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Author: Dave Riggert

Morales homers twice to lead Royals past Cardinals 5-0

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riggertRoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kendrys Morales hit two home runs and had five RBIs, Chris Young gave up six hits in six innings and the Kansas City Royals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 Friday night.

The Royals improved to 27-14, the best record in the majors, while the Cardinals dropped to 27-15, best in the National League.

Morales, who leads the American League with 37 RBIs, hit a three-run homer with two out in the first. He homered again in the third with Lorenzo Cain aboard for his 13th multihomer game. The five RBIs matched a Royals’ season high.

Young (4-0) got 13 flyball outs and struck out two. In Young’s four starts, he has allowed one earned run in 22 1/3 innings (0.40 ERA).

Royals starters Young, Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura and Jeremy Guthrie have combined to throw 26 shutout innings while allowing 18 hits in the past four games.

— Associated Press —

Northwest’s Wichmann ties school record, finishes tenth at National Championships

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NWMSUNorthwest Missouri State’s Chloe Wichmann rallied for a tenth place finish in the heptathlon on day two at the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships on Friday.

There were 19 athletes competing in the event which took place in Allendale, Mich. on the home track of Grand Valley State University.

The lone representative from Northwest Missouri State participating in the meet, Wichmann finished in the top five in all three of Friday’s events.
Salcia Slack of New Mexico Highlands won the event with 5,691 total points.

Wichmann finished in the top ten after compiling a total of 5,012 points. After finishing day one in 17th place, she picked up seven spots in the standings in the final three disciplines.

The junior won the 800 meter run with a time of 2:12.03, picking up 935 points in the process. With her performance, Wichmann tied the school record in the event with Haley Manning, who ran the same time earlier this season.

The Kirksville, Mo. native started the day with a fifth place finish in the long jump after leaping 18-6.00.

Wichmann earned a third place finish in the javelin with a toss of 118-4.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Mizzou gets knocked out of SEC Tournament by Alabama

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riggertMizzouHOOVER, Ala. – Alabama catcher Will Haynie hit a go-ahead solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning as Mizzou baseball was eliminated from the SEC Tournament with a 4-3 loss on Thursday morning (May 21) at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The loss drops the Tigers to 30-28 on the season while Alabama improves to 32-27.

Freshman starter Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) was good through eight innings of work. The difference in the game came in a two-run sixth inning after he retired the first two batters. A walk, an infield hit and a fielder’s choice led to a two-out single by Cody Henry to tie the game at 3-3 and Haynie’s homer came on the first pitch of the seventh inning to give the Tide the lead for good. Houck allowed four runs on six hits (three infield hits) with eight strikeouts against just one walk.

Alabama used a two-out infield hit by Mikey White and a double by Casey Hughston to take an early 1-0 lead despite some good pitching by Houck. Mizzou got on the board in the fifth as Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) roped a two-out double off the glove of Casey Hughtston in right field to score a pair of runs. It was Peel’s third double in the last 10 games.

The Tigers added a run on a two-out RBI single by freshman Trey Harris (Powder Spring, Ga.) in the sixth inning as Mizzou scored its first three runs with all with two outs. Alabama followed that script in the bottom of the sixth inning after Houck got the first two outs of the inning. A two-out walk, an infield hit and a fielder’s choice grounder to the left side loaded the bases. Cody Henry then bounced a two-run single back up the middle to tie the game at 3-3 headed to the seventh inning. Mizzou stranded a pair in the seventh inning and Alabama the catcher Haynie led off the Tide’s half of the seventh with a solo shot to left field to give Alabama 4-3 lead.

Mizzou got no offense off of the Alabama bullpen in the eighth and the ninth inning as the Tide closed the game put for the win.

Missouri will await its NCAA Tournament fate as the field of 64 is announced Monday.

— MU Sports Information —

Benton graduate Warner wins Division II national title in hammer throw

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WarnerALLENDALE, Mich. – Benton graduate and Central Missouri junior Heavin Warner won the national title in the hammer throw Thursday on day one of the NCAA Division II Track & Field National Championships in Allendale, Michigan.

Warner successfully defended her title from a year ago as she had a winning throw of 211’1″ and was the only competitor with a mark of over 200 feet.

She becomes Central Missouri’s first back-to-back national champion since Lindsey Lettow in 2011-12.

St. Louis gets two-hit as they lose series finale against Mets

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riggertCardinalsNEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom was simply overpowering. Almost perfect, too.

The reigning NL Rookie of the Year retired his final 23 batters following a first-inning single, and Lucas Duda hit two long homers to nearly the same spot Thursday during the New York Mets’ 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I knew I had good command of my pitches — all of them,” said deGrom, who never even went to a three-ball count.

The slender righty struck out 11 over eight dominant innings, shrugging off a tender hip and stiff shoulder that had bothered him recently.

In his latest stingy start at Citi Field, the only blemish was Matt Carpenter’s clean single with one out in the first.

“It happened so early, I mean it’s hard to look back and have any regrets about that,” deGrom said. “I honestly didn’t think about it. I knew I hadn’t been in the stretch in a while so I was just thinking, go right after guys.”

Michael Cuddyer had his first three-hit game of the season and also walked for a perfect day at the plate. John Mayberry Jr. put the slumping Mets lineup on the scoreboard with an RBI single in the fourth.

Besides the single by Carpenter, the lone Cardinals hitter to reach base was Kolten Wong with a two-out single off Jeurys Familia in the ninth. The lack of offense left Jaime Garcia little chance to win his first major league start since last June.

The shaggy-haired deGrom (5-4) posted his fifth double-digit strikeout game and first since Sept. 21 at Atlanta. He is 10-1 with a 1.19 ERA in his past 12 starts at Citi Field, giving him a 1.50 ERA in 16 career home games.

“I knew we were cruising out there, that’s for sure,” rookie catcher Kevin Plawecki said. “I could tell in the bullpen that he was locked in. … He just had it all working.”

Blown out the previous two nights, New York managed a four-game split in a series that matched the top two pitching staffs in the majors.

Duda’s solo shot off Garcia (0-1) in the sixth cleared the shed-like canopy that shelters visiting relievers behind the 380-foot sign on the right-center fence.

The big slugger did it again in the eighth, hammering Randy Choate’s only pitch for a three-run drive that came down on the canopy roof.

“Amazing,” Cuddyer said. “We needed them, that’s for sure.”

Garcia won 13 games in both 2010 and 2011, helping the Cardinals to a World Series title four years ago. But injuries have derailed his promising career, and he had been sidelined since having thoracic outlet surgery last July to alleviate numbness and tingling in his pitching arm and hand.

Making his first big league appearance since June 20, the 28-year-old lefty walked five and flirted with danger all day. But he limited the damage to two runs in seven innings, thanks in large part to four double plays turned behind him.

“I got outs when I needed to get outs, big situations, but unfortunately that wasn’t good enough,” Garcia said. “I’m here. I’m going to compete.”

LEFT ON LEFT

Duda is hitting .409 in 44 at-bats against left-handers this year with four of his five homers and six extra-base hits.

“Essentially just kind of stay short and take what they give you,” he said.

It’s quite a turnaround from last season, when he batted .180 vs. southpaws with two homers and four extra-base hits in 111 at-bats. New York manager Terry Collins thinks Duda’s winter chat with former Mets star and current broadcaster Keith Hernandez has made a difference.

“I’m not taking credit for it. He’s doing it on his own,” Hernandez said.

HOME SWEET HOME

The Mets are 17-6 at Citi Field, matching the best home start in franchise history (1971 and `72).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: To make room for Garcia, activated from the 15-day disabled list, St. Louis optioned rookie reliever Sam Tuivailala to Triple-A Memphis.

Mets: Collins said he thought rehabbing relievers Bobby Parnell (Tommy John surgery) and Vic Black (shoulder, neck) might pitch once more in Florida before moving to Double-A Binghamton. … RHP Dillon Gee (groin strain) was scheduled to make another rehab start Thursday night for Class A St. Lucie at Dunedin.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (3-3, 2.96 ERA) starts Friday night against RHP Chris Young (3-0, 0.94) in the opener of a three-game interleague series at AL champion Kansas City.

Mets: Following a 4-3 homestand, the Mets play three games in Pittsburgh before returning to Citi Field next week. RHP Noah Syndergaard (1-1, 3.18 ERA) makes his third major league start Friday night, opposing Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (5-2, 2.40) in a juicy matchup of hard-throwing youngsters with high expectations. “It’ll be exciting,” Syndergaard said.

— Associated Press —

Nebraska blows late lead to Michigan State, eliminated from Big Ten Tourney

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NebraskariggertMinneapolis – The No. 8 seed Nebraska baseball team (34-23) had a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday afternoon at Target Field, but the No. 5 seed Michigan State Spartans (34-22) exploded for six runs in the frame on its way to a 9-7 victory that eliminated the Huskers from the Big Ten Tournament.

The Huskers entered the game 28-1 on the year when leading after seven innings, but were unable improve to 29-1. Reliever Ben Miller took the mound in the eighth and gave up a walk to Brandon Hughes to start the frame. The bases were quickly loaded following singles by Chad Roskelly and Anthony Checky. Dan Durkin stepped in and Miller issued a four-pitch walk to plated a run. NU went to senior Josh Roeder and NU’s all-time saves leader came into a jam, the bases loaded and no out. With the tying runs on base and the top of MSU’s order coming to the plate, Roeder plated a run with just his third walk of the season before Ryan Krill delivered a grand slam that put the Spartans ahead, 9-7, it was Krill’s 13th homerun of the season.

MSU reliever Joe Mockbee worked the final 3.2 innings for the Spartans, including a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his sixth win of the season.

The loss ended the careers of seven Husker seniors, including Kyle Kubat, Chance Sinclair, Christian Cox, Austin Darby, Blake Headley, Tanner Lubach and Roeder. Kubat, who was winless in his past eight starts entering Thursday, left the game in line for the win with a 6-3 lead. Kubat was looking to become the 11th pitcher in school history to reach 20 career wins, but it wasn’t meant to be. In his 43rd career start, the fifth most in NU history, Kubat went 5.0 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, while striking out three.

MSU starter Jeff Kinley lasted 4.1 innings in his fifth start of the season. The one-time closer for the Spartans this year allowed five runs on six this and two walks, but did notch six strikeouts.

Kubat retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the first before he hit Mark Weist. The HBP came back hurt on the very next pitch of the game, as Blaise Slater launched a two-run homer into the third deck in left field. Former Husker Ryan Richardson then ripped a single before Kubat got a pop out to end the inning.

Down 2-0, the Huskers cut MSU’s lead in half in the top of the second on two hits. Scott Schreiber started the inning with his fourth hit of the tournament and was soon in scoring position on a groundout by Headley. Miller then came through with a single that put runners on the corners and Jake Placzek drove in Schreiber with a sacrifice fly to left field. Darby worked a walk with two outs and Jake Meyers nearly came through with a two-out RBI, but Checky made a running catch in the left-field gap to end the frame.

The Spartans had their next scoring opportunity in the fourth when they had a runner on second with two outs after Checky was hit-by-pitch. Facing MSU’s No. 9 hitter, Kory Young, Kubat got an inning-ending ground ball to Headley at third, keeping MSU’s lead to 2-1.

After Kubat got out of the jam, NU’s offense went to work in the top of the fifth with five runs on five hits and two walks. Placzek got the inning started with a single and after Darby struck out, got himself in scoring position by stealing second base. Meyers then worked a walked and Luis Alvarado singled to load the bases for Jake Schleppenbach. The Lincoln native lined the first pitch he saw into right field for a game-tying RBI single. MSU went to lefty reliever Anthony Misiewicz to face Lubach and the junior walked in a run to put the Huskers ahead 3-2. The Spartans again made a call to the pen and right hander Walter Borkovich got Schreiber to foul out. With two out and the bases still loaded, Headley worked a full count before driving a two-RBI single into left field. Miller, the ninth batter of the inning, followed with a RBI single to push NU’s lead to 6-2. Placzek stepped in for his second at-bat of the inning with two runners in scoring position and Borkovich put an end to the bleeding with a strikeout.

Working with the lead for the first time all day, Kubat faced the top of MSU’s lineup in the bottom of the fifth. He retired the first two batters before giving up a single to Weist and then he hit Salter. Kubat dug in and got a 1-3 groundout from Richardson to keep NU’s four-run lead intact.

Kubat took the mound in the sixth but wouldn’t record an out, as he was replaced by Jeff Chesnut after giving up consecutive singles to start the inning. With runners on the corners, Chesnut got a 5-3 groundout of the bat of Checky, but the grounder was slow enough to score Hughes on the play. MSU went to pinch hitter, Durkin, who lined an infield single off of Chesnut to again put runners on the corners. With the top of the order up and one down, Cam Gibson came to the plate as the tying run. Gibson got a 3-1 hitters count, but Chesnut made the pitch he needed and got a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning with the Huskers ahead 6-3.

The Husker offense got the run back in the seventh with one hit and a pair of sacrifices. Schreiber led off the frame with his sixth hit of the tournament and with Headley up Schreiber took second on a wild pitch Mockbee. Headley then laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Schreiber to third and Miller drove him in with a sacrifice fly to deep right field that gave NU a 7-3 lead.

Colton Howell took the mound for NU in the eighth and gave up a one-out walk, but nothing else, and struck out Richardson to keep the Husker lead a 7-3 through seven.

With three runs on eight hits through the first seven innings, the Spartans scored six runs in the eighth on four hits and three walks to retake the lead for good.

— NU Sports Information —

Missouri Western’s Gillaspy earns two All-American honors

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MWSUST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western senior softball players Tiffany Gillaspy has been named to two All-America teams this week.

The Johnston, Iowa native was named a third team All-American at second base by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and received an honorable mention on the Daktronics/Division II CCA All-America Softball Team. It makes three All-American honors in Gillaspy’s career as she was named third team Daktronics All-American in 2014.

Her 2015 award list now includes: first team NFCA All-Central Region, first team Daktronics All-Central Region, first team All-MIAA, MIAA Hitter of the Week, NFCA National Player of the Week, top-25 finalist for NFCA National Player of the Year, Tom Smith Career Achievement Award and Griffon Softball student-athlete of the year.

This season, Gillaspy led the Griffons in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, RBIs, doubles, home runs and total bases. She finished her career as the Griffons’ all-time leader in slugging percentage. She also sits second in career home runs, RBIs and runs scored. She is third all-time in batting average and fourth in hits and doubles. In her four years with the team, Missouri Western went 155-68, qualifying for three NCAA Division II Regionals and winning the MIAA Tournament in 2014.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Royals beat Cincinnati 7-1 as Guthrie throws six scoreless innings

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riggertRoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jeremy Guthrie pitched six shutout innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 on Wednesday night.

The Royals tied a club record with 24 consecutive scoreless innings, which was set June 9-12, 1976. That streak ended in the seventh when Brandon Phillips’ two-out double off reliever Ryan Madson scored Zack Cozart.

The Royals, who won for the fifth time in six games, improved to 26-14, the franchise’s best record after 40 games.

The Reds lost their fifth straight, a season high.

Guthrie (4-2) pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out predicament in the first inning and won his third straight start. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out three. Guthrie retired 13 on fly balls and two on grounders.

Reds right-hander Jason Marquis (3-4) was pulled after 3 2/3 innings, yielding four runs, four hits, two sacrifice flies, two walks and a wild pitch. In losing his past three starts, Marquis has surrendered 21 hits and 15 runs in 12 1/3 innings for a 15.33 ERA.

Mike Moustakas, who hit .212 last season, had three hits for his 16th multi-hit game to raise his average to .342.

Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon drove in two runs each. Morales’ 32 RBIs ranks second in the American League.

Phillips had three of the Reds’ nine hits.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: LHP Manny Parra (strained neck), who struck out the side in his only inning Tuesday, will continue his minor league rehab with Triple-A Louisville with another inning on Friday. . LHP Sean Marshall, who has not pitched this season, had season-ending shoulder surgery Wednesday.

Royals: Backup C Erik Kratz (torn left planter fasciitis) will report Thursday to Triple-Omaha for a minor league rehab. . LHP Jason Vargas (flexor strain) will throw a simulated game Friday.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Mike Leake, who starts the series opener Friday at Cleveland, gave up a career-high nine runs and three homers in five innings in his previous start, Saturday at San Francisco.

Royals: RHP Chris Young has never beaten the Cardinals, his Friday opponent. He is 0-3 with a 3.65 ERA in five career starts against St. Louis.

— Associated Press —

Tigers blow 6-2 lead and lose in 10 innings to Vandy in SEC Tournament

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riggertMizzouHOOVER, Ala. – Vanderbilt scored four runs over the final four innings as it completed a 7-6 comeback win over Mizzou baseball in 10 innings on Wednesday afternoon (May 20) in game six of the 2015 SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Mizzou junior righty Peter Fairbanks (St. Louis, Mo.) struck out 10 batters over 5.2 innings and left the game with a 6-2 lead. After Fairbanks left the game, Vanderbilt clubbed three homers and scored four times, including a Rhett Wiseman walk-off homer in the 10th to complete the comeback.

The loss drops the Tigers to the elimination portion of the bracket and they will play Alabama tomorrow morning at 9:30 p.m. on SEC Network. Mizzou falls to 30-27 on the season while Vanderbilt improves to 40-17.

Mizzou got on the board in the first as Brett Peel (St. Charles, Mo.) and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) drew back-to-back walks off of Vandy starter Tyler Ferguson to open the game. They then pulled off the double steal in front of a Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) single through the right side. That scored Peel, but Ring was gunned at the plate.

Freshman catcher Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) then delivered a big two-out hit to plate Howard, giving Mizzou a 2-0 lead after the top of the first. It was Bond’s seventh two-out RBI this season, the fifth-most on the team. Vanderbilt got those runs back on a two-run homer by SS Dansby Swanson.

Fairbanks settled in following the Swanson homer, striking out the side in the second and third innings while mowing through the Vandy lineup. Mizzou’s offense responded to Fairbanks’ phenomenal pitching in the top of the fifth inning. Peel led off the frame with a single to get things going. Ring and Howard then singled to give Mizzou three straight hits and a run. Josh Lester (Columbus, Ga.) then hit a sacrifice fly to center to give Mizzou a 4-2 lead. Bond delivered another RBI single to put Mizzou on top 5-2 and Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.) hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to give Mizzou a 6-2 lead. In all, Mizzou scored four runs on five hits in the frame, sending eight men to the plate.

Fairbanks then came back out in the bottom of the fifth and retired the side in order, picking up two more strikeouts to push his total to 10 through five innings. He ran into some trouble in the sixth inning, as Vandy put runners on the corners with two out. That gave way to reliever Andrew Schwaab (St. Charles, Mo.) and he promptly struck out Bryan Reynolds on a 2-2 slider.

Schwaab then gave up a two-run homer to Jeren Kendall in the seventh as Vandy cut the lead to 6-4. He then retired the next three batters he faced to send the game to the eighth inning. Swanson homered off of Scwaab in the eighth to cut it to 6-5. Breckin Williams (Oronogo, Mo.) came on in the ninth inning and after getting the first two batters, he walked pinch hitter Nolan Rogers. Penn Murfee then pinch hit and fell behind Williams, 0-2, but lined a single into centerfield and Ring misplayed the ball, allowing Rogers to score and tie the game.

Wiseman then homered with one out in the 10th, just over the outstretch glove of Ring in CF to seal the win.

Mizzou will play Alabama in an elimination game Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

— MU Sports Information —

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