BASEBALL

Mainers win first game of NECBL playoff series

The Sanford Mainers used a two-out, six-run seventh inning outburst to beat the Upper Valley Nighthawks 12-2 in the first game of the best-of-three NECBL Northern Division semifinal at Goodall Park in Sanford on Thursday.

Shaine Hughes lead Sanford’s 19-hit offense, going 3 for 5 with two RBI. Tristan Chari also had three hits.

Cole Whitney picked up the win for the Mainers with 72/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with three strikeouts.

BABE RUTH: Alex Smith threw a three-hit, 11-strikeout shutout as the Portland All-Stars beat Warwick, Rhode Island 7-0 to advance to the 14-year-old Babe Ruth World Series at Westfield, Massachusetts.

Liam Niles had three hits to lead the way for Portland, while Caiden Horton added two hits and drove in a pair of runs.

SENIOR LEGION: The Southern Mariners of Asia/Pacific used a five-run seventh inning to beat Maine District 3 of Hermon 7-6 in the semifinals of the Senior Legion World Series at Bangor. Alex McKenney drove in two runs for Hermon, which led 6-2 heading into the last inning. Casey Sudbeck had two hits, while Zach Nash allowed two runs and struck out six in 52/3 innings.

SOCCER

EURO 2022: The hooliganism at the European Championship in France could affect the availability of alcohol at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

France’s bans on alcohol sales near Euro 2016 venues because of unruly fans has aided Qatar as it seeks to balance respecting local customs with providing a welcoming environment at the first World Cup in the Middle East.

PREP SCHOOLS

NYA: Tyler Walsh, the son of former University of Maine Coach Shawn Walsh, was named the new varsity boys’ hockey coach at North Yarmouth Academy.

A native of Bangor, Walsh is currently an assistant coach with the USA Hockey National Development Program U18 team in Plymouth, Michigan. Previously, Walsh worked at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, as the director of hockey operations.

Walsh is a 2013 graduate of the University of Maine. He was an undergraduate assistant hockey coach for three seasons under Tim Whitehead.

GOLF

U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR: South Korea’s Eun Jeong Seong, 16, and Italy’s Virginia Elena Carta, 19, each won two matches at Springfield, Pennsylvania.

TRAVELER’S CHAMPIONSHIP: Jerry Kelly shot a 6-under 64 for a share of the lead with Vaughn Taylor and Andrew Loupe at Cromwell, Connecticut.

The biggest galleries of the day showed up to watch U.S. Olympians Bubba Watson (67), Matt Kuchar (69) and Patrick Reed (70). They went out as a trio and were serenaded with chants of “USA! USA!”

TENNIS

ATLANTA OPEN: Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka beat fourth-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals at Atlanta.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Russell Westbrook signed a contract extension to stay in Oklahoma City. A person with knowledge of the terms said the new three-year deal is worth $85.7 million.

• The New York Knicks signed former Stanford guard Chasson Randle. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

The 6-foot-2 Randle played for CEZ Nymburk in the Czech Republic last season, averaging 12.8 points.

– From staff and news services

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