Roughriders force late fumble at goal line, beat Alouettes 25-17 for 5th Grey Cup title

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Tevaughn Campbell forced Montreal backup quarterback Shea Patterson's fumble at the goal line and Marcus Sayles recovered it in the end zone with 2:53 left to help the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat the Alouettes 25-17 on Sunday night for their fifth Grey Cup title.

Saskatchewan also won Canadian Football League championships in 1966, 1989, 2007 and 2013. Montreal won the last of its eight titles in 2023.

Trevor Harris completed 23 of 27 passes for 302 yards for Saskatchewan, and the 39-year-old was selected the game MVP.

“I’m just grateful for my teammates. I’m so thankful for my teammates,” Harris said. ”“We did it. It wasn’t the prettiest game but it never is.”

Samuel Emilus had 10 catches for 108 yards, A.J. Ouellette ran for 83 yards and a TD and backup quarterback Tommy Stevens had two 1-yard scoring runs.

Sayles also had an interception for the first takeaway of the game.

Montreal starter Davis Alexander lost for the first time after winning his first 13 starts, going 11-0 over two years during the regular season and adding playoff wins over Winnipeg and Hamilton this year. Fighting a left hamstring injury, Alexander threw three interceptions.

“I didn’t play well enough to win this game for us,” Alexander said. “I did a couple things that I didn’t do during the year, you know, turn the ball over three times. When you get outplayed in the quarterback position, you put your team at a deficit right away..”

On the final play of the game, his long heave fell incomplete.

“I thought he ran around pretty good,” Roughriders defensive lineman Micah Johnson said. “I thought we did a good job of taking stuff away from him. In my opinion he was running around decently … he was healthy.”

Saskatchewan led 25-7 in the third quarter on Stevens' second touchdown and Brett Lauther’s 48-yard field goal.

Stevie Scott III had an 11-yard scoring run for Montreal on the final play of the third, and Jose Carlos Maltos made a 23-yard field goal to cut it to 25-17 midway through the fourth. The Roughriders then missed a chance to pad the lead when Lauther's 32-yard field-goal try was wide to the right.

Montreal took a 7-1 lead late in the first quarter on Patterson’s 1-yard run. In the second quarter, Stevens scored his first TD and Ouellette ran in from 4 yards.

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Montreal Alouettes' Darnell Sankey (1) looks on following second half CFL football action against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Marcus Sayles (8), bottom, celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumble from Montreal Alouettes' Shea Patterson (7) during second half CFL football action in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris (7) celebrates the team's win over the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL Grey Cup football game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris (7) celebrates his team's win over the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL Grey Cup football game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Saskatchewan Roughriders' A.J. Ouellette (45) celebrates his touchdown against the Montreal Alouettes during first half CFL football action in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Tommy Nield (83) gets taken down by Montreal Alouettes' Najee Murray (12) after running 34 yards to the Montreal one-yard line for first down during second half CFL football action in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Tommy Stevens (17) celebrates his touchdown with teammate A.J. Ouellette (45) against the Montreal Alouettes during second half CFL football action in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Kian Schaffer-Baker (89) is tackled by Montreal Alouettes' Marc-Antoine Dequoy (24) as Wesley Sutton (37) reaches for the ball during second half CFL football action in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Saskatchewan Roughriders' A.J. Ouellette (45), left, celebrates his touchdown with teammates while taking on the Montreal Alouettes during first half CFL football action in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

HOUSTON (AP) — J.J. D’Orazio doubled with three RBIs and Andrew Fischer drove in two runs as Italy kept up its charmed World Baseball Classic run with an 8-6 win over Puerto Rico on Saturday to earn its first trip to the semifinals.

The Azzurri improved to 5-0 in the tournament and advanced to face defending champion Japan or Venezuela on Monday night in Miami.

Italy trailed only briefly after a leadoff home run by Willi Castro before scoring four runs in the first inning to go on top for good. Puerto Rico rallied late, scoring four runs in the eighth, but Greg Weissert allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth for a five-out save.

Puerto Rico, in the quarterfinals for a sixth time, fell to 1-2 against Italy in the WBC.

Italy was up by two in the fourth when it drew three straight walks that loaded the bases with two outs. Fischer hit a ball to right field that a fan reached over the fence to catch, and Fischer was credited with a double on fan interference for a 6-2 lead. D’Orazio followed with a two-run, ground-rule double.

Eddie Rosario hit into a run-scoring forceout in the eighth, Joe La Sorsa threw a run-scoring wild pitch and Christian Vázquez hit a two-run single. Weissert allowed a two-out single before retiring Nolan Arenado on an inning-ending groundout.

Castro’s shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field on winner Sam Aldegheri’s fourth pitch put Puerto Rico, its second home run of the tournament.

Vinnie Pasquantino, who set a WBC record with three homers in Italy’s previous game, hit a tying single in the bottom half, and RBI singles by Dominic Canzone and Jac Caglianone chased loser Seth Lugo. D’Orazio hit a sacrifice fly off Jovani Morán.

Aldegheri walked two batters with one out in the second and hit Matthew Lugo on the top of a foot with a pitch. Alek Jacob forced in a run when he entered with the bases loaded and plunked Martin Maldonado with his first pitch.

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Italy shortstop Thomas Saggese, right, stops a grounder hit for a single by Puerto Rico's Nolan Arenado as Italy's Andrew Fischer (11) watches during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Puerto Rico's MJ Melendez dives back to first during the seventh inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Italy, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Puerto Rico's Willi Castro, right, is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Italy, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Italy's Jakob Marsee singles during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Puerto Rico, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Italy's Andrew Fischer celebrates after hitting a two-run double during the fourth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Puerto Rico, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)