In the running:

With a matchFAIRBORN — play record of 9-1 and a total pinfall of 4,530, Texas bowler Paul McCordic was far from home but right at home at Bowl 10 Fairborn.

The 63-year-old left-hander won the inaugural PBA50 Fair- born Central Classic at Bowl 10 on Thursday, edging fellow super senior bowler Tom Baker by 31 pins (4,499) for the regional PBA title. It was the ninth regional title for McCordic, who beat out bowlers more than a decade younger.

“It’s kind of bizarre to think I’m 63, competing against 50-year-olds,” McCordic said. “But I work at it, and I stay in decent shape.”

The age difference wasn’t the most surreal piece for McCordic.

“I’m a retired accountant, and here I am bowling against Hall of Famers,” he said. “It’s more than fun; it’s amazing.”

The Sugar Land, Texas, bowler started strong and led the field of 42 after the first eight games of qualifying Wednesday with a 229.88 aver- age. McCordic kept his lead throughout the second day and led the accomplished field of finalists — which included Hall of Famers Baker and Walter Ray Williams Jr. as well as Don Herrington — heading into the final two games.

“I’m really happy with how I bowled, and I’m excited that no one caught me,” McCordic said, smiling.

There is little time to cele- brate, as the champ has both a PBA50 regional and national stop in the next few weeks.

“I want to keep doing this,” he said, “as long as I’m competitive.”

Beaver- creek’s Neil Kassel was the top local placer at the PBA50 regional event, as the 53-year- old placed fifth, missing the finals by nine pins, as Williams snagged the final spot.

“I like this (oil) pattern,” Kassel said. “The longer pattern is good for the way I throw the ball.”

It was the third tourna- ment Kassel cashed in this summer. The other two were regional events not limited to the 50-and-older set.

Kettering’s Brian Kretzer finished seventh, while Tim Hart- ley of Englewood placed 13th.

The inaugural event was still under- way, but Bowl 10 proprietor Dave Flemming was already thinking ahead.

“The plan is definitely to bring it back next year,” Flem- ming said.

The PBA50 Fairborn Central Classic brought in 42 bowlers, many from the Miami Valley and others from as far away as Texas, Florida and Nevada.

“We had a nice mix of national and regional players,” he said. “This was as strong a regional field as you’re going to get.”

First-time success:

They’ve gone from last to first, and the Dayton Dynamo aren’t finished yet.

Cellar dwellers a year ago, the Dynamo finished this season 6-3-3, tied with Erie for first place in the NPSL Mid- west Region’s East Confer- ence standings — although the Commodores secured the conference title because of the overall goal differential.

In their second season, the Dynamo are playoff-bound and will face conference rival Erie on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Gannon University in Erie.

“If we can go from dead last in our conference to one of the top 20 teams in the country in one and a half years, the Dayton Dynamo have one bright future,” Dynamo president David Satterwhite said. “This playoff berth is so incredibly reward- ing for all of us.”

Coach Dan Griest began putting this team together shortly after the Dynamo’s inaugural season.

“The process to bring this group together truly began back in September and October, so to have all and John Sansone and Hector Vargas two each through 11 innings.

Close, but no ...

The Dragons appeared to have a win wrapped up after loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Michael Beltre drew a walk, Taylor Trammell singled and Bruce Yari was intentionally walked to load the bases. On a hunch, Chiefs manager Chris Swauger stuck with reliever Yeison Medina. Good call.

Medina struck out the side to force extra innings.

How it happened:

Sansone raced home to make it 5-all in the eighth inning when a medium fly ball by Hector Vargas inexplicably fell for a base hit in front of Chiefs right fielder Dylan Carlson. He might have lost track of the ball in the lights, but the catch should have been made.

Dragons reliever Alfredo Meno lasted just one out in the seventh inning. He buck- led to the first-base side of the infield while trying to field a slow dribbler with either a knee or hamstring injury. Trainers helped him slowly retreat to the dugout.

Mena, from the Dominican Republic, signed with the Reds as a free agent in 2013. He finally made it out of rookie ball at Billings just last June 30.

Dragons tales:

Siri of the pieces come together and see the vision of building a team that could not only compete in the East- ern Conference of the NPSL, but challenge to be one of the best teams in the league, come to fruition nine months later is extremely reward- ing,” Griest said.

“I could not be more proud of our group and the dedication and commitment they have shown throughout the season, and we welcome the challenge of going to Erie to try to further extend our season while competing for the city of Dayton.”

Veteran Dynamo players Eric Hutton, Tristan Lyle and Peyton Mowery, all of whom have played through the highs and lows of the past two seasons, weigh in on the playoffs:

Hutton, defender:

“After our rough season last year, I think Dan has done a great job recruiting and getting the right guys to put us in the right spot. I’m very excited to see how we do on Saturday and I’m also extended his hitting streak to 26 games and he did it in the same manner as Wednesday’s series opener. Batting leadoff, both times he hit a high chopper to deep shortstop and appeared to tie the throw to first base. Ties go to the runner.

Both times he punched the air and pointed skyward to a rousing ovation. Siri owns the longest hitting streak in the league since 2010.

The Midwest League record is 35, set by Waterloo’s Tony Toups in 1977. Going into Thursday, Siri hit .360 with 10 home runs during the streak. He also is among the ML leaders in most significant offensive stats.

Statistically, the Drag- ons have nearly the same team hitting and scoring averages as the first half of the season, which resulted in Dayton claiming a wild-card spot in the postseason play- very excited to see what the future holds for this team. It’s always nice to play for a team that is competing every day and gives you quality competition for my upcoming college season.”

Lyle, forward:

“My ultimate goal is to be a professional and the playoffs are where you can be seen. After last season’s struggles, I wanted to make sure this summer I would play for a team that would be able to compete at a high level. This team is a completely different group than last year’s bunch, and I’m happy I stuck with the Dynamo and humbled that we have an oppor- tunity to make a mark in these playoffs.”

Mowery, defender:

“Making the playoffs is exciting and a huge accomplish- ment, but the fact that it’s with this team makes it that much better. Not only have we improved a huge amount from last year, but I have grown up with many of the guys on the team, being that many of us are from the Dayton area. Playing with these guys is like playing with brothers and being from the Dayton area it’s exciting to represent my hometown.” offs. But pitching is another revealing story.

Everything was working in the first half, starters middle relief and closers. That accounted for a 3.73 team ERA. Since then, the team ERA has ballooned to 4.94.

Unlike last season, the Dragons function best with a green light permanently on. Dayton leads the Midwest League with 51 run- ners caught stealing, but the Dragons also lead the league in stolen bases (111).

Attendance was an announced crowd of 9,019, among the largest this season at Fifth Third Field.

The next three games will be televised live on CW Channel 26.1, Spectrum Ch. 13 and 1013, Direct TV and DISH Ch. 26. SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND — Rory McIlroy was standing on the sixth tee and already doubting his chances of making the weekend at the British Open when his negative thoughts were interrupted by his caddie, J.P. Fitzgerald.

“He reminded me who I was, basically,” said McIlroy, a four-time major champion. “He said: ‘You’re Rory McIl- roy, what are you doing?’”

Initially, his response was passive.

“Whatever,” replied McIlroy, who had bogeyed four of his first five holes and was about to drop another shot at No. 6.

But then came the recovery. McIlroy got up and down from a front bunker for par at the short seventh hole, rolled in a 15-foot putt for par at the eighth hole having pushed his drive into the rough, and birdied four of his last eight holes to shoot a 1-over 71.

One of the biggest roars of the day at Royal Birkdale came from the giant grand- stands at No. 18 when McIlroy made a 15-footer for birdie, pumping his fist when the ball fell into the cup.

“I still feel I’m in the golf tournament,” said McIlroy, who was six shots off the lead held by Americans Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar.

McIlroy has missed the cut at three of his past four tournaments — the U.S. Open, the Irish Open and the Scottish Open — and said he was “nervous ... anxious, timid” as he teed offalongside Dustin Johnson and Charl Schwartzel in one of the marquee afternoon groups.

It made a mockery of McIl- roy’s pre-tournament rallying call Wednesday, when he reacted to being told his odds for victory were 20-1 by saying: “It’s a good week to back me.”

Eventhose odds — unusually long for McIlroy — looked over Paul Casey and Charl Schwartzel on a day that started nasty and ended with 39 players breaking par. The biggest question after a long day on the links was what was in store for today, when high wind and occasional showers were in the forecast.

“I thought today’s round was extremely important, as they all are,” Spieth said, atop the leaderboard at a major for the first time since last year’s Masters. “But given the forecast coming in, I thought you really needed to be in the red today. You can cer- tainly make up ground in a round tomorrow, and we’ll see it happen. But being able to kind of play with shots, or play a little more conservative because you don’t try to do too much on a day like tomorrow, that’s nice and very helpful.”

Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy fall into that category.

Johnson, the No. 1 player who hasn’t played the week- end at a major since the British Open last year, managed only one birdie on a decent day for scoring and shot 71. McIlroy also shot 71 and was relieved. Coming off three missed cuts in his last four events, he was5 over through six holes when his caddie gave him a pep talk. McIl- roy closed with three birdies over the last four holes to stay in the game.

Phil Mickelson failed to make a birdie, the first time that has happened in a major in five years, and shot 73.

Kuchar was the only one at 65 who played in the after- noon. The wind remained strong, though the course was manageable for every- way too short when the world No. 4 pulled his tee shot at the first, had a flier to the right of the green with his second shot, sent his chip shot through the green with his third, and two-putted for bogey.

He bogeyed Nos. 3-5 — his par putt at the fourth hole lipped out from 4 feet — and said he was thinking: “Geez, here we go again.”

Fitzgerald’s words kept McIlroy positive and the Northern Irishman was happy that he stayed patient. Just last week at the Scottish Open, McIlroy said his attitude to golf and life in general had improved since getting married in April.

“I didn’t get angry out there at all,” he said. “I didn’t let my head drop too much.”

McIlroy hasn’t missed the cut at consecutive majors since 2010 (Masters, U.S. Open) and is taking confidence from winning the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston in September last year after being 4 over through three holes.

“I’m always more nervous playing in these four (major) tournaments than I am anything else,” McIlroy said. “And I felt that out there today, just because of the lack of self-belief I had going out.

“But somehow I was able to find it halfway through the round and, again, that’s what I’m going to concentrate on going into tomorrow.” one who stayed out of bunkers and deep grass and who holed putts.

“I watched some of the golf this morning on TV. It looked awfully challenging,” Kuchar said. “It looked like anything under par was going to be a good score. Seemed like the later your tee time, the better draw you got . ... For me, to start my British Open with a 29 on the front nine is a great way to start.”

Defending champion Henrik Stenson, who played with Spieth, had a 69. Stenson also played with Spieth the first two rounds of the 2015 Masters that the Texan won wire-to-wire and knew what to expect.

“He was rolling it superbly that week, and I don’t think it was that far behind today,” Stenson said.

But his best shot was with his feet in the sand. Spieth was in thick rough to the right ofthe 16th fairway when his shot crept into the back of a pot bunker. Not only was the ball on a slight slope, the rake marks left his ball between two ridges.

“This is dangerous,” he said to his caddie.

He aimed to the right of the hole to avoid it going off the green on the other side and into another bunker, and it came off perfectly about 10 feet away.

“That was awesome,” were his next words to his caddie.

He made the par putt, picked up a two-putt birdie on the 17th and narrowly missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the last. It was his best start in a major since he shot 66 at the Masters a year ago. Spieth rated it among the top five or six rounds he has ever played in a major.

“I couldn’t have done much better today,” he said.