Saturday's News 'n Notes: Scoreboard, Dodgers-Braves, college FB, Falcons, Hawks, UGA; NBA, MLB, NASCAR, golf, tennis more
Saturday’s Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
In Coverage: Scoreboard (state titles for Westfield and Piedmont); college football, and full Braves-Dodgers coverage
Around/about Central Georgia
Top seeds battle in final at Mercer Tennis Classic
Madison Brengle had two three-setters on the way, while Zarina Diyas had one.
The top two seeds beat two more seeds Saturday to reach the finals of the $80,000 Mercer Tennis Classic at John Drew Smith Tennis Center.
They’ll close out the week of tennis at 1 p.m. on Sunday when they play for the championship.
Brengle got past No. 7 Xiyu Wang 6-3, 6-4, Wang having three 6-0 wins along the way to the semis while Brengle lost two sets and blanked nobody.
Diyas was efficient in her 6-4, 6-1 win over fourth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, whose quarterfinal win came when her opponent had to retire.
The second-seeded team of Quinn Gleason and Catherine Harrison took the doubles championship, handling Alycia Parks and Alana Smith 6-2, 6-2. It was Gleason’s 12th ITF doubles title and the ninth for Harrison.
Around/About Georgia/Southeast
Ressler: ‘We expect to be contenders
A look at Atlanta’s offense so far
Falcons put Fowler on injured reserve
Five things to watch with Atlanta and Miami
Progress of young, emerging core a key for Falcons
Spotlight on Mullen dims or grows against Georgia
Baseball
Alvarez goes from double knee surgery to ALCS MVP
Houston owner: ‘We took the penalty … past that’
Phillies’ Harper, Wheeler on baseball award lists
Solidarity leads to MLB-provided housing for underpaid minor-leaguers
College Football
Oklahoma State’s Gundy gets perpetual 5-year deal
College Basketball
Oklahoma State moving on without Cunningham
WVU’s Huggins starts season with 900 wins
Oklahoma begins the Porter Moser Era
College Sports
NFL
Miami’s Flores again downplays Tua, Watson talk
Some teams are in trouble early
Steelers hobby: collecting former first-rounders
Auto Racing
Gibbs takes fourth Xfinity race
NBA/WNBA
Suns being investigated for workplace culture?
Some big-name Lakers got testy with each other
Bryant’s wife was told crash site secure
Sports and social/racial awareness
Golf/Tennis
Matsuyama takes Zozo championship
Around the nation/world
Seattle celebrates NHL home debut
FBI looking for those victimized by Connecticut AAU coach
Olympic sprinter Quinonez fatally shot