Sports
Jocelyn Briski shuts down Nebraska, leads Alabama to WCWS semifinals
May 28, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide starting pitcher Jocelyn Briski (23) throws a pitch in the first inning against the UCLA Bruins during the NCAA Women’s College World Series at Devon Park. Alabama won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images Marlie Giles set the tone with a three-run homer to lift Alabama into the Women’s College World Series semifinals with a 5-1 defeat of Nebraska Saturday night in Oklahoma City.
That alone proved to be enough for Alabama pitcher Jocelyn Briski, who threw a complete-game one-hitter to move the Crimson Tide (56-7) one win away from the WCWS Championship Series.
Giles added a run on a sacrifice fly, finishing with four RBIs. Leadoff hitter Jena Young was 2-for-2 with an RBI single.
Lauren Camenzind provided the only hit for Nebraska (52-8), a fourth-inning solo homer. Jordy Frahm allowed three runs over two innings in her start. She was replaced by Alexis Jensen, who struck out six over four innings but allowed two unearned runs on two hits.
Despite putting the first two batters of the home first inning on base, the Crimson Tide seemed destined to come up empty after consecutive strikeouts. Giles made sure that wasn’t the case, smashing a first-pitch homer over the wall in center to open a 3-0 lead.
Briski retired the first 11 batters of the game before allowing her lone hit and run on Camenzind’s homer. She followed by retiring 10 of the final 12 batters she faced, with the only two baserunners reaching on errors. Briski struck out six and gave up no free passes to improve to 25-3.
Nebraska, which had a 27-game win streak snapped, faces Texas Sunday in an elimination game for the right to face Tennessee in the semifinals. Alabama awaits the winner of Sunday’s other elimination game between Texas Tech and UCLA for a Monday semifinal.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Emma Clarke homer powers Tennessee past Texas Tech in WCWS
May 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Tennessee Lady Volunteers infielder Emma Clarke (13) hits a walk-off home run in the ninth inning beating the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the NCAA Women’s College World Series at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images Emma Clarke’s home run in the bottom of the ninth inning ended a deadlock and gave Tennessee a walk-off 2-1 win over Texas Tech Saturday in a winner’s bracket game at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Clarke, who had been 0-for-3 when she stepped up to bat lead-off in the ninth, lifted pitcher Kaitlyn Terry’s hanger to deep left, making short work of any late inning dramatics.
Tennessee (49-10) also got a solo home run from Taelyn Holley against Nijaree Canady in the fifth inning.
The two dingers proved enough for starting pitcher Karlyn Pickens and reliever Sage Mardjetko, who combined to surrender one run on five hits with eight strikeouts and five walks over nine innings.
Texas Tech (58-8) got on the board to tie things up in the seventh when Taylor Pannell led the inning off with a single, advanced to second on a walk, stole third base and then finally reached home when Desirae Spearman hit a sacrifice fly to center. Tennessee center fielder Sophia Knight made a strong throw home and Pannell was initially ruled out before the play was challenged and overturned when replays showed catcher Elsa Morrison missed the tag.
But that was it for scoring for the Red Raiders, who could only manage just one extra-base hit, a double by Mia Williams.
Tennessee advances to the semifinals of the tournament. The Red Raiders will now face UCLA (53-9) in an elimination game Sunday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rain washes out qualifying, Denny Hamlin to start on Nashville pole
May 30, 2026; Lebanon, Tennessee, USA; Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (11) will start from the pole tomorrow at Nashville Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images LEBANON, Tenn. — Intermittent light rain showers forced the cancellation of Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Qualifying at Nashville Superspeedway, resulting in Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin starting from pole position in Sunday night’s Cracker Barrel 400 (7 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Championship points leader Tyler Reddick will start his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota alongside Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota on the front row as Toyota hopes to earn its first ever series win at the 1.33-mile concrete oval.
Last week’s Charlotte race winner Daniel Suarez will start third in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet with JGR’s Christopher Bell (No. 20 Toyota) and two-time and reigning series champion Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet) rounding out the top five on the 38-car grid.
Defending race winner, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, will start his No. 12 Ford seventh.
Bell, who was fastest in the practice session, said he didn’t expect the cancelled time trials to make a big difference in either the run of the 400-miler or ultimately the outcome of the race. Especially with the field getting some time on track with practice.
“Well, it’s good for me today, because I have a good metric, so I’m okay with that,’ Bell said smiling of the formulation NASCAR used to set the field in lieu of qualifying.
His competitors were not overly concerned with the cancellation of qualifying, either — instead just glad to turn some laps and dial in their cars.
“They put a lot of resin down in both corners, more than they’ve done in the past and we’re really curious how the cars are going to drive,” said Roush Fenway Keselowski owner-driver Brad Keselowski. “So it’s semi-important (to qualify) although we’ve been racing here for the last three or four years, so we all have a pretty good feel for it.”
–Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
Sports
Aneesah Morrow, Sun earn first home win at Sparks' expense
May 30, 2026; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun center Brittney Griner (42) defends against Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) in the first half at PeoplesBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Aneesah Morrow collected game highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds as the Connecticut Sun hung on down the stretch for an 84-81 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night in Hartford, Conn.
Playing the first of two games in Hartford this season before the team moves to Houston for next season, the Sun (2-8) snapped a three-game losing streak and earned their first home win of the season.
Morrow posted her third straight double-double while shooting 6 of 13 from the floor. Reserve Kennedy Burke added 14 points while Diamond Miller and Leila Lacan contributed 12 apiece as the Sun shot 41.8% (28 of 67) and outrebounded the Sparks 37-29 in a game that featured 11 lead changes and seven ties.
Rae Burrell and Ace Atkins scored 16 apiece to lead the Sparks, who nearly erased a nine-point deficit in the second night of a back-to-back. Erica Wheeler added 13 while Nneka Ogwumike contributed 12 as Los Angeles (4-4) lost for only the second time in six games and fell to 1-1 without WNBA leading scorer Kelsey Plum (ankle).
The Sun held a 69-64 lead a little over two minutes into the fourth following a 16-footer by Lacan. Miller converted a layup for a 75-66 lead with 3:56 remaining.
The Sparks chipped away and trailed 81-79 when Burrell sank a 3 with 52 seconds left, but the Sun sank three free throws in the final 12 seconds to finish it off.
Los Angeles held a 33-27 lead on a 3 by Atkins with 3:25 left in the second quarter, and the Sun ended the half with an 11-3 spurt for a 39-36 edge after rookie Gianna Kneepkens sank a 3 with 1.5 seconds left.
Miller’s 3 gave the Sun a 48-41 lead with 7:19 left in the third and Morrow’s triple put Connecticut up 51-45 a little over two minutes later. After losing the lead, the Sun took a 62-60 edge into the fourth when Burke split a pair at the line with 5.2 seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media
Emma Clarke homer powers Tennessee past Texas Tech in WCWS
Rain washes out qualifying, Denny Hamlin to start on Nashville pole
