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Author: Dave Riggert

Mustangs score in ninth to win at Omaha

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The St. Joseph Mustangs won their fourth consecutive game Tuesday afternoon as they scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Omaha Diamond Spirit, 3-2.

Cameron Bentley walked to lead off the ninth inning, advanced to second and to third on passed balls, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Spiker Helms.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team is now 14-2 this season and 11-2 in the MINK League.

The Mustangs took the lead in the second inning as Will Mulligan had an RBI single and Jake Kretzer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Omaha rallied to tie the game with two two-out doubles in the fourth inning off St. Joseph starter Andrew Polly.

Both Polly and Omaha Starter Ben Heairet lasted six innings and the bullpens put zeros on the board until the Mustangs broke the tie in the ninth.

Polly allowed seven runs and he struck out one in his six innings of work.  Ryan Price, Mark Robinette and Doug Shields each pitched one scoreless inning of relief as Robinette earned the win and Shields the save.

Brock Chaffin finished the game 2-for-5 as St. Joe scattered only six hits on the afternoon.

The Mustangs return home Wednesday night as they entertain Omaha at 7:00 p.m. inside Phil Welch Stadium.

Cardinals fall at Washington in series opener

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Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Ryan Zimmerman’s return may have been the spark the Washington Nationals’ offense was waiting for.

Zimmerman certainly made a difference Tuesday night.

The Nationals’ All-Star third baseman hit a run-scoring double in his return from the disabled list to spark a six-run seventh-inning as Washington beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6.

“It was just fun to be part of a game again,” Zimmerman said. “That’s the biggest part. It was a great game, a good win, and hopefully we can continue on with that.”

Zimmerman had missed 58 games because of an injured abdominal muscle which required surgery in early May. He was given ovations from the crowd in pregame introductions and for each of his at-bats, with the loudest cheers coming after his double down the right-field line drove in the Nationals’ first run of the seventh.

“This is his team,” said Jayson Werth, who had an RBI single in the seventh to cap the rally. “He’s an icon of the franchise. He’s the guy, so any time you’re missing a presence like that, it’s definitely good to get him back.”

The six-run inning matched the Nationals’ best this season, and none was wilder than this. Washington’s last four runs in the inning scored with two outs. The tying run scored on a wild pitch and the Nationals took the lead on a bases-loaded walk.

They extended their winning streak to four games, also tying their season best.

“That’s a crazy game right there,” said Nationals closer Drew Storen, who pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances.

Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman hit home runs for St. Louis, which has lost a season-high four straight games.

Miguel Batista (3-2) relieved Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia to start the seventh with St. Louis holding a 6-2 lead. After Zimmerman’s double, Michael Morse had an RBI groundout for the second out. Danny Espinosa then scored Zimmerman on a single.

“I can’t even remember all the at-bats, there were so many good at-bats,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said. “We got a couple breaks, a couple hits that weren’t really squared up that well — it was a lot of great at-bats”

Reliever Trever Miller came on and hit Roger Bernadina, loading the bases, and then threw a wild pitch to pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez, allowing the tying run to score. After an intentional walk to Rodriguez, reliever Jason Motte came on and walked pinch-hitter Laynce Nix on the 11th pitch of the at-bat to give the Nationals their first lead of the game, 7-6.

“It was just a nightmare of a seventh inning,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Henry Rodriguez (2-1) pitched the seventh inning to earn the win.

The Cardinals took advantage of a defensive miscue to score three runs in the fifth and take a 6-1 lead.

An intentional walk to Pujols with one out loaded the bases for Berkman, who hit what appeared to be a double-play grounder to shortstop Ian Desmond. However, Desmond’s flip to Espinosa caught the second baseman in an awkward position, and the throw to first was too late to get Berkman. The reprieve led to two more St. Louis runs as Yadier Molina and Andrew Brown hit run-scoring singles before the Nationals got out of the inning.

Pujols hit a two-run homer in the first — his 15th of the year — and Berkman hit his 17th in the fourth.

Chiefs TE Pope saves six-year old boy

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Associated Press

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Leonard Pope, whose nickname is “Champ,” lived up to the moniker last weekend when he saved a 6-year-old boy from drowning in a swimming pool.

The Chiefs’ backup tight end on Saturday saved the son of a longtime friend from drowning in his hometown of Americus, Ga.

“My heart dropped. It could have been any child … I just knew I had to do something,” Pope said in an interview with “ESPN First Take” on Tuesday. “I wasn’t waiting on anyone else … to try to pull him out. I just felt because I have kids of my own I would want someone to do that for my kids, also.”

According to his bio on the Chiefs’ website, Pope has two young daughters.

The boy’s mother, Anne Moore, told the Americus Times Recorder that Pope was the only person at the party who knew how to swim. Pope said he learned how to swim when he was 9 or 10 years old.

“He saved my son’s life, and I am so thankful that he was there for me and my child,” she told the newspaper.

Pope jumped into the pool — wearing all of his clothes, “cell phone, wallet and everything” — and pulled her son, Bryson, from the water.

“I was coming out of the house, I heard Anne cry. She was like ‘get, get him, he’s drowning!’ I couldn’t see Bryson. All I could see was his fingertips at the top of the water and I couldn’t see his head,” Pope said.

The NFL’s lockout turned out to be good fortune for Moore and her son.

“The fact that he is normally at camp and could have been in Kansas City just proved to me that he was placed here to save my son from drowning, and I thank God that he was here,” she told the newspaper. “He truly lived up to his nickname ‘Champ’ because he was truly a champion for me and my son this past weekend.”

The Chiefs are an organization that has dealt with a similar tragedy. It was 28 years ago this month that star running back Joe Delaney drowned while trying to save three children from drowning in a Louisiana pond. Two of the children died.

K-State women release non-conference basketball schedule

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KSU Sports Information

Kansas State women’s basketball head coach Deb Patterson announced on Wednesday the non-conference schedule for the 2011-12 season. The Wildcats’ non-conference slate includes six opponents who reached a postseason tournament during the 2010-11 season.

 

“Our non-conference schedule will provide our team with exceptional opportunities to face unique styles of play and great, NCAA Tournament-type teams from across the country early in our season,” stated Patterson about the schedule for her 16th season in Manhattan. “We are excited about the opportunity to play in the Cancun Challenge for the second time in five years and to visit Las Vegas for the second time in three seasons. We are also looking forward to the opportunity to face Wichita State for the first time in a number of seasons and to welcome Iowa into Bramlage Coliseum for the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. Overall, I think this schedule will prepare us for the upcoming challenge of the new 18-game Big 12 format.”

 

K-State will open the 2011-12 season with a three-game home stand beginning on Saturday, Nov. 12, against Dartmouth. The season-opener will be the first of two contests this season that will be part of a “Wildcat Weekend,” as the K-State football team will host Texas A&M at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on the same day.

 

The Wildcats won the first-ever meeting with the Big Green last season, 69-48, during Dartmouth’s 34th annual Blue Sky Classic in Hanover, N.H. K-State is 6-1 all-time against schools from the Ivy League.

 

Kansas State will continue its home stand with a midweek matchup with BYU on Wednesday, Nov. 16. The Wildcats lead the series with BYU, 2-0, including a 65-62 in the last meeting on Nov. 27, 2009, in Provo, Utah. The Cougars will be making their first women’s basketball appearance in Manhattan.

 

The Cougars tallied the fifth 20-win season under head coach Jeff Judkins with a 25-9 mark, which included a 15-1 record and the third regular season title in its final season in the Mountain West Conference. BYU was upended in the MWC semifinals by in-state rival Utah, but continued into the postseason in the WNIT and reached the third round before falling to USC. BYU will begin its first season as a member of the West Coast Conference during the 2011-12 season, as the Wildcats are 7-1 all-time against schools from the WCC.

 

K-State will play the first of two games against schools from the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), as the Wildcats will close out its three-game home stand against Missouri State on Friday, Nov. 18. The Wildcats lead the series with the Lady Bears, 12-3, and won the last meeting between the schools on Dec. 5, 2009, during the championship game of the Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic, 64-60.

 

Missouri State recorded a 24-11 record last season, including a 12-6 mark in the MVC. The Lady Bears advanced to the title game of the MVC Championships and was selected for the second straight season to the Postseason WNIT, where they advanced to the second round. The Lady Bears are led by three-time All-MVC first team recipient Casey Garrison. The senior guard from Bolivar, Mo., averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists during the 2010-11 season.

 

The Wildcats will make their first road trip of the season to Cancun, Mexico, as K-State will take part in the 2011 Cancun Challenge on Nov. 24-25, at the Moon Palace Resort. This will be K-State’s second appearance in Cancun, as K-State competed in the 2007 Cancun Challenge against Tulane and Michigan State. The Wildcats will face Hofstra and Purdue during the 2011 Cancun Challenge, with dates and times of competition to be determined.

 

K-State will take on Hofstra, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), for the first time. The Wildcats are 10-3 against schools from the CAA and last faced a member of the league during the 2009 Duel in the Desert, as K-State defeated VCU, 73-67, in Las Vegas. The Pride recorded a 19-12 overall record during the 2010-11 season and a 10-8 mark in the CAA.

 

The Wildcats will also take on its 2011 NCAA Tournament opponent, Purdue, during the Cancun Challenge. The Boilermakers lead the series with K-State 3-0 and won the NCAA Tournament first round matchup in Storrs, Conn., 53-45. Purdue finished the 2010-11 season with a 21-12 record and returns its entire roster for the 2011-12 season.

 

Fans interested in traveling to the Cancun Challenge may visit www.cancunchallenge.net for information regarding all-inclusive packages to watch the Wildcats in this tropical setting. Additional teams competing in the 2011 Cancun Challenge are: Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Drake, Idaho State, Marist and South Dakota State.

 

K-State will return to Manhattan to face Iowa for the second straight season in the 2011 Big 12/Big Ten Challenge on Saturday, Dec. 3. This will be the second “Wildcat Weekend” of the non-conference season, as the K-State football team will host Iowa State in the regular season finale at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Kansas State leads the series with Iowa, 3-1, but the Hawkeyes secured last season’s meeting with a 68-62 decision in Iowa City on Dec. 5. This will be Iowa’s first visit to the Little Apple since Jan. 5, 2003, when K-State tallied a 103-60 win over the Hawkeyes.

 

The Hawkeyes made their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and the eighth in the last 11 seasons during the 2011 campaign in which Iowa notched a 22-9 overall record and a 10-6 mark in Big Ten play. Iowa is led by junior guard and 2011 Associated Press honorable mention All-American Jaime Printy. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native led the Hawkeyes during the 2011 season with a 16.8 scoring average.

 

For just the second time in the 21st century, Kansas State will square off against Wichita State with a Wednesday, Dec. 7, tipoff. The Wildcats lead the series with the Shockers, 39-6, with the last meeting between the institutions on Dec. 15, 2000 in Wichita, a 65-64 K-State win. The last time K-State and Wichita State met in Manhattan came on Dec. 18, 1999, a 76-66 Shocker win.

 

The Shockers reached the Postseason WNIT for the second straight season and the fourth time in the program’s history during the 2011 campaign. Wichita State finished the season with a 17-15 overall record and a 10-8 mark in the MVC.

 

K-State will make its first trip to Brookings, S.D., since the 1974 AIAW Region VI Tournament, as the Wildcats will take on South Dakota State on Saturday, Dec. 10. Kansas State leads the series with the Jackrabbits, 4-0, and won last year’s meeting 56-51 on Nov. 30, 2010.

 

South Dakota State recorded a 19-14 overall record and 12-6 mark in Summit League action during the 2010-11 season. The Jackrabbits have played in three straight NCAA Tournaments after securing The Summit League’s automatic bid by winning the league’s postseason tournament in each of the last three seasons. Including its 2011 NCAA Tournament appearance, the Jackrabbits have played in five straight postseason tournaments (2007 and 2008 WNITs).

 

For the second time in three seasons, K-State will take part in the Duel in the Desert at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 18-20. The Wildcats faced UNLV, VCU and UTSA during the 2009 edition of the event and finished with a 2-1 record. The field of the 2011 Duel in the Desert is yet to be determined.

 

Patterson returns eight letterwinners and three starters from the 12th NCAA Tournament squad in school history, including All-Big 12 selections Brittany Chambers and Jalana Childs. The Wildcats registered an overall record of 21-11 and a 10-6 mark in Big 12 action, which resulted in a tie for third finish in the league.

 

The 2011-12 Big 12 schedule, complete game times as well as the television schedule will be released at a later date. The league will move to a new 18-game, round-robin format that is expected to start in early January.

Royals sign five more draft picks

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Royals Media Relations

The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed five more selections from the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft, including seventh-round pick Kellen Moen, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Oregon.

The Royals have now inked 21 of the club’s 50 selections from last week’s draft.  In addition, the Royals announced the signing of five undrafted free agents to minor league contracts.

The four signings in addition to Moen are 15th round pick Dean Espy, a first baseman from UCLA; 24th pick Spencer Patton, a right-handed pitcher from SIU-Edwardsville; 33rd rounder Abel Gonzalez, a left-handed pitcher from Rice University, and 46th round selection Adrian Bringas, a third baseman from Chico (Calif.) State University.

KU Roundball Classic set for Thursday

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KU Media Relations

A collection of some of the best Kansas basketball players of the last 20 years will participate in the third annual Rock Chalk Roundball Classic, which will be held at Lawrence Free State High School, Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m.

The Classic is being held to help raise money for the Souter family of Lawrence, who recently lost their five-year old daughter, Jayden “Baby Jay” Souter, to cancer.

Some of the featured players and coaches include Bill Self, Wayne Simien, Cole Aldrich, Scot Pollard, Darnell Jackson, Keith Langford, Russell Robinson, Bud Stallworth, Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar. In all, there will be more than 20 former Kansas players participating in this year’s event and there will be free autograph and photo opportunities immediately following the game.

Also participating is WBC Welterweight Champion of the World, “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, the boxer who wears Jayhawks on his trunks.

In addition, Briggs Auto is sponsoring a Half-Court Shot to Win a Car contest during halftime of this year’s event. There will also be a silent auction, raffle for game-used, autographed jerseys, and several other fan contests.

Tickets are on sale now at the Great Plains Media Radio Stations (3125 W. 6th Street), the 23rd Street Brewery and J & S Coffee in Lawrence.  In Topeka, tickets can be purchased at AAA of Kansas on Wanamaker.

Walk-up tickets can be purchased on the day of the game at Free State High School beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more information, check out the Rock Chalk Roundball Classic Facebook page. Please contact Brian Hanni at 785-843-1320, with any additional questions.

 

Mustangs beat Chillicothe for third straight win

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The St. Joseph Mustangs won their third consecutive game Sunday night as they went to Chillicothe and defeated the Mudcats, 7-2.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team improves to 13-2 this season and 10-2 in the MINK League.

Just like the previous two games, the Mustangs struck early as the first four batters reached base and St. Joseph led 2-0 after the first innings on RBI base hits by Spiker Helms and Brent Seifert.

Chillicothe closed to within one run two different times as they trailed 2-1 after three innings and 3-2 after six, but St. Joe broke it open in the seventh inning Sunday.

The Mustangs scored three runs in the seventh to get separation from the Mudcats, capped off by a two-out RBI double from Kris Koerper and a two-out RBI single by Jordan Guida.

Cameron Bentley jump started the St. Joseph offense for the second straight night.  The Kansas City native went 4-for-4 with two runs scored in first first game with the team Saturday.  Then Sunday, he finished 4-for-5 with three runs and two stolen bases.

Spiker Helms added a triple and two RBI, while Guida had two base hits and drove in one run.

Cody Lane earned the win on the mound as he improves to 2-0 this summer.  He allowed just two runs on six hits in six innings of work.  Lane struck out three and walked three.

The Mustangs have a day off Monday and then travel to Omaha on Tuesday for a doubleheader that begins at 2:00 p.m.

Royals blank Angels as Mazzaro gets first win

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Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Vin Mazzaro didn’t strike out a single batter and walked five, three of them leading off an inning — not exactly a recipe for success.

What got him going through seven scoreless innings was the fact that his defense turned five double plays in Kansas City’s 9-0 rout of the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday in the rubber game of the three-game series.

“I felt great out there, commanding my fastball on both sides of the plate and running it in on the hands,” Mazzaro said. “I gave them some free passes, but I made some good pitches when I needed to and got the groundballs. I just wanted to keep attacking the zone, let the guys behind me do the job.”

Mazzaro (1-1) scattered five hits in his third start with Kansas City. He pitched to contact throughout the game, inducing double-play grounders by Torii Hunter, Howie Kendrick, Mark Trumbo and Bobby Abreu. Hank Conger lined into the other one. All five DPs were started by shortstop Alcides Escobar.

“Vin pitched a great game today,” said Royals rookie first baseman Eric Hosmer, who finished with 11 putouts. “Whenever guys were on base he was getting that slider and sinker down, getting them to roll over on it. That’s why we turned so many double plays. He was pitching to contact and did a great job for us.”

The Royals’ 24-year-old right-hander also escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh by retiring Peter Bourjos on a fielder’s choice with his 102nd pitch.

“This is the Mazzaro we saw last year that we wanted to trade for — a guy that can change speeds, get you off balance and command the baseball,” manager Ned Yost said. “That’s a good offense over there, and they can put runs on the board in a hurry. They’re just stale right now and they’re struggling to score runs.”

Blake Wood worked the final two innings, helping send the Angels to their ninth shutout loss — matching their total from all of last season.

“It’s hard to believe, especially because of the lineup we have,” Abreu said. “The way we’re swinging, all of the pitchers look a little tougher. I don’t want to offend anyone, but we haven’t hit the way we’re supposed to hit.”

Mazzaro came in with a whopping 17.47 ERA after giving up 22 earned runs, 25 hits and eight walks in just 11 1/3 innings this season spanning three appearances. Most of that damage came during his only relief outing on May 16 against Cleveland, when he surrendered 14 runs and 11 hits over 2 1/3 innings in the Royals’ 19-1 loss and was optioned to Triple-A right after that game.

“Basically I focused on throwing first-pitch strikes down there, attacking the zone and not trying to nibble on the corners,” Mazzaro said. “When you can throw all of your pitches over for strikes, good things are going to happen. It’s a good step forward.”

The last time the Angels hit into this many double plays in a nine-inning game was Aug. 3, 2004, when Minnesota executed six against.

“Mazzaro was throwing sinkers and a pretty good slider, and we didn’t make good contact,” Abreu said. “Sometimes he came up with a changeup, and he threw almost everything middle-away. No one struck out today, but we didn’t produce any runs.”

Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Chris Getz each drove in two runs for the Royals, who won seven of their 10 meetings with the Angels — just the second time they’ve taken a season series from them in the last 15 years. It was their highest victory total against the Halos since 1996, when they won eight of 12.

Rookie Tyler Chatwood (3-4) threw 82 pitches in 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs, five hits and three walks while the Angels lost for the seventh time in eight games. The Royals got their first run in the second inning when Mitch Maier drew a leadoff walk and was balked home by the right-hander, chased during Kansas City’s four-run fourth.

Matt Treanor hit an RBI double and Getz followed with the first of his two run-scoring singles. Treanor was thrown out at the plate on a grounder to first by Escobar, but Gordon lined an 0-2 pitch to left-center for a double that scored two runs and gave Kansas City a 5-0 cushion before Hisanori Takahashi was summoned from the bullpen.

This was the third straight start by Chatwood in which his teammates didn’t score while he was in the game.

St. Louis gets swept out of first place by Milwaukee

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Associated Press

Prince Fielder cautioned against making too much out of the Milwaukee Brewers’ sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fielder’s go-ahead homer in the sixth rallied the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 victory over St. Louis on Sunday as the Brewers knocked the Cardinals out of first place in the NL Central.

“I don’t know about a statement,” Fielder said of taking three from the Cardinals and gaining the top spot in the division. “It’s just good right now. We’re playing good baseball. Like I said we haven’t been in first place for about a year or two now.”

Fielder’s 19th home run chased Jake Westbrook (6-4) who carried a shutout into the sixth.

“I’m just happy I’m coming through,” Fielder said. “It’s always fun.”

His blast prompted a curtain call which he reluctantly did.

“I’m shy, man. It’s cool though,” he said. “I appreciate it from the fans. It’s kind of cool, especially in the moment.”

Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa didn’t want to assign a whole lot of anguish toward the three losses.

“I don’t want to be melodramatic,” he said. “This is June and we have to be ready for Washington on Tuesday. We came in here to win a series and they outmanaged us and outplayed us.”

Rickie Weeks started the rally with a single and then scored on Mark Kotsay’s double. Ryan Braun drove in Kotsay with a single before Fielder smashed the first pitch 440 feet into the second deck in right field for a two-run homer.

Fielder, who went 2 for 3 with a walk and two RBIs, now has 58 RBIs to extend his lead in the NL.

With the victory, the Brewers (38-28) took sole possession of first place for the first time since July 9, 2009. It moved them 10 games over .500 for the first time since they were 33-23 on June 6, 2009.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke was happy with the team’s progress, especially after starting the season poorly.

“It’s way too early, but I like how we’re playing,” he said.

The Cardinals (38-29) had been in first since May 19, but have now lost four of the last five and were swept at Miller Park for the first time since April 30-May 2, 2007.

Fielder’s eighth home run over the last 10 games helped Milwaukee improve its major-league best home record to 25-9. It also set a franchise record for the best start at home.

Shaun Marcum (7-2) won for the first time since May 21, a span of three starts that included a loss and then consecutive no decisions. He had never faced the Cardinals. He allowed three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and a walk over seven innings.

Kameron Loe pitched a scoreless eighth.

John Axford converted his 15th straight save opportunity and 18th out of 20 overall in the ninth. He got a huge lift when Carlos Gomez, a ninth-inning defensive replacement for Kotsay in center, made a spectacular catch in the ninth. Gomez raced back at full speed and turned to catch Rasmus’ fly ball just before crashing into the wall.

“When I see it, then my instincts going to tell me what I have to do,” Gomez said.

The Cardinals looked as if they might avoid being swept when Skip Schumaker hit a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded for the first runs. Yadier Molina running from first had to duck as Schumaker’s liner sailed over him and into right field.

St. Louis tacked on another run on Rasmus’ double in the sixth.

Westbrook went five innings, allowing four runs and eight hits.

Mustangs return home and get revenge vs. Nevada

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The St. Joseph Mustangs avenged two earlier losses this week to Nevada as they returned to Phil Welch Stadium Saturday night and beat the Griffons, 8-3.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings and then broke open a 4-2 game with a three-run eighth inning.

Cameron Bentley made his Mustang debut Saturday night and the Arkansas-Little Rock product went 4-for-4 with two runs scored.  Brock Chaffin added three hits and an RBI as St. Joseph finished with 12 hits against Nevada.

Northwest Missouri State graduate Jayson Huett earned the win as he went 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits.  He also struck out six and walked just one.

St. Joseph improves to 12-2 this season and 9-2 in the MINK League.  They’re back on the road Sunday at Chillicothe.  The first pitch is at 7:00 p.m. and you can hear the game on ESPN 1550.

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