Chinese Taipei defeated South Korea 5-4 in 10 innings Sunday in the World Baseball Classic with C...

Chinese Taipei defeated South Korea 5-4 in 10 innings Sunday in the World Baseball Classic with Chieh-Hsien Chen — who began as the designated runner — scoring the winning run in the top of the inning on a sacrifice bunt by Kun-Yu Chiang.Chinese Taipei improved to 2-2 and has completed play in Pool C. South Korea is 1-2 and finishes play Monday against Australia. Australia has already beaten Chinese Taipei.Chinese Taipei hit three home runs in the game, but it was the small ball in the end that saved the day.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Yu Chang hit a solo shot in the first and Tsung-Che Cheng had another solo homer in the second with Stuart Fairchild giving Chinese Taipei a 4-3 lead on a two-run shot in the eighth. It was Fairchild's second home run of the tournament. The other was a grand slam against the Czech Republic."That was one of the most fun games I've every played in my life," said Fairchild, an outfielder in the Cleveland Guardians organization who is playing because his mother is from Taiwan.Fairchild’s home run looked like it might be enough, but not quite.South Korea rallied as it did several times throughout the game and tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Do Yeong Kim with Hyeseong Kim scoring.South Korea got close to scoring the tying run in the bottom of the 10th but Ju Won Kim was thrown out on a close play at home. A replayed showed he was out.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This clutch play at the plate by Nien-Ting Wu helped seal the deal for Team Chinese Taipei's big victory 🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldBaseballClassic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldBaseballClassic</a> <a href="https://t.co/PMoFTBDME0">pic.twitter.com/PMoFTBDME0</a>— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/WBCBaseball/status/2030529878106177806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Yi Chang got the victory for Taiwan with Jyun-Yue Tseng picking up the save. The loss went to Woo-Suk-Go.Japan and Shohei Ohtani faces Australia in the second game in Pool C on Sunday.

TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 08: Ju Won Kim #7 of Team Republic of Korea is tagged out at home by Shao-Hung Chiang #63 of Team Chinese Taipei in the 10th inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Chinese Taipei and South Korea at Tokyo Dome on March 8, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan.

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Chinese Taipei beats South Korea in extras to stay alive at WBC

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Mercedes George Russell won a thrilling season-opening Formula 1 Aust...

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Mercedes George Russell won a thrilling season-opening Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, with teammate Kimi Antonelli following him home, after a double-stacked pit stop under the virtual safety car outmaneuvered a lightning quick start by Ferrari.It was Mercedes' 61st one-two result and first since 2024's Las Vegas Grand Prix."We knew it was going to be challenging," Russell said. "I go onto the grid; I saw my battery level. I have nothing in the tank, made a bad start and honestly some really tight battles with Charles (Leclerc).<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I was really glad to cross the finish line, but honestly, thank you so much for the whole team because it's been a long time coming to have this car beneath us, and I'm yeah, couldn't start off in a better way."Pole sitter Russell had a sluggish start, as did Antonelli who dropped to seventh, allowing Ferrari's Leclerc — making best use of his smaller turbo for a quicker spool-up and getaway — to take the lead into turn one.The Monégasque then battled for the top spot with Russell, passing and repassing, before the Lap 12 deployment of the virtual safety car to cover the stopped Red Bull car of Isack Hadjar saw both Mercedes cars take an opportunistic pit stop — a move that proved decisive.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Russell gets back into the lead! ⏩💨 Could this be the move which decides the race for the Mercedes driver? 🧐<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusGP</a> <a href="https://t.co/sBvZkbysGe">pic.twitter.com/sBvZkbysGe</a>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/2030506076131496055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Russell's teammate was again relieved to fight back to second, having dropped down to seventh at the start before weaving his way back into the podium positions."The racing was incredible," Antonelli said. "The first few laps, the overtake is so powerful that you can give a lot of action. It was really good fun at the beginning and now, a bit of rest and looking forward to China.”Ferrari outmaneuveredLeclerc was third for his first podium for Ferrari since Mexico last year, with the 28-year-old frustrated to not go one place higher after the Scuderia erred by failing to follow Mercedes’' quick thinking for a cheap pit stop under the virtual safety car, as the rest of the field drove at a slower pace.Leclerc, though, didn't think the win was possible."I don't think so, but maybe I'm wrong,” he said. "It looked like Mercedes maybe had a bit more pace than us today. But, maybe not as much as what we saw yesterday, so that's a good thing. But I don't think we could have won."Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton was fourth, 0.6 seconds behind at the flag, having chased him hard in the closing laps. The seven-time world champion was vocal over the radio at Ferrari's strategic blunders."At least one of us should have come in," Hamilton said as both Mercedes' pitted.Sorry day for McLarenEarlier, the local fans in the stands were heartbroken after McLaren's Oscar Piastri crashed out on the way to the grid at the exit of turn four, likely due to an energy spike in his power unit, which ruled him out of his home race before the start.Lando Norris closed out the top-five. The reigning world champion not only clawed his way back from outside the top-10 after a slow start — but in the closing laps, fought off Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who rocketed from 20th on the grid to finish sixth after 58 laps. The Dutchman was the last racer to finish on the lead lap, albeit 54.6 seconds behind winner Russell.Oliver Bearman was seventh, up from 12th on the grid, and the sole Haas to finish in the points, with his teammate Esteban Ocon finishing 11th. Bearman finished ahead of 2026's only rookie, Arvid Lindblad, who scored four points on his F1 debut for eighth place — but was as high as fourth during the race.Gabriel Bortoleto was ninth for German giant Audi's first points in its first race, while Alpine's Pierre Gasly closed out the top-10, earning his first point since last year’s São Paulo Grand Prix.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 08: Race winner George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Second placed Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and Hywel Thomas, Managing director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains on the podium with the trophies during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 08, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Russell wins Australian GP to open F1 season

Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer and Gunnar Henderson had four hits and two RBIs as the United ...

Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer and Gunnar Henderson had four hits and two RBIs as the United States rolled to a 9-1 victory over Great Britain on Saturday night at the World Baseball Classic.Team USA improved to 2-0 in Pool B at Houston, while Great Britain dropped to 0-2.Nate Eaton homered on Tarik Skubal's first pitch to give Great Britain a quick lead it held until the fifth inning. But his teammates couldn't muster anything else at the plate.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>U.S. hitters had managed just one single when Ernie Clement reached on an error by third baseman Ivan Johnson to start the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled before Clement scored on a wild pitch by Andre Scrubb to tie it at 1.Schwarber followed with a 427-foot drive that landed near the back of the second deck in right field to put the United States on top 3-1.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! KYLE SCHWARBER GIVES TEAM USA THE LEAD 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/s0r7SsCKSo">pic.twitter.com/s0r7SsCKSo</a>— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/WBCBaseball/status/2030471475010891914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>There were two outs in the inning when Henderson's two-run single made it 5-1.Aaron Judge, who homered in Friday night's win over Brazil, knocked out a panel in the metal scoreboard with a 109.6-mph RBI single in a three-run sixth that pushed it to 8-1.Skubal allowed two hits with five strikeouts in three innings. It's scheduled to be the only start of the tournament for the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, who will return to spring training with the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.Great Britain plays Italy on Sunday. The Americans are off until reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes pitches Monday night against Mexico.

HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 07: Kyle Schwarber #12 of Team USA hits a two-run home run in the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team Great Britain and Team USA at Daikin Park on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas.

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Schwarber HR leads U.S. over Great Britain at WBC

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Antoine Lorick III scored 18 points, and top-seeded Tennessee State beat ...

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Antoine Lorick III scored 18 points, and top-seeded Tennessee State beat No. 2 seed Morehead State 93-67 on Saturday night for the Tigers' first win in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game since 1994. Travis Harper II made five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for Tennessee State (23-9), which shot 16 of 26 from long range. Dante Harris and Carlous Williams added 16 points apiece. Aaron Nkrumah chipped in with 14 points and six assists. Harris grabbed 11 of the Tigers' 44 rebounds. George Marshall scored 17 points and shot 4 of 9 from beyond the arc to lead Morehead State (20-13). Anouar Mellouk and Davion Cunningham added 12 points each. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Tigers scored a Division-I program-record 55 points in the first half for a 21-point lead. Harris scored 16 points and shot 4 of 7 from deep. Harper added 15 points on five 3s. Marshall scored 12 first-half points for Morehead State. TSU entered having won a program-best 15 conference games. The Tigers won back-to-back tournament titles in 1993 and 1994.The teams split the regular-season series, each winning at home. Tennessee State won the first meeting 105-100 in overtime. Morehead State won the second 94-86. ___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up <a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/ap-newsletters">here</a> (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball</a>

KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 20: Tennessee State Tigers head coach Nolan Smith looks on during the men's college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Tennessee State Tigers on November 20, 2025, at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN.

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Tennessee State routs Morehead State to win OVC Tournament

Luis Arraez homered twice, doubled twice and drove in five runs as Venezuela beat Israel 11-3 in ...

Luis Arraez homered twice, doubled twice and drove in five runs as Venezuela beat Israel 11-3 in Miami.Arraez became the first player with a pair of multi-homer games in his WBC career.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LUIS ARRAEZ AGAIN 😤 He has three hits and FIVE RBI! <a href="https://t.co/sy8e1b77GO">pic.twitter.com/sy8e1b77GO</a>— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/WBCBaseball/status/2030463904040497252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Eugenio Suárez also went deep and Ezequiel Tovar had three hits for Venezuela, which improved to 2-0 in Pool D. It was Israel's first game of the tournament.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Venezuela starter Enmanuel De Jesus struck out eight in five innings of one-run ball.Suárez's two-run homer chased Israel starter Ben Simon and capped a four-run first. Arraez hit an RBI double and scored on Salvador Perez's single.De Jesus retired his first 14 batters until Garrett Stubbs tripled with two outs in the fifth. Matt Mervis followed with an RBI infield single to put Israel on the board.Venezuela regained its four-run lead in the fifth when Arraez hit a solo homer off reliever Jordan Geber.Israel narrowed the deficit again in the sixth on RJ Schreck's solo homer against reliever Ricardo Sánchez before Venezuela broke it open with five runs in the bottom half. Maikel García hit a two-run single and Arraez followed with a three-run homer that made it 10-2.Arraez, a three-time batting champion, has five hits and seven RBIs over the first two games.Harrison Bader hit a solo homer for Israel in the ninth.

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 07: Luis Arraez #2 of Team Venezuela celebrates with teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. #21 after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool D game presented by Capital One between Team Israel and Team Venezuela at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Miami, Florida.

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Arraez powers Venezuela past Israel with 2 HRs 

Darell Hernaiz homered off Severino González to cap a two-run 10th inning as Puerto Rico twice ra...

Darell Hernaiz homered off Severino González to cap a two-run 10th inning as Puerto Rico twice rallied late at San Juan to beat Panama 4-3 and improve to 2-0 in Group A.Willi Castro tied the score at 2-2 on a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk against Alberto Baldonado with two outs in the ninth.José Caballero hit a go-ahead single off Jose Espada in the top of the 10th, then was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Carlos Cortes for the final out of the inning when he tried to score on Leonardo Bernal's single.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Puerto Rico tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom half when Cortes grounded into a run-scoring double play. Hernaiz drove a fastball to left, dropping Panama to 0-2.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
IT'S GONE! PUERTO RICO WINS! DARELL HERNAIZ, WALK-OFF HOME RUN! <a href="https://t.co/L2kIDmzi5N">pic.twitter.com/L2kIDmzi5N</a>— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/WBCBaseball/status/2030479039882789058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Panama had gone ahead 2-0 in the fifth on RBI doubles by Christian Bethancourt and Luis Castillo.Nolan Arenado trimmed the lead with a bases-loaded, sixth-inning sacrifice fly against Javy Guerra. After playing for the U.S. in 2017 and 2023, Arenado switched this time to Puerto Rico — where his mother is from.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THIS IS EPIC ‼️ Team Puerto Rico will never forget this 🇵🇷 <a href="https://t.co/fJ452h7Xlk">pic.twitter.com/fJ452h7Xlk</a>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/2030488383445778667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - MARCH 07: Darell Hernaiz #23 of Team Puerto Rico celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off solo home run against Team Panama during the tenth inning at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on March 07, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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Puerto Rico rallies to beat Panama on Hernaiz's 10th-inning HR

TORONTO (AP) — Nikita Kucherov had three assists in a four-goal first period and added another in...

TORONTO (AP) — Nikita Kucherov had three assists in a four-goal first period and added another in the third to give him 100 points on the season as the Tampa Bay Lightning cruised past the listless Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday night.Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel, with a goal and an assist each, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Ryan McDonagh and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nhl-trade-deadline-takeaways-ee3195323014eb4744c347ee295d7d3b">the newly reacquired</a> Corey Perry scored for Tampa Bay, which snapped a four-game slide.Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves. Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli added two assists.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz stopped 28 shots.The Maple Leafs, who started the night eight points back of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and were booed off the ice, have dropped seven straight since returning from the NHL’s Olympic break.Tampa Bay tops the East and the Atlantic Division with 82 points, which put them 17 clear of Saturday’s opponent.Toronto captain Auston Matthews, who hit the post in the third period on a shot that glanced off Vasilevskiy, has now gone 11 games without scoring, and has just one goal in his last 15 games.Perry was reacquired from L.A. and arrived in Toronto at 4 a.m. Saturday. The 40-year-old played two seasons with the Lightning from 2021 through 2023, including a trip to the Stanley Cup final in 2022.<h3>Up next</h3>Lightning: End a four-game road trip in Buffalo on Sunday.Maple Leafs: Visit Montreal on Tuesday. ___AP NHL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nhl">https://apnews.com/hub/nhl</a>

TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 7: Nikita Kucherov #86 celebrates with Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning following a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Scotiabank Arena on March 7, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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Kucherov's 4 assists power Lightning over slumping Leafs

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Alyssa Thompson scored in the 82nd minute to break a scoreless stalemate an...

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Alyssa Thompson scored in the 82nd minute to break a scoreless stalemate and the United States defeated Colombia 1-0 on Saturday to win the SheBelieves Cup.It was the eighth straight shutout for the United States, which hasn't allowed a goal since a 3-1 victory over Portugal in October. It was also the U.S. team's eighth overall victory in the SheBelieves Cup tournament, now in its 11th year.Earlier in the day at Sports Illustrated Stadium, Canada overcame Argentina 3-2 on penalties after a scoreless draw.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>With the victory over Colombia, the United States went undefeated in the SheBelieves Cup tournament. Canada finished second after a 1-0 loss to the United States on Wednesday, and Colombia was third. Argentina finished the four-team, round robin tournament in last place with no goals scored.The United States is 12-0-2 all-time against Colombia. The only time Las Cafeteras have scored against the Americans was in the group stage of the 2016 Olympics, a 2-2 draw.Following a scoreless first half, U.S. defender Naomi Girma was subbed out because of calf tightness.Thompson, who plays for Chelsea, took a cross from Jaedyn Shaw and deftly scored in the upper corner of the net off the bar, out of reach of Colombia goalkeeper Katherine Tapia.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BAR DOWN BANGER🔥 USWNT x <a href="https://twitter.com/VW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VW</a> <a href="https://t.co/j9t4Hfgetp">pic.twitter.com/j9t4Hfgetp</a>— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/USWNT/status/2030409053810085941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>It was Thompson's fourth international goal and earned her the tournament's MVP award.Before the match, the United States honored former midfielder Tobin Heath, who formally retired last year after struggling with a nagging knee injury.Heath, who won the 2015 and 2019 Women's World Cups with the United States, played her last national team match in 2021. She made 181 appearances for the national team in a career spanning 13 years, scoring 36 goals.

HARRISON, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 07: Members of the United States women's soccer team pose for a photo after their team's 1-0 victory against Colombia during a SheBelieves Cup match at Sports Illustrated Stadium on March 07, 2026 in Harrison, New Jersey.

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USWNT beats Colombia to claim SheBelieves Cup title

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Max Scherzer had a vintage performance in his first spring training outin...

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Max Scherzer had a vintage performance in his first spring training outing for the Toronto Blue Jays, with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/scherzer-daughger-blue-jays-62c4f83554d3e852706a4ae6a33bf8fe">the 41-year-old</a> throwing four no-hit innings in a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.The three-time Cy Young Award winner <a href="https://apnews.com/article/max-scherzer-blue-jays-contract-4b4839dba9cdb5cbe32322dabd84ce77">signed a $3 million, one-year contract</a> in February and is entering his 19th big league season. He can earn another $10 million in performance bonuses.Scherzer needed just 40 pitches to navigate his four innings on Saturday, throwing 29 strikes. He struck out one and walked one.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The eight-time All-Star was 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA over 17 starts for the Blue Jays last season before being a key contributor during the postseason. The veteran right-hander gave up one run over 4 1/3 innings in Game 7 of the World Series, which the Dodgers eventually won 5-4 in an 11-inning classic.Scherzer has won two World Series titles, with Washington in 2019 and Texas in 2023. The eight-time All-Star is 221-117 with a 3.22 ERA for the Diamondbacks, Tigers, Nationals, Dodgers, Mets, Rangers and Blue Jays.He ranks 11th on the career list with 3,489 strikeouts — 20 behind Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/MLB</a>

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 7: Max Scherzer #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during the first inning of a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida.

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Blue Jays' Scherzer throws 4 no-hit innings in spring debut

Dante Nori hit two home runs and Dominic Canzone homered with four RBIs to help Italy to an 8-0 w...

Dante Nori hit two home runs and Dominic Canzone homered with four RBIs to help Italy to an 8-0 win over Brazil in Pool B play on Saturday in Houston.The game was scoreless until the sixth inning when Zach Dezenzo hit an RBI single with one out to put Italy on top. Jac Caglianone followed with a two-out double that scored another run but Dezenzo was tagged out at home on the play to end the inning.Nori’s first home run came with one out in the seventh to make it 3-0. There was one out with two outs when Canzone’s homer to right center field extended the lead to 6-0.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>There was one out in the eighth when Nori went deep again on a solo shot to right center that made it 7-0. Canzone had an RBI double with two outs to leave Italy up 8-0.Brazil managed just four singles to fall to 0-5 all time in the tournament after losing to Japan, Cuba and China in 2013 in its only other WBC appearance. The team lost to the United States 15-5 in its WBC opener on Friday night.Brazil starter Enzo Sawayama allowed two hits in four scoreless innings and Italy starter Sam Aldegheri allowed one hit and struck out eight in 4 2/3 scoreless innings.Italy plays Great Britain on Sunday and Brazil faces Mexico on Sunday night.___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 07: Dante Nori #16 of Team Italy celebrates with teammates after defeating Team Brazil 8-0 during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park on March 07, 2026 in Houston, Texas.

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Nori homers twice, Canzone drives in 4 as Italy blanks Brazil

Ozzie Albies hit a game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the Net...

Ozzie Albies hit a game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the Netherlands over Nicaragua 4-3.The Netherlands began its two-out rally on Ceddanne Rafaela’s single against reliever Angel Obando. Xander Bogaerts doubled, advancing Rafaela to third before Albies hit Obando’s first pitch over the wall in right.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
OZZIE ALBIES! A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC</a> WALK-OFF HOMER FOR TEAM NETHERLANDS 🇳🇱 <a href="https://t.co/T2HRyL233M">pic.twitter.com/T2HRyL233M</a>— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/WBCBaseball/status/2030371756872015961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>The Netherlands improved to 1-1 in Group D. Nicaragua dropped to 0-2.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Jeter Downs hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth to put Nicaragua ahead 3-1. He drove a sinker from Netherlands reliever Lars Huijer over the wall in left-center. Huijer threw two innings of relief for the win.The Netherlands stranded 14 base runners and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position before Albies’ homer.Rafaela, Bogaerts and Druw Jones all had two hits for the Netherlands.Nicaragua starter Erasmo Ramírez plunked Albies with the bases loaded in the third, giving the Netherlands a 1-0 lead. Ramirez allowed one run and five hits over five innings while Netherlands starter Jaitoine Kelly threw two scoreless innings.

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 07: Ozzie Albies #1 of Team Netherlands rounds the bases after hitting a walk off three-run home run to beat Team Nicaragua in the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool D game presented by Capital One at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Miami, Florida.

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Netherlands survives scare, walks off Nicaragua with 2-out rally in 9th

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan stopped the first two attempts she faced and Can...

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan stopped the first two attempts she faced and Canada went on to defeat Argentina 3-2 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the SheBelieves Cup on Saturday.Jordyn Huitema had Canada’s best chance of the first half but Argentina goalkeeper Solana Pereyra got a hand on the hard shot to send it into the crossbar and out of the net. The match remained scoreless the rest of the way.Under new rules for SheBelieves Cup, the match went straight to penalties. Sheridan blocked the first two attempts she faced and the Canadians sealed the victory when Vanina Preininger’s attempt for Argentina went over the bar.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Argentina was held scoreless across the four-team, round-robin tournament and finished last. Canada’s finish would be determined in Saturday’s late game between the United States and Colombia.Canada saw the return of captain Jessie Fleming, who missed the match against the United States because of illness. Olivia Smith, who plays for Arsenal, was ruled out of the tournament because of a concussion.Argentina’s women play next month as the CONMEBOL Women’s Nations League continues. The tournament serves as the region’s qualification tournament for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.Canada will play for a place in the World Cup in the CONCACAF W Championship starting in November.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

HARRISON, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 07: Sydney Collins #24 of Canada and Kailen Sheridan #1 of Canada celebrate after defeating Argentina in penalty kicks of a SheBelieves Cup 2026 match at Sports Illustrated Stadium on March 07, 2026 in Harrison, New Jersey.

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Canada beats Argentina on penalties after draw in SheBelieves Cup

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Joey Logano completed a Team Penske qualifying sweep at Phoenix Raceway, w...

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Joey Logano completed a Team Penske qualifying sweep at Phoenix Raceway, where the team is celebrating its 60th anniversary in motorsports. Logano's run at 135.537 mph put him on the pole for the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nascar-racing">NASCAR</a> race on Sunday. David Malukas, in his first season with the storied organization, started on the pole Saturday for the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/indycar">IndyCar</a> race. NASCAR and IndyCar are bundled together this weekend for a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-indycar-phoenix-doubleheader-1f712ee4d59839a114a271a17262fe60">doubleheader in the desert</a>, and Roger Penske used the opportunity to assemble his six drivers spanning the two series for the 60th anniversary celebration.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Through qualifying, they have delivered: Austin Cindric qualified his Penske Ford third — behind reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson — and Ryan Blaney, who won last year's finale, qualified fifth. Tyler Reddick <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-reddick-michael-jordan-6c0b8d6170bcbf1fc4202e3f8bb7b397">set a NASCAR record by winning</a> the first three races of the season and will start fourth Sunday as he seeks a fourth consecutive victory. Anthony Alfredo, the fill-in driver at Hendrick Motorsports as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-bowman-vertigo-alfredo-572f28be69945310bfecdabfdb30992d">Alex Bowman battles vertigo,</a> qualified 31st.___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

AVONDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 07: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 07, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona.

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Logano wins pole for Phoenix Cup Series race

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Nigel James Jr. scored 19 points and UConn coach Danny Hurley was ejected in the...

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Nigel James Jr. scored 19 points and UConn coach Danny Hurley was ejected in the final second as Marquette hung on for a 68-62 victory on Saturday that prevented the fourth-ranked Huskies from winning a share of the Big East regular-season title.UConn (27-4, 17-3) trailed 64-62 when the Huskies' Silas Demary Jr. drove to the basket while being defended by Ben Gold. Demary’s shot hit the glass and the rim before the ball bounced off a couple of players and hit the floor.Marquette’s Chase Ross won the battle for the loose ball and got fouled with one second left. Hurley argued the lack of a foul call and was whistled for two technical fouls before heading to the locker room while shaking his head.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Ross then made four of six free throws to account for the final margin.UConn was attempting to tie No. 18 St. John’s for the Big East regular-season title, though the Red Storm already had clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament starting Wednesday in New York.Demary scored 17 points and Tarris Reed Jr. added 16 for UConn, which shot just 3 of 24 from 3-point range.Ross had 14 points, Royce Parham 13 and Adrien Stevens 11 for Marquette (12-19, 7-13). The Golden Eagles have closed a disappointing regular season by winning three of their last four games.Parham scored eight straight points during an 11-0 run early in the second half that put Marquette ahead for good. Marquette led by 12 with 5 1/2 minutes left before UConn rallied.Up nextBoth teams await the identity of their first-round opponents in the Big East Tournament. Marquette opens tournament play Wednesday. UConn will first play a tournament game in Thursday's quarterfinal.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up <a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a>. AP college basketball: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball</a>

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 07: Adrien Stevens #10 of the Marquette Golden Eagles dribbles the ball against Braylon Mullins #24 of the Connecticut Huskies during the first half at Fiserv Forum on March 07, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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Marquette stuns No. 4 UConn to hand St. John's outright Big East title

Canada opened its World Baseball Classic on the right foot.   A run-saving defensive play by brot...

Canada opened its World Baseball Classic on the right foot. A run-saving defensive play by brothers Josh and Bo Naylor boosted Canada in the first inning at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Owen Caissie hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the second off emergency starter Austin Bergner to give the Canadians an eventual 8-2 win over Colombia to open pool play. <figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Team Canada begins its <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldBaseballClassic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldBaseballClassic</a> run with a W! <a href="https://t.co/OeUI9z0SWK">pic.twitter.com/OeUI9z0SWK</a>— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/WBCBaseball/status/2030362657140744495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Michael Arroyo led off the game with a single off Michael Soroka, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Reynaldo Rodriguez grounded to first baseman Josh Naylor, who threw to brother Bo at the plate for the tag.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>That was one of four Colombia outs on the bases. Rodriguez and Jesus Marriaga were caught stealing by Bo Naylor and Daniel Vellojin was thrown out trying to reach second on a dropped fly ball in the ninth inning.Arroyo cut Colombia's deficit with an RBI single in the third off Soroka, who allowed four hits in three innings. Abraham Toro restored a two-run lead with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom half from Emerson Martinez.Josh Naylor had an run-scoring single in the seventh that drove in Denzel Clarke, his cousin, after Marriaga dropped Clarke's fly to right for an error.Harold Ramírez had an RBI double for Colombia in the eighth. With two on and two out, Gio Urshela swung and missed at three straight sliders from Eric Cerantola.Toro had an RBI triple in a four-run bottom half and scored on Bo Naylor’s single.Phillippe Aumont, who last pitched in the major leagues in 2015, struck out Tito Polo for the final out.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - MARCH 07: Owen Caissie #21 of Team Canada rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning of the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool A game presented by Capital One between Team Colombia and Team Canada at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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Canada opens WBC with convincing win over Colombia

Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu has withdrawn from the world championships later this m...

Olympic figure skating champion <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alysa-liu-winter-olympics-figure-skating-c8f8e792be4c2319683882bfbd3c8bb6">Alysa Liu</a> has withdrawn from the world championships later this month, an unsurprising move for the defending champ after she won <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milan-cortina-olympics-figure-skating-women-437ba97a98c0f43b1317dfc26275b633">the first Winter Games gold medal</a> by an American woman in more than two decades.Liu would have performed alongside Olympic teammates <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milan-cortina-olympics-figure-skating-copyright-0d46df364ff67d430b394e40089926f0">Amber Glenn</a> and Isabeau Levito when worlds begin March 24 at O2 Arena in Prague. Bradie Tennell was the first alternate but declined, so Sarah Everhardt will take Liu’s place on the U.S. team.The 20-year-old Liu, who retired after the 2022 Beijing Games only to launch a triumphant comeback two years later, became the first American woman since Kimmie Meissner in 2006 to win the world title last year in Boston. She followed up with the first Olympic gold medal for a U.S. woman since Sarah Hughes in 2002 when she stood atop the podium last month at the Milan Cortina Games.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Liu actually came away with two gold medals from Italy; she joined Glenn in helping the U.S. defend its Olympic team title.Liu has quickly become a star, not only because of her success but also because her attitude and style. Once burned out by the sport, she returned with a fresh, happy-go-lucky outlook, and that positive vibe served her well amid the pressure of the Winter Games.And with her distinctive streaked haircut, which is supposed to mimic growth rings on a tree, and prominent frenulum piercing, Liu has eschewed the “ice princess” style of yesteryear for a look that has been embraced by the alt, punk and emo crowd.It is common for Olympic athletes to skip the following world championships. The season is long enough with the first events taking place in early fall, and many choose to begin their offseason early after the stress of performing at the Winter Games.Among those who also have withdrawn from worlds are Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the Olympic pairs champions from Japan; Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii, the pairs team that helped earn team bronze for host Italy; and Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, who has endured a season marked by injuries and finished 14th in the women’s event at the Milan Cortina Games.___AP Winter Olympics: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics">https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics</a>

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 19: Alysa Liu of Team United States competes in Women's Single Skating - Free Skating on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

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Olympic figure skating champion Liu withdraws from world championships

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tony Stewart walked into the interview room a little late and quickly bl...

<div>
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tony Stewart walked into the interview room a little late and quickly blamed his wife.
“Her fault,” he quipped.
Stewart flashed the same kind of reaction time that made him a top contender in NHRA last year, just his third full-time season in drag racing.
<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>
The three-time NASCAR champion and 1997 IndyCar champ won the NHRA’s regular-season title in the Top Fuel class while filling in for wife Leah Pruett at Tony Stewart Racing. Pruett stepped away for two years while they began a family; she gave birth to son Dom in November 2024.
Now Pruett is back, reclaiming the seat Stewart kept warm for consecutive seasons. Stewart, though, liked being behind the wheel so much that he is now driving for a competitor, Elite Motorsports, setting the stage for a husband-wife showdown on any given race weekend.
“I’m excited to see what these two do back and forth this year, whether they stay married or not,” said Matt Hagan, who drives for TSR in the Funny Car class. “It’s going to be interesting. … I’m just going to get my popcorn."
The show begins at the season-opening Gatornationals, where Pruett and Stewart could wind up in opposite lanes during bracket-style eliminations Sunday. It’s also possible — highly unlikely — they could go the entire year and not get paired against each other.
“I don’t care if it’s her or anybody else, I want to put my foot on their throat ’til their face turns blue and beat them to the other end,” Stewart said Friday. “And that’s what our job is. That’s what she wants to do if we have to race against each other.”
After two rounds of qualifying Friday, Pruett was penciled in as the No. 3 seed in the 16-car field, with Stewart at No. 5. They have two more qualifying runs Saturday before the elimination bracket is set.
Stewart and Pruett, along with Dom, have spent nearly 40 days in Florida. They tested setups and logged countless passes at drag strips in Bradenton and Gainesville. They traveled to Daytona International Speedway so Stewart could enter his first NASCAR race since 2016; he crashed and finished next to last in the Truck Series opener. They returned to Daytona Beach last weekend for the start of Bike Week.
It was all part of the lead-up to Pruett’s much-anticipated return — and a budding in-house rivalry.
“It’s more renew than new,” said Pruett, who finished a career-best third in points in 2023. “This is like old hat to a degree. I have to remind myself of that. My brain wants to absorb all of what is new and everything that we’re feeling and seeing. But I need to have that mature, emotional mindset of, yes, it’s all new, but it’s just the same.
“So let’s just pick up where we’re at in 2023 and move on. And that’s the comfortable feeling that I have.”
Facing off against Stewart could be uncomfortable, at least the first time and for a few minutes leading into the race.
Stewart said they have talked about it so much during the offseason that they even briefly considered side-by-side practice runs to alleviate some of the anxiety.
But they opted to wait. Stewart now looks at the potential matchup as a win-win scenario, with either him or his car advancing.
His approach, though, remains unchanged.
“You guys can glamorize this all you want and waste everybody’s time. She’s another driver with another helmet on, with another fire suit and another race car in the opposite lane, no different than any other run,” he said. “And that’s the way she has to treat it. That’s the way I have to treat it.
“I hate to burst everybody’s bubble. Everybody wants to write this big, flowery, fluffy story. And I don’t give a (damn) about it. I’m going to go race. I don’t care if it’s her or anybody else. And it’s no disrespect to her. I love her to death. We’re going to race each other at some point. Whenever it happens, it happens. It’s going to be great for you guys. It doesn’t do anything for me personally.”
One thing Stewart made clear: no matter what happens on the track, it won’t affect their relationship.
“At the end of the year, no matter who wins or loses, we will still be married,” he said. “Not in pencil, put that in ink. That is set in stone, so nothing’s going to change there.”
___
AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>
</div>

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Tony Stewart (#25 Kaulig Racing RAM) stands with his wife Leah and son Dominic prior to the running of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 on February 13, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.

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AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The flipside to Tyler Reddick taking Michael Jordan to victory lane in NAS...

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The flipside to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/daytona-500-jordan-reddick-f7c5a0b92b66b20df5cda8f95aa48782">Tyler Reddick</a> taking Michael Jordan to victory lane in <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nascar-racing">NASCAR's</a> first three races this season is teammate Bubba Wallace feels a bit left out of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-23xi-jordan-hamlin-reddick-wallace-f434c05112ee8836b17ebc9f82714f1f">euphoria</a> surrounding <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-reddick-michael-jordan-b024d65429a9693b5687100c0cc172fb">23XI Racing.</a>Reddick set a NASCAR record in winning the first three races of the season, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/daytona-500-nascar-5ef03306d4ffca28da7b23328c760877">Daytona 500</a>, at <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-cup-atlanta-reddick-jordan-e6fc530cb312459d4dcb987bd82b388a">Atlanta</a> and last weekend on the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-reddick-michael-jordan-6c0b8d6170bcbf1fc4202e3f8bb7b397">road course in Austin, Texas,</a> with Jordan in attendance, and the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer will be at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday when Reddick goes for four in a row. The success has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-michael-jordan-carson-hocevar-aa5663e6a48b4d143538673c41940328">23XI Racing buzzing</a> and Reddick and Wallace are 1-2 in the Cup Series standings. Wallace can find solace in how he's running — he had chances to win at Daytona and Atlanta — but is still disappointed the wins have gone solely to Reddick. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The difference between the Toyota teammates, Wallace joked, is that Reddick inherited the mythical lucky horseshoe Jimmie Johnson had for seven Cup championships.“You know, Tyler's been driving his (butt) off, simple as that, I couldn't be more proud of him and the way he's turned around from his (winless) season from last year,” Wallace said. “It's been pretty cool to witness that. I wish it was our team.”Reddick can empathize with Wallace and noted he had a tinge of jealousy last season when Wallace won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis as Reddick was slumping. “I've experienced it other places that I've raced and feel like I contended to win, didn't win and teammates did, so I understand where he probably would be with that part of it,” Reddick said. “I think he's doing a good job of remaining positive and it's a good start to the year for him.”Reddick and Wallace are winless at Phoenix. Reddick was third in 2023 and 2024, while Wallace has an average finish of 20th and failed to finish either race at Phoenix last year. Alfredo gets the callAnthony Alfredo has spent hundreds of hours over the past four years inside a racing simulator doing test work for Hendrick Motorsports. That thankless job has finally led to a breakthrough opportunity driving in a Cup Series race for NASCAR's winningest team. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-bowman-vertigo-alfredo-572f28be69945310bfecdabfdb30992d">Alex Bowman will miss Sunday's</a> race and Alfredo was pulled from the bullpen to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet. It will be Alfredo's first Cup start of the season — he qualified for the Daytona 500 driving for tiny Beard Motorsports, but his car was disqualified and kicked out of the field. Alfredo has 43 career Cup starts for smaller teams so Sunday will be the best car he's ever driven.Bowman had to give up his seat during last weekend's race in Texas and has since been diagnosed with vertigo. It's left Alfredo with mixed feelings.“It’s just weird, right? I don’t want to see anyone in the position Alex is in, so it’s hard for me to be excited,” Alfredo said. “That makes it certainly disappointing, because a lot of people are asking me how excited I am, and I’m not excited that I have to fill in for someone who’s not able to be in their own car this weekend. “But it is, of course, a huge opportunity for me to go out there and do a good job and maybe turn some heads, but I don’t even feel like I have to prove anything to anybody. Honestly, I don’t think they would have picked me if they didn’t think I could do it right, so it’s not about that. I think it’s more going out there and just do what’s asked of me and doing a good job behind the wheel filling in.”Cool suit failureAJ Allmendinger had to be medically treated after last week's race in Austin, Texas, when his cool suit failed and caused Allmendinger to overheat while driving. He collapsed on pit road after exiting his car. “Cool suits are a tough thing because they are not designed in our environment to fail,” said Brad Keselowski. “So when they fail, it's fairly devastating.”A cool suit is a specialized, liquid-cooled garment meant to prevent heat stroke and manage core temperatures in extreme environments. It circulates chilled water through tubes embedded in a shirt or vest, connected to a small cooler box.William Byron said the suits can be hit-or-miss, and when one fails, it is miserable for the driver.“Definitely when it works, it’s great. But I feel like there’s definitely a handful, if not more times, that it doesn’t work,” Byron said. “That shirt is very insulated. I was at a Martinsville test one time and was wearing it and didn’t turn it on for most of the day and just started to feel sick because just the way it insulates your body and kind of has the opposite effect when it’s not on.”Byron teammate Kyle Larson said he was trying a different cooling system this weekend at Phoenix. He planned to use the version teammate Chase Elliott has been wearing in which a pad connects to the core and a fan pushes cool air in.___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 01: Bubba Wallace (#23 23XI Racing Robinhood Toyota) walks up during introductions prior to the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix on March 01, 2026 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX.

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Colombia’s Julio Teheran was scratched from his scheduled start against Canada in the World Baseb...

Colombia’s Julio Teheran was scratched from his scheduled start against Canada in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday because of right shoulder impingement while warming up and was replaced by Austin Bergner for the game at San Juan, Puerto Rico.Team spokeswoman Melissa Strozza said the decision was a precautionary measure.A 35-year-old right-hander, Teheran last pitched in the major leagues in 2024 with the New York Mets. The two-time All-Star spent last season with Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Teheran is 81-82 with a 3.85 ERA in 248 starts and seven relief appearances for Atlanta (2011-19), the Los Angeles Angels (2020), Detroit (2021), Milwaukee (2023) and the Mets (2024).___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

TUCSON, AZ - MARCH 02: Julio Teheran #49 of Team Colombia pitches during the game between the Team Brazil and the Team Columbia at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Kino Sports Complex on Sunday, March 2, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona.

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Colombia's Teheran scratched from start vs. Canada with shoulder injury

President Donald Trump predicted the destruction not just of college sports but the entire U.S. c...

President Donald Trump predicted the destruction not just of college sports but the entire U.S. collegiate system unless the industry is fixed quickly — something some sports leaders who joined him Friday at a White House summit agreed could only happen by raising more money to pay players.Trump suggested he would write an “all-encompassing” executive order within a week in hopes it would spark action from Congress. He said he expected the order to trigger a lawsuit that could put the issue back in front of the court system that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-house-settlement-aa3169056e8194aeebf34495641bce0b">approved industry-changing payments</a> to players for their name, image and likeness.That <a href="https://apnews.com/article/laws-sports-6fb10bea4176ac6a912138ce7f0a764e">new system</a> has left many schools drowning in red ink, while rules governing their payments to players are only <a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-sports-nil-seeley-58676f2211c7137f5de5e9ab80b9cc8c">slowly taking hold.</a><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“The whole educational system is going to go out of business because of this,” Trump explained, when asked why he was devoting time to college sports with <a href="https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-lebanon-03-06-2026">the war in Iran</a> and other issues dominating the headlines.During the meeting in the East Room — which included lawmakers, conference commissioners, the president of the NCAA and CEO of the U.S. Olympic team but none of the <a href="https://www.athletes.org/news/athletes-org-college-athletes-respond-to-lack-of-athlete-representation-in-the-white-house-college-sports-roundtable/?utm_source=NILNewsstand&amp;utm_campaign=30ecda0db9-Daily+Briefing+-+1.12.26_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_a479a5b849-30ecda0db9-272784218">NCAA’s 550,000 college athletes</a> — Trump said, “I thought the system of scholarships was great.” He was harkening to the recently ended era in which players received little to nothing beyond financial aid.He said the “horrible” court settlement that led to the current system — a settlement that virtually everyone in the room agreed to — “threw the sports world and the college athletic world into ‘tithers.’”Everyone at the meeting agreed that the industry needs to be saved from the spiraling costs associated with the onset of NIL payments.They also mostly agreed that a bill called the SCORE Act that would provide the NCAA with a limited antitrust exemption (opposed by many Democrats) and would preempt state laws regarding NIL could be the base of any change. House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested the bill, which has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-sports-regulate-congress-house-fdabd5236a3ad7a70c42db5bde8f79eb">struggled to get through the lower chamber</a>, could now have enough support to pass.Shortly after meeting, bipartisan Senate bill on TV rights emergesAn essay <a href="https://mail.uofl.me/t/r-e-tkujtiud-nttkjhijyl-y/?utm_source=NILNewsstand&amp;utm_campaign=08bcd9c605-Daily+Briefing+-+1.12.26_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_a479a5b849-08bcd9c605-272784218">published earlier this week</a> by the University of Louisville’s president and athletic director went through an unflinching list of the way payments to players have recalibrated college sports and sent much of the industry spiraling into the red. It said Louisville’s athletic department is running a $12.5 million deficit and is hardly alone.How to generate more revenue — and the wide differences that exist over how to fund the growth — received less attention at the White House meeting full of big-picture speeches about the perils facing college sports.Shortly after the meeting, Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash, reupped an idea that has been popular over the past several months. They plan to introduce a bill next week that would give conferences the option of pooling their media rights — a practice forbidden by the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act.“The revenue side is inextricably linked to the success of this,” Schmitt said. “I do think we can come together.”Another key backer of that idea, Texas Tech regent Cody Campbell, was at the meeting and told Trump he would like to be part of a smaller working group that helps him draft his executive order.Campbell has suggested pooling TV rights could raise another $6 billion, which could keep football, basketball and Olympic-sports programs solvent for decades. The Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sec-big-ten-media-rights-cody-campbell-cf3811033efbec089d656b6b623e540b">disagree with that conclusion.</a>Speaking to Trump, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey urged the Senate to act, but he wasn’t focused on the broadcasting piece.“This is not about revenue, this is about structures and national standards,” he said before listing a number of issues the SCORE Act, as currently written, would address.Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, whose committee is key to getting a bill passed in the upper chamber, said lawmakers need to look at both the cost and revenues side in formulating a law.“If we wait another year, wait another two years, the programs in your state are going away and the students in your state are losing their scholarships,” Cruz said. “It would be an absolute travesty if we let that happen.”Trump tears into judge who approved a deal that most everyone agreed toTrump repeatedly dogged U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken — whom he called a “radical left judge” — for approving the so-called House settlement that put this system into play.He seemed surprised that Wilken’s decision — which was signed off on by the NCAA, the major conferences and the athletes themselves after a years-long legal process — had not been appealed.He was also taken aback when told the Supreme Court in 2021, by a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-supreme-court-alston-college-athlete-benefits-5be12caeaf014da7d71baf0bb60646fe">9-0 ruling in a case called NCAA vs. Alston</a>, had set things in motion to create the system now seen by many as in peril.“So, the Supreme Court was responsible for this? Gee, that’s surprising,” Trump said.Olympic sports are in the most danger if college costs aren’t controlledBut the president was crystal clear about the stakes involved in saving college sports.He acknowledged that potentially the biggest losers in all this could be Olympic and women’s sports, whose budgets in college athletic departments are funded via revenue generated by football and basketball programs across the country.U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland told Trump the U.S. team has topped the medals table at eight of the last 10 Summer Olympics, largely on the strength of athletes developed in the college system.“The economic pressures are unsustainable,” she said. “We’ve heard this several times and we know that Olympic-sport budgets inevitably rise to the top as the first to be cut. In some cases, it’s women’s sports, but also men’s sports that could be eliminated. We must keep our eye on both.”___AP sports: <a href="https://apnews.com/sports">https://apnews.com/hub/sports</a>

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 06: U.S. President Donald Trump (L) gestures as former head coach Nick Saban (R) speaks alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles during a roundtable discussion on college sports in the East Room of the White House on March 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Trump administration held the roundtable titled "Saving College Sports" with leaders from the Power Four conferences, media executives and former coaches.

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