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Author: Dave Riggert

Martinez, Cardinals top Arizona in coldest St. Louis start

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Chilly weather at Busch Stadium, hot bat for Jose Martinez.

In the coldest home start in Cardinals’ history, Martinez homered and drove in four runs as St. Louis ended the Arizona Diamondbacks’ four-game winning streak with a 5-3 victory on Saturday.

It was 37 degrees at gametime with a wind chill of 29. The previous recorded low in St. Louis was 38 degrees for the first pitch on April 16, 1961, against Cincinnati.

“When you start thinking about the weather and stuff, you got to go through it,” Martinez said. “You’ve got a game to play. You’ve got to go out there and work and you’ve got to do everything for your team to win.”

Martinez had a three-run homer and also singled in a run. His .357 average and eight RBI are team highs.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” he said. “For me, I’m just going to go out there and try to help the team win. Whether it’s a play at first, running the bases or getting a big hit, whatever I’m capable to do I’m going to try and do it for the team.”

Michael Wacha (1-1) outpitched Zack Greinke (0-1) despite matching a career high with five walks in the chilly weather. Four of Wacha’s passes came in the first two innings.

Wacha called it a grind.

“It’s a little different than a hot weather game just with the hands getting a little cold,” Wacha said. “Just really don’t have that good of a feel on the baseball when I gets a little slick out there, but it wasn’t anything too crazy.”

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said there is no universal tip on beating the cold.

“Everybody has their own routine,” Matheny said. “Everybody has their own routine in the heat to not have the ball so wet from sweat and the same on cold days. You’re using the wisdom of the guys who have been around.”

Both starters went five innings. Dominic Leone and Matt Bowman each pitched a perfect inning of relief for the Cardinals and Jordan Hicks gave up an unearned run in the eighth. Bud Norris struck out the side to earn his first save of the season.

Martinez’s three-run homer capped a four-run third as the Cardinals took a 5-2 lead. Matt Carpenter drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly.

“I thought it was going to hit the concourse and it barely got over the wall,” Matheny said of the homer. “This cold weather I think you kind of anticipate the ball’s not going to carry quite as much, but he had to get all of it for the ball to get out of that part of the park today.”

Marcell Ozuna had three hits and Yadier Molina singled twice for St. Louis. Carpenter singled in the first and has reached safely in all eight of the Cardinals’ games this season.

A.J. Pollock’s single in the first gave Arizona an early lead. He doubled and scored on Chris Owings’ single in the third for a 2-1 lead.

“They grinded all game long pretty good,” Greinke said. “We did, too. It seemed like it was just the one really big play.”

Greinke retired eight straight after surrendering the home run.

“There was a number of base runners on and they capitalized on one swing so you have to give Martinez a little bit of credit,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “From Zack, I thought he battled through those early innings and he had some real easy innings kind of towards the back end of his outing, so I focus on that more than anything.”

MILESTONE WATCH

Lovullo has 99 wins in his first 170 games and is trying to become the fastest active manager to 100 wins, which would eclipse Ron Gardenhire, who needed 173 games in 2002-2003 with Minnesota. Gardenhire now manages Detroit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: Claimed RHP Troy Scribner off of waivers from Anaheim and designated OF Jeremy Hazelbaker for assignment.

Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson (left hamstring strain) was assigned to Class A Palm Beach for a rehab assignment and is scheduled to pitch Saturday night.

UP NEXT

Arizona RHP Taijuan Walker (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will face RHP Luke Weaver (1-0, 1.80 ERA) in the finale of a three-game set. A snow/rain mix is in the forecast.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western tennis loses to No.7 Central Oklahoma

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ST. JOSEPH – Griffon tennis (10-10) fell to No. 7 Central Oklahoma (15-2) 8-1 at Genesis Health Club Saturday.

Karolina Strom put Missouri Western on the board with a straight set victory 6-1, 6-3 in No. 1 singles and knocked off the 23rd-rated player in Division II. It is her fifth win in the last six matches. Strom’s win is also her 13th of the season, the most by a Griffon in more than a decade.

Central Oklahoma is the second consecutive top-12 nationally ranked opponent MWSU has played.

RESULTS
Singles
1. Strom,Karolina (MWSU) def. #23 Hodges,Alli (UCO) 6-1, 6-3
2. #16 Charbonnet,Laetitia (UCO) def. Abreu Roman,Joanna (MWSU) 7-6, 6-2
3. Bhat,Kirtana (UCO) def. Salmaso,Federica (MWSU) 6-0, 6-2
4. Landin,Paola (UCO) def. Aguilera,Sofia (MWSU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Van Eeckoudt,Sara (UCO) def. Yeacker,Katherine (MWSU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Williams,Alix (UCO) def. Dent,Emilee (MWSU) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
1. #28 Bhat,Kirtana/Charbonnet,Laetitia (UCO) def. Abreu Roman,Joanna/Strom,Karolina (MWSU) 8-2
2. Hodges,Alli/Landin,Paola (UCO) def. Dent,Emilee/Salmaso,Federica (MWSU) 8-0
3. Van Eeckoudt,Sara/Williams,Alix (UCO) def. Aguilera,Sofia/Keim,Audrey (MWSU) 8-2

UP NEXT
Missouri Western hosts No. 6 Northeastern State at 11 a.m. at Genesis Health Club for Senior Day. The Griffons will honor senior Sofia Aguilera prior to the match’s first serve.

Missouri Western men’s golf sits seventh in NCAA Central Regional Rankings

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ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western men’s golf team is seventh in the latest NCAA Central Regional poll released on Friday.

The Griffons have five top-five finishes with one tournament championship on the season and has finished top three in the last two tournaments.

The top 10 teams in the Central Region poll at the end of the regular season advance to the NCAA Regional in Findlay, Ohio on May 7-9.

MWSU is in action on Monday at the Central Region Preview at Missouri Bluffs Golf Course in St. Charles, Missouri.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals drop first game at Cleveland 3-2

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Michael Brantley singled home two runs in his first at-bat this season and Carlos Carrasco worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 win in their chilly home opener over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Brantley missed Cleveland’s first six games while on the disabled list recovering from offseason ankle surgery. But just hours after being activated, the two-time All-Star delivered in the first inning against Danny Duffy (0-2), who managed to hang around until the sixth.

Following devastating finishes in the past two postseasons, the Indians are hoping this is the year they end their 70-year World Series title drought, baseball’s longest.

Brantley is a major part of their plans, but he needs to stay healthy after being limited to 101 games the past two seasons due to injuries.

Carrasco (2-0) gave up two runs in the first inning, but settled in. The right-hander retired 13 straight before running into trouble in the sixth, when the Royals loaded the bases on two singles and a one-out intentional walk.

But Carrasco struck out Lucas Duda looking at a 3-2 pitch and retired Cheslor Cuthbert on a liner to left.

Nick Goody worked the seventh, Andrew Miller put on two runners then struck out the side in the eighth, and Cody Allen pitched the ninth for his second save.

The Indians, who didn’t hit while blowing a 2-0 lead to New York in the AL Division Series last October, came in batting a league-low .161. They only got four hits, but that was enough thanks to Carrasco and their top-flight bullpen.

The Royals dropped to 3-16 in Cleveland since May 8, 2016.

Down 2-0 in the first, the Indians benefited from Duffy’s early wildness to score three times.

The left-hander, possibly bothered by the bitter, blustery weather conditions, walked Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis before Jose Ramirez dribbled an RBI single through the middle.

After Duffy’s third walk of the inning, this one to slugger Edwin Encarnacion, Brantley dropped a two-run single into right, a satisfying moment for the 30-year-old who has spent the past two seasons battling back from shoulder and ankle injuries.

The Royals scored twice in the first on an RBI groundout by Mike Moustakas and Duda’s broken-bat RBI single, which came after he inadvertently flung another bat into the netting behind home plate.

WELCOME BACK

Rajai Davis received a huge ovation from Cleveland’s fans during pregame introductions. Davis, who hit a game-tying homer in the eighth inning of Game 7 in the 2016 World Series, re-signed with the club this winter.

Davis doubled in three at-bats.

CHILLING OUT

The Royals have played a league-low five games, thanks to weather postponements against the White Sox and Tigers. But manager Ned Yost isn’t fretting about their erratic workload. “You can’t do anything to change it, so it’s as difficult as you want to make it,” he said. “You just try to go with the flow the best you can.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Duda (right hamstring tightness) returned to the lineup after missing one game. Yost said he will serve as the designated hitter all weekend.

Indians: Brantley’s workload will be closely monitored before he plays regularly. Manager Terry Francona said the Indians will use a “common sense” approach with Brantley, who has been limited to 101 games over the past two seasons.

UP NEXT

Kansas City RHP Ian Kennedy (0-0, 1.50 ERA) takes on Cleveland RHP Trevor Bauer (0-0, 3.60 ERA) in the second game of the series Saturday. Kennedy is winless in his last five starts against the Indians. Bauer pitched five innings in his first start.

— Associated Press —

No. 18 Missouri baseball drops opener to Alabama 2-1

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 18 Mizzou Baseball dropped its series opener against Alabama, 2-1, Friday afternoon (April 6) at Taylor Stadium. Junior LF Zach Hanna had the lone RBI for the Tigers after a single to right field drove in sophomore CF Kameron Misner.

Mizzou sophomore LHP T.J. Sikkema took the loss, his second of the season, after allowing six hits over 6.0 innings. Alabama pushed both its runs across in the second inning after stringing together three consecutive singles.

TURNING POINT

A double in the second inning by Alabama’s Hunter Alexander started the game-winning two-run second inning for the Crimson Tide. Sam Praytor, Jett Manning and Kyle Kaufman added back-to-back-to-back two-out singles with Praytor and Kaufman each recording RBIs to put up the crooked number that eventually turned out to be the winning runs.

The Tigers answered in the fourth as Misner started the inning with a single and junior 1B Brian Sharp followed with another single. Hanna drove home Misner but that was all the Tigers could get. Mizzou threated with hits in each inning and 13 hits overall but Alabama answered, turning three double play in the game.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser: 
“When we put 13 hits together and just can’t score more than one run, that is frustrating. I think it was some of the approached we had when we had runners in scoring position were frustrating. It was a disappointing loss. A lot of times in the game, you don’t always win the game, but you do lose the game. That’s what we did today – find ways to lose.”

TOP TIGERS

  • Junior 1B Brian Sharp recorded his seventh multi-hit game this season, first since March 17 at LSU, with three hits on the day. Sharp now has four three-hit games this season which is second most on the team.
  • Junior LF Zach Hanna now has four hits in his last four games. Previously Hanna had four hits in his last 10 games for the Tigers.
  • Freshman DH Cade Bormet recorded his first career multi-hit game going 2-3 on the day with two singles.

  • Sophomore SS Chris Cornelius notched his fifth multi-hit game of the season with three singles. This was his first three hit game since February 21 at Miami.

NOTES

  • Despite the loss, Mizzou still leads the all-time series with Alabama, 6-5
  • Mizzou is now 5-3 on Fridays this season
  • Mizzou falls to 11-6 in three-game series this season.
  • The loss was just the second that the Tigers have suffered at Taylor Stadium this season. Mizzou is now 14-2 at home.
  • Mizzou falls to 5-5 in conference play this season.
  • After recording 12 hits, Mizzou has now tallied 12 or more hits in seven games this season. Friday’s loss was the Tigers first when having at least 12 hits.
  • Mizzou suffered their first loss in a one-run game, falling to 3-1 in such contests this season.
  • After the 2-1 defeat, Mizzou is now 15-1 when holding opponents under three runs.
  • Sophomore CF Kameron Misner collected his 40th hit of the season with a single in the fourth inning. Misner had 60 last year. With a single in the eighth, Misner tallied his ninth multi-hit game of the season, tying Brett Bond for the team lead.
  • Junior 1B Brian Sharp posted his fourth multi-hit game, totaling three singles. It was his first multi-hit game since March 17th at LSU.
  • Junior LF Zach Hanna knocked in the Tigers’ lone run on an RBI single in the fifth inning. It was Hanna’s third hit this week and he now has four hits in the last four games. Before that, Hanna only had four knocks over his last ten ballgames.
  • Freshman DH Cade Bormet had a pair of singles and recorded his first career multi-hit game
  • Sophomore SS Chris Cornelius recorded three singles giving him his first three-hit game since February 21 at Miami.
  • Sophomore SP T.J. Sikkema worked 6.0 innings and allowed two runs while striking out six. Sikkema has now lasted at least 6.0 innings in each of his three starts this season and has allowed three runs per start while averaging nearly six strikeouts.
  • After sitting down a pair on strikes, junior RP Jordan Gubelman now has 11 strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work during conference play this season.

UP NEXT

Mizzou and Alabama play game two of the series Saturday at 1 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Chiefs promote Dave Toub to Assistant Head Coach

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Friday that Head Coach Andy Reid has named Dave Toub the team’s Assistant Head Coach. Toub has served as the Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator the past five seasons (2013-17) and will continue those duties in his new role.

“Dave has had the opportunity to work with our team on both sides of the football, on the field and in the classroom,” Reid said. “His leadership qualities have entrusted me to promote him to Assistant Head Coach.”

Toub enters his sixth season with the Chiefs in 2018. Since Toub’s arrival in 2013, the Chiefs have 10 special teams kick returns for touchdowns (six punt, four kickoff), which is the most in the NFL over that span. The Chiefs took over the top mark for kick return average in NFL history in 2013 averaging 29.9 yards per return. Prior to arriving in Kansas City, Toub served as the Special Teams Coordinator for the Chicago Bears from 2004 to 2012. His units in Chicago finished in the top third of the league for eight straight seasons (2004-11). Before joining the Bears, Toub was the Assistant Special Teams Coach and Assistant Defensive Line Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2001-03. During his stint with Philadelphia, Toub helped Eagles Special Teams Coordinator John Harbaugh earn 2001 NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year honors.

Toub spent 15 seasons coaching at the collegiate level, most recently at Missouri where he coached the defensive line (1998-00) after nine years (1989-97) as the school’s head strength coach. Toub began his coaching career in 1986 at his alma mater, Texas-El Paso, as a graduate assistant, and one year later was named the school’s head strength and conditioning coach.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

KU’s Lagerald Vick to forego senior season to turn pro

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas guard Lagerald Vick will forego his senior season to pursue playing basketball professionally, Vick announced Friday.

A regular starter for Kansas in 2017-18, Vick averaged 12.1 points and was third on the KU team with a 4.8 rebound average. The Memphis, Tennessee, guard was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection by the conference’s coaches and posted six games of 20 or more points during the season. In December, Vick had a three-game stretch of 20 or more points and he made 59 3-pointers for the year, including 13 in Kansas’ postseason run to the Final Four.

“Lagerald had a really good year for us,” Self said. “He started out so hot and finished strong. I believe the time is right for him to move on, explore his options as a professional and see what develops. We won a lot of games with Lagerald over the last three years and appreciate everything he’s done for Kansas and our basketball program. We are 100 percent supportive of his decision and wish him the very best in whatever path this takes him.”

As a Jayhawk, Vick was part of three Big 12 regular-season conference championships, two Big 12 Tournament titles, three NCAA Tournament Elite Eights and one Final Four. KU won 31 or more games all three seasons Vick was at KU and the Jayhawks went 44-4 (91.7 percent) in Allen Fieldhouse the last three seasons.

“I have nothing but great memories and times with the Jayhawk family – my coaches, my teammates and the fans,” Vick said. “I will never forget the accomplishments and how you all have supported me. It is now time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life. I am declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft and do not plan to hire an agent at this moment. Thanks for the love. ROCK CHALK!!!”

Vick played in 19 games as a freshman, averaging 2.1 points per contest and earning Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team honors for his work in the classroom. He started six of 36 games played as a sophomore where he averaged 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He concludes his KU career averaging 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, scoring 775 points with 125 assists and 58 steals.

— KU Athletics —

Griffon softball hits five HRs in sweep of Missouri Southern

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ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Softball (19-22, 10-6) slugged its way to a sweep of Missouri Southern (19-23, 6-10), Thursday.

Missouri Western hit five home runs, three from Shelby Uhl, in the doubleheader along with three doubles. Uhl hit two of the team’s four home runs in game one and added another in game two. The Griffons got a 13-2, five-inning win in game one, before a 7-4 winner in game two.

NOTABLES

  • Uhl went 5-for-6 with five RBIs and five runs scored. She also stole three bases in four attempts.
  • Riley Wilson went 4-for-3 and started the home run parade in game one with a two-out, two-run blast to left. Wilson drove in six and scored three runs.
  • Shelbie Atwell went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored
  • Gabi Carter went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored
  • Kaili Hinds pitched six scoreless innings in game two
  • Kaili Hinds allowed two earned runs on four hits in game one

UP NEXT
The next games on the schedule for Missouri Western are a home doubleheader against Fort Hays State on Saturday, April 14.

— MWSU Athletics —

Bearcat baseball wins two games against No. 12 Central Missouri

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The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team picked up a pair of wins over University of Central Missouri on Thursday at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

The Bearcats improve to 19-14 overall, 14-5 in conference, while the Mules fall to 25-9 overall and 16-7 in conference play.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 9, Central Missouri 8, 10 inn.)
– Northwest scored one in the second, three in the third, four in the fifth and one in the tenth inning. . The Mules got one in the first, two in the fourth, three in the sixth and two in the ninth inning.
– The Bearcats had nine runs on 12 hits with five errors. Central Missouri had eight runs on eight hits with one error.
– Hudson Bilodeau went 2-for-4 with one RBI, one walk, two runs scored and a double.
– Mondesi Gutierrez was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, one RBI and a double.
– Landon Figg finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored.
– Luke Hassman went 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored, two RBIs and a homerun.
– Kevin Handzlik was 1-for-4 with one run scored, one RBI, a walk and a double.
– Aaron Barratt went 1-for-5 with one RBI.
– Matt Schingel finished 1-for-4 with one run scored.
– Derek Hussey was 1-for-5 with a stolen base.
– Jay Hrdlicka had a pinch hit double in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Game One Key Innings
– In the bottom of the second inning, Hassman got the Bearcats on the board with a solo homerun to left field to make the score 1-1.

– After an out, Bilodeau double to right field and then came around to score on another double to right field by Gutierrez. Gutierrez came in to score on a single up the middle by Figg to give the Bearcats the lead. Figg would come around to score on a fielder’s choice by Handzlik and give the Bearcats a 4-1 lead.

– Bilodeau started the bottom of the fifth with a walk and quickly moved to second on a single through the left side by Gutierrez. Figg hti a single to right field to score Bilodeau and put runners at first and second. Hassman would then reach on a fielder’s choice to score Gutierrez. Handzlik drew a one out walk and Barratt singled to left field to score Hassman. Handzlik would then advance on two wild pitches and come in to score to make the score 8-3.

– In the bottom of the tenth, Schingel hit a one out single to third base and advanced to third on a single by Hussey. Hussey stole second and Rycraft walked to load the bases. Bilodeau singled to left center to score Schingel and give the Bearcats a walk off win.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 8, Central Missouri 3)
– The Bearcats scored three in the second, four in the third and one in the seventh inning. Central Missouri scored one in the fourth and two in the ninth inning.
– Northwest had eight runs on 12 hits with no errors. The Mules scored three run on eight hits with no errors.
– Bilodeau finished 3-for-4 with one walk, two RBIs and a double.
– Figg went 2-for-5 with one RBI, one run scored and a homerun.
– Hassman was 2-for-3 with one walk and one run scored.
– Handzlik went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, one RBI and a walk.
– Barratt finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a walk and two homeruns.
– Rycraft was 1-for-3 with one RBI and a stolen base.
– Brad Roberts threw a complete game while striking out seven batters, and allowed only three runs.

Game Two Key Innings
– In the bottom of the second inning, Barratt hit a solo homerun to left center to start a rally for the Bearcats. Schingel and Hussey both drew one out walks and advanced to the next base on a fly out to left field. Bilodeua doubled down the left field line to score Schingel and Hussey to make the score 3-0.

– Figg led off the bottom of the third inning with a home run to left center field. Hassman kept the hitting going with single to right field and came in to score on a double to right center by Handzlik. Barratt brought Handzlik in with his second homerun of the game over the left field fence to give the Bearcats a 7-0 lead.

– Hassman began the seventh inning with a walk and advanced to second on a single to right field by Handzlik. Barratt drew a walk to load the bases. After two outs, Rycraft was hit by a pitch and scored Handzlik from third.

Up Next
– Northwest will conclude the series Saturday weather permitting.

— Northwest Athletics —

Mizzou’s Jontay Porter declares for NBA Draft; won’t hire an agent

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COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri freshman forward Jontay Porter is following brother Michael Jr. into the NBA draft.

Porter said Thursday that he will enter the draft without hiring an agent, allowing him to pull out of the draft and retain eligibility.

“I have loved everything about my experience on and off the court as a member of the Mizzou family but have always dreamed of playing in the NBA,” Porter said.

The 6-foot-11 forward averaged 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Michael Porter Jr. entered the draft March 26, and had hired an agent. The 6-foot-10 forward played two minutes in the team’s opener, then had lower back surgery Nov. 21. He returned for the SEC Tournament, scoring 12 points in a loss to Georgia. He had 16 points in 28 minutes in a first-round loss to Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.

— Associated Press —

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