Sports: Hope for Tiger Fans; District Volleyball results;

There’s hope for Tiger fans.  Four years after being the worst team in baseball, the Houston Astros are baseball’s world champions after a 5-1 win in L.A. on Wednesday night.   The Dodgers had hoped to win their first series since 1988, but Houston prevailed in game 7 to win their first ever.   It comes just four years after the Astros 111 loss season.

The Houston Astros did it in their 56th season and the won it at Dodger Stadium, which opened the same day in 1962 when Houston played its very first game.

During the on-field celebration, 23 year old Astros’ shortstop Carlos Correa proposed to his girlfriend, Daniella Rodriguez, the 2016 Miss Texas USA.

George Springer homered for the fourth consecutive game, and fifth of the series,  as the Astros scored all five of their runs in the first two innings off Dodgers' starter Yu Darvish.   After Astros manager A.J. Hinch pulled starter Lance McCullers Jr. with two runners on base in the third, four Houston relievers held the Los Angeles lineup to one run over the final six-and two-thirds innings.  Winning pitcher Charlie Morton was especially effective, allowing just one run on two hits and a walk over the game's final four innings.

Clayton Kershaw threw four shutout innings of relief, but the Dodgers could not rally. Darvish took the loss.

Volleyball Districts

Lakeview beat Loy Norrix in 3.

Pennfield 3, Comstock 0.

Marshall beat Olivet 3-0.

Gull Lake beat Coldwater, 3-1.

Climax-Scotts beat Martin in 3.

Bronson rolled over Centreville in 3.

Battle Creek Calhoun Christian beat Athens in 3.           .

St. Philip beat Marshall Academy 3-0.

Litchfield beat Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy in three.

K-Christian beat Galesburg in four.

Colon beat Marcellus Howardsville Christian in three.

Among the matches on the schedule tonight….

St. Philip plays Battle Creek Calhoun Christian.

Marshall plays Pennfield

Litchfield plays Camden-Frontier.

Climax-Scotts takes on Colon.

On Saturday, Lakeview takes on Gull Lake.

College Volleyball

The KCC Volleyball team starts post-season play today, the first time they’ve made the regional tournament in ten years.

The Bruins play Glen Oaks at St. Clair County Community College. The championship match is on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the NJCAA National Championships, Nov. 16-18 in Charleston, West Virginia.

Boys Soccer

Holland defeated Coldwater, 3-0, in the Division 2 boy’s soccer state semifinals at Portage Northern High School on Wednesday.  Eighth-ranked Holland will play East Lansing in the state championship game Saturday.

Red Wings

The Red Wings start a long road trip tonight in Ottawa, and then head to Edmonton on Sunday, stopping in Vancouver and Calgary next week.

Pistons

The Pistons are home at Little Caesar’s Arena to play Milwaukee on Friday, and the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

Broncos Lose to CMU

The WMU Broncos lost 35-28 to CMU Wednesday night at Waldo Stadium.  The Broncos allowed three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to blow a 14 point lead.  Shane Morris threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Corey Willis with 2:37 remaining to give Central Michigan the win over the defending Mid-American champs.   Freshman Reece Goddard made his first career start for Western Michigan after starter Jon Wassink was injured against Eastern Michigan. Goddard was 6-for-18 passing for 42 yards and carried it 14 times.  Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin fumbled early in the fourth quarter and CMU blocked a punt two set up two scores.

More College Football

This Saturday, MSU hosts #7 Penn State. Broadcast time is 10:30am on 95.3 WBCK. Be listening for your chance to win tickets.  Hear the Coach Mark Dantonio Show on Thursday night at 7pm on 95.3 WBCK.

Michigan hosts Minnesota on Saturday night.  Hear the game at 6:30pm on 104.9 the Edge.  Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh says there’s a 51 percent chance that quarterback Brandon Peters will start.  Peters replaced fifth-year senior John O'Korn and led the Wolverines to a win over Rutgers on Saturday.

Lions

The Lions are on the road to play the Packers in Green Bay next Monday night.  Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker has taken a step forward in his comeback from a shoulder injury. Decker returned to practice Wednesday and was taken off the physically unable to perform list. He hurt his right shoulder during an offseason workout with the team and had surgery in June.

High School Football Playoffs

Harper Creek will host Stevensville-Lakeshore Friday, and we’ll have it for you on 95.3 WBCK.

Climax-Scotts will play Pittsford in the next round.  Pittsford beat the Panthers 28-14 in the regular season.

Bellevue will host Lawrence in round 2.

Delton-Kellogg plays at Watervliet this weekend.

Maple Valley is still alive and plays at Saugatuck.

College Basketball

The MSU Spartan basketball team will host Hillsdale College on Friday.

Duke is No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason poll for the second straight season and ninth time as a program, matching rival North Carolina for most all-time. Led by senior guard Grayson Allen and freshman phenom Marvin Bagley III, the Blue Devils received 33 of 65 first-place votes from a national media panel in the AP Top 25. No. 2 Michigan State received 13 first-place votes, No. 3 Arizona had 18 and No. 4 Kansas had one.

Michigan State forward Kyle Ahrens is out indefinitely after aggravating his injured right foot. He averaged 2 8-plus minutes in 34 games last year and had a chance to earn some playing time this season for the second-ranked Spartans.