Sports – Page 305 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Missouri Western’s Katie Klosterman earns All-Region honor

Posted on May 16, 2017May 16, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western softball senior Katie Klosterman picked up her third postseason honor of the 2017 season by being named second team Division Two Conference Commissioner’s Association All-Central Region.

It was Klosterman’s second time on the D2CCA All-Region team after being named to the first team as a junior. The Omaha native was named first team All-MIAA and first team NFCA All-Region in addition to being the MIAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. She finished her final season as a Griffon batting .294 with seven doubles and 10 home runs. She had 87 RBIs and committed just seven errors, starting all 58 games for Missouri Western.

Klosterman, who played third base for the Griffons, was named first team D2CCA All-Central Region in 2016. The D2CCA All-Region and All-American teams are nominated and voted on by sports information personnel at each member institution.

— MWSU Athletics —

Dwight Coleby to transfer from Kansas

Posted on May 16, 2017May 16, 2017

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Upon graduating from the University of Kansas on Sunday with a communications degree, forward Dwight Coleby has announced he will transfer from the Kansas men’s basketball team, KU head coach Bill Self and Coleby announced on Monday. Having earned his degree, Coleby will be a graduate transfer and eligible to compete during the 2017-18 season.

“Dwight and I have visited about this multiple times since the end of our season and he has worked so hard academically to put himself in a position to make this decision,” Self said. “We wish Dwight nothing but the very best moving forward. He felt the opportunity to go to a place and have the option to play quite a bit more and have more of a significant role would enhance his chances to play professionally in the future.”

Coleby (6-foot-9, 240 pounds) joined the Kansas team in 2015-16 after playing two seasons at Ole Miss. Due to transfer rules, the Nassau, Bahamas, native sat out the 2015-16 season. As a redshirt junior Coleby played in 24 games for KU averaging 5.6 minutes, 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds. He tied his career high with 12 points at Texas on Feb. 25 and pulled down a season-high six rebounds against Baylor on Feb. 1.

“In talking with Coach (Self) about my future, I feel that this is what is best for my potential opportunities,” Coleby said. “I would like to thank the coaching staff for allowing me to come here. I’d like to thank my teammates for their support the past two years. I’d like to thank the fans for cheering me on and believing in me. KU is a part of my heart. It’s my alma mater and I am proud to have earned my degree from KU. I will always be a Jayhawk.”

This past season, Coleby had five games in which he played 10-plus minutes, including a season-high 20 against Georgia (Nov. 22) in the title game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic where he tied a career high with four blocked shots. Coleby also played key minutes in two of Kansas’ NCAA Tournament victories against Michigan State (March 19) and Purdue (March 23).

“We have truly enjoyed Dwight the past two years,” Self said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. It was unfortunate he tore his ACL his first year but he played a key role, especially late in the season, to the success we had this year. We not only support him but also agree that this could potentially help his post-college professional options. Dwight will always be looked upon by our program as a Jayhawk. We respect everything that he’s done in the time he has been here.”

For his career, Coleby has played in 86 games with seven starts averaging 11.5 minutes, 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds. In his final season at Ole Miss, he averaged 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2014-15.

— KU Athletics —

Griffons earn second consecutive NCAA baseball tournament bid

Posted on May 14, 2017May 14, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – For the first time in program history, the Missouri Western baseball team will make back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

The Griffons will be the No. 6 seed in the Division II Central Regional and will face No. 3 seed St. Cloud State Thursday in Emporia, Kansas.

Emporia State was awarded the No. 1 seed. Missouri Western and Emporia State were two of four MIAA teams to make the regional, joining No. 4 seed Lindenwood and No. 7 seed Central Oklahoma.

Missouri Western advanced to the semifinals of the MIAA Baseball Championships after finishing second in the league standings by winning 13 of its final 14 regular season games. The Griffons went 3-2 at the MIAA tournament and will enter the regional tournament with a 32-20 record.

St. Cloud State (39-16) finished third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and finished as runner-up to No. 2-seeded Minnesota State in the NSIC Baseball Championships.

Times for the double elimination tournament will be announced later.

No. 1 Emporia State vs. No. 8 Arkansas-Monticello
No. 2 Minnesota State vs. No. 7 Central Oklahoma
No. 3 St. Cloud State vs. No. 6 Missouri Western
No. 4 Lindenwood vs. No. 5 Southern Arkansas

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals defeat Baltimore 9-8 to complete sweep

Posted on May 14, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mike Moustakas came through with a big homer and thought of his late mother, just like he does every time he goes deep.

Moustakas homered and drove in four runs to help the Kansas City Royals rally from five runs down to beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-8 Sunday.

“A day like today makes me miss my mom even more,” Moustakas said of his mother Connie, who passed way on Aug. 9, 2015. “Mother’s Day is special, but I miss my mom every day. It doesn’t take a day like today to miss her.

“Anytime I hit a home run, I think about my mom and always point up to her. In order to do that, is a pretty cool feeling. Today was no different, just a tie game and thinking about my mom pretty much all the time, so nothing really changes.”

Jorge Soler and Drew Butera also homered for the Royals. Soler’s 464-foot shot to center leading off the seventh was the longest by a Kansas City player this season.

The Royals have won four straight, matching a season high, and six of seven since moving Alcides Escobar to the leadoff spot.

Moustakas homered off Kevin Gausman with Butera and Escobar aboard in a five-run fourth when the Royals sent 11 men to the plate. Gausman was pulled after retiring only 10 of the 21 batters he faced, allowing five runs and nine hits with two walks.

“It’s frustrating,” Gausman said. “I think they started eliminating my curveball early in the game, when I get in those situations where I have to throw a strike, the hitters pretty much have a good idea what they’re going to get. And that’s the biggest thing. They didn’t really miss any pitches that were in the strike zone and even some pitches that were out of the strike zone, they went out there and got it.”

The Royals scored two runs, one unearned, in the fifth, which included Alex Gordon scoring from second on Manny Machado’s throwing error after Escobar’s bunt.

The Orioles jumped on Royals starter Chris Young for five runs in 3 2/3 innings. Young gave up home run to Chris Davis to leadoff the second and a two-run shot in a four-run fourth to Caleb Joseph to finish his day. Ryan Flaherty contributed a two-run double in the fourth.

“The ones that really hurt were the Flaherty and the Joseph, back-to-back,” Young said. “Sliders I didn’t execute. If I make a good pitch to Flaherty, I’d like to think I’d get an out there and keep me at 1-nothing at that point and this win is a lot easier. I didn’t execute and it cost us.”

In two starts this season and 13 starts last year, Young is 1-8 with an 8.74 ERA, allowing 55 runs on 80 hits, including 29 home runs, in 56 2/3 innings.

Davis reached base five times on his homer, RBI single and three walks.

Matt Strahm (1-2), the second of seven Royals pitchers, picked up the victory. Kelvin Herrera, pitching in three consecutive days, finished up for his eighth save in nine chances. After Joseph’s RBI double in the ninth, Herrera struck out Seth Smith and got Jonathan Schoop on a fly ball to strand runners at second and third to end the game.

Richard Bleier (0-1) took the loss as the Baltimore bullpen gave up four runs.

“For the most part our guys have done a tremendous job of holding it there and kind of stopping the bleeding,” Joseph said. “We just weren’t able to bandage it up today.”

The nine runs and 14 hits were season-highs for the Royals.

SORIA’S AMAZING CATCH

Joakim Soria came sprinting off the mound to catch Mark Trumbo’s foul pop up that catcher Butera lost in the sun. “He keeps telling me he wants to catch pop ups and I told him, here’s your chance,” Butera said. “I gave it to him. I thought it was a foul ball straight back and I didn’t see it. The next thing I see Jack running by and said, `Thank God, he’s athletic.”

ORIOLES RECALL BLEIR

The Orioles recalled Bleier from Triple-A Norfolk, where he had a 0.61 ERA, allowing one run in 14 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts and no walks. Bleier had a 1.96 ERA in 23 relief appearances last season for the Yankees. The Orioles optioned LHP Vidal Nuno, who had a 6.75 ERA in nine bullpen outings, to the Tide.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: CF Adam Jones was not in the lineup for the first time this season. “He’s pretty banged up,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “He’s got a sore hip. He’s diving, different stuff.” With a day off Monday, this will give Jones two days to rest.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon, who left the game Friday with right groin tightness and sat out Saturday, was back in the Royals’ lineup. Gordon went 0 for 4, dropping his average to .153.

UP NEXT

Orioles: LHP Wade Miley will start the series opener Tuesday at Detroit after a day off Monday.

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel, who allowed a career-matching 13 hits in his previous start, draws the starting assignment Tuesday against the Yankees.

— Associated Press —

Western falls to Central Oklahoma in MIAA Tournament semifinals

Posted on May 14, 2017

JOPLIN, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team lost to Central Oklahoma Sunday 8-2 in the MIAA Tournament semifinals.

The Griffons fall to 32-20, while the Bronchos improve to 33-18-1.

NOTABLES
– Dusty Stroup scored the first Missouri Western run in the fourth inning to cut into the Central Oklahoma lead

– Andrew Curry led off the ninth inning with a double and scored on an fielding error but MWSU could not rally anymore runs in the inning

– Two through five in the Griffon lineup provided eight of its nine hits and two runs scored

– Dusty Stroup reached base for the 20th consecutive game this season

TOP PERFORMERS
– Stroup was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored

– Andrew Curry was 2-for-4 on the day with a run scored for MWSU

– Central Oklahoma’s Korey Floyd was 3-for-3 and scored two runs

Tigers win series against South Carolina with victory on Sunday

Posted on May 14, 2017May 14, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as it rallied past South Carolina to claim the rubber game of a three-game series, 5-3, Sunday afternoon at Taylor Stadium. The win was Mizzou’s third when trailing after seven innings this season and moves Mizzou to 31-21 and 11-16 in SEC play. The series win for Mizzou was its first since April 6-8 at Georgia.

Mizzou trailed, 3-2, entering the bottom of the eighth inning but rallied for three in the frame, sparked by a leadoff double from Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.). DH Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) singled to score Cornelius and tie the game. The go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch following a walk and a balk as freshman A.J. Lewis scored after pinch running for Harris. Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) then added insurance with an RBI single to end the scoring.

Junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) earned the win, his fourth of the season and first in SEC play. Sophomore LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) earned his first career save, getting the final two outs of the game after South Carolina got two men on.

After Mizzou starter Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) got South Carolina to go 1-2-3 in the first, Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) got Mizzou on the board with his 10th homer of the year, a two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the first.

Montes De Oca walked three batters and allowed two hits in the top of the third inning as the Gamecocks scratched across a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2. The first came on an RBI groundout with the bases loaded and the second on an infield hit. South Carolina also lost a runner at the plate as 1B Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) fired home on a fielder’s choice and Bond made a great tag to prevent the run from scoring.

South Carolina went ahead in the fifth inning, getting a two-out RBI double off Montes De Oca from RF Jacob Olson, putting the Gamecocks on top, 3-2. Toelken came in for the sixth inning and kept Mizzou within striking distance, tossing zeroes on the board in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings with just two hits allowed in that span.

Mizzou’s offense stayed quiet until threatening off SC reliever Josh Reagan in the seventh inning. Mizzou walked three times in the inning, but Bond was picked off first base and Mizzou couldn’t get the big hit to knock in the tying run.

Making his first start since injuring his shoulder in the Friday game at Vanderbilt, Harris tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, dropping a bloop hit into right field to score Cornelius who doubled to lead off the inning.

South Carolina then brought in closer Tyler Johnson who snagged out number two but followed up with a walk and a balk to put runners on second and third. The wild pitch to score Lewis and the RBI single by Misner put the nail in the coffin for the Gamecocks as Plassmeyer got the final two outs for his first save of the year.

Mizzou will play its final home game of 2017 on Tuesday against Eastern Kentucky at 4 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

St. Louis blanks Cubs in series finale Sunday

Posted on May 14, 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis infielder Matt Carpenter finally got the best of close friend Jake Arrieta.

But he isn’t going to brag about it.

Carpenter slammed a two-run homer, Yadier Molina homered twice and Adam Wainwright threw seven shutout innings to lead the Cardinals to a 5-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Randal Grichuk added three hits for St. Louis, which won for the eighth time in nine games. Chicago has lost three of four.

Carpenter entered his third-inning at-bat with a 1-for-31 career slate against Arrieta. The two were college teammates at TCU. Carpenter served as a groomsman at Arrieta’s wedding.

“It was great to get out there and finally have some success against him,” Carpenter said. “He’s given me a hard time over the years, we jab back-and-forth but, I won’t rub that kind of stuff in.”

Arrieta (4-3) realized that his success against Carpenter was not going to last forever.

“A hitter like that, regardless of the history — you make a mistake and they’re going to make you pay for it,” Arrieta said.

Carpenter came into the game 0 for 27 against Arrieta in the regular season and 1 for 3 in the post season. He grounded back to the mound in his first trip to the plate.

“I always kid him that I’m a .300 hitter against him in the post-season,” Carpenter said.

Molina recorded the third multi-homer game of his career. His last came on Aug. 21, 2011 at Wrigley Field. He drilled a two-run homer off Arrieta in the second inning.

Swinging a pink bat in honor of mother’s day, Molina added a solo blast off Brian Duensing in the eighth. Molina pointed to his mother, Gladys, in the stands as he headed into the dugout.

“It’s special, every time you have your family and your mama here,” Molina said. “I got lucky and put a good swing on it.”

Wainwright (3-3) allowed four hits in a 102-pitch stint. He struck out three and walked four. Wainwright had given up four earned run in each of his last three starts.

“It’s a good outing to build off,” Wainwright said. “I can still get better. I can still have better fastball command. It’s certainly a stepping stone.”

Trevor Rosenthal and Kevin Siegrist each pitched a perfect inning to complete the four-hitter.

Chicago had runners on in six of the first seven innings.

“Overall, we’re not doing a good job with runners in scoring position,” Chicago manager Joe Maddon said.

MOTHER’S DAY MANIA

A crowd of 47,925 attended the contest, the largest crowd in the history of Busch Stadium III. The three-game series drew 143,408.

MAGIC NUMBER ON HOLD

Maddon has 999 career wins in stints with Anaheim, Tampa Bay and Chicago. He is looking to become the eighth active manager to hit the 1,000-win plateau.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: INF Kris Bryant missed his third successive game with the stomach flu. INF Addison Russell returned to the starting lineup after missing three starts with a right shoulder ailment.

Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons was sent to Single-A Peoria on a 30-day rehabilitation assignment. He is out with a right muscle strain.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP John Lackey (3-3, 4.29) opens up a three-game series against Cincinnati on Tuesday in the first game of a 10-game homestand. RHP Bronson Arroyo (3-2, 5.94) will start for the Reds.

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (4-1, 2.75) takes on Boston LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 2.80) in the first of a two-game series on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

Griffons advance to MIAA Tournament semifinals with two wins Saturday

Posted on May 13, 2017

JOPLIN, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team won two elimination games Saturday at the MIAA Tournament in Joplin to advance to the final four on Sunday.

The Griffons are now 32-19 after a 4-3 win over Northwest Missouri State and a 7-6 victory against Central Oklahoma.

Western will play a true semifinal game Sunday at 9:00 a.m. against Central Oklahoma again. The winner will advance to the MIAA Tournament championship game at 4:00 p.m. Sunday against the winner of the other semifinal between Missouri Southern and Lindenwood.

NOTABLES
Game One
– Alex Heuring pinch hit in the top of the eighth inning to deliver a two RBI triple with two outs to give MWSU the only lead it would need to eliminate the Bearcats

– Missouri Western scored on back-to-back singles in the top of the second inning to tie the game at 2-2 but could not do any further damage after leaving the bases loaded

– Heuring’s triple was the only extra base for the Griffons in the win

– Missouri Western has now eliminated Northwest Missouri from the MIAA Tournament for back-to-back years

Game Two
– Missouri Western scored three runs in the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead as Nick Gawley started the rally on a leadoff double

– Jeremy Alvarado and Levi Schreiner had back-to-back RBIs to put MWSU up 6-2

– David Glaude knocked his eighth home run of the season in the eighth inning to give the Griffons a 7-4 lead

– Missouri Western had 10 hits in the win, the first time it has recorded 10 hits in this season’s MIAA tournament

– The first four batters for MWSU combined for seven hits and six runs scored

TOP PERFORMERS
Game One
– Logan Marston was 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and run scored

– Nate Hunter went 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs with five strikeouts

– Richard Peoples picked up the six out save for the Griffons

Game Two
– Nick Gawley was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored

– Levi Schreiner went for 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs

– Dustin Agnew pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts in his seventh win of the season

— MWSU Athletics —

Karns strikes out 12 as Kansas City beat Baltimore 4-3

Posted on May 13, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nate Karns won a spring training competition to earn the fifth slot in the Kansas City rotation. In his last three starts, he has been dominant.

Karns struck out a career-high 12 in five innings, Eric Hosmer reached base four times and the Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 on Saturday night.

Karns is the first in franchise history to strike out 12 in five innings. The last pitcher to accomplish that was Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs on June 5, 2016.

“That’s pretty cool, but as a starter I’d like to go deeper in games,” Karns said. “The strikeouts are great, but I really want to go deep as I can and help the ballclub win, but having 12 in five is something special, but it’s really too short of a game.”

In his past three starts, Karns has allowed four runs and 11 hits in 17 1/3 innings while striking out 29.

Baltimore’s Chris Davis homered off Seth Maness (1-0) to tie it 3-3 in the sixth, but Brandon Moss went deep off Alec Asher (1-2) to put Kansas City back ahead later that inning. Moss has homered in consecutive games.

“The story the last two nights, for me, is we just haven’t scored any runs,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “I’ll just give their pitcher credit, but we’re capable of better, too.”

Hosmer had two hits and walked twice. The Royals scored three runs in 4 1/3 innings off Chris Tillman.

“As the game wore on, I felt like I tried to do too much,” Tillman said. “I kind of got out of my delivery and started falling behind guys and staying behind them, as opposed to making my pitch early on and getting in a count that favors pitchers.”

Karns has 48 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings this season, but has also allowed eight home runs, including a pair to Francisco Pena on Saturday. Pena homered in the third and fifth innings, the second and third homers of his career.

Sacrifice flies by Lorenzo Cain and Jorge Bonifacio in the fifth gave the Royals a 3-2 lead.

Maness was making his Royals’ debut and his first big league appearance since Aug. 13 because of elbow surgery.

Mike Minor pitched two perfect innings for Kansas City and has allowed one run in 14 2/3 innings in his past eight appearances. Kelvin Herrera worked a perfect ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.

Hosmer doubled to start the second and scored on Salvador Perez’s single. Hosmer is hitting .422 in his past 17 games to raise his average to .299.

THE DARK SIDE

Showalter thought the baseballs were too dark Friday. Before each game, balls are rubbed with a New Jersey mud from a Delaware River tributary to take the shine off.

“That’s something they’re working on,” Showalter said. “Each night the balls are a different color. Can you imagine if you had other sports that did that? You’ve got to see the ball, right? It depends on how much the guys who are rubbing the balls up want to make them that night. Doesn’t that seem a little strange to you? I find it a little strange that we play with a different ball in the minor leagues than we do in the big leagues.”

NINE FOR NINE

2B Whit Merrifield became the ninth Royal to bat ninth this season. Raul Mondesi started 12 games batting ninth before being optioned April 21 to Triple-A Omaha. Backup C Drew Butera has batted last seven times. None of the others have more than four starts hitting ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: C Welington Castillo (right shoulder tendinitis) began his minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie, serving as designated hitter for a doubleheader. He went 1 for 4, was hit by a pitch and walked. He is scheduled to catch Sunday and join the Orioles on Tuesday in Detroit.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon, who left in the seventh inning Friday with right groin tightness, was not in the lineup. Manager Ned Yost said if Gordon is not close to 100 percent Sunday, he would sit him again, and with the day off Monday, that would give him three days to recuperate.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman starts the series finale. He is coming off perhaps his best start of the season, holding the Nationals to five hits and two runs over seven innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Royals: RHP Chris Young will make his second start of the year. He is 1-8 in his past 14 starts.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western’s softball season ends with loss to Winona State in NCAA Tournament

Posted on May 13, 2017

SEARCY, Ark. – The Missouri Western softball team’s season came to an end Saturday with a 7-3 loss to Winona State in the NCAA Division II Central Regional.

The Griffons couldn’t overcome an early 7-0 deficit after Winona State scored two runs in the first and five in the third, though they found some offense in the bottom half of the third with two runs.

NOTABLES
– The Griffons got their first hit of the regional tournament in the third when Katie Klosterman hit a two-out, RBI double off the wall in left. Sydney Washington followed with a single to right. She got caught in a run-down between first and second that allowed Klosterman to score before Washington was thrown out.

– Washington scored the Griffons’ third run in the sixth when Megan Korgie reached on an error

– Winona State scored all seven of its runs with two outs

– Missouri Western left five runners on base, drawing two walks, a hit batter and getting five hits after being no-hit in its regional opener against Harding

– It was the final game for six Griffon seniors who won 157 games in their career and became the only class in program history to qualify for four regional tournaments

TOP PERFORMERS
– Washington was 2 for 3 with a run scored in her final game as a Griffon

– Shelby Uhl went 2 for 3 with a walk to finish her sophomore season with a .333 batting average, third highest on the team

– Barbara Billingsley held Winona State scoreless through 4 and a third innings of relief. The junior gave up six hits, but walked just one and struck out two.

— MWSU Athletics —