Northwest Missouri State University freshman Caroline Ross earned the MIAA’s co-female cross country athlete of the week honor for her performance this past weekend at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Ross (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls HS) clocked in a with a time of 24:01 for the 6,000 meter course. Ross placed fifth overall in the gold division race.
— Northwest Athletics —
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie Jacob Stallings hit a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning to rally the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.
After Jordan Luplow grounded into a double play, Kevin Kramer walked and moved to second on Kevin Newman’s single. Stallings then singled into left field off Ben Lively (0-3), scoring Kramer.
It was Stallings’ second career game-ending hit. The catcher also had one in 2016.
The Pirates scored twice with two outs in the eighth inning to tie the game at 6-all. The first run scored when first baseman Ryan O’Hearn failed to handle a throw from third baseman Hunter Dozier on a grounder by Pablo Reyes. Starling Marte followed with an RBI triple.
Newman had three of Pittsburgh’s 15 hits, and the rookie shortstop extended his hitting streak to six games as the Pirates won for the ninth time in 12 games.
Edgar Santana (3-3) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
O’Hearn’s 11th home run in 36 games since making his debut July 31 led off the top of the eighth and gave the Royals a two-run lead.
Bell drew Pittsburgh to 5-4 in the seventh with a run-scoring single.
O’Hearn’s RBI double capped a four-run fifth inning and put the Royals on top 5-3. That followed consecutive run-scoring singles by Adalberto Mondesi, Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez.
Gordon doubled in the game’s first run in top of the third inning, and Corey Dickerson countered with an RBI single in the bottom half. Frazier’s two-run single in the fourth gave the Pirates a short-lived 3-1 lead.
Kansas City’s Brad Keller allowed four runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings. Pittsburgh’s Joe Musgrove also pitched six innings, giving up five runs and eight hits.
Keller got his first major league hit when he singled off Musgrove to lead off the fifth inning. It came in Keller’s second career at-bat after he struck out in the second.
O’Hearn’s homer to right field off Steven Brault was the first allowed by the left-hander in 117 career plate appearances against left-handed batters.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: 2B Frazier (right knee discomfort) left for a pinch-runner immediately after hitting his double. . C Francisco Cervelli (flu-like symptoms) was scratched from the original lineup. . C Elias Diaz (strained right hamstring) has been cleared to play after sitting out since Aug. 31. . Pitching coach Ray Searage underwent cervical surgery and assistant pitching coach Justin Meccage is taking his place.
AND 31 YEARS LATER . . .
Royals 2B Whit Merrifield played his first game in Pittsburgh. Merrifield’s father, Bill, was called up by the Pirates for one day late in the 1987 season then sent to instructional league to make the conversion from third baseman to first baseman.
Bill Merrifield did not appear in a game and never returned to the major leagues.
REMEMBERING MAC
A moment of silence was held for rapper/singer Mac Miller, who died last week. Miller was a Pittsburgh native and Pirates’ fan.
UP NEXT
Royals: LHP Eric Skoglund (1-5, 6.19) makes his third appearance and second start Tuesday night. He had been sidelined from May 26-Sept. 6 with a sprained ligament in his left elbow.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (13-9, 3.37) has allowed three earned runs or less in 19 straight starts.
— Associated Press —
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou junior K Tucker McCann has been named among the Lou Groza Awards Stars of the Week, announced Monday by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. This is the first time that McCann has earned this distinction.
Mizzou is still undefeated thanks to kicker McCann’s 25-yard field goal as time expired to give the Tigers a 40-37 road victory over Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday. The junior from O’Fallon, Ill., was 4-for-5 on field goals with makes of 40, 31 and 29 yards in addition to the game-winner. His lone miss was blocked from 50 yards out. He added four PATs for a 16-point game. With eight field goals on the season, McCann is tied for second in the nation and leads the SEC in scoring through three weeks of play.
McCann and the Tigers return home this Saturday to host No. 2/3 Georgia in a battle of SEC East unbeatens. The game will air at 11 a.m. on ESPN 1550 AM.
— Mizzou Athletics —
ATLANTA (AP) — Kolten Wong hit the first of four St. Louis homers, Miles Mikolas won his third straight start and the Cardinals beat the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves 11-6 on Monday night to give their playoff push another boost.
St. Louis has 35 victories since the All-Star break, most in the National League, and has won two straight after losing four in a row. The Cardinals, who also got homers from Paul DeJong, Harrison Bader and Yadier Molina, began the night tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second NL wild card.
The Braves took a third consecutive loss after winning a season-best six straight games. They remained 6 1/2 games ahead in the division following Philadelphia’s loss to the Mets, which reduced Atlanta’s magic number to seven as the Braves try to clinch their first NL East title in five years.
Mike Foltynewicz (11-10) walked three of the first five batters he faced — one intentionally — and hit Yadier Molina with a pitch before Wong’s opposite-field, two-run single gave St. Louis a 3-0 lead in the first.
Atlanta pitchers have issued 32 walks over the last four games, all at home, where they are 38-37 and have dropped nine of their last 12.
Mikolas (16-4) allowed four hits, two runs and one walk while striking out six in five innings. The right-hander, who leads the NL in fewest walks per nine innings, improved to 16-0 when getting at least two runs of support, and the Cardinals are 21-3 in those games.
After Freddie Freeman’s 22nd homer made it a one-run game in the third, the Cardinals went up 4-2 in the fourth on Wong’s ninth homer and 6-2 in the fifth on DeJong’s 18th homer and Marcell Ozuna’s RBI double. St. Louis improved to an NL-best 40-19 when hitting a road homer.
Foltynewicz allowed five hits, six runs and four walks with two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Coming off a complete-game victory at San Francisco, Foltynewicz had gone 4-2 with a 1.84 ERA in his last eight starts, but he couldn’t overcome a lack of fastball control.
Nick Markakis drove in a run with his NL-leading 42nd double, coming against Dakota Hudson in the seventh, to pull the Braves to 6-5. But then Jesse Biddle gave up a pair of two-out walks in the eighth, and Bader, a defensive replacement in the seventh, hit a three-run homer to put St. Louis up 9-5.
The Braves had a chance to do more damage in the bottom half of the inning against Carlos Martinez after Ronald Acuna Jr.’s RBI single cut the lead to 9-6, but Martinez struck out Freeman with the bases loaded.
Molina hit his 18th homer, a two-run shot off Arodys Vizcaino, in the ninth.
BAD MOVES
Cardinals CF Yairo Munoz made two errors in the sixth that let Atlanta cut the lead to 6-4. He dropped the ball after picking up Ender Inciarte’s single, allowing Inciarte to advance to second and Johan Camargo to third. Munoz made a throwing error to third on Tyler Flowers’ single, allowing both runners to score.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: Manager Mike Shildt said RHP Bud Norris wasn’t available because of irritated skin on his right middle finger. Norris left Sunday night’s win over the Dodgers after walking the only batter he faced.
Braves: Camargo, the team’s everyday third baseman, went 1 for 5 in his return to the lineup after missing the past four games with left groin tightness.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: LHP Austin Gomber (5-1, 3.78 ERA) will make his first career start against Atlanta on Tuesday. Gomber allowed seven runs and nine hits in his last start, lasting three innings in a 9-7 loss to the Dodgers.
Braves: RHP Anibal Sanchez (6-5, 3.01 ERA) seeks his first victory since Aug. 3, a span of eight starts in which he’s 1-1 with a 3.02 ERA.
— Associated Press —
MUSKOGEE, Okla. – Missouri Western Men’s Golf sits tied for ninth place after day one at the NSU Men’s Golf Classic. Patrick McCarthy leads the Griffons after the first two rounds and is currently tied for ninth on the individual leaderboards.
The Griffons got out to a hot start as a team and finished the first round with a score of 280. Missouri Western was in fifth place going into the second round but was unable to duplicate the results of the first round. The team finished the second round with a 292 and dropped down to ninth place going into Tuesday.
Patrick McCarthy played consistent in the first two rounds and finished -4. He posted a 68 in the first round before following with a 70 in the second round. McCarthy currently sits tied for ninth.
Tom Buffington is the second Griffon on the leaderboards with a 145 and tied for 44th. Buffington has the second-best round of anyone on the Griffons at the event, shooting a 69 in the first round.
Missouri Western will tee off the third round of the NSU Classic at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
— MWSU Athletics —
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football standout WR Jalen Knox (Mansfield, Texas) is the SEC Freshman of the Week, announced Monday by the league office. Knox is the first Mizzou player to earn an SEC weekly honor this season and it is the first career nod for Knox. He is the first Mizzou player to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors since Nov. 20, 2017, when TE Albert Okwuegbunam earned the distinction.
Last Saturday at Purdue, Knox had a break-out performance in Saturday’s win at Purdue, as he caught five passes for 110 yards (both career highs), including his first collegiate touchdown, which came on a beautiful skinny post route that he took in stride and raced 59 yards untouched to paydirt to give Mizzou a 20-10 lead early in the second quarter. His contributions were crucial for the Tiger offense, as they were without the services for most of the game of senior WR Emanuel Hall, who was limited with a groin injury.
Knox turned in only the fifth 100-yard receiving game by a true freshman in Mizzou history. The feat was accomplished last in 2016 by former Tiger Dimetrios Mason (twice), and prior to that, in 1999 by Travis Garvin and in 1984 by Andy Gibler.
Knox and the Tigers return home this Saturday to host No. 2/3 Georgia in a battle of SEC East unbeatens. The game will air at 11 a.m. on ESPN 1550 AM.
— Mizzou Athletics —
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tyreek Hill turned to face the cameras when the hottest quarterback in the NFL looked up, saw a potential traffic jam and urged his Kansas City Chiefs teammate to conduct his business elsewhere.
“Don’t do that here,” Patrick Mahomes said with a laugh.
Hill responded by shuffling a few steps clear of Mahomes’ stall.
Good idea. There’s little doubt who is calling the shots now in Kansas City. It’s the first-year starter with the big arm.
Mahomes tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes and the Chiefs held off the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 42-37 victory Sunday that showcased why Kansas City traded away veteran Alex Smith in in the spring and put the team in the hands of a 22-year-old with all of one career start under his belt.
“He had a couple good plays you know,” coach Andy Reid said after Mahomes led Kansas City to its first win in Pittsburgh in 32 years.
Maybe more than a couple.
Mahomes, who turns 23 on Monday, finished 23 of 28 for 326 yards. His 10 touchdown passes through two weeks are the most ever by a quarterback through two games in NFL history. Heady stuff for a player who spent almost all of last season on the bench watching Smith guide the Chiefs to a fourth playoff berth in five years.
“You never expect to have 10 touchdowns at this point in the season,” Mahomes said. “But I knew with this offense and the weapons that we have and the scheme coach Reid has drawn up that we had a chance to be really, really good and the possibilities are endless.”
It sure looked that way while Mahomes spread the ball to seven different teammates, five of whom reached the end zone. Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 109 yards and two scores. Tyreek Hill, Chris Conley, Kareem Hunt and Demarcus Robinson also hauled in touchdown passes as the Chiefs (2-0) recovered in the second half after blowing an early 21-pont lead.
“I see Pat doing this all season long,” Kelce said. “He’s got the confidence. As long as we give him time and get open as wide outs and tight ends and running backs, he’s going to be able to get the best out of everyone.”
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shook off an achy right elbow that limited him in practice during the week, completing 39 of 60 passes for 452 yards and three touchdowns. The 36-year-old also leapt into the end zone for a 3-yard score with 1:59 to go that got the Steelers (0-1-1) within five.
Rather than attempt an onside kick, Pittsburgh sent it deep. Two runs by Hunt gave Kansas City a big first down and Steelers linebacker Tyler Matakevich was flagged for roughing the punter, allowing the Chiefs to run out the clock and put the two-time defending AFC North champions at a crossroads just two weeks into the season.
“It’s not fun, but it’s still early,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s kind of where are we going to go from here. It’s kind of a mirror, gut check, whatever you want to call it. We’ll see how everyone wants to respond.”
STATS AND MORE STATS
The six touchdown passes by Mahomes tied the most ever allowed by the Steelers in franchise history. Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly threw six against Pittsburgh in 1991. … Pittsburgh tight end Jesse James set a career-high with 138 yards receiving. … Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 67 yards, becoming the fastest player in NFL history to cross the 750-career reception total (117 games). … Roethlisberger moved past John Elway and into seventh for career passing yards. … The Chiefs scored six touchdowns and had just 27:49 time of possession. Their longest scoring drive lasted just 3:57. … Mahomes’ six scores tied Len Dawson’s franchise mark set in 1964 against Denver when the Chiefs played in the American Football League.
INJURIES
Chiefs: Get well Eric Berry. The veteran safety remains out with a sore heel and Kansas City’s defensive backfield hasn’t exactly stepped up in his absence. The Chiefs have allowed 870 yards in the air through two games. Part of the blame — if that’s the word — can be placed on opponents playing catch-up after getting buried early by Mahomes and company.
Steelers: Pittsburgh’s secondary badly missed cornerback Joe Haden, who sat out with a strained right hamstring. There appeared to be communication issues all over the place early on, particularly when it came to finding a way to guard Kelce.
UP NEXT
Chiefs: Welcome San Francisco to Arrowhead Stadium in their 2018 home opener next Sunday.
Steelers: Head to Tampa Bay for a Monday night meeting with the Buccaneers on Sept. 24.
— Associated Press —
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Three second half goals lifted the Missouri Western women’s soccer team to a 4-0 win at Northwest Missouri (1-3) Sunday afternoon.
The Griffons (4-2) had their first undefeated weekend of the season and picked up their third-straight win with a dominant offensive performance and the team’s first shutout of the year. Cassidy Menke put the Griffs up 1-0 in the 10th minute. The rivals went to the break with MWSU up 1-0. It was all Missouri Western in the second half. Menke assisted Claire Meyers’ second goal of the weekend in the 65th minute. Brooke Howe scored the first goal of her career with an assist to Kelsey Roe less than six minutes after Meyers’ goal. Jordan Jennings scored her first goal of the season in the 81st minute to give the Griffs a season high, four goals.
Anna Mayer earned her first career shutout and picked up her fourth win of the season. She had three saves in the first half and one more in the first 10 minutes of the second half before giving way to Ally Barb who didn’t have to save any shots to seal the shutout.
UP NEXT
Missouri Western plays its first home game of the year this Friday when the Griffs host No. 1 Central Missouri on Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium at 6 p.m.
— MWSU Athletics —
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There was little for Tyler Austin to be upset about as he headed to the bus on Sunday.
The Twins’ first baseman had hit one of their four home runs in a 9-6 win over the Kansas City Royals. He had escaped unscathed after making a spectacular catch while flipping into the dugout down the first-base line and, perhaps most importantly, he didn’t have to dress up in one of the ridiculous horse-and-jockey costumes that were awaiting his rookie teammates in their locker.
Instead, Austin was able to enjoy all of it — right down to the rookie hazing ritual — after the Twins managed to avoid a four-game sweep and an ignominious start to their final trip this season.
Max Kepler, Johnny Field and Jorge Polanco also went deep for the Twins, who had a season-high 18 hits and got a gritty effort by Kyle Gibson (8-13) to cool off the red-hot Royals.
“You always have something to play for,” said Gibson, who lasted into the seventh to end a four-start losing streak, despite allowing five runs and 11 hits. “When teams start giving up and throwing it in, they’re only doing disrespecting those around you.”
So that’s why Austin was willing to go head-over-heels into an empty dugout, and while the rest of the Twins were there to pick him right back up with a pat on his back.
“I don’t think he cares where fences are,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He kind of caught it as he got there and unfortunately there were no people there. He took a pretty hard fall but he’s OK.”
Jerry Vasto (0-1) allowed one run on three hits to take the loss in relief.
Ryan O’Hearn and Rosell Herrera staked Kansas City to a 2-0 lead with back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the first, but Minnesota slowly chipped away in building a 5-2 lead in the fourth.
Polanco began the comeback with an RBI single, but it was Kepler’s homer off Jakob Junis — on the pitcher’s 26th birthday, no less — and back-to-back shots by Austin and Field that turned the game.
It was the sixth time Minnesota has gone back-to-back this season.
Brian Goodwin answered for Kansas City with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, and two-run shot by Adalberto Mondesi in the fifth allowed Kansas City to pull even again. But Polanco’s homer off Brian Flynn leading off the sixth gave Minnesota the lead back for good.
“It was a good homestand. I’m glad we’re playing better for our fans,” said Royals manager Ned Yost, whose club has won five straight series. “We haven’t given them much to cheer for all summer long, yet they still cheer for us. So, to have some success here at the end of the season makes me feel a little bit better.”
RIDER UP
The Twins rookies poured out of the dugout long after the final pitch and proceeded to run around Kauffman Stadium in what Gibson dubbed the Kentucky Derby. They’ll have to don their costumes again to run the Preakness after their final game in Detroit, then do it one more time to run the Belmont Stakes when they conclude their final road series in Oakland next weekend.
EWW, GROSS
Twins pitcher Zack Littell left Saturday’s game after developing blood blister on a finger of his pitching hand. “It’s good,” he said before Sunday’s game. “Came in this morning and let them drain it again. Letting it dry up and then take a day or two off catch, then get back at it.”
EASY WITH EDDIE
Eddie Rosario (hamstring) was the DH on Sunday, and Twins manager Paul Molitor said he’s being cautious with putting him back in the outfield. “I’m hoping he gets there. I don’t think he’s feeling that risk is worthwhile,” Molitor said. “As it’s going, I’m getting him in there most days as DH.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: C Mitch Garver (concussion) was feeling better Sunday, though it’s still unclear when he will be cleared to play. “He’s got more energy,” Molitor said. “There’s signs he’s getting it behind him.” … 3B Miguel Sano (bruised leg) missed his 10th straight game. “He said he’s doing better,” Molitor said. “He told me he wanted to try to play sometime in the Detroit series.”
Royals: 1B/3B Hunter Dozier (back) was out of the lineup against Sunday. He’s been in and out of the lineup for the past week. O’Hearn started at 1B and Alcides Escobar at 3B on Sunday.
UP NEXT
The Twins continue their 10-game trip when they visit Detroit for three games beginning Monday night. The Royals’ final road trip also begins Monday night, when RHP Brad Keller (8-6, 3.04) is on the mound for the first of three games in Pittsburgh.
— Associated Press —
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – No. 20 Central Missouri (2-1) racked up 598 yards of total offense in a 51-14 win over the Missouri Western football team (1-2) on Saturday.
After UCM jumped out to a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter, Missouri Western chopped away and got within two scores after Dom Marino hit Derek Gray Jr. for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 9:08 left in the third. The Mules slammed the door with 24 unanswered points to hand the Griffons their second loss of the season.
UCM led 21-0 after one quarter of play and made it 24-0 with a field goal early in the second quarter. Marino put MWSU on the board two minutes later with a 33-yard touchdown run that capped a five-play, 74-yard Griffon drive. Central Missouri led 27-7 in the third quarter when the Mules fumbled a punt return on their own seven yard line. Marino hit Gray three plays later to get the Griffons within 13. It was all Central Missouri from that point on. The Mules scored on plays of 55, 64 and 40 yards in the game, passing for 435 yards and four touchdowns in the game.
Missouri Western totaled 205 yards of offense with 98 on the ground and 107 threw the air.
The Griffons return home for two-straight games on Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium. It will be Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, Sept. 22 when the Griffons host Northeastern State for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
— MWSU Athletics —
