Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. MLB roundup: Harper launches first Phils HR in win over Braves

High-priced offseason acquisitions Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto hit their first home runs for Philadelphia and sparked the Phillies to an 8-6 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Saturday. Realmuto ripped a two-run shot into the center field bleachers that put the Phillies ahead to stay in the fifth inning, and Harper hammered a 465-foot solo homer in the seventh. Maikel Franco was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and homered for the second straight game. Barty beats Pliskova to win maiden Miami Open title

Ashleigh Barty defeated Karolina Pliskova 7-6(1) 6-3 on Saturday to win her maiden Miami Open title and become the first Australian woman since 2013 to reach the top 10 in the world rankings. After dominating the first set tiebreak, Barty broke the big-serving Pliskova in a 12-minute game to open the second set. NHL roundup: Islanders down Sabres, clinch playoff spot

Anthony Beauvillier scored twice Saturday night for the New York Islanders, who capped one of the most remarkable stories of the NHL regular season by clinching a playoff berth with a 5-1 win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Jordan Eberle, Michael Dal Colle and Ryan Pulock also scored for the Islanders (46-26-7), who will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 thanks to a raucous victory in a building they thought they'd left in the spring of 2015. Golf: Woods 2 up on McIlroy at turn in first ever match play meeting

Tiger Woods took a 2 up lead over Rory McIlroy through nine holes in their first ever match play meeting at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas on Saturday. Woods, the 13th seed, surged ahead 1 up with a four-foot birdie putt on the fifth hole, then took command with another birdie at the sixth. New Diamond League won't disadvantage African athletes: IAAF

African athletes will not lose competition opportunities despite the introduction of a trimmer Diamond League format next year, the sport's world governing body (IAAF) said on Sunday. Diamond League meetings will be reduced from 14 to 12 competitions plus a final, with events longer than 3,000 meters excluded from the program. Ogunbowale leads Notre Dame over Texas A&M in Sweet 16

Guard Arike Ogunbowale scored a career-high 34 points to lead No. 1 seed Notre Dame to an 87-80 victory over No. 4 Texas A&M in a Sweet 16 game Saturday in the Chicago Region. The game was tied at 69 in the fourth quarter before Ogunbowale scored five consecutive points on a 3-pointer and then a fast-break layup after she stole the ball on a pass. The Irish were able to maintain at least a five-point lead for the final 6:07. NBA roundup: Harden's 50-point triple-double lifts Rockets over Kings

James Harden recorded a 50-point triple-double, and the Houston Rockets fended off the hot-shooting Sacramento Kings for a 119-108 victory on Saturday at Toyota Center. Harden posted his ninth 50-point game on the season while producing 50 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. With the Rockets clinging to a 101-100 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Harden sank three free throws, converted back-to-back floaters, and added a 3-pointer to extend the advantage to 111-102. Harden reached 50 points with two free throws with 48.8 seconds remaining. The 50-point triple-double was the fifth of his career. No. 3 Texas Tech upsets top-seeded Gonzaga, earns first trip to Final Four

Third-seeded Texas Tech made history Saturday, using its trademark sticky defense to shut down top-seeded Gonzaga's high-scoring offense and produce a 75-69 win in the West Regional final at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. "We're trying to build a program at Tech like a Gonzaga," Red Raiders coach Chris Beard said afterward. "The Final Four is awesome and all that, but the most cool thing is I get to coach these guys again." Ice hockey: Canadian women's league to fold in May

The Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) will discontinue operations in May, its board of directors announced on Sunday, saying it was no longer "sustainable financially". "Unfortunately, while the on-ice hockey is exceptional, the business model has proven to be economically unsustainable," the league said in a statement. Elite Eight roundup: Virginia survives overtime thriller

Virginia needed a wild buzzer-beating play to force overtime and had to survive a scoring onslaught by Purdue guard Carsen Edwards to advance to its first Final Four since 1984. The top-seeded Cavaliers beat the third-seeded Boilermakers 80-75 in the NCAA Tournament's South Region final in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday night. Edwards scored 42 points but missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with nine seconds left in overtime.