(Eugene, OR)  --  Three University of Oregon basketball players who were accused of sexually assaulting a female student are off the team, perhaps for good.  Prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against Dominic Artis, Damyean Dotson and Brandon Austin, citing lack of sufficient evidence that a sexual assault occurred.  The woman's attorney says university officials have found that the players engaged in sexual misconduct and will be suspended from the team at least as long as the woman remains on campus.  UO officials say it appears the information released by the attorney is accurate.

(Kansas City, KS)  --  The Portland Timbers will advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals after a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City.  Gaston Fernandez scored twice and Will Johnson converted a penalty kick for the Timbers.  Portland will meet the Sounders in Seattle on July 9th for the quarterfinal match.  

(Kansas City, MO)  --  The Seattle Mariners' winning streak is now at three after a sweep of the Royals in Kansas City.  The M's earned a 2-1 win on Mike Zunino's ninth home run of the season with nobody out in the seventh inning.  Rookie Roenis Elias gave up a run on five hits and struck out five over six-and-two-thirds innings for his seventh win of the year.  The Mariners will host the Boston Red Sox for a three-game series beginning tonight.

(Manaus, Brazil)  --  The U.S. will have to play Germany to try to advance in the World Cup after settling for a 2-2 draw with Portugal.  Seattle Sounders striker Clint Dempsey scored a goal in the 81st minute to put the U.S. ahead, 2-1.  But Portugal scored the equalizer with only 30 seconds remaining.  The U.S. is hoping to advance to the round of 16 Thursday with either a win or a tie against Germany.

(San Diego, CA)  --  The Seattle Mariners will continue their road trip in Kansas City today after splitting a four-game series with San Diego.  The Padres won yesterday, 4-1, after the Seattle bullpen faltered.  Erasmo Ramirez pitched six shutout innings and allowed only two hits, but reliever Dominic Leone gave up four runs in the seventh.  The Mariners and Royals will get under way this afternoon at 5:10.

The Bend Elks were defeated by the Kitsap Blue Jackets Thursday night 11-4, dropping 2 games of the 3 game road series. Elks starting pitcher Jake Thompson got in to trouble early tossing 3.1 innings, giving up 8 runs on  6 hits while walking 6 and striking out 2. He took the loss. The Elks highlight at the plate was a Jon Brooks solo home run in the first inning.The Elks managed to push 3 more runs across the plate in the 4th, before Kitsap pitching shut the Elks down.Both Coach Marty Hunter and third base coach Aaron Matthews were tossed in the 6th arguing a controversial foul ball call on pinch hitter Dalton Blackwell.  The Elks travel to Bellingham Friday for the first of a 3 game series against the west division leading Bells. First pitch is at 7:05 PM and can be heard live at bendelks.com.

(Renton, WA)  --  Today marks the final day of the Seattle Seahawks' minicamp.  Yesterday's practice showed flashes of high-level intensity and competitiveness, as illustrated by a scuffle between cornerback Richard Sherman and wide receiver Phillip Bates.  The encounter cleared the benches for a brief period before all became calm.  The practice session also included a spectacular touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to rookie Paul Richardson, who made a circus catch and tumbled into the end zone.

(San Diego, CA)  --  The Seattle Mariners hope to win their four-game home-away series with San Diego today after a 2-1 loss.  Felix Hernandez struck out ten batters and allowed only one run and three hits over seven innings, but Charlie Furbush took the loss after giving up a run in the eighth.  Brad Miller had an RBI single for the Mariners' only run.  The two teams will play again this afternoon at San Diego's Petco Park.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners' winning streak is now at three games following their 6-1 victory over San Diego.  Jesus Montero and Robinson Cano [[ kah-NO ]] each had a two-run homer, and Kyle Seager drove in two runs with a double in the seventh inning.  Roenis Elias pitched a solid seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out six.  The Mariners and Padres will play again tonight, this time in San Diego.

(Renton, WA)  --  The Seattle Seahawks' three-day minicamp is under way, and Marshawn Lynch is in the mix.  However, head coach Pete Carroll says Lynch sat out yesterday's drills because of a sore ankle.  It was reported last week that Lynch was considering skipping the mandatory minicamp because he's unhappy with his current contract.  But Carroll says he and Lynch have kept in contact during the off-season and the star running back has a "great relationship" with the team, players, and coaches.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Timbers are advancing in U.S. Open Cup competition after a 3-0 shutout of the Orlando U-23s.  Gaston Fernandez scored two goals in the first half, and Taylor Peay scored in the 68th minute.  On June 24th, the Timbers will play the winner of today's match between Minnesota United FC and Sporting Kansas City.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners hope to extend their winning streak this afternoon when they host the San Diego Padres.  The M's defeated the Padres last night, 5-1, with three of those runs scored on a home run by Kyle Seager in the first inning.  Brad Miller had a solo homer in the second.  Chris Young pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out six.

(Olympia, WA)  --  Former University of Washington head football coach Steve Sarkisian heads the list of Washington state employees ranked by pay for 2013.  The state's official employee salary list shows Sarkisian earning two-point-six-million dollars last year, with Washington State head football coach Mike Leach and UW head basketball coach Lorenzo Romar coming in second and third.  The highest-paid state employee not involved in athletics is UW associate vice president David Woodward, who made more than 692-thousand dollars last year.  That's good for sixth place overall. 

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners' losing streak is over after they earned a 5-1 victory over the Texas Rangers.  Kyle Seager went four-for-four with two doubles and three RBI.  Hisashi Iwakuma allowed one run on six hits over eight innings in picking up his fifth win of the season.  After avoiding a series sweep by Texas, Seattle will host the San Diego Padres tonight at Safeco Field.

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  Oddsmakers in Las Vegas say the Portland Trail Blazers have a 30-to-1 shot at winning the NBA title in 2015.  The Blazers went into the 2013-14 season carrying 150-to-1 odds, but made it to the second round of the playoffs before losing in five games to the eventual NBA champs, the San Antonio Spurs.  "The Oregonian" reports the Miami Heat are the early favorite to win it all in 2015 at 5-to-2.  Oddsmakers say the Milwaukee Bucks have the slimmest chance at winning the title at 300-to-1.
 

(Renton, WA)  --  The NFL Network is reporting that Seattle Seahawks star running back Marshawn Lynch considered retiring if the team won the Super Bowl.  The report quotes a source as saying Lynch told teammates last season he would seriously consider calling it quits if the Seahawks won the world championship.  Lynch is reportedly dissatisfied with his current contract, under which he's slated to earn five-point-five-million dollars in base salary in 2014 and up to three-and-a-half-million in bonuses.  It was reported earlier this week that Lynch could skip all or part of next week's three-day minicamp.

(Renton, WA)  --  "Beast Mode" may not be around when the Seattle Seahawks' minicamp starts next week.  Yahoo Sports quotes sources as saying running back Marshawn Lynch is expected to miss at least part of minicamp.  ESPN is reporting that Lynch is unhappy with his contract and is looking for a new one that pays more than his current five-million-dollar-per-year base salary.  Lynch skipped the Super Bowl champions' visit to the White House last month and hasn't participated in any of the Seahawks' voluntary organized team activities.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Timbers will look ahead to their Open Cup match next week after rallying to a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas.  The Timbers fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit with a penalty kick from Will Johnson and the equalizer from Pa Modou Kah late in the game.  Portland will host Orlando City on June 17th.

(St. Petersburg, FL)  --  The Seattle Mariners are on a three-game winning streak after shutting out the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-0.  Erasmo Ramirez and the Mariners' bullpen combined for a five-hitter as Seattle earned its second straight shutout victory.  Robinson Cano drove in two runs and Stefen Romero had an RBI.  The Mariners will host the New York Yankees in a three-game series, starting tonight at Safeco Field.

(St. Petersburg, FL)  --  The Seattle Mariners will wrap up their series against Tampa Bay today after earning a 5-0 victory.  Felix Hernandez pitched seven innings and recorded a career-high 15 strikeouts to handcuff the Rays.  The M's erupted for five runs in the ninth inning to improve their record to seven-and-one in the month of June.  Seattle will play the Rays again this morning before hosting the New York Yankees in a three-game series that starts tomorrow night.

From Oregon Live

Sisters vs Henley

On The Air Saturday 5:00 p.m.

How they got here: Henley dropped No. 15-seed Cottage Grove 10-0 in Round 1, beat Philomath 6-3 in the quarterfinals and narrowly beat Ridgeview 4-3 in the semifinals. Sisters’ closest game came in the opening round against Mazama, a 3-2 victory. Sisters downed Newport 8-3 in the quarterfinals and quieted North Marion’s offense during a 7-2 win.

Players to watch: Sisters —Joey Morgan, Jardon Weems, and Justin Harrer. Morgan threw a complete game against Mazama and had nine strikeouts. Weems and Harrer both batted well in critical situations. Henley – Jon Guzman, Jesse Hilyard, and Josh Overstreet. Guzman won pitcher of the year in the Skyline Conference and Hilyard won player of the year honers for his outstanding offensive and defensive abilities. Hilyard also went 9-0 on the pitching mound.

He said it: Tim Cleland, Henley coach: “I think Sisters is an exceptionally good baseball team. I’m not surprised at all. We are going to need to certainly play a very good baseball game. I trust that our team can.”

Team bonding: Said Cleland: “I let them go out in the outfield and say their stuff. We just try to do everything as one. As one: That’s kind of our motto. That’s our philosophy.”

Keys to the game: Cleland believes pitching and team defense are the keys to winning any playoff game. “As long as we throw strikes and play defense, we’ll give ourselves a chance,” Cleland said.

- Erik C. Anderson | @ErikCAnderson

(Atlanta, GA)  --  The Seattle Mariners have the day off after earning a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Braves.  Hisashi Iwakuma scattered six hits and struck out seven over seven innings to pick up his fourth win of the year.  Kyle Seager and Cole Gillespie each had an RBI for Seattle, who recorded their fifth straight victory.  The Mariners will begin a four-game series at Tampa Bay tomorrow.

(Santa Clara, CA)  --  The 49ers are locking up starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick long term.  The two sides have agreed to a six-year contract extension through 2020.  The deal is reportedly worth up to 126-million-dollars, with a record 61-million guaranteed.  The 26-year-old has thrown for more than five-thousand yards with 31 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in three seasons with San Francisco.

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Justin Williams scored the game-winner 4:36 into overtime to lift the Kings to a 3-2 win over the Rangers in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final from Los Angeles.  New York jumped out to a two-goal lead early, but L.A. notched two unanswered goals capped by Drew Doughty's game-tying goal in the second period.  Game Two of the best-of-seven series is Saturday at the STAPLES Center.

The top-rated Sisters Outlaws baseball team will meet #2 Henley in the OSAA 4A State Championship Saturday after taking charge with a 7-2 victory on their home field over North Marion on Tuesday (6/3).

This is the Outlaws first trip to the State Championship since 2002 when they lost to The Dalles 17-6. Henley turned back Sisters in last years semifinals, so a rematch for the Title.

more here

(Atlanta, GA)  --  The Seattle Mariners are on a four-game winning streak after rallying to beat the Braves in Atlanta, 7-5.  Home runs by Stefen Romero and John Buck helped the M's overcome a rough start by pitcher Erasmo Ramirez.  Seattle is trailing the second-place Angels in the AL West by only a half-game.  The Mariners and Braves will wrap up their series this afternoon.

(Houston, TX)  --  The Rockets are parting ways with forward Chandler Parsons.  Yahoo! Sports reports that Houston has declined a fourth-year option on Parsons, making him a restricted free agent.  The Rockets are attempting to clear salary cap space to make a run at top-tier free agents.

(Arlington, TX)  --  Orioles slugger Nelson Cruz returned to Texas with a bang, hitting a three-run homer and leading Baltimore in an 8-3 win over the Rangers.  Cruz leads the majors with 21 homers.  Not to be outdone, White Sox rookie Jose Abreu homered again Tuesday.  He's third with 17 bombs.

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  The puck drops on the Stanley Cup Final tonight from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.  The Kings and Rangers will skate against one another in the best-of-seven series.  New York is in the Final for the first time since winning in 1994.  L.A. just won the Cup two years ago.
 

(Corvallis, OR)  --  The Oregon State Beavers are done for the season after losing the Corvallis Regional to UC Irvine, 4-2.  The Anteaters broke a 1-1 tied in the sixth inning and pulled ahead to stay.  Oregon State starting pitcher Jake Thompson allowed three runs on four hits over five-and-a-third innings in picking up the loss.  The Beavers ended the 2014 season with a 45-14 record.

(New York, NY)  --  The Seattle Mariners will begin a two-game series in Atlanta this afternoon after thumping the New York Yankees, 10-2.  Felix Hernandez picked up his fifth straight victory, allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out eight over seven innings.  Kyle Seager had a career night, getting two triples and a three-run homer while going four-for-five.  The Mariners and Braves will get going this afternoon at 4:10.

(San Antonio, TX)  --  It looks like the San Antonio Spurs will have guard Tony Parker for Game One of the NBA Finals.  Yahoo! Sports reports Parker is likely to play in Thursday's series opener against the Miami Heat.  Parker missed the second half of the Spurs' win on Saturday with an injured left ankle.

(Corvallis, OR)  --  The Oregon State baseball team will try to win tonight to take the Corvallis Regional.  The Beavers staved off elimination last night by shutting out UC Irvine, 4-0, after defeating UNLV earlier in the day, 6-1.  Tonight's winner-take-all game between the Beavers and UC Irvine will start at 8:05.  The Oregon Ducks' season is over after they were eliminated by Vanderbilt last night in the Nashville Regional.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners will head to New York today after taking two of three from Detroit over the weekend.  Roenis Elias pitched a complete-game shutout as the M's beat the Tigers yesterday, 4-0.  The rookie left-hander gave up only three hits and recorded eight strikeouts to pick up his fourth win of the season.  The Mariners and Yankees will play a makeup contest at four o'clock this afternoon.   
 

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Timbers' unbeaten streak is over after a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.  The Timbers staged a late rally, but the effort came up short.  Maximiliano Urruti put Portland on the board, and late goals were scored by Gaston Fernandez and Will Johnson.  The Timbers will visit Real Salt Lake next Saturday.