B TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2018
In Brief Braves leave Florida with fourth straight spring loss LAKELAND, Fla. — Starter Michael Fulmer pitched two-hit ball for seven shutout innings, Miguel Cabrera homered and Jose Iglesias had three hits for the Detroit Tigers in a 10-3 home win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Mike Foltynewicz’s final spring training start for Atlanta lasted just two innings after he surrendered six runs on eight hits. The Braves (13-17) suffered a fourth straight loss after reaching .500 late in the spring. Atlanta was over .500 just once this spring, at 8-7. All three Braves’ runs Sunday came in the final inning. Outfielder Danny Santana highlighted the frame with an RBI triple and later scored a run. Atlanta still has two exhibition games before Thursday’s 4 p.m. home regular-season opener with Philadelphia. The team scrimmaged the New York Yankees late Monday at SunTrust Field, which is also the site of tonight’s Braves Futures game (7:35 p.m.).
THE NEWS HERALD
- From staff and wire reports
TODAY’S H.S. GAMES » Softball: East Burke at Freedom; West Caldwell at Patton » Soccer: Patton at McDowell » Tennis: Foard at Draughn » Lacrosse: Freedom at Patton » Golf: Draughn, EB, Patton in NWFAC 2A match (at Catawba CC)
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Youth Gymnastics
Denton wins state, headed to regionals BY PAUL SCHENKEL Sports editor
Hampton Denton of Morganton has simply dominated in his first year of gymnastics competition and capped his recent string of success with his third all-around event title since December when he won the USA Gymnastics state title for his age division on March 11 at Hickory’s Highland Recreation Center. Due to when his birthday falls, Denton, 10, competes in Level 4, Division I, typically an 11-and-up age division. He defeated about 20 other competitors in his division, winning floor and rings en route to the state title. With it, Denton will represent North Carolina at
“I had some good competition (at state.) This gave me an extra confidence boost, like I can go on and win nationals now.”
Hampton Denton of Morganton won the USA Gymnastics state title for the boys 11-and-up division in Hickory recently, and next month will compete at the Southeast regional level in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Hampton Denton, USA Gymnastics state champion
the Southeast regional level in late April in Chattanooga, Tenn. “I had some good competition (at state),” said Denton, a fifth grader who is homeschooled and is a member of the Osega Gymnastics team out of Asheville. He is the son of Rob and Lauren Denton. “This gave me an extra
See DENTON, Page B2
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Golf
ncaa tournament
END OF THE LINE
Watson tops Kisner at Match Play The Associated Press
L-R baseball splits with Wingate
WINGATE — The LenoirRhyne baseball team split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with first-place Wingate on the road Sunday, winning the first contest 4-0 before Wingate pulled out a 1-0 victory in the nightcap in eight innings. In game one, L-R junior Matt Sullivan improved to 4-1 on the year after throwing a one-hitter over seven innings. Sullivan struck out nine before senior Landon Whitson threw two scoreless innings for his school-record eighth save of the year already for the Bears (20-12, 9-6). L-R junior designated hitter Caleb Beatty hit a pair of solo home runs in back-to-back innings, and senior catcher Cole Fowler also drove in a pair of runs. In the second game, the Bulldogs broke a scoreless tie with a walk-off single with one out in the bottom of the eighth. L-R sophomore John Grigg (5-1) went the distance, striking out seven in a hard-luck loss.
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Duke’s Trevon Duval walks off the court after a regional final game against Kansas on Sunday.
Duke falls short of Final Four in OT loss to Kansas The Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — Kansas is going back to the Final Four. It’s hard to argue that Duke shouldn’t be headed there as well after the most riveting show of the NCAA tournament. Malik Newman and the topseeded Jayhawks got past their Elite Eight road block Sunday, knocking off second-seeded Duke 85-81 in overtime to clinch the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 2012. Newman scored all 13 of the Jayhawks’ points in OT and
kansas 85 duke 81 finished with a career-high 32 to lead Kansas (31-7). The Jayhawks will face fellow top seed Villanova on Saturday in San Antonio — the site of KU’s last title over Memphis in 2008 — after snapping a twogame losing skid in the regional finals. “Everything we’ve been
through...we do it for moments like this,” Kansas star Devonte’ Graham said. “Especially after the last two years, getting over the hump. It just feels (perfect).” This was college basketball at its best, two blue bloods trading blows for 45 minutes in what was arguably the best game of March so far, one that featured 18 lead changes and 11 ties. Had Grayson Allen’s bank shot to end regulation gone half an inch in a different
See DUKE, Page B3
AUSTIN, Texas — Bubba Watson was in high spirits for someone with such low expectations at the Dell Technologies Match Play. Walking to the sixth tee, already 2 up in his semifinal match against Justin Thomas, he smiled and said, “Just remember, I was beating No. 1 at some point.” Thomas only had to win that Kisner match to reach No. 1 in the world, and Watson figured that’s what would happen. It was about the only thing he got wrong Sunday. Watson denied Thomas with a brand of golf that was close to flawless, and then he made the final look as though he were on vacation all along. Watson won his second World Golf Championship with the biggest blowout since the title match switched to 18 holes in 2011, a 7-and-6 victory over fellow University of Georgia alum Kevin Kisner. He sure didn’t expect to play only 28 holes in two matches on the final day at Austin Country Club, lead after every one of them, and pose with the trophy. “There’s stories all different directions that didn’t go the way I saw it,” he said. “It worked out in my favor. I’m glad I didn’t see it.” Watson wasn’t as sharp in the final as he was in his 3-and-2 victory over Thomas, and didn’t have to be. If not for missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole of the championship match, Watson would have won the first seven holes. Kisner contributed to that. After escaping in 19 holes against Alex Noren in the semifinals, in which Noren had putts of 10 feet and 7 feet on the last two holes to win, Kisner didn’t put up
See GOLF, Page B2
FARM BUREAU INSURANCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Patton’s Lovelace, Totty share county player of week Patton softball players Makaley Lovelace and Marissa Totty share The News Herald’s Farm Bureau high school county player of the week award. It’s the second time Lovelace has won the award and is Totty’s first time. Lovelace, a senior catcher, blasted a tworun homer at East Burke on Tuesday. She then added two hits Wednesday in a road
win that completed a season sweep of rival Freedom. In Friday’s home win over West Iredell, Lovelace slugged her third homer of the year in the first inning and later doubled twice, finishing with five RBIs. Totty, a junior third baseman/outfielder, racked up four hits Wednesday including an RBI triple. Then she posted another three hits in Friday’s win.
Patton’s Marissa Totty (left) and Makaley Lovelace (right) with Farm Bureau agent Brian Clopton
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