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Author: Dave Riggert

MWSU track & field completes first day at KU Relays

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Griffon Track and Field athletes broke two school records, set four new personal records and had a top-five finish on day one of the Kansas Relays.

Jordan Garr took fifth in the shot put with a 51-6 (15.70m) throw. Garr was the highest finishing freshman and was third among MIAA competitors in the event.

Kelsey Cox’s PR and school reocrd (11:52.86) in the steeplechase was good for 11th place. Megan Gillen broke the program record in the 1,500m with a 4:57.28 that placed her 10th. Claire Reedy was 15th in the event, with a personal-record 5:01.33. Mariah Lynn Smith set a PR with a 2:23.71 in the 800m.

Competition for the Griffons continues Friday at the 91st Annual Kansas Relays.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest Missouri State softball gets swept at Emporia State

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The Northwest Missouri State University softball team falls in a double header against Emporia State in Emporia, Ks.

The Bearcats falls to 25-15 overall and 16-8 in conference, while Emporia State improves to 22-28 overall and 12-12 in conference play.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 1, Emporia State 9)
– Northwest scored one run in the fourth inning. ESU scored four runs in the first, three in the third and two in the fifth inning.
– The Bearcats had one run on five hits and three errors. The Hornets scored nine runs on ten hits and one error.
– Rebecca Maher finished 1-for-3 and scored one run.
– Jaedra Moses went 1-for-2.
– Erin Keeney was 1-for-2.
– Karli Allen finished 1-for-2.
– Kiana Baderdeen went 1-for-2.

Game One Key Innings
– Maher started the top of the fourth inning with a single up the middle and Moses followed it up with a single of her own to put Maher on third. Maher was able to come in and score on an error by the catcher to put the Bearcats on the board.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 5, Emporia State 6)
– The Bearcats scored three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the seventh inning. Emporia State scored two runs in the first, third and second inning.
– Northwest had five runs on eight hits and two errors. The Hornets had six runs on seven hits and one error.
– Moses finished the game 3-for-4 with one run scored.
– Maher went 2-for-4 with one RBI, a run scored, a double and a homerun.
– Kaitlyn Weis was 1-for-3 with two RBIs, one run scored and a homerun.
– Keeney went 1-for-4 with one RBI, a homerun and a run scored.
– Jessica Rawie finished 1-for-2 with one run scored, one RBI,drew a walk and a homerun. 

Game Two Key Innings
– After an out, Maher put the Bearcats on the board with a solo shot over the right center fence. Moses kept it going with a single to third base and would come in to score on a homerun down the left field line by Weis to pull the Bearcats within one.

– With two outs, Rawie sent a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence to tie the game at four.

– In the top of the seventh, the Bearcats would pick up their last run on a Keeney homerun to right field.

Up Next
– Northwest will take on Washburn Univeristy Friday, April 20 in Topeka, Ks., at 1:30 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

Cardinals lose finale at Chicago 8-5

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CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs made Jon Lester’s job easier by staking him to an early lead.

Lester was dominant through six innings of two-hit ball in his 100th start with the Cubs, Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer and Chicago defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Thursday.

Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber each had two RBI as Chicago took a 6-1 lead after two innings. Every Cubs starter had a hit, including three by Anthony Rizzo and two each by Heyward, Schwarber and Javier Baez.

Heyward’s homer and a triple by Javier Baez were the only extra-base hits as Chicago sprayed 12 singles around Wrigley Field.

“This is so much fun to watch,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “Keep your launch angles, keep your exit velocities, give me a good at-bat. Seeing inside the ball, using the whole field. With that you’ll see better situational hitting, better batting average. That’s just good hitting.”

Lester (2-0) didn’t allow a hit until Jedd Gyorko lined a single to left with one out in the fifth. The left-hander gave a first-inning unearned run, struck out seven and walked one.

“Everything was good,” Lester said. “Any time you have six runs in the first two innings, it always helps.”

Brandon Morrow pitched a perfect ninth to complete a five-hitter and remain perfect in three save chances.

Ten of Chicago’s first 16 batters reached against Luke Weaver (2-1), who allowed six runs and nine hits in four innings. He had yielded only four runs over 17 1/3 innings in three previous starts.

“Just balls hit well to the opposite side again,” manager Mike Matheny said. He made his adjustment, but it was six runs later when he started to get locked in in the third. We were lucky to get him through four.”

Weaver gave the Cubs credit.

“They did a good job of not chasing below the zone,” he said. “They just had a good approach today.”

A day after a game was postponed because of rain and a temperature just above freezing, it was 47 when the game began.

Harrison Bader was hit by a pitch in the first, stole second, advanced to third on catcher Willson Contreras’s throwing error and scored on Lester’s wild pitch to Marcell Ozuna.

Baez was moved up to second in the batting order by Maddon, and Baez tripled in a bottom half of the first that included RBI singles by Bryant and Schwarber. The Cubs opened a 6-1 lead in the second when Albert Almora Jr., Rizzo and Schwarber had RBI singles, and Bryant hit a sacrifice fly.

Heyward’s fifth-inning homer against Matt Bowman made it 8-1.

Eddie Butler walked Paul DeJong with the bases-loaded in a four-run seventh, and Steve Cishek forced in a run when he hit pinch-hitter Kolten Wong with a pitch. Dexter Fowler hit into a run-scoring forceout, and another run scored when Baez’s throw from second to first trying for a double play was wide for an error.

PROSPECTING

The Cardinals recalled OF Tyler O’Neill from Triple-A Memphis and optioned RHP John Brebbia to the Pacific Coast League team. The 22-year-old O’Neill made his major league debut when he pinch hit for Weaver in the fifth and struck out swinging. In 12 games with Memphis, the muscular Canadian batted .388 with six homers, 18 RBI and an .837 slugging percentage. By not recalling O’Neill before Wednesday, the Cardinals delayed his eligibility for free agency by a year, until after the 2025 season. He is the son of Terry O’Neill, named Mr. Canada — given to the nation’s best body builder — in 1975.

TRAINER’S ROOM.

Cardinals: OF Tommy Pham was held out of the starting lineup up rest a groin injury, but pinch hit in the seventh and flied out.

Cubs: INF/OF Ben Zobrist was scratched for a second straight game with back tightness.

UP NEXT:

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (2-1, 5.52) is to start at home Friday against Cincinnati LHP Brandon Finnegan (0-1, 10.38). It will be the first game for new Reds manager Jim Riggleman, who replaced Bryan Price on Thursday after the Reds’ 3-15 start.

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 3.71) is to start the opener of a three-game series on Friday at Colorado, which goes with RHP Jon Gray (1-3, 6.23). Showers changing to snow are forecast.

— Associated Press —

Ryan Madison steps down as Lafayette girls’ basketball coach

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Lafayette High School is already in search of new boys’ basketball coach and now they will have to look for a girls’ basketball coach as well.

Ryan Madison has stepped down as the head coach of the Fighting Irish to become the head girls’ basketball coach at Bolivar High School.

Madison spent eight years on the northside and he led the Lafayette girls to six consecutive winning seasons. They made two appearances in the district championship game and Madison finished 124-82 with the Irish and was 29-27 in MEC play.

Madison will take over a Bolivar team that went 17-9 this past season and lost to West Plains in the district semifinals.

Ryan Nichols, who spent just two years as they boys’ basketball coach at Lafayette, stepped down earlier this month to take the boys’ basketball job at West Platte High School.

Griffons defeat William Jewell for fourth consecutive win

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LIBERTY, Mo. – For the second-straight game Griffon Baseball (22-18) tallied 14 hits and won its fourth game in a row, 5-4 at William Jewell (19-17) on Wednesday.

Missouri Western broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh when Levi Schreiner scored off an error by the pitcher. In their second game in as many days and second scheduled game of four this week, the Griffons went pitch by committee, using nine different hurlers in the game. Kellan Richards was the last Griffon pitcher to enter, tying the MWSU single season record with his 27th appearance of the season. Richards entered Wednesday leading the nation in appearances. He picked up his third save of the season, Wednesday.

NOTABLES

  • Dustin Agnew picked up the win, pitching two hitless innings on seven pitches
  • Casey Danley stretched his hit streak to 15 games with a 2-for-5 day at the plate. He also scored one and drove in a run.
  • Will Jibas went 2-for-2 after replacing Bailey Zimmer at first base. Jibas drove in one and walked once.
  • Brooks Day, Schreiner, Ryan Smith and Kyle Snuttjer all had two hits apiece
  • Day, Schreiner and Smith all doubled. Smith also stole a base

UP NEXT
Back to MIAA play and on with eight straight road games as the Griffs travel to Central Oklahoma for a three game series April 20-22.

— MWSU Athletics —

 

Chiefs will play Rams in Mexico City on Monday Night Football November 19th

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Football League informed the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday that the club will face the Los Angeles Rams in Mexico City on Monday, November 19. The game will kickoff at 7:15 p.m. CT on ESPN Monday Night Football. The Chiefs will be the away team in the contest at Estadio Azteca, in Mexico City. The Chiefs full regular season schedule will be released tomorrow at 7 p.m. CT.

The Chiefs own a 26-18 (.591) all-time record in Monday Night Football games. Under Head Coach Andy Reid, the club has won three of its four MNF contests. This will be the sixth time in franchise history that the Chiefs have played internationally. Kansas City’s last contest abroad was on Nov. 1, 2015, when the club defeated the Detroit Lions 45-10. The Chiefs played the Cowboys in Monterrey, Mexico, in a 1996 preseason American Bowl contest. Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt has played a key role in expanding the NFL’s footprint, serving as the International Committee’s Chairman since 2011.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Royals get swept by Toronto as losing streak reaches eight

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TORONTO (AP) — Teoscar Hernandez’s hot bat is going to force the Blue Jays into a tough decision sometime soon.

Hernandez had four hits, including a two-run home run, Curtis Granderson hit his ninth career grand slam and the Blue Jays routed Kansas City 15-5 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep of the Royals, losers of eight straight.

Hernandez singled and scored in the first, homered in the third, flied out in the fourth, singled in the sixth and hit a two-run triple in the seventh. It was the first four-hit game of his career.

“He can’t play any better,” manager John Gibbons said.

Needing a double for the cycle, Hernandez struck out swinging in the eighth against reliever Brian Flynn.

“I got excited, too much I think, and that’s what made me strike out,” Hernandez said. “I wanted it.”

Granderson’s slam, which came off Justin Grimm, was the big blow in a six-run eighth. Toronto set season highs with 15 runs and 15 hits.

Yangervis Solarte also homered for the Blue Jays, a solo shot in the third. Solarte had two hits and a walk and scored each time he reached base.

Toronto (12-5) is off to its best start since 2009.

“We’re playing good baseball,” Gibbons said. “We’re doing everything well. You ride that.”

The question is whether they’ll ride Hernandez, whose spot in the lineup could be in jeopardy when designated hitter Kendrys Morales returns from a right hamstring injury Friday.

“It’s not going to be an easy decision whatever we choose to do, but we’ll have to make one,” Gibbons said.

Acquired from Houston last July, Hernandez has nine home runs in 31 games with Toronto, including eight last September.

“He’s really talented,” Kansas City right-hander Ian Kennedy said of Hernandez. “Having (Justin) Smoak behind him, that helps, too.”

J.A. Happ (3-1) allowed five hits and four runs in six innings to win his third straight start as the Blue Jays won their fourth straight and eighth of nine.

After losing its first two home games of the season, Toronto has won seven of eight at Rogers Centre. The Jays have outscored opponents 67-40 in 10 home games.

Toronto has won 12 of its past 15 home meetings with Kansas City.

Whit Merrifield had a two-run homer and Jorge Soler hit a solo blast, but the Royals’ April slide continued. Kansas City’s skid is its longest since a nine-game slump last April.

“Pretty discouraged,” Kennedy said when asked to sum up the team’s mood. “It’s not the start we all want.”

Kansas City entered with the worst bullpen ERA in the majors at 6.75, and saw that spike to 7.94 after four relievers allowed nine runs in three innings.

“It definitely hasn’t been very pretty,” manager Ned Yost said. “I think (GM Dayton Moore) and I will talk tomorrow.”

Hernandez and Solarte connected off Kennedy (1-2), who allowed six runs, four earned, and eight hits in five innings.

LOOK OUT BELOW!

Two days after Monday’s series opener was canceled when chunks of ice falling off the nearby CN Tower punctured holes in the retractable roof at Rogers Centre, roads, walkways and entrance gates on the east side of the stadium remained blocked by police.

MR. VERSATILITY

Toronto’s Russell Martin began the game at catcher but played the final four innings at third base after Luke Maile pinch-hit for second baseman Gift Ngoepe in the fifth. Solarte moved from third to second.

FAST START

Maile has more RBI in six games this season (8) than he had in 46 games last season (7).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Clay Buchholz made his first start at Double-A San Antonio Tuesday, allowing two hits in 4 2/3 shutout innings. Buchholz made just two starts with Philadelphia last season before undergoing elbow surgery. … Buchholz worked with catcher Salvador Perez, who is rehabbing a sprained left knee. It was Perez’s final game at Double-A before advancing to Triple-A Omaha.

Blue Jays: 3B Josh Donaldson (right shoulder) will not be ready to come off the disabled list when he is eligible to return Saturday, Gibbons said. Donaldson is working out at Toronto’s minor league complex in Dunedin, Florida.

UP NEXT

Royals: Kansas City is off Thursday before a doubleheader at Detroit Friday, its second in four days. RHP Jakob Junis (2-1, 1.93 ERA) starts Game 1 against Detroit RHP Michael Fulmer (1-2, 3.86). RHP Jason Hammel (0-1, 3.86) starts Game 2 for the Royals against LHP Daniel Norris (0-1, 7.11).

Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 3.86) starts as the Blue Jays begin a four-game series at the Yankees. LHP CC Sabathia (0-0, 4.00) starts for New York.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western’s McCarthy named MIAA Men’s Golfer of the Week

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Patrick McCarthy of Griffon men’s golf has been named MIAA Golfer of the Week.

McCarthy won the Broncho Stampede in Edmond, Oklahoma with a three-under-par 213. The sophomore had rounds of 72, 70 and 71 and led Missouri Western to the team title as well. The individual championship was McCarthy’s second of the season. He was also named MIAA Golfer of the Week on March 21 and September 27.

Missouri Western is in action next at the MIAA Championships on Monday, April 23-Wednesday, April 25 at Sycamore Ridge Golf Course in Kansas City, Missouri.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest announces three men’s basketball signings, including Lafayette’s Bernard

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MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University head men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum has announced three additions, Diego Bernard, Xavier Rhodes and Luke Waters’ to the 2018-19 Bearcat roster. All three players were selected to the 2018 GKCBCA All-Star Game.

Bernard was an all-state performer at Lafayette High School in St. Joseph, Mo.

“Diego is an incredible athlete and has the ability to make plays off the dribble and score from multiple levels. What sets him apart from others is his mentality on defense and the edge that he plays with on the court,” said McCollum. “He’s another great player from a very good high school program (St. Joe Lafayette) that we have a lot of success recruiting from in the past ”

Bernard helped lead a senior campaign where Lafayette High School had 22 wins, a MEC Conference Championship, a District Championship and a Sectional Championship game appearance. He was named all-conference four years, all-district three years, a Class 3 all-state selection and is a member of his schools 1,000-point club.

Rhodes was a three-year varsity letterman at Rockhurst High School.

“Xavier is a very quick and is very tough to contain off the dribble. He is an incredible finish at the rim, one of the best that we have seen at the high school level. His court vision and ability to get his teammates involved stuck out a lot in the recruiting process.”

Rhodes senior season included helping lead his team to 20 wins, a District Championship, and a Sectional Championship game appearance. He averaged 15 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and three steals a game. He was also on the 2018 Missouri Class 5 All-state team.

Waters’ was a four-year varsity player and all-time leader scorer at Olathe Northwest High School.

“Luke comes from a great high school program at Olathe Northwest that has had a lot of talent over the years with Shavon Shields (Nebraska) and Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky, Sacromento Kings). Luke’s name stands atop of the program in terms of scoring and leading his team to the first ever state tournament appearance for the school. He is a high character kid that can score in a variety of ways.”

Waters’ led his team to first state appearance in school history as a junior and was a 1,000-point scorer. He was a Kansas All 6A 1st Team as a senior and a two-time Sunflower League 1st team.

— Northwest Athletics —

Griffon use big seventh inning to pull away from Emporia State

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ST. JOSEPH – A big seventh inning turned a back-and-forth game into a runaway win Tuesday night for Griffon Baseball (22-17) over Emporia State (21-18). Missouri Western torched the Hornets for six runs in the seventh to take the season series from ESU with an 11-3 game three win.

The series win was big for the Griffons as the two teams entered the night tied in the MIAA standings. Missouri Western (14-12) exited with a one-game lead over Emporia State (13-13) for seventh place in the conference.

A Brooks Day leadoff triple got the seventh inning onslaught going. Levi Schreiner recorded his third RBI of the game with a sac fly to center three batters later. Fahd Shakeel made it an 8-3 game with a two-out, two-run single and Nolan Meyer capped the inning with a two-RBI triple.

NOTABLES

  • Missouri Western trailed 3-2 after Emporia State scored two in the top of the third. The Griffs tied the game in the bottom half; added one in both the fifth and the sixth before the big seventh inning.
  • Preston Bailey (3-3) got the win in relief of Levi Abrahamson. Bailey allowed just two hits through 5 1/3, striking out two in the process.
  • Schreiner was one of five Griffs with two hits on the night. He led the team with his three RBIs
  • Casey Danley went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI and extended his hitting streak to 14 games
  • Day was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs
  • Dusty Stroup went 2-for-4 with a run scored
  • Maurice Bruce also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored

UP NEXT
The Griffons begin eight-straight games on the road with a non-conference tilt at William Jewell on Wednesday. Then it’s on to Central Oklahoma for a three-game series over the weekend. It was announced, Tuesday, that the team’s non-conference game at Rockhurst on April 24 was cancelled.

— MWSU Athletics —

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