We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Category: Sports

Cardinals’ winning streak ends with 6-3 loss to Atlanta

Posted on

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Phillips knows what to expect from Cardinals fans.

“Oh yeah, it’s nice for Boo Phillips to come back to St. Louis, man,” Phillips said. “That’s the name they really gave me. I love playing here. The fans here are great.”

Phillips hit a two-run homer to back R.A. Dickey, and the Atlanta Braves stopped the Cardinals’ season-high, eight-game winning streak with a 6-3 victory Sunday.

Phillips connected in the fifth for his 10th home run this season and the 17th of his career against St. Louis. Phillips is still booed by Cardinals fans for his part of a bench-clearing brawl when he played for Cincinnati in 2010.

“I love when they boo me,” he said. “It makes me step up my game a little more and before they started booing me I didn’t play that good in St. Louis. But ever since that first day they started booing me, that’s when I started playing good here, so that’s something the fans need to know.”

Dickey (8-7) allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings. The 42-year-old knuckleballer has given up one or no earned runs in eight of 23 starts.

“I was able to attack the strike zone early,” Dickey said. “The first two times through the lineup they gave me strike one a lot with my fastball. I knew that once I got through that lineup once by stealing strikes that they were going to turn a little bit more aggressive and they did.”

Atlanta stopped a five-game losing streak, beat the Cardinals for the first time in six meetings this year and avoided getting swept in the season series for the first time.

“They had a plan against me,” Dickey said. “I knew what it was early and we were able to come up with our own plan to counteract that.”

Arodys Vizcaino pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since Aug. 5 and his sixth in eight tries.

Michael Wacha (9-5) gave up four runs and five hits in eight innings, just the second time in 10 starts he has allowed four or more earned runs.

“Our offense showed some fight,” Wacha said. “We were right back in it, a hit away from taking the lead or tying it up.”

Atlanta loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, when Danny Santana had an RBI single and Ozzie Albies followed with a sacrifice fly.

Nick Markakis made it 5-0 with an RBI grounder in the seventh. Kolten Wong tripled and scored in the bottom half and added an RBI single in the eighth, when Paul DeJong hit his team-high 18th homer off, a drive off Jim Johnson.

“I’m getting good pitches to hit and not missing them,” DeJong said. “The Braves attacked me a little bit, so I was ready to hit looking in my zone early in the count for sure.”

Ender Inciarte had three singles, scored twice and stole his 15th base. He is hitting .337 (31 for 92) against St. Louis.

TRAINING ROOM

Braves: OF Matt Kemp (right hamstring strain) is expected to return Friday.

Cardinals: AHP Alex Reyes (Tommy John surgery) threw from 90 feet for the first time. INF Jedd Gyorko (right knee irritation) missed his second consecutive game.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Julio Teheran (7-10) starts Monday’s opener of a four-game series at Colorado and RHP Chad Bettis, who is back from treatment from testicular cancer and will be making his first appearance since Sept. 30. Teheran is 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA in seven starts against the Rockies.

Cardinals: RHP Mike Leake (7-10) starts at Boston in the opener of a six-game trip. Leake last pitched at Fenway Park on May 7, 2014, allowing two runs over seven innings in a no-decision.

— Associated Press —

Cabrera’s 2-run homer lifts Royals over White Sox 5-4

Posted on

CHICAGO (AP) — Melky Cabrera showed the Chicago White Sox what they are missing.

Cabrera hit a go-ahead, two-run homer against his former team in the eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the White Sox 5-4 Saturday night to stop a five-game losing streak.

Cabrera, acquired from the White Sox on July 30, homered with one out off Aaron Bummer (1-3) and drove in Lorenzo Cain, who led off the inning with a walk against Chris Beck. Cabrera has an eight-game hitting streak.

“These kind of wins are wins that help you stop the bleeding,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I was sitting there thinking about this group. What do you tell them? They’re not pressing. They’re competing their tails off. All you can tell them is, `Hang in there, keep battling, it is going to get better.’ And a win like this does a lot for their spirits.”

Cabrera fell behind 1-2 in the count and homered on the ninth pitch, his third home run since the trade and 16th this season. He extended his hitting streak to eight games.

“I am grateful to Ned for playing me every day,” Cabrera said through a translator.

Scott Alexander (3-3) won after allowing a two-run, two-out single in the seventh to Leury Garcia that put Chicago ahead 4-3.

Joakim Soria pitched a perfect eighth, and Kelvin Herrera worked around a walk in a hitless-but-eventful ninth for his 25th save in 28 chances.

After pinch-runner Tyler Saladino stole second, third baseman Mike Moustakas made a diving stop on Adam Engel’s grounder and threw to first for the final out, ending Chicago’s four-game winning streak.

“I was trying to keep in the infield to make sure a run doesn’t score but I got a pretty good read on the hop so I was able to make a play on it,” Moustakas said. “We know how good we can be and we know we weren’t playing good baseball.”

White Sox starter James Shields struck out a season-high eight in six innings, allowing three runs and seven hits.

Jose Abreu hit a pair of solo home runs against Ian Kennedy, who gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. Abreu became the first White Sox player to reach 20 homers in each of his first four seasons.

“Good pitches, bad pitches, he hits them,” Kennedy said.

STREAKING

Nicky Delmonico singled in the second, becoming the first player to reach base in his first 11 games with the White Sox. He is batting .366 (15 for 41) and has a nine-game hitting streak.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez (strained right intercostal muscle) threw from 120 feet for about 10 minutes before the game and could hit off a tee next week. The Royals have lost six of seven since he got hurt and are 4-12 when he doesn’t start.

White Sox: 3B Matt Davidson (bruised wrist) may not be ready to be activated from the 10-day DL when he becomes eligible Tuesday, according to manager Rick Renteria said.

UP NEXT

Jason Vargas (13-6) starts for the Royals on Sunday against fellow left-hander Derek Holland (6-11) in the finale of the three-game series. Vargas is 1/3 with a 6.94 ERA since the All-Star break. Holland survived seven walks against Houston on Tuesday for his first win since June 13.

— Associated Press —

Grichuk, DeJong homer to lead Cardinals past Braves

Posted on

ST. LOUIS (AP) — There are times Paul DeJong just shakes his head in wonderment.

The St. Louis rookie infielder, who made his major league debut on May 28, hit his team-leading 17th home run on Saturday night to help the Cardinals push their winning streak to eight games with a 6-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

“I have some of those moments when I look around the stadium and I say to myself, `Am I really doing this? Is this really happening?” DeJong said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

Carlos Martinez (9-9) tossed six solid innings and also drove in a run for the Cardinals, who moved within percentage points with the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

Brandon Phillips homered for Atlanta, which lost its fifth in a row.

The eight-game run is the longest for St. Louis since the Cardinals won eight in a row April 28-May 5, 2015.

DeJong, who hit a home run in his first major league game in Colorado, has 15 homers since June 15.

“He continues to impress us every day,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “Offensively and defensively. He’s making great adjustments from at-bat to at-bat.”

DeJong set a goal at the start of the season to hit 30 home runs, whether it was in the majors or the minors. Or both. His seventh-inning drive on Saturday allowed him to reach that mark. He hit 13 home runs at Triple-A Memphis.

Randal Grichuk also homered for St. Louis, which has scored 68 runs during the eight-game streak. He hit his 15th homer of the season in the second to tie the game 2-all. He also added a double in a three-run outburst in the fifth.

DeJong, who has reached safely in 18 of the last 21 games, led off the seventh a 405-foot blast. He has 41 RBI in just 64 games.

Martinez gave up three earned runs and seven hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked one. His run-scoring single in the fifth pushed the lead to 4-2. He is 7 for 23 (.304) with runners in scoring position.

Trevor Rosenthal picked up his 11th save in 13 tries. He gave up a two-out bases-loaded single to Freddie Freeman in the ninth before striking out Nick Markakis with two runners in scoring position to end the game.

Tyler Lyons chipped in with two innings of scoreless relief.

Martinez allowed four of the first five hitters to reach safely before settling down.

“I just kept working hard and tried to forget about the bad pitches,” Martinez said. “I wanted to concentrate on what’s ahead.”

Lucas Sims (0-3), in just his third major league start, surrendered four earned runs and 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings.

The Braves have rallied twice in the series to get within one run, but came up short both times.

“These guys are never out of a game and they keep coming at you,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “They give you a hard 27 outs.”

Dexter Fowler added two hits for St. Louis and Kolten Wong extended his hitting streak to seven games with a fifth-inning single.

Atlanta jumped to a 2-0 lead on a bases-loaded single by Kurt Suzuki in the first.

“We came close to turning it around,” Freeman said. “Hopefully, we can get on the right side of things tomorrow.”

HAPPY MEMORIES

The Cardinals’ 1987 NL championship team was honored before Saturday’s game. Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith threw out the first pitch to outfielder Willie McGee.

Minnesota beat St. Louis in seven games in the 1987 World Series.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: INF Jedd Gyorko was a late scratch from Saturday’s starting lineup due to right knee soreness. Matheny said Gyorko will likely not start on Sunday, but he will be available for pinch-hitting duty.

UP NEXT:

RHP Michael Wacha (9-4, 3.70) will face RHP R.A. Dickey (7-7, 4.03) in the finale of the three-game series on Sunday. Wacha is 6-0 in 10 career starts in August, the only active pitcher in the majors with a perfect record in the month with at least 10 starts. Dickey is 3-1 with a 4.38 ERA in six career starts against St. Louis.

— Associated Press —

Smith, Mahomes solid before 49ers rally past Chiefs, 27-17

Posted on

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith led the Chiefs to a quick touchdown and first-round pick Patrick Mahomes II had an impressive debut, before the San Francisco backups led the 49ers to a 27-17 victory over Kansas City in their preseason opener Friday night.

Smith hit speedster Tyreek Hill for a 32-yard gain on the first play of the game, and Spencer Ware capped a 75-yard march with a short TD run to give the Chiefs a 7-0 lead.

It was the only series for Smith, who finished 4 of 6 for 48 yards.

Mahomes checked in for the first time late in the second quarter, drawing perhaps the biggest roar of the night. The 10th overall draft pick had a long completion wiped out by a penalty on his first play, but later capitalized on a blocked punt with a short touchdown throw to fellow rookie Marcus Kemp.

Mahomes was 7 of 9 for 49 yards as he duels with Tyler Bray for the No. 2 job.

San Francisco rookie C.J. Beathard hit Kendrick Bourne for a 46-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter, then found him for a tying two-point conversion. The Chiefs promptly fumbled the ball back and Beathard added a short TD pass to Tyler McCloskey with 10:41 left to give the 49ers the lead for good.

Beathard, a third-round pick, outplayed both quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart.

Brian Hoyer did little to make new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan feel good about giving the longtime NFL journeyman the starting job at the onset of training camp. He was 1 of 4 for three yards in two offensive series, going three-and-out on both of them.

Barkley was first off the bench and led San Francisco to a pair of field goals, playing roughly two quarters. He was 10 of 17 for 168 yards without any major mistakes.

Bray was first off the bench for Kansas City. He had an 83-yard TD pass to Chris Conley wiped out by offensive pass interference, then had an errant throw picked off. The fifth-year quarterback, who has yet to appear in a regular-season game, finished 5 of 8 for 63 yards.

HYDE’S BACKUP: Running back Carlos Hyde carried twice for San Francisco before giving way to Matt Breida and Joe Williams, a pair of rookies competing for the No. 2 job. Williams appeared to do more with fewer chances, showing impressive burst in the open field.

FICKEN DOES KICKIN: Sam Ficken handled kicking duties for Kansas City while Cairo Santos deals with a groin injury. The former Penn State star hit a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter.

AILING CHIEFS: All-Pro S Eric Berry did not suit up after missing several practices with a heel injury. He was joined on the sideline by DE Chris Jones, LB Tamba Hali and NT Bennie Logan, all of whom are dealing with knee injuries. TE Travis Kelce also was out with swelling in his knee. Chiefs coach Andy Reid has been optimistic that all of them will be ready for the regular season.

SUFFERING NINERS: The 49ers were without a pair of starters in the secondary with FS Jimmie Ward (hamstring) on the PUP list and CB Dontae Johnson sidelined with a concussion. DT DeForest Buckner left after the first series with an ankle injury. On offense, starting LG Joshua Garnett (ribs) and rookie TE George Kittle (hamstring) were not available.

— Associated Press —

Royals drop series opener at Chicago 6-3

Posted on

CHICAGO (AP) — Tim Anderson hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run, seventh-inning rally, Reynaldo Lopez pitched six strong innings in his White Sox debut and Chicago won its fourth straight, 6-3 over the sliding Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Mike Moustakas belted a pair of deep solo shots to give him 34 homers, but the Royals lost their fifth straight and 10th in 12.

Adam Engel’s second triple of the game drove in the tiebreaking run in the seventh. Yolmer Sanchez had two RBI and Kevan Smith doubled in a run as the AL-worst White Sox kept rolling following a three-game sweep of league-leading Houston.

Aaron Bummer (1-2) pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth to earn his first major league win. Kansas City starter Danny Duffy (7-8) allowed five runs and seven hits in his second straight loss.

Tyler Clippard got the final two outs for third save in eight chances as Kansas City scored its third run on wild pitch.

Lopez allowed two runs — both on Moustakas’ homers. The 23-year-old right-hander, one of rebuilding Chicago’s prized prospects, permitted four hits and struck out six after being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day.

The 23-year-old Lopez was acquired by Chicago from Washington in December 2016 with right-handers Lucas Giolito and Dane Dunning for outfielder Adam Eaton.

Moustakas’ first homer, with one out in the fourth, was the first hit off Lopez.

The White Sox jumped out 1-0 in the first when Smith lined a double to the left-center gap and drove in Anderson. Engel tripled off the right-center wall, then scored on Sanchez’s grounder in the second to make it 2-0.

After Moustakas cut it to 2-1 with one out in the fourth, Cheslor Cuthbert and Alcides Escobar followed with sharp singles. But following a mound conference with pitching coach Don Cooper, Lopez settled down and got the next two outs.

Moustakas’ second homer tied it at 2-all in the sixth.

DOUBLE-TRIPLE

Engel became the first White Sox player to triple twice in a game since Alejandro De Aza did it in August 2011.

MINOR MOVES

To make room for Lopez, the White Sox assigned LHP David Holmberg to Charlotte. . Chicago acquired minor league RHP Ryan Burr from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday for international signing bonus pool money.

STREAKING

Chicago INF/OF Nicky Delmonico beat out an infield hit in the fifth and has reached base safely in his first 10 games since being called up from Charlotte on Aug. 1. Delmonico, who has an eight-game hitting streak, is the first White Sox player to reach base in his first 10 games since Larry Rosenthal in 1936.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Trevor Cahill, placed on the 10-day on Thursday with right shoulder soreness, said he was relieved to learn there was no structural damage, but did not know how long he would be sidelined. Cahill was unable to throw for 10 days after the same injury last season. . Royals CF Lorenzo Cain hit the wall awkwardly tracking Engel’s triple in the second. Cain sprawled on the warning track for a few moments, but stayed in the game.

White Sox: OF Avisail Garcia got the day off to “give his legs a break” according to manager Rick Renteria. Garcia, the White Sox’s lone 2017 All-Star, had played three straight games after missing 12 with a strained ligament in his right thumb.

UP NEXT

A pair of struggling right-handers meet when the Royals’ Ian Kennedy (4-8, 4.83) faces Chicago’s James Shields (2-4, 6.03) on Saturday night. Shields is 0-3 with a 8.13 ERA in six starts since his last win, on June 29. Kennedy has lost his last two starts, allowing 10 runs in 10 innings.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis defeats Atlanta to extend win streak to seven

Posted on

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Paul DeJong had two doubles with three RBI and Randal Grichuk tripled and drove in two as the surging St. Louis Cardinals held off the Atlanta Braves 8-5 on Friday night to win their season-high seventh straight game.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (12-5) went five innings and retired the final eight batters he saw after pitching out of a no-out, bases loaded jam in the third. Wainwright helped himself get out of the jam with just one run scored by finishing a 3-6-1 double play, the third double play turned by the Cardinals in the first three innings.

Kolten Wong, Matt Carpenter and DeJong each had an RBI double as the Cardinals sent nine batters to the plate in a four-run second inning.

Grichuk started a two-run rally in the third with an RBI triple and scored on a single by Wainwright.

DeJong’s two-run double in the eighth gave the Cardinals breathing room.

Ozzie Albies got the Braves back into it in the sixth with a three-run homer off Brett Cecil, who gave up four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Cecil has allowed runs in three of his last four appearances, including six runs in his last one total an inning of work.

John Brebbia, Zach Duke and Matt Bowman, who earned his second save in four tries, pitched scoreless relief for St. Louis. Duke’s strikeout of Freddie Freeman to end the seventh was pivotal as Freeman entered the game 5 for 6 with two homers against Duke.

Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz (10-7) tied a season-high four walks in 2 2/3 innings, his shortest start this season. Five of the Cardinals seven hits off Foltynewicz went for extra bases as Atlanta lost its fourth straight game.

WELCOME BACK

Braves OF Matt Adams received a standing ovation from the 41,928 fans at Busch Stadium during his first plate appearance since being traded from the Cardinals on May 20.

FELINE FOUND

The Cardinals confirmed that the rally cat was found Friday morning.

The feline ran onto the field in the sixth inning of the Cardinals’ 8-5 win over Kansas City on Wednesday night and Yadier Molina hit a grand slam on the very next pitch after the delay.

The cat was eventually picked up by a female fan, who intended to adopt it and take it home. But the cat jumped from her grasp a couple of blocks from the stadium and was missing until being trapped by a feral animal rescue group.

TRAINING ROOM

Braves: OF Matt Kemp (right hamstring strain) participated in conditioning drills on the field. Atlanta also received minor league INF Kevin Franklin from Cincinnati as the player to be named later to complete the Brandon Phillips trade.

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn checked out positively after taking a 105 mph line drive off his head Thursday night.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Lucas Sims (0-2, 5.25 ERA) will be making his first career start against St. Louis. He was 7-4 in 19 starts with 132 strikeouts in 115 1/3 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (8-9, 3.52 ERA) tied a career-high by giving up seven runs in five innings in a 13-5 loss to Atlanta on Aug. 6, 2016. He is tied for sixth in the National League with 15 quality starts.

— Associated Press —

Football scrimmage set for Friday night in St. Joseph

Posted on

(News release) – The St. Joseph football scrimmage (Formerly known as Jamboree) will take place tonight, Friday, August 11, 2017 at 7 p.m. at Noyes Field. This is a scrimmage between Benton, Central, Lafayette and LeBlond High Schools. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and students.

2017 SCHEDULE

Qtr. 1 BISHOP LEBLOND vs LAFAYETTE North
Qtr. 1 CENTRAL vs BENTON South

Qtr. 2 BENTON vs LAFAYETTE North
Qtr. 2 CENTRAL vs BISHOP LEBLOND South

All City Dance Performance

Qtr. 3 BISHOP LEBLOND vs BENTON North
Qtr. 3 LAFAYETTE vs CENTRAL South

FORMAT

  • Each Team will be allowed 12 offensive plays:
  • There will be a total of 6 quarters with 12 offensive plays by each team.
  • After a preliminary coin toss, the designated team will begin with the ball on their 35-yard line. The offensive team will continue with the ball for 12 plays. Anytime a team fails to get a first down, the ball is returned to the 35-yard line. The team will continue on offense as long as they have not reached their 12-play limit.
  • Once a team has reached its 12 offensive play limit, they lose possession. The opposing team will take over and run their plays until they have reached their 12 plays limit.
  • Penalties that result in a re-play of a down do NOT count toward 12 offensive plays.
  • There will be NO PAT’s.

Fowler’s grand slam helps Cardinals complete sweep of Kansas City

Posted on

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dexter Fowler hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.

St. Louis tied a season-high with its sixth straight win.

Kansas City has lost four in a row and six of seven.

St. Louis climbed within one game of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

Fowler broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning with his 15th homer of the season. He ripped the first pitch from Neftali Feliz 404 feet for his third career slam.

Lorenzo Cain had four hits for the Royals, who lost all four games in the four-game, home-and-home set.

Fowler also ripped a run-scoring double to trigger a three-run outburst in the sixth inning that helped erase a 3-0 deficit.

Trevor Rosenthal recorded four outs to pick up his 10th save in 12 opportunities.

Pinch-hitter Brandon Moss brought the Royals within 7-5 with a two-run, bases-loaded double in the eighth that came within a foot of clearing the wall. Whit Merrifield followed with a sacrifice fly. But Rosenthal got Cain to fly out with the tying run on third.

St. Louis has scored 54 runs during the six-game streak.

Tyler Lyons (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Lance Lynn, who gave up two earned runs in six innings.

Mike Minor (5-4) took the loss.

Melky Cabrera gave the Royals a 3-0 lead with a two-run triple in the fifth.

Kansas City starter Jason Hammel gave up two earned runs and three hits over five-plus innings. He has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his last seven starts.

GRAND SLAM UP

The Cardinals recorded grand slams in back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2011. Yadier Molina hit a slam in Wednesday’s 8-5 win.

Jake Westbrook and Albert Pujols did the trick in 2011.

LOST KITTY

The rally cat has apparently disappeared.

The feline ran onto the field in the sixth inning of the Cardinals’ 8-5 win over Kansas City on Wednesday night.

Molina hit a grand slam on the very next pitch after the delay.

The kitten was taken off the field by a member of the Cardinals grounds crew, who set the animal outside the stadium. The cat was picked up by a female fan, who intended to adopt it and take it home. But the cat jumped from her grasp a couple of blocks from the stadium and has not been seen since.

EXTRA TOUGH ESCOBAR

Kansas City INF Alcides Escobar made his 285th consecutive start on Thursday. It is the longest streak by a shortstop since Baltimore’s Cal Ripken Jr. started a record 2,216 consecutive games from 1982-1996.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Trevor Cahill was placed on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder soreness. RHP Kevin McCarthy has been called up from Triple-A Omaha. McCarthy is 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA in 16 appearances over two stints with Kansas City this season.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (7-7, 3.48) will face RHP Reynaldo Lopez (0-0, 0.00) in the first of a three-game series against the White Sox on Friday in Chicago. Duffy is 0-2 with an 11.17 ERA in two starts against Chicago this season.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (11-5, 5.00) takes on RHP Mike Foltynewicz (10-6, 3.94) in the opener of a three-game set against Atlanta in St. Louis on Friday.

— Associated Press —

Northwest Missouri State releases 2017-2018 men’s basketball schedule

Posted on

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University head men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum has announced the Bearcats’ 2017-18 schedule. The slate includes 13 home games and begins with a featured exhibition game at Duke University in Durham, N.C., on Friday, Oct. 27.

“This is by far one of the most difficult schedules I’ve ever had here at Northwest,” said McCollum. “We were able to secure some high-level games against NCAA tournament teams and perennial powers in Division II. The opportunity to play Duke in Cameron Indoor will be an unbelievable experience for our team. I’m also looking for a great turnout from our Kansas City fans when we play Washburn at Municipal Auditorium.”

Fans will get to see the defending national champions take on Metro State in the team’s home opener on Friday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. On Nov. 21, Northwest will face Washburn in a non-MIAA showcase game at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City at 7 p.m.

The Bearcats have also scheduled a neutral site game against Lincoln Memorial University on Tuesday, Dec. 19, in Owensboro, Ky. Last season, Northwest knocked off the Railsplitters, 79-67, in the NCAA National Semifinal in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The MIAA home schedule includes games against Northeastern State (Nov. 30), Central Oklahoma (Dec. 2), Central Missouri (Jan. 11), Southwest Baptist (Jan. 13), Missouri Western (Jan. 27), Lincoln (Feb. 1), Lindenwood (Feb. 3), Pittsburg State (Feb. 15) and Missouri Southern (Feb. 17).

Click here to view entire schedule.

— Northwest Athletics —

Molina’s grand slam powers Cardinals past Royals

Posted on

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina hit a grand slam one pitch after a cat ran onto the field in the sixth inning, helping the St. Louis Cardinals rally to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals loaded the bases off Royals relievers Brandon Maurer and Peter Moylan. Molina was at the plate, with two outs, when the cat came onto the field and ran toward the center field wall.

On the next pitch, Molina drilled his 14th homer of the season into the left field seats for his fifth career slam.

Melky Cabrera hit his 15th home run, a two-run shot, that had given the Royals a 5-4 lead in the fifth.

Whit Merrifield had four hits for the Royals, who opened the game with four straight hits off Mike Leake and took a 2-0 lead on an RBI double from Lorenzo Cain and RBI single by Cabrera.

Merrifield made it 3-0 when he scored on Molina’s throwing error in the second.

The Cardinals scored twice in the second, on an RBI sacrifice bunt from Leake and an RBI single from Matt Carpenter, and then tied the game on Jedd Gyorko’s RBI single in the third.

Jose Martinez gave St. Louis a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning with his ninth homer.

Leake, the Cardinals’ starter, allowed five runs on 11 hits in five innings. Royals starter Trevor Cahill lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and walking five.

Matt Bowman (3-4) earned the win. Maurer (1-5) took the loss.

Trevor Rosenthal closed out the ninth inning for his ninth save.

ROYALS’ TOP FIVE

The first five hitters in the Kansas City lineup combined for 13 hits: four from Merrifield, three from Cain and two each from Eric Hosmer, Cabrera and Mike Moustakas. Merrifield’s four hits tied his career high.

STREAK SNAPPED

Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar snapped an 0-for-20 streak with a single in the sixth inning. He added another single in his next at-bat.

FANCY FIELDING

The Royals escaped jams in the second and third with inning-ending plays from their middle infielders.

Escobar ranged to the other side of second base to nab Paul DeJong’s up-the-middle grounder, with two runners in scoring position, in the second inning.

In the third inning, with the bases loaded and just one out, Merrifield made a diving stop on a hard-hit grounder from Leake and flipped to Escobar for an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (5-9, 4.73 ERA) is 4-6 with a 5.68 ERA in 12 career starts against St. Louis. He’s 4-4 with a 4.95 ERA in eight starts at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (10-6, 3.12 ERA) has a 1.21 ERA since July 8, the lowest among MLB pitchers during that span.

— Associated Press —

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File