SPORTS digest

Slemons hits ace at Oak Tree

WEST MIDDLESEX, PA.

Dr. Howard Slemons aced the 174-yard, No. 17 hole at Oak Tree Country Club using a 4 Hybrid while in a threesome with Tom Libeg and Matt Rader.

It was a career-first hole-in-one for the 56-year-old Slemons, a former Hubbard High basketball standout and the current football team physician.

Ohtani rules out Yankees, Red Sox

NEW YORK

The Yankees and Red Sox are among the teams that pitcher and outfielder Shohei Ohtani has ruled out, and it seems the Japanese star will likely pursue a smaller market nearer to the West Coast.

New York general manager Brian Cashman confirmed to reporters Sunday night that his club was out of the running.

“I know that our presentation was excellent,” Cashman said. “The feedback from that was outstanding. But I did get a sense that I can’t change that we’re a big market and I can’t change we’re in the East.”

Red Sox spokesman Kevin Gregg confirmed Boston’s elimination from the bidding. The New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers are also among the teams told they won’t sign Ohtani.

Ohtani was put up for bid Friday by the Pacific League’s Nippon Ham Fighters for the maximum $20 million posting fee. The 23-year-old has until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 22 to agree to a contract with an MLB team.

Ohtani is limited to a minor league contract because of restrictions imposed by the MLB collective bargaining agreement. The largest deal he could sign is with the Texas Rangers for $3,535,000, followed by the Yankees ($3.5 million), Minnesota ($3.07 million), Pittsburgh ($2,266,750), Seattle ($1,557,500), Miami ($1.49 million) and the Los Angeles Angels ($1,315,000).

Auburn, Malzahn agree to 7-year deal

MONTGOMERY, Ala.

Gus Malzahn is staying at Auburn, putting an end to the questions about his future.

The Tigers football coach has agreed to a new seven-year deal to remain at the school after a strong late-season rebound, said a person with knowledge of the situation.

Complete financial details were not immediately available but the person said Malzahn will make more than $7 million in the final year of the contract. The person spoke with The Associated Press Sunday on condition of anonymity because Auburn had not announced the new deal.

Malzahn led the seventh-ranked Tigers into the Southeastern Conference championship game but had faced repeated questions about whether he was interested in the vacant Arkansas job in his home state.

No. 7 Auburn (10-3, No. 7 College Football Playoff rankings) will face No. 10 UCF (12-0, No. 12) in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.

“I’m planning on being at Auburn,” Malzahn said earlier Sunday, declining to address contract negotiations or the Arkansas job. A Peach Bowl official eventually cut off questions unrelated to the game.

The coach received a one-year extension but no raise after last season. He was making about $4.725 million annually in a deal running through 2020.

The new deal was first reported by 247Sports.

Malzahn led Auburn to victories over teams that were No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings at the time, Georgia and Alabama .

Both those teams made it to the playoffs and the Bulldogs beat Auburn 28-7 in the SEC title game Saturday in Atlanta.

East Mississippi wins NJCAA championship

PERKINSTON, Miss.

Scott Jr. threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and East Mississippi outlasted Arizona Western 31-28 on Sunday in the Mississippi Bowl to win the National Junior College Athletic Association title.

The Lions (11-1) won their fourth title since 2011.

Staff/wire report