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Category: Sports

Missouri Western softball sweeps Gorillas as win streak reaches 12

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PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Missouri Western softball team (30-14, 17-5) stretched its win streak to 12 games with an offensive onslaught Saturday at Pittsburg State (21-24, 9-11).

The Griffons scored 12 unanswered runs over the final two innings of a game one 13-3 run-rule victory. In game two, the Griffs added nine more hits and two more doubles in a 7-2 win.

Missouri Western’s current win streak that includes six consecutive MIAA doubleheader sweeps is the longest since the 2015 team won 16 in a row.

GAME 1
Missouri Western 13, Pittsburg State 3 (6 innings)

  • Down 3-1 after four innings, MWSU scored seven in the fifth and five more in the sixth to win by run-rule
  • The seven-run fifth featured six Griffon hits, two for Morgan Frost
  • MWSU added to its MIAA-leading home run total with a first inning solo shot by Gabi Carter and a three-run shot by Emma Hoffart that got the scoring started in the fifth, the 33rd and 34th home runs of the season for the team
  • Six Griffs had at least two hits, including three by Frost and Carter
  • Sydni Hawkins’ two-hit game pushed her hitting streak to 14 games
  • Kaili Hinds held Pitt State to three hits and picked up her 14th win of the season

GAME 2
Missouri Western 7, Pittsburg State 2

  • The Griffons had nine hits and took advantage of Pitt State miscues
  • MWSU scored two in the first, one on a passed ball and another on an error
  • Frost made it 4-0 Griffs with a two-run double in the second
  • Taylor Hoelscher drove in two with a single in the third
  • An Pittsburg State error in the fourth allowed Brea Blanton to score MWSU’s seventh run
  • Frost had two more hits and drove in two. Another double gave her 19 on the season, second most in the MIAA
  • Blanton was 2-for-3 with three runs scored
  • Hawkins made it 14 straight games with a base hit, going 1-for-3
  • Kenzie Hilzer went the distance and improved to 6-7 on the year, her fourth-straight appearance with either a win or save

UP NEXT

  • The Griffons get next week off before hosting two MIAA series to end the regular season
  • Washburn and Emporia State visit the Spring Sports Complex on April 26th and 27th, respectively.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest Missouri State softball gets swept at Pitt State

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JOPLIN, Missouri – The Missouri Southern Lions picked up a pair of wins Saturday morning over the Northwest Missouri State Bearcat softball squad.

The Lions won the first game in five innings, 9-1. The Lions secured a 5-1 triumph in the second contest.

Game One
Missouri Southern started game one with a seven-run first.

The Bearcats scored one run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly from Sydne Brashear that plated Kaitlyn Weis and cut the lead to 7-1.

The Lions scored single runs in the fourth and fith to close out the five-inning victory, 9-1.

Game Two
The Lions jumped out early again in game two with three runs in the first.

Ady Watts singled to left field in the top of the second inning bringing in Weis to score and cut the lead to 3-1.

The Lions added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning to advance the lead to 5-1.

Northwest mustered only four more base runners after the second inning. The Bearcats were limited to three hits in the game with two coming in the second and one other in the seventh.

Up next for the Bearcats is a home doubleheader against Southwest Baptist on Monday starting at 2 p.m.

NOTES: Kaitlyn Weis, who registered two hits against the Lions, leads the squad with a season batting average of .398 … she also has 28 RBI and 8 home runs … Ady Watts, who tallied an RBI in game two, has a .325 slugging percentage this season.

— MWSU Athletics —

MWSU Track & Field wins four events at Pittsburg State

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PITTSBURG, Kan. – Missouri Western Men’s and Women’s Track and Field totaled four individual wins at the 11th Annual David Suenram Gorilla Classic on Saturday. The Griffons went toe-to-toe with some of the best competition in the country.

On the men’s side Grand Valley (5), Pittsburg State (11), Missouri Southern (12), and Central Missouri (18) are all ranked in the top-20 in NCAA Div. II. Several powerhouse women’s teams were also competing in Pittsburg, including Grand Valley (1), Missouri Southern (3), and Pittsburg State (7).

Nevertheless, the Griffons still came away with four event winners and several other top-five finishes. Hanna Williams, Megan Gillen, and Riley Gorham all claimed victories in track events for Missouri Western. Julia Odir also posted a win for the Griffons with her jump of 11.65m.

Williams and Jordan Garr both earned provisional marks on Saturday. Garr’s throw of 16.96m in the shot put also gave him a third-place finish.

TOP FINISHERS

  • Hanna Williams, 1st, Women’s 400m, 55.54 (Provisional)
  • Megan Gillen, 1st, Women’s 800m, 2:20.29
  • Riley Gorham, 1st, Men’s 1500m, 4:01.74
  • Julia Odir, 1st, Women’s Triple Jump, 11.65m
  • Jordan Garr, 3rd, Men’s Shot Put, 16.96m (Provisional)
  • Jacob Oyler, 3rd, Men’s 5000m, 16:08.20
  • Claire Reedy, Paige Kvale, Megan Gillen, Grace Schottel, 3rd, Women’s 4x400m, 4:06.77
  • Claire Reedy, 4th, Women’s 1500m, 5:00.57
  • Savannah Simmons, 5th, Women’s 200m, 25.33
  • Hunter Scaggs, 5th, Men’s High Jump, 2.02m

UP NEXT

  • Missouri Western will compete at the Kansas Relays beginning on April 17.

— MWSU Athletics —

Western tennis defeats Fort Hays State to clinch MIAA tournament berth

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HAYS, Kan. – Missouri Western (11-11, 2-6 MIAA) has officially punched its ticket to the MIAA tennis championships in Oklahoma City. The Griffons clinched their spot by defeating Fort Hays State (3-10, 0-8 MIAA) 5-2 on the road on Saturday.

The Griffons took the doubles points with wins on the number one and three courts. Joanna Abreu Roman and Karolina Ström started things off for Missouri Western with a 6-1 victory to open up the match. The Tigers would win the second doubles match before Federica Salmaso and Bojana Vuksan put the Griffons on the scoreboard with a 6-3 win to finish the doubles. Saturday’s doubles win is the seventh of the season for Salmaso and Vuksan, which is second on the team behind the duo of Abreu Roman and Ström.

Vuksan continued momentum for the Griffons with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout win. Ström and Salmaso also both won their singles matches, giving Missouri Western four points to clinch the match.

Abreu Roman battled her way to a victory in what turned out to be the day’s most competitive match. After losing the first set, the senior stormed back to win the final two sets by scores of 6-1 and 10-5. Abreu Roman is now second on the team with 12 wins in duals this season.

Missouri Western will wrap up the regular season at Nebraska Kearney (13-12, 2-6 MIAA) on Monday. It will be the team’s final competition before the MIAA Championships in Oklahoma City on April 26.

MWSU VS. FHSU
SINGLES
Karolina Ström (MWSU) def. Laura Jimenez-Lendinez (FHSU) 6-1, 6-3
Natalie Lubbers (FHSU) def. Birosta,Mireia (MWSU) 6-1, 6-0
Joanna Abreu Roman (MWSU) def. Lauren Lindell (FHSU) 3-6, 6-1, 10-5
Federica Salmaso (MWSU) def. Ellea Ediger (FHSU) 6-1, 6-3
Macy Moyers,(FHSU) def. Erica Dunn (MWSU) 2-6, 6-1, 10-8
Bojana Vuksan (MWSU) def. Haley Weidemann (FHSU) 6-0, 6-0

DOUBLES
Abreu Roman/Ström (MWSU) def. Lindell/Lubbers (FHSU) 6-1
Ediger/Moyers (FHSU) def. Birosta/Dunn (MWSU) 6-2
Salmaso/Vuksan (MWSU) def. Jimenez-Lendinez/Lubbers (FHSU) 6-3

— MWSU Athletics —

St. Louis loses to Cincinnati 5-2 in Mexico

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MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Derek Dietrich hit a tiebreaking homer off Adam Wainwright in the seventh inning and added a two-run triple as the Cincinnati Reds won their fourth straight game, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 Saturday night in the raucous Estadio de Beisbol de Monterrey.

The start of the two-game series marked the first time either team had played in the regular season in Mexico.

St. Louis had won five in a row.

Wainwright hit an RBI single in the second off Tanner Roark for a 1-0 lead. Jesse Winker’s one-out homer in the sixth was the Reds’ first hit off Wainwright (1-1).

Dietrich connected to lead off the seventh, finishing Wainwright. Dietrich tripled to cap a three-run eighth that made it 5-1.

Kolten Wong hit a leadoff home run against Zach Duke to begin the Cardinals ninth. Raisel Iglesias relieved and, after St. Louis put two runners on base, retired Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong for his second save.

Jared Hughes (1-0) got two outs for the win.

Mexico is hosting major league games for the second year in a row. Last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers combined for a no-hitter against San Diego at Monterrey. Next month, the Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros will play two games in this ballpark.

— Associated Press —

Griffons run-rule Bearcats in series opener 16-3

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ST. JOSEPH – An eight-run sixth inning blew what was turning into a tight game wide open as Griffon Baseball (15-15, 12-10) run-ruled Northwest Missouri (17-17, 13-9), 16-3 in seven innings on Friday.

Two runs in the top of the fifth by Northwest pulled the Bearcats within four at 7-3, but the Griffs scored another in the fifth and had the big sixth inning to shorten the game.

NOTABLES

  • The Griffons had 13 total hits and capitalized on one Northwest error
  • MWSU homered four times, taking advantage of winds over 20 miles per hour out to left
  • 13 Griffs came to the plate in the six-hit, eight-run home half of the sixth
  • Casey Danley homered twice and was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and four runs scored
  • Dusty Stroup stayed hot at the plate with a double, a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored. Stroup now has 14 hits in his last five games
  • Brooks Day went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored, he also homered
  • Thomas Ruwe got the win in his first career start, striking out eight over five innings
  • Josh Miller struck out two and allowed one hit over two innings of relief

UP NEXT
Game two of the three-game series will be played Saturday at 4 p.m. Members of the 2000 Griffon Baseball team – Buzz Verduzco’s first at MWSU – will be recognized prior to the game.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals end 10-game skid with 8-1 win over Cleveland

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Gordon homered, doubled twice and singled as the Kansas City Royals stopped a 10-game losing streak, racing to a big lead and beating the Cleveland Indians 8-1 Friday night.

Gordon homered during a six-run first inning against Carlos Carrasco (1-2).

The Royals hit for the cycle in the opening inning — Whit Merrifield led off with a single, Adalberto Mondesi followed with a triple and Gordon homered, with Chris Owings’ two-out, two-run double finishing Carrasco.

Brad Keller (2-1) gave up one run on three hits, striking out a career-high 10 in 6 2/3 innings. He has pitched at least six innings in nine straight starts, the longest active streak in the majors.

Keller’s 118 pitches were the most by a Royals starter since James Shields threw 124 on July 29, 2014.

Tyler Naquin hit a 420-foot home run in the second, snapping a streak of 54 innings in which Keller hadn’t allowed a homer. It had been the longest active string in majors.

Gordon doubled in the second. He added an RBI double in the fourth, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.

The Royals added a run in the sixth on a double steal.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: SS Francisco Lindor is going to run the bases again Saturday, according to manager Terry Francona. Lindor has not played this season with a right calf strain and a left ankle sprain. “If all goes well, then we’re going to reconnect with the doctor, and see what he thinks the next step is,” Francona said. … 2B Jason Kipnis is on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Columbus. Francona said he’s doing well recovering from a low-grade right calf strain, and he expects to see Kipnis sometime on the current road trip to Kansas City and Seattle.

Royals: CF Billy Hamilton was kept out of the lineup with a mild MCL sprain and a bone bruise on his left knee. He tried to make a game-saving catch with two outs in the ninth inning of Thursday’s loss to Seattle. The Mariners had two runners on, down 6-4, when Mitch Haniger drove one to the wall in left center. Hamilton battled the wind and the sun before crashing into the wall. “When I first did it I thought it was way worse than what it turned out to be,” Hamilton said. “I’m happy about that. It’s too early to be in that situation. I’ll do everything I can to get back in the lineup. I feel a lot better than I did yesterday. I can play through a little pain.”

ROSTER NEWS

Indians RHP Jefry Rodriguez was being called up from Triple-A Columbus after the game. He will make his first start with the Indians after one start with Columbus, where he allowed three runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Jefry Rodriguez will make his season debut for the Cleveland. He was acquired by Cleveland as part of the trade that sent Yan Gomes following the 2018 season.

Royals RHP Homer Bailey (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will be looking for his first victory since May 12 of last season.

— Associated Press —

MWSU softball extends win streak to 10 with sweep at Southern

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JOPLIN, Mo. – Griffon Softball (28-14, 15-5) swept its fifth-straight MIAA series and climbed into second place in the MIAA standings with a pair of wins, Friday, at Missouri Southern (17-20, 8-12).

Missouri Western extended its win streak with an extra-inning shutout and a bit of a hit parade on Friday in Joplin.

The 10-game winning streak is the longest since a 10-game streak late in the 2016 season that included a 4-0 run through the MIAA Softball Championships. The wins left the Griffons technically tied for second place in the standings with 2018 MIAA champion Washburn. Missouri Western is 15-5 and Washburn is 12-4 after splitting a doubleheader with Nebraska-Kearney on Friday.

GAME 1
Missouri Western 1, Missouri Southern 0 (11 innings)

  • Cassidy Kelsheimer hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the 11th to drive in the only run of the game
  • Emma Hoffart led off the 11th with a single and advanced to third when Missouri Southern threw away Sydni Hawkins’ sacrifice bunt attempt to put runners on the corners with no one out
  • Tamara Hicks entered to run for Hoffart and scored the winning run on Kelsheimer’s sac-fly
  • Kaili Hinds pitched an 11-inning complete game shutout, holding Southern to nine hits. She struck out two and didn’t walk a batter to improve to 13-3 on the season
  • Hawkins went 2-for-3 to extend her hitting streak to 12 games
  • Hoffart was 2-for-5

GAME 2
Missouri Western 10, Missouri Southern 5

  • A three-run top of the seventh quieted any thoughts of a Missouri Southern comeback
  • MWSU led 6-1 after scoring two in the top of the fourth, but Missouri Southern scored four in the bottom half to pull within one
  • The Griffons got one in the fifth and then the three-run seventh to put the game out of reach
  • MWSU tied a program single-game record with seven doubles
  • Morgan Frost had two of the doubles to move into second in the MIAA with 17 this season
  • Hawkins went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. She doubled and tripled to push her hitting streak to 13 games
  • All but one Griff in the starting lineup had at least a hit
  • Marissa Guenther went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple
  • Olivia Goodale allowed just one hit over the final 3 1/3 innings

UP NEXT

  • The Griffs travel to Pittsburg State (21-22, 9-9) for a doubleheader Saturday that is scheduled to begin at noon.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest softball drops two games at Pittsburg State

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PITTSBURG, Kansas – The Pittsburg State University Gorillas softball team scored a pair of victories over the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats on Friday.

The Gorillas topped the Bearcats in game one, 8-4, and followed it up with a 7-4 victory in the second contest.

Game One
The Bearcats were the first to score in the top of the second. Jaclyn Weydert singled through the left side and advanced to second on the throw, allowing Karli Allen and Kiana Baderdeen to score and give Northwest a 2-0 lead.

The Gorillas answered in the bottom of the third with to home runs from Madison Wegner and Mackenzie Goswick to tie the game at 2-2.

Pitt State scored again in the bottom of the fourth from another home run to go up, 3-2.

Sydne Brashear hit a two-run homer to center in the top of the fifth give Northwest a 4-3 lead on the road.

Pitt State rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring five runs and grabbed the win over the Bearcats, 8-4.

Game Two
Jaclyn Weydert scored off a fielding error in the second and to grab a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Karli Allen hit a two-run homer to advance the lead 3-0 over the Gorillas.

Pitt State answered in the bottom of the third scoring three runs to tie the game. The Gorillas scored another run in the fourth inning to grab the lead 4-3 over the Bearcats.

Jaedra Moses singled up the middle in the top of the sixth inning to bring in Jacee Winn to score and tie the game at 4-4.

The Gorillas scored three runs in the sixth and held off the Bearcats to take game two, 7-4.

The Bearcats are back in action Saturday in Joplin, Missouri to take on the Missouri Southern Lions at 9 a.m.

NOTES: Jaedra Moses, who tallied three hits on the day, leads the squad with a batting average of .404 … Moses has a team-high 42 hits in 2019 … the home run was Allen’s sixth this season.

— Northwest Athletics —

Royals blow 9th inning lead to Seattle as losing streak reaches 10

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Trailing by two runs and down to their last strike, the Seattle Mariners found a way to keep their winning streak alive.

“Confidence is building,” manager Scott Servais said.

Seattle became the first major league team to homer in each of its first 15 games when Dee Gordon connected in the sixth inning, then beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6 Thursday behind Daniel Vogelbach’s home run in the 10th.

Seattle improved the best record in the major leagues to 13-2, completing a four-game sweep and extending its winning streak to six. The Mariners became just the third team since 1987 to open with at least 13 wins in the first 15 games after Milwaukee (14-1 in 1987) and Boston (13-2 last year).

Kansas City has lost 10 straight games, has the poorest record in the big leagues at 2-10 and is off to its worst 12-game start since 2006. The Royals failed to preserve leads of 4-0 in the sixth and 6-4 with two outs in the ninth.

“Other teams just can’t seem to do any wrong,” said Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield, whose hitting streak ended at 31 games.

Royals center fielder Billy Hamilton was carted off with a knee injury after failing to grab Mitch Haniger’s tying, two-run triple in the ninth. Royals manager Ned Yost said he did not have an update on Hamilton’s condition.

“Hanny had the at-bat of the game,” Servais said. “You’re down to your last strike, fighting and clawing. He finally got the changeup up in the zone.”

Merrifield went 0 for 6. He had not gone hitless since Sept. 9.

“Out of my last nine outs, I feel like I’ve made six good swings on good pitches in the zone,” Merrifield said. “I either hit it on the barrel at somebody or just missed it and hit it in the air. That’s kind of what makes streaks like these so rare

The 2002 Cleveland Indians had homered in each of their first 14 games. Seattle’s 36 home runs are tied with the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals for the most in a club’s first 15 games. The Mariners have scored five or more runs in all but one game.

Vogelbach hit a 427-foot drive off Glenn Sparkman (0-1) for his sixth home run this season.

“I’m not in that situation if Hanny doesn’t have the at-bat to tie the game,” Vogelbach said. “He fouled off a ton of pitches. He made him work, and then got a pitch he could handle.”

Brandon Brennan (1-0) struck out three in the ninth, working around his own throwing error on a grounder to get his first big league win. Brennan has not allowed a run in his first 9 2/3 innings in the major leagues, holding batters to a .156 average (5 for 32).

Connor Sadzeck pitched a perfect 10th for his first professional save.

Seattle trailed 6-3 before Edwin Encarnacion hit an RBI single off Wily Peralta in the eighth.

Pinch-hitter Omar Narvaez and Gordon singled off Brad Boxberger with one out in the ninth and Mallex Smith took a called third strike. Haniger hit a long drive on a full count and Hamilton, who entered at the start of the half-inning for defense, allowed the ball to glance off his glove on the warning track.

Haniger, who hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the ninth inning on Wednesday, slid into third as two runs scored. Hamilton’s left knee hit the wall, and he crumpled to the warning track, then was unable to put weight on the knee when he got up.

SWANNY

Mariners RHP Erik Swanson made his major league debut, allowing two runs and three hits in two innings. He is the 18th player and ninth pitcher to make his Mariners debut this season.

MOVES

Royals RHP Jake Newberry was recalled from Omaha, and 1B Frank Schwindel was optioned to the Triple-A farm team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: OF Jay Bruce was held out of the lineup with a sore left Achilles. He came out of Wednesday’s game after the third inning because of the injury. … RHP Shawn Armstrong pitched an inning Wednesday night on an injury rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Tacoma. He is on the 10-day IL with a right-oblique strain.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Wade LeBlanc (2-0, 4.76 ERA) starts a homestand opener Friday against Houston.

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (1-1, 2.84 ERA) is to be on the mound Friday against visiting Cleveland.

— Associated Press —

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