Sports Roundup: Tigers, MSU with big wins

Tigers 

The Tigers beat the White Sox in 7-1 in Chicago.  Justin Verlander struck out eight over seven innings to improve to 12-11 on the season. Torii Hunter and Ian Kinsler each drove in two runs. J.D. Martinez was 3-for-5 with a run asDetroitwon its fifth in six games.

Chicago has dropped nine of its last ten games.  The Tigers are a half game behind first-placeKansas Cityin the AL Central.   It’s a double-header today inChicago, if the weather co-operates.  Max Scherzer pitches game 1 against Chris Sale at 12:45 on WBCK.   Rookie Kyle Ryan pitches forDetroitin the nightcap.  Hear it at 7:45 on WBCK.

College Football

The Michigan State Spartans opened the season with a 45-7 win over Jacksonville State.  Connor Cook tossed three first-quarter touchdowns.  MSU receiver Tony Lippett had four receptions for 167 yards in the first quarter.  Cook had to be helped off the field early in the game after being hit in the left knee while throwing his first touchdown pass, but he returned and proceeded to finish the opening quarter 6-of-6 for 189 yards with the three scores. The defending Big Ten-champion Spartans outgained the Gamecocks 257-78 in the first quarter alone, also held them to just nine-tenths of a yard per carry for the entire game as they cruised to an easy win.

The University of Michigan plays host to Appalachian State today. The Wolverines are coming off a 7-and-6 season and Appalachian state was 4-and-8 last year.  Broadcast time is 11am on Mix 104.9 WBXX.

The Purdue Boilermakers and Western Michigan Broncos kick off their seasons today at Purdue.   Both schools are coming off one-win 2013 campaigns.

High School Football

Climax-Scotts 12,Athens 0.   Cody Leversee led Climax-Scotts on the ground with 73 yards on 12 carries. Taylor McNally with 58 yards.

Volleyball

KCC lost toLakelandCommunity College3-1.  KCC won the first match, but lost the next three.  Tristen Ehredt had 10 kills, and ace and a block.  Grace Crawford had 9 digs.  Coach Amy Julien says “It’s great to see the improvement, even though we didn’t come out with the win.”

Lions

The NFL said today that Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will not be fined for his roughing-the-passer penalty on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne.  In the August 22nd exhibition game at Ford Field, Suh was flagged after launching and leading with his helmet as he barreled into the formerMichiganquarterback. After the game, Lions coach Jim Caldwell called it “a foul, plain and simple.” Suh has lost more than $374,000 from fines and suspensions in his career stemming from on-field infractions.

NFL rosters will be finalized today.   All 32 teams have until 4 p.m. Eastern to get down to the mandated 53-player limit.   The NFL regular season begins on Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl championSeattleSeahawks opening at home against the Green Bay Packers.

Golf

I.K. Kim carded a 5-under 67 on Friday and extended her lead to three strokes after two rounds of the Portland Classic.

Sam Saunders carded his second straight 6-under 66 on Friday to move two strokes clear of the field after two rounds of the Hotel Fitness Championship.

Ryan Palmer fired an 8-under 63 on Friday to grab a 2-stroke lead after the opening round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

FIBA World Cup

Pistons Center Andre Drummond and the U.S team play their first FIBA World Cup game today againstFinland.

NASCAR

Tony Stewart will return to Sprint Cup competition Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. That will end a three-race hiatus taken after he struck and killed a fellow driver during a dirt-track race in upstateNew York.

NASCAR's Tony Stewart says the death of Kevin Ward Jr. is a tragedy that will stick with him for the rest of his life.  Stewart made the comment ahead of his return to racing in Sunday's Sprint Cup event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.   Ward was killed when Stewart's car struck him during a race earlier this month.   Ward had gotten out of his car in an apparent effort to confront Stewart on the track for spinning him out.   A police investigation is ongoing. Stewart has not been charged in the incident.

USC Player Investigated

The investigation into USC football player Josh Shaw's fabricated story regarding his ankle injuries could turn into a criminal case. LAPD officials say they are now investigating whether Shaw and his girlfriend were involved in a domestic violence incident last weekend. Police say Shaw has refused to be interviewed about the case on the advice of his attorney. They have spoken to Shaw's girlfriend, but aren't going into great detail about what she said.

Shaw initially claimed he hurt his ankles when he jumped off a second-story balcony to rescue his nephew, who was struggling in a pool. He was called a hero by USC head coach Steve Sarkisian at the time. However, questions about the truthfulness of the story came up, and Shaw later admitted he lied about saving his nephew. He's been suspended indefinitely by the Trojans.

NFL Cracks Down on Domestic Violence
The NFL says players will be subject to a six-week suspension for a first domestic violence offense and a lifetime ban for a second one in a revamped policy announced in a letter from commissioner Roger Goodell to team owners.  A copy of the letter was obtained Thursday by SportsNetwork.com.  In it, Goodell says he "didn't get it right" last month when he suspended Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for two games over Rice's offseason arrest on assault charges following an altercation with his then-fiancée in an Atlantic City casino.