Former Newton South quarterback Austin Burton, the son of WBZ-TV sportscaster Steve Burton, rescinded a verbal commitment to Boston College to accept a scholarship offer from UCLA, which he received minutes after commiting to the Eagles. The Burtons made a campus visit to UCLA, and Austin was excited about learning from current starter Josh Rosen, a rising sophomore for the Bruins. “I have an opportunity at UCLA that I just had to pursue,’’ Burton said via text. “I know I can compete there for the starting job and look forward to doing that.’’ The 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound Burton, who last season threw for 3,299 yards and 34 touchdowns in directing Newton South to an 8-3 record, will play his senior season at West Orange High in Winter Haven, Fla., before heading to Los Angeles for the 2017 season. Steve Burton said his son’s decision was extremely difficult. “He was really attached to [BC offensive coordinator] Scot Loeffler,’’ said the elder Burton, who played quarterback at Northwestern. “The Burton family loves BC, but he just thought he was better fitted at UCLA.’’
Owen Pence
ND player hit with felony assault of officer
Devin Butler, a Notre Dame cornerback accused of tackling a police officer and punching him in the side and stomach during an altercation outside a South Bend, Ind., bar last Saturday, was charged with felony counts of resisting law enforcement and battery against a public safety official. Butler, who was released on a $1,000 bond, was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday. Butler’s arrest came hours after five other teammates were arrested in Fulton County, about 40 miles south of South Bend, and charged with misdemeanors for marijuana possession and possession of an unlicensed handgun. All six remained enrolled in school, but face pending university sanctions.
Baseball
Rangers waive injury-plagued Hamilton
The Texas Rangers placed outfielder Josh Hamilton, 35, on unconditional release waivers after activating the 2010 MVP from the 60-day disabled list, a move that was expected. The 35-year-old outfielder had surgery June 8 to reconstruct his ACL and repair cartilage damage. It was Hamilton’s third operation on the knee since September. General manager Jon Daniels said the move had to be done before the end of August or Hamilton would not have been eligible to play for the Rangers until after May 15 under Major League Baseball’s contract rules.
Dodgers add two to DL to tie record
The Dodgers placed lefthanders Brett Anderson and Scott Kazmir on the disabled list, tying the 2012 Red Sox for the major league record with 27 players on the DL this season. Kazmir is out with neck inflammation after pitching a season-low 2⅔ innings Monday in a 19-8 win over Cincinnati. Anderson, who has a blister on his left index finger, has totaled four innings over two starts and has a 24.75 ERA since returning from back surgery . . . Orioles ace Chris Tillman, who was scheduled to start Thursday in Washington, appears headed to the 15-day disabled list with a sore right shoulder. After having his last start pushed back three days, Tillman gave up six runs in two innings against Houston on Saturday. After Tuesday’s game against Washington, manager Buck Showalter said: ‘‘I think he’s going to be on the disabled list.’’ Tillman is 15-5 with a 3.76 ERA in 26 starts . . . Kaiden Dinh hit a walkoff single to rally Johnston, Iowa, past Warwick, R.I., 3-2, in an elimination game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. Rhode Island starter Colin Lemieux allowed four hits and struck out 13 in 5⅓ innings, but left with the bases loaded due to the pitch limit. Iowa’s Josh Larson then hit the first pitch to tie the game at 2. On the next pitch, Dinh singled through the same hole on the left side to win it.
In other action, Clayton Campbell pitched a three-hitter and struck out 14 to help Australia beat Curacao, 2-1, in an elimination game. Australia has won two games in the LLWS for the first time. The team from Sydney will play Mexico on Wednesday.
Miscellany
Court upholds ban of Russian Paralympians
Two days after Russia finished fourth in the Olympic medal table, its Paralympic team of 267 athletes was barred from the upcoming Games in Rio de Janeiro as punishment for a state-backed doping program. Sport’s highest court upheld a decision by the International Paralympic Committee to exclude the sports superpower . . . Jane Laut, 59, the wife of Olympic shot putter David Laut, who won the bronze in the 1984 LA Games, was sentenced to consecutive prison terms of 25 years to life for first-degree murder after shooting her husband in 2009, which she claimed was in self-defense following years of abuse . . . The US Tennis Association installed Serena Williams, who barely maintained her perch atop the WTA rankings ahead of Angelique Kerber, and Novak Djokovic, respectively, as the top seeds for the US Open . . . Top-seed Agnieszka Radwanska breezed past 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-1 in the second round of the Connecticut Open in New Haven.Ekaterina Makarova advanced to the third round by beating qualifier Anastasija Sevastova, 6-3, 6-2 . . . Matt Doyle of The Misquamicut Club shot a 5-under-par 67 to take a one-shot lead over Bob Bruso (6-under 138) of Worcester Country Club after the second round of the New England PGA Section Championship at Pinehills Golf Club.
. . . In response to a survey of its season ticket holders, the Minnesota Wild this season will celebrate their goals at the Xcel Energy Center with the song ‘‘Let’s Go Crazy’’ by the late music icon Prince. It will replace Joe Satriani’s “Crowd Chant.’’
