Sports – Page 310 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Missouri’s Smith invited to USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Cup Team Trials

Posted on May 3, 2017May 3, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) has accepted an invitation to attend the 2017 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Cup Team trials May 18-21 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee. Athletes eligible for this team must be 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998) and U.S. citizens.

“These athletes represent the top talent our country has to offer at this age level,” said George Washington University head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, chair of the selection committee. “This is a very versatile group that will give the coaching staff a lot of options. They are all tough competitors, and it is not going to be easy for us to pare it down to the final 12-member team. The committee feels we will be able to select from this group a team that will represent the USA well on and off the court, and these athletes have what it takes to win a seventh-straight gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup.”

Smith was named Southeastern Conference Co-Freshman of the Year after an outstanding first campaign at Mizzou, becoming the fourth Tiger in program history to earn a conference freshman of the year award. Smith averaged 5.9 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 40.0 percent from three-point range, 45.4 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free throw line.

Smith reached double figures five times with Mizzou going 5-0 in those contests, scoring at least eight points nine times during the regular season, with seven of those occasions coming in league play. From Jan. 23 on, she averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Mizzou was 9-4 in that span.

Smith is one of 33 of the nation’s top 19-and-unders who accepted invitations to the trials. University of Pittsburgh head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio, who led the 2016 USA U18 National Team to gold, will lead the USA U19 World Cup Team and will again be assisted by collegiate head coaches Kamie Ethridge from the University of Northern Colorado and Charlotte Smith from Elon University. Additionally, Georgetown University head coach Natasha Adair and Drake University head coach Jennie Baranczyk will serve as court coaches during the trials.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Royals get blanked by White Sox 6-0

Posted on May 2, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jose Quintana received some welcome early run support in beating the Kansas City Royals.

Quintana gave up four singles over eight innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Royals 6-0 on Tuesday night.

Quintana (2-4) walked two, struck out seven and allowed only one runner to reach second base. The White Sox had given him a career-low 1.84 runs per game in his first five starts, which was the second lowest in the American League. The White Sox, however, jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings Tuesday, making easier for the 28-year-old Colombian left-hander.

“That’s good,” Quintana said. “That’s a nice thing. The hitters were aggressive the whole game. When you’ve got that support early, that’s really good.”

Quintana’s career record is 48-50.

“He pitches well whether he has run support or not,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “You ask anybody from the organization, even prior to me getting here, he’s pitched well enough to win more games than his record shows, but he just hasn’t had the run support. He’s done his job.”

Royals manager Ned Yost was impressed with Quintana.

“He was really, really good,” Yost said. “You’ve got to give him some credit. He made the All-Star team last year and he’s always been tough against us, even though we find ways to beat him.”

The Royals lost for the 10th time in 11 games. Starter Danny Duffy (2-2) allowed six runs, 10 hits and two walks over five innings. Duffy has lost back-to-back starts to the White Sox, giving up 12 runs and 19 hits in 9 2/3 innings.

“I let my team down today,” Duffy said. “The last two times I’ve gone out there I’ve cost my team a chance to win. So, I take all the responsibility for the last two losses.”

It was Duffy’s first home loss since Sept. 5, 2015, snapping his franchise record of 16 consecutive Kauffman Stadium starts without a defeat.

Yolmer Sanchez had three hits and Avisail Garcia and Geovany Soto each had two to lead Chicago’s offense.

Garcia was 2 for 2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. He leads the American League with a .382 batting average, and his on-base percentage hiked to .433. He scored a run in the second and drove in Sanchez with a third-inning single.

Sanchez led off the third with a double and drove in Soto with a single in the sixth. Soto had two hits, a sacrifice fly and two RBI. His second-inning single scored Todd Frazier with the first run of the game. His fly out to Whit Merrifield in the third scored Jose Abreu to make it 4-0.

TRES GARCIAS AGAIN

The White Sox recalled OF Willy Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte and started him in left field. Leury Garcia was in center and Avisail Garcia in right, giving the White Sox an all-Garcia outfield for the second time this season. The trio also started April 14, the first time in major league history that a team began a game playing three outfielders with the same last name. Willy Garcia has hit .294 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 18 games in the International League.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: RHP James Shields (right lat strain) threw off a flat surface, but it could be a while before he returns to the rotation. “It’s kind of a slower process than I thought, right now,” Shields said. “It’s not really responding the way I would like it to be. I’ll keep moving forward.”

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Mike Pelfrey is 1-4 with a 6.51 ERA in nine career games against the Royals.

Royals: RHP Nate Karns is 0-2 with 5.24 ERA in four career starts versus the White Sox.

— Associated Press —

Northwest Missouri State outlasts William Jewell in 11 innings

Posted on May 2, 2017May 2, 2017

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team defeated William Jewell, 6-3, in 11 innings at Talley Baseball Stadium in Liberty, Mo., on Tuesday afternoon.

– The Bearcats move to 28-18 overall while the Cardinals fall to 18-24.

– Kevin Handzlik went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. He was also hit by a pitch and had a sacrifice.

– It was the final non-conference game of the year for Northwest.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored one in the third, one in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the 11th. William Jewell scored on in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the eighth.

– Northwest had six runs on nine hits with two errors. The Cardinals had three runs on seven hits with two errors.

– James Holler went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.

– Garrett Fort scored twice, going 1-for-4. He drew a pair of walks.

– Landon Figg was 1-for-5 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.

– Jay Hrdlicka hit a home run in the sixth inning, going 1-for-4. He was also hit by a pitch.

– Logan Rycraft scored two runs, going 1-for-4 with a walk.

– Ozzie Adams was hit by a pitch and had a sacrifice.

– Luke Wilkinson drove in a run in the 11th.

– Northwest used nine pitchers in the game. Quintin Van Ackeren threw 2.0 innings in the start, allowing one hit,with one walk. He did not allow a run and struck out one.

– Joseph Hietpas, Bryce Shea, Cole Otto and Austin Battaglia all worked an inning without allowing an earned run.

– Nikko Pablo did not allow a hit in the final 4.0 innings of the contest. He struck out three and did not issue a walk. He retired the last six WJC batters in order.

Key Northwest Innings
– In the second, Fort drew a one out walk and went to second after Adams reached on an error. After a flyout, Fort went to third on a wild pitch and Holler drew a walk to load the bases. Handzlik hit the first pitch he saw for an RBI single, scoring the game’s first run.

– Rycraft started the fifth with a single to right. After Fort drew a walk, the Cardinals changed pitchers. Adams was immediately hit by a pitch to load the bases. A pair of strikeouts kept the bases loaded for Handzlik who hit an RBI single to left, driving in Rycraft to make it 2-0.

– The sixth inning started with a home run by Hrdlicka down the right field line, giving Northwest a 3-1 lead.

– Rycraft walked to start the 11th inning and Fort reached on a bunt single. Adams laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up to second and third. William Jewell loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Figg. Wilkinson, worked a full count and eventually grounded out to the shortstop, allowing Rycraft to score from third. Handzlik then drove in his third and fourth runs of the game with a single to center, scoring Figg and Fort to make it 6-3.

Up Next
– Northwest concludes the regular season with a three-game home stand with Fort Hays State starting on Friday, May 5, at 3 p.m. Senior Day is slated for Saturday’s 2 p.m. contest.

— Northwest Athletics —

Missouri Western softball signs three student-athletes

Posted on May 2, 2017May 2, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western softball head coach Jen Bagley Trotter announced the signings of three student-athletes set to join the team for the 2018 season.

Alyssa Griggs
UT | 5-7 | R/R
Louisburg, Kan. / Louisburg High School

Second team All-Frontier league as a junior … three-time Tri-County Spotlight team … batted .352 with a team-high 21 RBIs as a junior … three-year letter winner

“Alyssa has a ton of power potential,” Trotter said. “She is an eager talent who projects to be a force in our lineup.”

Kayla Prai
UT | 5-3 | R/R
Lincoln, Neb. / Lincoln East H.S.

Batted .486 with a .534 on-base percentage at Lincoln East … a two-time all-conference and scholar-athlete award winner … Lincoln Journal Star All-State in 2016

“Kayla is a quick and versatile player,” Trotter said. “She will provide competition in our middle infield as well as in our outfield. She’s a great kid who will be a positive influence on our team.”
Melanie Rasmussen
OF | 5-7 | L/R
Ankeny, Iowa / Ankeny High School

Second team All-Conference and All-Eastern Division as a junior … batted .368 and slugged .444 as a junior … both parents and three brothers all played sports at the collegiate level

“Melanie will provide our team with valuable left-side hitting ability,” Trotter said. “We are excited to see her growth as she commits to softball full-time in our program. She will be an exciting one to watch.”

— MWSU Athletics —

Martinez earns first win as Cardinals defeat Milwaukee

Posted on May 2, 2017May 2, 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Martinez pitched effectively into the eighth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals once again beat Wily Peralta, topping the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 Tuesday night.

Martinez (1-3), making his sixth start of the season, retired the first 12 batters. He gave up an unearned run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one.

Trevor Rosenthal pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in three chances.

Peralta (4-2) fell to 0-9 in his last 11 starts against the Cardinals. He allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Matt Carpenter, Stephen Piscotty and Kolten Wong each had two hits, combining for all of the Cardinals’ six.

It was scoreless when Carpenter led off the sixth with a single and Piscotty had a one-out double. Yadier Molina had a sacrifice fly off reliever Jacob Barnes and Wong singled with two outs for a 2-0 lead.

Wong, who had a baserunning blunder and a fielding error in the Cardinals’ 7-5, 10-inning loss on Monday, extended his hitting streak to eight games. He’s batting .423 (11-for 26) during the string.

The Brewers scored in the seventh when Domingo Santana singled off Martinez’s glove, Nick Franklin, reached on an error by Carpenter at first base and Jett Bandy singled.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: LF Ryan Braun (right trapezius soreness) was not in the lineup for the second consecutive game, but did pinch hit in the ninth inning. He remains day to day.

Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons (right intercostal strain) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and RHP Sam Tuivailala was recalled from Triple-A Memphis.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (2-0, 2.10) is 7-1 with a 2.41 ERA over his last 17 starts dating to last season. He is 0-2 with a 1.97 ERA in six career starts against the Cardinals.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (2-3, 6.12) is 15-8 with a 2.19 ERA and six complete games in 29 career starts and 36 appearances against the Brewers.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou snaps skid with 11-0 victory over Murray State

Posted on May 2, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball got another stellar midweek start from junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) as it snapped a six-game skid with a 11-0 win over Murray State Tuesday night (May 2) at Taylor Stadium. Mizzou also got a solo homer and three hits from junior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) as the Tigers improve to 28-18 on the year. Head coach Steve Bieser is now tied for the most wins ever by a first-year Mizzou head coach, matching the mark set by the 1974 team under legendary Mizzou head coach Gene McArtor.

Toelken pitched 7.0 innings and allowed just five hits and no runs for his first shutout appearance of the season. He struck out five batters and walked just two. He now has a 2.12 ERA in his last five starts and has surrendered just 21 hits in 34.0 innings while striking out 29 during those five starts. He improves to 3-3 on the year.

Mizzou took advantage of an error to score three runs in the bottom of the second. Junior Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) reached on a throwing error by the MSU shortstop and Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) hit an infield single to put two men on. Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) then singled through the right side to plate a run. Mizzou tacked on another on a sacrifice fly and a two-out double by Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) to take a 3-0 lead after two.

Senior Kirby McGuire (Round Rock, Texas) manufactured a run in the bottom of the fifth inning after singling, stealing a base and taking third on a passed ball. He was knocked in by a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) groundout to short to extend Mizzou’s lead to 4-0. Bond then hit his ninth homer of the year to push the lead to 5-0.

Mizzou broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh inning. After an RBI double by Misner, SS Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) hit a single into right field and it got past the right fielder and all the way to the wall. That scored two runs and Cornelius came all the way around to score to complete the little league home run. That extended the lead to 9-0. The Tigers added two more runs in the eighth inning.

Sophomore RHP Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) took over on the mound in the eighth and pitched a shutout frame and got the first out of the ninth. Junior RHP Nolan Gromacki (Smithville, Mo.) then got the final two outs.

Mizzou will be back in action this weekend as it heads to Vanderbilt for a three-game series.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Former Chief Jamaal Charles signs with AFC West rival Broncos

Posted on May 2, 2017May 2, 2017

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Declaring “I still have more in my tank,” Jamaal Charles, the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time rushing leader, signed with the AFC West rival Denver Broncos on Tuesday for a chance to prove it.

“Excited to have Jamaal Charles join the Broncos,” general manager John Elway tweeted Tuesday afternoon upon signing Charles to a one-year, incentive-laden deal. “A great addition to our backfield, and we’re thrilled we won’t have to play against him!”

While it may be strange seeing him in navy and gold, Charles said he already feels right at home.

“I always wanted to play with Denver,” Charles said. “Growing up, John Elway was my favorite player.”

Charles played in just eight games over the past two seasons after tearing his right ACL in October 2015, leading the Chiefs to cut him this winter.

Charles posted videos on Twitter of his workouts to show how primed he is for a comeback at age 30.

“I still can play ball,” Charles said. “I still can keep up with the young people. So, I feel I still have more in my tank.”

Charles ran for 7,260 yards and 43 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Chiefs. He added 2,457 yards receiving and 20 TD catches. But a career that looked as if it would land Charles in the Hall of Fame was derailed the past few years by injuries that cut short several seasons in his prime.

He tore his left ACL while taking an awkward step out of bounds in Detroit in 2011. He tore his right ACL against Chicago four years later.

After missing the start of last season, Charles returned to play in only three games, carrying 12 times for 40 yards, before requiring more operations on his knees.

The Chiefs cut the four-time Pro bowl running back to clear more than $6 million in salary cap space so they could focus on solidifying their O-line and keep the heart and soul of their defense — All-Pro safety Eric Berry.

At the NFL combine in March, Chiefs GM John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid reminisced about Charles, saying they believe he’ll be enshrined in Canton one day.

“Jamaal Charles, to me, is one of the finest football players to ever play in the National Football League,” Dorsey said. “These are hard decisions to make when you have a player of that magnitude and that caliber.”

“One of my favorite guys I’ve had a chance to coach,” Reid said at the combine. “You know, he’s not a very big guy but he’s fearless, he ran inside, had the speed outside, world-class speed to turn the corner. Had great hands and on top of that he’s a great kid and just dirty tough. … But we all do get older and that’s the way the National Football League is.”

When he cut him, Dorsey wished “Jamaal and his family the best of luck in their next step.”

That’s in Denver, where Charles, whose 5.5-yard career rushing average is the best in NFL history, will get two cracks at his former team: the Broncos visit the Chiefs on Oct. 30 and host them Dec. 31.

“I’m just happy I get to play them twice a year,” Charles said, chuckling. “I’ll just leave it like that. I’ll let those two games speak for themselves. At the end of the day, I love my (former) teammates. I wish them the best. I know they wish me the best, too. At the end of the day, it’s about how we can feed our families. I’m here with the Broncos.”

Charles joins a backfield that was bruised and battered last season and was unable to keep pressure off the Broncos’ young quarterbacks and wide receivers.

C.J. Anderson missed the second half of the season with a torn meniscus and he was joined on IR by Kapri Bibbs (hamstring) and fullback Andy Janovich (ankle). Rookie Devontae Booker, who was coming off two knee surgeries, led the team with 612 yards rushing and four TDs.

As a group, the Broncos averaged 92.8 rushing yards, ranking 27th in the NFL, a big reason they failed to make the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl.

The Broncos also drafted De’Angelo Henderson of Coastal Carolina in the sixth round last weekend.

“I just love C.J. Anderson’s game,” Charles said. “He’s powerful and he’s fast. He is physical and he breaks tackles. Just playing with a guy like that, I just want to come in here and help the team with my explosiveness. I want to come up and play for each other and push each other to get better. That’s the goal at the end of the day.

“Now we’re on the same team,” added Charles, who will join his new teammates Monday, “so we’re going to try and push each other to get to the one goal, and that’s another Super Bowl.”

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western student-athletes honored at annual awards night

Posted on May 1, 2017May 1, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – The on-field and off-field accomplishments of Missouri Western student-athletes were recognized Monday night during the 18th Annual MWSU/St. Joseph News-Press Student-Athlete Awards Night.

The crowning achievements of the night were awarded to Travis Anderson (football) as the Male Student-Athlete of the Year and Shi Qing Ong (women’s golf) as the Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Anderson and Ong were selected from a pool of 11 nominees, one from each MWSU sport as well as the Griffon Cheer Squad.

All awards were given during an awards show at Potter Theatre with senior recognitions and a dinner held afterward in the Fulkerson Center on the Missouri Western campus. Below is a full list of all awards given Monday night.

Female Student-Athlete of the Year: Shi Qing Ong (women’s golf)

Male Student-Athlete of the Year: Travis Anderson (football)

James J. McMillen Scholar-Athlete Award: Kelsey Olion (volleyball)

Tom Smith Career Achievement Award: Travis Anderson (football), Chelsea Dewey (women’s basketball), David Glaude (baseball), Katie Klosterman (softball), Morgan Rathmann (softball)

Award of Valor: Kendall Short (football)

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Choice Awards: Newcomer of the Year (Cassidy Menke-women’s soccer), Team of the Year (2016 women’s golf), Intriguing Moment of the Year (2016 women’s golf team clinching spot in national championships)

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Volunteers of the Year: Danielle Moore (volleyball) and Bridget Blessie (women’s soccer)

Baseball Student-Athlete of the Year: Richard “Richie” Peoples

Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year: Cole Clearman

Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year: Chelsea Dewey

Cheer Squad Student-Athlete of the Year: Rachel Allen

Football Student-Athlete of the Year: Travis Anderson

Men’s Golf Student-Athlete of the Year: Patrick McCarthy

Women’s Golf Student-Athlete of the Year: Shi Qing Ong

Soccer Student-Athlete of the Year: Bailey Dervin

Softball Student-Athlete of the Year: Morgan Rathmann

Tennis Student-Athlete of the Year: Sofia Aguilera-Tovar

Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year: Kelsey Olion

— MWSU Athletics —

Hosmer, Bonifacio homer as Royals end 9-game losing streak

Posted on May 1, 2017May 1, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer and Jorge Bonifacio hit two-run homers, and the Kansas City Royals snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.

Bonifacio homered with two outs in the fourth after Alex Gordon doubled. It was his second home run in eight games since being promoted April 21 from Triple-A Omaha.

Hosmer’s two-out homer in the seventh inning with Christian Colon aboard finished the night for White Sox rookie starter Dylan Covey (0-2).

Salvador Perez’s single in the fifth struck the third base bag and scored Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas with two outs.

Left-hander Jason Vargas (4-1) allowed one run on five hits and three walks over six innings to pick up the win. Vargas has a 1.42 ERA in five starts.

Peter Moylan, Joakim Soria and Scott Alexander worked three hitless innings, striking out five, after Vargas was removed after 96 pitches.

Covey was charged with six runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings, his longest major league outing.

Jacob May’s ground-ball single in the fourth scored Todd Frazier with the lone White Sox run. May was hitting .030, 1 for 33, at the time.

White Sox reliever Michael Ynoa walked Bonifacio, and Brandon Moss and hit Escobar to load the bases with one out before Colon grounded into a double play.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: OF Avisail Garcia, who leads the American League with a .368 batting average, was held out of the lineup after leaving the Sunday game with left groin tightness. “I’m just going to give him another day,” manager Rick Renteria said. “It’s a little cool out there today — precaution and another day to get it worked on.” . James Shields (right lat strain) threw on flat ground for the second time since being placed on the disabled list April 21.

Royals: OF Jorge Soler (strained oblique) went 2 for 2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch Monday while rehabbing for Triple-A Omaha in a 2-1 victory over Oklahoma City. Soler is hitting .308 with a .958 OPS in eight rehab games.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana is 2-9 with a 4.27 ERA against the Royals.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy is 8-0 with a 3.43 ERA since the start of the 2016 season at Kauffman Stadium.

— Associated Press —

Griffon women’s golf qualifies for second straight NCAA Tournament

Posted on May 1, 2017May 1, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – Last year was the first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional for the Missouri Western women’s golf team, and on Monday the Griffons found out they earned their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Western was one of 12 teams to qualify this year’s event which will be played at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota May 8-10.

All teams along with the six individual qualifiers, will play 54 holes of golf. The top three finishing teams along with the top-three individuals not with a team in the field, will advance to the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships in Findlay, Ohio.

Last spring, the Griffons won a playoff to finish third in the regional and advance to the national championships.

— Northwest Athletics —