Bahamas suffers 1-0 loss to Aruba
By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@ tribunemedia.net
Heads into Caribbean Little League Baseball Championship playoff round
TEAM Bahamas will head into the playoff round of the 2026 Caribbean Little League Baseball Championship after suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to Aruba on Tuesday in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico. The defeat dropped Team Bahamas to 3-2 in round robin play, while Aruba improved to 3-1. Despite the setback, The Bahamas had already secured a place in the playoffs and will now finish fourth in the standings heading into the knockout stage. Before the playoffs begin, Team Bahamas will wrap up its round robin schedule today against the Dominican Republic. The two teams will meet again on Thursday in the first versus fourth semifinal playoff, with the winner
De Souza teams up with three Britons to win the inaugural Royal Henley Rowing Regatta
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THERE aren’t any rowing races for breast cancer survivors in The Bahamas, so when Dr Kathryn de Souza got the opportunity to travel to Henley, Oxfordshire, England, she took advantage of the opportunity. Over the weekend, de Souza teamed up with three Britons as they won the inaugural masters competition for breast cancer at the historic Royal Henley Rowing Regatta in Henley. What was significant for the 52-year-old de Souza is the fact that she's a 13-year
stage two breast cancer survivor. All of her team-mates are also cancer survivors.
While de Souza was on the bow, her team-mates were Kerry Clarke from Marlow Rowing Club in 2, Jo Coleman captain of Devil’s Elbow rowing club near Nottingham in 3 and Kate Pontes de Freitas from Putney Town Rowing club in London in stroke seat.
"We only trained once before we came together, but the other teams came from different clubs and we won," de Souza said. "It was incredible.
"It was the first time this event was held for
ROWING, Page 10
advancing to Friday’s gold medal game.
The tournament champion will earn the Caribbean’s berth in the 2026 Little League Baseball World Series, which is
scheduled for August 19 to 30 at the Little League International Complex in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. After bouncing back from an earlier loss with a
dominant 17-0 victory over the Puerto Rico Champs, The Bahamas had carried momentum into Tuesday’s game, but Aruba’s lone run proved enough in a tightly contested pitchers’ duel.
shifting its focus to Thursday’s win-or-go-home semifinal.
On Thursday, another showdown with the Dominican Republic will determine whether the Bahamians can continue their quest for a Caribbean championship and a trip to the Little League World Series.
‘Jazz’ and Yankees sweep Nationals
Coach Yo: ‘I was really proud of the team. They did a great job’
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
HEAD coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said she was proud of the way The Bahamas women's national basketball team kept their composure against the home team from Nicaragua down the stretch at the Polideportivo Alexis Argüello in Managua, Nicaragua. Team Bahamas, which had blown their lead and lost their opening game of the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2027 Centrobasket Qualifiers in a 72-69 loss to the Dominican Republic in their opening game on Sunday, held off Nicaragua 73-67 on Monday night to improve to 1-1 in the week-long tournament.
"I was really proud of the team. They did a great job. We had a film session and they were able to see where the meltdowns happened and I thought this time, they were really locked in and not repeating the same mistakes," McPhee-McCuin said.
"It was a complete team effort, a lot of composure. A lot of people stepped up
and got the ball and I just thought we played with a lot of heart and passion." After watching the films from the first game, McPhee-McCuin said they didn't want to make the same mistakes down the stretch in game two as they should have been 2-0, instead of 1-1.
Antonicia Moultrie, one of the top performers for Team Bahamas with six points and 10 rebounds, said their loss to the Dominican Republic "fuelled us and made us come out and get the win."
Lashann Higgs led the attack with a game high 25
Now, Team Bahamas turns its attention to today’s final preliminary game before
HIGH FIVE: New York Yankees’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr (13) is congratulated by manager Aaron Boone, left, after scoring during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals on Sunday July 12, 2026, in Washington. SEE THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 10 (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Spain shuts down France, advances to World Cup final with 2-0 victory
By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Mikel Oyarzabal
Scottie Scheffler
UNITED STATES
Age: 29
World ranking: 1
Worldwide wins: 23
scored from the penalty spot after a heady play by teenager Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro added another goal and Spain advanced to its first World Cup final since winning in 2010 with a 2-0 victory over France yesterday.
Argentina or England on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. “So difficult to get to this moment, but we want more," midfielder Rodri said. “We want to win this World Cup.”
Majors: Masters (2022, 2024), PGA Championship (2025), British Open (2025).
US Open appearances: 8.
birthday, and La Roja won 5-4 in Nations League play last year.
63rd game for France only six days before his 33rd birthday.
After a quarterfinal win over Belgium last Friday, Yamal said he believed France should fear Spain. Those words certainly proved true.
A day after his 19th birthday, Yamal was denied a goal on a close offside call that came soon after Porro's give-and-go with Dani Olmo in the 58th minute had put Spain up 2-0. But it was Yamal's smart play against a veteran defender that put Spain in the lead.
US Open moment: Finishing one shot behind Matt Fitzpatrick in 2022 at The Country Club.
Backspin: Scheffler is winless since The American Express in his first start of the year. A U.S. Open title would make him the seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam.
“They were facing the best team in the world,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.
Spain, which will play in the final for only the second time, will face either defending champion
Kylian Mbappé and France, FIFA’s top-ranked team, were trying to become only the third team to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. They instead will play in the third-place game in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, the day before the final at MetLife Stadium across the river from New York City. Argentina and England face each other today in Atlanta in the second semifinal match. This win on soccer’s biggest stage marked the third summer in a row that Spain beat France in a tournament semifinal match. Yamal scored in a 2-1 win in the 2024 European Championship semifinals just days before his 17th
The 18th green in front of the clubhouse at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
"In so many ways, France was missing everything today," France midfielder Rayan Cherki said through a translator. "Truly, everything was missing today. We’ll be back in four years and we won’t make the same mistakes.”
Oyarzabal’s fifth goal of this year’s World Cup marked the first time either team had trailed in their seven games in this tournament. It was his 30th goal in 60 international games for Spain.
For the second goal, Porro broke free and received a pass back from Olmo, who got the touch just before getting knocked off his feet by defender Dayot Upamecano.
Justin Rose ENGLAND Age:
FRANCE’s Kylian Mbappe reacts during a World Cup semifinal soccer match against Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio
Spain had two other real scoring chances in the first half.
nifty passes before Fabian Ruiz's close-range shot was denied.
Oyarzabal’s penalty kick in the 22nd minute came after Yamal drew a foul when kicked by defender Lucas Digne.
SHINNECOCK HILLS MAY BE THE MOST FORMIDABLE FOE
The U.S. Open
By DOUG FERGUSON AP GOLF WRITER
SAfter a poor first touch with his head, Digne was trying to clear the ball when Yamal raced in from behind to challenge in the penalty area. The ball hit off the elbow of the leaping teen before he was kicked by Digne, playing in his
o much history is at stake when the U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills.
“We gave it our all in order just to go through to the final,” Porro said. “We knew that we’re a very tough team, we’re doing things really well. This is our team, it’s not about me.”
France had allowed only two goals in its first six games in this tournament. Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has six shutouts while allowing only one goal in seven games so far.
There was the a free kick from just beyond the box after Adrien Rabiot drew a yellow card for a foul on Olmo in the eighth minute. Alex Baena’s kick went directly into the wall of French players.
Facts & Figures
Event: 126th U.S. Open golf championship:
Dates: June 18-21.
After France goalkeeper Mike Maignan’s attempted clearing pass in the 38th minute instead went straight to Baena, there were several quick
Scottie Scheffler will try to take his place in history when the No. 1 player in the world goes after the final leg of the career Grand Slam. Should he win the U.S. Open, he would be the seventh player to win all four majors and join Tiger Woods as the only players since 1960 – the modern era of the slam – to get it done on his first try.
Site: Shinnecock Hills Country Club, near Tuckahoe, New York
THE WEATHER REPORT
Xander Schauffele
UNITED STATES
Age: 32
World ranking: 12
Worldwide wins: 12
Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024).
US Open appearances: 9.
US Open moment: Shooting a 62 in the first round in 2023 at Los Angeles Country Club.
Backspin: Schauffele has never finished worse than a tie for 14th in the U.S. Open.
Jon Rahm
SPAIN Age: 31
World ranking: 8 Worldwide wins: 24 Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021)
US Open appearances: 9
US Open moment: Winning his first major at Torrey Pines in the 2021 U.S. Open.
Backspin: Rahm comes into the U.S. Open off a runner-up finish in the PGA Championship. He is 0-for12 in the majors since joining LIV, but has a history of competing on a big stage.
That ordinarily would be the sole focus of the 126th U.S. Open on June 18-21, except for recent history at Shinnecock Hills. It has not been smooth sailing off the Great Peconic Bay on Long Island.
The 2004 U.S. Open already was brutally tough when the USGA failed to account for the strength of the warm wind.
Rory McIlroy NORTHERN IRELAND
won at Congressional in 2011.
Backspin: McIlroy won the Masters for the second straight year and contended on the back nine of the PGA Championship, making him one of only three players with top 10s in both majors this year.
Length: 7,440 yards; Par: 70.
Cut: Top 60 and ties.
Playoff (if necessary): Two-hole aggregate immediately after 72 holes are completed.
Field: 156 players.
Purse: TBA. Last year: $21.5 million ($4.3 million for winner).
Spain’s run at this year's World Cup has extended its unbeaten streak in regular time to 37 matches (28 wins and nine draws) since March 2024. That broke the country’s previous record of 35 in a row from 2007-09. The loss broke France’s record-matching streak of six consecutive World Cup wins, which also was accomplished in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
The par-3 seventh green became so impossible to hold that officials had to douse it with water between groups.
When it returned in 2018, the greens got so glassy from sun and wind the last 45 players on the tee sheet failed to break par in the third round. Phil Mickelson staged a bizarre protest by hitting a moving ball on the 13th green. Brooks Koepka saved the week by becoming the first repeat champion in 29 years.
What could go wrong this time?
“Hopefully, they get the balance right of all the different challenges and it’s not contrived,” said golfer Adam Scott from Australia. “These great tracks, they’ve gotten into trouble when they’ve been manipulated.”
Last year: U.S. golfer J.J. Spaun emerged from the pack on a soggy Oakmont Country Club course with two shots that define his career. He drove the green on the par-4 17th for a two-putt birdie and holed a 65-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 2-over 72 and a two-shot victory over Robert MacIntyre. Spaun finished at 1-under 279, the only player to break par. It was his first major title.
Last time at Shinnecock Hills: Brooks Koepka became the first back-to-back U.S. Open champion in 29 years. He shot 2-under 68 for a one-shot victory over Tommy Fleetwood. The course was so severe that Saturday none of the last 45 players to tee off broke par. The USGA conceded the mistake and put water on the course. Fleetwood shot 63.
The blueprint is simple.
John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s chief competitions officer in charge of setting up the course, said the average fairway width would be 48 yards, the widest ever for Shinnecock Hills. The greens won’t be quite as fast as they were for the last two Open.
“The way we’re thinking about this year is let Shinnecock Hills be Shinnecock Hills,” Bodenhamer said.
CENTURY MARK FOR SCOTT
SCOTTIE’S QUEST
That should be enough. In the five previous U.S. Opens at Shinnecock, only three players have finished the tournament under par.
Adam Scott was 21 when he played the 2001 British Open, and he hasn’t missed a major since.
This U.S. Open will be the 100th in a row for the Australian, making him only the second player to compete in at least 100 straight. Jack Nicklaus holds the record at 146. Scott had to go through a 36-hole qualifier for the U.S. Open in 2018. The next longest active streak belongs to Jordan Spieth at 52.
LINGERING LIV EFFECT
It was only 13 months ago when Scheffler only had one leg of the career Grand Slam, having won the Masters twice. Then he steamrolled the competition at the PGA Championship and the British Open. “Fixed that,” he said with a laugh. Now he is on the cusp of joining the most elite club in golf. Rory McIlroy had to wait 11 years to get the last leg at the Masters last year. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player each waited three years for their final pieces. Scheffler goes to Shinnecock without having won a tournament in five months.
INTERNATIONAL WINS
LIV Golf will have 13 players in the U.S. Open, and it comes at a crucial time. The rival league already is losing funding from the Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund at the end of the year. Speculation is mounting whether LIV will even finish the season, all while executives are scrambling to find outside investors to keep it going. Jon Rahm missed a good opportunity at the PGA Championship when he was runner-up. Bryson DeChambeau has missed the cut in the first two majors of the year.
For only the fourth time in history, international players have won the first two majors with Rory McIlroy of Northern
CONTENT BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. Open champions at Shinnecock Hills: Brooks Koepka (2018), Retief Goosen (2004), Corey Pavin (1995), Raymond Floyd (1986), James Foulis (1896).
Betting odds: Scottie Scheffler (+550), Rory McIlroy (+1000), Jon Rahm (+1200), Cameron Young (+1800).
Noteworthy: The average fairway width at Shinnecock Hill will be 48 yards, compared with 32 yards last year at Oakmont.
Quoteworthy: “The way we’re thinking about this year is let Shinnecock Hills be Shinnecock Hills.” -- John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer for the USGA.
Television (all times EDT): Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (USA Network), 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Peacock); Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Peacock), 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. (NBC), 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Peacock); Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon (USA Network), noon to 8 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon (USA Network), noon to 7 p.m. (NBC).
Ireland repeating at the Masters and Aaron Rai of England winning the PGA Championship. That last happened in 2013. Americans have not been shut out of the first three majors since 2011. The only international sweep was in 1994 with Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) at the Masters, Ernie Els (South Africa) at the U.S. Open and Nick Price (Zimbabwe) winning the British Open and PGA Championship.
Backspin: Fleetwood is coming off good finishes in signature events at Quail Hollow and Muirfield Village. In between was a missed cut in the PGA Championship. He set the course record on a soft Sunday at Shinnecock Hills in 2018.
Cortez)
Scottie Scheffler
‘Jazz’ and
sweep at
Yankees’
Washington
was historic, even by their standards
By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer
WASHINGTON (AP)
— Not since 1910 — before Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and so on — had the New York Yankees swept a series quite like this.
Ben Rice's two-run triple in the eighth inning Sunday helped the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals. New York trailed in the ninth Friday and in the eighth Saturday and Sunday but still won all three games.
It's the first time the Yankees swept a series of at least three games while trailing in the eighth inning or later in each of them since May 19-21, 1910,
according to Sportradar. Back then it was the New York Highlanders taking three straight from the Cleveland Naps. The previous time any team accomplished the feat was June 13-15, 2014, when Colorado won three in a row at San Francisco.
“Winning at-bats in different ways in all three games,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “A good job by the pitching staff of holding a really good offense enough in check, and giving us a chance to win each game, and the guys just did some really good things late in games.”
On Friday, the Yankees trailed 3-2 when Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr hit a two-run homer in the ninth.
On
“I didn't think
survivorship and trying to show survivors how important it is to stay fit and healthy from their recovery of any type of cancer,” de Souza said.
For de Freitas, it was a birthday present she will never forget and she was delighted to have de Souza all the way from The Bahamas being a part of her party and the team celebrations.
de Freitas also expressed her gratitude to Fiona Betts, a sculler from Tideway Sculling School, who after her breast cancer surgery, founded her own charity called Heron Thames to help women get back to fitness in their recovery from cancer by taking them out on the water and learning to row.
After meeting and rowing with the Survivors Rowing Network run by Beth Kohl in the Head of the Charles race in Boston last year, Betts asked Henley masters regatta to host our own survivors event this year and in less than a year made it happen.
“Some of the crews had only just taken up rowing
after their diagnosis, others had returned to the sport as they realised how crucial exercise is in preventing recurrence,” de Freitas said.
“Others like me found it a lifeline in terms of something to hold onto in recovery. It was very moving hearing the journeys from all the competing survivors, the differences and the fortitude required from all of us.”
de Freitas said it made her think of everything they have achieved since their diagnosis and how coming back from something might actually turn out to be one of the best things that happened to them.
The Henley Masters Regatta in the UK was established in 1994. It was founded by Harry Harvey and Stuart Wilson to give older rowers (called masters) their own races. It is held every year in July in Henleyon-Thames, England. Masters rowers are athletes who are at least 27 years old. There is no maximum age limit, with many competitors racing well into their 80s. Rowers are grouped into age categories (labelled A to M) based on
either the individual’s age or the average age of the boat’s crew. de Souza said it’s hoped that one day, the Nassau Rowing Club, of which she is a member, will hold a breast cancer event here, similar to what is done with the People’s Republic of China with their Dragon
Boat racing in Goodman’s Bay. In the meantime, de Souza will be preparing to head to Boston for the Head of the Charles, another huge and historic regatta where she will be competing in the single boat competition. de Souza is a sports medicine
physician, specialising in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She is also a runner, having competed in 11 marathons and she was the first person in The Bahamas to compete in all of the world majors, including New York, Chicago, Boston, London, Berlin and Tokyo.
The former 5,000 and 10,000 metre runner at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, has a lifetime best time of two hours, 40 minutes and six seconds in the marathon. And her son, Paul de Souza, is one of the top single boat sailors in the country.
Austin Wells added a solo shot and New York won 5-3. Washington led 2-0 before New York's fourrun eighth Saturday, which included homers by Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt.
Sunday, the Yankees didn't need any home runs. Down 3-2, Rice hit a drive that center fielder Dylan Crews was unable to catch against the wall.
I got it quite right, but I saw it kept going,” Rice said. “The wind must have just been helping it just enough to make it a tough wall-ball play there.” After another run in the ninth, the Yankees finished the series outscoring the Nationals 10-0 in the eighth and ninth innings.
TWO-RUN HOME RUN: New York Yankees Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr flips his bat as he watches his two-run home run during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals, Friday, July 10, 2026, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
WINNING WAYS: Dr Kathryn de Souza, third from right, poses with her winning team in England.
Dr Kathryn de Souza and her team in a practice run - in action above.
Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin: ‘I
points, four steals, three assists and a pair of rebounds. Valerie Nesbitt had 21 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists and Rhema Collins added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Team Bahamas, coming off a rest day yesterday, will play their final game in Group A of the round robin tournament today against Mexico.
McPhee-McCuin said the team is getting really close and they talked about not repeating the same mistakes. “I just thought we stayed composed. They made their run and they had the home crowd. Nicaragua is a very good team and the crowd was phenomenal,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We knew how important this game was so we just stayed locked in and
was really proud
focused, no matter what the situation was because we just experienced it.” McPhee-McCuin said the coaching staff that includes Donillo ‘Donnie’ Culmer, Jaraun ‘Kino’ Burrows and Diasti Delancy, only had four days in training camp. “So we’re going to
have to learn as the games go,” she stated. “I expect our team to get better every game that we play because now we’re having a chance to gel.
“Unlike a lot of other teams, this is our time to gel, which is kind of unfortunate, but it is our situation,
so you just saw the growth from the last game to this game moving forwards.” Moultrie said as long as they “stayed composed, we stayed together, we kept on talking. If things came up, we huddled together, talked to each other and encouraged each other.”
FIBA, from Page 12
ANTONICIA Moultrie shooting a free throw.
RHEMA Collins on the dribble.
BAHAMAS players in the huddle
BAHAMAS ladies’ team celebrating.
HEAD coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.
LASHANN Higgs on an offensive move.
Photos: Domonique Fernander/WildCard Entertainment