span. However, the league’s best defence (83 OPPG) held the Rattlers to under 35 per cent shooting from the field and distance, while holding them to just 12 points in the final quarter of the contest.
Justin Wright-Foreman did almost all of the damage on the other end for Saskatchewan as no other player on the team scored more than nine points. He finished the night with 30 points and nine rebounds, and his 30-point night was the third such performance he’s put up in five outings.
The Surge return to action on July 26 to finish off a three-game home with an Alberta rivalry game against the Edmonton Stingers.
Meanwhile Saskatchewan only have one more game left in their season as they try to keep some hope for the playoffs alive. They’ll be hosting this Surge team once again on July 28 in their regular season finale, looking to make one final push for the post-season.
MLB
J-P Crawford and Teoscar Hernandez both hit two-run doubles as part of Seattle’s five-run seventh inning against Toronto’s bullpen, and the Mariners rallied for a wild 9-8 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. The teams combined for seven home runs. Seattle led 3-0, watched Toronto rally for leads of 5-3 and 7-4, before the Mariners finally took control. Vladimir Guerrero Junior, Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier all homered for the Jays, who lost Friday’s opener 3-2 and will wrap up their series in Seattle tomorrow.
Three blowouts highlighted a busy M-L-B schedule on Saturday. In Detroit, the visiting San Diego Padres scored four times in the third and five times in the fifth en route to a 14-3 win over the Tigers. C-J Abrams homered on his bobblehead night and the Washington Nationals scored six times in the second and pounded the visiting San Francisco Giants 10-1, while the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers squashed the Texas Rangers 16-3.
LEAGUES CUP
C-F Montreal had to work overtime to secure its first Leagues Cup victory on Saturday after it looked like they were home free after 85 minutes of play. Up 2-0 against visiting Pumas UNAM of Mexico on first-half goals by Bryce Duke and Mathieu Choiniere, Montreal surrendered late goals to Gabriel Fernandez and Emanuel Montejano before finally winning 4-2 on penalties. Montreal next plays D-C United on Wednesday.
BRITISH OPEN
Brian Harman is one round away from becoming a major champion at the British Open. He started the day with a five-shot lead at Royal Liverpool and that’s how he ended it. Harman finished with a 69 and is five shots ahead of Cameron Young, the runner-up at St. Andrews last year. Jon Rahm shot 63 and got within six shots. No one has lost a five-shot lead on Sunday in a major since 1999. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ontario is tied for 24th at 1 under.
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
Sophia Smith is among 14 players on the U-S national team who are playing in their first Women’s World Cup. She made a splash with a pair of goals and an assist in the Americans’ 3-0 victory over Vietnam to open the tournament. Smith has had a quick rise on the international stage after missing out on the U-S team for the Tokyo Olympics. She was named last year’s U-S Soccer Player of the Year and the MVP of the National Women’s Soccer League.
(CEBL, Canadian Press)
