Region/state roundup: William & Mary rising freshman wins VSGA Junior Stroke Play championship

GOLF Incoming William & Mary freshman Preston Burton won the 71st Virginia State Golf Association Junior Stroke Play Championship at the Boar’s Head Resort in his hometown of Charlottesville. Yorktown’s Brandon Sipe, a rising ninth-grader, was the runner-up, four strokes behind. Burton, a Charlottesville High graduate, played the last four holes in even-par in miserable conditions Thursday to finish at 9-under 204 with a 1-under 70.

The rain wasn’t much of a factor until the last holes. Chesapeake’s Xander Goboy, a Catholic High star, equaled the day’s best round with a 67 to finish third at 209. He was the 16-18 age-division winner, and Sipe was the 15-and-under victor.

BASEBALL Four Peninsula pitchers combined to throw a four-hitter Wednesday night as the Pilots handled Tri-City 6-1 before 3,120 at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton. The Pilots (23-22 overall, 14-7 in the Coastal Plain League’s second half) led 2-1 before pulling away with a four-run eighth inning. Entering Thursday night, they trailed first-half champion Morehead City (15-6) by one game in the East Division second-half standings.

Peninsula was scheduled to be at Wilmington on Thursday night and is set to play at Holly Springs on Friday night before its home finale at 7 p. m. Saturday against the Martinsville Mustangs.

Walker Fuller pitched the first four innings against the Chili Peppers, giving up two hits, four walks and a run while striking out four. Antonio Velasquez walked the only batter he faced, but winner Olvis Genao pitched three shutout innings before Michael Caldon threw two hitless innings to complete the triumph. In the first inning, Randolph-Macon’s Hunter Cole, a Granby High graduate, singled, stole two bases and scored on an error to put the Pilots ahead 1-0.

In the second, Ryan Dooley singled, advanced on Cole Stanford’s single and scored on Marc Cisco’s sacrifice fly. Alex Christie’s single scored Avery Neaves in the fourth for Tri-City’s only run. But Justin Starke’s two-run single put the Pilots ahead 4-1, and Dooley’s RBI single and Trey Morgan’s sacrifice fly boosted the margin to 6-1.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL A pair of players from Hampton Roads — Old Dominion junior cornerback/kick returner LaMareon James and Coastal Carolina running back CJ Beasley — were among the 110 players named to the preseason 110-player Wuerffel Trophy watch list. The Wuerffel Trophy is known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service. ” It is presented each February and named after 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel of Florida.

It is awarded to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. James, an Indian River High product, and Beasley, a Maury High graduate, are joined by Virginia defensive end Chico Bennett Jr. , Virginia Tech linebacker Matt Johnson, James Madison kicker Camden Wise and Liberty graduate student/offensive lineman X’Zauvea Gadlin, among many others.

Bennett and Johnson are among 16 ACC players on the list. William & Mary All-America linebacker John Pius and All-America defensive end Nate Lynn were among 35 players selected to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which annually goes to the FCS’ top defensive player. Also among the 35 were New Hampshire lineman Josiah Silver, a Phoebus High graduate, and Richmond linebacker Tristan Wheeler.

COLLEGE MEN’S LACROSSE Zach Thomas received a promotion to Christopher Newport’s assistant head coach after being on the Captains’ staff since 2013. CNU, whose head coach is Mikey Thompson, is 127-46 with two NCAA Division III semifinal appearances and five weeks ranked No. 1 in the coaches’ poll since Thomas’ arrival.

Thomas played for Roanoke College, was an assistant there before coming to CNU and made the Maroons’ hall of fame in 2022. MORE COLLEGES VCU has finalized an extension to the contract for athletic director Ed McLaughlin, a university spokesperson confirmed to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Neither financial details nor the length of the deal were released by the school.

But VCU Athletics shared a statement from McLaughlin, who is currently in Greece with the men’s basketball team and has been the Rams’ AD since July 2012. “I deeply appreciate that (VCU President Michael) Rao, the Board of Visitors and Karol Gray trust in my leadership so much to finalize this extension,” McLaughlin said. “We have created much success together and have many more good days ahead of us with exciting major projects and championships to win.

Most importantly, our work has changed the lives of hundreds of student-athletes on our campus and countless folks throughout the Central Virginia area. ” HORSE RACING Forest Boyce rode three winners Thursday at Colonial Downs, including one in the day’s fourth race. That’s when Eagle Point Farm’s Chickahominy won a $75,000 maiden special-weight race for Virginia-restricted horses.

The 4-year-old filly was making just her second lifetime start. In the seventh race, Boyce was aboard King Vega, which finished in a dead heat with Commander. Wednesday, Beautiful Gorgeous closed the card by winning the $75,000 Virginia-restricted maiden special-weight race.

The winner, ridden by Mychel Sanchez, owned by Clarke Ohrstrom and trained by Laird George, paid $50. 20 on a $2 bet. Sign up for email newsletters.