Viking Girls Fall in Quarterfinals – Wednesday Sports Wrap

High School

The Baraga girls basketball team ended its fine season with a 76-45 loss to Saint Ignace in the state tournament Division Four quarterfinals last night. The Saints used their height advantage to surge ahead early, leading by 15 after the first quarter, and by 25 at halftime. They used their advantage in numbers to keep the stubborn Vikings squad at bay through the second half. Martina Jahfetson led Baraga with 13 points. St. Ignace’s Emily Coveyou paced all scorers with 27. The Vikings end their season with a record of 21-4, and their first regional title since 1992. The Saints move on to face Kingston in the state semifinals.

Westwood’s season also ended last night in the Division Three quarterfinals, with a 50-46 loss to Lake City. There will be no Upper Peninsula schools in the semifinals.

Finlandia

The Finlandia University softball team opens play at the Cobber Classic at the West Saint Paul Sports Dome today. The Lions will face Bemidji State at 11:00, and Concordia-Moorhead at 1:00.

MTU

Michigan Tech Athletics has hired Nate Larson as the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine. Larson has worked for UP Health System – Portage as a Certified Athletic Trainer since 2002.

NHL

The Detroit Red Wings won their second straight game last night, defeating the New York Rangers 3-2. Andreas Athanasiou scored two goals, giving him four in his last two games. Frans Nielsen also scored, and Jimmy Howard made 41 saves. The Wings visit the Saint Louis Blues tomorrow evening. Pregame coverage begins at 7:40 on 99.3 The Lift.

Wings forward Jacob de la Rose was hospitalized after last night’s game with an irregular heartbeat. He experienced a similar episode last fall while with the Montreal Canadiens. Team officials don’t think it’s serious, but he’ll be examined by a specialist.

NBA

The Detroit Pistons visit the Phoenix Suns tomorrow night.

MLB

The Detroit Tigers fell 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in Grapefruit League play yesterday. Matthew Boyd pitched into the fifth inning, and gave up all three Pittsburgh runs on seven hits. He also struck out seven. The Tigers will face the Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon. Listen for Tigers baseball again this season on 99.3 The Lift.

Tigers starter Michael Fulmer may be facing “Tommy John” surgery on his pitching elbow. An MRI revealed damage to his ulnar collateral ligament. He’s planning to seek an additional medical opinion before making a decision. Fulmer missed most of last season because of knee surgery. UCL replacement would cost him the entire 2019 season.

The Milwaukee Brewers lost 3-2 to the Texas Rangers in Cactus League action yesterday. Chase Anderson allowed two runs over four innings. The Brewers will take on the San Diego Padres this afternoon.

The Brewers will begin the season without reliever Jeremy Jeffress, who’s battling a shoulder injury. They’ve also signed veteran reliever Josh Fields, who spent the last couple of seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

NFL

Longtime Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. In 10 seasons with the Pack, he was named to the Pro Bowl six times.

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