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By Sonny Jones

There are long innings and, then, there are really, really, really long innings.

Check out the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys’ sixth inning Friday night against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. The Space Cowboys sent 23 batters to the plate and scored 17 runs on 10 hits and nine walks.

Oklahoma City pitchers threw 108 pitches in a half-inning that took 58 minutes. Yadier Alvarez was charged with eight earned runs without recording an out (four hits and four walks) and had his season ERA jump from a respectable 3.28 to an eye-popping 6.28. Dodgers’ pitched had thrown 89 total pitches through the first five innings.

Sugar Land won 21-4 in the second game of a pair of seven-inning contests. Oklahoma City won the first game 4-1.

The minor league baseball record for runs in an inning is 18 set by the Waco Cubs in 1930. According to reports, 5-foot-6 Gene “Half Pint” Rye hit three homers during the 18-run inning.

• Larrell Murchison and the Tennessee Titans defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-3 Saturday night in its second NFL preseason game. The East Bladen graduate saw quite a bit of playing time along the Titans’ defensive line. He was credited with a solo tackle midway through the third quarter, stuffing Tampa Bay’s Ke’Shawn Vaughan on a play up the middle. Murchison is in his third season with the Titans.

• Registration for Bladen Recreation’s fall soccer program has been extended until Sept. 2 for ages 5 through 14. Registration for Tot soccer has closed. Online registration is preferred. Click here to register online. Players also can register at Bladen County Recreation’s King Street office. For more information call 910-862-6770. Fees are $35 for 5-7 League, 8-10 League and 11-14 League.

• Registration for Bladen County Recreation’s football and cheerleading programs is underway and will continue through September 9th. Flag Football (ages 5-7) has a $40 registration fee. Tackle Football will have 2 age groups (ages 7-9, 10-12) and the registration fee for both leagues is $40. Cheerleading will have 2 age groups (ages 7-9, 10-12) and the registration fee for both leagues is $35. Online registration is available by clicking here. For more information call the Parks and Registration office at 910-862-6770.

• Here is this week’s Bladen County sports schedule:

MONDAY
Boys’ soccer: Union at West Bladen, 6 p.m.; East Bladen at North Brunswick, 6 p.m.
Volleyball: Union at West Bladen, 4:30/6 p.m.; East Bladen at Whiteville, 4:30/6 p.m.
JV football: West Bladen at South Columbus, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY
Volleyball: West Columbus at West Bladen, 4:30/6 p.m.; East Bladen at East Columbus, 4:30/6 p.m.
Boys’ soccer: West Bladen at Purnell Swett, 6 p.m.
Girls’ tennis: East Bladen at Fairmont, 4 p.m.; West Bladen at Red Springs, 4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
Girls’ tennis: West Bladen at South Columbus, 4 p.m.

THURSDAY
Volleyball: South Columbus at West Bladen, 4:30/6 p.m.
Girls’ tennis: St. Pauls vs. West Bladen at Bladen County Park, 4 p.m.; Red Springs at East Bladen, DH, 4 p.m.
JV football: South Columbus at East Bladen, 6:30 p.m.; West Columbus at West Bladen, 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY
Football: East Bladen at South Columbus, 7:30 p.m.; West Bladen at West Columbus, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY
Boys’ soccer: Cary at East Bladen, TBD

SUNDAY’S PICK TO CLICK

Scottie Scheffler trails by 2 shots after the third round of the PGA’s BMW Championship. He hasn’t shot below 67, but that changes in the final round. Let’s go with a 66 and a come-from-behind win.

SATURDAY’S PICK: Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins will have 2 hits and steal a base against Boston. The former Campbell University outfield has gone 5-for-11 with a home run and 3 RBIs against scheduled Boston starter Michael Wacha. RESULTS: Well, it’s hard to get a hit when you don’t play. Mullins missed the game with a sore shin after a fouling a ball off his leg Friday night.

WHAT TO WATCH TODAY

• DP WORLD TOUR: Czech Masters, 7 a.m., GOLF

• LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES: Willemstad, Curacao vs. TBD, 9 a.m., ESPN

• LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES: Santa Clara, Utah vs. TBD, 11 a.m., ESPN

• WNBA PLAYOFFS: Dallas at Connecticut, noon, ABC

• PGA: BMW Championship, noon, GOLF and 2 p.m., NBC

• GYMNASTICS: U.S. Championships, men’s events, 12:30 p.m., NBC

• NFL PRESEASON: Philadelphia at Cleveland, 1 p.m., NFLN

• LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES: Takarazuka, Japan vs. TBD, 1 p.m., ESPN

• MLB: Houston at Atlanta or Toronto at NY Yankees, 1:30 p.m., MLBN

• LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES: Massapequa, N.Y. vs. TBD, 2 p.m., ABC

• NASCAR CUP: Go Bowling At The Glen, Watkins Glen International, 3 p.m., USA