One Swing, One Snooze, One Series to Start 1️⃣
Softball got spicy… hockey got sleepy… and the NBA Finals are about to get started. So here’s your triple-scoop of what matters today!
1️⃣ Lone Star Softball, Game 1 🥎
The championship series kicked off with a Texas-sized thriller. Two in-state rivals. And a twist that turned a lead into heartbreak.
🎥 Want to see how Game 1 flipped? Click here and watch for the moment that changed everything.
🎢 So… what just happened?
Bottom of the 6th. Texas trailed 1–0. Two runners on. Two outs. And Reese Atwood… one of the best hitters in college softball… stepped into the box.
Texas Tech had a choice.
Instead of pitching to Atwood, they started an intentional walk. That means they were trying to give her first base on purpose, without a fight.
💡 Quick explainer: In softball (and baseball), if a pitcher throws four pitches outside the strike zone and the batter doesn’t swing, that’s a walk. The batter gets to trot to first base. With an intentional walk, you do it on purpose. Why? Usually because the hitter is dangerous! You trust your odds better against the next batter.
But here’s the thing: this intentional walk didn’t go as planned.
One of those pitches drifted too close to the plate… and Atwood was ready. She pounced, lining a 2-run single into left field that flipped the game upside down.
From “let’s avoid trouble” to “too late” in a blink.
Final: Texas 2, Texas Tech 1.
Game 2 is tonight! If Texas wins, they’ll capture their first-ever national championship. If Texas Tech wins, we head to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Friday.
🎤 If you were the Texas Tech coach, would you roll the dice and pitch to Atwood… or play it safe and hope the next hitter doesn’t make you pay?
2️⃣ Stanley Cup Confession 🏒
We previewed it yesterday. We hyped it. We had our jerseys ready.
But Smallball just couldn’t stay awake to the end.
That’s what happens when you’re on vacation in Boston, eating a plate of pasta the size of a mountain, and the game starts way past your bedtime.
So, Smallball-ers… we need you! Can you help us out?
Google “NHL Final Game 1” and see if you can figure out:
What was the final score?
Did it go to overtime?
And who scored the winning goal?
Grab your grown-up if you need help. And drop your answer in the comments!
We’ll see if we can express-mail you a cannoli.
3️⃣ The Finals Are Loading… ⏳
The NBA Finals tip off tonight in Oklahoma City, where the league’s best regular-season team faces the league’s biggest playoff surprise.
The Thunder finished the season 68–14 and have been steamrolling through the playoffs behind MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Pacers? They entered the playoffs as a 4-seed. But between Tyrese Haliburton’s wizard-like passing, Pascal Siakam’s scoring bursts, and a bench that keeps delivering, Indiana keeps knocking out favorites.
🧠 One thing to know before tip off? The Pacers are a 4-seed, and 4-seeds are just 1–4 all-time in the NBA Finals. The only champs? The 1969 Celtics.
🎯 Experts say: 66% chance Thunder win Game 1.
And here’s one expert’s prediction for the series:
Thunder in 6 [games]… This Pacers team deserves respect. They have been able to find solutions to every problem presented to them this postseason because of the talent on their roster and the cohesiveness of their group, fostered by Rick Carlisle, one of the NBA’s best coaches.
All of that, however, might not end up being enough against the Thunder, who ran away with the league’s best regular-season record and breezed through the West bracket.
(Courtesy Eric Nehm of The Athletic)
That’s what the experts say. But we’ve got a question for you…
🎮 In Space Jam: A New Legacy, LeBron’s son designs a video game where players earn wild power-ups that boost their abilities.
If you were playing in the NBA Finals, what power-up would you choose? Super speed? Flaming jumpers? Perfect passing? Or something totally new?
Every day brings a new twist… a swing you didn’t see coming, a snooze you didn’t mean to take, and a story waiting to start. Have a great day, Smallball-ers!