Louisiana ends Columbus' four-game win streak

LAFAYETTE, La. -- Louisiana beat Columbus 3-1 on Saturday night, ending the Cottonmouths' four-game win streak.

After a scoreless first period, Zac Frischmon and Jeremy Boyer scored for Louisiana in the second period for a 2-0 lead.

Columbus' Chris Rial scored on a power play at 10:50 of the final period. Rusty Hafner and Tyler Henry assisted.

Jake Hauswirth scored for Louisiana at 17:34.

Brandon Jaeger was in goal for Columbus. He stopped 20 of 23 shots.

Columbus will play at home against Macon on Saturday.

The Snakes remain in ninth place in the nine-team SPHL. They are four points behind Macon for the final playoff spot.

COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD

CSU men finish first in Cougar Invitational

The Columbus State men's track team finished first in the Cougar Invitational held Saturday at Brookstone School.

The Cougars totaled 172.5 points. Augusta University was second at 103.5, and Albany State finished third at 87. Eleven teams participated in the men's field.

The Columbus State women finished in sixth place with 57 points. West Georgia won with a total of 127.5. Brenau was second at 118, and Albany State finished third at 77.5. Thirteen teams participated in the women's field.

CSU men's winners were: Quincy Smith in the 400 meter dash with a time of 47.99; Cody Mallchok in the 1,500 meter run with a time of 4:01.82; 4x100 meter relay team (Jalen Tolbert, Caleb Williams, Quenton Brantley, Zachary Benjamin) with a time of 42.78; 4x400 meter relay team (Tolbert, Christopher Miles, Isaiah Lay and Smith) with a time of 3:18.13; Peter Bennett in the pole vault with a height 3.8 meters; William Chandler in the javelin with a throw of 49.46 meters.

Western Kentucky wins championship behind Northside alum

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Ventavius Sears (Northside High) led Western Kentucky to its second straight Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championship on Thursday.

Sears was the high scorer for the Hilltoppers with 31 points. He won two events and finished in the top five in two others.

Sears won the long jump at 7.53 meters and the triple jump at 15.84 meters. In winning the long jump, Sears broke the facility record.

HIGH SCHOOL TRACK

Northside boys second, girls sixth at Drew Relays

HAMPTON, Ga. -- The Northside boys finished second and the girls finished sixth in the Drew Relays at 12 Oaks Stadium on Saturday. Both Spencer teams finished third.

Top three finishers for Northside were:

Boys -- Austin Kidd, first in 1,600-meter run (4:39.09); 4 x 800 relay team (Austin Kidd, Noah Churchwell, Chris Schintgen, Jonathan Myrthil) finished second (8:36.31); 800 sprint medley ( Jamar Austin, Jaylin Holiday, Tyrris Mitchell, Tyler Askew) finished third (1:37.44); Distance medley relay Team A (Chris Schintgen, Jonathan Myrthil, Noah Churchwell, Austin Kidd) finished finished first (11:15.92); Chris Schintgen finished third in pole vault at 8-6; Tyrris Mitchell finished third in long jump at 21'4.75"; Duke Haslem finished third in the shotput 41-4; Duke Haslem finished second at 134-03.

Girls -- Erin Nix finished second in 100 (12.46); Tia Gray finished first in the 1600 (5:58.36); Romie Ingram finished third in the 1600 (6:13.14); 4 x 800m relay team (Ingram, Marisa Gonzalez, Gray and Isabelle Rodriguez) finished second (11:17.44); 800 sprint medley relay team (Nix, Ariel Hill, Tylisa Mashall, Dayjonnael Slaughter) finished third (2:02.54); Distance medley relay team (Ingram, Olivia Davis, Gonzalez, Gray) finished first (14:14.69).

The Spencer girls finished second in the 1600 sprint medley relay (4:34.22).

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

Heritage downs Glenwood

COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Glenwood managed just four hits in a loss to Heritage Academy on Saturday.

Heritage scored eight runs without a hit. Glenwood made four errors and walked six batters.

Saturday at Heritage

Glenwood 010-000-0--1-4-5

Heritage 001-025-x--8-0-0

WP--Anderson. LP--Tyler Cadenhead. Leading hitters--Glenwood Nick Adams 1-3, RBI; Tyler Smith 2-4, R.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Central loses to Handley

WETUMPKA, Ala. -- Central fell to Handley 1-0 in its final game of the Wetumpka Invitational on Saturday.

Glenwood remains unbeaten

Glenwood went unbeaten through the Morgan Academy Invitational on Saturday.

Saturday

Game 1

S. Choctaw 000 1--1-2-2

Glenwood 250 x--7-9-0

WP--Carle Hampton. LP--Dees. Leading hitters--Glenwood McKenna Gillespie 3-3, 2R, 2RBI; Kirstin Reynolds 1-3, R, RBI; Carle Hampton 1-2, 2R, RBI; Neely Austin 2-3, 2RBI; Parker Slappey 1-2, R.

Game 2

Glenwood 000 112--4-9-2

Edgewood 000 100--1-3-1

WP--McKenna Gillespie. LP--Brown. Leading hitters--Glenwood McKenna Gillespie 2-3, RBI; Sarah Kate Smith 2-3, R; Neely Austin 3-3, R, 2RBI; Morgan Grant 1-3, RBI; Ashley Gallant 1-3, R.

Game 4

Glenwood 001 21--4-8-0

Autauga 000 20--2-8-2

WP--McKenna Gillespie. LP--Deleach. Leading hitters--Glenwood Neely Austin 1-3, R; Morgan Grant 2-2; Parker Slappey 2-2, R, 2RBI.

GOLF

Gillespie makes hole-in-one

Stephen Gillespie made a hole-in-one on Sunday on No. 4 of the Marshall 9 at Fort Benning Golf Course.

Gillespie used a 7-iron on the 160-yard hole.

The witnesses were Charles Thornton Jr. Trey Thornton and Frank Dunham

-- From staff reports

Professional Baseball

Ian Desmond signs with Rangers to play left field

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers have signed former All-Star shortstop Ian Desmond to a one-year deal, according to a source.

Desmond, 30, will play left field for the Rangers. Texas will lose its No. 19 pick in the June first-year players draft with the signing. The club can retain another compensatory pick (sandwiched between the first and second round) by extending a qualifying offer to Desmond after the 2016 season.

The Rangers are signing Desmond for $8 million, according to a source. As of Sunday afternoon he had yet to arrive in Arizona from Florida. The Rangers are hoping to get his physical completed by Sunday evening so that he can work out with the team this morning. The Rangers and Desmond came to an agreement late Saturday night. The Rangers won't officially announce the deal until he passes a physical.

College Basketball

No. 15 Duke falls to Pitt 76-62

PITTSBURGH -- The whereabouts of Grayson Allen's legs were the least of Duke's problems on Sunday against Pittsburgh.

Two days after being reprimanded by the Atlantic Coast Conference following a second tripping incident in less than a month, Allen kept his feet to himself while scoring 22 points but the 15th-ranked Blue Devils were never in it during a 76-62 loss to the Panthers.

Duke (21-9, 10-6) was outrebounded 39-20, outscored in the paint 24-6 and never led while allowing the Panthers to pull an upset that didn't look or feel like one.

"We just didn't play well and they made us not play well," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We might have played great tonight and not beat them."

The Blue Devils trailed 10-0 before the game was 5 minutes old. They drew within 39-32 at halftime but the Panthers (20-8, 9-7) responded with a 9-1 run. Luke Kennard's 3-pointer pulled Duke to 58-48 but Pitt reeled off the next 11 points and the defending national champions spent the final minutes listening to the Panthers' student section roar with delight with a season-defining performance.

-- From wire reports

This story was originally published February 28, 2016 at 11:54 PM with the headline "Louisiana ends Columbus' four-game win streak ."