MONDAY SPORTS, JUNE 8, 2026
PALACE CITY LEGION BASEBALL
— Mitchell’s Palace City Post 18 Legion baseball team finished 3-1 at the Lewis and Clark Classic in Crofton, Nebraska over the weekend, but missed out on the championship bracket due to a head-to-head loss to Madison. Post 18 capped pool play Saturday with a 10-9 walk-off win over host Crofton, rallying from a five-run deficit in the seventh inning. Canon Moller delivered the game-winning single, while Ian Weber led the offense with three hits. Earlier Saturday, Post 18 defeated Sioux Falls East 7-6. Ethan Hegg drove in the winning run in the sixth inning, scoring Kaiden Allen. Weber and Hegg each collected three hits in the victory. Mitchell, now 4-2 on the season, travels to Renner for a doubleheader on Monday at 5 pm.
— Palace City Post 18 Junior Legion baseball went 2-1 over the weekend at the Alex Kummer Memorial tournament in Tea, finishing second in its pool but missing the championship bracket. Post 18 opened with a 2-1 win over Yankton, followed by a 5-4 eight inning win over Aberdeen. In the final pool game, Dakota Valley pulled away late for a 10-5 win to eliminate Palace City from title contention. The Post 18 Juniors are 5-6 and host Yankton in a doubleheader on Tuesday at 5 pm.
— Palace City 14U teener baseball split a home doubleheader Sunday at Drake Field, falling 11-1 in Game 2 after a 7-4 win in the opener over Winner/Colome. Palace City, now 2-9-1, hosts Brookings on Tuesday at 5 pm.
— Palace City 13U baseball dropped both games of a Saturday doubleheader at Drake Field, falling 13-7 to Sioux Falls Post 15 and 14-2 to Winner/Colome. The 13U team is now 4-11 and hosts Huron on Tuesday at Noon.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD claimed the 2025-26 Interstate Series victory over South Dakota State, finishing ahead 11.5 to 8.5. The Coyotes secured the rivalry standings title across multiple sports, marking their sixth series win since the competition began in 2013 and their first since 2022. USD built its advantage behind points in football, men’s and women’s basketball, swimming and diving, track and field and golf. The deciding point came from men’s golf after the Coyotes had moved into position to clinch following a men’s basketball sweep of SDSU. The Interstate Series tracks head-to-head competition between the in-state rivals across all sports.
GOLF
— Presho’s Chris Long captured his third South Dakota Golf Association men’s Mid-Amateur title Sunday at Lakeview Golf Course, pulling away with a final-round 65. Long surged on the back nine with a six-under stretch over four holes, including two eagles and two birdies, finishing 12-under for the tournament. The 52-year-old now has 10 SDGA titles overall. Sioux Falls’ Ryan Ames and Watertown’s Bob West tied for second at six-under.
MINNESOTA TWINS
— Starling Marte hit a three-run homer as the Kansas City Royals held off the Minnesota Twins 6-5 to take three of four games in the series. Minnesota scored four times in the ninth inning, including Josh Bell’s three-run homer, before Brooks Lee was retired with a runner on second for the final out. The Royals Noah Cameron allowed just three hits and an unearned run over six innings with seven strikeouts. The Twins, now a season high seven games under .500 at 30-37, will be at Detroit on Tuesday at 5:40 pm to begin a three-game series.
— Iowa baseball fans can now enter a ticket lottery for the Minnesota Twins vs. Philadelphia Phillies game at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville. Registration is open through June 11, with winners selected June 17 and tickets going on sale June 18. General public ticket sales open June 30. The Aug. 13 matchup marks the Twins’ first appearance at the Field of Dreams site. A minor league game between the Iowa Cubs and St. Paul Saints is set for Aug. 11.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
— Team Blue topped Team Red 14-8 on Saturday in the South Dakota Football Coaches Association High School Senior Bowl at Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings. Centerville’s Alec Austin connected with Warner’s Jesiah Baum on a 96-yard touchdown pass, and West Central’s Carter Gross added the game-winning 1-yard scoring run. Spearfish’s Laythan Lucas returned an interception 55 yards for Team Red’s only touchdown and earned Defensive MVP honors.
STATE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
— Castlewood defeated McCook Central/Montrose 9-2 on Saturday to capture the Class B softball state championship, earning its second title in four seasons. The top-seeded Warriors broke a 1-1 tie with a six-run third inning. McCook Central/Montrose ends the season with a 22-3 record.
— Sioux Falls Jefferson capped a perfect season Saturday with an 11-0, five-inning win over Sioux Falls Washington to claim its second straight Class AA softball state championship. The top-seeded Cavaliers (23-0) extends its winning streak to 33 games.
— Dakota Valley captured the Class A softball state championship Saturday, holding off Elk Point-Jefferson 9-6 at the Players Softball Complex. The third-seeded Panthers built a 9-1 lead behind steady hitting and a complete-game effort from pitcher Emma Barnett, then survived a late EPJ rally that brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh. Elk Point-Jefferson scored five runs in its final at-bat before Dakota Valley ended the game on a rundown for the final out. Brynn Ramos had three hits for the Panthers, who finish 15-4 and claim their first state title.
Class AA
7/8th Place: Sioux Falls Lincoln 10, Bishop O’Gorman 8
5/6th Place: Brandon Valley 4, Rapid City Stevens 2
3/4th Place: Harrisburg 10, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 4
Championship: Sioux Falls Jefferson 11, Sioux Falls Washington 0
Class A
7/8th Place: Lennox 11, Madison 7
5/6th Place: Sioux Valley 9, Beresford 5
3/4th Place: West Central 11, Tri-Valley 1
Championship: Dakota Valley 9, Elk Point-Jefferson 6
Class B
7/8th Place: Avon 13, Florence/Henry 3
5/6th Place: Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy 9, Redfield 3
3/4th Place: Gayville-Volin 7, Hanson 0
Championship: Castlewood 9, McCook Central/Montrose 2
MITCHELL AREA COMMUNITY TRIATHLON
— Sioux Falls’ Kevin Mitchell won the overall title Saturday at the Mitchell Area Community Triathlon, finishing the 28-kilometer course in 1:04:28. Kathy Grady, also of Sioux Falls, was the top female finisher and placed eighth overall in 1:19:01. Mitchell-area athletes had several strong performances. 17-year-old Colin Pickett led local competitors with a sixth-place overall finish in 1:18:40. Lisa Larson was the top local female, placing third in the division and 14th overall in 1:23:40. A total of 45 individuals and three relay teams competed in the annual event.
AMATEUR BASEBALL
Parkston Rays 7, Dimock/Emery 1 – Dylan Soulek with 11 strikeouts over eight innings.
Alexandria 5, Mount Vernon 4 – Charlie Dubanoski with a two-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning.
Parkston Mudcats 15, Winner/Colome 5 – Kaleb Weber with three hits and seven RBI’s including a three-run HR.
Kimball/White Lake 6, Burke 3 – The Nationals with three runs in the eighth inning.
Plankinton 11, Chamberlain 1 (7 inn.) – Thomas Stange with 10 strikeouts over seven innings.
Wessington Springs 4, Colome 2 – Layne Cotton with a two-RBI singles in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Freeman 16, Beresford 13
Dell Rapids PBR 14, Salem 7
NBA
— The New York Knicks return to Madison Square Garden on Monday night for Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a 2-0 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs and a chance to push the franchise to the brink of its first championship since 1973. Tipoff is set for 7:45 pm, where the Finals are being played in New York for the first time since 1999. The Knicks have won 13 straight postseason games and are coming off two close road victories in San Antonio to open the series. Game 3 comes with heightened security and logistical changes around Madison Square Garden due to expected high-profile attendance, including a no-bag policy and increased screening procedures. A Knicks win would put them one victory away from a sweep and the franchise’s first title in more than 50 years.
— Stacey King, a member of three Chicago Bulls championship teams in the early 90’s and a longtime team broadcaster, has died. He was 59. The Bulls announced King’s death Sunday after being notified by a family member. No cause of death was immediately released. King played for the Bulls from 1989-93 after being selected sixth overall in the 1989 NBA Draft out of Oklahoma. He was part of Chicago’s first three-peat dynasty, helping the team win NBA titles in 1991, 1992 and 1993. After his playing career, King returned to the organization as a broadcaster and became one of the most recognizable voices on Bulls television broadcasts for more than two decades.
NHL
— The Stanley Cup Final shifts to Game 4 on Tuesday night with the Vegas Golden Knights holding a 2-1 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes after a dramatic Game 3 overtime finish. Game 3 saw Vegas take control early before Carolina stormed back from a 4-0 deficit to force overtime. The Golden Knights ultimately prevailed 5-4 in double overtime. Puck drop for Game 4 is scheduled for 7 pm on ABC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
HORSE RACING
— Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo added another major victory Saturday, capturing the 158th Belmont Stakes. Golden Tempo rallied down the stretch to beat Commandment, with favorite Renegade finishing third. The colt completed the 1¼-mile race in 2 minutes, 3.49 seconds. Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness Stakes but won both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, becoming the second straight horse to claim those two Triple Crown races without running in the middle jewel.
WORLD CUP
— Iran’s national soccer team arrived in Mexico on Sunday for World Cup preparations, training along the U.S. border as visa issues continue to affect members of its traveling delegation ahead of the tournament later this month. The team arrived in Tijuana after departing Turkey, shifting its training base from Arizona due to complications with U.S. visa processing. Several members of Iran’s entourage remain without clearance to enter the United States, where Iran is scheduled to play three group-stage matches. Iran opens group play June 15 against New Zealand, followed by matches against Belgium and Egypt.
COLLEGE BASEBALL – SUPER REGIONALS
No. 3 Georgia 11, No. 14 Mississippi State 9 – Georgia wins series 2-0.
Ole Miss 5, No. 4 Auburn 3 – Ole Miss wins the series 2-0.
No. 5 North Carolina 4, USC 3 – North Carolina wins the series 2-1.
No. 6 Texas 6, No. 11 Oregon 5 – Texas wins the series 2-0.
No. 16 West Virginia 17, Cal Poly 1 – West Virginia wins the series 2-0.
Troy 7, Little Rock 2 – Troy wins the series 2-0.
No. 7 Alabama 7, St. John’s 2 – Alabama leads the series 1-0. Game suspended, resuming at Noon on Monday. (8th)
Oklahoma 8, No. 15 Kansas – Oklahoma leads the series 1-0. Game suspended, resuming at 1 pm on Monday. (3rd)
MLB
— The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed outfielder Max Kepler, who is still serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Kepler will not be able to report to the team until June 25, when his suspension ends. Kepler tested positive in January for a substance that’ contained in some products used in body-building stores and has been used in products to promote cattle growth. Kepler was the first player suspended by MLB for the substance since public announcements of the penalty details began in 2005.
— Cody Bellinger’s tiebreaking homer sparked a five-run eighth inning, capped by Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s three-run drive as the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 6-1.
— Michael Harris II hit a three-run double in the seventh inning as the Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 to complete a three-game sweep. The major league-leading Braves (45-21) have won eight of 10.
— Gary Sánchez homered for the first time since April 14 as part of a seven-run sixth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 12-4 to complete a three-game sweep. The Brewers finished with 10 extra-base hits.
— Backup catcher Sebastián Rivero went 5 for 5 with six RBIs to lead a 13-for-15 performance by the bottom four batters in the order, propelling the Los Angeles Angels past the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-5.
— Jacob deGrom allowed only three singles over six innings as the Rangers beat Cleveland 10-0.
— Brandon Marsh homered for the third straight day and drove in two runs as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5. The Phillies took two of three from the White Sox to conclude a 5-1 homestand and moved a season-best five games over .500 (35-30).
— Kevin McGonigle homered in the fourth inning and hit a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Detroit Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
— Matt Chapman singled to drive in automatic runner Jonah Cox in the 10th inning, lifting the San Francisco Giants over the Chicago Cubs 2-1.
— Mets rookie Carson Benge went 5 for 5 with a home run and an RBI triple, leading New York to a 7-3 victory over the San Diego Padres. Marcus Semien and MJ Melendez also homered for the last-place Mets, who took two of three games from the Padres to win a series in San Diego for the first time since 2018. The Padres have lost 11 of their past 13 games.
— Bryan Torres homered and Jordan Walker hit an RBI double as the St. Louis Cardinals scored on two errors in the eighth inning to rally past the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 to sweep the series.
— Yohendrick Piñango and Brandon Valenzuela hit solo home runs as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4.
— Nick Kurtz and Brent Rooker homered, while rookie Gage Jump worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings as the Athletics beat the Houston Astros 5-0.
— Sandy Alcantara struck out seven in seven innings of one-run ball, while Otto López doubled and tripled as the Miami Marlins beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1.
— Gabriel Moreno hit a two-run homer, while Michael Soroka threw seven innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks avoided a series sweep with a 5-1 win over the Washington Nationals.