SPORTS digest

LITTLE LEAGUE

Canfield-Poland softball team advances to regional final

PENDLETON, IND.

Bridgett Kelly had two hits, Alaina Scavina walked three times and Mia Opalick struck out 11 in 41/3 innings as the Canfield-Poland Junior League softball team beat Zionsville, Ind., 8-3 Sunday to reach today’s Central Region championship game.

Scavina and Alaina Francis also pitched forCanfield-Poland, which will play a team to be determined at 11 a.m. today. The winner will advance to the Junior League World Series in Portland, Ore.

In Sunday’s Ohio Little League Junior League Baseball Tournament at Fields of Dreams, Rock Hill defeated Boardman 17-7 in six innings.

Rock Hill will play Mason at 3 p.m. today for a spot in the final Wednesday.

The elimination game between Pymatuning Valley and Enon was suspended in the top of the first inning due to weather. That game will resume at noon today.

The winner will face Boardman in a 6 p.m. elimination game.

AUTO RACING

Rain interrupts heat action again at Sharon Speedway

HARTFORD

Despite a very small chance of an isolated thunderstorm on Saturday night, Sharon Speedway was in the wrong place at the wrong time as a storm developed and took direct aim at the track during the heat races and washed out the remainder of the program.

It is the sixth time this season rain has hit while race teams and fans have been on the grounds.

Chad Ruhlman and Brian Woodhall won the RUSH Sprint Car heats. Randy White and Stone Lapcevich captured the Junior Sprint heats for kids with a record car count of 15. Jackson Humanic won the first Stock Car heat race, while rain came during the second one.

The 410 sprint cars return Saturday in a $3,000 to-win Menards Super Series event along with the Stock Cars, Elite Econo Mod Series, RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, and Junior Sprints for kids. It’s Texas Roadhouse Night with racing at 7 p.m.

Kevin Harvick races to first NASCAR Cup win of season

LOUDON, N.H.

Kevin Harvick raced to his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season Sunday, winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the second straight year.

Harvick held off Denny Hamlin by 0.210 seconds after the two made contact coming out of the final turn. Harvick won for the 46th time and the first since November.

Harvick led the final 41 laps in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. He has four victories at the mile oval to ie the record set by Jeff Burton.

Newgarden dominates delayed IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway

NEWTON, IOWA

IndyCar point leader Josef Newgarden led 245 laps of 300 laps and won the weather-delayed race early Sunday at the Iowa Speedway, his fourth win this season.

Newgarden’s run resembled his dominant win on Iowa’s short oval in 2016. Newgarden led a series-record 282 laps three years ago in Newton.

Five-time champion Scott Dixon gave Newgarden a push after benefiting from a late caution and rallied to finish second. Dixon was joined on the podium by James Hinchcliffe, who won in Iowa a year ago.

BOXING

Pacquiao wins split decision as career resurgence continues

LAS VEGAS

Manny Pacquiao knocked down Keith Thurman in the first round and persevered for an exciting split-decision victory Saturday night, adding a third straight win to his career resurgence after turning 40 years old.

Pacquiao (62-7-2) dropped his previously unbeaten opponent with a combination late in the first round, and the Pac-Man dominated the opening rounds with a combination of flair and power that recalled the incredible prime of the only eight-division champion in boxing history.

Thurman (29-1) showed remarkable tenacity in rallying through the middle rounds, repeatedly testing Pacquiao’s chin with big shots.

Two judges scored the bout 115-112 for Pacquiao, while Glenn Feldman scored it 114-113 for Thurman. The Associated Press also scored it 115-112 for Pacquiao.

CYCLING

Yates wins stage in Pyrenees; Alaphilippe loses time

FOIX, FRANCE

Simon Yates of Britain posted a second stage win with a solo raid during the last Pyrenean trek of the Tour de France as Frenchman Thibaut Pinot gained more time on his rivals in the fight for the yellow jersey with a ferocious attack in the final climb Sunday.

Yates triumphed at the summit of the Prat d’Albis in Stage 15, three days after his first stage victory in the southwestern mountain range.

Julian Alaphilippe was isolated without a single teammate to help him in the 12-kilometer final climb and cracked but managed to salvage his yellow jersey.

Staff/wire report