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Author: Dave Riggert

Cain homers, Kansas City wins second straight at Chicago

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riggertRoyalsCHICAGO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals hit the field with their starter on a 60-pitch limit and two key relievers unavailable because of overwork.

All they did was win a pitcher’s duel.

Lorenzo Cain hit a solo home run and five pitchers combined to allow seven hits in a 2-1 victory over the slumping Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

Danny Duffy and Peter Moylan combined for six scoreless innings. Joakim Soria (2-1) worked out of a seventh-inning jam and Wade Davis pitched a hitless ninth for his 11th save in Kansas City’s second straight win over the AL Central leaders.

“We win on pitching and defense and this was another good example of it,” manager Ned Yost said.

Cain’s leadoff shot to center in the sixth off Miguel Gonzalez (0-1) made it 2-0 after Eric Hosmer’s first-inning sacrifice fly.

Gonzalez allowed six hits, struck out eight and didn’t walk a hitter over six innings in his third start since being called up from Triple-A. But he got no help from an offense that’s frustrated. Chicago has lost eight of 10.

“It’s our first real kind of test in the division and the Royals are doing their job and we basically are not,” Chicago third baseman Todd Frazier said.

The Royals won for the sixth time in eight games despite needing bullpen help with Duffy on a pitch limit. He allowed four hits in 4 1/3 innings, throwing 63 pitches.

“I try to be available when my team calls upon me to do something. That’s what’s happened the past two outings,” Duffy said on being converted back to a starter.

“It doesn’t really feel weird. It’s not really as much of a task when you’ve got the defense that you do behind you and the bullpen behind you,” he said.

Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, activated off the disabled list after missing more than two weeks with a left thumb injury, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and misplayed a bunt to load the bases with nobody out in the seventh.

Soria replaced Brian Flynn and induced slumping Jose Abreu’s double play grounder to end Chicago’s 13-inning scoreless streak. Soria then got Frazier to ground to third before working a perfect eighth in his first two-inning stint since 2011.

Yost said “under no circumstances” would he use Luke Hochevar or Kelvin Herrera. Hochevar had appeared in five of seven games and Herrera four of six.

“They let me know that I might go one-plus, but I didn’t know two innings,” Soria said. “I felt good and I was hitting my spots.”

Not even more lineup tinkering by manager Robin Ventura could get the White Sox out of their offensive funk.

Jerry Sands played first base and hit cleanup, with Melky Cabrera moved to fifth and barely missed a home run with a fourth-inning double off the wall. Abreu hit second for the second straight day and was the DH and Tyler Saladino was again at shortstop in place of struggling Jimmy Rollins.

Rollins struck out pinch-hitting for Sands in the eighth for Chicago, which has scored four runs in three games.

Ventura said he sees players pressing, including Abreu before his double play.

“You could see it as far as getting in those situations trying to probably hit a seven-run homer,” manager Robin Ventura said. “You can’t get out of it that way. You’ve got to be able to relax and get through it. We’ll be there for him.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: To make room for Moustakas, Cheslor Cuthbert was optioned to Triple-A Omaha, where Yost said he’ll play second and third. “Did he deserve to go down? No,” Yost said. “There’s just not a spot for him.” … Yost said needing to stretch out Duffy while he was in the rotation is why they elected to keep 13 pitchers.

White Sox: RHP Jake Petricka (hip) is not ready to come off the disabled list. “He still feels a little something there,” Ventura said.

DYSON OVER ORLANDO

Despite his second three-hit game of the week Friday, Paulo Orlando was out of the Kansas City lineup. And for good reason. Jarrod Dyson started in right and went 3 for 4 with a stolen base while improving to 7 for 8 against Gonzalez.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Yordano Ventura (4-2, 4.85 ERA) faces LHP Carlos Rondon (1-4, 4.73) in Sunday’s series finale.

— Associated Press —

Tigers drop regular season finale at Kentucky 7-2

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riggertMissouriLEXINGTON, Ky. – Mizzou Baseball dropped its regular season finale at Kentucky, 7-2, on Saturday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The loss drops Mizzou to 26-29 on the year and 9-21 in SEC play and Mizzou will be the No. 11 seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins Tuesday for Mizzou at 9:30 a.m. (CT) against an opponent to be determined.

UK starter Kyle Cody earned the win, improving to 6-2 on the season, after going 9.0 innings and scattering just eight hits while allowing two runs (one earned) with a walk and seven strikeouts. Mizzou freshman LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) took the loss, falling to 4-7 on the year. He went 3.0 innings, scattering six hits (four infield hits) with three runs (two earned). Plassmeyer struck out two and walked none. Mizzou got eight hits on Saturday with seven different players tallying a hit.

The third inning was eventful with each team capitalizing on shaky defense from the opposition. First, Mizzou’s Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) launched a two-out pitch to the track in center field and UK CF Tristan Pompey dropped the ball for an error and Ring found himself on second base. Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) hit a grounder to short which was misplayed, allowing Ring to score from second to give Mizzou a 1-0 lead.

UK then used three consecutive bunts, two for hits and the last for a sacrifice to move the runners up, to put runners on second and third. Two more infield hits and a rocket into right led to three runs as UK also capitalized on an error in that span to take a 3-1 lead after three.

After Mizzou was retired in the top of the fourth inning, RHP Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) relieved Plassmeyer in the bottom of the fourth. He allowed a double and a walk to leadoff the frame and that led to a sacrifice fly as UK took a 4-1 lead after four innings.

UK added a pair of runs in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Connor Heady and an RBI groundout by Evan White as UK took a 6-1 lead after six. Mizzou got an RBI groundout from Howard in the seventh inning to cut the lead to 6-2.

Senior LHP Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) was outstanding, striking out three of four batters to keep Mizzou in the game moving to the top of the eighth inning. But Mizzou went quietly in the eighth inning and Kentucky added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. Mizzou then got a two-out single from Ring in the ninth, but that was it for Mizzou.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Cardinals blast three HRs, Leake shuts down Diamondbacks 6-2

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riggertCardinalsST. LOUIS (AP) — Mike Leake was able to finally endear himself to the St. Louis Cardinals fans, while burning a team he wanted to sign with as a free agent this offseason.

Bouyed by home runs from Jedd Gyorko, Matt Adams and Yadier Molina, Leake pitched seven scoreless innings and the Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 on Saturday.

Leake wanted to go to the Diamondbacks, but ended up with the Cardinals after Arizona signed Zack Greinke and traded for Shelby Miller.

“It’s always nice to kind of I guess stick it to a team that it didn’t work out with,” Leake said. “At the end of the day it’s still another opponent and another team that you have to get through.”

Leake (3-3) retired eight straight between the second and fourth innings and battled back from a 3-0 count to strike out Chris Owings in the fifth to help thwart the Diamondbacks’ best scoring opportunity against him.

“We needed Mike today,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “He did a great job, was solid right from the start and had everything he was looking for, did a great job of mixing it up and getting ground balls and guys made real nice plays behind him. He made nice plays himself.”

It was Leake’s third straight win and first at home as a Cardinal. During that span, Leake has a 0.85 ERA.

“I was trying to pound the ball into the zone and get productive outs,” Leake said. “I think we accomplished that today.”

Leake even showed off at the plate with a double to left in the sixth. The righty also made a nice barehanded play to throw out Rickie Weeks Jr. at first in the seventh.

“Same old, same old from him,” Weeks said of Leake. “Back door sinkers, cutters, he kept the ball down. Obviously, we hit the ball pretty good I thought, but it was right at people on the ground. Obviously, it’s tough to get runs on the board when you keep pounding the ball in the ground.”

Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray (2-3) battled through five innings, only one of which was clean. He gave up two runs, stranded six runners, walked four and threw 65 of his 102 pitches for strikes.

Gyorko made Arizona pay in the second for allowing Adams to reach ahead of him on an error, smashing a 2-0 pitch into the Diamondbacks’ bullpen. He also added an RBI single in the seventh.

Adams went opposite field for a solo home run in the sixth and Molina’s two-run blast in the seventh was his first since Aug. 19, 2015 against San Francisco.

“The way everything’s going right now that’s where I want it to be when I’m in the box,” Adams said. “I’m standing on my back side and swinging at good pitches right now.”

Weeks hit a Trevor Rosenthal pitch into the Diamondbacks bullpen in the ninth for the Diamondbacks’ only runs. It was Weeks’ first homer of the season.

The Diamondbacks proceeded to load the bases, bringing the game-tying run to the plate before Rosenthal got the final out.

HIGH-QUALITY LEATHER

Leake was helped by two great back-to-back catches in the fourth by Matt Holliday and Stephen Piscotty. Holliday snared a tailing line drive off the bat of Brandon Drury on the left field track and Piscotty crashed into the right field wall to rob Paul Goldschmidt of an extra base hit.

TRAINING ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Josh Collmenter (shoulder) will make his fifth rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Reno. He’s expected to make one more rehab appearance before the team must make a decision.

Cardinals: Highly touted minor leaguer RHP Alex Reyes will make his first start of the season Sunday at Triple-A Memphis after being reinstated from a 50-game suspension after testing positive for marijuana use.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (4-3, 5.08 ERA) will pitch the rubber game of the series. He earned the win his last start against the New York Yankees and is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three road starts this season.

Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (3-3, 2.86 ERA) is 5-0 with a 2.94 ERA in six career starts against Arizona. He has not allowed a home run to an NL West batter in his last 171 batters faced since Arizona’s Nick Ahmed hit one on May 26, 2015.

— Associated Press —

Griffons’ season ends with 10-4 loss to St. Cloud State in NCAA Central Regional

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riggertMissouriWesternST. CLOUD, Minn. – A bad break broke open a 1-1 tie in the top of the second and the Missouri Western baseball team couldn’t recover, falling 10-4 in the NCAA Central Regional to top seeded St. Cloud State on Friday morning.

With one on and two out in the top of the second, Nick Gawley slipped down and just missed a pop up that would have ended the inning. A run scored on Gawley’s fall and St. Cloud State went on to score four more in the inning to take a 6-1 lead. St. Cloud added two more in the top of the fifth on back-to-back solo home runs that chased Weston Caindec from the game. In his final start for the Griffons, Caindec went four and a third, allowing eight runs on 11 hits. He struck out one and walked one.

Orencio Fisher hit a one-out solo home run to left in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 8-2. Jeremy Alvarado also hit a one-out solo shot in the sixth to pull the Griffons within three. In the seventh, Gawley cut the lead to four runs with an RBI single that scored Fisher for the third time in the game, but a fielding error in the bottom eighth allowed a fly ball that would have been the final out of the inning to score a run. St. Cloud State added another in the ninth.

Missouri Western struggled to move runners, stranding 11. The Griffons touched St. Cloud State for 13 hits, but just the four runs to show for it. Fisher went 3-5 with an RBI and three runs scored in his final game as a Griffon. Gawley wasl also 3-5 with an RBI and Alavarado went 3-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

The loss ended the Griffons’ season at 38-20, the second most wins in program history. Along the way, the team set program records for runs, hits, home runs and RBIs. It was just the third regional appearance for the program. The team is now 1-6 in regional games and has not won since its first appearance in 2006.

— MWSU Athletics —

Two-out rally dooms Mizzou in 2-1 loss at Kentucky

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riggertMissouriLEXINGTON, Ky. – Mizzou Baseball dropped game two of its series at Kentucky, 2-1, on Friday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Field. The Tigers lost despite a masterful start from senior RHP Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) who went 8.0 innings and scattered just six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in a loss. Two infield hits came around to score in the bottom of the sixth inning and that backed UK starter Dustin Beggs, who went 8.0 innings shutout innings, scattering just six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in his ninth win of the year.

The loss means Mizzou will need to do scoreboard watching on Friday as it looks to secure a spot in next week’s SEC Tournament. Mizzou can still clinch a berth to the tournament on Friday with losses by both Tennessee and Georgia.

McClain and Beggs matched each other inning for inning as each pitcher kept throwing up zeroes quickly and efficiently. Mizzou threatened in multiple innings to begin the game but had two runners picked of and hit into a 6-4-3 double play as the Tigers stranded four runners through six.

After retiring nine in a row with two down in the sixth, McClain surrendered two straight infield hits. SS Riley Mahan then roped a 1-2 pitch past Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) at second to plate a run and put runners on the corners with two down. UK then pulled off the double steal to plate another run to extend the lead to 2-0 after six.

Mizzou’s offense was quiet in the seventh and eighth innings as Beggs held the Tigers at bay. UK brought in closer Sean Hjelle for the top of the ninth inning. SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) led off the frame with a double and scored on a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) groundout. But pinch runner Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.) was picked off to end the game.

The rubber game of the series is slated for a 12 p.m. (CT) start Saturday.

— Mizzou Athletics —

MWSU women’s golf wraps up third day at NCAA Championships

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riggertMissouriWesternAURORA, Col. – The Missouri Western Women’s Golf team still sits 12th after three rounds of competition at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

The Griffons fired a 315 as a team on Friday and have a three-round total of 951. Shi Qing Ong turned in a 2-0ver 74 on day three and now sits tied for 23rd as an individual. Celine Lim was 7-over in the third round. Madison Romjue turned in an 81 as did Callie Wilson. Tiffanie Yabut finished day three with an 82.

Rollins College stayed on top of the leaderboard with a 293 in round three and holds a seven stroke lead over the University of Indianapolis going into the fourth and final round on Saturday at Common Ground Golf Course. Isabell Jimenez Perea took over the top of the individual leaderboard on Friday with a 3-under 69. She’s now 3-under through the first three rounds.

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri basketball hires Nick Michael as Director of Athletics Performance

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball head coach Kim Anderson has announced the addition of Nick Michael to his staff in the role of Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Performance.

Michael joined former Virginia Commonwealth assistant coach Mike Rhoades’ new staff at Rice as strength and conditioning coach in April 2014, where he developed and implemented new athletic performance programs for the Owls for the 2014-15 season. He previously spent the 2013-14 season assisting Shaka Smart’s VCU program as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant coach.

“Our Mizzou program is excited to add someone like Nick Michael to our staff,” Anderson said. “His energy and passion for developing student-athletes is unquestioned. Add in the fact that he was an accomplished professional basketball player, and you have someone who we feel can connect with our guys and help them make the right choices, both in the weight room and nutritionally speaking. We feel he will help our players develop the strength and toughness that is necessary to be successful in the SEC. We cannot wait to have Nick and his wife, Keeley, join us in Columbia.”

Michael played four seasons of professional basketball in Europe, spending time with Belfast Star in Ireland (2007) before suiting up for three German squads: TSVE Dolphins (2008-09), Giro Live-Ballers (2009-10) and Bayer Giants (2010-11).

“This is such an incredible opportunity, and I sincerely want to thank Coach Anderson, Mack Rhoades and Mizzou’s administration,” Michael said. “My passions are basketball, fitness, and figuring out how to be stronger, faster and mentally tougher. Being able to work at such a high level of college basketball with a staff that is high level themselves is a perfect situation.

“I spent a lot of time with Coach Anderson during the interview process and the comfort level is very high. But my main purpose is with the team. I’m so excited to work with them. It’s about building relationships. It’s extremely gratifying to watch student-athletes grow, learn and graduate. They’ll know when we get after it in the weight room, it’s about building mental toughness. It’s more than building muscle strength. Mental toughness and creating great work habits.”

Currently the head coach at Texas, Smart praised Michael’s expertise and passion when told of his hire at Mizzou.

“Nick is a terrific strength coach and was a huge asset to our program at VCU,” Smart said. “He will do great things for the athletic department at the University of Missouri and their student-athletes. His blend of technical knowledge, basketball experience and enthusiasm makes him one of the best.”

The Rams finished 26-9 on the season and powered their way into the NCAA Tournament with a second-place showing in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Prior to his work at VCU, Michael served two seasons as an assistant coach at Elmhurst College (Illinois), his alma mater.

As a player at Elmhurst (2003-07), Michael left his mark. He was a three-time all-conference selection at center for the Bluejays, finishing his career ranking in the Division III program’s top 10 in points scored (1,199) and rebounds (588).

Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems from Elmhurst before departing on his professional career in 2007, then returned to earn a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science in 2013 during his stint as an assistant coach. While at VCU, Michael earned a Master’s of Education in Sport Leadership in 2014.

Michael spent the 2015-16 season working in private athletic performance coaching in the Houston area.

Michael has attained several certifications, including Strength & Conditioning Coach Certified (CSCCa), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting Level 1 Performance Coach.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Griffons get blanked by Arkansas-Monticello in NCAA Tournament opener

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riggertMissouriWesternST. CLOUD, Minn. – One team had 18 hits and 15 runs, the other had four and none. Unfortunately for the Missouri Western Baseball team, the latter was the line for the Griffons as the team lost in the opening round of the NCAA Central Regional, 15-0 to Arkansas at Monticello.

After two and a half innings of scoreless baseball, the Boll Weevils got to Richard Peoples in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs. They added five in the fifth off Preston Bailey and would go on to score three in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth. After Orencio Fisher was stranded at third to end the first inning, Missouri Western never got a runner past first base and did not have more than one runner on in any inning. Fisher, David Glaude, Alex Heuring and Andy Rieth had one hit apiece.

Peoples took the loss, falling to 10-4 on the season. He gave up four runs and seven hits in two and a third. Bailey went two and two thirds, allowing five funs, four earned on four hits. He also walked three. Chris Estrada, Blaine Werth and Joe Tieman pitched one inning apiece to get the Griffons to the end of the game. They allowed a combined six runs, all earned, on seven hits.

The fifth seeded Griffons will play No. 1 seed St. Cloud State in an elimination game at 10:00 a.m. Friday.  The Huskies lost to No. 8 seed Minnesota State 1-0 in 11 innings.

— MWSU Athletics —

Western golf improves 19 strokes on day two of NCAA Championships

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riggertMissouriWesternAURORA, Col. – The Missouri Western Women’s Golf team shook off a rough first round on Wednesday to improve by 18 strokes during the second round, Thursday, at the NCAA Division II National Championships

The Griffons shot a 309 Thursday after turning in a 327 on Wednesday. The rough start still left the Griffons in 12th place after two rounds, but the team’s Thursday score was better than 11th place West Texas A&M and the same as Augustana which is currently tied for eighth. Missouri Western will enter round three on Friday, 16 strokes out of 11th and 30 strokes behind Northeastern State.

Shi Qing Ong was again the top finisher for the Griffons, shooting an even 72 Thursday to leave her tied for 22nd, individually. Madison Romjue and Tiffanie Yabut were both 5-over on Thursday and Celine Lim and Callie Wilson fired 83s.

Rollins College took over sole possession of first place, shaving two strokes off their round one 290 with a 288 on day two. Hally Leadbetter from Rollins is the individual leader after two rounds, with a 3-under 141 total.

— MWSU Athletics —

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