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Carolina beats Vegas even series
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Seth Jarvis scored on a power play in overtime after Carolina erased a deficit in regulation only to gave up a late tying goal, and the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to tie the series.
Jarvis’ heroics 3:56 into OT came after a thrilling third period that included four goals being scored and another getting called off because of goaltender interference. Carolina became the first team since 1994 to win a Cup final game when trailing by multiple goals in the final 10 minutes.
“It was lot,” said Jarvis, who scored for just the fourth time this playoffs. “We did a great job controlling our emotions. We never got too high, never got too low. Just kept responding, and that’s what I love about this group is we always bounce back.”
Game 3 is Saturday night in Las Vegas. There is now a guarantee the series will return to Raleigh for a Game 5 next week.
Zverev beats Mensik in French Open semis
PARIS (AP) -- Jannik Sinner lost early. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to injury.
The pressure has been on Alexander Zverev to finally win an elusive Grand Slam title and now the second-seeded German is only one victory away from raising the French Open trophy.
Zverev reached the fourth major final of his career after beating 20-year-old Jakub Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the Roland Garros semifinals on Friday.
In Sunday’s final, Zverev will face 14th-ranked Flavio Cobolli.
Cobolli advanced when 104th-ranked Matteo Arnaldi withdrew before their all-Italian semifinal due to a virus.
Arnaldi spent 19 hours, 42 minutes on court to reach the semifinal -- more than anyone at a Grand Slam since 1991. He said he was vomiting overnight.
“I tried to get ready … but every time I get up I feel dizzy,” Arnaldi said. “I can’t move and I can’t eat and I can’t drink. So there was really no way that I will be able to play.”
Zverev has been an overwhelming favorite for the title ever since the top-ranked Sinner struggled in the first week’s heat wave and wasted a two set and 5-1 lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round.
Alcaraz, the two-time reigning champion, withdrew before the tournament with an injured right wrist.
Tough start for Scheffler at Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) -- Scottie Scheffler never thought two straight victories in the Memorial would be of any value when he began his bid for three in a row. It sure felt that way Thursday in a tough start that left him exasperated by the wind and six shots behind a four-way share of the lead.
Wyndham Clark, coming off a victory in the Byron Nelson, U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Tommy Fleetwood and Ryan Gerard were each at 5-under 67, among only 22 players who broke par at Muirfield Village.
Scheffler was poised to be among them until a bad wedge led to a careless bogey on the 14th, and what he thought was a great shot on the 16th bounced into the water for double bogey.
He walked 96 yards to the drop area with his palms upward when they weren’t slapping his thigh, all the while seeking answers from caddie Ted Scott that neither of them had. “I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is,” he said to Scott, who replied quietly with the obvious answer. “I do,” the caddie said.
Six of the seven players who broke 70 started before 10 a.m. and missed out on the swirling wind on a hot, clear day that made the greens even firmer than they already were.
The exception was Gerard, who had quite the wild ride. He had a 3 on a par 5 and followed that with a 5 on a par 3. He had five straight birdies on the back nine and only five pars on his scorecard for the entire round. It added to a 67, which was all that mattered.
Golden Tempo faces pace challenge in Belmont Stakes
NEW YORK (AP) -- The front-running horses in the Kentucky Derby last month completed the first quarter-mile in under 23 seconds and a half-mile in under 47 seconds.
That blistering pace paved the way for Golden Tempo’s last-to-first charge from the back of the pack to win by a neck. Five weeks later, the Cherie DeVaux-trained colt is among the top contenders in the 158th rendition of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, even if there does not appear to be as much early speed in the field.
That could mean jockey Jose Ortiz has to ride a much different race to close out the Triple Crown than the masterful way he did to start it, especially considering the stiff competition from morning line favorite and Derby runner-up Renegade, as well as others returning to the track who ran in that race at Churchill Downs on May 2.
“We just have to hope that a pace materializes with his running style,” DeVaux said. “If that does not happen, Jose is going to have to come up with plan B to where he just doesn’t give himself so much to do in the later stages of the race.”
Ortiz and Golden Tempo blew by brother Irad and Renegade just before the finish line at the Derby, needing every bit of the 1 1/4 miles. With this being the third and final time the Belmont takes place at Saratoga in upstate New York, it is also 1 1/4 miles before reverting to 1 1/2 next year.
Texas claims back-to-back softball titles
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Teagan Kavan struck out five in the final two innings to back a strong start from Citlaly Gutierrez, and Kayden Henry homered to lead Texas to a 4-1 victory over Texas Tech on Thursday night at the Women’s College World Series for a second straight national championship.
Kavan earned the most outstanding player award after becoming the first pitcher with two shutouts and two saves in one WCWS.
Texas trailed 1-0 after four innings, but a bases-loaded throwing error by shortstop Hailey Toney allowed two unearned runs to score in the fifth for a 2-1 lead.
Henry homered off Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady -- in her final collegiate game -- to begin the seventh and Leighann Goode singled to drive in the final run.
Texas Tech jumped in front in the third on an RBI single by Lauren Allred.
Canady retired 11 in a row after Henry singled to begin the game before disaster struck in the fifth.
Kaiah Altmeyer and Ashton Maloney led off with singles before Logan Halleman made a leaping catch in left field with one out to save at least one run. Canady walked slugger Katie Stewart to load the bases and appeared to escape the jam before Toney’s error.
Halleman also robbed Altmeyer of an extra-base with a runner on first in the sixth to keep it 2-1.