Sports
Women's NCAA Sacramento 4 roundup: Iowa evades Fairleigh Dickinson upset bid
Mar 21, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards (8) looks to shoot over Southern Jaguars guard Olivia Delancy (30) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images Ava Heiden scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to help No. 2 seed Iowa survive a strong upset bid from No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson for a 58-48 win in Sacramento Region 4 first-round NCAA Tournament action Saturday in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes (27-6) led by just two points entering the fourth quarter after they were outscored 16-15 over the middle two periods. Heiden accounted for half of the team’s scoring with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line, all of which came in the final quarter.
Hannah Stuelke added 13 points and a career-high-tying 16 rebounds as Iowa overcame a 1-for-13 3-point performance by handily outrebounding the Knights 47-28 to win their seventh straight NCAA Tournament opener.
The Hawkeyes next host No. 10 seed Virginia on Monday for a spot in the Sweet 16.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s only lead of the game came at 3-2, but the Knights (30-5) cut a 15-point first-quarter deficit to three points by the end of the first with a 12-0 run and trailed by one at halftime. Ava Renninger was the only Fairleigh Dickinson player in double figures with 13 points.
Bella Toomey tallied nine off the bench on a trio of treys, and Madlena Gerke and Kailee McDonald chipped in eight apiece as the Knights saw their 22-game winning streak come to an end.
No. 1 South Carolina 103, No. 16 Southern 34
Joyce Edwards scored 27 points to lead five Gamecocks players in double figures in a first-round romp over the Jaguars in Columbia, S.C.
Regional top seed South Carolina (32-3) will meet Southern Cal on Monday. Ta’Niya Latson had 17 points, Madina Okat and Agot Makeer both scored 15 and Tessa Johnson had 14 for the Gamecocks, who made 54.7% of their shots from the field.
Joceyln Tate had 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench for Southern (20-14), which shot just 18.5% from the field and committed 20 turnovers. The Jaguars knocked off Samford on the same court two days earlier in the First Four, but they were no match for South Carolina.
The Gamecocks led 23-6 early in the second quarter and outscored Southern 32-2 in the third quarter.
Johnson, who also pulled in 10 rebounds, connected on four of South Carolina’s eight 3-point baskets, matching Southern’s 3-point total. Alicia Tournebize had 11 rebounds for South Carolina, which built a 57-33 rebounding edge.
No. 10 Virginia 82, No. 7 Georgia 73 (OT)
Kymora Johnson poured in 28 points and Sa’Myah Smith racked up 23 as the Cavaliers dominated overtime in a first-round victory in Iowa City, Iowa.
Romi Levy provided 14 points for No. 10 seed Virginia (21-11), which takes on the Fairleigh Dickinson-Iowa winner on Monday. The Cavaliers outscored Georgia 11-2 in the extra period.
Mia Woolfolk, a Virginia native, posted 27 points and Rylie Theuerkauf, aided by five 3-point baskets, compiled 22 points for seventh-seeded Georgia (22-10). Savannah Henderson had 11 points, but the Bulldogs shot 7 of 24 on 3-pointers.
With the score tied at 71-all, Georgia got off two shots in the final seconds of regulation but didn’t connect.
Georgia wasn’t able to take full advantage of a huge edge in free-throw opportunities, going 22 of 35 at the line. Virginia was just 12 of 15, with six of those attempts coming in the final two minutes of overtime.
No. 9 USC 71, No. 8 Clemson 67 (OT)
Jazzy Davidson scored six of her game-high 31 points in overtime as the Trojans outlasted the Tigers in a first-round matchup in Columbia, S.C.
After Clemson (21-12) took a three-point lead in overtime, Davidson drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to put USC (18-13) ahead to stay. Kara Dunn scored 22, including four 3-pointers, and Kennedy Smith added 12 points and six rebounds for the Trojans.
Taylor Johnson-Matthews scored a team-high 16 for Clemson, which forced the extra session on two Mia Moore free throws with 50 seconds left. Moore finished with nine points, six rebounds and six assists, while Raven Thompson posted an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double. Morgan Lee chipped in 12 points off the bench.
The Trojans shot 45% (27 of 60) from the field while holding the Tigers to just 37.3% (22 of 59). Clemson won the rebound battle 37-33, but USC held a 32-26 edge in points in the paint.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Four solo shots, Justin Wrobleski's pitching lift Dodgers past Phils
May 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Justin Wrobleski gave up one run on one hit over seven innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers increased their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Wrobleski (7-2) recorded a career-high nine strikeouts with no walks on 88 pitches as he rebounded from a pair of losses in his past three starts.
Freddie Freeman hit a first-inning home run and Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith also went deep as the Dodgers won for the 13th time in their past 15 games.
Kyle Schwarber homered, but Zack Wheeler gave up four home runs as the Phillies saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Wheeler (4-1) permitted four runs on five hits over six innings while absorbing his first loss in seven starts this year. He fanned four and walked one.
The Dodgers were in complete control from the outset.
Freeman made it 1-0 in the opening inning on his eighth home run of the season and his fourth in the past nine games.
Muncy hit his 13th of the season in the second inning for a 2-0 lead.
Ohtani continued his power resurgence with a home run in the third, just his 10th of the season but his third in the past eight games.
Smith made it 4-0 in the fifth inning with his sixth of the season, giving Los Angeles 12 home runs over the past three games.
Wrobleski carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Schwarber hit a two-out home run, his major-league-leading 22nd.
The Philadelphia offense came to life in the eighth inning against Edgardo Henriquez. Brandon Marsh doubled with one out and Steward Berroa delivered a two-out RBI single in his Phillies debut, cutting the deficit to 4-2.
Schwarber came to the plate as the tying run but struck out against Alex Vesia.
Los Angeles’ Tanner Scott pitched a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save and first since May 14, finishing off a 2-hour, 3-minute game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Blaze Alexander, Orioles finish sweep of Rays in dominant fashion
May 27, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates with Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Gunnar Henderson hit the first of his two home runs in Baltimore’s five-run first inning as the Orioles beat the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 11-2 on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep against the team with the best record in the American League.
Rookie Trey Gibson took a shutout into the sixth inning to gain his first victory.
Blaze Alexander drove in six runs with a single, double and home run, Coby Mayo scored three runs and Adley Rutschman added three hits, including two doubles.
Henderson’s two-run shot in the first inning opened the scoring and he drilled a solo blast to lead off the sixth. Alexander, in the No. 8 spot in the batting order, clobbered a two-run homer in the seventh.
Baltimore’s first five batters of the game scored off Tampa Bay starter Steven Matz (4-2). Leody Taveras rapped a run-scoring single and Alexander had a two-run single.
Hunter Feduccia had three hits and Jonathan Aranda posted two hits for the Rays, who’ve lost four games in a row for the first time this season.
Gibson (1-0), who was placed back on the roster earlier in the day as the Orioles slightly shuffled their rotation, worked 5 2/3 innings and gave up one run and six hits and four walks. He struck out one.
The Rays grounded into three double plays across the first five innings.
Matz was charged with six runs on seven hits in three innings.
The Orioles pushed their lead to 6-0 in the third on Tyler O’Neill’s single. Alexander’s two-run double in the fifth added to the margin.
The Rays used Hunter Bigge and Jonathan Heasley, who allowed two runs in his first inning and one more in his next inning, in relief. In his first appearance of the season, Heasley was tagged for five runs on eight hits over four innings.
Tampa Bay loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth and managed only one run on Ryan Vilade’s walk before three straight strikeouts ended the threat.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Liberty ride 23-0 third-quarter surge to victory over Mercury
May 27, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) brings the ball up court while defended by Phoenix Mercury forward Marta Suarez (77) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Marine Johannes scored a game-high 21 points and her New York Liberty went on a 23-0 run to close the third quarter en route to an 84-74 win over the visiting Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday.
Johannes made a career-high seven 3-pointers, missing just twice from long range. The Liberty also got 17 points and 12 rebounds from Jonquel Jones, while Breanna Stewart contributed 11 points and six boards.
Kahleah Copper led Phoenix with 19 points, but she shot just 6 of 18 from the floor. Natasha Mack added 14 points, and Alyssa Thomas posted nine points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
New York (4-4) broke a three-game losing streak, its worst skid since 2002. Phoenix (2-6) took its fourth loss in a row.
The contest was a rematch of last year’s playoffs, when Phoenix eliminated New York by winning two of three in a first-round series.
Two players made their season debut: New York’s Leonie Fiebich and Phoenix’s Monique Akoa Makani. Fiebich, who was late to the party because she was finishing her Spanish League season, scored nine points in 33 minutes. Akoa Makani, who was finishing her season in France, put up nine points in 19 minutes.
In addition, New York’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton returned after missing three games due to personal reasons. She scored seven points off the bench.
New York was without All-Stars Sabrina Ionescu (sore back) and Satou Sabally (illness). Sabally played for Phoenix last year.
The Liberty led 24-22 after an exciting first quarter that included 12 points and three assists from Johannes. She made 4 of 5 from 3-point range and also had a behind-the-back pass for an assist.
Phoenix took its first lead of the game, 31-29, on a Copper 3-pointer with 7:03 left in the second quarter, capping a 7-0 run. By halftime, Phoenix led, 43-42.
The second quarter featured six Liberty turnovers and none by Phoenix.
Johannes led all first-half scorers with 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Copper topped Phoenix with 10 points before the break.
Jones scored 10 points in the decisive third quarter. At one point, New York forced five consecutive turnovers, and the Liberty entered the fourth with a 72-55 lead.
The Mercury never got the margin down to single digits in the final quarter.
For the game, New York shot 14-for-30 (46.7%) on 3-point attempts. Phoenix shot 10-for-30 (33.3%), and the Liberty also had a 26-9 edge in points off turnovers.
–Field Level Media
Four solo shots, Justin Wrobleski's pitching lift Dodgers past Phils
Blaze Alexander, Orioles finish sweep of Rays in dominant fashion
