K-HEART SPORTS – 04/05/23 – 0700
BISMARCK (WDA) – Two-time defending WDA champion Dickinson is once again the coaches’ pick to win this year’s conference regular season softball title. The Midgets, who were Class A runner-up in 2022, received 80 points and eight first place votes.
HIGH SCHOOL GIRL’S SOFTBALL
WDA PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
Team (First Place Votes) Points
1. Dickinson (8) 80
2. Jamestown (1) 66
3. Minot High 65
4. Bismarck High (1) 58
5. Bismarck Legacy 50
6. Bismarck Century 44
7. Mandan 35
8. Williston 26
9. Watford City 17
10. Turtle Mountain 9
2. Jamestown (1) 66
3. Minot High 65
4. Bismarck High (1) 58
5. Bismarck Legacy 50
6. Bismarck Century 44
7. Mandan 35
8. Williston 26
9. Watford City 17
10. Turtle Mountain 9
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TWINS-MARLINS
MIAMI (AP) — Sandy Alcantara pitched the Major Leagues’ first complete game this season, a three-hitter that led the Miami Marlins to a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner pitched six of the big leagues’ 36 complete games last season. He struck out five and walked one in a 1-hour, 57-minute game that was shortest of the season. Avisaíl Garcia homered in the second inning for the game’s only run. Twins starter Kenta Maeda, who missed last season after having Tommy John surgery, struck out nine before leaving in the sixth with apparent arm fatigue. The 34-year-old Maeda (0-1), who had not pitched since Aug. 21, 2021, allowed three hits and threw 79 pitches. The Twins lost for the first time after starting the season with four straight victories. Twins RHP Pablo López (1-0, 0.00) will start the series finale against his former club this afternoon. López spent the first five seasons of his career in Miami before he was dealt to Minnesota Jan. 20. LHP Jesús Luzardo (1-0, 0.00) will start for the Marlins.
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TWINS HOME OPENER
MIAMI (AP) — The Minnesota Twins’ home opener against World Series champion Houston Astros was postponed from Thursday afternoon because bad weather and cold is forecast. The game was rescheduled for Friday, originally an off-day. Right-hander Sonny Gray will remain the Twins’ scheduled starter against the Astros. “There are times during the year, where games are moved, we have to shuffle a lot of different things,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli before Tuesday’s game at Miami. “In this instance it doesn’t really change much.” The Twins opened the season with a three-game sweep at Kansas City before their current three-game set against Miami. “We talked to Sonny very early on, told him this could be a possibility,” Baldelli said. “He said that’s not going to affect his bullpen. Was not going to affect his throwing program. It doesn’t really affect any of our other guys much. It’s really a flip-flopping of the days without much adjustment.”
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WOLVES-NETS
NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 23 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held off the Brooklyn Nets 107-102. Rudy Gobert had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Mike Conley scored 18 points, nine in the fourth quarter. Spencer Dinwiddie had 30 points and six assists, Mikal Bridges scored 24 points and Dorian Finney-Smith had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who had their three-game win streak snapped. Their lead over Miami for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference was cut to one game after the Heat’s 118-105 victory in Detroit. Minnesota in the Western Conference moved within a half-game of eighth-seeded New Orleans, which lost to 121-103 to Sacramento. Only two games remain in the regular seaon for the Wolves who play their final road game at San Antonio on Saturday.