Swim team off to T&T
By BRENT STUBBS
he Bahamas’
T36-member swim team left town yesterday for Trinidad & Tobago on their quest for their seventh straight title over the Easter holiday weekend.
And, according to team manager Celestia Darville and head coach Travano McPhee, the swimmers are all eager to start the competition on Saturday at the National Swim Complex.
Having completed all of their formalities on The Bahamas end, Darville said they have been coordinating with Trinidad & Tobago for their entry to be as seamless as possible.
“The team in Trinidad has been amazing with us,” she pointed out. “Now it’s just our execution. All of the prep work has been done.”
Once they arrive in Trinidad & Tobago and their hour ride to their hotel, they will prepare for practice today and look forward to competing starting on Saturday.
“Everything has already been said. The only thing we are trying to do is to make sure their mental aspect is in the right place,” Darville said. “We just want to make sure that they are ready to execute.”
McPhee, who has been the head coach for the past six CARIFTA championship teams, said everyday as they get closer to the competition, the swimmers are looking faster and well rested. “So the mindset going into Trinidad is that once we get there, we will get a practice on tomorrow (today) so that they can get familiar with the environment and the starting blocks,” he said.
“We’re looking good. This is the first time we are travelling three days before competition. Normally we go two days before competition. This will help us to get better prepared and have more time in the competition pool, especially our younger swimmers in the long course pool.”
McPhee assured the Bahamian public that the team is going to Trinidad with one goal in mind and that is to return home with its seventh straight title because the team “is focused and they look like they are ready to go and do what they have to do.”
Dr Keir Miller called this the best team he’s been a
Ayton Family Foundation holds fundraiser to support national basketball team
THE Ayton Family Foundation, founded by Bahamian National Basketball Association (NBA) player Deandre Ayton, held a fundraiser to support the Bahamas’ national basketball team and youth basketball development initiatives.
The event was hosted by ESPN’s Kendra Andrews at The Ritz-Carlton in Portland and brought together NBA stars from the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors, national team representatives, and community supporters for an
inspiring and impactful evening.
The event raised $75,000 to support the Bahamas senior men’s national team’s journey to qualify for the 2027 FIBA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, along with youth (boys and girls) basketball initiatives and coaching development in The Bahamas.
The Ayton Family Foundation’s broader mission includes nourishing minds and bodies through culturally relevant programmes in Portland, The Bahamas and Jamaica.
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
HEAD coach Travano McPhee said it will be interesting to finally get to coach his daughter Isabell Munroe when they travel to Trinidad & Tobago for the Bahamas swimming team’s quest for its seventh straight CARIFTA title.
Munroe, the youngest female swimmer at the age of 11, was selected to Team
Along with Ayton, the NBA centre for the Trail Blazers, and co-captain for The Bahamas’ national team, also in attendance were Grand Bahamian Chavano “Buddy” Hield, NBA guard with the Golden State Warriors and co-captain of The Bahamas’ national team, Chris DeMarco, the assistant coach of the Warriors and head coach of The Bahamas’ national team LJ Rose, a scout for the Houston Rockets and general manager of the Bahamas national team and Andrea Ayton, the co-founder of
the Ayton Family Foundation, and Deandre’s mother.
During the show, there was a question and answer period, spotlighting Bahamas basketball’s growth and global aspirations, featuring Ayton, Hield, Rose and DeMarco.
And there was a live auction featuring one-ofa-kind experiences and memorabilia, including Trail Blazers and Warriors game-day VIP packages, a cooking experience with Andrea Ayton, a Baha Mar resort getaway and a signed Kobe Bryant jersey.
Bahamas and will compete in the girls’ 11-12 division during the swimming competition from Saturday to Tuesday.
“This is a very special moment in my life. It’s good to see her following in her father’s footsteps,”
said McPhee, a former CARIFTA swimmer now coaching for the past decade. “Like I always tell her, she will be better than me. She’s way ahead of where I was for her age. I expect more out of her than I would have for me.”
Munroe, the youngest female on the team at 11, said with her having her dad as her coach, she gets more than just a pep talk.
“I get to spend more time with him,” said the St Andrew’s sixth grader. “So I think that is one of the
SHOWN, from left to right, are Christopher DeMarco, Chavano “Buddy” Hield, Deandre Ayton, LJ Rose and John Marc Nutt.
COACH Travano McPhee with his daughter Isabella Munroe.
YES GIANTS BEAT SAND DOLLAR HIGH FLYERS 101-89
By Jonathan Burrows
THE Sand Dollar High Flyers lost to the Yes Giants 101-89 after a nail-biting game two, dropping down two games in the New Providence Basketball Association’s DII championship round last night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.
The three-time defending champions Yes Giants need just one more game to complete the championship run. After a close first half and the lead, the High Flyers big men struggled with foul trouble in the second half leading to the Giants taking advantage of the small lineup, scoring 10 straight points in the paint to take a demanding lead late in the fourth quarter.
Javon Adderley and Prince Williams led the late comeback for the Yes Giants, combining with 20 points and six steals in the second half.
going to be tough and is going to be hard but we can do it,” said High Flyers’ head coach Donnie Culmer.
Star shooting guard Omar Pierre, of Sand Dollar, ended the night with 36 points, hitting a whopping seven threes as he tried to will his team back into the game. “We need to take it one possession at a time and one game at a time. To even the series is
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part of in swimming for the past three years.
“What impresses me most about them is that the older swimmers are taking an active role in mentoring the newcomers,” he said. “That needs to be commended.” So far, Miller said there were no issues that he had to deal with. He noted that all of the swimmers are in tip-top shape physically and ready to compete.
At 11 years old, Grand Bahamian Logan Comarcho, who attends LIS International School where he is in grade six, is the youngest member of the
team, but he admitted that he put in the hard work to earn his spot. “I feel really good about it,” said Comarcho, who admitted that when he heard he made it,
Culmer emphasised that he is looking toward his starting point guard Malik Pierre and his starting big man, ‘Big Ben’, to vocalise and lead the team going into game three. Said starting point guard Javon Adderley: “By staying focused, keeping momentum and playing defence, we were able to bring the game back in control in the second half.”
The Giants remain confident in their efforts to complete the championship run and bring home a fourth Division II NPBA championship trophy as the High Flyers remain hopeful to even the series in the upcoming games.
36-member swim team off to T&T for CARIFTA
he jumped up with excitement. “I hope I can get at least top 10 or top five in all my races and I can get a few points for our team to win the seven-peat.”
TRAVANO MCPHEE: ‘LIKE I ALWAYS TELL HER, SHE WILL BE BETTER THAN ME
FROM PAGE E1
things that will help me to get better.”
All things considered, Munroe said the only pressure she knows she will have in Trinidad & Tobago is to “make him proud. But I’m glad that I have a lot of the older swimmers on the team who I can look up to for advice and I get to learn from their experiences.”
While there is the father/ daughter combo to watch, Elwood Donaldson said he’s just as proud of the accomplishments of his two daughters Skarlette and Samirah Donaldson, who are competing in the swim and open water competition respectively.
“I’m proud. They really worked hard,” said Donaldson, whose wife and their children’s mother, Chenelle
SPORTS CALENDAR
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Pro Youth Foundation.
It will feature baseball teams for boys and softball teams for girls from Grand Bahama and New Providence. It’s also anticipated that some teams from the Family Islands will also be in New Providence to participate.
TRACK ROAD TO TOKYO
THE Silver Lightning Track Club is scheduled to hold its annual Track and
Donaldson, will be joining them in Trinidad on Friday.
“It’s a relief for me that they both made it. So one can’t come home with the stuff and the other don’t. But either way, I’m very proud of them for doing it.”
Samirah, who will be contesting the girls’ 14-15 5K open water race for the first time on her second trip to CARIFTA, said she wants to produce a specific time that would place her in the top thee and make her team-mates and family proud. “I’ve been training, even before CARIFTA trials, and working out and listening to my coach, so I think all of this work that I have in, will come out at CARIFTA,” said Donaldson, a 10th grader at Queen’s College.
The some time track athlete said she’s even more
Field Classic on Saturday, May 10, at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, starting at 9am.
The event, dubbed the “Road to Tokyo,” will be used as a qualifier for athletes wishing to make Team Bahamas that will compete at the World Championships from September 13-21 in Tokyo, Japan. Interested athletes can contact coach Rupert Gardiner at 821-2836 for more information.
PEACE ON DA STREET FAMILY NIGHT PLANS are underway for the staging of the Peace
enthused because she’s finally going to be on the same CARIFTA team with her little sister, Skarlette, whom they both competed on the Goodwill Games’ team together before.
“This isn’t new to us,” Samirah said. “I don’t feel any pressure, especially with having my sister there. I just need to go out and do my best. I think as a team, we will come out on top because we have some good swimmers.”
Skarlette Donaldson, a seventh grader at Queen’s College who is entered in the girls’ 11-12 division in swimming, said as a first-time competitor, she would like nothing better than to get top 10 in all of her events and to get some points for Team Bahamas.
“It feels fine. I’ve been on the team with her a
on Da Streets’ Basketball Classics’ Road to 30 years of existence. The event, being organised by the Hope Center under the theme “Shooting hoops instead of guns,” will be held from July 14-19 at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Center. The highlight of the event will be the Family Night, scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium when the finals in all of the divisions will take place, starting at 3pm. There will also be the Mr Ship It Three-point shootout and the Joe’s Slam Dunk Contest. The
Dexter Russell, another first timer at age 12, said he has a series of events to compete in, but he’s looking forward to it.
“I feel strong and I definitely feel that I can win some medals for The Bahamas,” he said. “I just have to go out there and do what I have to do.”
Semaiah Rolle, a 12-yearold making her debut as well, said while she has a number of events to compete in, she’s just proud that she was able to make the team.
“I’m really looking forward to the relays,” she said. “But my expectations are for us to go for the seven-peat. I want to finish
in the top five in all of my events.”
Looking at the makeup of Team Bahamas, Rolle said she’s thrilled to be a part of the team.
“All of my team-mates are very friendly,” she pointed out. As for the open water competitors, coach Allan Murray said the swimmers are all healthy and just waiting to compete on the final day of competition on Wednesday.
“The team manager has put a lot of things in place to make sure our travel is comfortable and our hotel accommodations are comfortable and the swimmers are comfortable in between
competition time,” he said.
“We haven’t seen the ocean as yet. So we have to get as much details about it because we’re not sure if the course has been set up as yet.
“But we will try to get our swimmers into the water as much as we can leading up to the actual race day so they can get acclimatised to the conditions there.”
Murray said the swimmers are all eager and ready to go.
He noted that swimming a five-kilometre race takes a lot out of oneself, so the swimmers will have to ensure that they are properly hydrated to compete on race day.
couple of times,” said Skarlette about her older sister Samirah.
“I just want to do good and to represent my country. We have some really fast swimmers so I know we will win the seven-peat.”
night will conclude with the exciting Clergy versus Politicians match-up. Lots of prizes, including round trip tickets, will be up for grabs.
FAST TRACK
ATHLETICS SPRING
FLING
INVITATIONAL THE Fast Track Athletics Club is scheduled to hold its 4th annual Spring Fling at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex May 16-17.
The event is open to competitors from throughout The Bahamas. The action is slated to begin at 5pm on Friday, May 16 and at 10am on Saturday, May
Father Donaldson said their older daughter set the stage when she made the CARIFTA team in 2022 and now they are continuing to carry on the Donaldson tradition. “Even though it’s hard work, I’m proud of
16. It promises to provide fast competition, perfect prep for championship season and an unmatched island atmosphere in Grand Bahama. For more information on the meet, persons can email fasttrackmanagement00@gmail.com
RESURRECTION
10K RUN/5K
WALK “Arise and Shine” is the theme for the Resurrection 10K run, 5K walk, bike and breakfast fellowship as they encourage persons to “push your limits, cross the finish for change.” The event, powered by Unity Initiative, is
them for making the team,” he said.
“I always tell my oldest daughter, who also plays tennis, that their sisters saw her dedication and commitment and they’ve continued on.”
scheduled for Easter Monday, April 21, starting at 5:45am from the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. The categories include 12-and-under, 13-17, 18-39, 40-59 and 60-and-over for male and females. Trophies and medals will be presented to the top finishers in all categories. “Come one, come all as we celebrate” is the call for all physically challenged, families, churches and all civic groups. For more information, persons can contact Votebcp242@gmail.com, telephone 242-524-1798 or log onto www.bcppaerty. org
DONALDSON family of daughter Samirah, father Elwood and daughter Skarlette Donaldson.
LOGAN COMARCHO
DEXTER ROLLE
SEMAIAH ROLLE
CARIFTA swimming team members share special moments during one of their training sessions at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex before they left for Trinidad.
Leno supports UB as title sponsor for the inaugural golf invitational
LENO Corporate Services has stepped up as title sponsor for The University of The Bahamas Mingoes programme’s inaugural Golf Invitational set for May 18 at The Royal Blue Golf Course at Baha Mar.
The invitational, powered by Leno, not only serves as a fundraiser for the golf programme at the university but also to garner support for the programme that is rapidly developing.
“As Leno celebrates 15 years of excellence, we’re proud to stand with the University of The Bahamas as title sponsor of this year’s golf tournament,” said Andre White, chief operating officer, Leno Corporate Services said.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to investing in our communities, empowering future leaders, and supporting platforms that inspire excellence both on and off the course.”
In addition to the multitude of prizes up for grabs, the golfer with a hole-inone on hole 12 wins a 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-200 sponsored by Tyreflex Star Motors.
Leno is all Bahamianowned company that is committed to providing tools to help others succeed while preserving and enhancing that which is uniquely Bahamian. The corporate citizen through its outreach seeks to promote healthy lifestyles and education among other initiatives.
“We are pleased that Leno recognises the vision of the invitational and has become the title sponsor of the inaugural UB Mingoes Golf Invitational,” said UB Athletics director Kimberley Rolle. “The tournament is designed to financially support the golf programme here at UB while also promoting the programme and we are grateful Leno has stepped up to make this happen.”
Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited has also partnered as a gold sponsor for the
Mingoes Golf Invitational that will assist the men’s and women’s golf team at UB.
“Fidelity commits itself to national development through its social contributions to youth development, education and general health initiatives,” said Fidelity CEO Gowon Bowe. “Sports, such as the Golf Invitational, represents each of these initiatives in a collective manner and therefore Fidelity is honoured to partner with UB and positively impact the lives of the youth of The Bahamas in a fun-filled atmosphere.”
Tyreflex Star Motors sponsored the hole-in-one prize as a gold sponsor and is excited to be supporting the inaugural tournament.
“At Tyreflex and Mercedes-Benz we represent the top-of-the-line vehicles and we are proud to be supporting and growing the top collegiate golfers in the country,” Tyreflex Star Motors operations manager Ryan Knowles said.
Sophia Richardson, brand manager for Sunshine Snacks - another gold sponsor - said it was
TOP FINISHERS EMERGE IN THE CLIFTON PIER CYCLING CLASSIC
TYRONE Paul, Wayne Price, Barron Musgrove Jr and Sieanna Mckey were among the top finishers at the New Providence Cycling Association’s Clifton Pier Cycling Classic points system series held on Sunday at the Western New Providence Clifton Pier area.
Here’s a look at the top performances in the various age groups: Masters Winner 18 miles - Wayne Price - 50 mins. 49
sec. Open men’s seniors 18 miles - 1st Tyrone Paul - 53 mins.10sec. Under 23yrs male 18 miles - Barron Musgrove Jr - 50 mins.31sec; 2nd Dacko Parker.
Under 23 yrs female 12 miles - Sieanna C. Mackey42 mins.40sec.
Elite juniors 18 miles 17 yrs and under - Tristan Johnson - 50 mins. 32secs; 2nd Kenderick Cargill Jr - 1hr. 03mins. 00; 3rd Nathaniel Adderley 12 miles - 45 mibs. 10sec. Junior Boys 12 miles 12 to 14yrs - 1st Fraser Menzies - 37mins.52 sec; 2nd Stafford Sweeting - 42 mins.18 sec; 3rd Anthony Knowles Jr - 48 mins. 00; 4th Raynaj Stewart. Junior Girls 9-11 yrs 12 miles - 1st Trenae Smith56 mins. 00. Junior Boys 9-11yrs 6 miles - 1st Gebriael Mcphee - 33 mins. 00.
important to their group of companies at Lightbourn Trading as good corporate citizens to support the tournament.
“We believe in investing in the future of our country and sport is very important and we look forward to the success of the tournament
and continued partnership,” she said.
Blue Marlin is also gold level sponsors of the inaugural tournament. Bronze sponsor, Global Sun Integration Management representative Jamero Clarke said he was happy to be a part of the event.
“We take pride in several of our initiatives that include assisting kids to build this community,” he said.
“It is one of those things that you cannot ignore as its empowering sports. We look forward at future initiatives.”
The tournament is set for a 2pm start on May 18 at Baha Mar’s Royal Blue course and will follow a shot-gun start. Registration is on-going and persons may reach out to UB Athletics, Gina Gonzales-Rolle, tournament organiser, or Fred Taylor, UB golf coach.
LENO Bahamas stepped up as title sponsor for the inaugural UB Mingoes Golf Invitational. Pictured at the announcement: (seated) UB head golf coach Fred Taylor, UB vice-president of enrolment management and athletics Dr. Marcella Elliot-Ferguson; Leno Corporate Services Andre White, UB Athletics director Kimberley Rolle, tournament organiser Gina Gonzalez-Rolle; (standing) UB assistant director of athletics Sean Bastian, UB golfer Travis Cartwright, UB golfer Payton Haye, UB sports information officer Christopher Saunders.
SHOWN, from left to right, UB’s mascot Blu, UB golfer Payton Haye, Chief Operating Officer, Leno Corporate Services Andre White, UB Athletics Director Kimberley Rolle, UB Golfer Travis Cartwright.
Photos: UB Athletics
NO COMEBACK FOR REAL MADRID AS ARSENAL IS BACK IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) — Arsenal defeated defending champion Real Madrid 2-1 yesterday to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009 in a match where VAR played a key role in two penalty decisions.
Arsenal advanced 5-1 on aggregate after winning 3-0 in London last week, keeping alive its chances of winning Europe’s top club competition for the first time. It will face Paris SaintGermain in the semifinals.
Inter Milan advanced past Bayern Munich
yesterday and will meet Barcelona in the semifinals.
There was no historic comeback for Madrid this time. No late goals, no high drama, no magic at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
The 15-time European champions fell short of the last four for the first time since 2020, ending its shot at a third Champions League title in four seasons.
“There was a lot of talk coming here about (Real Madrid) coming back, because they’ve done it so many times before, but we had so much belief and confidence from that first game to come here and win,” Arsenal’s Declan Rice said.
“We had it in our minds and now we’ve done it in real life.”
Momentum shift
Madrid’s hopes of staging another comeback took a big hit when a five-minute VAR review overturned a penalty for a hold on Kylian Mbappé in the first half with the game tied 0-0. Arsenal earlier had been awarded a penalty after a video review, but Bukayo Saka missed his spot kick. Saka was able to put Arsenal ahead from inside the area after Mikel Merino’s pass in the 65th minute, and Madrid couldn’t manage more than an equaliser by Vinícius Júnior
a couple of minutes later after a defensive blunder by William Saliba. Gabriel Martinelli completed the scoring three minutes into stoppage time, also after an assist by Merino.
“This is one of the best nights in my football career, for sure,” Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said. “It’s a really special one against a team that has been an inspiration for a lot of us in this competition. To win this tie in the manner that we have, we can be very proud.”
Injured Mbappe Mbappé was replaced by Brahim Díaz in the 75th with an apparent injury
and part of the crowd at the Bernabeu jeered the France star when his substitution was announced. It was another lacklustre performance for Mbappé, who is yet to win a Champions League title.
“It’s a tough moment,” Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez said. “We tried but in the end we couldn’t achieve our goal. We’ll come back stronger. Madrid always does.”
It was a tough assignment for Madrid from the start. Arsenal hasn’t lost by a three-goal margin in nearly three years, and only four times has a home team erased a first-leg deficit of three goals or more in the Champions League era, according to UEFA.
Arsenal hadn’t lost to Madrid in the teams’ three previous meetings. It also overcame Madrid in the Champions League knockout stage in 2005-06, when it reached the final and eventually lost the title to Barcelona.
Ancelotti’s perspective
“We have to hold our heads high because we did very well in this competition in recent years,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
“This year we have to endure and suffer. In sport, this can happen because there are no invincible teams. I was clear with my players. We have to keep our heads up, we have to
learn from it and fight for the next game.”
Ancelotti said he didn’t know if the loss would mean his last Champions League match with Madrid,
“Maybe the club will decide to make a change. It could be this year or next year, when my contract runs out,” he said. “The day I finish here I can only do one thing and that is to thank this club. It could be tomorrow, in 10 days or in a year and the only thing I will do is thank the club.”
Backed by a raucous crowd at the Bernabeu, Madrid tried to get off to a strong start. It found the net in the second minute but Mbappé’s effort was disallowed for a clear offside. Arsenal had a chance to increase its advantage after being awarded a penalty about 10 minutes later, but Saka’s chip from the spot was saved by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The penalty was awarded after Raúl Asencio held Mikel Merino inside the area during a corner kick in an action that was missed by French referee François Letexier. But he was called over to the pitchside monitor by the VAR to review the incident and then pointed to the spot. Video review played a role again in the 23rd, after Mbappé was held inside the area by Rice. Letexier pointed to the spot but after a lengthy VAR check he had to reverse his decision.
ARSENAL players celebrate after defeating Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid yesterday. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Toby Simmons
first Bahamian to play in the International Baseball League
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
IT was an historic day on Sunday for minor league player Toby Simmons, who became the first Bahamian to play in the International Baseball League that is based in the United States of America.
After his dream of playing in the Major League was sidetracked in the Miami Marlins’ farm system, the
22-year-old Simmons signed a deal as an outfielder with the London Majors, just in time for the start of their 2025 season next month.
The deal came after Simmons was released by the Marlins in March after he played his last 19 games in the Florida Complex League (FVL).
On June 1, 2022, Simmons signed a minor league contract with the Marlins and he started his professional career in
the Dominican Summer League (DSL) where he batted 0.272 in 51 games, producing 10 doubles, five triples and four home runs with 26 runs batted in (RBI) and 22 stolen bases.
The following year in 2023, Simmons made his debut in the FCL where he played 39 games, posting to his ledger five doubles, a pair of triples, a home run, 14 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
To round out his minor league statistics, Simmons
was credited with a .248 batting average with 342 plate appearances, including a total of five homers, eight triples, 17 doubles, 85 singles, 75 runs scored and 46 RBI. He also was walked 85 times and struck out 119 times.
The Majors play in the Intercounty Baseball League against eight other
teams and will begin their season on Sunday on the road against the Brantford Red Sox at the Arnold Anderson Stadium.
They will follow that up with their home opener at the Labatt Memorial Park on Friday, May 16 against the Guelph Royals.
The London Majors, is located in London, Ontario, Canada, and is considered to be the “oldest continually operating baseball grounds in the world”, with a history dating back to 1877.
The London Majors will play a total of 42 games, ending the regular season on Sunday, August 17, on the road against the Barrie Baycats at the Athletic Kulture Stadium.
NEW YORK (AP)
— Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking homer leading off the seventh inning that ended a 10-game drought, and the New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Wednesday night to complete a threegame sweep.
With a runner at second base in the ninth, Cody Bellinger made a diving catch in right field on MJ Melendez’s sinking liner to preserve Fernando Cruz’s first career save.
Judge went deep for the first time since April 4 in Pittsburgh when he lifted a 1-0 sinker from John Schreiber (1-1) into the New York bullpen beyond the right-center fence.
Judge had three hits for the third time this season.
He reached base four times and his batting average
climbed 27 points to a major league-best .409.
Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt had some dominant moments and pitched 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball in his season debut.
After recovering from rotator cuff tendinitis, the right-hander permitted four hits and threw 73 pitches. Anthony Volpe hit a tworun double in the third. And Bellinger had an RBI double in the fourth to give the NY Yankees a 3-1 lead.
Schmidt retired 11 straight before Drew Waters opened the fifth with a single and scored on Kyle Isbel’s triple. Isbel scored the tying run on a groundout by Jonathan India.
Salvador Perez hit an RBI single four batters in before Schmidt settled down. Kansas City starter Kris Bubic allowed three runs
and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Mark Leiter Jr. (2-1) got four outs after Schmidt was lifted, and Cruz pitched two scoreless innings.
Key moment
After the Royals tied the game, Bobby Witt Jr. swung at the first pitch and flied out to end the fifth.
Key stat Judge entered hitting .382 (13 for 34) over his previous 11 games.
Up next Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 3.71 ERA) opposes Tigers RHP Reese Olson (1-1, 6.00) in the opener of a four-game series Thursday at Detroit. Yankees: RHP Will Warren (1-0, 5.14 ERA), who earned his first career win Saturday, faces Rays RHP Taj Bradley (2-0, 3.71) in the opener of a fourgame series at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday.
TOBY SIMMONS, in action above, has become the first Bahamian to play in the International Baseball League in the United States.
NEW York Yankees’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. runs to home plate to score on a two-run double by Anthony Volpe during the third inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in New York.
(AP Photos/Frank Franklin II)
NEW York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals last night in New York.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Some of Team Bahamas’ track and field athletes at Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium during one of their last practice sessions ahead of the CARIFTA Games in Trinidad & Tobago.
On your mark, get set, go!
W
ith little time left before they head off to Trinidad & Tobago for the CARIFTA Games, Team Bahamas’ track and field athletes were all enthusiastic during one of their last practice sessions. The majority of the 78-member team, including athletes from college and Grand
Bahama, were working out at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. Some of them interviewed were eager to get on the Bahamasair charter flight today and make their presence felt at the Hasely Crawford National Stadium when the competition takes place from Saturday to Tuesday.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
