Sports – Page 461 – St. Joseph Post Archive

MWSU’s Ong named MIAA Freshman of the Year

Posted on April 28, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – More good news continues to roll in for the Missouri Western Women’s Golf team as three Griffons have been named All-MIAA, including Freshman of the Year Shi Qing Ong.

Ong was named first team All-MIAA and becomes the program’s first Freshman of the Year winner since Natalie Bird in 2010. Ong did not finish below 13th in any of her 10 events this season. She had five top-10 finishes and averaged a 76.6 per round.

Madison Romjue and Celine Lim were named honorable mention All-MIAA. It’s the second All-MIAA honor for both. Lim was a second team selection last year as a freshman. This year, Lim had one top 10 finish and averaged 80.2 per round. Romjue was also an honorable mention selection in 2015. She had two top-10 finishes this season with a fifth place finish at the Lindenwood Fall Invitational and averaged an 80.4 per round.

The team will make its first ever appearance at the NCAA Division II Central Regional May 2-4 at Awarii Dunes Golf Course in Axtell, Nebraska.

First Team All-MIAA
Baylee Price, Northeastern State *Golfer of the Year
Marla Souvannasing, Central Oklahoma
Shi Qing Ong, Missouri Western *Freshman of the Year
Dani Martinez, Central Oklahoma
Ebba Moberg, Northeastern State

Second Team All-MIAA
Madelyn Piccininni, Lindenwood
Charter Lawson, Northeastern State
Grace Shin, Central Oklahoma
Kelsey Lumpkin, Northeastern State
Elizabeth Leath, Central Missouri
Dakota Limkemann, Lindenwood
*= Six Players due to a tie in the voting

Honorable Mention: Taelyn Entriken, Central Missouri, Yolanda Rotzinger, Lindenwood, Celine Lim, Missouri Western, Madison Romjue, Missouri Western, Ana Summers, Nebraska-Kearney, Kaleigh Ashen, Northwest Missouri.

MIAA Coach of the Year: Scott Varner, Northeastern State

— MWSU Athletics —

No. 23 Griffons get no-hit by Northwest Missouri State’s Nikko Pablo

Posted on April 27, 2016April 27, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The 23rd-ranked Missouri Western baseball team dropped the final game of their season series with Northwest Missouri State Tuesday. The Griffons lost 6-0 as they were no-hit by Northwest’s Nikko Pablo.

MWSU had two base runners on in the first, but didn’t get another one until the eighth as Pablo – the reigning Co-MIAA Pitcher of the Week – retired 21 straight Griffon batters over that stretch. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Maryville on Wednesday, but was then moved to Tuesday at Northwest Missouri State. Poor field conditions in Maryville Tuesday forced the game to be moved to St. Joseph. The game was delayed for around 45 minutes in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Missouri Western was only able to get on base through a Northwest Missouri State error and a walk by Pablo in the first inning. The only other batter to reach base was in the eighth when Pablo hit Kody Matthews with two outs.

On the mound for the Griffons, Tyler Tuepker went the first three innings, giving up seven hits and three runs. David Anderson faced two batters and allowed one run. Preston Bailey pitched two innings, giving up three hits and two runs. Conner Schwienenbart pitched two and a third of perfect baseball with two strikeouts, but did not re-enter after the rain delay.

The loss dropped Missouri Western to 31-13 overall and 23-10 in the MIAA. The Griffons won the season series with the Bearcats, two games to one. Missouri Western has not lost a season series since dropping two of three to Lindenwood April 1-3. Next up is Central Missouri in Warrensburg. The games are scheduled for Friday-Sunday, but could change due to weather.

— MWSU Athletics —

Kansas City drops second straight game against Angels

Posted on April 27, 2016

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Johnny Giavotella drove in three runs with his first homer of the season, Mike Trout and Carlos Perez had two-run singles, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 9-4 Tuesday night.

Jered Weaver (3-0) allowed four runs and nine hits over six innings and struck out four. The Angels scored one more run than they totaled in the right-hander’s first three starts this season.

Edinson Volquez (3-1) gave up eight runs and 12 hits in in five innings. The right-hander, facing the Angels for the first time since 2007, was coming off a 4-0 win over Detroit in which he allowed five hits through seven innings.

Mike Moustakas homered and Jarrod Dyson hit a pair of RBI doubles for the defending World Series champions, who had six two-base hits altogether — all against Weaver. The franchise record is 11, set on Aug. 11, 2003 against the Yankees.

— Associated Press —

Martinez wins fourth, Cardinals handle Diamondbacks 8-2

Posted on April 27, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Carlos Martinez gave up three hits in eight scoreless innings, Brandon Moss and Stephen Piscotty homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Tuesday night.

Martinez (4-0) won for the fourth time in four starts. The 24-year-old right-hander held the Diamondbacks without a hit until David Peralta’s one-out single in the fourth.

Moss had four hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Piscotty added a two-run shot in the seventh.

Former Cardinal Shelby Miller (0-2) threw four scoreless innings before St. Louis broke through for five runs in the fifth.

Still, it was a small step forward for Miller, who had battled control issues and hadn’t made it past the second inning in his previous two outings.

Jake Lamb and Yasmany Tomas homered for Arizona off reliever Tyler Lyons in the ninth.

Martinez struck out four, walked one and hit a batter. Besides Peralta’s single, the other hits off him were Jean Segura’s sixth-inning single and Tomas’ seventh-inning double.

Chris Owings, an infielder shifted to the outfield with A.J. Pollock’s injury, showed his inexperience in center in the Cardinals’ big fourth inning. With runners at first and second and one out, Owings broke the wrong way, then made a diving attempt to catch Piscotty’s fly ball. The ball bounced off of Owings’ glove and rolled away for an RBI double.

Randal Grichuk followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, then Moss hit Miller’s 1-0 pitch into the right-field seats, his fifth home run of the season, and it was 5-0.

Miller went five innings, allowing five runs and five hits. He struck out six and walked four.

POWER SURGE

St. Louis and Arizona entered the game tied with the most home runs in the majors at 30 apiece. Only they kept it up on Tuesday.

They each have 32 homers, the Cardinals through 20 games, the Diamondbacks through 22.

Nine St. Louis batters have homered this year, led by Moss and Jeremy Hazelbaker with five apiece. Ten Diamondbacks have homered, led by Paul Goldschmidt’s five.

Arizona has home runs in seven straight games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday was out of the lineup as a precaution after leaving Monday night’s game with a right leg cramp.

Diamondbacks: RHP Josh Collmenter (right shoulder tightness) threw one inning (11 pitches) in an extended spring training game on Monday, then pitched another inning in the bullpen. He is to pitch in another extended spring training game on Thursday before going to Class A Visalia on a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-3, 7.25 ERA) takes the mound for St. Louis still looking for his first win of the season.

Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (1-2, 3.51) makes his fifth start of the season, in the third game of the four-game series with the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —

Tigers rout Missouri State 17-9 in series finale

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball (21-21) topped Missouri State (28-11), 17-9, on Tuesday night (April 26) thanks to a pair of two-run bombs over the left field wall by Shane Benes (Town and Country, Mo.) and Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.). It was a team effort on offense as all nine Missouri players recorded a hit in the game, including six players with at least two hits, as Mizzou scored a season-high 17 runs.

RHP Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) took the ball for Mizzou for his second start of the season and earned his third win of the season. Bartlett kicked off a strong showing on the mound, retiring the first seven batters face and limiting Missouri State to just two hits, one run and one walk through five innings pitched. He finished the night with a career-high four strikeouts.

Lavy led the Mizzou offense with three hits and six RBI, the most for a Tiger since Eric Garcia on March 20, 2010, against Purdue. He also finished a triple shy of the cycle. Benes added three hits and five RBI of his own, including a two-run homer, good for his fifth home run this season. Marquise Doherty (Kansas City, Mo.) and Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) each contributed to the offensive effort with two hits apiece, Doherty with his first career multi-RBI game.

A pair of walks by Missouri State put two runners on base early in the second for Mizzou. Doherty capitalized with a RBI single to the right side, the second of his career. Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) followed up with a line shot to right, scoring Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) and Doherty and giving Mizzou the 3-0 lead to end the second.

Lavy continued the offensive dominance for Missouri in the third with a rip to right field for a RBI double, tallying his 17th on the season. Benes followed up with a grounder to left center, scoring Lavy. Doherty recorded his second hit of the game with a liner to center putting Missouri up, 6-0.

A solo home run by Spencer Johnson in the fourth put Missouri State on the board but Mizzou responded with an explosive bottom half-inning. Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) and Howard rounded up a pair of singles to kick off the fourth inning and Lavy knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field. A Harris single up the middle set Benes up for a two-run blast over the bullpen, putting Mizzou ahead 10-1.

Missouri State threatened in the sixth with a four-run rally after a triple to right field by Steinmetz got the ball rolling. Jake Burger, Justin Paulsen and Jeremy Eierman all tallied RBI singles to bring MSU to within five. Mizzou answered with three runs in the sixth inning off a hard hit single by Benes and two in the seventh inning after a two-run shot by Lavy.

Paulsen tallied the fifth home run of the game with a two-run ball over the left center wall. Missouri State closed out the game with a three-run ninth inning but could not match Mizzou’s offensive production.

Mizzou begins a three game series with Tennessee on Friday at Taylor Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

MWSU’s Gawley earns weekly MIAA baseball honor

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The No. 23 Missouri Western baseball team has claimed MIAA Hitter of the Week honors for the third consecutive week. Nick Gawley claimed Co-Hitter of the Week honors, Tuesday, after David Glaude received the distinction two weeks in a row.

A junior outfielder, Gawley batted .529 through four games last week with 12 RBIs. He began the week with a 4-for-4, seven-RBI performance against Northwest Missouri State. He went 9-for-15 at the plate with five extra base hits and five runs scored. Gawley also swiped two bases and recorded 10 putouts in center field.

Missouri Western went 3-1 in the games, with a run-rule victory over Northwest Missouri State and two wins of three games with Nebraska-Kearney.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest’s Pablo named MIAA Co-Pitcher of the Week

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Nikko Pablo has been named the MIAA/AstroTurf Co-Pitcher of the Week for his performance in two games last week. Pablo went 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA with seven strikeouts in 8.1 innings for the Bearcats. Pablo becomes the third Northwest player to earn the conference’s weekly honor this season, joining Anthony Caenepeel and James Holler back on April 5.

Pablo pitched 3.2 inings of relief back on April 19 at Missouri Western. He allowed just three hits in 3.2 innings, giving up just one unearned run. He did not issue a walk and struck out two. On Saturday, Pablo picked up the win, going 4.2 innings of relief. He allowed three runs but only one was earned. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.

— Northwest Athletics —

Kansas women’s basketball signs graduate transfer Sydney Umeri

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas head women’s basketball coach Brandon Schneider and his staff added graduate transfer Sydney Umeri to the Jayhawks’ roster, the first signee of 2016 for KU. As a graduate transfer, Umeri will be eligible to join Kansas on the hardwood next season and be able to play immediately.

Schneider added height to the roster with his first signee in the late signing period. Umeri, a 6-1 forward, comes to Allen Fieldhouse after a three-year career at Virginia. The Acworth, Georgia product will graduate with her undergraduate degree from Virginia in May.

“We are excited to add a player of Sydney’s character, work ethic and versatility to our program,” Schneider said. “She is a strong, athletic forward who possess both a back-to-the-basket and face up game. Her skill level and ability to play both inside and out make her a tough match-up.”

Umeri prepped at the Lovett School in Atlanta and helped the Lions to the 2012 Georgia Region 6AA championship. During her senior season of high school, Umeri was ranked No. 29 overall and the No. 9 forward in the 2013 recruiting class by ESPN’s HoopGurlz.

Umeri was a four time all-region selection, a two-time Atlanta Tipoff Club Jackie Bradford All-Metro Girls Honorable Mention and a 2013 McDonald’s All-America nominee. Additionally, Umeri won a gold medal with the 2011 USA Basketball’s U16 team at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mérida, Mexico.

“Sydney is terrific in transition and has the toughness to thrive on the defensive end,” said Schneider. “She is extremely active on the boards, she has terrific instincts and she doesn’t take plays off. We expect Sydney to impact our program in many positive ways in her final year of collegiate eligibility.”

During her three-year career at Virginia, Umeri started 40 games and appeared in 96 while averaging 19.6 minutes contest.

— KU Athletics —

Kennedy suffers first loss as Royals fall to Angels 6-1

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols claims to pay little attention to his climb up baseball’s career homers list, often greeting his milestones with a dismissive shrug.

“I leave that to (reporters), so you guys can have something to do,” he said Monday night.

Even Pujols had to acknowledge his latest leap up the standings was impressive, particularly because it led to a win for the Los Angeles Angels.

Pujols hit two homers and Mike Trout added another, powering the Angels to a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

With two solo shots off Ian Kennedy (2-2), Pujols racked up the 564th and 565th homers of his career. He moved out of a tie with Reggie Jackson and into sole possession of 13th place on baseball’s career list.

“To be able to even put my name with those legends in baseball before me is pretty special,” Pujols said. “I could have never thought in my entire life that I could do that. … I’ve done some crazy things in this game and passed some unbelievable names, but I try not to really stay focused on that. My focus is to help this organization to win a championship, and I think that’s why (Angels owner) Arte (Moreno) brought me here. He didn’t bring me here to try to pass all those guys.”

Pujols has shaken his dismal start to the season with three homers in two games. The $240 million slugger moved past Jackson with a drive to the fake rock pile beyond center field in the third, and his fifth-inning shot barely eluded a leaping Alex Gordon in left field.

“For us that have been in the game a long time, it means more, because you know the guys he’s passing,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s fun to watch. Albert is special for a lot of reasons.”

Trout added a solo shot in the seventh, his fourth homer of the season.

Garrett Richards (1-3) pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning of his first win of the season, leaving the Royals frustrated after repeatedly escaping self-created trouble, including five walks.

“(Richards) has got great stuff, but he was just wild enough to be really effective,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We just couldn’t do much with him.”

The Angels have the AL’s worst offense in several categories, but they followed up a three-run first inning with the long ball. Los Angeles scored more than five runs for the second time in 20 games this season.

“I know that this offense, we’re just two or three hits away from clicking,” Pujols said. “It’s good to take the first game of the series against those guys. They’ve got our number over the last couple of years.”

Salvador Perez drove in Kansas City’s only run. Eric Hosmer extended his hitting streak to 15 games for the defending World Series champions, who opened a six-game West Coast trip with just their second loss in their last 12 meetings with the Angels, including the 2014 AL division series.

Kennedy is an Orange County native and former USC star who has never beaten the Angels. He yielded seven hits and four walks, allowing a baserunner in all six innings.

“Even though (Pujols) has been struggling this year, you can’t take him lightly,” Kennedy said. “If you fall behind like that against really good hitters like that, whether they’re struggling or not, they’re going to make you pay.”

MONSTER NUMBERS

Pujols had his 52nd career multihomer game and his 10th with the Angels. He has five homers this season, but his shot on Sunday ended an 0-for-26 skid for the three-time NL MVP. He is closing in on Rafael Palmeiro, who sits in 12th place in baseball history with 569 career homers.

G-RICH

Richards got off to a rough start to his first season as the Angels’ opening day starter, losing his head-to-head matchups with stars Jake Arrieta, Cole Hamels and Chris Sale. The Angels’ five runs in the first five innings against Kansas City equaled Richards’ total run support in his first four starts combined.

“I feel like everybody else is pitching well, and I’ve got to keep it going,” Richards said.

UP NEXT

Royals: Edinson Volquez (3-0, 1.46 ERA) has been one of the majors’ top starters so far, throwing seven scoreless innings last week against Detroit.

Angels: Jered Weaver (2-0, 3.12) looks to continue his solid start to the season while improving his 7-6 career record against Kansas City.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis gives up nine-run sixth, loses opener at Arizona

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Jean Segura is batting a cool .400 in his home ballpark after the four hits he registered Monday night in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 12-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

One of the four hits was a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning that came during a historic turn at bat for the Diamondbacks.

“I was not ready for an inside pitch. I just reacted to that pitch and I just hit it out,” Segura, a first-year Diamondback, said. Then he was asked about hitting at Chase Field. “Even when I was a visitor I loved to play here. Everything is going to my favorite side.”

Segura’s blast highlighted Arizona’s nine-run sixth inning and made ace Zack Greinke a winner despite allowing seven runs. The Cardinals bullpen was rocked in the sixth after starter Jaime Garcia was removed with two runners on base.

Greinke (2-2) lasted 6 2/3 innings and gave up 11 hits. He’s surrendered 21 runs in five starts and has a 6.16 earned run average.

“I thought I did all right. It’s just kind of embarrassing giving up seven runs thinking you did all right,” Greinke said. “I’ll take it, as long as it’s not like that all the time.”

Matt Bowman (0-1) gave up a run-scoring single to Chris Owings, his second RBI of the night, and Greinke helped himself by bouncing a single through a drawn-in infield that was expecting a bunt with two strikes.

Kevin Siegrist entered with one out and served up Segura’s fourth home run of the season, a line drive into the left field seats. Siegrist then put two runners on and was taken out in favor of Seth Maness, who surrendered Yasmany Tomas’ RBI double, Welington Castillo’s two-run single and another RBI single for Owings.

“The guys battled back again,” Arizona manager Chip Hale said. “It’s a real relentless attitude.”

The three relievers were charged with six combined earned runs. The nine-run inning tied for the third-most productive in Diamondbacks history and most ever for Arizona against St. Louis in one inning, and those in the crowd cheering for the home team gave it a standing ovation with the final out after 14 batters came up the plate.

“We put up those kind of runs against a pitcher like Greinke, we’ve got to figure out a way to get it done,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “Siegrist was our most rested guy and it ended being a rough inning for us.”

Rookie Jeremy Hazelbaker, a mid-game injury replacement, hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat of the game for St. Louis. Hazelbaker took Greinke deep with two outs in the top of the fifth inning to give the Cardinals a 5-2 lead.

DIAMONDBACKS MOVES

The Diamondbacks did some re-arranging of their bullpen before Monday’s game. Pitchers Dominic Leone and Keith Hessler were recalled from the minors, Leone from Triple-A Reno and Hessler from Double-A Mobile. Relievers Evan Marshall and Tyler Wagner were optioned to Reno.

OOPS

St. Louis CF Randal Grichuk completely misjudged Tomas’ line drive to center field in the second inning, and it ended up costing the Cardinals a run. Grichuck came in for the ball but it sailed over his head and bounced off the wall without him getting a glove on it to slow it down. Tomas scored later in the inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Matt Holliday grounded out to third for the second out of the third inning, then Hazelbacker took over in left field in the bottom of the inning. Holliday is listed as day to day. “It was tight when he was heading down to first base and we had to get him out,” Matheny said. … Carpenter fell trying to field a bouncing ball from Arizona Jean Segura in the first inning. A trainer came out to check on him but Carpenter stayed in the game.

Diamondbacks: Pitcher Josh Collmenter, on the 15-day disabled list since April 2 with right shoulder inflammation, threw an inning Monday in an extended spring training game and is scheduled to pitch next on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (3-0) looks to stay undefeated when he faces the Diamondbacks Tuesday night. It’ll be his 40th career start. The Cardinals have won every game in which he has appeared against Arizona (5-0).

Diamondbacks: Former Cardinal Shelby Miller (0-1) faces his former team on Tuesday. Miller is 1-1 with a 0.59 ERA against the Cardinals in his career. He went 26-18 in 63 starts for St. Louis from 2012-14.

— Associated Press —