Sports – Page 20 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Western finished 11th, 12th at the MIAA Track & Field Championships

Posted on May 5, 2019

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Missouri Western Track and Field has officially wrapped up the MIAA Championships after Championship Sunday as the Griffons tallied double-digit top-10 finishes in the final day of the meet. In the program’s second season, the women’s team took 11^th, finishing ahead of Nebraska-Kearney and Central Oklahoma, while the men finished 12^th.

Hanna Williams earned a third-place finish in the women’s 400 meter run with a 54.80 in Sunday’s final. Williams improved significantly from her 55.41 on Saturday, which seeded her seventh for the final. She becomes the second student-athlete in the program’s short two-year history to medal at the MIAA Outdoor Championships.

Megan Gillen ran a career-best time of 2:12.93 to take fourth place in the women’s 800 meter. After breaking her own program record on Sunday, Gillen has seen steady improvements in just her second season at Missouri Western. Her time on Sunday was nearly eight seconds faster than her 12^th-place finish in the MIAA Outdoor Championships as a freshman.

With several program records falling over the weekend, one of the most impressive was the performance of the women’s 400 meter relay team. Williams, Morgan Doyle, Lynzi Miller, and Symonne Holland shattered the record by more than 13 seconds to take fifth place. Andrew Wright (3000 meter steeplechase), Riley Gorham (men’s 1500 meter run), Kelsey Cox (3000 meter steeplechase), and the men’s 400 meter relay team were among the other new records set on Sunday.

TOP FINISHERS

Hanna Williams, 3^rd, Women’s 400m, 54.80, Provisional
Megan Gillen, 4^th, Women’s 800m, 2:12.93
Morgan Doyle, Hanna Williams, Lynzi Miller, Symonne Holland, 5^th, Women’s 4x400m Relay, 3:49.91
Andrew Wright, 7^th, Men’s 3000m Steeplechase, 9:38.95
Megan Gillen, 8^th, Women’s 5000m, 18:51.43
Bailey Gilbert, 8^th, Women’s Triple Jump, 11.97m (39′ 3.25″)
Kelsey Cox, 8^th, Women’s 3000m Steeplechase, 11:47.66
Julia Odir, 9^th, Women’s Triple Jump, 11.89m (39′ 0.25″)
Tanner Butterfield, 9^th, Men’s Javelin, 55.83m (183′ 2″)
Riley Gorham, 11^th, Men’s 1500m, 3:59.86
Kallin Sheppard, 13^th, Women’s Hammer Throw, 48.02m (157′ 6″)

UP NEXT

Missouri Western will travel to the Sam Williams Qualifier in Emporia, Kansas to give student-athletes one final chance at qualifying for the NCAA National Championships.

— MWSU Athletics —

Cardinals get pounded by Cubs as Chicago completes sweep

Posted on May 5, 2019

CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant hit his fourth career grand slam in Chicago’s six-run eighth inning and the Cubs pounded the St. Louis Cardinals 13-5 on Sunday night for their season-high seventh consecutive victory.

Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo and David Bote each drove in two runs, helping the Cubs leapfrog the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central. Ben Zobrist had two hits and made two nice plays in left field as Chicago completed its first three-game sweep of St. Louis since September 2017.

Since opening the season with eight losses in 11 games, the Cubs have been on a roll. They have won 16 of 20 for the first time since they went 16-4 in August 2016.

The crowd of 36,499 chanted “Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!” after Bryant connected with two outs in the eighth, belting a drive to center off Dominic Leone for his fourth homer.

Paul DeJong and Marcell Ozuna homered in the ninth inning for St. Louis, which lost its season-high fourth straight game. Adam Wainwright (3-3) allowed five runs and five hits in five innings, dropping to 11-4 in 26 career games at Wrigley Field.

The Cardinals got at least one hit in seven innings, but left nine runners on base. Jose Quintana (4-1) also received some help from his defense.

Contreras threw out Paul Goldschmidt attempting to steal second in the first. Zobrist cut down Matt Carpenter trying to go from first to third on Goldschmidt’s one-out single in the third, then made a diving grab to rob Yadier Molina of a hit with a runner on first in the fourth.

Contreras’ ninth homer helped Chicago build a 3-0 lead. St. Louis pulled within one on Molina’s two-run double in the sixth, but Kolten Wong left runners on the corners when he bounced out on Quintana’s 103rd and final pitch.

The Cubs poured it on with 10 runs in their last three at-bats. Rizzo doubled in two runs and Contreras added an RBI single in the sixth. Zobrist singled home Albert Almora Jr. in the seventh, and Bote and Almora each doubled in a run before Bryant went deep in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (shoulder) pitched a perfect inning in his first rehab appearance with Class A Peoria. Martinez is expected to work out of the bullpen when he returns to the majors.

Cubs: 2B Daniel Descalso (sore left ankle) was out of the starting lineup. He was scheduled to see a doctor, and manager Joe Maddon thought Descalso might be available off the bench. Descalso got hurt during Saturday’s 6-5 win. … C Victor Caratini took batting practice on the field for the first time since he had surgery last month to repair a broken bone in his left hand. … LHP Xavier Cedeno (left wrist inflammation) got one out and allowed two hits in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Iowa. He is expected to pitch for Iowa again on Monday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (3-2, 4.73 ERA) gets the ball when St. Louis opens a seven-game homestand with the first of three against Philadelphia on Monday night. Mikolas pitched six crisp innings in a 5-1 win at Washington on Wednesday night. RHP Vince Velasquez (1-1, 2.73 ERA) starts for the Phillies.

Cubs: LHP Cole Hamels (3-0, 3.19 ERA) pitches Monday night in the opener of a four-game series against Miami. Hamels is coming off consecutive no-decisions against the Dodgers and Mariners, issuing nine walks in 10 2/3 innings. RHP Sandy Alcantara (1-3, 4.86) starts for the last-place Marlins.

— Associated Press —

Griffons bounce back, will play No. 1 UCO for MIAA softball championship

Posted on May 4, 2019

EDMOND, Okla. – The Missouri Western softball team (37-15) will play for the MIAA Championship on Sunday after coming from behind to eliminate Emporia State (27-28) 5-3 on Saturday.

Missouri Western faced elimination Saturday night after a 9-1 run-rule loss to No. 1 Central Oklahoma earlier in the day, but the Griffons battled back to force a rematch with the MIAA regular season champion Bronchos.

Emporia State scored two runs on two hits and left two on base in the first inning, but then Lexi Kinnaird slammed the door on the Hornets and opened it for her offense. Kinnaird retired 14 of the next 15 batters she faced after the first, including 10-straight at one point. Were it not for a stolen base in the second, the Hornets wouldn’t have got a runner past first on Kinnaird between the second and seventh innings. She picked up her eighth straight decision to improve to 11-3 on the season, allowing three runs on six hits, just four after the first.

The Griffon offense got Kinnaird some run support by scoring four runs with two out in the top of the fourth. Brea Blanton drove in the first with an infield single then Marissa Guenther stole home to tie the game at two. Lauren Houston drove Blanton in with a double to left and an error on a ground ball by Morgan Frost got Houston home to put MWSU up 4-2. The Griffons added another run in the sixth on a Blanton single that scored Guenther, who went 2-for-3 filling in for the injured Shelby Uhl.

Emporia State got back-to-back two-out hits off Kinnaird in the seventh, one scoring a run, but the senior ended the rally and the game with a strikeout.

GAME 1
Missouri Western was forced into the consolation bracket final after managing just three hits in a 9-1 loss to No. 1 Central Oklahoma in the winner’s bracket final. The Griffons jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, but UCO scored four in the bottom half, chasing Kaili Hinds from the mound before an out was recorded. Hinds suffered her first loss since March 8 against Central Oklahoma, snapping a streak of 12-straight winning decisions for the sophomore. The loss also snapped MWSU’s 18-game win streak which was the longest active streak in the nation.

UP NEXT
The Griffons will have to beat No. 1 Central Oklahoma twice to take home a trophy on Sunday. The championship game is scheduled for 10 a.m. If needed, the second game would be played immediately following the first. Sunday’s games will be broadcast on ESPN St. Joseph 107.5 FM & 1550 AM. You can also click here to listen online.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals rout Tigers 15-3

Posted on May 4, 2019

DETROIT (AP) — In eight games with the Kansas City Royals, Kelvin Gutierrez has already made a nice impression.

Gutierrez had four hits and a stolen base Saturday, and the Royals routed the Detroit Tigers 15-3. Kansas City scored four runs in the first inning and six in the eighth. Alex Gordon homered and drove in five runs.

Gutierrez, acquired from Washington last year in a trade for namesake Kelvin Herrera, made his big league debut April 27. This was his third multihit game, but his first with more than two.

“I feel great because the team gives me an opportunity and I play great,” Gutierrez said. “It felt great.”

The Royals chased Detroit right-hander Tyson Ross (1-4) in the second inning and scored the game’s first seven runs. Homer Bailey (3-3) allowed two runs in six innings in a solid outing for Kansas City.

Whit Merrifield also homered for the Royals, and Jeimer Candelario and Ronny Rodriguez went deep for the Tigers.

Ross was making his first start since returning from the paternity list. He and his wife Ashley welcomed their first child, Jordan Anthony Ross, on Wednesday.

His outing Saturday was a forgettable one. He allowed six hits in the first inning, including Gordon’s two-run homer that opened the scoring and an RBI double by Jorge Soler. Ryan O’Hearn added a run-scoring single to make it 4-0.

Adalberto Mondesi hit an RBI triple in the second, and Ross was done after a one-out walk by Hunter Dozier.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on the bump,” said Ross, whose previous outing was April 24. “It’s a little bit of a bump in the road here, but I’m looking forward to getting back to work and getting back to my rhythm.”

Reliever Reed Garrett didn’t fare any better, allowing an RBI double to Gutierrez in the third, and then three walks. His last walk forced in a run to make it 7-0, and Garrett was pulled, too.

Candelario hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, but Merrifield’s solo shot in the fifth made it 8-2, and Gordon added a sacrifice fly that inning.

Drew VerHagen came on for Detroit in the eighth and allowed six more runs. He allowed three walks and five hits, including a two-run single by Gordon . VerHagen was designated for assignment after the game.

“Maybe a change of scenery might do him good,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Rodriguez hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth.

TAKING A CUT

Candelario tossed his bat like he thought he’d drawn ball four in the third, but the pitch was called as strike and he stayed at the plate. Swinging turned out to be the better move. He ended up homering in that plate appearance.

BIG NUMBERS

The Royals had 19 hits and drew 10 walks.

“I think up and down the lineup, you just have to look at it personally,” Gordon said. “Just never giving at-bats away, no matter what the score is.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: OF Christin Stewart (right quad) began a rehab assignment with Class A Lakeland on Friday night and went 3 for 5 with a homer.

UP NEXT

Royals: Brad Keller (2-3) takes the mound Sunday in the rubber match of this three-game series.

Tigers: Spencer Turnbull (2-2) pitches for Detroit. He has allowed one earned run over his past three starts.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western baseball drops second straight to Mules

Posted on May 4, 2019May 4, 2019

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western (19-22, 16-16 MIAA) fell victim to an impressive pitching performance on Saturday night, as Central Missouri (34-12, 24-8 MIAA) took the second game of the three-game series with a 3-1 win. Despite limited success at the plate, the Griffons still managed to put the tying run on base, but were not able to come from behind for the win and clinch a spot in the MIAA Championships.

The Griffons had a very productive night on the mound as well. Jacob Purl got the start on Senior Night, allowing three runs on six hits in over four innings. Fellow senior Anthony Castaneda relieved Purl in the fifth inning and would finish the game for Missouri Western. Castaneda allowed just one hit and totaled six strikeouts in relief.

NOTABLES

Purl helped the Griffons to a much better start than the team had on Friday, allowing just one hit through the first three innings.
In the fifth inning, UCM’s double to the left-field warning track scored two runs to extend the lead to 3-0.
After back-to-back walks in the bottom of the eighth, Wyatt Meyer reached on an infield fielding error to load the bases with just one out.
With two outs and bases loaded in the eighth, Andrew Curry scored the Griffons’ first run on a wild pitch.
The Mules would then get the final out of the eighth inning with limited damage, allowing just one run.
Central Missouri faced the tying run at the plate twice in the ninth inning, but held on for the 3-1 road victory.
Conrad McMahon gave Missouri Western its lone hit on Saturday, a single in the bottom of the first inning.
In 4.2 innings on the mound, Castaneda retired 14 of the 15 batters he faced and did not walk a single batter.

UP NEXT

The Griffons square off against the Mules in the regular season finale on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest baseball wins second straight at Emporia State

Posted on May 4, 2019

EMPORIA, Kansas – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team clinched its third consecutive winning season in the MIAA with a 7-3 road win over Emporia State University on Saturday.

Starter Quintin Van Ackeren went eight innings, Derek Hussey posted his first four-hit game of his collegiate career and Matt Gastner launched a three-run homer in the seventh to lift the Bearcats to their second straight win over the Hornets.

After a quiet first inning, the Bearcats got on the scoreboard in the second when Hussey launched a solo homer to left field.

In the home half of the third, the Hornets returned the favor and hit a solo shot of their own; flying one to left field and evening the score up at one run apiece.
After Northwest went scoreless in the top of the fourth, Emporia State plated two more with a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning to take the lead, 3-1.

As both teams put zeros on the scoreboard during the fifth and sixth innings, the Bearcat offense heated up in the top of the seventh. Northwest rallied to score five runs on three hits and take the lead back from Emporia State, 6-3. Mondesi Gutierrez led off the inning by reaching on a Hornet error and giving the Bearcats life on the base paths. Gutierrez was called out at second on a fielder’s choice as Logan Rycraft reached first base. Rycraft advanced to third on the next at bat after a wild pitch was thrown. Peter Carlson reached on another fielder’s choice, giving Northwest runners on first and third. Rycraft was driven in from third base and Carlson moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Calvin Rudolph who reached base on the play. The Bearcats drove in their second run of the inning as Connor Quick singled to right field, scoring Carlson from second and advancing Rudolph to third base. Gastner stepped into the box with two outs and capped the five-run rally by smashing a three-run home run to left.

Northwest would add one more insurance run in the top of the ninth to increase their lead to 7-3 over Emporia State.

Trevor Dudar worked the ninth to secure the Bearcat victory. Northwest improved to 22-25 overall and 17-15 in MIAA action.

The Bearcats and Hornets will be back in action tomorrow for game three of the series at 12 p.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex. Sunday will mark the conclusion of the Bearcats’s regular season slate with the MIAA Tournament set for May 9-12 at Al Ortolani Field in Pittsburg, Kansas.

NOTES: The last time Northwest had three consecutive winning seasons in the MIAA came in 2006, 2007 and 2008 … Van Ackeren threw 98 pitches and scattered seven hits over nine innings and moved to 5-2 on the year … Quick has reached base in 31 consecutive games.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU Track & Field wraps up semifinal Saturday at MIAA Championships

Posted on May 4, 2019May 4, 2019

WARRENSBURG – The Missouri Western men’s and women’s track and field teams came away with several solid individual performances at the MIAA Championships on Saturday. Lynzi Miller took fourth place in the women’s heptathlon with a provisional-qualifying 4,504 points, while Hanna Williams and Megan Gillen both qualified for Sunday’s finals in their respective events.

Miller’s fourth-place finish on Saturday also sets a new MWSU program record. She excelled in the running events, taking third in both the 200 meter and 800 meter dash. Miller earns her first provisional-qualifying mark at Missouri Western with her performance this weekend.

Williams placed fourth in the women’s 400 meter prelims to qualify for Sunday’s final. Gillen also earned a spot in the 800 meter finals, breaking her own school record with a time of 2:14.71.

TOP FINISHERS

Lynzi Miller, 4^th, Women’s Heptathlon, 4504 points, Provisional
Bailey Gilbert, 8^th, Women’s Long Jump, 5.69m (18′ 8″)
Hunter Scaggs, 10^th, Men’s High Jump, 1.96m (6′ 5″)
Tara Bergman, 14^th, Women’s Discus, 40.06m (131′ 5″), School Record
Julia Odir, 14^th, Women’s Long Jump, 5.38m (17′ 8″)

FINALS QUALIFIERS

Hanna Williams, 4^th, Women’s 400m Prelims, 55.41
Megan Gillen, 7^th, Women’s 800m Prelims, 2:14.71

With finals and several other events remaining, the Griffons will compete again on Sunday for the final day of the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

— MWSU Athletics —

Cardinals lose at Chicago Saturday 6-5

Posted on May 4, 2019

CHICAGO (AP) — Taylor Davis got the comeback started with a grand slam in the fourth inning. Javier Baez finished it with a go-ahead homer in the eighth.

Just like that, the surging Cubs are in position to grab the NL Central lead.

Baez led off the eighth inning with a tiebreaking drive, and Chicago wiped out a four-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 on Saturday.

Baez drove a 2-2 pitch from John Brebbia (1-1) the opposite way to right for his 11th homer , sending the Cubs to their season-high sixth straight win. Fans chanted “Javy! Javy!” as he came out for a curtain call.

Davis hit a tying grand slam in the fourth against Michael Wacha for his first career homer, after Kyle Schwarber was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Brandon Kintzler (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth. Pedro Strop retired all three batters in the ninth for his fourth save in five chances as the Cubs cut St. Louis’ lead in the NL Central to a half-game despite a shaky start by Yu Darvish. They’re also eyeing a potential weekend sweep of their rivals.

“The first 10 games of the season, it was everybody talking about us,” Baez said. “And now, where’s everybody?”

The Cubs sure have turned things around after a 2-7 start. Baez coming through in a big moment is nothing new. But for Davis, this was different.

Recalled from Triple-A Iowa three weeks ago, he became the first Cubs player to hit a grand slam for his first career homer since pitcher Kevin Tapani at Atlanta on July 20, 1998. He came into the game with five hits in 23 at-bats since debuting with Chicago in 2017.

“It was a really, really fun feeling hearing Wrigley Field react like that,” Davis said.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt had no regrets about walking Schwarber with runners on second and third to get to Davis.

“Schwarber is a guy who can do damage,” he said. “We got a guy who hits the ball on the ground, we got a great chance at a double play to get out of it. We know they’re probably going to hit for Darvish, we take our shot with probably (Jason) Heyward at that point in time. He got a pitch and put a swing on it and it was a big swing.”

DARVISH STRUGGLES

Darvish threw 81 pitches, just as Kyle Hendricks did in Friday’s four-hit shutout, but was nowhere near as effective. He gave up five runs and six hits while walking five in four-plus innings.

Jose Martinez homered leading off the second for the Cardinals. Wacha delivered in a big way at the plate, tying a career high with two hits, but couldn’t protect a 5-1 lead as St. Louis lost its third straight game.

Wacha doubled and scored in the third, and drove in two with a single during a three-run fourth. His only other two-hit game was at Wrigley Field on July 8, 2015.

But he gave up five runs — four earned — and six hits in five innings.

NO TIME

Martinez had a long, heated exchange with plate umpire Larry Vanover batting in the ninth. Martinez held his hand up to call time so he could get his timing down, but the request was not granted. Instead, Strop threw a strike and that led to the argument.

Shildt came out to talk to Vanover, and Yadier Molina got between Martinez and the umpire. Martinez said he had a tough time focusing after that and struck out.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: CF Dexter Fowler was back in the lineup. He pinch hit in the ninth inning Friday after missing the previous three games because of flu-like symptoms.

Cubs: 2B Daniel Descalso is day to day after leaving the game because of a sore left ankle. He was hurt rounding first on a single in the first inning and was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fourth. … LHP Mike Montgomery (mild left lat strain) appears close to rejoining the Cubs after throwing six solid innings for Triple-A Iowa on Friday. “It sounds like he’s checked all the boxes,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s always about the next day, making sure everything’s cool, and then we’ll make our moves after that. But yeah, it was very encouraging to hear what he did.”

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (3-2, 3.73 ERA) looks to win his third straight start. He held Washington to two runs in a season-high 6 1/3 innings on Tuesday.

Cubs: LHP Jose Quintana (3-1, 3.48) tries to continue his strong run, with a 3-0 record and 1.69 ERA in his past four starts.

— Associated Press —

Griffons’ showdown with No. 1 Central Oklahoma postponed until Saturday

Posted on May 3, 2019

EDMOND, Okla. – Due to stormy conditions in the Edmond, Oklahoma area, the Missouri Western softball team’s next game in the MIAA Championships has been postponed until Saturday at 11 a.m.

Missouri Western was set to face No. 1 Central Oklahoma in the winner’s bracket final at 3 p.m. on Friday, but at the time of this release only one game had been completed before heavy rain and lightning entered the area. Plans called for an elimination game between Central Missouri and Emporia State to be played as weather allows on Friday night. Then the Missouri Western, Central Oklahoma game will become the first game on Saturday followed by another elimination game.

The winner of Missouri Western’s next game will advance to the championship game which will now be played at 10 a.m. on Sunday. If needed, a tiebreaker championship game would be played at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The loser of the Griffons’ next game will play in the consolation bracket final at 4 p.m., Saturday.

Missouri Western will enter its matchup with the nation’s No. 1-ranked team with the longest active win streak in NCAA Division II softball. No. 7 Winona State fell 1-0 to Minnesota State on Friday to end the Warriors’ 31-game win streak that started after a 1-0 loss at Missouri Western on March 23.

All Missouri Western games from the MIAA Tournament will be broadcast on ESPN St. Joseph 107.5 FM and 1550 AM. Click here to listen online.

— MWSU Athletics —

DC recognizes Northwest Missouri State basketball national championship, undefeated season

Posted on May 3, 2019

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Photo courtesy of Northwest Missouri State University

Washington has recognized Northwest Missouri State University for winning the NCAA Division II men’s national basketball championship.

The United States Senate unanimously approved a resolution honoring the Bearcats for winning their second national basketball championship and posting a perfect 38-0 season.

“The Bearcats were unstoppable this season, earning another national championship and finishing the year with a perfect record,” U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt said in a written statement released by his office. “Congratulations to the players, coaches, and fans on another great season. I look forward to seeing what this team can accomplish next year.”

“Missouri is proud of the Bearcats’ fantastic season, and we congratulate them on everything they were able to accomplish as a team,” U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said in a written statement. “The effort and determination by these young men does not go unnoticed. Keep up the great work and good luck next year!”

Northwest defeated Point Loma Nazarene University in March 64-58 to cap the undefeated season. Northwest was only the 5^th Division II program to finish a perfect season as national champions. Northwest won its first men’s basketball championship in 2017.