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Deadspin | LAFC brings record clean-sheet start into game vs. skidding Portland  Apr 7, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (1) defends the goal against Cruz Azul in the first half of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images   The Portland Timbers will try to snap a five-match winless streak when they host Western Conference-leading Los Angeles FC on Saturday afternoon.    The question heading into the match is not whether the Timbers (1-4-1, 4 points) can win the game, but rather can they at least score a goal?  LAFC (5-0-1, 16 points), led by former French national team and Tottenham Hotspur star Hugo Lloris in goal, have set an MLS record with six straight clean sheets to start a season.    Lloris, who helped lead France to the 2018 World Cup, has made 22 saves in the six contests, including six in last week’s 6-0 victory over Orlando City.    “We don’t go into games thinking about, ‘Oh, we have to keep a clean sheet,'” Los Angeles coach Marc Dos Santos said. “We go into games thinking about what we have to do as a group, collectively.”    To that end, LAFC is tied for second in goals scored in MLS with 14. Forward Denis Bouanga leads the team with four goals, including a hat trick that took just 28 minutes to complete against Orlando, while Son Heung-Min leads the league with seven assists.     The only blip on LAFC’s record so far this season is a 0-0 draw at Austin FC on March 21.    Portland, which is 0-4-1 in its last five matches since a season-opening 3-2 home victory over the Columbus Crew on Feb. 21, has allowed a Western Conference-worst 15 goals while scoring nine times.    The Timbers come in off a 3-2 loss at MLS Cup runner-up Vancouver last Saturday in which they allowed two goals in second-half stoppage time to take a shocking defeat.     Portland coach Phil Neville knows his squad faces a big challenge on Saturday.    “They’re a team that has not conceded any goals this season and they don’t give away many chances,” Neville said. “In terms of attacking play, I think we’re going to have to be really, really, really good in our attacking play, our attacking movements and our attacking control.”  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #LAFC #brings #record #cleansheet #start #game #skidding #Portland

Deadspin | LAFC brings record clean-sheet start into game vs. skidding Portland
Deadspin | LAFC brings record clean-sheet start into game vs. skidding Portland  Apr 7, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (1) defends the goal against Cruz Azul in the first half of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images   The Portland Timbers will try to snap a five-match winless streak when they host Western Conference-leading Los Angeles FC on Saturday afternoon.    The question heading into the match is not whether the Timbers (1-4-1, 4 points) can win the game, but rather can they at least score a goal?  LAFC (5-0-1, 16 points), led by former French national team and Tottenham Hotspur star Hugo Lloris in goal, have set an MLS record with six straight clean sheets to start a season.    Lloris, who helped lead France to the 2018 World Cup, has made 22 saves in the six contests, including six in last week’s 6-0 victory over Orlando City.    “We don’t go into games thinking about, ‘Oh, we have to keep a clean sheet,'” Los Angeles coach Marc Dos Santos said. “We go into games thinking about what we have to do as a group, collectively.”    To that end, LAFC is tied for second in goals scored in MLS with 14. Forward Denis Bouanga leads the team with four goals, including a hat trick that took just 28 minutes to complete against Orlando, while Son Heung-Min leads the league with seven assists.     The only blip on LAFC’s record so far this season is a 0-0 draw at Austin FC on March 21.    Portland, which is 0-4-1 in its last five matches since a season-opening 3-2 home victory over the Columbus Crew on Feb. 21, has allowed a Western Conference-worst 15 goals while scoring nine times.    The Timbers come in off a 3-2 loss at MLS Cup runner-up Vancouver last Saturday in which they allowed two goals in second-half stoppage time to take a shocking defeat.     Portland coach Phil Neville knows his squad faces a big challenge on Saturday.    “They’re a team that has not conceded any goals this season and they don’t give away many chances,” Neville said. “In terms of attacking play, I think we’re going to have to be really, really, really good in our attacking play, our attacking movements and our attacking control.”  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #LAFC #brings #record #cleansheet #start #game #skidding #PortlandApr 7, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (1) defends the goal against Cruz Azul in the first half of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Portland Timbers will try to snap a five-match winless streak when they host Western Conference-leading Los Angeles FC on Saturday afternoon.

The question heading into the match is not whether the Timbers (1-4-1, 4 points) can win the game, but rather can they at least score a goal?

LAFC (5-0-1, 16 points), led by former French national team and Tottenham Hotspur star Hugo Lloris in goal, have set an MLS record with six straight clean sheets to start a season.

Lloris, who helped lead France to the 2018 World Cup, has made 22 saves in the six contests, including six in last week’s 6-0 victory over Orlando City.

“We don’t go into games thinking about, ‘Oh, we have to keep a clean sheet,'” Los Angeles coach Marc Dos Santos said. “We go into games thinking about what we have to do as a group, collectively.”

To that end, LAFC is tied for second in goals scored in MLS with 14. Forward Denis Bouanga leads the team with four goals, including a hat trick that took just 28 minutes to complete against Orlando, while Son Heung-Min leads the league with seven assists.


The only blip on LAFC’s record so far this season is a 0-0 draw at Austin FC on March 21.

Portland, which is 0-4-1 in its last five matches since a season-opening 3-2 home victory over the Columbus Crew on Feb. 21, has allowed a Western Conference-worst 15 goals while scoring nine times.

The Timbers come in off a 3-2 loss at MLS Cup runner-up Vancouver last Saturday in which they allowed two goals in second-half stoppage time to take a shocking defeat.

Portland coach Phil Neville knows his squad faces a big challenge on Saturday.

“They’re a team that has not conceded any goals this season and they don’t give away many chances,” Neville said. “In terms of attacking play, I think we’re going to have to be really, really, really good in our attacking play, our attacking movements and our attacking control.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #LAFC #brings #record #cleansheet #start #game #skidding #Portland

Apr 7, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (1) defends the goal against Cruz Azul in the first half of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Portland Timbers will try to snap a five-match winless streak when they host Western Conference-leading Los Angeles FC on Saturday afternoon.

The question heading into the match is not whether the Timbers (1-4-1, 4 points) can win the game, but rather can they at least score a goal?

LAFC (5-0-1, 16 points), led by former French national team and Tottenham Hotspur star Hugo Lloris in goal, have set an MLS record with six straight clean sheets to start a season.

Lloris, who helped lead France to the 2018 World Cup, has made 22 saves in the six contests, including six in last week’s 6-0 victory over Orlando City.

“We don’t go into games thinking about, ‘Oh, we have to keep a clean sheet,'” Los Angeles coach Marc Dos Santos said. “We go into games thinking about what we have to do as a group, collectively.”

To that end, LAFC is tied for second in goals scored in MLS with 14. Forward Denis Bouanga leads the team with four goals, including a hat trick that took just 28 minutes to complete against Orlando, while Son Heung-Min leads the league with seven assists.

The only blip on LAFC’s record so far this season is a 0-0 draw at Austin FC on March 21.

Portland, which is 0-4-1 in its last five matches since a season-opening 3-2 home victory over the Columbus Crew on Feb. 21, has allowed a Western Conference-worst 15 goals while scoring nine times.

The Timbers come in off a 3-2 loss at MLS Cup runner-up Vancouver last Saturday in which they allowed two goals in second-half stoppage time to take a shocking defeat.

Portland coach Phil Neville knows his squad faces a big challenge on Saturday.

“They’re a team that has not conceded any goals this season and they don’t give away many chances,” Neville said. “In terms of attacking play, I think we’re going to have to be really, really, really good in our attacking play, our attacking movements and our attacking control.”

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #LAFC #brings #record #cleansheet #start #game #skidding #Portland

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IPL 2026: Shashank Singh plays down PBKS’s poor record against SRH, backs bowlers to come good <div id="content-body-70847862" itemprop="articleBody"><p>“Our bowling unit wants to dominate not only tomorrow’s [Saturday] match but also all the upcoming matches.”</p><p>This one line from Punjab Kings batter Shashank Singh easily conveys the confidence the team has in its bowling line-up, which next faces the batting might of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL).</p><p>“We are backing our strength. The present situation is that our bowlers are playing very well. Their batting order is very good, but we have a very good attack with the likes of Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen in our ranks. So, we will prefer to think about our strengths and not theirs,” Shashank said during the pre-match press conference here on Friday.</p><p><b>READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/pbks-vs-srh-ipl-2026-punjab-kings-sunrisers-hyderabad-abhishek-sharma-shreyas-iyer-latest-news/article70847443.ece" target="_blank">Batting units in the spotlight as Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad meet</a></b></p><p>PBKS used up 19.1 overs and seven wickets while chasing down 163 against Gujarat Titans the last time it played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium. The hosts come into this contest without a great record, both at this ground (4-7) and against their opponent (7-17).</p><p>“We don’t think about stats. Right now, we are looking at trying to impress each other in our team.”</p><p>“We don’t have the best of records in home conditions over the past couple of years. But again, we could have won the first match convincingly this season. We made some mistakes in the middle overs, which led to that game going down to the wire… as humans, you make errors and learn from them. In a way, it was good that the first match challenged us,” Shashank added.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 10, 2026</p></div> #IPL #Shashank #Singh #plays #PBKSs #poor #record #SRH #backs #bowlers #good

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IPL 2026: Josh Hazlewood starts for RCB against RR <div id="content-body-70848093" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Josh Hazlewood will play his first match of the IPL 2026 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Rajasthan Royals at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.</p><p>Hazlewood replaced Jacob Duffy in the playing XI, RCB captain Rajat Patidar confirmed at the toss. Hazlewood is the only change in RCB’s eleven.</p><p>The Australian pacer was nursing hamstring and Achilles problems for which he missed the Ashes series as well as the T20 World Cup 2026 for Australia.</p><p>The last time Hazlewood played a professional match was in November 2025 in a shield game for New South Wales against Victoria. His last international match was against India in the T20I series in October.</p><p>The Royals captain Riyan Parag won the toss and opted to bowl in rain-hit game.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 10, 2026</p></div> #IPL #Josh #Hazlewood #starts #RCB

Ten days ago, North Carolina trailed USC 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 3 of its Super Regional against USC. Facing the end of their season, the Tar Heels rallied for three runs in the final two innings to book their spot in the Men’s College World Series, with a double off the bat of Owen Hull delivering the win in walk-off fashion.

And now, Hull and the Tar Heels are headed to the Finals after a 12-7 win over West Virginia.

North Carolina took on West Virginia in Omaha on Wednesday, needing a win to punch their ticket to the Finals while the Mountaineers needed a victory to force a winner-take-all rematch on Thursday. But Hull and the Tar Heels jumped out to a lead in the top of the first, starting with yet another extra-base hit from the UNC outfielder:

Hull later came around to score after stealing third, and advancing home on an error.

After West Virginia pulled one back in the bottom of the first, the Tar Heels broke the game open in the third and fourth innings. North Carolina pushed three runs across the dish in the top of the third, with the big blow a triple off the bat of Cooper Nicholson:

Then in the fourth UNC tacked on three more runs, and it was Hull again providing some of the offense, with this double down the left-field line to bring Carter French around to score:

A Gavin Gallaher single followed, bringing Hull and Jake Schnaffer home to make it 8-1 Tar Heels in the top of the fourth.

As the North Carolina offense was enjoying the afternoon, Jackson Rose was dealing on the bump. Folger Boaz got the start, but UNC turned to the freshman lefty to start the second inning.

Early in his outing Rose relied on his fastball and slider, before he started mixing in more of his curveball. Where Rose was truly impressive was with his slider, as well as how he worked his slider and fastball inside to hitters, preventing them from getting their hands extended to barrel up pitches. He needed just six pitches to get through the second, 13 to get through the third, 14 through the fourth, and just eight to get through the fifth inning.

In the top of the sixth, the Tar Heels got another extra-base hit, as Hull laced a triple down the right-field line. That made him the first UNC player with a four-hit game at the MCWS since 2011, and Hull came around to score on another single from Gallaher to make it 9-1.

For Gallaher, who finally broke through with his first hit in two trips to Omaha earlier this week, it was his 32rd RBI in 25 career NCAA tournament games, the most among active players.

Following a stolen base, an Erik Paulsen single brought home Gallaher to make it 10-1, and the rout appeared on.

But the Mountaineers would not go down that easily.

Rose finally got into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth, walking the bases loaded after giving up a pair of singles. That’s when Scott Forbes came out of the North Carolina dugout to summon Matthew Matthijs out of the pen, ending Rose’s day after 58 pitches. He needed just one pitch to end the inning, as Brock Wills lined out to Gallaher at second, who flipped to Schnaffer for the double play.

UNC tacked on two more runs in the seventh to make the score 12-1, those 12 runs a new single-game record for the Tar Heels in a Men’s College World Series game.

West Virginia made some noise in the bottom of the seventh, chasing Matthijs as they scored four runs to cause some stirring from those wearing Carolina Blue. That’s when Forbes summoned Caden Glauber, the freshman reliever with an 11-0 record on the year, and who entered play with 23 strikeouts in just over 14 innings of work in the NCAA tournament.

But a passed ball brought another run home, cutting UNC’s lead to 12-6. West Virginia fans were in full voice by that point, while the Carolina fans were looking for the Pepto Bismol.

After a long battle, Glauber finally got Ben Lumsden looking to end the inning.

However, the Mountaineers, refused to quit, as a Gavin Kelly solo shot in the bottom of the eighth pulled West Virginia within five.

But that would be as close as they got.

Glauber struck out Sean Smith to start the ninth, and after giving up a single to Matthew Graveline, he got a popup from shortstop Matt Ineich to push West Virginia to their final out. Willis singled to right, bringing Lumsden to the plate again, but a flyball to right ended the game, and touched off the celebrations for those in Carolina Blue.

For Hull, the UNC outfielder heads to the MCWS Finals red hot. His last game without a hit came back on May 16 against NC State, when he went 0-for-2 in a loss to the Wolfpack. He finished the game on Wednesday having gone 4-for-5 with two RBI, along with a pair of doubles and a triple, and Hull heads to the Finals riding a 12-game hitting streak.

“We’re getting it done in a lot of different ways,” said Gallaher after the win to ESPN.

“I’m just so thankful to be here.”

UNC will face either Oklahoma or Georgia in the Finals starting Saturday night. Those two teams face off on Wednesday night, with Georgia needing a win to force a winner-take-all rematch on Wednesday. A win from the Sooners would punch their ticket to the Finals against the Tar Heels.

#Owen #Hull #UNC #knock #West #Virginia #advance #MCWS #Finals">Owen Hull and UNC knock off West Virginia to advance to the MCWS Finals  Ten days ago, North Carolina trailed USC 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 3 of its Super Regional against USC. Facing the end of their season, the Tar Heels rallied for three runs in the final two innings to book their spot in the Men’s College World Series, with a double off the bat of Owen Hull delivering the win in walk-off fashion.And now, Hull and the Tar Heels are headed to the Finals after a 12-7 win over West Virginia.North Carolina took on West Virginia in Omaha on Wednesday, needing a win to punch their ticket to the Finals while the Mountaineers needed a victory to force a winner-take-all rematch on Thursday. But Hull and the Tar Heels jumped out to a lead in the top of the first, starting with yet another extra-base hit from the UNC outfielder:Hull later came around to score after stealing third, and advancing home on an error.After West Virginia pulled one back in the bottom of the first, the Tar Heels broke the game open in the third and fourth innings. North Carolina pushed three runs across the dish in the top of the third, with the big blow a triple off the bat of Cooper Nicholson:Then in the fourth UNC tacked on three more runs, and it was Hull again providing some of the offense, with this double down the left-field line to bring Carter French around to score:A Gavin Gallaher single followed, bringing Hull and Jake Schnaffer home to make it 8-1 Tar Heels in the top of the fourth.As the North Carolina offense was enjoying the afternoon, Jackson Rose was dealing on the bump. Folger Boaz got the start, but UNC turned to the freshman lefty to start the second inning.Early in his outing Rose relied on his fastball and slider, before he started mixing in more of his curveball. Where Rose was truly impressive was with his slider, as well as how he worked his slider and fastball inside to hitters, preventing them from getting their hands extended to barrel up pitches. He needed just six pitches to get through the second, 13 to get through the third, 14 through the fourth, and just eight to get through the fifth inning.In the top of the sixth, the Tar Heels got another extra-base hit, as Hull laced a triple down the right-field line. That made him the first UNC player with a four-hit game at the MCWS since 2011, and Hull came around to score on another single from Gallaher to make it 9-1.For Gallaher, who finally broke through with his first hit in two trips to Omaha earlier this week, it was his 32rd RBI in 25 career NCAA tournament games, the most among active players.Following a stolen base, an Erik Paulsen single brought home Gallaher to make it 10-1, and the rout appeared on.But the Mountaineers would not go down that easily.Rose finally got into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth, walking the bases loaded after giving up a pair of singles. That’s when Scott Forbes came out of the North Carolina dugout to summon Matthew Matthijs out of the pen, ending Rose’s day after 58 pitches. He needed just one pitch to end the inning, as Brock Wills lined out to Gallaher at second, who flipped to Schnaffer for the double play.UNC tacked on two more runs in the seventh to make the score 12-1, those 12 runs a new single-game record for the Tar Heels in a Men’s College World Series game.West Virginia made some noise in the bottom of the seventh, chasing Matthijs as they scored four runs to cause some stirring from those wearing Carolina Blue. That’s when Forbes summoned Caden Glauber, the freshman reliever with an 11-0 record on the year, and who entered play with 23 strikeouts in just over 14 innings of work in the NCAA tournament.But a passed ball brought another run home, cutting UNC’s lead to 12-6. West Virginia fans were in full voice by that point, while the Carolina fans were looking for the Pepto Bismol.After a long battle, Glauber finally got Ben Lumsden looking to end the inning.However, the Mountaineers, refused to quit, as a Gavin Kelly solo shot in the bottom of the eighth pulled West Virginia within five.But that would be as close as they got.Glauber struck out Sean Smith to start the ninth, and after giving up a single to Matthew Graveline, he got a popup from shortstop Matt Ineich to push West Virginia to their final out. Willis singled to right, bringing Lumsden to the plate again, but a flyball to right ended the game, and touched off the celebrations for those in Carolina Blue.For Hull, the UNC outfielder heads to the MCWS Finals red hot. His last game without a hit came back on May 16 against NC State, when he went 0-for-2 in a loss to the Wolfpack. He finished the game on Wednesday having gone 4-for-5 with two RBI, along with a pair of doubles and a triple, and Hull heads to the Finals riding a 12-game hitting streak.“We’re getting it done in a lot of different ways,” said Gallaher after the win to ESPN.“I’m just so thankful to be here.”UNC will face either Oklahoma or Georgia in the Finals starting Saturday night. Those two teams face off on Wednesday night, with Georgia needing a win to force a winner-take-all rematch on Wednesday. A win from the Sooners would punch their ticket to the Finals against the Tar Heels.  #Owen #Hull #UNC #knock #West #Virginia #advance #MCWS #Finals

rallied for three runs in the final two innings to book their spot in the Men’s College World Series, with a double off the bat of Owen Hull delivering the win in walk-off fashion.

And now, Hull and the Tar Heels are headed to the Finals after a 12-7 win over West Virginia.

North Carolina took on West Virginia in Omaha on Wednesday, needing a win to punch their ticket to the Finals while the Mountaineers needed a victory to force a winner-take-all rematch on Thursday. But Hull and the Tar Heels jumped out to a lead in the top of the first, starting with yet another extra-base hit from the UNC outfielder:

Hull later came around to score after stealing third, and advancing home on an error.

After West Virginia pulled one back in the bottom of the first, the Tar Heels broke the game open in the third and fourth innings. North Carolina pushed three runs across the dish in the top of the third, with the big blow a triple off the bat of Cooper Nicholson:

Then in the fourth UNC tacked on three more runs, and it was Hull again providing some of the offense, with this double down the left-field line to bring Carter French around to score:

A Gavin Gallaher single followed, bringing Hull and Jake Schnaffer home to make it 8-1 Tar Heels in the top of the fourth.

As the North Carolina offense was enjoying the afternoon, Jackson Rose was dealing on the bump. Folger Boaz got the start, but UNC turned to the freshman lefty to start the second inning.

Early in his outing Rose relied on his fastball and slider, before he started mixing in more of his curveball. Where Rose was truly impressive was with his slider, as well as how he worked his slider and fastball inside to hitters, preventing them from getting their hands extended to barrel up pitches. He needed just six pitches to get through the second, 13 to get through the third, 14 through the fourth, and just eight to get through the fifth inning.

In the top of the sixth, the Tar Heels got another extra-base hit, as Hull laced a triple down the right-field line. That made him the first UNC player with a four-hit game at the MCWS since 2011, and Hull came around to score on another single from Gallaher to make it 9-1.

For Gallaher, who finally broke through with his first hit in two trips to Omaha earlier this week, it was his 32rd RBI in 25 career NCAA tournament games, the most among active players.

Following a stolen base, an Erik Paulsen single brought home Gallaher to make it 10-1, and the rout appeared on.

But the Mountaineers would not go down that easily.

Rose finally got into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth, walking the bases loaded after giving up a pair of singles. That’s when Scott Forbes came out of the North Carolina dugout to summon Matthew Matthijs out of the pen, ending Rose’s day after 58 pitches. He needed just one pitch to end the inning, as Brock Wills lined out to Gallaher at second, who flipped to Schnaffer for the double play.

UNC tacked on two more runs in the seventh to make the score 12-1, those 12 runs a new single-game record for the Tar Heels in a Men’s College World Series game.

West Virginia made some noise in the bottom of the seventh, chasing Matthijs as they scored four runs to cause some stirring from those wearing Carolina Blue. That’s when Forbes summoned Caden Glauber, the freshman reliever with an 11-0 record on the year, and who entered play with 23 strikeouts in just over 14 innings of work in the NCAA tournament.

But a passed ball brought another run home, cutting UNC’s lead to 12-6. West Virginia fans were in full voice by that point, while the Carolina fans were looking for the Pepto Bismol.

After a long battle, Glauber finally got Ben Lumsden looking to end the inning.

However, the Mountaineers, refused to quit, as a Gavin Kelly solo shot in the bottom of the eighth pulled West Virginia within five.

But that would be as close as they got.

Glauber struck out Sean Smith to start the ninth, and after giving up a single to Matthew Graveline, he got a popup from shortstop Matt Ineich to push West Virginia to their final out. Willis singled to right, bringing Lumsden to the plate again, but a flyball to right ended the game, and touched off the celebrations for those in Carolina Blue.

For Hull, the UNC outfielder heads to the MCWS Finals red hot. His last game without a hit came back on May 16 against NC State, when he went 0-for-2 in a loss to the Wolfpack. He finished the game on Wednesday having gone 4-for-5 with two RBI, along with a pair of doubles and a triple, and Hull heads to the Finals riding a 12-game hitting streak.

“We’re getting it done in a lot of different ways,” said Gallaher after the win to ESPN.

“I’m just so thankful to be here.”

UNC will face either Oklahoma or Georgia in the Finals starting Saturday night. Those two teams face off on Wednesday night, with Georgia needing a win to force a winner-take-all rematch on Wednesday. A win from the Sooners would punch their ticket to the Finals against the Tar Heels.

#Owen #Hull #UNC #knock #West #Virginia #advance #MCWS #Finals">Owen Hull and UNC knock off West Virginia to advance to the MCWS Finals

Ten days ago, North Carolina trailed USC 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 3 of its Super Regional against USC. Facing the end of their season, the Tar Heels rallied for three runs in the final two innings to book their spot in the Men’s College World Series, with a double off the bat of Owen Hull delivering the win in walk-off fashion.

And now, Hull and the Tar Heels are headed to the Finals after a 12-7 win over West Virginia.

North Carolina took on West Virginia in Omaha on Wednesday, needing a win to punch their ticket to the Finals while the Mountaineers needed a victory to force a winner-take-all rematch on Thursday. But Hull and the Tar Heels jumped out to a lead in the top of the first, starting with yet another extra-base hit from the UNC outfielder:

Hull later came around to score after stealing third, and advancing home on an error.

After West Virginia pulled one back in the bottom of the first, the Tar Heels broke the game open in the third and fourth innings. North Carolina pushed three runs across the dish in the top of the third, with the big blow a triple off the bat of Cooper Nicholson:

Then in the fourth UNC tacked on three more runs, and it was Hull again providing some of the offense, with this double down the left-field line to bring Carter French around to score:

A Gavin Gallaher single followed, bringing Hull and Jake Schnaffer home to make it 8-1 Tar Heels in the top of the fourth.

As the North Carolina offense was enjoying the afternoon, Jackson Rose was dealing on the bump. Folger Boaz got the start, but UNC turned to the freshman lefty to start the second inning.

Early in his outing Rose relied on his fastball and slider, before he started mixing in more of his curveball. Where Rose was truly impressive was with his slider, as well as how he worked his slider and fastball inside to hitters, preventing them from getting their hands extended to barrel up pitches. He needed just six pitches to get through the second, 13 to get through the third, 14 through the fourth, and just eight to get through the fifth inning.

In the top of the sixth, the Tar Heels got another extra-base hit, as Hull laced a triple down the right-field line. That made him the first UNC player with a four-hit game at the MCWS since 2011, and Hull came around to score on another single from Gallaher to make it 9-1.

For Gallaher, who finally broke through with his first hit in two trips to Omaha earlier this week, it was his 32rd RBI in 25 career NCAA tournament games, the most among active players.

Following a stolen base, an Erik Paulsen single brought home Gallaher to make it 10-1, and the rout appeared on.

But the Mountaineers would not go down that easily.

Rose finally got into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth, walking the bases loaded after giving up a pair of singles. That’s when Scott Forbes came out of the North Carolina dugout to summon Matthew Matthijs out of the pen, ending Rose’s day after 58 pitches. He needed just one pitch to end the inning, as Brock Wills lined out to Gallaher at second, who flipped to Schnaffer for the double play.

UNC tacked on two more runs in the seventh to make the score 12-1, those 12 runs a new single-game record for the Tar Heels in a Men’s College World Series game.

West Virginia made some noise in the bottom of the seventh, chasing Matthijs as they scored four runs to cause some stirring from those wearing Carolina Blue. That’s when Forbes summoned Caden Glauber, the freshman reliever with an 11-0 record on the year, and who entered play with 23 strikeouts in just over 14 innings of work in the NCAA tournament.

But a passed ball brought another run home, cutting UNC’s lead to 12-6. West Virginia fans were in full voice by that point, while the Carolina fans were looking for the Pepto Bismol.

After a long battle, Glauber finally got Ben Lumsden looking to end the inning.

However, the Mountaineers, refused to quit, as a Gavin Kelly solo shot in the bottom of the eighth pulled West Virginia within five.

But that would be as close as they got.

Glauber struck out Sean Smith to start the ninth, and after giving up a single to Matthew Graveline, he got a popup from shortstop Matt Ineich to push West Virginia to their final out. Willis singled to right, bringing Lumsden to the plate again, but a flyball to right ended the game, and touched off the celebrations for those in Carolina Blue.

For Hull, the UNC outfielder heads to the MCWS Finals red hot. His last game without a hit came back on May 16 against NC State, when he went 0-for-2 in a loss to the Wolfpack. He finished the game on Wednesday having gone 4-for-5 with two RBI, along with a pair of doubles and a triple, and Hull heads to the Finals riding a 12-game hitting streak.

“We’re getting it done in a lot of different ways,” said Gallaher after the win to ESPN.

“I’m just so thankful to be here.”

UNC will face either Oklahoma or Georgia in the Finals starting Saturday night. Those two teams face off on Wednesday night, with Georgia needing a win to force a winner-take-all rematch on Wednesday. A win from the Sooners would punch their ticket to the Finals against the Tar Heels.

#Owen #Hull #UNC #knock #West #Virginia #advance #MCWS #Finals

Veteran stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Luka Modric were seen sporting a unique badge on the their kits during the opening round of FIFA World Cup 2026 matches.

The world governing body has introduced this intiative to honour the greats of the game for their contributions to the game with customised ‘Legacy’ badges on the sleeve of their shirts.

Both Messi and Ronaldo, eight and five-time Ballon d’Or winners, respectively, became the first players to play in a sixth World Cup this summer.

Messi also led Argentina to a World Cup title in 2022. His archrival Ronaldo, 41, is aiming to win the World Cup for the first time with Portugal.

Modric, who won the 2018 Ballon d’Or after guiding Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018 and a third place finish in 2022.

Published on Jun 18, 2026

#badge #Ronaldo #Messi #Modrics #shirts #FIFA #World #Cup">What is the badge on Ronaldo, Messi and Modric’s shirts at FIFA World Cup 2026?  Veteran stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Luka Modric were seen sporting a unique badge on the their kits during the opening round of FIFA World Cup 2026 matches.The world governing body has introduced this intiative to honour the greats of the game for their contributions to the game with customised ‘Legacy’ badges on the sleeve of their shirts.Both Messi and Ronaldo, eight and five-time Ballon d’Or winners, respectively, became the first players to play in a sixth World Cup this summer.Messi also led Argentina to a World Cup title in 2022. His archrival Ronaldo, 41, is aiming to win the World Cup for the first time with Portugal.Modric, who won the 2018 Ballon d’Or after guiding Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018 and a third place finish in 2022.Published on Jun 18, 2026  #badge #Ronaldo #Messi #Modrics #shirts #FIFA #World #Cup

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