BASEBALL

Spencer Horwitz capped a three-run rally in the 10th inning with an RBI single, lifting the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to an 8-7 win over the Portland Sea Dogs in an Eastern League game Thursday night in Manchester, New Hampshire.

It was the sixth straight loss for the Sea Dogs, who blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning after a dominant outing by Chris Murphy, who yielded just one hit and two walks in 6 1/3 innings. Luis De Los Santos tied the game with a two-run homer off Chase Shugart.

Portland regained the lead with two runs in the 10th, including Izzy Wilson’s tiebreaking RBI double. But Orelvis Martinez made it 7-7 with a two-run double in the bottom half, setting up the winning hit by Horwitz.

The Sea Dogs led 5-0 after Wilson hit a two-run double in the fifth inning and scored on an error.

Murphy struck out nine as he lowered his ERA to 2.18. He was relieved after walking Horwitz with one out in the seventh, and Horwitz eventually scored on a wild pitch.

FOOTBALL

NFL: Frank Gore signed a one-day contract with the San Francisco 49ers and announced his retirement.

Gore spent the first 10 years of his 16-year career with the 49ers and returned to end it as one of the most durable and prolific running backs in league history. He finished his career with an even 16,000 yards – third most behind only Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton.

COLLEGES

SOFTBALL: Tiare Jennings and Jana Johns hit grand slams and No. 1 seed Oklahoma rolled past No. 9 seed Northwestern 13-2 in five innings on the opening day of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

The defending national champion Sooners (55-2) pounded out 11 hits.

Northwestern (45-12) will play UCLA (48-9) in an elimination game Friday.

• Texas freshman Mia Scott went 4 for 4 and helped the unseeded Longhorns (44-19-1) defeat No. 5 seed UCLA, 7-2 on Thursday in the opening game of the Women’s College World Series.

Scott had a triple, a double and two singles. She knocked in two runs and scored once.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Malachi Smith, one of the top players available in the transfer portal, signed with Gonzaga.

Smith’s decision followed news this week that Gonzaga starters Drew Timme, Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton have all decided to return to play another season with the Bulldogs.

Smith was the Southern Conference player of the year after averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.7 steals per game at Chattanooga.

The 6-foot-4 guard will be a junior next season.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR: Chris Buescher has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the first Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Gateway, Illinois, outside St. Louis.

RFK Racing said Truck Series regular Zane Smith will replace Buescher in the No. 17 Ford.

Buescher is 21st in the points standings with three top-10 finishes.

• Hendrick Motorsports will return to the Xfinity Series for the first time in more than a decade when it fields cars later this year at Road America, the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen.

The team said that defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will drive the No. 17 car July 2 at Road America. Alex Bowman will take the wheel July 30 in Indianapolis and William Byron on Aug. 20 at Watkins Glen.

The idea is to give the three Cup regulars, who have 17 combined Xfinity wins, more experience on road courses.

TRACK AND FIELD

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Barring a sudden, unexpected end to the war in Ukraine, athletes from Russia and Belarus will be banned from next month’s track and field world championships, which marks the largest international sports event since the end of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

An official from World Athletics said the federation is sticking with a ban of Russians and Belarusians from its events – a policy it adopted shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, with Belarus aiding the Russian cause.

Asked about the status of the Russians for the July 12-25 world championships in Eugene, Oregon, World Athletics referred The Associated Press to a March 1 statement that announced the ban. In it, federation president Sebastian Coe said the unprecedented sanctions “appear to be the only peaceful way to disrupt and disable Russia’s current intentions and restore peace.”

SOCCER

NATIONS LEAGUE: Portugal scored late to earn a 1-1 draw at Spain in a Nations League opener, while Erling Haaland led Norway to a 1-0 win at Serbia.

The Czech Republic beat Switzerland 2-1 at home, and Sweden won 2-0 at Slovenia.

SPAIN: Real Madrid signed Germany’s Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer, calling him “one of the best defenders in the world” and strengthening its squad after becoming European champion for a record-extending 14th time.

Madrid brought in Rudiger from Chelsea on a four-year contract.