Dave Riggert – Page 449 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Griffon women’s golf advances to first ever NCAA Division II Championship

Posted on May 5, 2016

AXTELL, NE. – Missouri Western Women’s Golf earned its first ever spot in NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship, finishing third in the Central Regional with a team score of 899 in three rounds of golf. It’s just the fourth time in Missouri Western history a team has advanced to the NCAA national finals. The event was played at Awarii Dunes Golf Course which is a par 72, 6,200 yard course.

Tiffanie Yabut was able to sink a 10-foot putt on the 18th green to force a team playoff against Arkansas Tech to determine the final spot in the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships. It took three playoff holes to eventually declare a winner with the Griffons coming out on top. Madison Romjue hit a four-foot putt to seal the deal for the Griffons.

The Griffons finished with three top-10 golfers in the event. Tiffanie Yabut finished tied for sixth individually, recording a 221 in her three rounds of golf. Freshman Shi Qing Ong scored a 222 and finished ninth overall in the tournament. Celine Lim tied for 10th at the Central Regional with a 223. Madison Romjue scored a 234, finishing tied for 39th. Callie Wilson reported a 240 in the three rounds of golf, tying her for 53rd place in the standings.

The tournament featured a record breaking round of 295 in round two for the Griffons and two individual posting career-low rounds. Lim tallied a 71 in round one and Yabut finished with a 71 in round two.

Augustana University finished the tournament with a team score of 881 through the three rounds while Northeastern State completed the tournament with an 882 score.

Individually, Kali Trautman of Augustana and Kayla Schroeder of Northeastern State tied for the title with a 217 in the tournament. The top three individuals advancing to the NCAA Championships Daniela Martinez of Central Oklahoma, Caroline Fredensborg of Arkansas Tech and Rachel Gray of Concordia-St. Paul.

The NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship will be held May 18-21 at the Common Ground Golf Course in Aurora, Colo. as a part of the 2016 NCAA Division II Championships Festival. The top three teams and top three individuals not with a team from each super regional will make up championship field.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals get routed by Washington 13-2

Posted on May 5, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Stephen Strasburg likes to time his journey from the bullpen to the dugout before a game to minimize the time he has to sit on the bench before getting in the game.

He had to wait what seemed like an eternity Wednesday.

The Nationals scored six times off Kris Medlen in the first inning, taking advantage of three errors and a slew of hits before Strasburg ever got on the mound. Washington proceeded to rout Kansas City 13-2 and take the rubber-game of their three-game interleague set.

“It might sound strange but it made it a little more difficult,” said Strasburg, who allowed two runs and five hits over six tidy innings. “You have to trick your mind into thinking it’s a 0-0 game.”

Strasburg managed to do it, pushing his career-best start to 5-0.

Daniel Murphy finished a triple shy of the cycle, and slumping slugger Bryce Harper also went deep, as the Nationals pounded out 16 hits. Murphy and Clint Robinson drove in three runs apiece, and nearly everyone else in a gray jersey did something at the plate to help pace the rout.

Medlen (1-3) allowed nine runs, six of them earned, and six hits in two-plus innings for Kansas City. His home ERA rose to 20.65 in two starts at Kauffman Stadium this season.

“It just wasn’t Medlen’s day,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He just couldn’t get it going and the defense didn’t help him. Three errors in the first inning didn’t help him. It was just a struggle.”

Things got so bad for the Royals that Eric Hosmer, their hottest hitter, got ejected for the first time in his six-year big league career. He struck out and took umbrage with plate umpire CB Bucknor, who gestured for him to head to the showers in the bottom of the sixth inning.

By that point, Hosmer was probably happy to oblige.

The Royals used every player on their bench, including catcher Salvador Perez, who had to take over for Hosmer at first base. They also used six pitchers with closer Wade Davis working the ninth.

The tone was set with the first two batters of the game — and it sounded a whole lot like nails on a chalkboard to the thousands of kids in the stands for “School Day at the K.”

Mike Moustakas allowed a hopper to get past him for a leadoff error, and Omar Infante bobbled an easy grounder for another one. The Nationals proceeded to string together four straight hits, three of them extra-bases, before Medlen finally record his first out on his 39th pitch.

“They helped us out in that first inning and that doesn’t happen very often,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. “They’re a very good defensive time.”

Washington added a sacrifice fly to take a 6-0 lead before Strasburg finally got to pitch.

He gave up a couple runs in the second, but the Nationals proceeded to score four more runs on five hits and a walk in the third inning. Medlen was lifted with the bases loaded and no outs, but reliever Danny Duffy did little to slow the Nationals’ offensive onslaught.

Murphy went deep in the fourth inning. Harper hit his 10th of the season in the fifth.

The only reason to pay much attention the rest of the game was Murphy, who had three legs of the cycle by the fourth inning. He added a single leading off the sixth to push his average to .402, but was part of the wholesale substitutions by both teams that kept him from getting another chance.

“Playing against him, you knew you were getting a professional at-bat every time,” Strasburg said. “His baseball IQ is just off the charts.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Nationals were 8 for 15 with runners in scoring position. … Murphy matched a career high with his four hits. … Medlen has lost three straight for th e first time since July 2013 with Atlanta.

TRAINER’S ROOM

OF Ben Revere (right oblique strain) will join the Nationals in Chicago on Thursday and be evaluated before being activated. He played nine innings in centerfield for Triple-A Syracuse in his fifth rehab game on Tuesday. … Moustakas was back in the starting lineup after dealing with swelling in his thumb.

UP NEXT

Nationals RHP Joe Ross is on the mound to open a four-game series against the Cubs on Thursday night at Wrigley Field. The Royal take a day off before beginning a three-game set Friday night in Cleveland.

— Associated Press —

Northwest basketball adds Park Hill South’s Ryan Welty

Posted on May 5, 2016

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball head coach Ben McCollum has announced the signing of Ryan Welty to a National Letter of Intent. Welty was a two-time all-state selection at Park Hill South High School for coach Dan Parra.

“Ryan is extremely talented and has the ability to stretch the floor,” said McCollum. “He can score in a variety of ways. He can score in the post, he is capable off the dribble and can really shoot it from three. Defensively, Ryan is a very good shot blocker and rebounder. In addition to being a talented basketball player, he is also a great student and a great kid and will represent our program in a positive way. We are very excited that he chose to be a Bearcat.”

Welty helped lead his Park Hill South to a pair of district titles and Suburban Conference championships. The Panthers were state runners-up during his junior season. As a senior, Welty was named the Suburban Conference Player of the Year after earning co-player of the year honors as a junior. He twice earned first team all-conference honors after earning honorable mention accolades during his first two seasons. As a senior, Welty was named second team All-Metro. He averaged 18.0 points and 9.0 rebounds as a senior, shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc and 80 percent from the charity stripe. As a junior, he shot 49 percent from deep and 84 percent from the free throw line, averaging 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

— Northwest Athletics —

Holliday gives Cardinals 5-4 walk-off win over Phillies

Posted on May 5, 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Holliday delivered the St. Louis Cardinals’ first walk-off win of the season on Wednesday night and then was mobbed by his teammates.

“That’s why I work out,” he said, “just in case something like that happens.”

The Cardinals scored twice in the bottom of the ninth and Holliday’s RBI single with two outs was the difference in a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

“It was an important game for us to win,” Holliday said. “We needed it and we need to win tomorrow to win the series. All games are important but this was one we needed to win.”

The Cardinals had lost five of their last six while the Phillies had won seven of eight and 10 of 12.

St. Louis rallied in the ninth against Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez, who had converted his first nine save opportunities this season.

Pinch-hitter Kolten Wong led off with a walk. With one out, pinch-hitter Matt Adams doubled off the wall in right-center, a play that was reviewed to see whether it went over the fence.

“I thought it hit that flower bed out there and bounced back,” Adams said. “I saw the umpire’s arms signal not a homer and I just had to get to second safely.”

After an intentional walk to load the bases with one out, Stephen Piscotty delivered an RBI infield single to tie the game and pitcher Carlos Martinez, pinch running for Adams, was out after rounding third.

Holliday then smacked a single through the left side of the infield to drive home the winning run.

“It’s, I think, a great example of the fight in this team to not let a 4-0 lead get us down and to fight right back so that’s a big win,” said Piscotty, who had three hits and two RBI. “That’s a confidence booster. We’re going to hopefully keep that momentum going.”

Ryan Howard’s seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot to center field in the fourth inning, gave the Phillies a 3-0 lead. That was the St. Louis native’s 23rd homer in 67 career games against the Cardinals.

Odubel Herrera added a solo home run in the fifth, his third, to make it 4-0.

Cardinals starter Mike Leake, the team’s big free agent addition of the offseason, entered the game with an 0-3 record and 5.83 ERA. He allowed four runs and four hits in five innings, his ERA rising to 6.03 after six starts.

The Cardinals scored three runs in the fifth with the help of two reviews.

Ruben Tejada led off the inning with a hit down the third-base line that was originally called foul but ruled a double after a 5-minute review. After a walk to Eric Fryer and pinch-hit single by Brandon Moss, Aledmys Diaz hit a single off the glove of shortstop Freddy Galvis that scored two runs. Fryer was safe at home on a close play that was reviewed, but not overturned.

Piscotty followed with an RBI single to score Moss and chase Phillies starter Adam Morgan, who allowed three runs and six hits in four-plus innings.

Phillies left fielder Tyler Goeddel made a catch at the wall to take a hit away from Jedd Gyorko to end the eighth inning.

“We walked five guys and three of them scored so the walks kind of hurt us,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. “But like I said Gomez walked the leadoff guy, which I wasn’t real happy about, but then he had a situation to get a ground ball. That’s what we wanted him to do, and he gave us a ground ball that found a hole.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Tommy Pham, out with a left oblique strain since opening day, began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday night. He went 1 for 2 with a two-run single, walk and stolen base.

WHO’S ON FIRST?

Yadier Molina got a break from his catching duties on Wednesday and became the Cardinals’ fifth starter at first base this season. Adams and Moss have started 11 games there, while Holliday has started four and Matt Carpenter has started one.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (1-3, 4.15) has never faced the Cardinals. He is coming off a no-decision against Cleveland after allowing three runs and six hits over six innings.

Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (1-2, 3.73) will make his eighth start and 10th career appearance against Philadelphia. He is 2-4 with a 3.27 ERA in his previous nine appearances against the Phillies.

— Associated Press —

Western tennis lands three on the All-MIAA team

Posted on May 5, 2016

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Missouri Western Women’s Tennis continues to see improvement and recognition as Yasmine El Ghazi, Sarah Giraldo, and Joanna Abreu Roman all earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2016.

Junior Yasmine El Ghazi earned No. 1 singles All-MIAA Honorable Mention. El Ghazi finished the year with a 14-8 overall record and a 7-4 record in the No. 1 singles positon. She also recorded a 3-0 record in the No. 3 spot.

Senior Sarah Giraldo earned No. 2 singles All-MIAA Honorable Mention. Giraldo accumulated a 9-11 overall record this year and went 5-6 in the No. 2 singles spot.

Freshman Joanna Abreu Roman was a strong point for the Griffons all season, earning No. 4 singles All-MIAA Honorable Mention. She went 14-4 overall, going 9-2 in the No. 4 spot. In her last 10 matches, she finished 8-2.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Patricia Husakova, Northeastern State

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Alli Hodges, Central Oklahoma

COACH OF THE YEAR
Amanda Stone, Northeastern State

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Tawni Griffey, Emporia State

FIRST TEAM
1S: Patricia Husakova, Northeastern State
2S: Maria Josie Zehnder, Southwest Baptist
3S: Lara Soares, Northeastern State
4S: Molly Worden, Northeastern State
5S: Lani Tuemmers, Southwest Baptist
6S: Jenny Bond, Central Oklahoma
1D: Patricia Husakova/Molly Worden, Northeastern State
2D: Maria Josie Zehnder/Lani Tuemmers, Southwest Baptist
3D: Paula Jiminez/Emma Neil, Nebraska-Kearney

SECOND TEAM
1S: Alli Hodges, Central Oklahoma
2S: Daria Panfernova, Northeastern State
3S: Valeriia Efimenko, Northeastern State
4S: Klara Vickov, Southwest Baptist
5S: Emilie Semo, Central Oklahoma
6S: Karla Tomaic, Northeastern State
1D: Christina Zentai/Lara Soares, Southwest Baptist
2D: Sthefani Rodriguez/Sherry Sun, Nebraska-Kearney
3D: Kaja Emersic/Andrea Gallardo, Northwest Missouri

Honorable Mention
#1S: Tawni Griffey, ESU; Yasmine El Ghazi, MWSU; Christina Zentai, SBU
#2S: Kirtana Bhat, UCO; Sarah Giraldo, MWSU; Kaja Emersic, NWMSU
#3S: Alex Williams, UCO; Paula Jiminez, UNK
#4S: Joanna Abreu Roman, MWSU; Emma Neil, UNK
#5S: Easton Parker, NSU
#6S: Lori Ahuja, ESU; Sarah Durham, ESU; Rebeca Aguilar, LWU; Leigha Limbach, UNK; Vilune Sestokaite, NWMSU; Zorana Jovanovic, SBU; Gwen Shepler, WU
#1D: Kirtana Bhat/Alli Hodges, UCO; Lorena Rivas/Vilune Sestokaite, SBU
#2D: Anna Minakova/Shali Shoepflin, UCO ; Valeriia Efimenko/Daria Panfernova, NSU
#3D: Emilie Semo/Jenny Bond, UCO; Easton Parker/Karla Tomaic, NSU; Klara Vickov/Zorana Jovanovic, SBU

— MWSU Atheltics —

Royals rally past Nationals with three runs in the ninth

Posted on May 3, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain capped a three-run ninth inning with a two-out single to left, bringing home Mike Moustakas and giving the Kansas City Royals a 7-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Tanner Roark lasted into the eighth inning for Washington, but he was relieved by Felipe Rivero with runners on the corners and one out. Eric Hosmer grounded into a fielder’s choice to make it 6-4.

Rivero got through the rest of the inning and turned the lead over to Jonathan Papelbon (1-1), who served up back-to-back singles to start the ninth. After Omar Infante struck out, Moustakas came on to pinch hit and guided a single through the left side to knot the game 6-all.

Alcides Escobar kept the line moving with a single to center, and Cain ripped a liner into the gap in left-center to keep the Royals from losing for the seventh time in eight games.

Chien-Ming Wang (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Anthony Rendon and Daniel Murphy hit early homers, and Jayson Werth hit one late for Washington. The Nationals coaxed across three runs in the sixth inning, giving them what looked like an insurmountable lead against the sluggish Kansas City offense.

Luke Hochevar allowed those three runs in his only inning of work, the reliever following another subpar outing by Chris Young. He lasted 4 2/3 innings to put a massive burden on his bullpen.

After falling behind on Rendon’s homer in the first, the Royals answered with three runs in the third inning. Escobar tied the game with his RBI single, and hot-hitting Hosmer’s two-out, two-run jab through the right side of the infield gave Kansas City a 3-1 lead.

Murphy went deep in the fourth inning before Washington continued its rally in the sixth, but the Royals hung around long enough to deliver their second walk-off win of the season.

The result? Two clubs on wildly different trajectories changed directions.

The Nationals began their 10-game road trip with a three-game sweep in St. Louis, and were an inning away from being perfect at the midway point. Meanwhile, the Royals (14-12) avoided dropping back to .500 after a hot start to the defense of their World Series championship.

NATIONALS VISIT HALL

Several members of the Nationals, including NL MVP Bryce Harper, spent the morning visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Harper called it “an honor and pleasure” to visit the museum and its president, Bob Kendrick. The museum is a popular spot for visiting teams to spend time in Kansas City.

HARPER INKS WITH UA

Under Armour announced Tuesday that Harper had signed a multiyear extension with the company, likely one of the largest endorsement deals in the majors. Harper has endorsed the brand the last five years. His new line of baseball cleats, “Harper One,” will be available in July.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Moustakas got the night off from the field after aggravating a thumb injury in Seattle over the weekend. “It blew up in Seattle,” manager Ned Yost said. “It’s just a day-by-day thing. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. Yesterday it was really swollen.”

UP NEXT

The series concludes Wednesday when Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg, 4-0 for the first time in his career, takes on Royals RHP Kris Medlen. The afternoon game is “School Day at the K.”

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western women’s golf tied for 2nd after day two at NCAA Super Regional

Posted on May 3, 2016

AXTELL, Neb. – Missouri Western Women’s Golf fired the best round in MWSU history for the second straight day, shooting a 295 on day two and sit tied for second in the standings. The event is being played at Awarii Dunes Golf Course which is a par 72, 6,248 yard course.

The Griffons have been propelled by Tiffanie Yabut and Celine Lim in the first two rounds of the tournament. Yabut currently sits tied for second in the individual standings with a 145, shooting a 74 and 71 respectively in her rounds of play. Lim is at 146 through two rounds, tying her for sixth in the standings. Shi Qing Ong is tied for 10th, tallying a 75 and 73, respectively in the first two rounds. Madison Romjue and Callie Wilson finished the two rounds with a 154 and 158.

Missouri Western dropped one spot and sit tied for second in the overall standings with Northeastern State. Augustana dominated the second round of action, moving up four spots in the standings and taking an eight stroke advantage into the final day. Central Oklahoma moved down four spots in the second round of action.

Daniela Martinez of Central Oklahoma leads the pack individually, recording a 144 in the first two rounds. Four individuals are tied for second at 145.

The top three teams and top three individuals not with a team from each super regional will make up the championship field. The final round of the Central Regional will be played on Wednesday morning.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest Missouri State tennis teams earn NCAA Regional bids

Posted on May 3, 2016

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University men’s and women’s teams each earned bids to the 2016 NCAA Division II Tournament on Tuesday. The Bearcat men are the Central Region’s No. 1 team and will host No. 4 on Southwest Baptist at Frank Grube Courts in Maryville, Mo. The Norhtwest women will face Augustana University in Bolivar, Mo., with the winner of that match taking on the winner of Central Oklahoma and host Southwest Baptist. Match dates and times will be released at a later time.

The Bearcat women finished the year at 12-12, advancing to the MIAA semifinals. This is the second straight year the Northwest women have qualified for NCAA play and the 17th time overall. This will be the first meeting in NCAA play between the Bearcats and Augustana. The two teams met earlier this season in St. Joseph, Mo., with the Vikings taking a 5-2 decision on March 6.

Northwest’s men captured the MIAA Tournament and were co-regular season champions, going 19-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play. The Bearcats were 6-0 at home and entered the tournament with the ITA’s No. 12 national ranking. This will be the 19th NCAA tournament selection for the Northwest men and the 11th straight year, dating back to 2006. Northwest is 2-0 all time vs. SBU in NCAA play. Southwest Baptist beat Northwest in the regular season, 5-4, back on April 16. But Northwest won, 5-0, last weekend in the MIAA Championship match.

— Northwest Athletics —

Griffon women add two guards from Northern Iowa Area Community College

Posted on May 3, 2016

ST. JOSEPH. – Missouri Western Women’s Basketball head coach Rob Edmisson has announced the signings of two additional student-athletes for the 2016-17 season.

Savannah Lentz and Trudy Peterson will both come to Missouri Western from North Iowa Area Community College, where they became the school’s top two three point shooters of all time. The two most recent signees join Erin Anderson, who signed earlier this spring.

Savannah Lentz | 5-6 | G | Cresco, Iowa | Northern Iowa Area Community College
Lentz is NIACC’s all-time three point leader with 171 made. Lentz ranks 15th at NIACC in all-time scoring and was a first team All-NJCAA Region XI selection and third team NJCAA Division II All-American last season. She scored more than 300 points both seasons at NIACC.

“Savannah’s hard-nose style of play will bring toughness to our team,” Edmisson said. “Her ability to shoot the three will help us on the perimeter.”

Trudy Peterson | 5-10 | G | Clear Lake, Iowa | Northern Iowa Area Community College
Peterson ranks second at NIACC with 145 three-point field goals made in her career. She was also a first team All-NJCAA Region XI selecion and scored 635 points in two years, including a school record 51-point game against Kennedy King College last season.

“Trudy also adds an immediate perimeter threat to our team,” Edmisson said. “Her size and shooting abilities will allow her to contribute to our future success.”

Erin Anderson | 5-7 | G | St. Louis, Mo. | Kansas City Kansas Community College
Anderson is fresh off an NJCAA Division II National Championship at Kansas City Kansas Community College. The 5-7 guard led the Blue Devils, averaging 15.5 points per game. She also averaged 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. She also shot 39.2 percent from three-point range and was a first team All-Jayhawk and All-Region VI selection. Anderson was also named to the NJCAA All-Tournament team.

“We are excited to add a player like Erin to our Missouri Western family,” Edmisson said. “Her competitive spirit and skill set will make an instant impact. Playing on a national championship team sets her apart from a lot of players.”

— MWSU Athletics —

Bearcat basketball signs Iowa prep Daric Laing

Posted on May 3, 2016

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Chariton (IA) High School guard Daric Laing has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Northwest Missouri State. Head Coach Ben McCollum announced that the first-team 3A All-State performer will join the Bearcats this fall.

“Daric loves to be in the gym and works extremely hard at his game,” said McCollum. “We love the qualities he brings to our program. He is competitive, has a good feel for the game and can really shoot the three. Even more, he is a high character kid and our faculty and fans will enjoy being around him and interacting with him.”

Laing was a four-time South Central Conference first team performer, recording 1,937 points and 433 assists in his prep career. His team, coached by Ben Schooley, won three straight conference championships. As a senior, he led his team to a fourth place finish in the 3A state tournament, earning first team all-state honors. He earned third team all-state honors during his sophomore and junior seasons.

In the classroom, Laing is a member of the National Honor Society, garnered the Principal’s Award, earned Academic All-Conference honors and will graduate in the top-20 of his class at Chariton High School.

— Northwest Athletics —