Compiled by Craig Potter
Today’s C&C Worldwide SportsROC Report includes stories on the Rochester Red Wings win again, a 2-way tie after Day 2 at the Danielle Downey Classic, the Western New York Flash waive a defender, and the Buffalo Sabres No. 1 draft pick signs.
Walker’s 2-run homer keys Red Wings victory
The Rochester Red Wings battled the Norfolk Tides on even terms through 7 innings on Friday night before 8,862 fans at Frontier Field. But rookie power hitter Adam Brett Walker snapped a 6-6 tie with a 2-run homer over the leftfield fence in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Red Wings an 8-6 victory.
Walker also tripled and walked and scored 3 runs total for the Wings.
Darin Mastroianni doubled in his first two at bats, scoring a run in the first, and driving n 2 runs in the second. He also made a pair of great catches in centerfield to help thwart the Tides.
Shortstop Wilfredo Tovar contributed a single and double in his first two at bats, and scored both times. He also made one of the most spectacular plays defensively when in the 9th inning, he slid to his left to snare a bullet off the bat of Trey Mancini, then he was able to recover to gun him out at first base.
The Wings held leads of 1-0, 4-1, 5-4, and 6-5 but each time the Tides were able to battle back and tie the score, until the 8th inning put Rochester ahead to stay.
Reliever Alex Wimmers picked up the win (2-1) for Rochester.
The series continues Saturday night at 6:05 p.m. with fireworks to follow and a concert by country singer Joe Nichols.
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O’Hara and Guce share Day 2 lead at Danielle Downey Classic
Therese O’Hara (Copenhagen, Denmark) played in a few pro-am events earlier in the week in Toledo, Ohio connected to the LPGA event this week. She did not arrive in Rochester until Tuesday before the pro-am party therefore, she only played nine holes and walked the other nine before tournament play. It seems to working as she posted a 3-under, 69 to move into a share of the 36-hole lead at 5-under, 139 on Friday at the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic at Brook-Lea Country Club.
“Sometimes you make the preparation too big of a deal,” said O’Hara. “When you come on Monday and have Tuesday and Wednesday it becomes a lot. In college, you just came the day of the tournament and did a little practice and then go.”
O’Hara shares the 36-hole lead with Clariss Guce (Artesia, Calif.). Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ontario), Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Fla.) and Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden) are one back at 4-under, 140. A total of 74 players made the cut at 4-over, 148.
*Read the full story in Sports.
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Flash waive defender
The Western New York Flash have waived 22-year-old defender Laura Liedle, it was announced today.
Liedle spent her college career at Stanford and was drafted by the Flash with the 24th overall pick in the 2016 NWSL college draft.
The Flash will complete the second leg of a home-and-home series as they travel to Seattle on Saturday, July 16. The game will kick off at 10 p.m. and there will be a live stream of the game on youtube.com/NWSL.
The Flash will return home on Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m. as they host two-time defending champions FC Kansas City.
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Nylander signs entry-level contract with Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team has signed forward Alexander Nylander to a three-year, entry-level contract.
“We are extremely pleased to sign Alex to his entry-level deal,” said Sabres General Manager Tim Murray. “When we selected Alex, we obviously knew he was a talented, skilled player. We look forward to him coming to training camp and competing for a job.”
Nylander (18, 6-foot-1, 178 lbs.) was the Sabres’ first-round selection (No. 8 overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. He led all Mississauga Steelhead (OHL) skaters in goals (28), assists (47) and points (75) in 2015-16 and added a team-high 12 points (6+6) in six playoff games. The 75-point output, which also led all OHL rookies, earned Nylander both OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year honors.
The Stockholm, Sweden native represented Sweden in two different tournaments last season and posted more than a point per game in both. He led Sweden’s 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship team with nine points (4+5) in seven games and earned a silver medal while leading Sweden with 11 points (3+8) in seven games during the 2016 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.