THURSDAY SPORTS, JUNE 11, 2026
PALACE CITY LEGION BASEBALL
— Palace City Post 18 Legion Baseball swept Sioux Falls East 9-4 and 11-10 in a Wednesday night doubleheader at Harmodon Park. In the opener, Post 18 built an early lead and pulled away with four runs in the fourth inning. Kaiden Allen led the offense with three hits and three RBIs, while Carter McCormick struck out nine over five innings to earn the win. In game two, Palace City erased a 4-1 deficit by scoring 10 consecutive runs and led 11-4 before Sioux Falls East rallied with six runs in the seventh inning. Brennen Penne entered in relief and stranded the tying run at second base, recording the final strikeout for the save. Ethan Hegg drove in four runs and collected four hits in Game 2, while Ian Weber added three hits and earned the victory with eight strikeouts over six innings. Post 18 improved to 6-4 and returns to action Friday at the Dakota Classic in Brandon, opening against Norfolk, Nebraska, and Omaha Central, Nebraska.
— Palace City Post 18 Junior Legion baseball split a doubleheader with Sioux Falls West on Wednesday at Cadwell Park, falling 12-7 in the opener before rallying for an 11-10 walk-off win in extra innings. In Game 1, Post 18 jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but Sioux Falls West answered with five runs over the next two frames and added six more late to pull away. In game two, Post 18 built a lead behind a two-run double from Jack Hohn, but Sioux Falls West scored five unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 10. In the bottom of the eighth, Madden Graves delivered a walk-off RBI single to give Palace City the 11-10 victory. The Post 18 Juniors are now 8-7 and will compete in the Dakota Classic Tournament in Sioux Falls this weekend.
— Palace City 14U baseball returns to action on Tuesday, June 16 with a doubleheader against Renner at Cadwell Park at Noon.
— Palace City 13U baseball was swept in a home doubleheader by Harrisburg on Wednesday at Drake Field, falling 17-0 and 20-7. In game two, Palace City scored all seven of its runs in the fourth inning. Palace City drops to 4-15 on the season and returns to action Tuesday, June 16, hosting Brookings for a noon doubleheader at Drake Field.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State women’s soccer team has released its full 2026 schedule, featuring nine nonconference matches ahead of Summit League play. The regular season begins with three of the first six matches at home at Fishback Soccer Park. The Jackrabbits host Manitoba on Aug. 13 and MSU Moorhead on Aug. 16 before welcoming Washington State on Aug. 20. SDSU then travels to Kansas State on Aug. 23 before returning home for three straight matches against Western Illinois, Colorado College and Idaho. The nonconference slate concludes on the road at Weber State on Sept. 10 and Utah State on Sept. 13. Summit League play begins Sept. 24.
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
— Area programs McCook Central/Montrose, Avon, Hanson, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy and Scotland/Menno were all represented on the Class B all-state softball team. McCook Central/Montrose, which finished 22-3 and as Class B runner-up, placed four players on the all-state roster; infielders Ashtyn DeKnikker and Ella DeKnikker, outfielder Josalyn Traupel and pitcher Zaidee Huls. Avon also placed two players on the team in catcher Brielle Voigt and infielder Rilyn Thury. Hanson catcher Jozlynn Tegethoff, Scotland/Menno pitcher Kylie Guthmiller and Freeman catcher Claire Loofbourrow were also all-state selections.
MINNESOTA TWINS
— Byron Buxton hit his 20th home run of the season, while Royce Lewis also went deep as the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 6-3. The game was delayed for 1 hour, 7 minutes in the middle of the first inning due to inclement weather. Lewis opened the scoring in the second inning with the second-longest homer of his career, a 444-foot shot to left. Buxton made it 4-1 in the fifth with a three-run HR. Buxton is the fourth player in the majors to reach 20 this season. The third and final game of the series between the Twins and Tigers is Thursday at 12:10 pm.
AMATEUR BASEBALL
— The Parkston Rays won their third straight game Wednesday night, beating Winner-Colome 11-4 in Sunshine League amateur baseball action in Winner. Parkston scored in each of the first five innings and never trailed. Nolan Dvorak led the Rays with three hits, five runs scored and two RBIs, while Seth Muth added four hits and two RBIs. Dvorak earned the win on the mound, and Carter Sommer tossed four scoreless innings in relief with six strikeouts for the save. The Rays improve to 7-5 overall and 4-3 in Sunshine League play. Winner-Colome falls to 3-and-3.
AMATEUR BASEBALL
Parkston Mudcats vs. Alexandria, Thursday at 7:30 pm.
Yankton vs. Freeman, Thursday at 7:30 pm
Kimball/White Lake vs. Four Corners, Thursday at 8 pm
Plankinton vs. Burke, Thursday at 8 pm
Wessington Springs vs. Chamberlain, Thursday at 8 pm
NBA
— The New York Knicks completed a record comeback from 29 points down and moved to the brink of their first championship since 1973 by beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. OG Anunoby tipped in the miss of Jalen Brunson’s long 3-point attempt with 1.2 seconds remaining, giving the Knicks a 3-1 lead. The Spurs rolled to a 27-point halftime lead and led by as many as 29 in the third quarter, 81-52. Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points and Anunoby finished with 33. Game 5 is Saturday night in San Antonio.
— Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night was the most-watched Game 3 since 1998. The game averaged 23.8 million viewers and peaked at 26.3 million late in the fourth quarter. The Finals are averaging 19.1 million, the second most-watched since ABC and ESPN took over the broadcast in 2003. That represents a 114% increase over last year’s series between Oklahoma City and Indiana.
NHL
— The Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes is delivering one of the most chaotic and high-scoring championship series in NHL history. The teams are tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Thursday night. Vegas and Carolina have already combined for 33 goals through four games, the most in a Final since 1981, and each game has featured multiple lead changes or late rallies, including a first in NHL history: every one of the first four games included a multigoal comeback to tie the score. The unpredictability has turned the series into a ratings draw, with the first three games drawing the largest audience for a Stanley Cup Final in more than a decade, averaging 4.9 million viewers on ABC.
NFL
— The Kansas City Chiefs have locked in quarterback Patrick Mahomes through the 2033 season with a reworked contract worth more than a half-billion dollars. The extension adds two years to Mahomes’ current contract, bringing the total value to $504 million and potentially $522 million with incentives and escalators. Mahomes is now set to average about $63 million per year, topping the current quarterback market. He originally signed a 10-year, $450 million deal in 2020.
— A court report says five law firms have been barred from handling claims tied to the NFL’s $1 billion concussion settlement after allegations they fraudulently steered former players into Parkinson’s disease diagnoses. The report says 98 former players were involved, with 57 claims already approved totaling more than $95 million before an audit flagged suspicious activity. Another 37 claims are now being denied. Investigators allege the firms bypassed settlement rules requiring approved neurologists by using outside doctors who diagnosed players and prescribed medication that masked symptoms.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
No. 16 West Virginia vs. Troy, Friday at 1 pm
No. 5 North Carolina vs. Ole Miss, Friday at 6 pm
No. 7 Alabama vs. Oklahoma, Saturday at 2 pm
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Texas, Saturday at 7 pm
COLLEGE
— North Carolina State is exploring potential legal action against LSU tied to men’s basketball coach Will Wade and his departure from the Wolfpack after one season. NC State is investigating whether LSU improperly induced Wade to breach his contract and whether any actions were taken to reduce the buyout owed under his employment agreement. The letter also raises the possibility that LSU violated North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which could carry financial damages if proven. LSU hired Wade on March 26, just two weeks after he publicly expressed commitment to NC State for a second season.
MLB
— Ronald Acuña Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday by the Atlanta Braves because of a strained left hamstring. The star right fielder got hurt Tuesday night during a 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox, when he pulled up limping after trying to beat out a grounder in the fourth. It is Acuña’s second left hamstring injury this season.
— Bryce Eldridge hit a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to cap an incredible comeback by the San Francisco Giants, who scored 10 runs over the final two innings of an 11-10 victory against the Washington Nationals. San Francisco trailed 9-1 before rallying for five runs in the eighth and five more in the ninth. Big league teams trailing by at least eight runs in the eighth inning or later had lost 4,291 consecutive games.
— Pirates rookie Tyler Callihan hit the first two home runs of his career, a solo shot off Shohei Ohtani in the fourth inning and a go-ahead, three-run blast off reliever Kyle Hurt in the eighth as Pittsburgh rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-8. Ohtani gave up season highs in runs (four), earned runs (three), and hits (six) in 6 2/3 innings.
— Davis Martin threw six scoreless innings for his ninth win as the Chicago White Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 2-1 to move into first place in the AL Central. The White Sox have won seven straight at home and nine of 13 overall, including two straight against the Braves, who have the best record in baseball.
— Jazz Chisholm Jr. drove in three runs as the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep over Cleveland by beating the Guardians 8-4. Cleveland has dropped six of seven.
— Fernando Tatis Jr. hit just his second home run of the season with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the San Diego Padres to a 5-4 win against the Cincinnati Reds.
— Jose Siri hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning, while Mike Trout and Logan O’Hoppe homered as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Houston Astros 3-2. Angels starter Reid Detmers got a no decision despite allowing just one hit over seven innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.
— Drew Rasmussen struck out a career-high 13 and two-hit the Boston Red Sox over seven scoreless innings, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-5 victory.
— Alec Bohm hit a three-run home run, while Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper also went deep as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4.
— Jordan Walker homered and drove in four runs as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 9-2 to match a season high with their sixth straight victory.
— Elias Díaz hit a go-ahead double in the 10th inning as the Texas Rangers defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-4.
— Sterlin Thompson hit a pinch single off Daniel Palencia’s 100-mph fastball in the ninth inning to give the Colorado Rockies a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
— Carlos Cortes and Lawrence Butler hit home runs in the seventh inning to rally the Athletics to a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The A’s took two of three at Las Vegas Ballpark, home to their Triple-A affiliate. They are playing this week before their future fans as a stadium is scheduled to open on the Strip in 2028.
— Jackson Holliday hit his third career grand slam, while Brandon Young pitched seven scoreless innings as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners 7-2.