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Category: Sports

Missouri Western hires Emily Wacker as assistant women’s basketball coach

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western head women’s basketball coach Candi Whitaker announced the addition of Emily Wacker to the team’s staff as assistant coach.

“I wanted our assistant coach to be someone who has demonstrated a tremendous work ethic and is passionate about basketball,” Whitaker said. “I wanted it to be a person that would love, serve and care for our student-athletes and lastly I wanted someone who had ties to the area. Emily Wacker is that person. Emily has impeccable character, love for the game, and is an excellent relationship builder. Her proven work ethic, drive to be successful and connection to the surrounding area will prove her to be an excellent recruiter. I look forward to our fans knowing Emily.”

A native of Salina, Kansas, Emily (Wood) Wacker was the director of basketball operations for the Omaha women’s basketball team last season. After walking on at Nebraska, she earned a full-ride scholarship by her sophomore season and went on to become a four-year letter winner and earned the team’s Husker Award two straight seasons.

“I am thrilled to join the Missouri Western Women’s Basketball program as an assistant coach,” Wacker said. “There is a great energy around Griffon Athletics and I’m excited to build on the rich tradition of this program as we compete in the one of the best Division II conferences in the country. I am truly grateful to Coach Whitaker and the administration for giving me this opportunity.”

At Nebraska, Wacker was a recipient of Nebraska’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award two times and earned a prestigious Dr. Barbara Hibner Trailblazer Scholarship. She was a team captain for a team that posted the nation’s largest increase in wins from one season to the next and made the NCAA Tournament.

Wacker received her B.S. in Business Administration from Nebraska in 2017 and her Master’s in Business Administration from Nebraska in 2018.

— MWSU Athletics —

Mustangs improve Kids Club and expand play area at games in 2019

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The St. Joseph Mustangs mission is to provide affordable, family fun. Guests at Phil Welch Stadium may notice a difference this year when visiting the kids’ area.

The Mustangs have teamed up with A&M Amusements Inc. to bring new inflatables and excitement to a night out at Phil Welch Stadium. Each weekend, a new inflatable will be in the Kids Zone, near the third base dugout.

“We know that kids may not sit through a nine-inning baseball game, but we want to create a fun environment that they can enjoy,” Mustangs general manager Ky Turner said. “It’s important to us that Mustangs games are fun for people of all ages.”

Additionally, the Mustangs Kids Club, sponsored by Mosaic Life Care, will see a few changes to it for the 2019 season. Each Kids Club member will receive a 2019 general admission season ticket, as well as guaranteed access to a free Mustangs Baseball Camp. New in 2019, each Kids Club member will also be paired with a Mustangs player as a pen pal and will exchange letters throughout the season. The Mustangs Kids Club is open to children ages 14 and under, and costs $25.

Along with plenty of new and exciting additions to the children’s area, every Thursday is Family Night courtesy of Roger’s Pharmacy. After each Thursday home game, kids can run the bases as well as $1 hot dogs courtesy of Citizens Bank and Trust.

You can purchase your season ticket or single-game tickets in advance, and sign up for the Mustangs Kids Club by calling the Mustangs Box Office at 816-279-7856.

— Mustangs Press Release —

Griffon softball receives at-large berth to NCAA Tournament

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ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western softball team will make its 11th NCAA Division II Regional Championship appearance later this week when Missouri Western travels to Winona, Minnesota for the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships.

The No. 6 seed Griffons will face No. 3 seed Augustana (S.D.) on Thursday at Winona State University. After not making it to the NCAA postseason last year, Missouri Western will return for the seventh time in the past nine years. The Griffons are in the Central Region 2 bracket with three teams MWSU faced in the regular season. Missouri Western lost 10-2 to Augustana on March 22, but defeated the No. 2 seed and sub-regional host Winona State, 1-0, the next day. The Griffons defeated No. 7 seed St. Cloud State 9-8 on Feb. 2 in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Final game times and a complete schedule will be announced later Monday afternoon, but for now the Griffons are scheduled to face Augustana at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The winner will advance to play the winner of the Winona State, St. Cloud State game on Friday at 1 p.m. with the loser facing elimination against either Winona State or St. Cloud State on Friday at 6 p.m.

Missouri Western finished second in the MIAA regular season standings and as runner-up in the MIAA Championships to No. 1 Central Oklahoma. No. 16 Augustana enters the regional 51-9 after claiming the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference postseason championship.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals lose opener at Houston 6-4

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HOUSTON (AP) — George Springer, Carlos Correa and Robinson Chirinos each homered to lead the Houston Astros to a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

Springer opened the first with his 11th home run of the season, including three leadoff drives. He added an RBI double in the eighth.

Correa had three hits. He opened the second by extending his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games with a home run.

Chirinos’ two-run drive in the sixth put the Astros back in front at 5-4.

Hunter Dozier hit a two-run homer in the Royals fourth. Adalberto Mondesi’s two-run homer in the fifth gave Kansas City a 4-3 lead.

Gerrit Cole (3-4) yielded four runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Hector Rondon got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, thanks to a barehanded play by second baseman Jose Altuve on a soft chopper to get Kelvin Gutierrez at first and end the inning.

Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

Jakob Junis (3-3) allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Royals have lost four of five.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSE

Altuve turned 29 years old and the fans serenaded him with “Happy Birthday” to start the ninth inning. Altuve showed his appreciation by applauding the fans.

ROSTER MOVES

Royals: Recalled RHP Glenn Sparkman from Triple-A Omaha and optioned RHP Ben Lively to Omaha.

Astros: Optioned OF Derek Fisher to Triple-A Round Rock. Fisher served as the 26th man during the Astros’ two-game series in Mexico over the weekend.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 3.27 ERA) starts Tuesday, looking to build off his last outing in which he allowed one run in six innings against the Rays.

Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (3-3, 4.97) makes his eighth start of the season, trying to rebound after yielding four runs in six innings Wednesday in a loss to the Twins.

— Associated Press —

MWSU women’s golf tied for 10th after round one of NCAA Central Regional

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MUSKOGEE, Okla. – On a muggy, soaked course at Muskogee Golf Club, the Missouri Western women’s golf team finished tied for 10th after one round at the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships.

Heavy rain the day before delayed the start and brought about humid conditions on a wet course and the threat of severe weather has shortented the duration of the tournament. Rounds two and three will both be played Tuesday in hopes of completing all three rounds before inclement weather hits the area. The Griffons turned in a total score of 320 to tie with Southern Nazarene. As a team, MWSU was 10 strokes behind fourth place Lindenwood with the top four teams after three rounds advancing to the national championships.

Shi Qing Ong was tied for sixth after turning in a 4-over, 75. Anna Bech finished with an 8-over to tie for 27th after one round. Chong Yong shot an 81 with Jenna Kosmatka turning in an 85 and Katie Irvin carding an 87.

All five Griffons were set to tee off at 8:30 Tuesday morning.

— MWSU Athletics —

Cardinals back Mikolas with 3 HRs in 6-0 win over Phillies

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Miles Mikolas marvels when talking about Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

“The guy is a real ballplayer,” Mikolas said. “Flat-out does everything. It’s no surprise.”

The right-hander pitched seven stellar innings and Molina hit one of three home runs that powered St. Louis past the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0 on Monday night.

Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong also went deep as the Cardinals snapped a four-game skid.

Mikolas (4-2) allowed only three hits in his second-longest outing this year. He struck out a season-high five and did not issue a walk.

“This is pretty indicative, for sure,” St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said. “This is Miles and who he is and what we expect. A quality job across the board. He controlled counts. He was just in control.”

Mikolas did not lobby to stay in the game.

“I felt like I had a little left in the tank,” he said. “You don’t want to burn out your tires this early in the season.”

Molina thought location was the key for Mikolas.

“His curveball was good,” Molina explained. “His fastball, his location. He pitched a really good game. We located the fastball really good and when you do that, everything else is going to work.”

John Brebbia and Jordan Hicks finished the five-hitter. It was the second shutout this season for St. Louis.

Molina added two singles for a three-hit game. In his last 16 games at home, he has three homers and 18 RBI. He has hit safely in 14 of those games, batting .349 during that span.

“Good swings every time out,” Molina said. “I just want to put the ball in play hard.”

The Cardinals chased starter Vince Velasquez (1-2) in the fifth when he gave up two homers sandwiched around a single. He allowed five runs on four hits and five walks.

In his last seven games (six starts), Velasquez has received just seven runs of support.

“I think Vince had good stuff,” Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler said. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to put hitters away and I think probably the thing that stands out for me is the walks. That was the biggest difference between the two starting pitchers. I don’t think Vince got beat with the home runs; he got beat with the walks.”

Molina got the first St. Louis hit when he belted a 2-2 pitch into the left field seats in the fourth inning. He drove in Jose Martinez, who drew his second walk from Velasquez. Molina’s third home run of the season extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

St. Louis put together a big inning in the fifth, sending nine batters to the plate. Carpenter led off with a homer and, after Paul Goldschmidt singled, DeJong hit his seventh home run of the season.

Phillies reliever Edgar Garcia, making his big league debut, got an out but then gave up singles to Martinez and Molina. A wild pitch advanced both before Kolten Wong’s sacrifice fly accounted for the fourth run of the inning and a 6-0 lead.

HOME SWEET HOME

The Cardinals improved to 13-4 at Busch Stadium, the best home record in the National League and second in the majors. Houston is 10-3 at home.

ARCH NEMESIS

Philadelphia is 3-12 in its last 15 games in St. Louis. Since the start of the 2010 season, the Phillies are 12-24 at Busch Stadium.

TAKING A PASS

Carpenter became the fastest Cardinals player to reach 600 career walks.

ROSTER MOVE

Philadelphia recalled Garcia from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and optioned RHP Enyel De Los Santos to its top farm club. “Got a fairly heavy right-handed-hitting lineup for the Cardinals and I think it’d be valuable to have him for the series,” Kapler said about Garcia.

SPECIAL VISITOR

Dabo Swinney, coach of Clemson’s national champion football team, visited Shildt at Busch Stadium. The two met during spring training when Shildt invited Swinney to speak to the ballclub.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: INF Scott Kingery (right hamstring) took grounders before the game at shortstop. “Ground balls were not full speed, just a little to his left and right,” Kapler said. “Some tag plays at second, but a good step in the right direction.”

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (shoulder) pitched Sunday in the fifth inning for Class A Peoria and retired three batters on six pitches, getting three groundouts. “I’ll take three outs on six pitches every day, regardless,” Shildt said. “It was great for Carlos. We’re happy for him. He’s back here. He’ll play catch and then he’ll go to (Triple-A) Memphis and get an opportunity in the next couple days to throw again and we’ll just continue to evaluate where we are with him.”

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (2-0, 5.06 ERA) gave up one run and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings in his last start against Detroit but did not figure in the decision. He is 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA in four career starts against St. Louis.

Cardinals: RHP Dakota Hudson (2-2, 4.80) will be making his first regular-season appearance against the Phillies. He had a career-high seven strikeouts and went six innings for the first time in his last start, a 2-1 loss at Washington.

— Associated Press —

Griffons fall to No. 1 Central Oklahoma in MIAA softball championship game

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EDMOND, Okla. – A six-run fifth inning by No. 1 Central Oklahoma (45-5) blew a tight MIAA Championship game wide open and led to a 10-2 loss in six innings for the Missouri Western softball team (37-16).

A 2-2 ballgame through four innings, UCO regained the lead in the fifth on a two-run home run by Jobi Heath and proceeded to score four more with two out to take an 8-2 lead after 4 . Missouri Western took a 1-0 lead on Sydni Hawkins’ second home run of her freshman season in the second. UCO tied it in the third and took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Cassidy Kelsheimer beat out a slow roller to first for a single in the bottom of the fourth and the play at first allowed Morgan Frost to score from second to tie the game at two.

Lexi Kinnaird (11-4) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3. Kaili Hinds went the final inning-plus, allowing three runs on five hits. It was Kinnaird’s first loss since Feb. 24 against Sioux Falls. The Griffons totaled just four hits, with only two after the second on MIAA Pitcher of the Year Bailey McKittrick. Kelsheimer had two of the Griffons’ hits, Hawkins and Frost had the others.

Missouri Western finished as the runner-up in both the regular season standings and the postseason tournament to Central Oklahoma. Both were the best finishes for the team since besting UCO to sweep the MIAA Championships in 2016.

The Griffons will await to find where and who they will likely play in next week’s NCAA Division II Central Regional. The NCAA selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com, Monday at 9 a.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals lose at Detroit in 10 innings on Dixon’s walk-off HR

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DETROIT (AP) — After being humiliated by the Kansas City Royals a day earlier, the Detroit Tigers were focused on redemption Sunday.

It came via one of the lesser-known members of the roster.

Journeyman Brandon Dixon, only in the majors due to a series of injuries, hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning to lift the Tigers over the Royals 5-2.

“That’s an unreal feeling,” Dixon said after his first career walkoff homer. “After yesterday, it felt so good to come around third and see the whole team waiting for me at the plate.”

The victory came less than 24 hours after the Tigers allowed 15 runs on 19 hits and 10 walks in a 15-3 loss.

“Obviously, that’s a game that can linger in the mind,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “I told our guys to let it sting overnight, but once they threw the first pitch today, it had to be gone.”

Nicholas Castellanos started the 10th with an infield single off Ian Kennedy (0-1), and after Miguel Cabrera popped out, Niko Goodrum reached on another infield hit.

Ronny Rodriguez struck out, but Dixon hit a 1-2 curveball over the fence in right-center field.

“Kennedy was throwing fastballs on the corner, so I was really trying to protect the outside corner,” Dixon said. “But that curveball popped out of his hand, and I was able to get a good read on it.”

Kennedy wanted the ball in the dirt.

“I felt like the only bad pitch was that last curveball,” he said. “I meant to bounce it, but I didn’t think he would hit it out. I can’t remember the last time I gave up a homer on a curveball.”

Buck Farmer (2-2) got the win after retiring the last batter in the top of the 10th.

The Tigers led 2-1 going into the eighth and Joe Jimenez struck out the first two Royals, but Hunter Dozier hit his eighth homer over the right field wall to tie it.

Neither starter got a decision. Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull gave up one run in seven innings on six hits and a walk. He struck out seven.

“I felt really good with all my pitches today, and I felt like my slider was really good,” he said. “The best part was getting through seven for the first time this season.”

Brad Keller allowed two runs, six hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings.

The Royals started the second inning with three straight hits, with Kelvin Gutierrez driving home Jorge Soler for a 1-0 lead. Turnbull escaped the inning without further damage.

JaCoby Jones led off the third with a double, Jeimer Candelario walked and Castellanos tied it with a single off Gutierrez’s glove at third. The Tigers still had runners on second and third with none out, but Keller struck out Cabrera and Goodrum before retiring Rodriguez to get out of the inning.

“Keller was really effective up in the zone today,” Yost said. “He was really, really good up there.”

Cabrera made it 2-1 with an RBI single in the fifth, and the Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the sixth. Scott Barlow replaced Keller and struck out Jones and Candelario.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 2B Chris Owings was out of the lineup for the second straight day. Owings is hitless in his last 13 at-bats and has gone 2 for 38 (.053) since a homer at Yankee Stadium on April 20.

Tigers: LF Christin Stewart (right quad strain) was scheduled to play his third rehab game for Class A Lakeland on Sunday. Stewart is expected to return to the Tigers lineup later this week.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MISTAKES

The Tigers were able to keep innings alive and score runs because of Gutierrez’s struggles at third base. He couldn’t flag down Castellanos’ RBI single in the third nor make clean plays on the two infield singles in the tenth.

“Two things we stress in this locker room are to catch the ball and to take advantage when the other team doesn’t,” Gardenhire said. “Nick and Niko were running hard on those plays and they turned them into a rally.”

UP NEXT

Royals: Travel to Houston to start a three-game series against the Astros on Monday. Jakob Junis (3-2, 5.12) is scheduled to start the opener for the Royals against Gerrit Cole (2-4, 3.95).

Tigers: Off on Monday before hosting former manager Brad Ausmus and the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Daniel Norris (1-0, 3.47) is starting the opener against Griffin Canning (0-0, 6.23) of the Angels.

— Associated Press —

MWSU rallies past Central Missouri to qualify for MIAA baseball tournament

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ST. JOSEPH – With Sunday’s results from around the MIAA, Missouri Western (20-22, 17-16 MIAA) needed to defeat regular season conference champion Central Missouri (34-13, 24-9 MIAA) in the final game of the season to secure a spot in the MIAA Championships. Despite dropping the first two games of the weekend, the Griffons came out on top in the most important game of the series, beating the Mules 11-8 on Sunday afternoon.

The Griffons flipped the switch offensively, pouring in the most runs they have had in their last 11 games. The deciding runs in Sunday’s game came in the seventh and eighth innings, when Missouri Western scored eight of its 11 runs.

NOTABLES

  • Central Missouri took the first lead of the game for the third time in the series with three runs in the top of the first inning.
  • Dusty Stroup put the Griffons on the board in his first plate appearance with a solo home run in the bottom of the first.
  • With bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, Conrad McMahon’s infield single scored Fahd Shakeel and Will Jibas to bring the Griffons within one at 4-3.
  • The Mules extended their lead to 5-3 in the seventh inning with an RBI double down the left-field line.
  • Shakeel’s two-RBI single to right field cut the deficit to just 5-4 in the seventh inning.
  • After a UCM wild pitch scored another Griffon run, Wyatt Meyer drove in two runs with a single down the left-field line.
  • A three-run homer in the eighth swung the lead back to the Mules at 8-7.
  • Brooks Day answered with a three-run blast of his own, putting Missouri Western up 11-8 in the bottom of the eighth.
  • Stroup, Day, and Shakeel all finished with two or more hits in four plate appearances.
  • After starting yesterday’s game, Jacob Purl pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.
  • The Griffons’ 11 runs scored against Central Missouri on Sunday are the most the Mules have allowed in their last 14 games.

UP NEXT

  • Griffon Baseball won’t have to wait long for another crack at Central Missouri. Just four days after the two finished a three-game series in St. Joseph, Missouri Western will face off with the regular season MIAA Champions in the first round of the MIAA Baseball Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas.

    The Griffons’ comeback win over the Mules on Sunday clinched the eighth and final seed for Missouri Western. They’ll open postseason play against Central Missouri on Thursday at 4 p.m. All games of the MIAA Championships will be played at Al Ortolani Field in Pittsburg. All eight teams play one game in the double-elimination tournament on Thursday. The Griffons will either play No. 4 seed Pittsburg State or No. 5 seed Emporia State on Friday at either 12:30 or 7:30 p.m.

    The complete bracket and other information can be found on the MIAA Baseball Championship Central page.

— MWSU Athletics —

Carlson hits two HRs as Bearcats sweep Emporia State

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EMPORIA, Kansas – The Northwest Missouri State baseball team completed the three-day, three-game sweep of Emporia State Sunday, scoring six runs late in the game to outscore the Hornets 12-6.

Peter Carlson hit a pair of homers – two-run, grand slam – as he went 2-for-5 with three runs scored and six RBI.

The Bearcats wasted no time getting on the board, plating one run in the top of the first inning. Carlson led off the inning getting hit by a pitch and giving Northwest its first baserunner. Carlson advanced to second on the next at bat after junior infielder Calvin Rudolph slapped a single through the left side of the infield. With no outs, junior first baseman Connor Quick singled to right field, scoring Carlson.

Like the Bearcat offense, the Hornet offense heated up early. Emporia State successfully crossed five runs in the home half of the first, taking the lead from Northwest 5-1. The Hornets hit two doubles and two home runs on the inning.

After quiet second and third innings by both squads, Northwest tallied three more in the top of the fourth. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, senior outfielder Derek Hussey reached on a throwing error by Emporia State. After stealing second, Hussey was batted in for the first run of the inning following senior catcher Jay Hrdlicka’s single to center field. Senior infielder Mondesi Gutierrez recorded his first hit of the ball game, tripling down the left field line, scoring Hrdlicka. The third RBI of the inning was attributed to senior infielder Logan Rycraft, singling to left field and scoring Gutierrez.

The next run of the contest came in the home half of the sixth as Emporia State increased its lead over Northwest to 6-4. The run came off a solo shot to center field, giving the Hornets their third of the afternoon.

The Bearcats answered in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs and tying the game up at six runs apiece heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. After Rycraft hit a leadoff single to right field, Carlson stepped into the box and crushed his first homer of the day, recording two RBI.

After forcing Emporia State into a three-up, three-down inning in the seventh, the Northwest bats got back to work plating six runs in the top of the eighth and taking a convincing 12-6 lead. With one out, Hrdlicka walked, getting the rally started. Hrdlicka advanced to second on the next at bat after Gutierrez singled to right field. Rycraft walked next, loading the bases for the Bearcats. Following a Hornet pitching change, Carlson smashed a grand slam over the left field wall on the first pitch he saw, clearing the base paths and recording his second deep ball of the afternoon. Rudolph kept things going for Northwest succeeding the home run by singling to center field and crossed home plate on the next at bat after Quick hit the second home run of the inning to left center, completing the six-run inning.

The Bearcat pitching staff forced the Hornets into another three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the eighth with senior Trevor Dudar finishing off the Hornets in the ninth. Five Northwest pitchers, including Dudar, saw the bump during the game with Joe Funkhouser getting the start. Freshman Gibson Brown and Alex Slocum and junior Ethan Griswold came in for relief during the contest.

Northwest (23-25 overall, 18-15 MIAA) secured the No. 7 seed in the MIAA Tournament with the victory.

NOTES: Quick extended his team-high, 32-game on-base streak … six Bearcats notched multi-hit outings (Carlson, Rudolph, Quick, Gastner, Gutierrez, Rycraft) … Brown pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up four hit and no runs … Brown entered the game after Funkhouser retired only two batters and gave up five runs in the first.

— Northwest Athletics —

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