FOOTBALL

Raging Bulls, Sabers clash Saturday for first time in regular-season game

The Southern Maine Raging Bulls (2-0) and Maine Sabers (2-0) meet at 7 p.m. Saturday at Deering High’s Memorial Field in a battle for first place in the New England Football League’s Northern Division.

The teams have faced each other twice in exhibition games, but this will mark their first regular-season meeting since the Sabers moved from the Eastern Football League to join the Raging Bulls in the NEFL.

BASEBALL

NECBL: Daniel Nevares scored the tying run on an RBI double by Matthew Verrier in the top of the eighth, and the Sanford Mainers (21-23) took advantage of two errors during a three-run ninth in a 5-2 win over the Laconia Muskrats (21-23) at Laconia, N.H.

Troy Black added an RBI double in the ninth. Nevares, Verrier, Robert Wayman and Nate LaPointe finished with two hits apiece, and Aaron Casper closed out the game with 12⁄3 perfect innings of relief.

FCBL: Alek Morency struck out 12 over six scoreless innings and Connor Lyons hit a two-run single during a five-run third inning for the Nashua Silver Knights (30-16) in a 5-0 victory over the Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide (21-25) at Nashua, N.H.

Phil Sciretta and Shane Bussey finished with two hits apiece for the Raging Tide.

COLLEGES

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Deshon Gaither, Lee Academy’s postgraduate coach the past two seasons, was hired as an assistant coach at UMaine.

SWIMMING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Ryan Lochte swam three races in less than two hours in Barcelona, Spain, and came away with two gold medals and the top semifinal time in an event he’s competing in for the first time at a major international meet.

Lochte won the 200-meter backstroke, posted the fastest time in the semifinals of the 100 butterfly, and put the Americans ahead to stay in the 800 freestyle relay.

Missy Franklin’s winning streak ended after four straight golds. She finished fourth in the 100 freestyle behind gold medalist Cate Campbell of Australia.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Greg Oden has decided to accept a contract offer from the Miami Heat, a process that likely will be formally completed early next week.

Oden, a 7-foot center who has played only 82 games because of a series of injuries since he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007, will sign a contract that will pay him about $1 million this coming season. He will have a player option for the 2014-15 season.

WNBA: Seimone Augustus scored 18 points and Maya Moore added 16 as the Minnesota Lynx (15-3) extended their winning streak to eight with an 85-63 victory over the visiting San Antonio Silver Stars (6-13).

• Liz Cambage scored a career-high 28 points and Candice Wiggins matched a season high with 18 points for the Tulsa Shock (7-14) in a 96-89 win over the visiting Los Angeles Sparks (12-7).

TENNIS

ROGERS CUP: After three consecutive tournament exits against low-ranked opponents, Roger Federer pulled out of next week’s tournament in Montreal without giving a reason, though he recently complained about a bad back.

CITI OPEN: John Isner hit 18 aces and never faced a break point during a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4 victory over Marcos Baghdatis in the quarterfinals at Washington.
Defending women’s champion Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia returned to the semifinals by beating top-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany, 7-6 (0), 3-6, 6-3.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OPEN: Wild-card entrant Virginie Razzano, ranked No. 131, stunned third-seeded Petra Kvitova 6-7 (6), 7-5, 7-6 (8) in the quarterfinals at Carlsbad, Calif.

HOCKEY

NHL: Left wing Kyle Clifford re-signed with the Los Angeles Kings, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $2.15 million.

– From staff and news services