BASEBALL

Mainers lose late lead, fail to sweep Nighthawks

Walker Gristani hit a tiebreaking homer in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Upper Valley Nighthawks beat the Sanford Mainers 9-8 in Hartford, Vermont, to tie their best-of-three New England Collegiate Baseball League quarterfinal series at one game apiece.

Michael Landestoy hit a two-run single to put the Mainers up 8-6 in the sixth, but Upper Valley tied the game in the eighth before Gristani’s homer.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Sanford.

TWILIGHT LEAGUE: Damien Gibson scored the winning run on an error as Aero defeated On Target 6-5 in Portland to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three championship series.

With On Target trailing 5-1 in the eighth, Tyler Buckley hit a grand slam to tie the game.

Game 2 will be played at 4 p.m. Sunday at Greely Road Field in Cumberland.

JUNIOR LEGION: Zach Johnson allowed just three hits over six innings to lead Morrill Post (18-3) to a 5-4 win over the host team in a Northeast Regional quarterfinal in Rockland, Massachusetts.

Morrill Post will play Franklin, Massachusetts, in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Saturday.

GOLF

PGA: Marc Leishman birdied his final hole for a 2-under 68 and a share of the second-round lead in the Travelers Championship at Cromwell, Connecticut.

Leishman, the 2012 winner at TPC River Highlands for his lone PGA Tour title, matched Daniel Berger, Russell Henley and Tyrone Van Aswegen at 7-under 133. Berger had a 67, Henley shot 65, and Van Aswegen 66.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Monday qualifier Glen Day shot a 7-under 65 in perfect conditions to take the first-round lead in the 3M Championship in Blaine, Minnesota.

Jeff Maggert and Rod Spittle shot 66, and two-time champion Bernhard Langer was at 67.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR: Speaking at Watkins Glen International in his first public appearance since suffering a concussion June 12, Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he’s not ready to stop racing.

Earnhardt, who skipped the previous three Sprint Cup races while he recovers, gave no timetable for his return. He won’t drive at Watkins Glen on Sunday and also will miss the race at Bristol on Aug. 20.

FOOTBALL

NFL: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and quarterback Carson Palmer signed one-year contract extensions with the Arizona Cardinals.

• Tennessee Titans defensive back Marqueston Huff was suspended one game without pay for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

TENNIS

BB&T ATLANTA OPEN: Second-seed Nick Kyrgios of Australia advanced to the semifinals, beating fifth-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

BASKETBALL

INVESTIGATION: The California Highway Patrol has recommended that Dennis Rodman face charges in a freeway incident, but the former basketball player denied that anything happened July 20 at 12:30 a.m. in Santa Anna.

“Life is good, that’s why I’ve never been charged,” Rodman said in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he made a surprise appearance to give out his children’s books at a boys and girls club.

But a police officer told The Orange County Register the agency recommends Rodman be charged with felony hit-and-run and driving the wrong way on a freeway.

– From staff and news services

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