Latest news with #David-and-Goliath
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Men's College World Series: Arkansas' Gage Wood throws no-hitter to eliminate Murray State, LSU advances over UCLA
Day 4 of the Men's College World Series kicked off with a David-and-Goliath matchup as No. 3 Arkansas defeated unseeded Murray State with some history made by Razorbacks right-hander Gage Wood. UCLA and LSU met in a presumably more even clash in the second half of Monday's doubleheader. The two teams provided plenty of thunder in the first inning before weather delayed their game in the fourth. Advertisement Play resumed Tuesday with LSU leading 5-3. It ended 9-5, with LSU coming out on top. With the win, LSU moves on. They'll play the winner of Arkansas and UCLA, which play Tuesday night. Arkansas 3, Murray State 0 Although the Razorbacks' bats were relatively quiet, nine nearly perfect innings from junior starting pitcher Gage Wood secured the 3-0 Arkansas win. Wood was electric, holding off Murray State with just the third no-hitter in MCWS history and the first since 1960. He notched a career-high 19 strikeouts on 119 pitches, completing a game for the first time in his college career. Wood put up seven perfect innings before he hit a batter with a pitch in the eighth. But he stayed strong, notching five more strikeouts to secure the historic no-hitter. Both offenses were quiet at first, with Wood and Racers starting pitcher Isaac Silva both putting up strong performances. But in the third inning, Arkansas finally got on the board. First baseman Reese Robinett kicked things off with a double into the outfield gap and reached home after a pair of singles. Advertisement For most of the game, Silva held off one of the best offenses in the country. He notched seven strikeouts in six innings, allowing six hits and just the one run. But after Silva exited in the seventh inning, replaced by Graham Kelham, the Razorbacks got things going again. Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy hit a key double to knock in one RBI, and then outfielder Logan Maxwell brought in another run off a Murray State error. After the Racers closed out the final two innings without conceding any more runs, it came down to three more outs for Wood to make history. In the first at-bat of the ninth, pinch hitter Nico Bermeo was hit by another pitch from Wood — but the umpires deemed Bermeo had moved into the pitch and was out. Wood then dug deep to record two more strikeouts to finish the game. Advertisement "I shouldn't have hit that guy," Wood told ESPN on the postgame broadcast, referring to the hit-by-pitch in the eighth that sullied his bid for a perfect game. Murray State put up a very good fight, but Wood's heroics brought the Racers' run in the MCWS to an end. Next up, the Razorbacks will face the loser of LSU vs. UCLA, which will be played Tuesday night. LIVE: LSU 9, UCLA 5 in the ninth inning The Bruins knocked LSU starting pitcher Anthony Eyanson back right away, putting the first five batters on base. A Roman Martin double drove in Roch Cholowsky for the game's first run. That was followed by a run-scoring infield single from AJ Salgado and an RBI groundout by Payton Brennan. The Tigers answered back decisively in the bottom of the first against UCLA starter Landon Stump. Ethan Frey, Steven Milam and Jake Brown hit consecutive one-out singles, resulting in one run scored. Jared Jones then hit one over the right-center-field fence for a three-run homer and a 4-3 LSU lead. The Tigers added another run in the third after Stump walked Frey and Milam to begin the inning. He recovered to strike out Brown and Jones, giving UCLA a chance to keep those runners stranded, but Luis Hernandez hit an RBI single to make it 5-3. Advertisement The two teams took the field for the fourth inning, but then umpires suspended the game due to rain. After a nearly three-hour weather delay, the decision was made to delay the game until 11 a.m. ET Tuesday. Play resumed Tuesday, with LSU picking up where it left off Monday night. After Casan Evans struck out two batters in the top of the fourth inning, LSU started piling on the runs in the bottom of the frame. After two quick outs, LSU put two men on base with a single and a walk. Steven Milam then added an RBI single. That was followed up by a Jake Brown single, which drove in another run. LSU extended its lead to 7-3 during the inning. Advertisement Evans returned for the fifth inning, and struck out another batter before keeping UCLA off the board again. LSU went quietly in the bottom of the inning, keeping it 7-3. UCLA threatened briefly in the top of the sixth, but a nifty double play from Milam at short ended that threat. LSU added another run in the bottom of the seventh. With Jared Jones on third, Daniel Dickenson blooped a single to extend the team's lead. The eighth inning proved to be a problem for LSU. After a quick out, UCLA managed to load the bases thanks to a single, hit by pitch and a walk. A groundout and an inside single brought in two runs, cutting LSU's lead to 8-5. With two men on, and two outs, Cashel Duggar walked to load the bases again. Chase Shores was called in by LSU to put out the rally. He induced a groundout on the first pitch he threw, keeping the score 8-5. Advertisement LSU snagged another run in the bottom of the eighth, making it 9-5 entering the final inning. Three groundouts later, and LSU won the contest. The win pushes them forward. With the loss, UCLA will take on Arkansas on Tuesday evening to see which team takes on LSU in the next round. LSU fans have to wait another six innings to see if their team will advance in the MCWS, but the rain delay allowed Tigers die-hards an opportunity to leave the competition even further behind in the Rocco's Jell-O Shot Challenge. Earlier Monday, LSU alumni Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne updated the board, to the delight of Tigers fans packed into Rocco's Pizza and Cantina. Do any of the other seven fan bases have a chance to catch LSU's tally of 17,746 as of Monday night? None of the other schools has even reached 10,000 Jell-O shots. Underdog Murray State has, however, maintained a respectable showing at 7,293. Advertisement The record of 68,888, set by LSU in 2023, is still within reach. More weather delays could help, though none of the fans at Charles Schwab Field, viewers on ESPN, players or coaches on either of the affected teams would likely care for that. What will that board look like on Tuesday after three games are played?
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Fifa Club World Cup live updates: Auckland City FC v Bayern Munich, group game
Live updates of the Fifa Club World Cup game between Auckland City FC and Bayern Munich in Cincinnati. On any normal Monday morning, Auckland City defender and vice-captain Adam Mitchell is planning his week in the property market. The 29-year-old is a real estate agent with Harcourts, working alongside his father in the industry. But this Monday morning (4am NZT), Mitchell will be running out in front of a capacity crowd in Cincinnati, as the Sandringham-based side take on Bayern Munich FC in the Fifa Club World Cup. And not just that – Mitchell will be tasked with trying to stop England captain Harry Kane, one of the most revered strikers in the world. It's another reminder of the Herculean task ahead of Auckland City's amateur team. Also in the squad are a primary school teacher, an insurance broker, a barber, a sales rep at Coca Cola, a couple of retail salesman, a car detailer, a regional manager for a car detailer and a handful of students. 'Honestly, as a young New Zealander, you would never think that you would be playing against the likes of Bayern Munich,' Mitchell told 'I'm not even sure there's been a situation where Auckland City and Bayern Munich have been in the same sentence! 'It's just an amazing feeling and we have an opportunity to test ourselves against the world's best and we're going to give it our all.' The greatest underdogs battle in New Zealand sports history? There have been some unlikely match-ups over the years, from minnows taking on the big-city teams in the Ranfurly Shield, to the 1982 All Whites being pitched against Brazil, with that edition of the Selecao being regarded as one of the best in their history. There have been David-and-Goliath scenarios at Olympics and Commonwealth Games, in rugby league internationals, in tennis tournaments and at the Melbourne Cup. But it's hard to imagine there has been anything quite as outrageous as this. Bayern Munich are European football royalty, one of the biggest and richest teams on the continent. They have recently chalked up their 34th Bundesliga title and have won six Uefa Champions League titles from 11 finals. They have been the most dominant club in Germany since the early 1970s, with massive financial resources and a huge fan base. They have 20 national team players across their squad, including some of the biggest names in football. They have more that 4,000 official fan clubs across the globe and had revenues of more than $1.5 billion last year. Auckland City's income in the last financial year was less than $1 million. Their amateur team have to take leave from work and studies to be at this tournament, where they will experience a few weeks of living and training like professionals. They have been kings of Oceania club football for a long time – winning 12 of the last 15 editions of the Oceania Champions League – and have enjoyed some storied moments at previous editions of the Fifa Club World Cup. But this new, revamped version, with 32 teams and a billion dollars of Fifa prizemoney, has created a completely different challenge. Perhaps the best way to sum up the disparity is from the relevant squad values. On the open market, Bayern Munich's squad have an estimated worth of $1.8b, while Auckland City's would be priced at around $8.80m. The Bavarian team spent the best part of €53m ($101m) to sign French international Michael Olise from Premier League side Crystal Palace last year. As one Auckland City official joked, 'that would be enough money to run our club for 200 years'. The smallest fish in Fifa's biggest pond This Club World Cup is being run along the same lines as a Fifa World Cup. There is huge prizemoney, massive stadiums (though crowds will vary) and team are ferried by private jet across the country, flying to games and then returning to their city base camps the same night or the next morning. In this way, Auckland City are by far the smallest entity ever to take part in one of Fifa's grandiose tournaments. They have a shade over 500 club members and a handful of fulltime staff, though that contingent has been bolstered for this event. In terms of scale, it feels like a crazy scenario – similar to the Cayman Islands or Greenland being at the World Cup next year.
CBS News
17-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun headed to 3-hole playoff at The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy had every reason to think he would be leaving The Players Championship with the gold trophy and a big payoff Sunday. He was three shots ahead of J.J. Spaun after a four-hour rain delay and had a rain-softened course ahead of him. Spaun refused to give in easily. He caught McIlroy with two great shots, held his nerve down one of the most daunting closing stretches and it ended in a draw when it was too dark for a three-hole aggregate playoff. This David-and-Goliath battle won't be decided until Monday morning at the TPC Sawgrass. McIlroy, keeping an eye on Spaun while playing in the group ahead of him, needed two putts from 75 feet on the par-4 18th for a 4-under 68. Then he had to wait until Spaun (72) came within inches of making a 30-foot birdie putt for the win. "Everyone expects him to win," said Spaun, who has one PGA Tour title and has never reached the Tour Championship. "I don't think a lot of people expect me to win. I expect myself to win. That's all I care about." McIlroy made birdie before and after the delay to build his lead to three shots. He played the final six holes in 1 over, and his 4-foot par putt on the 18th nearly slid out of hole. "I'm standing here feeling like I should be going home with the trophy today," McIlroy said. "But it's all right. I'll reset and try to go home with the trophy tomorrow." They finished at 12-under 276. They did well to finish in regulation before sunset. The Players has a three-hole aggregate playoff on the most memorable holes on the TPC Sawgrass — the par-5 16th, the island green on the par-3 17th and the 18th hole that requires the boldest of tee shots with water all the way down the right and trees to the right. It will be the first Monday finish at The Players Championship since Cameron Smith won in 2022, and the first playoff since Rickie Fowler won 10 years ago. "You've got to make five good swings. That's all it is," said McIlroy, a four-time major champion with 38 titles worldwide. "So try to get up there, make five good swings tomorrow morning and get this thing done." Tom Hoge had to wait out the four-hole delay before facing a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th. He missed, posting a 66 and wound up two shots behind. Lucas Glover rallied from a rough front nine for a 71 and joined Hoge and Akshay Bhatia (70). They each earned $1,325,000 for the tie for third from the $25 million purse, the richest in golf. Bud Cauley, who thought his career was over from crushing injuries in a 2018 car crash in Ohio, fell back early and steadied himself for a 74. He tied for sixth, giving him more than enough points to fulfill his medical exemption for the rest of the year. McIlroy faced a four-shot deficit going into the final round and roared into contention with an 8-foot birdie putt and beautiful long iron to 10 feet for eagle on the par-5 second. He took the lead for the first time when Spaun made bogey on the seventh hole. Spaun caught a big break on the ninth hole when his second shot was in the collar of deep rough. He got relief from standing on a sprinkler head, then more relief when his drop was in the sprinkler head, leading to a clean lie. He chipped to 6 feet for birdie. Still, McIlroy appeared to start pulling away right before and after the four-hour delay from a band of thunderstorms moving across north Florida. He holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 11th to reach 12 under. Spaun, playing in the group behind him, was in trouble in a bunker well short of the green. Four hours later, McIlroy made a 15-foot birdie on the 12th, while Spaun barely got the bunker shot on the green and made bogey with a three-putt from some 70 feet. "Once that bogey kind of hit me, I just tried to just fight back," Spaun said. "I kind of went with the odds. I had nothing to lose. Now I'm trying to catch Rory, and I can't really control what he does, but I can control what I do, and I just started committing to my shots and my swing and trusting it more. "When I'm hunting, it's easier to let it go. Whereas, starting the round I was a little tentative, a little scared and stuff," he said. "I think it put me in a pretty comfortable spot to finish off the round." McIlroy fanned a drive well right on the 14th, couldn't reach the green, leading to bogey. Even so, the one-quarter inch of rain softened the green. The 15 mph wind all but vanished. The Stadium course was vulnerable. McIlroy, however, missed a birdie chance from just inside 6 feet on the 15th and didn't judge the speed of the green on the par-5 16th on his chip, leaving it 12 feet short. Another miss. Behind him, Spaun threw a dart to a foot on the 14th for birdie, and chipped tight at the 16th for a birdie that tied him for the lead. Both found land on the island at the 17th — McIlroy against the collar for an awkward stab at his 15-foot birdie attempt, Spaun lagging beautifully from 45 feet on a putt that is slow up the slope and races to the pin. Two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler was never really in the mix. He went 15 straight holes without a birdie between the third and fourth rounds, made only one birdie on Sunday and closed with a 73 to tie for 20th. "Being able to repeat here was very special and I would have liked to have done it a third time," Scheffler said. "At the end of the day, I just didn't have what it took this week. The guys that are ahead of me on the leaderboard — there's many of them, so they obviously played better than I did." ___
The Guardian
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Erin Brockovich review – Julia Roberts' glamorous turn as an underdog lawyer
Re-released 25 years on, this is the true story of David-and-Goliath underdog heroism that was repurposed for the movies by screenwriter Susannah Grant and director Steven Soderbergh. Brockovich is the gutsy working-class woman, played by the Oscar-winning Julia Roberts, who gets a job as a paralegal and senses that local people are getting exploited – so without any professional training becomes the American Boudicca of class-action lawsuits, leading the charge against a Californian utility company that is poisoning the groundwater and causing hundreds of families to get sick. Her affectionate, exasperated boss Ed Masry is played with vigour by Albert Finney; Aaron Eckhart is her on-off boyfriend George, and Brockovich herself has a cameo as a waitress. Revisited now, Erin Brockovich looks like an old-fashioned Hollywood A-list vehicle. It is essentially a feelgood, earnest story with some quaintly fabricated social-realist details and a serious but carefully controlled un-depressing tone. Roberts sails through all this with her own unmistakable charm and athletic ease, effectively playing her Pretty Woman persona a decade or so on, as Erin cheerfully uses her cleavage to get her way. Masry asks how she miraculously persuaded a male librarian to let her have sensitive documents; Erin replies: 'They're called boobs, Ed!' Roberts is always watchable, although the megawatt glare of Julia Roberts's movie-star glamour means that you're never exactly going to mistake this 'Erin Brockovich' for an ordinary mortal. From our vantage point, there are certain things that look dated. A remake might not allow Erin to yell back at a plus-size legal assistant: 'Bite my ass, Krispy Kreme!' The film is also distinctly sunny in way that feels a little sucrose, almost as if there isn't a problem that can't be dissolved by Erin's optimistic Colgate smile or shamed away by her scowl. She is menaced at one stage by an anonymous caller on the phone, but that's it; the worries and the cares that she has are all about her domestic situation. It certainly feels very different from, say, Todd Haynes's 2020 legal drama Dark Waters which is exactly that: dark. There is also Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 11/9 from 2018 about the poisoned water in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. The moment here in which Erin pointedly offers someone a glass of the local water actually put me in mind of the scene in Moore's film in which Barack Obama somewhat unconvincingly drinks a glass of Flint water as a way of mollifying the crowd. There is one aspect of Erin Brockovich that still feels current: the awful moment when well-meaning lawyers have to talk to a roomful of angry people, and explain that it might be a good idea to take the bad guys' increased offer of settlement and not gamble on going to trial and losing everything. There was something rather similar in the recent Mr Bates vs the Post Office. Erin Brockovich is a study in Hollywood optimism, and Roberts sells it hard. Erin Brockovich is in UK cinemas from 7 March.
