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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Lindsey Scott Jr. threw four touchdown passes to break a Football Championship Subdivision record and ran for two scores as seventh-seeded Incarnate Word rallied to beat second-seeded Sacramento State 66-63 in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs on Friday night.

It was the highest-scoring FCS playoff game in history, and Scott, who set a FCS record with his 59th touchdown pass of the season, was the difference as the Cardinals (12-1) handed the Hornets (12-1) their first loss. Incarnate Word will take a nine-game winning streak on its road trip to play No. 3 seed North Dakota State in the semifinals next weekend.

Scott, in his seventh season of college football with five teams, surpassed the 57 touchdowns that Jeremiah Briscoe threw for Sam Houston State in 2016. Scott has at least one more game to catch NCAA all-time leader Bailey Zappe of Western Kentucky who threw 62 in 2021. LSU’s Joe Burrow had 60 TD passes in 2019.

Scott scored on a 64-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter and UIW upped its lead to 45-34. Sac State used a trick play — running back Cameron Skattebo’s 19-yard touchdown toss to Marshel Martin — to pull within four points with 12:08 left to play. Sac State recovered an onside kick, Jake Dunniway connected with Martin for a 14-yard touchdown on third-and-10 and the Hornets grabbed a 48-45 lead with 10:12 remaining.

The lead lasted 41 seconds before Marcus Cooper scored on a 67-yard run for UIW. The Cardinals sacked Asher O’Hara, the other half of Sac State’s QB combo, forcing a fumble that Kelechi Anyalebechi scooped up and returned 55 yards to the end zone for a 59-48 lead with 8:24 to go.

Sac State answered with Dunniway’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Williams and a two-point run by Marcus Fulcher to get within 59-56 with 4:57 left. Another successful onside kick gave the Hornets the ball at their own 43-yard line. Fulcher’s 10-yard run gave Sac State a first-and-goal at the Cardinals’ 2. After a 2-yard loss by O’Hara, Martin scored on a 4-yard tight end around and Sac State led 63-59 with 1:43 left.

That was enough time for Scott to connect with Taylor Grimes for a 21-yard touchdown and a 66-63 lead with 27 seconds left. Dunniway’s Hail Mary pass to the end zone was incomplete on the final play.

Incarnate Word dominated the second quarter, turning two turnovers into touchdown drives for a 28-17 lead at halftime.

Scott finished 19-of 31 for 219 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 166 yards and two scores, becoming just the second FCS player over the past 25 seasons to pass for 200 yards and four touchdowns and also rush for over 150 yards and two touchdowns in one game, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Prairie View A&M’s Jalen Morton pulled the feat in 2018 against Alabama State.

Dunniway completed 19 of 32 passses for 228 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Sac State, which was playing in its first quarterfinal. O’Hara completed 14 of 23 passes for 158 yards and a score.

Sac State ran 109 plays and piled up 738 yards of offense. UIW ran 73 plays and gained 579 yards. The Hornets won time of possession by 17:02.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Braves’ Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

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Braves' Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Monday was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months with a strained lower abdominal muscle.

Right-hander Grant Holmes, meanwhile, has opted to rehab his injured right elbow rather than undergoing Tommy John surgery, manager Brian Snitker told reporters.

Riley suffered the injury while tagging out Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz near home plate in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Sunday in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Riley also landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25.

The Braves recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Gwinnett before opening a home series against Milwaukee on Monday night. The team optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.

Riley is hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.

Snitker said Holmes, who has damage to his UCL, made the decision to not have surgery at the present time after consulting with two doctors. The pitcher could also reconsider and have surgery after the season.

Snitker did not give a timeline as to when Snitker, who was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 27, will begin throwing again. He is not eligible to be activated until Sept. 26.

Holmes is 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts this season. He had 15 strikeouts in a game against the Colorado Rockies in June.

The Braves’ other Opening Day starters also are all on the injured list, with AJ Smith-Shawver out for the season after having Tommy John surgery.

Snitker said All-Star left-hander Chris Sale threw a bullpen session as he works his way back from a fractured rib. He is next scheduled to throw live batting practice.

Reynaldo Lopez, who was placed on the IL on March 29 with shoulder inflammation after one start, is playing catch, but Snitker said there is no timetable for his return.

Spencer Schwellenbach, who is recovering from a fractured elbow, has not resumed throwing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Astros’ Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

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Astros' Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has opted to forgo season-ending surgery on his strained right hamstring and instead will rehab the injury in an effort to return this season, general manager Dana Brown told reporters Monday.

The 26-year-old Paredes, who is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season, was placed on the injured list on July 20 after he was hurt while running to first base. Brown said the injury was “severe.”

Paredes has received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has had multiple rounds of imaging. His rehab stint, which will mostly take place in Houston around the team, will begin after a “long period” of letting the hamstring rest before beginning any sort of exercise, Brown said.

If Paredes undergoes surgery, he likely wouldn’t be able to return for at least six months.

“His whole opinion on this is, he wants to work hard to try to get back this season,” Brown said Monday. “Of course, he’s going to dedicate himself to getting back.”

The Astros were proactive at the trade deadline, acquiring infielder Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. Correa, a Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star in his prior stint with the Astros, has agreed to move from shortstop to third base while Paredes is out of the lineup.

The Astros (62-50) currently lead the AL West with around 50 games remaining in the regular season.

“He’s doing well and he’s working hard,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of Paredes. “He’s in good spirits, and I know he would rather be on the field. We hope for the best.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Yankees sign veteran Maeda to minor league deal

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Yankees sign veteran Maeda to minor league deal

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal.

New York announced the move Monday. The 37-year-old Maeda had been pitching for Triple-A Iowa, the top minor league affiliate for the Chicago Cubs, but he was released Saturday.

The Yankees assigned Maeda to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a $24 million, two-year contract in November 2023.

Maeda pitched well in his last two starts with Iowa, giving up one run and five hits in 12 innings. He went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A team.

Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Maeda, who sat out the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.

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