Sports – Page 327 – St. Joseph Post Archive

No. 18 Missouri uses long ball to even series with Arkansas

Posted on March 25, 2017March 25, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball tallied three homers as part of a six-run sixth inning to drop Arkansas, 7-2, on Saturday afternoon, evening the three-game series at one win apiece. Junior SS Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) and sophomore 1B Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) hit back-to-back homers, a two-run shot and a solo shot respectively, to kick start the sixth inning and DH Nelson Mompierre (Miami, Fla.) added a two-run homer three batters later as part of a six-run sixth inning to put the game out of reach.

Mizzou moves to 21-2 on the year while Arkansas falls to 19-5. Both teams are now 4-1 in SEC play and play the rubber game of the series at 1 p.m. Sunday. Freshman LHP T.J. Sikkema (DeWitt, Iowa) earned the win (5-0) for Mizzou and now has a win or a save in his last eight appearances (5-0, three saves). He backed a sensational start by Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.), who went 5.0 innings, allowing just six hits and one earned run with five strikeouts.

The story of the game was the sixth inning as Mizzou pounded out three homers, seven hits and six runs to take a 7-1 lead that it did not relinquish.

After Plassmeyer pitched around a runner-on-the-corners, one-out jam in the first inning, Mizzou got runners on the corners with no outs after a Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) walk and a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) hit through the right side. The two then perfectly executed a double-steal to give Mizzou a 1-0 lead after one.

Arkansas tied the game on a Chad Spanberger homer in the top of the third inning. Mizzou got a leadoff double from Mompierre in the bottom of the fifth but couldn’t capitalize. Sikkema took over on the mound in the sixth inning and got a sensational catch from Harris in right field as he went face-first into the wall for out No. 2. He mowed down Arkansas on eight pitches to set up Mizzou’s half of the sixth.

Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning and then Glendinning and Sharp went back-to-back to give Mizzou a 4-1 lead. Mompierre then added his two-run shot to extend the lead to 6-1 as Arkansas used three pitchers in the inning. An RBI single by Misner capped the inning and gave Mizzou a 7-1 lead.

Sikkema was then lights out from there, surrendering a lone run in the eighth inning, to earn his fifth win of the season.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Missouri Western softball splits two games at Northeastern State

Posted on March 25, 2017March 25, 2017

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Missouri Western softball team (23-7, 3-1) split an MIAA doubleheader at Northeastern State (17-16, 6-4) on Saturday.

Missouri Western held off the RiverHawks for a 7-4 win in game one of the double-dip and just missed a comeback in game two, 4-3.

NOTABLES
– Shelbie Atwell’s two-out double in the bottom of the seventh in game two got MWSU within one, but she was stranded at second

– The Griffons had 10 hits in game two, and left six runners stranded

– Sydney Washington hit two home runs on the day, one in each game

– MWSU led game one 6-1 after four innings. Northeastern State scored one in the fifth and two in the sixth to pull within two, before the Griffons added an insurance run in the sixth

– Missouri Western had 12 more hits than Northeastern State in the doubleheader (23-11)

TOP PERFORMERS
– Rebekah Mueller was 3-for-5 on the day with a double and a run scored

– Shelby Uhl went 3-for-6 at the plate before exiting in game two with an injury

– Washington was 3-for-7 with the two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored

– Atwell also went 3-for-7 with four RBIs and a run scored

– Morgan Rathmann scored two runs and went 3-for-8 at the plate with an RBI

– Katie Klosterman was also 3-for-8 with a double

UP NEXT
Missouri Western stays in Oklahoma with a Sunday doubleheader at No. 16 Central Oklahoma (21-5, 5-1). UCO split a doubleheader with Northwest Missouri State on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest softball goes 1-1 at No. 16 Central Oklahoma

Posted on March 25, 2017March 25, 2017

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team split a pair of games on Saturday at No. 16 ranked Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla.

– Northwest is now 14-10 on the year and 3-1 in MIAA play. The Bronchos move to 21-5 overall and 5-1 in conference action.
Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 10, Central Oklahoma 5)
– Northwest scored six runs in the second, two in the fourth and two in the seventh. The Bronchos scored twice in the first and three times in the sixth.

– The Bearcats had 10 runs on 10 hits with no errors. Central Oklahoma had five runs on 11 hits with two errors.

– Jaedra Moses was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

– Torri Blythe was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

– Chantel Adams hit her third home run of the season, going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

– Rebecca Maher went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

– Abigail Gilson went 1-for-4 with a run scored.

– Kiana Baderdeen went 1-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

– Taylor Blackford got the win in the circle. She allowed five runs on 10 hits.

– Kaitlin Weis, who also scored a run in the game, pitched the final four outs, allowing just one hit and no runs.
Game One Key Innings
– In the second, Adams walked to begin the frame and took second on a wild pitch. Gilson singled to put runners on the corners and Rawie hit an RBI double to center to score Adams. After an out, Gilson scored on an error off a Baderdeen fielder’s choice. Blythe hit a single to the pitcher to load the bases. Moses hit a two-RBI single up the middle to make it 4-2 Northwest. Maher followed that with an RBI single, scoring Blythe. A throwing error allowed Moses to score on a Weis fielder’s choice, giving the Bearcats a 6-2 lead.

– Baderdeen and Blythe hit back-to-back infield singles to start the frame and Moses hit a single to left to load the bases. Maher hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring Baderdeen. After an out, a pair of wild pitches allowed Moses to score, making it 8-2 Bearcats.

– In the seventh, Weis drew a one-out walk and Adams launched a home run over the left center field fence.
Game Two Key Statistics (Central Oklahoma 9, Northwest 3)
– Northwest scored all three runs in the fifth inning. The Bronchos scored two in the first, four in the second, two in the third and one in the fifth.

– The Bearcats had three runs on 10 hits with one error. Central Oklahoma had nine runs on 13 hits with no errors.

– Weis was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. She hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

– Maher went 2-for-4 in the second game.

– Blythe was 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.

– Moses went 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. She had an RBI triple in the fifth inning.

– Gilson, Rawie and Baderdeen each had hits in the second game.

Game Two Key Innings
– In the fifth, Blythe led off with a single up the middle. Moses followed it up with a triple to right center, scoring Blythe from first. After a flyout, Weis hit a two-run home run to center, scoring Moses.

Up Next
Northwest will head to Tahlequah, Okla., to face Northeastern State on Sunday. The first game of the double header starts at noon.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU women’s golf leads UNK Invite after first round

Posted on March 25, 2017March 25, 2017

AXTELL, Neb. – The Missouri Western women’s golf team shot an opening round 307 and is currently leading the UNK Invitational at Awarii Dunes Golf Course after the first round Saturday.

Sitting atop of the individual leaderboard is Shi Qing Ong with a 2-under-par 70. Chong Yong scored a 4-over-par 76 for seventh place. Trailing by a stroke in eighth place is Tiffanie Yabut. Madison Romjue shot an 83 as Jenna Kosmatka ended the round with an 85.

Missouri Western leads the team race by one stroke over Augustana. The final round begins tomorrow, March 26 at 10 a.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Top high school basketball recruit Michael Porter Jr. commits to Mizzou

Posted on March 24, 2017

SEATTLE (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. has announced he will play college basketball at Missouri after Washington granted him his release from his national letter of intent.

Porter, considered the top high school senior in the country, announced his decision in a statement posted to Twitter on Friday. He said his plans changed last week when Washington fired coach Lorenzo Romar and that he’s taken the “last seven days to give great consideration to my future.”

Familiarity is also likely at the heart of Porter’s decision. He lived in Colombia, Missouri, until the past year when his family moved to Seattle so his father could be an assistant on Romar’s staff. Michael Porter Sr. was hired as an assistant for new Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin.

Porter was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year earlier this week and the 6-foot-9 wing is already being projected as a possible top pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Northwest’s McCollum named NABC National Coach of the Year

Posted on March 24, 2017March 24, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University head men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum has been named the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2016-17 Division II Coach of the Year, in a release from the organization on Friday. The eighth year head coach has led Northwest to the last four MIAA regular season titles and will lead the team into the NCAA national championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m. CST against Fairmont State.

McCollum, the four-time MIAA Coach of the Year, has led the Bearcats to six-straight 20+ win seasons, one of just seven schools in Division II to accomplish that feat. This year’s 34 victories is a Northwest and an MIAA single season record. Northwest also set the conference mark with 28 straight MIAA regular season victories from Jan. 16, 2016, to Feb. 18, 2017, a span of 402 days.

McCollum and the NABC Player of the Year Justin Pitts, will be honored at an award ceremony at the AT&T NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show on Sunday, April 2, at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix at 6:30 p.m. MST (8:30 p.m. CST). The show is held during the annual NABC Convention and the NCAA Final Four.

— Northwest Athletics —

Missouri has winning streak snapped by Arkansas in SEC home opener

Posted on March 24, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 18 Mizzou Baseball’s 20-game win streak came to an end after falling to the Arkansas Razorbacks 9-2, Friday afternoon at Taylor Stadium. Nine of the 10 runs scored in the game came with two outs on the board.

Mizzou’s 20-game win streak marks the second longest win streak in school history, trailing only the 1964 team, who posted a 21-game streak. Entering the game, Mizzou also had the longest active win streak in the nation.

Sophomore Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) paced the Mizzou offense, hitting 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Sharp is tied for the team lead with seven doubles on the season and has reached base in 12 consecutive games.

Arkansas drew first blood in the top of second after Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) loaded the bags and then plunked a batter to walk in the first run. Chad Spanberger plated two more for the visitors off a single to shallow right-center field. An error by freshman Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) and a single extended the Arkansas lead to 5-0.

Lightning in the area forced the game into a two hour and 11 minute rain delay. Upon resumption of play, Cameron Dulle (St. Louis, Mo.) took the mound for Mizzou in relief for Houck and was quickly tagged with a run off a walk and a single to right.

Junior Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) sparked the Mizzou offense with a single ripped through the left side in Mizzou’s half of the fourth inning. Sharp put Mizzou on the board with a double blasted to right field, pushing Harris across the plate.

In the bottom of the fifth, Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) took an 0-2 pitch over the opposite field wall for his third homer of the season. Arkansas countered with an infield RBI in the top of the seventh, giving the visitors the 7-2 lead. The Razorbacks tacked on two more runs, one in the eighth and one in the ninth, to close out the game, 9-2.

— Mizzou Athletics —

MWSU women’s tennis loses at Fort Hays State 5-4

Posted on March 24, 2017March 24, 2017

Hays, Kan. – A late rally by Griffon tennis came up just short as it fell to Fort Hays 5-4. MWSU won three consecutive singles matches in straight sets to tie the match at 3-3.

The first Missouri Western win came at #1 singles as Yasmine El Ghazi won 6-3, 6-1. Karolina Strom picked up a 6-0, 7-5 victory at #2 singles. The run was capped off by Federica Salmaso at #6 singles with a 6-4, 7-5 win.

After dropping #5 singles, the Griffons tied the match 4-4. Joanna Abreu Roman claimed the win in #4 singles 6-4, 7-5. MWSU dropped a heartbreaker to decide the match at #3 singles 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Missouri Western continues its road stretch tomorrow, March 25 at the University of Nebraska Kearney.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest defeats Lincoln Memorial to earn spot in national championship game

Posted on March 23, 2017March 23, 2017

By David Boyce

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Instead of cracking when it faced a breaking moment early in the second half, Northwest Missouri State found the mental toughness to quickly turn the momentum back in its favor.

The combination of refusing to surrender to the pressure Lincoln Memorial applied and tenacious defense led Northwest to a 79-67 victory over the Railsplitters Thursday evening in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship.

Lincoln Memorial, which played in the national championship game last season, finished the year 30-6.

“Lincoln Memorial has been here twice the last two years,” said Northwest coach Ben McCollum. “It says a lot about them and how well-coached they are. They were tough to defend and very difficult to score on.

“It was definitely a fun game. The difference was the second half we went to some different actions. Those actions we haven’t gone to this year. They worked. We were able to get some open looks and some layups. And throughout the game, we kept them off the offensive boards.”

Northwest, 34-1, will face Fairmont State. 34-2, at 2 p.m. CT Saturday at the Sanford Pentagon.

“I think it means a lot for the program because we worked so hard in preseason,” said Northwest junior Justin Pitts, who finished with a game-high 30 points. “Obviously, this was one of our biggest goals. As a team, we are just so happy we get to play for a national championship.”

Two minutes into the second half, Northwest was in trouble. Lincoln Memorial built a 40-34 lead, its biggest of the game.

Sensing the danger the Bearcats faced, McCollum called timeout. Northwest scored the next seven points to take a 41-40 lead. More importantly, it got the Bearcats back on track.

“You could kind of feel that momentum shift,” McCollum said. “I wanted to make sure I got the timeout quick enough. I think sometimes you make the mistake of waiting a little bit too long. Fortunately, we stopped it.

“I would like to say it was good coaching, but it wasn’t. The guys stopped doing the bad stuff. And then they started doing the good stuff again.”

Over the next 7 minutes, the lead changed eight times. Northwest didn’t take the lead for good until senior Zach Schneider hit his third three-pointer of the half that put Northwest ahead 51-49.

“He is a difficult player to defend because it requires so much concentration,” McCollum said. “When he gets going, it becomes that much more difficult. He is a senior. He is playing like a senior should. He is making the most out of his opportunities. That is what he did tonight. He stepped up and hit four big shots.”

An inside basket by senior D’Vante Mosby followed by a bucket by Pitts solidified the Bearcats’ lead at 55-49.

Twice Lincoln Memorial closed to two at 55-53 and then at 57-55. Northwest scored the next seven points. The key basket was a three-pointer by junior Xavier Kurth, which pushed Northwest’s lead to 64-55.

“Obviously, that shot was a backbreaker,” McCollum said. “The big thing for him was once he got on No. 20 (Luquon Choice), I don’t think 20 scored much if any after that,” McCollum said. “I think that was a huge difference in the game.”

Indeed. Choice scored 12 in the first half and finished with 17.

The dagger from Northwest came with 3:05 left when Schneider floated out beyond the NBA three-point arc and drilled his fourth trey of the half that gave Northwest a 68-57 lead.

In the first half, very little separated the two teams. Lincoln Memorial took a 33-32 lead into halftime because it basically had the ball last. Freshman Deshawn Patterson made two free throws with 1.8 seconds left to give the Railsplitters the one-point lead.

The game started well for Northwest. The Bearcats jumped to a 14-4 lead. But Choice quickly got his team on track with a three-pointer.

Within a few minutes, Lincoln Memorial closed to one at 16-15 and then forged its first tie since it was 2-2 at 25-25. From that point on, there were four lead changes and two ties.

— Northwest Athletics —

No. 1 seed Kansas routs Purdue 98-66 to reach Elite Eight

Posted on March 23, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Player of the year front-runner Frank Mason III poured in 26 points, Kansas turned on the jets in the second half and the top-seeded Jayhawks soared to a 98-66 blowout of No. 4 seed Purdue on Thursday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Devonte Graham also had 26 points and Josh Jackson had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Jayhawks (31-4), who led by 7 at halftime before their up-and-down pace finally wore down the Boilermakers.

Kansas used two big runs, including an 11-0 charge highlighted by Lagerald Vicks’ 360-degree drunk, to coast into a matchup with No. 3 seed Oregon on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four.

The Ducks survived a nail-biter against Michigan earlier in the night.

Caleb Swanigan had 18 points and seven boards for the Boilermakers (27-8), but the 6-foot-9, 250-pound All-America candidate had to work for all of it.

— Associated Press —