MINOT, ND – There will be a second championship game at the State Class B American Legion Baseball Tournament.

 

 

 

Semifinal
LaMoure def. Langdon, 2-0
Championship
LaMoure def. Cando, 9-4 (9)

 

 

Championship
Cando vs LaMoure, 1 pm
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MINOT, ND – West Fargo won the State Class AA Legion Baseball Tournament on their home field.

 

 

 

Semifinal
#3 West Fargo Patriots def. #5 Mandan Chiefs, 2-0
Championship
#3 West Fargo def. #7 Jamestown Eagles, 2-1
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MINOT, ND – Today is the third day of the State Class A Legion Baseball Tournament.

 

 

 

Loser Out
(E#1) Kindred def. (W#2) Bismarck Reps, 13-8
(W#3) Bismarck Senators def. (W#1) Williston Oilers , 6-2
Second Round
(E#2) Casselton def. (E#4) Wahpeton, 7-1
(E#3) Fargo Jets def. (W#4) Watford City Walleye, 15-3

 

 

Loser Out
(E#1) Kindred vs (E#4) Wahpeton, 12 pm
(W#3) Bismarck Senators vs (W#4) Watford City Walleye, 3 pm
Third Round
(E#2) Casselton vs (E#3) Fargo Jets, 6 pm
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TWINS-PADRES

 

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Minnesota Twins had a nice bounce-back win against the San Diego Padres, spurred by some big home runs and a big break. All-Star Byron Buxton hit a tying homer in the fourth inning off Joe Musgrove, and Carlos Correa gave the AL Central leaders some breathing room with a two-run shot during a five-run eighth that helped them beat the San Diego Padres 7-4 on Saturday. The Twins got a huge break in the seventh. With the Padres trailing 2-1 and rookie C.J. Abrams at second base on a one-out infield single and throwing error by Correa at shortstop, Jurickson Profar’s sharp grounder hit second base umpire Jerry Layne, rolled several feet away and was ruled a dead ball. Abrams almost certainly would have scored had Profar’s ball gone through the infield, but he had to stay at second. Manny Machado struck out and Eric Hosmer popped up to end the inning. Correa then homered to straightaway center field with one out in the eighth off Adrian Morejon for a 4-1 lead. It was his 13th. Minnesota added on with an RBI single by Jose Miranda, a run-scoring double by Nick Gordon and a throwing error by Abrams to make it 7-1. Sonny Gray (6-3) allowed a solo home run to Machado with two outs in the third, but otherwise kept the Padres in check through five innings. Gray allowed five hits while striking out five and walking one. Buxton tied it at 1 when he homered off the brick warehouse in the left field corner at Petco Park with one out in the fourth. It was his 26th. The Twins took the lead on Gilberto Celestino’s RBI single in the fifth.
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TWINS-INJURIES

 

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins placed outfielder Max Kepler and infielder Miguel Sanó on the 10-day injured list Saturday, a big setback for a team with playoff hopes. Sanó’s return to the IL with left knee inflammation is particularly tough because he had returned just four days earlier from missing 75 games after having surgery to repair torn meniscus in the knee in May. He apparently aggravated the knee during his recent rehab assignment. The Twins say he will undergo an MRI when they return to Minneapolis after a weekend series at San Diego. Sanó went 0 for 6 in his three games back. Kepler broke the fifth toe on his right foot when he was hit by a pitch at Detroit on Sunday. He had gone through workouts and the Twins hoped to keep him on the active roster but decided to shut him down. Kepler was hitting .244 with nine homers and 39 RBIs. To take their spots on the roster, the Twins recalled outfielder Mark Contreras and selected the contract of infielder Tim Beckham from Triple-A St. Paul.
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MINNESOTA UNITED

 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Luis Amarilla scored two goals, including the equalizer, for Minnesota United in a 4-4 tie with the Portland Timbers on Saturday. Amarilla’s tying goal came in the 69th minute for United (10-8-5). Amarilla added one more goal in the game. United also got one goal each from Franco Fragapane and Bongokuhle Hlongwane. Sebastian Blanco scored two goals and Jaroslaw Niezgoda added another for the Timbers (7-6-10). The Timbers outshot United 17-13, with seven shots on goal compared to six by Minnesota. Dayne St. Clair stopped four shots for United and Aljaz Ivacic had two saves for the Timbers. United plays on the road on Saturday against the Colorado Rapids, while the Timbers will host Nashville on Wednesday.
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VIKINGS-TRAINING CAMP

 

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The evidence of Irv Smith Jr.’s rejuvenated outlook jumps out from underneath his chinstrap, an ink outline of a butterfly on the left side of his neck that signifies a fresh start. After a freak knee injury that occurred while making a pedestrian weakside block in a preseason game, knocking him out of the 2021 season, Smith has returned his enviable tight end skills and up-for-anything personality to a Minnesota Vikings offense that badly missed him. Fully recovered from surgery to fix a torn meniscus, Smith has been cleared to practice without limitation. “It’s like a new beginning. All the things I’ve done in my past, I still reflect on, but I’m excited for what the future holds for myself, the team, the offense,” Smith said.

 

For further motivation, the third-year player — and son of former NFL tight end Irv Smith — added an even larger tattoo on the other side of his neck depicting his mother, Rose Matamoros. Then there’s another superhero inked on his right hand: The Incredible Hulk. “We’re about to smash some folks,” Smith said with a wide grin.

 

The 2020 second-round draft pick out of Alabama, who turns 24 on Aug. 9, rarely goes long without smiling. His confident and upbeat demeanor certainly came in handy during the double-whammy slog of knee rehab, a grueling process made potentially more frustrating by the powerless feeling of being sidelined and unable to contribute. “That’s kind of life. Things get thrown at you that you’re not expecting, but it’s how you bounce back,” Smith said. “You have to keep looking forward. You can’t look back.”

 

Considering the amount of attention Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook have commanded from opposing defenses, a strategy that’s unlikely to stop, there’s a clear opening for Smith to seize a vital role for the Vikings. That’s what everyone was anticipating last season, after much of Smith’s playing time was chewed up by veteran Kyle Rudolph in 2019 and 2020. “I felt he was one of our most impactful players in training camp last year,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said.

 

The athleticism and versatility Smith possesses to be able to line up at the traditional end spot in a three-point stance, in the backfield, the slot or even split wide makes him a sound fit with the new offense under head coach Kevin O’Connell. O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, who built their philosophy with Super Bowl champion Los Angeles, have quickly pointed to Rams tight end Tyler Higbee as their preferred prototype for the position as a capable blocker with downfield speed to burn. Phillips was the tight ends coach for the Rams. “When Irv really opens it up, there’s a lot in the tank there,” O’Connell said on Saturday, before the Vikings staged their first full-team practice of training camp that was open to fans.

 

The fact that the workout included Smith was a significant win for the Vikings. “I feel like I got faster, honestly, through this process, just giving my whole body a reset,” Smith said. “I’ve never really had this kind of break before. I’ve been playing sports my whole life. Reflecting and working on things that I wanted to work on that I usually wouldn’t have the time to work on, it’s been really good.”