Thursday June 29th Local Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson homered late and doubled in an early run and the Atlanta Braves won their fifth straight game, beating the Minnesota Twins 3-0 for a series sweep. Atlanta has won 21 of 25 to improve to a National League-leading 53-27. Kolby Allard, Kirby Yates, A.J. Minter, Joe Jiménez and Raisel Iglesias combined on the four-hitter with 14 strikeouts. The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the first when Ronald Acuña Jr. walked, stole second base, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Olson’s double. The Twins couldn’t capitalize on their scoring opportunities and finished 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. They went 0 for 23 in the three-game series.

 

ATLANTA (AP) — Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli closed the clubhouse Wednesday to keep out reporters after his team was swept in a three-game series by the Atlanta Braves. Baldelli said the players were having a meeting to sort out what went wrong following a 3-0 loss, the team’s sixth shutout of the season. The Twins began the day with a half-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, but they dropped to 40-42 and were 0 for 23 with runners in scoring position during the series with Atlanta. Five Braves pitchers combined to hold Minnesota to four hits with 14 strikeouts. As a team, Minnesota closed the first half of the season with a .232 batting average and a .710 OPS.

 

ST. ANSGAR — Newman scored one run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth on their way to a 5-3 win over St. Ansgar in Top of Iowa Conference East Division baseball play last night. The top-ranked team in Class 1A improves to 16-0 in conference play and 27-3 overall. The Knights will host Garner-Hayfield-Ventura tonight and Dike-New Hartford tomorrow night before facing BCLUW in the opening round of Class 1A district tournament play on Saturday.

 

HAMPTON — Clear Lake utilized an eight-run sixth inning to beat Hampton-Dumont-CAL 12-3 in North Central Conference baseball last night. Titan Schmitt was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored while Tate Garman also knocked in two. Hudson Carney picked up the win, going six innings, striking out seven. Clear Lake is now 13-10 overall and 9-4 in the conference and will travel to Cedar Rapids today to face Monticello at the Mt. Mercy Alumni Coaches Classic.

 

 

— other baseball last night
Nashua-Plainfield 11, West Fork 9
North Butler 10, Rockford 0
Osage 12, Northwood-Kensett 2
Bishop Garrigan 16, West Hancock 1
Eagle Grove 10, North Iowa 0
Forest City 13, Lake Mills 0
Humboldt 11, St. Edmond 3
Algona 11, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 1
Webster City 11, Iowa Falls-Alden 0

 

 

ST. ANSGAR — Newman pushed across both of their runs in the first inning and then held off a St. Ansgar rally in the seventh for a 2-1 win in Top of Iowa Conference East Division softball last night. Leah Brown knocked in both runs for the Knights with a single in the opening frame. Sami Kruckenberg picked up the win in the circle, striking out six and allowing only two hits. Newman finishes the regular season with a 26-7 record and finished second in the Top of Iowa East with a 12-4 mark. The Knights are off until next Wednesday when they host either St. Ansgar or Rockford in a Class 1A Region 6 quarterfinal round contest.

 

 

HAMPTON — Makella Jacobs hit two home runs as Clear Lake won at Hampton-Dumont-CAL 15-4 last night in North Central Conference softball. Clear Lake improves to 11-12 on the season and 7-6 in the conference. The Lions close out the regular season on Friday hosting Algona.

 

 

— other softball last night
Mason City 5, Des Moines East 3; Des Moines East 11, Mason City 8
North Butler 10, Rockford 0
Osage 7, Northwood-Kensett 0
West Fork 20, Nashua-Plainfield 5
Bishop Garrigan 12, West Hancock 0
Eagle Grove 7, North Iowa 6
Lake Mills 8, Forest City 0
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 11, Algona 8
St. Edmond 6, Humboldt 3
Webster City 12, Iowa Falls-Alden 0

 

 

IOWA CITY — Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark has been taking golf lessons getting ready for next week’s John Deere Classic in the Quad Cities. The national player of the year will team with Iowa native and former Masters and British Open champion Zach Johnson in next Wednesday’s Pro-Am.

Clark says coach Lisa Bluder has excused her from weight lifting next Wednesday to play in the event. She admits there will be some nerves.

Clark says the strength of her game is off the tee but she struggles with putting.

The Pro-Am is played next Wednesday ahead of the tournament, which takes place Thursday through Sunday.

 

 

 

WATERLOO — Waterloo’s indoor football team that begins play in 2024 will be known as the Woo. Waterloo native Bailey McRae was also named the Woo’s General Manager.

McRae says the next step is to hire staff and a coach.

The Woo will play home games at the Hippodrome on the grounds of the National Cattle Congress.

The new four-team league will also have teams in Duluth, Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri.