BASEBALL
Tyler Fote’s two-run double highlighted a four-run seventh inning, and the Bristol Blues added seven runs in the eighth to pull away for a 12-7 win over the Sanford Mainers in Game 1 of the best-of-three New England Collegiate Baseball League semifinals Thursday night at Goodall Park.
Bristol broke a 1-1 tie with the help of two Sanford errors in the seventh. Griffin Amone’s three-run homer capped the eighth-inning outburst.
The Blues can clinch the series with a win Friday night in Connecticut. Game 3, if necessary, would be Saturday night in Sanford.
EASTERN LEAGUE: Billy Cook hit a three-run homer in the second inning and a grand slam during a seven-run fifth as the Bowie Baysox routed the Portland Sea Dogs 13-7 in Bowie, Maryland.
Portland grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the second on a two-run double by Tyler Dearden and an RBI single by Tyler McDonough, but the Sea Dogs were held hitless after that until the eighth, when Blaze Jordan belted a three-run homer.
Dearden homered in the ninth.
SOCCER
ENGLAND: NFL great Tom Brady has become a minority owner of English second-tier soccer team Birmingham.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has partnered with the club’s holding company, U.S.-based Knighthead Capital Management, and becomes chairman of a new advisory board, Brady and Birmingham said Thursday.
Birmingham last played in the Premier League in 2011, the same year it won the English League Cup – one of two major trophies the club has captured in its 148-year history.
GOLF
PGA: Russell Henley shot an 8-under 62 in the opening round of the Wyndham Championship – the final tournament before the PGA Tour’s postseason.
Henley hit his approach to 6 feet for eagle on the par-5 15th on his way to a 30 on the back nine at rain-softened Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. He led by one over Adam Svensson and Byeong Hun An, who birdied his last two holes.
Adam Scott, who likely needs a top-10 finish to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, was tied for fifth after a 65. Scott is currently 81st in the playoff standings, and only the top 70 qualify.
Justin Thomas, No. 79 in the standings, is in danger of missing another cut after opening with a 70.
LPGA: Hinako Shibuno shot an 8-under 64 to take the first-round lead at the Women’s Scottish Open in Irvine, Scotland.
The Japanese major champion’s bogey-free round put her two shots ahead of Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden.
TENNIS
DC OPEN: Top-seeded Jessica Pegula rolled into the quarterfinals in Washington by beating fellow American Peyton Stearns, 6-3, 6-4.
Caroline Garcia, the No. 2 seed, got knocked out by Marta Kostyuk, 6-2, 6-3.
American J.J. Wolf and fifth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov advanced to the men’s quarterfinals.
HOCKEY
NHL: The Edmonton Oilers have hired Connor McDavid’s longtime agent, Jeff Jackson, as their CEO of hockey operations.
Jackson will report directly to owner Daryl Katz and work closely with president of hockey operations Ken Holland.
AUTO RACING
INDYCAR: The 2024 season will end with a race on the streets of Nashville on Sept. 15, IndyCar President Mark Miles announced.
IndyCar’s final race this season is at Laguna Seca in Salinas, California. Miles said that location will remain on the 2024 series schedule that has yet to be released.
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