A three-run third inning and four Clinton errors helped Shelbyville top Clinton 5-2 in Central Illinois Conference high school boy's baseball action from Shelbyville Thursday afternoon.

Drew Nohren highlighted the three-run frame with a two-run double. Ty Brachbill brought in a run for the Rams and Kaz Fox finished 2-for-3.

Jack Manning went five innings for Clinton permitting five runs but just one was earned. He struck out three and walked one. 

Despite issuing seven walks, three Shelbyville pitchers limited the Maroons offensively thanks to a combined 13 strikeouts. Drake McDonald struck out 11 in 4 1/3 innings. 

Clinton mustered just two hits for the game. Josh Bass went 1-for-3. 

The Maroons drop to 1-2 overall and fall to 0-2 in the CIC. 

Shelbyville is 4-0 and 2-0 in league play.

Clinton hosts Mt. Pulaski this afternoon.

Heidi Humble was a double short of the cycle for Clinton but the Shelbyville Lady Rams pounded out 23 hits and 19 runs in a 19-9 victory over the Lady Maroons Thursday afternoon in Central Illinois Conference high school girl's softball action.

Mallory Holland went 5-for-5 for the Lady Rams. She drove in seven runs and scored three times. Alex Jokisch went 5-for-5 with five RBIs and scored a run. 

Humble finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. 

Reice McCormick was a home run short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored for Clinton. Alaina Soberalski doubled and Brooke Reeves scored three runs. 

Shelbyville is 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in the CIC.

Clinton drops to 3-7 overall and 0-2 in the CIC. The Lady Maroons are at the Spring Slam softball tournament Saturday at the University of Illinois Springfield. 

Ike Young threw five innings of shutout ball in his first varsity start and Kyle Peake led a late breakout of Monticello bats to help the Sages roll Prairie Central 13-0 in Illini Prairie Conference boy's baseball action Thursday afternoon in Fairbury.

The sophomore pounded the strike zone and struck out five while permitting just one hit.

Monticello led 2-0 after four innings but the bats came alive and Peake capped the big rally a bases-clearing double off the left field fence. 

Colten Vance continued his hot hitting for the Sages with an RBI and three hits. Matt Swartz doubled for Monticello.

The Sages go to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Illini Prairie. They take on GCMS this afternoon in non-conference action.

Avery Schweitzer drove in five runs from the ninth spot in the batting order, Marrissa Miller slammed two home runs as Monticello rolled Prairie Central 20-9 in Illini Prairie Conference high school girl's softball action from Fairbury Thursday.

Schweitzer doubled and tripled finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Miller finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and also walked. Sadie Walsh, Cassiee Stoffel, Isa Beery drove in two runs apiece. 

Beery hit a home run for the Lady Sages and Emma Stoerger drove in three runs and scored three times. 

Rylee Galloway, Sam Slagel, Lauren Hoselton, Lillie Hogan, and Kyah Creek all had multiple hits for Prairie Central.

Monticello moves to 2-2 on the season and wins its Illini Prairie opener. The Lady Sages travel to Tremont Saturday morning.

The Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers left no doubt Thursday afternoon, dispatching Decatur LSA 27-1 in non-conference high school boys' baseball action in Decatur.

AJ Bailey finished 2-for2-2 with a double and an RBI, Landon Smith was 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs, while Jackson Fricke went 2-for-2 with two RBIs. 

Clay Aylesworth finished 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for Mt. Pulaski, Jaeden Jackson was 2-for-2 with three RBIs, and Eric Cooper went 2-for-4 with four RBIs.

Eric Cooper struck out six in three innings of work for the Hilltoppers. 

The Hilltoppers are 3-1 overall. They travel to Clinton this afternoon. 

A three-run fifith inning broke the game open for Blue Ridge as they topped Danville Schlarman 6-1 in non-conference high school girl's softball action Thursday afternoon in Farmer City.

Cassie Zimmerman drove in the first run of the game with a triple.

Alexis Wike and Lily Summers, all drove in runs in the big fifth inning.

Carmen Ellis was credited with the victory for Blue Ridge. She finished 3 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and zero runs while striking out three.

Okaw Valley scored six runs in the fifth inning and a seventh inning comeback fell short for Mt. Pulaski in a 6-5 loss in non-conference high school boy's baseball action from Bethany Wednesday afternoon.

Evan Cooper and Jackson Fricke finished 2-for-4 for the Hilltoppers. Fricke, Chance Payne, Luke Martin and Clayton Aylesworth drove in runs for the Hilltoppers.

AJ Bailey walked twice. and scored a run. Cooper scored twice.

Wednesday's loss was the first for Mt. Pulaski as they drop to 2-1 overall. They will hit the road to battle Decatur LSA this afternoon. 

LeBron James scored 25 points in his return to the starting lineup, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 121-110 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

James also had seven rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes in his second game back after he was sidelined for a month because of a torn tendon in his right foot. The four-time MVP scored 19 points in Sunday's 118-108 loss to Chicago in just his second appearance as a reserve in his 20-year NBA career.

Fighting for playoff positioning in the Western Conference, Los Angeles (38-38) kicked off a five-game trip with its fourth win in five games overall. Anthony Davis had 38 points and 10 rebounds in his hometown, and D’Angelo Russell scored 17 points.

Nikola Vucevic had 29 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for Chicago in its second straight loss. DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points, and reserve Coby White had 17 points and nine assists.

The Bulls (36-40) are 10th in the Eastern Conference, clinging to the last spot for the play-in tournament.

LaVine's dunk got Chicago within seven with 56.7 seconds left in the third. But Los Angeles quickly pulled away in the final period.

Dennis Schröder's three-point play made it 97-79 with 8:22 left, capping a 12-3 Lakers run. Davis connected on his only 3-point attempt with 6:07 to go, lifting Los Angeles to a 105-87 lead.

Austin Reaves added 19 points for the Lakers, who shot 52% (45 for 86) from the field.

After leading by as many as 17 in the first quarter, Los Angeles closed the first half with a 10-0 run for a 59-51 lead at the break. James made four foul shots and a driving layup during the spurt.

The Bulls are at Charlotte on Friday night. The Bulls are 7-3 in their last 10 games against the Hornets.

While it is not mandatory for the Chicago White Sox to open the 2023 campaign with a roaring start, early success would help soothe the lingering angst over last season's disappointment.

Following consecutive postseason berths, the White Sox entered 2022 with thoughts of the World Series. What unfolded instead was a season ravaged by injuries and marked by underachievement by missing out on the playoffs.

This Opening Day comes with the White Sox stewarded by a new manager in Pedro Grifol and reinforced by new faces around a familiar core. Chicago opens the season on the road against the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros on Thursday, seeking not only a fresh start but a means to create distance from a season in which precious little went right.

Grifol understood the need to start anew. Prior to the close of spring training, he implored fans to give these White Sox a chance without tying this roster to past failures.

That evaluation process will entail throwing support behind Anderson, catcher Yasmani Grandal, third baseman Yoan Moncada and outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert Jr. while also wishing each a healthy campaign.

It will start with White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease, who was second in AL Cy Young Award balloting in 2022, on the mound. Cease (14-8, 2.20 ERA in 2022) finished with a career-high 227 strikeouts while emerging as the leader of the rotation last season.

The Astros counter with left-hander Framber Valdez (17-6, 2.82 ERA in 2022), who takes over staff ace duties from the right-hander who bested Cease for Cy Young honors. Justin Verlander signed with the New York Mets as a free agent during the offseason.

Valdez led the AL with 201 1/3 innings last season and went 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA and 18 strikeouts over two World Series starts against the Philadelphia Phillies this past fall to earn the No. 1 rotation spot.

Hear White Sox baseball this season on WHOW. 

The Chicago Cubs added some established contributors to their young talent, sparking optimism for 2023.

The Milwaukee Brewers hope to leave behind a disappointing 2022 finish and return to the postseason.

The quest for both begins Thursday, when Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes aims to put his personal issues with the Brewers aside while facing the Cubs in Chicago.

On Aug. 1, the Brewers led the NL Central by three games when traded star closer Josh Hader. They then went 29-31 to finish 86-76 and miss the postseason for the first time since 2017.

Chicago finished 74-88 last year, its second straight losing campaign. However, the Cubs went 10-9 against Milwaukee, including 6-4 at home.

Star catcher Willson Conteras joined the rival St. Louis Cardinals, but 28-year-old All-Star outfielder Ian Happ returns after setting career bests in RBIs (72), doubles (42) and batting (.271) while also winning his first Gold Glove. Meanwhile, 25-year-old second baseman Nico Hoerner posted 10 homers and 55 RBIs.

He will make up half of Chicago's middle infield with Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson, who signed a seven-year, $177 million deal. Meanwhile, 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger looks for a revival after batting a combined .203 for the Los Angeles Dodgers over the past three seasons.

Veteran newcomers Eric Hosmer, Trey Mancini, Tucker Barnhart, Jameson Taillon, Brad Boxberger and Michael Fulmer will all try to help Chicago contend for a postseason spot. However, second-year outfielder Seiya Suzuki (14 homers, .262 average in 2022) is expected to open on the injured list with a strained oblique

Chicago's Marcus Stroman takes the ball after going 6-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 25 starts last season. The right-hander allowed two runs over 20 innings to win his final three home starts.

Stroman was 1-0 with a 1.37 ERA in three starts vs. Milwaukee last season.

The Toronto Blue Jays visit the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday afternoon for an Opening Day matchup between playoff contenders.

The Cardinals, who went 93-69 and won the National League Central last season, hope to make their first deep postseason run since they reached the 2019 National League Championship Series.

The Blue Jays, who were second in the American League East last season with a 92-70 record, have not won a postseason game since reaching the 2016 American League Championship Series for the second consecutive season.

Both teams were swept 2-0 at home in their wild-card series last year.

The Cardinals will start right-hander Miles Mikolas (12-13, 3.29). He is 0-0 with a 4.05 ERA in one career start against Toronto.

Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, Jake Woodford and Steven Matz make up the rest of the Cardinals rotation.

The Cardinals had planned to start Adam Wainwright, 41, on Opening Day, but he suffered a strained groin during a pregame warmup before Team USA's loss to Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

The Cardinals did not make many changes, feeling the talent is there to contend.

National League MVP Award winner Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado will be joined in the lineup by new catcher Willson Contreras and 20-year-old slugger Jordan Walker. They feel they have depth in the rotation and the bullpen.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Luke Teschke was sharp for a second straight outing and kept Champaign Central in check waiting for his own offense to come alive as Monticello toppled the Maroons 8-1 for the Sages' second straight win over a 3A opponent this week at Monticello High School in non-conference high school boy's baseball.

Monticello beat Lincoln by the same score Monday at Lincoln High School.

Teschke struck out ten across five innings of one-run ball. He allowed two hits and permitted just two free passes. The Illinois State commit has found a rhythm on the mound the last few weeks. He struck out eight in four scoreless innings over Oakwood last week.

The Sages drew 12 walks against Central pitchers. They scored three runs in the first inning but were limited until the fifth inning when they sent ten batters to the plate and scored five runs to break the game open. 

Sophomore Colton Vance finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Teschke doubled in reaching base twice and Biniam Leinhart stole bases, reaching base three times for Monticello.

Jack Buckalew walked three times and drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk. Jacob Trusner walked twice and drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk. 

Teschke earned his second straight ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt Counties Player of the Game award.

The Maroons drop to 4-2 overall while Monticello moves to 4-1. 

The Sages continue play Thursday traveling to Prairie Central and then take on GCMS on Friday.

Hear more Sages baseball on WEZC a week from Saturday when Monticello hosts IVC at 11 am.

In a game heard Wednesday afternoon on WHOW, the Clinton Lady Maroons fell to Sullivan, 1-0, in both team's Central Illinois Conference opener.  
 

The Lady Redskins scored the game's only run in the top of the first inning.  Senior Chloe Smith singled to lead off the game, and was driven home three batters later by Senior Maddy Probst's rbi single.  From there both teams threatened, but neither were able to break up the pitcher's duel.  Probst got the win for Sullivan pitching 7 innings of three hit ball; allowing no runs while walking 1 and striking out 4.  

Ashley Armstrong pitched well for Clinton despite taking the tough luck loss.  The Junior threw 7 innings allowing one run on 7 hits while walking 2, and striking out 4.  Armstrong was named the WHOW / Serv Pro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player Of The Game. 
 

Offensively the Maroons were led by Reice McCormick's double.  Mea Kivlehan and Alaina Soberalski each had singles.  
 

Sullivan improves to (3-1) on the season, and (1-0) in the CIC.  They host Tuscola Thursday.  
 

Clinton falls to (3-6) overall, and (0-1) in conference.  They'll travel to Shelbyville Thursday afternoon.  
 

Our next Maroons "Game of the Week" broadcast comes your way next Tuesday at 4:30pm when the Maroons host Meridian in CIC baseball action! 
 

Free passes and shotty defense helped Sullivan double up Clinton 8-4 in Central Illinois Conference high school boy's baseball Tuesday afternoon at Clinton High School.

Clinton committed six errors and Maroons pitching issued eight free passes as six of Sullivan's eight runs were earned runs.

Mason Walker led the Maroons offense going 2-for-4. 

Adan Mills finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs for Sullivan while Jake Stewart had a double finishing 2-for-5.

The Maroons drop to 1-1 on the season while Sullivan moves to 3-1. 

Clinton travels to Shelbyville Thursday.

Three Mt. Pulaski pitchers combined to shut out Illini Central in allowing just two hits as the Hilltoppers opened the Tomahawk Conference slate with a 13-0 victory over Illini Central Tuesday from Mt. Pulaski High School.

Chance Payne and Evan Cooper drove in a pair to pace the Mt. Pulaski offense. Jackson Fricke reached base three times all on walks and scored three runs. 

AJ Bailey doubled and drove in a pair finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of runs.

The Hilltoppers are 2-0 and 1-0 in the Tomahawk. They travel to Okaw Valley this afternoon.

Dee-Mack jumped on Blue Ridge early and rolled to 14-3 win in non-conference high school girl's softball action Tuesday afternoon in Mackinaw. 

Carsyn Stiger led Blue Ridge with two hits in three at-bats.

The Lady Knights fall to 0-4 on the season. They travel to Oakwood this afternoon. 

Illinois State topped No. 25 Iowa with a key three-run 8th inning on Tuesday at Duffy Bass Field.

Senior Connor Olson drove home the eventual winning run in the 8th inning while junior Luke Cheng came home on a passed ball to pad the Redbird lead after he drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game.

Illinois State (8-11 overall) got three scoreless innings in relief by senior Jared Hart against Iowa (19-4), which was off to its best start in program history and came in winners of nine-straight.

Junior Sean Sinisko fired five innings, tying a career-high with nine strikeouts (2/22/20 at 16th-ranked Oklahoma) while junior Elijah Dale threw a scoreless 9th inning for his second save of the season.

Illinois State is scheduled to host Missouri State March 31 and April 1-2 at Duffy Bass Field.

Illinois (11-10) fell to Missouri (18-6), 6-5, in a thrilling Braggin' Rights contest at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.

The Tigers struck first in the ballgame, plating three runs with two outs to take a 3-0 lead. The Illini would get on the board in the second when Ryan Moerman launched his fourth home run, his second in as many games, to left field, making it 3-1.

Missouri would push a run across in the fourth, but Illinois would scored twice in the bottom half of the frame to make it 4-3. Moerman would pick up his second RBI with a run-scoring single and Brody Harding came through with a two-out single two batters later.

The Tigers would restore their three-run lead by plating a run in both the fifth and six innings to make it a 6-3 game, but the Illini rallied again in the bottom of the sixth, scoring twice to make it 6-5. Moerman collected his third RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly and Cal Hejza followed with an RBI-single of his own to bring the Orange and Blue within one.

Korey Bunselmeyer was stellar in relief, posting 2.2 scoreless frames and allowing just two hits. Bunselmeyer also whiffed two batters and issued no walks.

The game was set up for a dramatic finish when Danny Doligale robbed a home run in the ninth to keep the deficit at one, but the Illini were ultimately unable to score.

Branden Comia's on-base streak ended at 60 games. Moerman led the way offensively for the Illini, going 2-for-3 with a run, home run and three RBI. He leads the team with 24 RBI this season and ranks eighth among Big Ten hitters.

Illinois will be back in action on Friday, taking on Michigan in a three-game set at Illinois Field.

The Clinton Lady Maroons split another pair of softball games on its spring break trip in Tennessee Monday.

Clinton won the opener over Saks from Alabama 14-6. Sarah Mills paced the Lady Maroons offense going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Heidi Humble was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Maggie Martin Drove in two runs with a double. Ariana Humes, Kate Goebel, and Humble tripled for Clinton.

Aliviyah Haynes threw two innings of two-run ball with a pair of walks and a strikeout. Anelise Thompson finished the final three innings allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and no strikeouts. 

In the second game, Highland from Indiana toppled Clinton 9-1. Heidi Humble drove in the lone run for Clinton. Brooke Reeves, Humble, and Kylee Isaac recorded the only hits for the Lady Maroons. 

Clinton returns home Wednesday to host Sullivan in the Central Illinois Conference opener at 4:30 pm. 

Hear the game on WHOW and its many digital platforms. 

Jack Buckalew struck out eight over six sharp innings, Colton Vance delivered a game-breaking bases-clearing double in the top of the seventh inning and Monticello got by Lincoln 8-1 in non-conference high school boy's baseball action from Lincoln Monday afternoon.

Buckalew mowed through the Lincoln lineup and the Sages bats came alive with a pair of runs in the third and fifth innings to go up 4-1. 

Buckalew also finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs. Biniam Leinhart finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs. 

Monticello is 3-1 on the season. They will host Champaign Central Wednesday afternoon. Hear the game on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.

Westville toppled Blue Ridge 11-0 in non-conference high school girl's softball Monday afternoon from Farmer City.

Abby Sabalasky struck out 15 over six hitless innings for Westville. 

Blue Ridge did not have a single base runner.

Blue Ridge is 0-3 on the season. They travel to Dee-Mack this afternoon for non-conference high school softball action.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said he’s not requiring a first-round pick in a potential trade sending four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets but added he’d want “fair value.”

Gutekunst was asked Monday at the NFL annual meeting if there was any way in which he could feel comfortable trading Rodgers without getting a first-round pick in return.

Gutekunst and Jets general manager Joe Douglas both discussed trade talks involving the 39-year-old Rodgers, who said March 15 during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on SiriusXM and YouTube that he intends to play for the Jets in 2023.

Rodgers remains under contract with Green Bay but said he wanted the Packers to “do the right thing.”

Gutekunst said that “hopefully, we can come to an agreement sooner than later” but indicated he could afford to wait until May or June to make a trade if necessary.

Gutekunst also said he tried unsuccessfully to speak with Rodgers on multiple occasions this offseason before the quarterback’s representatives told him the four-time MVP was requesting a trade.

Rodgers and Gutekunst met shortly after Green Bay’s season ended with a 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions that snapped the Packers’ string of three straight playoff appearances. Gutekunst said they’d planned to have follow-up conversations.

A trade of Rodgers would clear the way for 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love to take over as Green Bay’s starting quarterback.

Nicolas Batum got all of his season-high 24 points on eight 3-pointers, and Eric Gordon added 22 points in the Los Angeles Clippers' comfortable 124-112 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Kawhi Leonard scored 22 as the Clippers rebounded from an embarrassing loss to New Orleans with 20 3-pointers in an impressive outside shooting display led by Batum. The Frenchman replaced ailing Marcus Morris in the starting lineup and produced a spectacular game from the perimeter, hitting eight of his first nine 3-point attempts while Los Angeles ran away in the first three quarters.

Russell Westbrook added 12 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. The Clippers finished with a season-high 41 assists, topping 40 in a game for the first time since January 2015.

Los Angeles (40-36) kept hold of fifth place in the Western Conference standings and moved a half-game behind fourth-place Phoenix.

Zach LaVine scored 23 points and Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Bulls, who followed up their impressive win over the Lakers on Sunday with a dud.

DeMar DeRozan had 21 points and seven assists in his hometown, but Chicago lost for only the third time in 10 games and missed a chance to pull even with Toronto and Atlanta for eighth place in the East.

The Bulls host the Lakers on Wednesday.

The Clinton Lady Maroons split a pair of Sunday high school softball games on its spring break trip in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

The Lady Maroons toppled Harbor Creek from Pennsylvania 11-3 in the opener. Ashley Armstrong struck out seven across five innings in the win. She allowed three runs, two were earned, on six hits and issued zero walks. 

Heidi Humble paced the offense going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and scored twoice. Armstrong and Kylee Isaac finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs apiece. Armstrong, Humble, and Isaac all doubled for the Lady Maroons. 

Brooke Reeves was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and Alaina Soberalski drove in a run for Clinton.

In the second game, Nolensville from Tennessee toppled Clinton 8-1. 

The Lady Knights used four pitchers to limit the Clinton offense as Lady Maroons hitters struck out 13 times. 

Isaac drove in the only Cliton run and the Lady Maroons mustered just three hits.

Clinton continues its action in Tennessee today.

Illinois (11-9) snapped a brief two-game losing skid with a 10-7 victory over Nebraska (13-8-1) on Sunday at Haymarket Park in the series finale in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Illinois scored in the opening frame, doing so three times, thanks to home runs from Branden Comia and Ryan Moerman, solo and two-run blasts, respectively.

Comia's solo effort extended his on-base streak to 60 games, making him just the second player in program history to reach that mark. He is just three games away from matching Cam McDonald's program record of 63, which was set last season.

The Cornhuskers would load the bases in the bottom half, but Jack Wenninger induced what would be the first of three double-plays turned by the Illini in the contest, to get out of the inning unscathed.

Illinois again put up a three-spot in the second, with Brody Harding scoring on a wild pitch and McDonald bringing in a pair of runs with a two-out single.

Nebraska would cut into the lead in the third, scoring twice in the second and later adding another run in the third to make it 6-3. Coltin Quagliano would grab one of those runs back when he singled home McDonald with two outs in the fifth, making it 7-3.

Illinois broke the game wide open in the sixth, tagging the Cornhuskers for three runs in the frame to make it a 10-3 ballgame. Harding began the scoring by racing home on a passed ball and McDonald would collect his third RBI of the game by doubling home Comia. Camden Janik capped the inning with a two-out RBI single of his own to score McDonald.

The 10 runs were more than enough for Wenninger, who turned in his first quality start of the season. The Cary, Ill., native, allowed three runs, two earned, over 6.0 innings of work, scattering five hits to go along with six strikeouts and two walks. Wenninger earned his team-leading third win of the season.

The win was No. 518 in head coach Dan Hartleb's Illinois career, putting him just one win away from passing Lee Eilbracht for the most in program history.

Illinois lost Friday 8-4 and Saturday, 8-3.

The Fighting Illini will be back in action on Tuesday, where they will take on the Missouri Tigers in the Braggin' Rights Game at GSC Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, Ill. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

The Illinois State baseball team beat Belmont, 11-7, at E.S. Rose Park on Sunday behind 14 Redbird hits and seven stolen bases.

Junior Auggie Rasmussen had four hits, three runs scored, while joining sophomore JT Sokolove with a trio of steals apiece.

Junior Greg Nichols and sophomore Judah Morris each had two hits and three RBIs.

Junior Erik Kubiatowicz recorded the win, throwing three innings and allowing one run while senior Jared Hart posted his second save of the season by striking out the lone batter he faced.

The Redbirds lost 2-0 Friday and 6-3 Saturday. 

Illinois State is scheduled to face 19-3 Iowa at home with a 5:00 p.m. CT start time at Duffy Bass Field. 

LeBron James scored 19 points off the bench in his return from a monthlong injury absence, but Zach LaVine scored 32 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 118-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

DeMar DeRozan added 17 points for the Bulls, who easily overcame James' return for their seventh win in nine games. LaVine hit 11 of his first 14 shots to lead an offensive effort that snapped the Lakers' three-game winning streak despite the return of the NBA's career scoring leader.

James sat out 13 games with right foot soreness, missing four weeks during the Lakers' run at a playoff berth. The team provided few updates on his recovery, and his return came with little advance warning.

Chicago largely controlled play despite James’ return, streaking to a 20-point lead in the second quarter. Los Angeles briefly got the lead down to single digits down the stretch, but got no closer.

Patrick Beverley had 10 points and five assists in his first game against the Lakers since they traded him last month. 

Troy Brown Jr. and Malik Beasley scored 18 points apiece, but Anthony Davis managed just 15 points and nine rebounds as the Lakers (37-38) failed to get above .500 for the first time since Jan. 9, 2022.

The Lakers were without D’Angelo Russell, who missed his second straight game with a right hip injury. Los Angeles went 8-5 in James’ absence, but his return will force an adjustment of the chemistry built by his teammates in his absence.

Bulls are at Clippers on Monday. The two teams meet again on Wednesday.

Elias Pettersson scored twice, Phillip Di Giuseppe scored, Brock Boeser got an empty-netter, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Sunday night.

The Canucks won their third straight and sent the Blackhawks to their fifth straight defeat.

Pettersson scored his 34th and 35th goals of the season in the third period. His first, a deep-angle shot from the right side, broke the tie at 12:06. His second, on a power-play, came from the slot in the middle of a pileup 63 seconds later. Andrei Kuzmenko assisted on both goals.

Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy opened the scoring, beating Canucks goalie Collin Delia with a 55-foot wrist shot with 3:59 left in the first period. It was the sixth goal of the season for Murphy who last scored on Jan. 23.

Di Giuseppe tied it at 1 with 17 seconds left in the second period, his centering pass from the right slot caroming into the Chicago net off the left instep of Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones. Goaltender Petr Mrazek could not react to the deflection.

Rookie Lukas Reichel scored his fifth goal of the season to pull Chicago within 3-2 with 1:42 remaining, but an empty-net goal by Vancouver’s Boeser finished the scoring.

Delia stopped 29 shots in picking up his ninth win. Mrazek made 27 saves in recording his 20th loss.

Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi went to the locker room with an injury midway through the second period and did not return.

The Blackhawks host Dallas on Tuesday night.

Viktor Arvidsson had two goals for the second straight game, Adrian Kempe also scored twice and the Los Angeles Kings extended their point streak to a franchise-record 12 games in a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night.

Alex Iafallo and Trevor Moore also scored during a five-goal first period and Drew Doughty scored for the third consecutive game to help the Kings run their record to 10-0-2 since their last regulation loss at the New York Rangers on Feb. 26.

Phillip Danault had three assists, Pheonix Copley made 16 saves and the Kings also completed their best homestand ever with a 5-0-2 mark in seven games.

Jordan Kyrou had two goals, and Brandon Saad, Justin Faulk, Pavel Buchnevich and Kasperi Kapanen also scored for St. Louis. But the Blues had their five-game point streak snapped. Joel Hofer was replaced after giving up five goals on 17 shots in the first period.

The Kings wasted no time jumping all over the Blues, getting goals from Arvidsson at even strength, Iafallo on the power play and Kempe shorthanded in the opening 7:35.

Saad broke up the momentum briefly, but Arvidsson and Moore had power-play goals and Hofer’s night ended with 3:38 left in the opening period.

Jordan Binnington made 12 saves in relief, stopping a penalty shot by Arvidsson midway through the second.

Things got dicey for the Kings when the Blues scored three straight goals in the second period, pulling within one on Kyrou’s power-play goal with 2:25 left.

Kempe responded with his 36th goal early in the third to push the margin back to two, and Doughty struck on the power play 39 seconds after Kapanen made it 6-5.

Kyrou cut it to 7-6 with 49 seconds remaining and Binnington pulled for an extra attacker.

The Blues host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

Tyler Reddick handled it nearly to perfection Sunday, earning his first victory with new team 23XI Racing by holding on over multiple late restarts to win in triple overtime Sunday at Circuit of the Americas, the first road course race on this year’s NASCAR schedule.

Reddick’s victory was the first of the year for Toyota and his first since joining the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. It was Reddick’s fourth career Cup Series win, third on a road course. Reddick won a year ago at Road America and on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his final season with Richard Childress Racing.

Reddick had to hold the front through the elevated, switchback left hand turn that saw the field bunch up and smash each other time after time on the restarts. The race had eight cautions for 17 laps and went to three overtimes and seven laps past the scheduled distance.

Kyle Busch, who pushed Reddick through the final three restarts, finished second in the Chevrolet for RCR that became available to the two-time Cup champion when Reddick jumped to 23XI.

Alex Bowman, who had a chance to win on the final lap at COTA last season, was third in a Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports.

Ross Chastain, the defending race winner, finished fourth and was confronted post-race inside his car by Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez over the aggressive nature of the race. Suarez also exchanged words with Bowman. NASCAR may take action against Suarez for using his car to bump both Bowman and Chastain on pit road.

William Byron finished fifth for Hendrick and Austin Cindric was the highest-finishing Ford driver in sixth for Team Penske.

There were no stage breaks for the first time this season under a rule change introduced for the six road course races in 2023. That left teams to manage different pit stop strategies.

Reddick appeared to have managed the perfect strategy before the rash of late collisions, caution flags and restarts left him with a harder path to win.

The race included former Formula One champions Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button.

Another “road course ringer” on the track Sunday was sports car driver four-time IMSA champion Jordan Taylor driving for injured Chase Elliott, who is still recovering from a fractured leg in a snowboarding accident and participated in the Fox Sports broadcast booth remotely from Colorado.

Taylor finished 24th.

The series moves to short-track racing next Sunday at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Denny Hamlin is the defending race winner.

In a game heard on WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com, Luke Teschke was sharp over four shutout innings and helped turn a crucial double play as Monticello held off Oakwood 8-3 in non-conference high school boy's baseball action from Monticello Thursday afternoon.

The game ended very awkwardly. The Sages led 4-3 after five and a half innings. Monticello came to bat in the top of the sixth inning and doubled its run total highlighted by a two-run double by Logan Chupp. Chupp missed a home run by just a few feet if not for a wind that was blowing in from left field. 

After the third out of the bottom of the sixth inning, the game was called due to darkness.

In the top of the sixth inning, Oakwood rallied to cut a 4-0 deficit to 4-3. Sophomore Ike Young entered with runners at first and third. He walked the leadoff batter but induced an inning-ending, and ultimately game-sealing, double play. 

On a comebacker to him, he relayed the ball to Teschke covering the bag from second base and made a great return throw to first on a wide throw from Young to end the inning and the scoring threat. 

Teschke started on the mound and looked the sophomore that sent Monticello to a Sectional final last May. He struck out seven in four scoreless innings and only allowed one base runner on a hit in the second inning. 

Teschke laced an RBI triple in the third inning to put Monticello on the board.

Teschke was the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game.

The Sages move to 2-0 on the young season and Oakwood suffered its first loss.

Monticello travels to Westville Friday afternoon. Hear more Sages baseball on WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com next Wednesday when they host Champaign Central. First pitch is 4:30 pm. 

An excellent St. Joseph-Ogden softball team rolled Clinton 24-0 Thursday afternoon in non-conference high school girl's softball action from Rantoul.

The game was moved to the Rantoul Sports Complex due to wet field conditions at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Addy Martini hit two home runs for the Lady Spartans and drove in nine runs. Alyssa Acton hit a home run and Grace Osterbur drove in three.

Only seven of the 24 St. Joe runs were earned for Clinton. 

Ashley Armstrong, Sarah Mills and Aliviyah Haynes recorded hits for Clinton

St. Joseph-Ogden moves to 3-2 overall. Clinton drops to 1-3 overall and will travel to Maroa-Forsyth Friday afternoon. 

It has been a slow start to the high school baseball season for Clinton and if somehow conditions are good enough to play baseball in central Illinois today, Maroons baseball can be heard on WHOW and its digital platforms.

The Maroons started a game Tuesday against Mahomet-Seymour but it was called due to rain after 2 1/2 innings. Clinton welcomes Olympia to Clinton High School this afternoon for a 4:30 pm first pitch.

If there is a baseball game today, hear it on WHOW and its many digital platforms.

In the event there is no high school baseball today, hear White Sox spring training action at 3 pm. 

White Sox center fielder Luis Robert believes the intensity of the World Baseball Classic has helped him get more prepared for the regular season, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Robert played for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic and went 7-for-27 with a double, two runs scored and four RBI. 

He returned to camp Tuesday and relayed to reporters that he feels that playing in meaningful games this spring will help him get off to a better start with the White Sox in the regular season. 

Robert is expected to return to the team's lineup for today's Cactus League action.

Eyers are on Eloy Jimenez (calf) who served as the White Sox's designated hitter and cleanup batter in Wednesday's split-squad Cactus League game against the Royals, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Jimenez exited early in Monday's game against the Diamondbacks due to what the White Sox labeled as right calf camping, and fortunately for the 26-year-old, the issue wasn't anything more severe than that. 

After getting Tuesday off to rest and rehydrate, Jimenez is good to go one day later. In an effort to keep Jimenez healthy following consecutive injury-riddled campaigns, the White Sox could have him see an even larger share of his work out of the DH spot rather than the corner outfield in 2023. 

Jimenez made 50 starts as a DH and 30 as a left fielder last season.

The White Sox begin the regular season a week from today at Houston. Hear White Sox baseball again this season on WHOW. 

Natalie Loy had six runs batted in leading LeRoy past Clinton 12-2 in a five inning, ten-run rule win Tuesday afternoon from LeRoy High School in non-conference high school girl's softball.

Loy was 3-for-3 and a triple short of the cycle. Finley Howard finished 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs while Emily Bogema finished 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.

Haley Cox overcame seven walks to win in circle for the Lady Panthers. 

Brook Reeves walked three times, stole a base and scored a run for the Lady Maroons. Heidi Humble had an RBI and Anelise Thompson doubled.

Ashley Armstrong took the loss in circle and struck out five to just one walk.

Clinton moves to 1-2. LeRoy is 4-0.

Clinton is scheduled to travel to St. Joseph-Ogden on Thursday.

Illinois (10-7) won its first game at Illinois Field this season with a 6-4 victory over Bradley (6-10) Tuesady afternoon.

The win was No. 517 in head coach Dan Hartleb's career, putting him just one win behind Lee Eilbracht for the most in program history.

Illinois struck first in the contest, scoring twice in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Connor Milton started the frame with a double and scored on an infield single from Cal Hejza. Hejza would later score on a wild pitch.

The Illini added a run in the fourth when Camden Janik took the first pitch of the inning deep to left for his fourth home run of the season.

Bradley would score three times in the fifth to tie the game with a solo home run and a two-run double in the frame.

Illinois hit back in the bottom half of the inning with a three-spot to re-take the lead. Branden Comia and Cam McDonald each singled and Drake Westcott crushed an opposite-field shot to left, his sixth big fly of the season, to give the Illini a 6-3 lead.

The Braves pushed back with one more run in the sixth to make it 6-4, but TJ Constertina and Joe Glassey would keep the visitors off the board over the final three innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three.

Jake Swartz turned in another solid midweek start, allowing three runs over 4.2 innings of work to go along with four strikeouts.

Comia extended his on-base streak to 57 games after going 2-for-3 with a run and two walks. Westcott went 2-for-3 with a run, home run, three RBI and a walk. Janik went 1-for-3 with a run, home run and an RBI. He and Comia have reached base safely in all 17 games this season.

The Fighting Illini begin Big Ten play on Friday, when they head to Lincoln, Neb., to take on Nebraska for three games at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. 

The Illinois State baseball team never recovered from allowing four first inning runs in Tuesday's 10-3 loss to Minnesota at Duffy Bass Field as Redbird pitchers conceded 12 hits and 11 free passes.

Illinois State (6-9) also hit into two double plays in the first three innings while leaving the bases loaded in the 5th inning and stranding two baserunners in both the 7th and 8th innings.

Senior Dylan Swarmer had a home run reduced to a triple after the umpire deemed he had missed home plate to go with a pair of singles to lead the Redbirds. Sophomore Noah Rabin also had a trio of hits.

The Golden Gophers improved to 4-18 overall.

Illinois State is scheduled to play Minnesota at 1:00 p.m. CT today at Duffy Bass Field.

Lucas Raymond’s goal in the fourth round of a shootout gave the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

Raymond’s goal was the only one from either team in the tiebreaker. He is 3 for 8 in career shootout attempts.

Alex Chiasson and Filip Zadina scored in regulation for the Red Wings, who stopped a three-game losing streak. Magnus Hellberg made 20 saves and denied all four attempts in the shootout.

Robert Bortuzzo and Marco Scandella scored for the Blues, who won their previous three home games against Detroit. Joel Hofer made 28 saves, taking his first loss in his third game since being recalled from Springfield of the AHL last Thursday.

St. Louis got first-period goals from two unlikely sources.

Bortuzzo gave them the lead at 2:21 of the first period with his second goal of the season and first since New Year’s Eve. Scandella scored midway through the first - his first goal since April 24, 2022.

Detroit had an answer for each St. Louis goal.

Chiasson got the Red Wings on the board with a power-play goal at the 7:49 mark, burying a perfect feed from David Perron. Zadina’s goal late in the first evened it at 2.

Raymond was inches away from giving the Red Wings the lead in the final seconds of the second period as his shot trickled between Hofer’s legs, but Hofer was able to recover and pounce on the puck before it could be tapped over the goal line.

Perron made his first appearance in St. Louis since signing with the Red Wings as a free agent before the season. Perron, who has had three separate stints with the Blues, was a first-round draft pick by St. Louis in 2007 and was a part of the 2019 Stanley Cup championship team.

Perron received a standing ovation from the crowd after being honored with a video tribute during a break in the first period.

The Blues carried three goaltenders, with Jordan Binnington returning after a two-game suspension. 

The teams played the first game of a unique home-and-home set, the only times they face each other this season. The rematch is Thursday night in Detroit.

Shohei Ohtani got Mike Trout to swing under a slider on the outside corner, sealing Japan’s 3-2 win Tuesday night and its first World Baseball Classic title since 2009.

Ohtani, the two-way star who has captivated fans across two continents, was voted MVP of the WBC after batting .435 with one homer, four doubles, eight RBIs and 10 walks while going 2-0 with a save and a 1.86 ERA on the mound, striking out 11 in 9 2/3 innings.

Japan then joined the Dominican Republic in 2013 as the only unbeaten champions of baseball’s premier national team tournament. The Samurai Warriors went 7-0 and outscored opponents 56-18, reaching the final for the first time since winning the first two WBCs in 2006 and 2009. No other nation has won the title more than once.

Trea Turner put the U.S. ahead in the second against Shota Imanaga (1-0) with his fifth home run of the tournament, tying the WBC record set by South Korea’s Seung Yuop Lee in 2006.

Munetaka Murakami tied the score on the first pitch of the bottom half off Merrill Kelly (0-1) driving an up fastball 432 feet into the right-field upper deck, a 115.1 mph bullet. Japan loaded the bases and Lars Nootbaar, the first non-Japanese-born player to appear for the Samurai Warriors, followed with a run-scoring groundout off Aaron Loup for a 2-1 lead.

Okamoto boosted the lead in the fourth when he sent a flat slider from Kyle Freeland over the wall in left-center for another solo homer. Kyle Schwarber pulled the Americans within a run when he went deep in the eighth off Yu Darvish.

Ohtani was Japan’s designated hitter and first went to the bullpen ahead of the sixth inning. He returned to the dugout and beat out an infield single in the seventh before again walking down the left-field line to Japan’s bullpen and warming up for his third mound appearance of the tournament.

He walked big league batting champion Jeff McNeil to begin the ninth, then got six-time All-Star Mookie Betts to ground into a double play.

That brought up Trout, the U.S. captain, a 10-time All-Star and a three-time MVP.

Ohtani started with a slider low, then got Trout to swing through a 100 mph fastball. Another fastball sailed outside and Trout missed a 99.8 mph pitch over the middle. A 101.6 offering, the fastest of Ohtani’s 15 pitches, was low and way outside.

Ohtani stepped off the mound and blew on his pitching hand. He went back to an offspeed option, a slider.

Trout grimaced after his futile swing, his 12th strikeout of a tournament in which he hit .296 with one homer and seven RBIs. Ohtani raised both arms and threw his glove, then his cap, as teammates mobbed him.

Japan gets $3 million in prize money and the U.S. $1.7 million. Half of each goes to players, the other half to the national baseball federation.

MLB openers are March 30, the same day the season starts in Japan.

The Olympia High School softball team beat Clinton 11-0 Monday afternoon at Clinton High School in non-conference high school girl's softball action.

The Spartans scored four runs in the second and third innings and added three more runs in the fifth inning to win a ten-run rule game in five innings. 

Clinton's Kylee Isaac and Heidi Humble recorded the only two hits for the Lady Maroons. 

Clinton is 1-1 on the season. The Lady Maroons are at LeRoy this afternoon. 

Jackson Fricke and Landon Smith went deep leading Mt. Pulaski to a 16-1, four-inning romp over Central A&M Monday in non-conference high school boy's baseball action from Moweaqua.

Fricke added a double and a pair of RBIs. Liam Smith went 2-for-2 with a triple and a two RBIs while Chance Payne was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. 

Evan Cooper threw three shutout innings, striking out eight and allowed two hits. 

Monday's game was the first of the season for the Hilltoppers, making them 1-0 on the young season. They will travel to Nokomis today for a non-conference matchup.

The Blue Ridge Lady Knights fell in non-conference high school girl's softball action 8-0 Monday in Farmer City.

Ellie Schlieper struck out 12 in seven innings for work for Blue Ridge despite surrendering eight runs. Alexis Wike, Lily Summers and Lily Enger recorded hits for the Lady Knights.

Blue Ridge falls to 0-2 on the season. They host Decatur St. Teresa this afternoon.

Zach LaVine scored 26 points, DeMar DeRozan had 25 and the Chicago Bulls defeated Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers 109-105 in double overtime Monday night to snap their eight-game winning streak.

Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, who have won three games in a row and five of six. Chicago is jostling for the final playoff spot in the East.

Embiid had 37 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out with 3:54 left in the second overtime. It was the 10th straight game in which he has scored at least 30 points.

The teams meet again in the second game of a home-and-home on Wednesday night in Chicago.

Philadelphia could’ve clinched a playoff spot with a victory, but the 76ers struggled once Embiid left the court after a foul on LaVine.

Tyrese Maxey hit an elbow jumper and Tobias Harris followed with a baseline jumper to put the 76ers ahead 105-101 with 2:36 left in the second OT. But those were the last points Philadelphia scored, with Embiid only able to watch from the bench.

Maxey, who finished with 17 points, air-balled a pair of 3-point attempts and misfired on a drive. The 76ers still were down by just two late, but Derrick Jones Jr. blocked James Harden’s jumper and Harris missed on a chance. Coby White got the rebound and made two free throws with six seconds to play to clinch it.

The 76ers had a chance to win in regulation, but Maxey’s 3 at the buzzer was off the mark.

Chicago could’ve ended it after the first overtime, but DeRozan’s 3 at the buzzer went off the heel of the rim.

Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball had surgery for a cartilage transplant in his left knee.

Ball is out indefinitely after a third surgery on the knee in a little more than a year.

Ball hasn’t played in more than a year and Chicago ruled him out for the season last month. The 25-year-old former No. 2 overall draft pick averaged 13 points and 5.4 rebounds in 35 games with the Bulls in 2021-22.

Alex Caruso (left foot) did not play. Caruso left in the second quarter of a 113-99 win over the Heat on Saturday night.

Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves and Denis Malgin had two goals and an assist, helping the surging Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday night.

Mikko Rantanen got his 47th goal and an assist as the Avs posted their sixth consecutive win. Logan O’Connor and Kurtis MacDermid also scored.

Georgiev’s fifth shutout of the season and No. 13 for his career lifted Colorado (41-22-6) into a tie with idle Minnesota for second place in the Central Division with 88 points, one behind Dallas. The Avalanche have played one less game than the Wild and Stars.

Alex Stalock stopped 27 shots for Chicago, which has dropped two straight.

The Blackhawks are at the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.

The Green Bay Packers have re-signed safety Rudy Ford and cornerback Corey Ballentine.

Both signings were announced Monday. Terms weren’t disclosed.

Ford joined the Packers just before the start of the 2022 season and made a career-high six starts while playing all 17 games. He had 40 tackles and a career-high three interceptions along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Ford also had four special teams tackles.

The 28-year-old Ford previously played for Arizona (2017-18), Philadelphia (2019-20) and Jacksonville (2021).

Ballentine joined the Packers practice squad last September and was promoted to the active roster in November. He played eight games for the Packers and had one tackle on defense and four more on special teams.

Ballentine, who turns 27 on April 13, also has played for the Giants (2019-20), Jets (2020) and Detroit (2021).

In a game heard on WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello sent 13 batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the fourth inning to get by Argenta-Oreana 13-6 in non-conference high school girl's softball action Monday at Monticello High School.

With the score tied at two in the bottom of the fourth, the rally started with the bottom of the Lady Sages lineup reaching base. Emma Stoerger led off the frame with a walk, Catie Swartz singled through the right side of the infield, Isabella Beery was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Avery Schweitzer singled in two runs from the ninth spot in the lineup to put Monticello up 4-2. 

Everything the rest of the inning was station-to-station but five runs later, Monticello led 9-2 with RBIs from Marrissa Miller, Reese Patton, and Lynsee Trybom.

Miller was the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game, finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, four runs scored, a stolen base and a run batted in. She reached base four times with a pair of walks in addition to her two doubles.

Patton finished 3-for-5 for Monticello. Beery finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and Schweitzer was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs for the Lady Sages.

Freshman Cassidee Stoeffel picked up the win in circle for Monticello. She also went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs at the plate.

The Lady Bombers appeared to go up 2-1 in the top of the third inning. Leadoff hitter Abbey Matthews was batting with a runner on first base and nobody out and blasted a home run to left center field. But the runner in front of her missed home plate coming home and Matthews touched home plate before the runner could go back and touch the plate. The runner was called out making Matthews home run a solo home run to tie the score at 1.

The Lady Bombers sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the seventh inning but could only scratch across two runs. 

Argenta-Oreana was led by Matthews who finished 2-for-4 with a home run and scored two runs. Gracie Manning finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice, Abby Jackson reached base three times drawing two walks and was hit by pitch. She scored a run. 

Brynn Jones was 2-for-4 for the Lady Bombers with a run scored.

Argenta-Oreana drops to 0-2 in the early season while Monticello improves to 1-1.

Join us on Wednesday, April 12 for our next Lady Sages broadcast on WEZC and dewittdailynews.com when they travel to Clinton for a non-conference road matchup at 4:30 pm. 

Ricky Council IV scored 18 points and Arkansas survived some anxious moments in the second half against an Illinois team that wouldn't go away, holding on to beat the Illini 73-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

Devo Davis had 16 points for the eighth-seeded Razorbacks, who used relentless defense and rebounding to build big leads but couldn't get comfortable until the final minute.

Terrence Shannon Jr., held scoreless the first 16 minutes, finished with 20 points to lead the Illini (20-13). 

Anthony Black intercepted Coleman Hawkins' cross-court pass and Council missed the fast-break dunk when he would have been better served to lay it in. 

Council atoned for his missed dunk with a layup to end a 4-minute, 13-second scoring drought, and his two free throws with 1:18 left put the Razorbacks up 68-57.

Arkansas led by as many as 14 points in the first half and went to the locker room ahead 36-26 following a scrambling play under the basket where Kamani Johnson battled three Illinois players for a loose ball.

Arkansas' defense was on point from the outset, holding the Illini to 28% shooting in the first half and 38.5% for the game. The Hogs scored 19 points off Illinois' 17 turnovers.

Alex Stalock made 35 saves to lead the Chicago Blackhawks over the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Thursday night.

Lukas Reichel and Joey Anderson scored for Chicago.

Roman Josi scored late and Juuse Saros stopped 19 shots for Nashville.

Reichel was credited with the game’s first goal with 47 seconds remaining in the opening period.

The Blackhawks entered the Nashville zone on a 2-on-1 break. On the left side, Reichel’s pass attempt was blocked by the stick of sliding Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro. The puck deflected off Fabbro’s stick and on net. Saros stopped it, but Fabbro’s momentum caused him to crash into Saros and knock both the goaltender and the puck into the net in the process.

Stalock denied Matt Duchene on a penalty shot at 13:40 of the second period. Duchene fumbled the puck and did not get much on a wrist shot that was easily turned aside by Stalock.

The penalty shot was awarded when Stalock was whistled for throwing his stick as Nashville’s Rasmus Asplund stickhandled behind the Chicago net.

Stalock’s best save of the game came at 11:15 of the first, when he denied Philip Tomasino on a breakaway. Tomasino tried to snap a wrist shot between Stalock’s pads, but the goaltender was able to squeeze them together just in time.

Anderson added an insurance goal at 8:01 of the third off an assist from Boris Katchouk, who has four points in his last two games.

Josi spoiled Stalock’s shutout bid with 24.5 seconds remaining and Saros pulled for an extra skater.

The Clinton Maroons came back from an 0-1 deficit to defeat the Heyworth Hornets 10-5 in the season opener for both teams Wednesday afternoon.

Mason Walker got the win pitching 4 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on no hits while striking out 11 and walking 4. Walker led the Maroons at bat going 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Braden Thayer was 3 for 4 with a double.

Brady Wicklander took the loss for Heyworth pitching 3 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits while striking out 2 and giving up 2 walks.

Clinton improves to 1-0 while Heyworth drops to 0-1. The Maroons travel to Lexington Friday to take on the Minutemen.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, the top of the Monticello lineup flexed its muscle Wednesday afternoon, leading the Sages to a route of Villa Grove, 11-1 in five-innings from Monticello High School. 

Jacob Trusner was a home run shy of the cycle and Biniam Leinhart had two triples to lead Monticello offensively. 

Trusner and Leinhart headline a first five of the Sages lineup that were instrumental in guiding Monticello to an elite appearance last year.

Leinhart scored three runs, Trusner scored three runs and drove in two runs while Colton Vance and Logan Chupp each had two RBIs apiece. 

In his first start of the season, senior Jack Buckalew was sharp, striking out seven in two scoreless innings. He had a strikeout but a passed ball allowed the his only baserunner to reach.

Junior Luke Teschke struggled with his command in an inning of work. He struck out three and walked three.

Buckalew's sharp start to the season earned him the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game. 

The Sages are 1-0 on the season and head to Carbondale for four games in two days on its annual spring break trip this weekend. 

Hear Monticello girl's softball on Monday when they host Argenta-Oreana and then boy's baseball on Thursday when they host Oakwood. Each game is a 4:30 pm first pitch and can be heard on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Freshman Thomas Harper and fourth-year Cameron Mabee recorded 26 outs before allowing a run in Illinois State's 6-1 win over Western Illinois to open the Redbirds' home slate.

Harper recorded his first career win after throwing 5.2 innings with six strikeouts while Mabee tallied his first save of the season after throwing 3.1 innings and allowing one run.

The Redbirds (6-8 overall), despite scoring six runs, had just one run-scoring hit as fourth-year junior Greg Nichols doubled home a run in the 8th inning.

Western Illinois drops to 3-13.

Illinois baseball (7-6) fell in their home opener in extra innings, 7-3, to Indiana State (8-8) at Illinois Field.

The ballgame was sent to extras when Illinois scored three times in the bottom of the seventh. Brody Harding and Danny Doligale set the table with walks, with Harding scoring on a double from Branden Comia. Cam McDonald followed with a two-run single to tie the game. Drake Westcott followed with a single of his own, but Indiana State was able to retire the next three batters to get out of the inning.

The visitors had led since the fourth inning, scoring three times in the frame to take the 3-0 lead. After an RBI-groundout by the Sycamores opened the scoring, the inning was extended on an error, leading to two unearned runs.

Jake Swartz took the mound to start the game for the Illini, and the freshman allowed just two runs, one earned, in 3.1 innings of work, scattering five hits and striking out four.

After the three-run fourth, Logan Tabeling, John Lundgren, TJ Constertina and Jack Wenninger combined to toss five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and whiffing three.

An 8/9 matchup to likely face top-seeded Kansas happens today in Des Moines, Iowa when Illinois meets up with Arkansas in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

IlliniHQ beat writer Bob Asmussen says Illinois and Arkansas are very similar teams in they have a great deal of talent but have been very inconsistent this year.

Illinois had a disappointing finish to the regular season as the Illini let some winnable games slip through and an early exit in the NCAA tournament. Asmussen says it was a missed opportunity to build momentum.

Illinois and Arkansas battle it out today in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at 3:30 pm. The winner likely gets Kansas. 

The Clinton Maroons will open the 2023 spring baseball season this afternoon at Heyworth High School and in his final season, Coach John Hickman really likes the group of young men he will lead this year.

The veteran coach indicates this is one of the deepest rosters he's had in some time. He points out though, it's a young group of players that don't know his system.

Coach Hickman believes this edition of the Clinton Maroons is really going to surprise some teams. He really likes his pitching this year with four solid arms he feels he can turn to.

Coach Hickman is excited about what he's seeing from his players when they are taking batting practice, noting an increase in pop this year.

In his last year at the reigns of the Clinton baseball program, Coach Hickman is trying to focus too much on that. He really likes this group of young men and looks forward to coaching them this year.

Last year, defense was a big problem for Clinton. Coach Hickman says one thing about this team is they are able to move players around with kids that offer a great deal of versatility.

Hear Maroons baseball action throughout the season on WHOW and its many online platforms. Check out the baseball schedule today at dewittdailynews.com. 

Steven Crowl scored a career-high 36 points and Wisconsin cruised to an 81-62 victory over Bradley on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT.

Crowl buried 12 of 16 shots from the floor, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and all seven of his free throws for the second-seeded Badgers, who advance to play No. 3 seed Liberty in the second round. Crowl, a junior, topped his previous high by 11 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds. Max Klesmit totaled 16 points and three steals, while Connor Essegian was 9 of 9 at the foul line and scored 14.

Rienk Mast scored 14 points to lead the Braves (25-10). Zek Montgomery added 12 points.

Crowl scored 19 points in the first half to guide the Badgers to 40-35 lead at halftime. Crowl scored 17 in the second half and Klesmit added 13 to help Wisconsin pull away.

The Chicago Bears made two big additions at linebacker, agreeing to contracts with Buffalo Bills two-time Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds and former Philadelphia Eagle T.J. Edwards.

Edmunds’ deal is worth $72 million over four years with $50 million guaranteed. Edwards is due $19.5 million over three years, with $12 million guaranteed.

The Bears also added to their offensive line, agreeing to a three-year, $30 million contract with Tennessee guard Nate Davis.

Edmunds gives the Bears the playmaking outside linebacker they’ve been seeking since they dealt Roquan Smith to Baltimore prior to last season’s trade deadline. Chicago made that move after an impasse in contract negotiations.

Edwards had a breakout year for a dominant defense in 2022 that helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. He led the team with a personal-best 159 tackles from his middle linebacker position and set career highs with 10 tackles for loss and seven passes defended. In the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, he had six tackles and a pass defended.

Davis, a third-round pick out of Charlotte by Tennessee in 2019, has started 54 games. He ended last season on injured reserve because of an ankle injury.

The Bears have added help on the defensive line, agreeing to a deal with former Tennessee Titans defensive end DeMarcus Walker.

Walker tweeted that he has an agreement in place with Chicago.

Former Seattle Seahawks running back Travis Homer agreed to a two-year deal with Chicago worth as much as $4.5 million, agent Spencer Cannold said Tuesday night.

The Bears announced a two-year contract extension with fullback Khari Blasingame through the 2025 season and a one-year extension with long-snapper Patrick Scales on Tuesday. Offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen — an exclusive rights free agent — signed a one-year deal.

Walker is coming off his best year, with a career-high seven sacks in his lone season with the Titans. He played for Denver from 2017 to 2020 and Houston in 2021.

The Bears sorely needed help on the defensive line after finishing with a league-worst 20 sacks, their lowest total since the 2003 team had 18. A safety — Jaquan Brisker — led them with four sacks, and no lineman had more than three.

Homer has run for 453 yards and one touchdown in four seasons with Seattle. The Seahawks drafted him in the sixth round in 2019.

Blasingame played in 16 games and helped block for a ground attack that led the league with a franchise-record 3,014 yards rushing. 

The Bears set a franchise record for losses while finishing with a league-worst 3-14 record. They had one of the worst defenses in the NFL and, on offense, they had big issues in the passing game. But they’ve made some big moves since the end of the season.

The Bears agreed Friday to trade the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to Carolina, two people familiar with the deal said. Chicago addressed a big need for a playmaker to help quarterback Justin Fields by acquiring star receiver D.J. Moore from the Panthers along with the No. 9 and No. 61 overall picks in 2023, a first-rounder in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2025.

Chicago also hired Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as team president and purchased a 326-acre plot of land in suburban Arlington Heights that the organization has been sizing up for a new enclosed stadium.

Taylor Raddysh scored three goals and the Chicago Blackhawks beat Boston 6-3 on Tuesday night, handing the NHL-leading Bruins a second straight regulation loss for the first time this season.

Raddysh's first career hat trick gave him 20 goals for the season and six in his last four games. Chicago ended a three-game slide (0-2-1).

Boris Katchouk scored a tiebreaking goal at 6:59 of the third period and added two assists for his first three-point game.

Joey Anderson had a goal and an assist, and MacKenzie Entwistle also scored for Chicago, which entered tied for last place in the Western Conference.

Never mind that Boston came in with a whopping 55 more points than the Blackhawks.

Hampus Lindholm had a goal and an assist after missing the Bruins' game at Detroit on Sunday with a swollen foot. Trent Frederic and Pavel Zacha also scored for Boston.

Bruins top scorer David Pastrnak missed on a penalty shot with 1:24 left.

The Bruins entered with a league-best 105 points. They became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 50 wins in a season by beating the Red Wings 3-2 in Boston on Saturday. But the Bruins lost 5-3 at Detroit on Sunday and are 1-3-0 in their last four on the heels of a 10-game winning streak that propelled them to a big lead in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek re-aggravated a groin injury that has bothered him the past two seasons and was replaced by Alex Stalock at 8:48 of the second period.

Mrazek, who stopped all 16 shots he faced, skated to the dressing room abruptly after dropping to the ice to make a couple of close-in saves on Frederic to keep Chicago ahead 1-0. About a minute earlier, Dmitry Orlov’s slap shot struck Mrazek in the mask.

Stalock stopped 23 of 26 shots in relief.

Linus Ullmark made 23 saves for Boston.

The Blackhawks are at Nashville on Thursday to start a five-game trip.

A young Lincoln Railers baseball team will look to turn some heads this season.

Coach Auggie Casson is very excited about this young group. A small group of seniors this year will pave the way for a solid young crop of players to make a statement.

According to Coach Casson, a big group of juniors will have to step up this season and he indicates it's a very versatile group. 

Coach Casson is excited about this team's defense. He likes the outfield speed that has and likes his team's chances if their pitchers can throw strikes.

Coach Casson feels his lineup will be as good as it's been. He's been impressed early with the way his players are swinging the bats. He also hopes his pitchers' early tendency to keep the ball in the strike zone will bode well for the season.

Lincoln High School added turf to its baseball and softball complex and gets to take advantage of that for the first time this year. Coach Casson praises this group's desire to be outside even if conditions are not ideal. He notes it takes a really bad weather day to keep this group inside. 

After an injury-riddled 2022 spring softball season, the Clinton Lady Maroons are healthy and poised to take a step forward this spring.

The season is tentatively scheduled to open today and this week. Coach Andrea Rhoades is looking forward to having Ashley Armstrong back healthy in circle.

The Lady Maroons were very young in 2023 and have four seniors on this year's team to pair with some girl's that got a lot of great experience last year.

The Lady Maroons are scheduled to open the season this afternoon at Clinton High School at 4:30 pm hosting Decatur Eisenhower. Hear today's action, weather depending, on WHOW and its many online platforms.

*** Today's game has been rescheduled to Friday afternoon.  WHOW will carry Friday's game on all platforms. ***

Last year was a magical sports season for the Monticello Sages boy's sports programs and it was capped off by an incredible run to the Springfield Supersectional where the Sages were knocked off by Maroa-Forsyth.

That run has this year's boy's baseball program dialed in, hungry to make it back to the elite 8 and then some. Coach Chris Jones says he can see it in the way his seven returners are approaching the first few weeks of practice.

Illinois State commit and junior Luke Teschke as well as Jack Buckalew highlight the top two arms for the Sages this spring. After that, Coach Chris Jones says it will be a strength in numbers for his pitching.

While the two arms at the top of the rotation will make the Sages very tough, Coach Jones says don't sleep on his team's offense. First baseman Jacob Trusner returns this year. Biniam Lienhart returns at the top of the order and several other players are swinging the bats well in the early going of spring practice.

Monticello travels to LeRoy this afternoon to open the season at 4:30 pm.

Hear weekly broadcasts of Monticello baseball again this season on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com starting on Wednesday at 4:30 pm when the Sages host Villa Grove at Monticello High School.

The Monticello girl's softball team will be a very young group coming into the 2023 spring softball season.

It has Coach Lauren Richardson very excited about the future as these are a lot of player she has coached at the junior high level and understand what kind of culture she wants at in the high school program.

According to Coach Richardson, the young players will be leaned on this year. Last year's team was very young and will still be a rather young team this spring.

Asking Coach Richardson what her favorite part of this team is and she feels the grit they bring to the game each day is something that will help them throughout the season.

The Sages open the season this afternoon hosting LeRoy at Monticello High School. Weather permitting, hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

The bracket is officially set for the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

The Fighting Illini (20-12) earned an at-large bid, the program's third consecutive bid under head coach Brad Underwood, as the No. 9 seed in the West region and will open their NCAA Tournament run against No. 8 seed Arkansas (20-13) in the first round on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on TBS. 

Illinois is making its 33rd overall NCAA Tournament appearance, owning an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 42-33. 

It was a strange bit of déjà vu at Phoenix Raceway, as William Byron won his second straight Cup race by beating out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson in overtime on Sunday.

His No. 24 Chevrolet got a great start in overtime with two laps left, and just like he did a week earlier at Las Vegas, he overtook Larson for the win. He also had to hold off Ryan Blaney, who finished second in his Penske Ford, while Tyler Reddick was third in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing.

Byron’s victory also denied Kevin Harvick his 10th win at Phoenix. Harvick’s Stewart-Haas No. 4 Ford passed Larson for the lead with 44 laps remaining, taking advantage of the long run under green-flag conditions that favored his car all afternoon.

But a yellow flag with 10 laps remaining dashed Harvick’s hopes.

Several drivers changed just two tires on the ensuing pit stop, but Harvick took four, falling back to seventh place for the restart with three laps left. He finished fifth.

Larson finished fourth, capping a frustrating finish.

All four Hendrick cars were inside the top 10. Alex Bowman was ninth while Josh Berry — filling in for the injured Chase Elliott — was 10th.

The three-race West Coast swing is over. NASCAR moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

Sunday's Illinois baseball game against Coastal Carolina was canceled due to impending inclement weather and travel plans.

The game will not be rescheduled.

The Fighting Illini will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Indiana State at Illinois Field in the 2023 home opener. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT.

The Illinois State baseball team's series finale at Nebraska has been canceled due to cold temperatures expected in Lincoln.

Game time "feels like" temperatures were expected to be in the low 20s. Nebraska won the first two game of the series 8-3 and 12-0.

Illinois State is scheduled to open its home slate with a series against Eastern Illinois on Friday. 

Just two years removed from an incredible run to the state tournament in Clas 1A boy's baseball, the Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers are hoping a young collection of talent and now experience will propel them back to Peoria.

Mt. Pulaski Coach Joel Washko indicates his team was very young last year and gained valuable experience. With a solid freshman group that has had success at the junior high level as well as a number of three-year starters, the Hilltoppers feel they have what it takes to get back to Peoria.

Depth is one thing about this edition of his team that has Coach Washko excited. From several pitchers to kids that can move around the diamond, the Hilltoppers will have plenty of options this year.

According to Coach Washko, All-Stater Landon Smith will be a staple in the Mt. Pulaski lineup. Additionally, he is optimistic about some of his players that are hitting the ball harder this spring.

Early on, Coach Washko feels his team needs to learn to handle the ups and downs of a baseball game better and stay at an even emotional level rather than let the highs and lows of the game impact their demeanor. 

Mt. Pulaski will open the season on Monday, March 20 hosting Central A&M.

Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 15 rebounds, Zach LaVine scored 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting and the Chicago Bulls gave their playoff hopes an unexpected boost with a 117-96 victory against the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.

It was Vucevic’s 40th double-double of the season, the third-most in the NBA. LaVine is averaging 34.8 points in Chicago's last four games.

With the win, the Bulls moved within a game of the Washington Wizards for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 16 games remaining in the regular season. The victory was just the fourth in the past 13 games for Chicago.

Nikola Jokic led Denver with 18 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and Aaron Gordon added 17 points and nine rebounds. Jokic made only seven of his 16 shots, snapping a 51-game streak in which he shot at least 50% from the field.

DeMar DeRozan had 17 points and eight assists. 

The Bulls are at Houston on Saturday.

Dominik Kubalik scored the go-ahead goal with 4:07 remaining and the Detroit Red Wings snapped a six-game skid with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

Jake Walman, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond also scored for Detroit. Ville Husso made 39 saves.

Kubalik's goal was especially satisfying because he played his first three seasons with the Blackhawks. He signed with Detroit as a free agent prior to this season.

Taylor Raddysh scored twice and Joey Anderson also scored for Chicago. Alex Stalock stopped 15 shots.

The Blackhawks visit Florida on Friday.

The banking program at Clinton Elementary School in partnership with a Clinton non-profit and local bank is still going strong.

That's the message from Connie Unruh, Financial Literacy Coordinator at First National Bank in Clinton. She indicates they continue to offer the "bank" to students once a week at CES. It's part of a curriculum that starts as early as kindergarten.

Unruh says it's still not too late to be a part of the banking program at Clinton Elementary School. She indicates the students can deposit on Wednesday mornings.

According to Unruh, once the school year wraps up or a student was to leave mid-year, the money in each child's account is credited to First National Bank in Clinton. She says it is an easy process to close the account and take the deposited money. 

The unique part about the banking program at the school is that students help run it in conjunction with volunteers from the Clinton Community Education Foundation and First National Bank. 

Unruh hopes to teach kids that having a bank account is instrumental in other aspects of their financial health when they get older, and that is part of the curriculum as students move on to junior high and high school. 

The spring 2022 season was one that was very challenging for the Clinton Lady Maroons softball program.

A slew of injuries forced young players into expanded roles at the varsity level and head coach Andrea Rhoades says that experience is already showing itself in spring practice. With the season opener Monday, she's been happy to be back around the players.

According to Coach Rhoades, the returning class of players that had experience last year plus a couple of new players to the program. She feels they have a lot of flexibility, and that is a good thing.

Early on in the practices, Coach Rhoades notices her team needs to get better in their game awareness and situational intelligence. That has been something they are working on so far.

The Lady Maroons host Decatur Eisenhower Monday afternoon at 4:30 pm to open the season. Hear the game live on WHOW and its many digital platforms.

The All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners were announced Tuesday by the conference office, and the Fighting Illini had two players earn All-Big Ten recognition. 

Senior Terrence Shannon Jr. is a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches, while garnering second-team accolades by the media. Shannon has been one of the nation's top transfers this season, leading the Illini in scoring and ranking seventh in the Big Ten at 17.1 points per game. 

Shannon has scored in double figures 25 times, with 10 20-point games. He scored a career-high 30 points vs. Monmouth and had one of the NCAA's signature performances this season, racking up 29 points and tying the school record with eight 3-pointers to lead Illinois to a comeback win over No. 8 UCLA. 

Shannon's selection marks the fourth straight year that Brad Underwood's program has had a first-team All-Big Ten honoree by the coaches, following Ayo Dosunmu (2020 & 2021) and Kofi Cockburn (2021 & 2022). 

Graduate transfer Matthew Mayer is a third-team All-Big Ten pick by both the coaches and media.

He ranks second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding, averaging 13.0 points and 5.4 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in 20 of the last 23 games, with seven 20-point performances, led by a career-high 26 in the win at Wisconsin.

Mayer also was recognized as Illinois' Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.

No. 7 seed Illinois opens Big Ten Tournament play in Chicago during Thursday's second round at the United Center, facing No. 10 seed Penn State at 5:30 p.m. CT on BTN.

Karel Vejmelka stopped 40 shots, Travis Boyd had two goals and an assist in the third period, and the Coyotes beat the Blues 6-2 on Tuesday night.

The Coyotes got off to a shaky start, giving up a breakaway for the first of Pavel Buchnevich's two goals, but Vejmelka kept them in it with a series of spectacular saves.

Christian Fischer and Nick Schmaltz scored to give Arizona a 2-1 lead and Boyd put it away with his two third-period goals. Clayton Keller added a goal and two assists, and Lawson Crouse also scored to give the Coyotes 16 goals in three games against St. Louis this season.

St. Louis didn't give its goalie much of a chance and had a hard time scoring in any situation. Jordan Binnington gave up six goals on 27 shots for St. Louis, which has lost eight of nine.

The Coyotes gave up 15 combined goals in their previous three games and found themselves in another hole against the Blues.

Arizona had two early icing calls during long shifts in its own end and Buchnevich took advantage of a breakaway, beating Vejmelka to the glove side for his 10th point in six games.

The Coyotes snapped out of it and scored midway through the first period when a pass by Connor Mackey caromed hard off the backboards to the other side of the goal. Fischer easily put it into an empty net with Binnington out of position.

Arizona had more defensive breakdowns to start the second period, giving up a couple of breakaways. Vejmelka stuffed both, blocking Brandon Saad, then making a spectacular glove save on Robert Thomas on the 2-on-0.

Buchnevich scored midway through the third period, lifting a backhander over Vejmelka's stick shoulder. Boyd pushed the lead back to two goals by punching in a rebound for his first multi-goal game and 100th career point.

St. Louis hosts San Jose on Thursday.

Illinois State baseball freshman Daniel Pacella has been named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball News, the organization announced Monday morning.

Pacella, who was one of 13 players honored but was one of three freshmen and the only player from the Missouri Valley Conference, slugged four home runs as part of a 6-for-20 (.300) week at the plate. 

Pacella launched a 109 MPH rocket well over the right field wall at top-ten Arkansas on Wednesday to extend the Redbird lead before slugging a two-run blast in the 8th inning of Saturday's game at Central Arkansas to give Illinois State the lead. Pacella smacked a grand slam in the 1st inning of Sunday's game before adding a 7th-inning home run. 

Pacella finished the week slugging .900 with eight RBI, five runs scored, and nine chances handled in left field. He is the third Redbird freshman with two home runs in a game since 2000 and the first ISU freshman to hit a grand slam since 2011.

Pacella is the second player in Illinois State history to receive a National Player of the Week honor, joining Ryan Cermak. 

Illinois State is scheduled to play at Nebraska from March 10-12.

Seth Jones scored two of Chicago's three second-period goals, and the Blackhawks stopped Ottawa's five-game win streak with a 5-0 victory over the Senators on Monday night.

Anders Bjork had three primary assists, and Alex Stalock made 35 saves in his 11th career shutout. Lukas Reichel, Phillipp Kurashev and Jason Dickinson also scored as last-place Chicago (22-36-5) snapped a four-game losing streak.

Ottawa (32-27-4) remained three points back of idle Pittsburgh for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, wasting a prime opportunity to gain ground in the playoff race. The Senators outscored their opponents 27-10 during their win streak.

With Cam Talbot sidelined by a lower-body injury, Mads Sogaard made 16 stops in his first regulation loss in seven appearances this season. He had 28 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Blackhawks in Ottawa on Feb. 17.

It was a tough night for Alex DeBrincat, who was shut out in his first game at the United Center since he was traded to Ottawa in July. The 25-year-old DeBrincat spent his first five seasons with Chicago after he was a second-round pick in the 2016 draft.

Led by Jones and Bjork, Chicago grabbed control in the second.

Jones made it 2-0 when he finished a give-and-go with Bjork 2 minutes into the period. Jones extended his scoring streak to three in a row, and Bjork recorded his first point in his second game since he was acquired in a trade with Buffalo last week.

Jones scored again at 5:29, finishing a nice cross-ice feed from Bjork. It was the 10th goal of the season for the All-Star defenseman.

Dickinson got his ninth when he scored from the slot at 10:31, converting a pass from Bjork from behind the net.

Trailing 4-0, Smith called timeout, but nothing worked. The Senators went 0 for 4 on the power play in the opener of a five-game trip.

Reichel capped the scoring when he slipped in a backhand on a breakaway 3:18 into the third. It was Reichel's second goal in his 18th NHL game.

The Blackhawks are at the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.

Brandon Newman scored a season-high 19 points, Zach Edey added 17, and No. 5 Purdue held on to beat Illinois 76-71 on Sunday to become the first Big Ten team since 2014 to win the league title by three or more games.

The Boilermakers (26-5, 15-5) led by 24 early in the second half before the Illini rallied and eventually tied the game at 67 on a free throw by Matthew Mayer with 1:17 to go. Edey’s layup gave Purdue a 69-67 edge with 56 seconds left, and Illinois turned over the ball with 31 seconds left.

Purdue’s Fletcher Loyer sank two free throws to push the lead to 71-67 after an immediate foul. Mayer missed a 3-point shot and Newman made two free throws to push the lead to 73-67. Luke Goode hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to 74-71 with 7 seconds left, but Newman hit two free throws to seal it.

Braden Smith added 15 points for the Boilermakers. Edey, who entered the game with 23 double-doubles, finished with six rebounds and was played just 8 minutes in the first half after picking up two fouls.

The Boilermakers led 47-26 at half behind 62% shooting, but dropped to just 29% in the second half.

Mayer led the Illini (20-11, 11-9) with 16 points, followed by Terrence Shannon Jr. with 13, Sencire Harris with 11 and Goode's 10 points. Underwood said the team missed freshman guard Jayden Epps, who was sidelined with a concussion.

The Illini had won three of four games coming in but struggled with turnovers and outside shooting in the first half. However, the Illini showed fight.

The Illini will be the seventh seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. They take on Penn State Thursday evening at 5:30 pm.

Tucker DeVries scored 22 points and second-seeded Drake raced to its sixth NCAA Tournament berth with a 77-51 romp past top-seeded Bradley on Sunday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game.

Garrett Sturtz and Darnell Brodie added 12 points apiece for the Bulldogs (27-7), who were in the title game for the third-straight year, losing the first two to Loyola of Chicago. They last won the tournament in 1996.

Brodie's 3-pointer, his first attempt of the season, as the shot clock wound down in the closing minute was indicative of the game.

The Bulldogs hit 8 of 14 3-pointers and 28 of 50 overall while the Braves, trying to get to their 10th NCAA tourney, shot 34% (19 of 55).

Jo'Shon Henry scored 10 points and was the only player in double figures for Bradley (25-9). The Braves entered with a 12-game winning streak, including a 73-61 win over Drake on the final day of the regular season to win their first league title since 1996. That game ended Drake's 10-game winning streak.

The Bulldogs had an early 12-0 run to take a 14-3 lead and later a 16-5 run helped them take a 41-21 lead at the break. Drake was 5 of 10 from 3-point range and 14 of 29 overall while Bradley shot just 26% in the half.

After that, the lead was never below 17 - when Bradley hit a 3 to open the second half - and was as large as 32 after Brodie's 3.

Fighting Illini baseball (6-4) fell to Sam Houston (6-7) in today's series finale, 10-6.

The Illini got on the board first when Brody Harding doubled home Ryan Moerman in the second with two outs, but the Bearkats responded with three runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead.

Harding cut the lead to one with a two-out single in the fourth to collect his second RBI of the game. Drake Westcott gave Illinois the lead in the fifth with a three-run blast, his second-straight game with a home run, to make it 5-3.

Sam Houston got one of those runs back in the sixth, but Illinois responded with one of their own in the seventh, thanks to a bases-loaded walk drawn by Coltin Quagliano, making it a 6-4 ballgame.

But the hosts would erupt in their half of the seventh, scoring six times on four hits to make it 10-6.

The Illini were unable to push any runs across in the final two frames of the contest.

Branden Comia extended his on-base streak to 50 games after going 1-for-4 with a run and a walk.

Camden Janik went 1-for-3 with a run and two walks, which extended his career-long hitting streak to 10 games.

Westcott went 1-for-4 with a run, home run, three RBI and a walk.

Illinois clinched the series victory Saturday and have won their first two three-game series to start the season.

Illinois will be back in action on Friday, where they will begin a three-game set against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. 

Freshman Daniel Pacella hit a grand slam and a solo home run as the Illinois State baseball team dropped a 22-10 decision against Central Arkansas on Sunday at Bear Stadium.

Junior Auggie Rasmussen and fourth-year junior Greg Nichols also homered for the Redbirds (5-6 overall), which led 6-0 after one inning against the Bears (5-6 overall).

The Bears threw just two strikes in his first 18 pitches, conceding a bases-loaded walk to fourth-year junior Shay Kubo to start the scoring.

Pacella greeted the UCA reliever with a grand slam on the first pitch he threw as the 'Birds added a sixth run on a sacrifice fly to lead 6-0 after one inning.

Broken up only by Nichols' solo home run in the 4th inning, Central Arkansas scored 17 of the game's next 18 runs, leading 17-7 through six innings.

Rasmussen hit a two-run shot to left-center in the 7th inning before Pacella snuck his second homer of the day inside the left field foul pole in the 8th inning.

The Bears scored the game's final five runs on one hit in the 8th inning.

Illinois State is scheduled to play at Nebraska from March 10-12. 

Tyrese Haliburton scored 29 points, including a 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left, to give the Indiana Pacers a 125-122 victory Sunday over the Chicago Bulls.

Haliburton's game-winning shot occurred after Zach LaVine missed a free throw that would have given the Bulls the lead with 22.6 seconds remaining. LaVine, who scored 42 points, was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Bennedict Mathurin and converted the first two free throw tries.

After Haliburton's 3-pointer, a game-tying shot attempt by Nikola Vucevic bounced off the rim.

Mathurin added 17 points for the Pacers (29-36), while DeRozan scored 23 for the Bulls (29-36), who lost despite shooting 60.8% (45 for 74) from the field.

The Pacers embarked on a 17-2 run and took their first lead at 47-44 on Chris Duarte's 3-pointer with seven minutes left in the second quarter. Duarte and fellow reserve T.J. McConnell each provided a spark while Haliburton rested his sore right calf during the Pacers' spurt.

Duarte sank three 3-pointers, and McConnell distributed five assists during the Pacers' run.

The Bulls travel Wednesday to Denver.

Kyle Larson nearly won the Pennzoil 400 in regulation, but a late caution put teammate William Byron in position to capture the checkered flag in overtime.

Byron took the lead on the second-to-last lap of OT to put an exclamation mark on a dominant day for Hendrick. The top three drivers were from Hendrick, with Byron, Larson and Alex Bowman pushing their Chevrolets across the finish line in that order.

Bowman won last year’s March race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Byron led 176 laps and won for the fifth time in his six Cup seasons.

Larson appeared headed for victory when when Aric Almirola hit the wall in turn four on lap No. 264, leading to the second caution of the day.

Most of the leaders pitted a lap later, with only Martin Truex Jr. in his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota choosing to stay out. Byron, in the No. 24 Chevy, came out of pit road ahead of Larson and then easily overtook Truex after the restart.

Byron, who started in the first row with Joey Logano, swept both stages for the first time in his career. Truex in 2017 and Kevin Harvick in 2018 also won both stages in Las Vegas and went on to win.

Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, will begin physical therapy Monday, his team owner Rick Hendrick told Fox Sports.

Elliott had surgery Friday to repair a fractured tibia, and Hendrick said Elliott has returned to his home in Dawsonville, Georgia. Elliott was injured in a snowboarding accident Friday. He and his family own a home in Vail, Colorado.

Josh Berry took Elliott’s seat in the No. 9 Chevy and finished 29th. Hendrick general manager Jeff Andrews said a decision would be made on who drives that car next weekend at Phoenix.

Logano, the defending Cup champion who won the Las Vegas race in October, hit the wall in in turn four on lap No. 183, ending his day. He was running three-wide with Brad Keselowski in the middle and Kyle Busch on the apron when Logano bumped into Keselowski, sending his Team Penske No. 22 Ford into the wall.

Bubba Wallace, who drives the 23XI Racing No. 23 Toyota, finished fourth. He was the top finisher not part of the Hendrick garage.

The series shifts to Phoenix next weekend. 

Major League Baseball said Sunday it will not discipline Chicago White Sox right-hander Mike Clevinger after completing its investigation of domestic abuse allegations.

In a statement, the commissioner’s office said its investigation included interviews of more than 15 people, including Clevinger and a woman who said she is the mother of Clevinger’s child, as well as thousands of electronic communications and other documents.

Clevinger has voluntarily agreed to submit to evaluations by the joint treatment boards under the CBA and to follow any recommendations, according to the statement.

In an Instagram post on Jan. 24, Olivia Finestead said she is the mother of Clevinger’s child and alleged he fathered two other children who were not hers. She posted a photo of marks on her body with accompanying words that alleged the injuries were “from when he threw an iPad at me pregnant” and “finally left when he strangled me.”

The 32-year-old Clevinger finalized a $12 million, one-year contract with Chicago in December. MLB’s probe predates his agreement with the White Sox. When he reported to spring training, Clevinger apologized for being a distraction and told reporters he was confident he would be exonerated.

Clevinger pitched for Cleveland from 2016 until being traded to the San Diego Padres during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Rienk Mast scored 30 points and Bradley beat Northern Iowa 72-66 on Friday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament for its 10th straight victory.

Mast also contributed nine rebounds for the Braves (24-8). Ja'Shon Henry scored 12 points and added eight rebounds. Malevy Leons was 3 of 7 shooting, including 1 for 4 from distance, and went 3 for 3 from the line to finish with 10 points.

Bowen Born finished with 34 points and three steals for the Panthers (14-18). Michael Duax added nine points for Northern Iowa.

Class 1A Sectional Championship action

At Altamont

Altamont 68

Tuscola  72

At Heyworth

Lexington 33

Bloomington Cornerstone Christian Academy  46

Class 2A Sectional Championship action

At Herscher

Pontiac 53

Prairie Central   48

At Pleasant Plains

Normal U-High 69

Bloomington Central Catholic     72

Class 3A Sectional Championship

At Decatur MacArthur

Decatur MacArthur 62

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin    75

At Galesburg

Peoria Richwoods 50

Metamora    65

Class 1A Sectional Championship action

At Altamont

Altamont 7:00pm

Tuscola

At Heyworth

Lexington 7:00pm

Bloomington Cornerstone Christian Academy

Class 2A Sectional Championship action

At Herscher

Pontiac 7:00pm

Prairie Central

At Pleasant Plains

Normal U-High 7:00pm

Bloomington Central Catholic

Class 3A Sectional Championship

At Decatur MacArthur

Decatur MacArthur 7:00pm

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin

At Galesburg

Peoria Richwoods 7:00pm

Metamora

Bowen Born had 23 points in Northern Iowa's 75-62 victory over Illinois State on Thursday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

Born also had five assists for the Panthers (14-17). Michael Duax scored 19 points and added five rebounds and three steals. Tytan Anderson finished with 16 points.

The Redbirds (11-21) were led by Seneca Knight, who posted 19 points and two steals. Kendall Lewis added 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks for Illinois State. Darius Burford also had 14 points and three steals. The loss was the Redbirds' seventh in a row.

Matthew Mayer scored 24 points, Terrence Shannon Jr. added 21 and Illinois held off Michigan 91-87 in double overtime on Thursday night.

Mayer opened the second overtime with a 3-pointer and a layup and the Fighting Illini (20-10, 11-8 Big Ten Conference) never trailed again.

Mayer made 8 of 20 shots with four 3-pointers and added seven rebounds. Shannon sank only 4 of 14 shots - missing all five of his 3-point attempts - but he made 13 of 16 free throws, including 3 of 4 in the final 10 seconds to preserve the win. He also snagged seven rebounds and had four assists. Ty Rodgers pitched in with 14 points and seven boards off the bench, while RJ Melendez scored 10 of his 12 in the second half.

Hunter Dickinson finished with 31 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to lead the Wolverines (17-13, 11-8). The 7-foot-1 junior has 12 double-doubles this season. Kobe Bufkin added 23 points and six rebounds. Jett Howard, the son of Michigan coach Juwan Howard, contributed 15 points and five boards before fouling out.

Michigan scored the first six points of the game and held the lead until a Dain Dainja layup and a dunk by Sencire Harris put Illinois on top 29-27 with 2:12 left in the half. Rodgers' dunk with 15 seconds remaining gave the Fighting Illini a 33-31 advantage at halftime.

Illinois built a nine-point leads three times in the first 9:30 of the second half. Michigan used a 7-0 run, capped by Howard's 3-pointer with 47 seconds left, to tie the game at 70 and force overtime. Illinois scored the final seven points of the extra five-minute period - five by Shannon - to force a second overtime tied at 81.

Mayer grabbed a rebound and hit a 3-pointer, followed a missed 3-pointer by Bufkin with a layup, and Illinois took an 86-81 lead with 3:43 left and never trailed again.

The Fighting Illini shot 42% overall, 28% from distance (5 of 18) and made 26 of 34 free throws. Michigan shot 44%, made 8 of 21 from distance (38%) and hit 17 of 24 attempts at the foul line.

The Fighting Illini end the regular season at No. 5 Purdue on Sunday.

Pavel Buchnevich had four assists, Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist, and the St. Louis Blues beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Thursday night.

Logan Brown, Colton Parayko, Brayden Schenn, Kasperi Kapanen, and Tyler Pitlick also scored for the Blues, who had a four-goal second period. Thomas Greiss made 22 saves for his sixth win of the season.

Alexander Barabonov had a goal and assist for San Jose. Logan Couture and Steven Lorentz also scored, and James Reimer made 17 saves in his 16th loss of the season.

The Sharks got off to a hot start just 3:50 into the game. Barabanov tucked his 12th goal of the season after Andreas Johnsson gave him an alley-oop pass. The assist by Johnsson was his first point since joining San Jose.

Couture added to that just 2:41 later after Couture blasted a one-timer over Greiss' glove for his 21st goal.

But the Blues got it going in the second period with three goals in the first 9:30.

At 2:35, Parayko was left alone in the slot for his fourth goal of the season. Kyrou got his 26th after Buchnevich made a sweet pass from behind the net less than three minutes later to tie it at 2.

Brown scored his first goal of the season at 9:30 after Buchnevich yet again made a nice pass into the slot.

The Blues finished off their big second period with a tic-tac-toe play resulting in Schenn's 17th goal of the season that made it 4-2.

The Blues visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Roope Hintz scored three times, and Dallas beat Chicago 5-2 on Thursday night in the Blackhawks’ first home game since the Patrick Kane trade.

The 26-year-old Hintz has six goals during a four-game scoring streak. He has 29 goals on the season after he scored a career-best 37 last year.

Jamie Benn snapped a tie in the third period and Matt Murray made 19 saves in his NHL debut, helping Dallas (33-16-13) to its third win in four games. The Western Conference leaders also beat Arizona 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Back at home after Kane was dealt to the New York Rangers on Tuesday, Chicago (21-35-5) dropped its third straight game. The Blackhawks showed a Kane tribute video during the first period, and fans thanked the three-time Stanley Cup champion with chalk messages in a United Center parking lot.

Chicago played without Max Domi, who was scratched for what the team said was “roster management.” The Blackhawks announced after the game that the veteran forward had been traded to the Stars.

The Blackhawks trailed 2-1 after the first period, but Jones scored 26 seconds into the second on a shot through traffic from outside the right circle. It was the seventh goal of the season for the All-Star.

The Stars went ahead to stay when Benn scored his 25th goal from in close just 45 seconds into the third. He has six goals in his last 10 games.

Chicago acquired Maxim Golod from Anaheim for Dylan Sikura in a swap of minor league forwards, and it also got forward Anders Bjork from Buffalo in exchange for future considerations.

The Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Class 1A Sectional Semifinal Action

At Heyworth

Decatur LSA 56

Lexington 64

Class 2A Sectional Semifinal Action

At Herscher

Pontiac 55

St. Joseph-Ogden 40

At Pleasant Plains

Normal U-High 72

Quincy Notre Dame 49

Class 3A Sectional Semifinal Action

At Decatur MacArthur

Mahomet-Seymour 37

Decatur MacArthur 62

At Galesburg 

Rock Island 52

Peoria Richwoods 73

Class 4A Sectional semifinal action

At Moline

Normal Community 51

Moline 68

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, Gary Trent Jr. had 19 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Chicago Bulls 104-98 on Tuesday night for their eighth victory in 10 games.

O.G. Anunoby added 17 points and Jakob Poeltl had 14 to help the Raptors win their fourth straight at home, matching their longest streak of the season.

Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 23 points and Zach LaVine had 17. DeMar DeRozan scored 13 points against his former team as Chicago fell to 10-21 on the road.

The Bulls had won back-to-back home games after losing six straight before the All-Star break, holding both Brooklyn and Washington below 90 points, but couldn’t keep that streak going north of the border.

Toronto had 94 field goal attempts to Chicago’s 71 and outrebounded the Bulls 47-35, including a 19-6 advantage on the offensive glass.

The Bulls shot 37 for 71 overall and went 10 for 25 from 3-point range, but had 20 turnovers that led to 21 points for Toronto.

Chicago led 46-44 at the half. LaVine scored 11 points in the third and the Bulls scored the final five points of the quarter to take a 72-70 lead to the fourth.

Ayo Dosunmu scored 10 points and Andre Drummond had 10 rebounds. 

Chicago waived G Goran Dragic, making him a free agent. The 15-year veteran, 36, has missed the past four games because of a sore left knee.

The Bulls are at Detroit on Wednesday night.

Morgan Geekie scored twice and the Seattle Kraken snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

Geekie ended a 10-game scoring drought that dated to Jan. 28 with his first multi-goal game of the season and first since March 11, 2021, as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jared McCann, Jamie Oleksiak and Brandon Tanev also scored, and Martin Jones made 22 saves as the Kraken kicked off a four-game trip. Daniel Sprong and Eeli Tolvanen each had two assists.

Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist, and Brandon Saad scored for the scuffling Blues, who lost their sixth straight. Jordan Binnington made 21 saves.

Geekie’s second goal of the game gave the Kraken a 3-2 lead with 6:28 left in the second, and Oleksiak’s goal midway through the third proved to be the winner.

Buchnevich scored with 5:31 left, but the Blues couldn’t get the equalizer before Tanev scored into an empty net with 6.5 seconds left.

The Blues started the game with an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal, but trailed on the scoreboard after Geekie beat Binnington with a wrist shot from the left circle midway through the first.

Thomas evened the game for the Blues with a short-handed goal early in the second period, scoring off Jones from nearly the identical spot that Geekie did the previous period.

McCann put the Kraken up 2-1 a couple minutes later with his team-high 27th goal of the season. It also matched a career-high for a season set last year.

Saad tied the game for St. Louis midway through the second with his first goal since Feb. 11.

Forward Jaden Schwartz made his first appearance at Enterprise Center since signing with the Kraken as a free agent in 2021. Schwartz was a first-round draft pick by the Blues in 2010 and was a part of the 2019 Stanley Cup championship team.

Schwartz received a standing ovation from the crowd after being honored with a video tribute during a break in the first period.

The Blues are at San Jose on Thursday night.

The New York Rangers acquired Patrick Kane in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, reuniting the star winger with former teammate Artemi Panarin and stamping themselves as a Stanley Cup contender in the loaded Eastern Conference.

New York was believed to be out of the running for Kane after it acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis on Feb. 9. The 34-year-old Kane also had been noncommittal when asked about leaving his only NHL home.

After days of rumors and salary cap maneuvering, the Rangers sent a conditional 2023 second-round draft pick, a 2025 fourth-rounder and minor league defenseman Andy Welinski to the rebuilding Blackhawks for Kane and minor league defenseman Cooper Zech. Chicago also acquired Finnish defenseman Vili Saarijarvi from Arizona as part of the trade.

The Coyotes received a 2025 third-rounder from the Rangers to retain 25% of Kane’s salary, with the Blackhawks paying 50%.

The conditional second-rounder that Chicago got from New York becomes a 2024 first-rounder if the Rangers reach this year’s East final. If it remains a second-round selection, the Blackhawks will have eight picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft.

Kane could make his Rangers debut Wednesday night at Philadelphia or Thursday night at home against Ottawa. He scored the biggest goal of his NHL career in Philly, an overtime winner in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, ending Chicago’s 49-year title drought.

He was in the middle of his best stretch of the season when he left the Blackhawks during their road trip amid the trade talks. He has seven goals and three assists during a four-game point streak.

Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist, Karel Vejmelka stopped 23 shots and the Coyotes beat the Patrrick Kane-less Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Tuesday night.

The Blackhawks came out flat in the second game of a back-to-back after Kane was traded to the New York Rangers in a three-way deal that included Arizona.

After an uneven first five minutes, the Coyotes started swarming the Blackhawks, generating numerous good chances that led to first-period goals by Travis Boyd and Barrett Hayton. Jack McBain scored in the second to shake Arizona out of a lull and Vejmelka was sharp after allowing six goals in a loss to Calgary his last start.

Andreas Athanasiou scored late in the third period and Alex Stalock allowed four goals on 33 shots for Chicago.

The Blackhawks host Dallas on Thursday.