Leadoff batter Laci Dryden batted .833 with an even better .875 on-base percentage helping Barton sweep Dodge City in a pair of conference contests. 

Going 3-of-4 in the opener, one of Dryden's hits was the sophomore's first home runs of the season while drawing a walk to reach base five times. 

In the nightcap Dryden continued to set the tone for the offense in reaching base all three at-bats, drawing a walk and going 2-of-2 at the plate, and stealing three of her four bases on the afternoon.

Leadoff batter Laci Dryden batted .833 with an even better .875 on-base percentage helping Barton sweep Dodge City in a pair of conference contests. Going 3-of-4 in the opener, one of Dryden's hits was the sophomore's first home runs of the season while drawing a walk to reach base five times. In the nightcap Dryden continued to set the tone for the offense in reaching base all three at-bats, drawing a walk and going 2-of-2 at the plate, and stealing three of her four bases on the afternoon.

Lacy Dryden earns KJCCC DI Player of the Week honors

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

The friendly confines of Barton Community College served the Lady Panther swim team well during Tuesday's five-team invitational. Great Bend piled up 553 points to win the meet. Holcomb scored 365 points for second, edging out third-place Hutchinson by just 11 points.

The 200-yard medley relay team of Emilee Hall, Ava Gregg, Ally Howard, and Josephine Mazouch got things started with a win by nearly six seconds in 2:11.01. The team of Meredith Mazouch, Clarise Snapp, Avah Holden, and Sidney Gilkison swam third in 2:25.71.

The 200 free relay also picked up the gold. That team of Hall, both Mazouchs, and Darcy Feist won by nearly four seconds in 1:54.02, missing state qualification by less than two seconds. The team of Braylee Carper, Katelyn Mermis, Ellie Lutt, and Sydney Kruckenberg placed fourth in 2:09.14 to miss the bronze by eight seconds.

The Lady Panthers had a field day in the 500 free. Hall came in well under state consideration time for the win in 6:13.93. Carper followed in 6:58.75 for the silver, and Howard swam third in 7:17.90, a minute ahead of the fourth-place finisher. Hall swam another consideration time to win the 100 backstroke by just 0.04 seconds in 1:09.82. Meredith Mazouch placed seventh in 1:28.41, and Mermis followed in 1:30.16 for eighth.

Josephine Mazouch continues to stay under state consideration in the 50 free, winning by 0.39 seconds in 27.70. Kruckenberg placed fourth in 30.41, and Gilkison finished seventh in 32.25. Howard won the 100 butterfly silver in 1:28.70, 11 seconds behind the winner, and Holden placed third in 1:41.42.

Josephine Mazouch also swam a consideration time in the 100 free, winning by more than a second in 1:01.82. Feist placed fourth in 1:04.22 to miss the bronze by just 0.12 seconds. Kruckenberg placed sixth in 1:08.21.

Snapp led the Lady Panthers with a first-place finish in the 100 breast by better than three seconds in 1:24.88. Carper placed third in 1:32.22, and Siefkes swam fifth in 1:32.90.

Feist finished second in the 200 free in 2:25.17, six seconds off the gold. Madelynne Siefkes finished sixth in 2:54.12. Gregg won the 200 IM bronze in 2:58.25 to miss the silver by 11 seconds. Snapp swam fourth in 2:59.94, followed by Mermis in 3:23.26 for fifth.

The Lady Panther 400 free team of Feist, Snapp, Kruckenberg, and Carper finished third in 4:38.45, nine seconds behind the silver. The team of Howard, Gregg, Gilkison, and Meredith Mazouch placed fourth in 4:56.51. The squad of Holden, Mermis, Lutt, and Madalyn Bonine finished fifth in 5:18.95.

The Lady Panthers travel to Garden City next Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712150448312.jpeg" alt="Lady Panther senior Sidney Gilkison in her seventh-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle race." />
 <figcaption>Lady Panther senior Sidney Gilkison in her seventh-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle race.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThe friendly confines of Barton Community College served the Lady Panther swim team well during Tuesday's five-team invitational. Great Bend piled up 553 points to win the meet. Holcomb scored 365 points for second, edging out third-place Hutchinson by just 11 points.The 200-yard medley relay team of Emilee Hall, Ava Gregg, Ally Howard, and Josephine Mazouch got things started with a win by nearly six seconds in 2:11.01. The team of Meredith Mazouch, Clarise Snapp, Avah Holden, and Sidney Gilkison swam third in 2:25.71.The 200 free relay also picked up the gold. That team of Hall, both Mazouchs, and Darcy Feist won by nearly four seconds in 1:54.02, missing state qualification by less than two seconds. The team of Braylee Carper, Katelyn Mermis, Ellie Lutt, and Sydney Kruckenberg placed fourth in 2:09.14 to miss the bronze by eight seconds.The Lady Panthers had a field day in the 500 free. Hall came in well under state consideration time for the win in 6:13.93. Carper followed in 6:58.75 for the silver, and Howard swam third in 7:17.90, a minute ahead of the fourth-place finisher. Hall swam another consideration time to win the 100 backstroke by just 0.04 seconds in 1:09.82. Meredith Mazouch placed seventh in 1:28.41, and Mermis followed in 1:30.16 for eighth.Josephine Mazouch continues to stay under state consideration in the 50 free, winning by 0.39 seconds in 27.70. Kruckenberg placed fourth in 30.41, and Gilkison finished seventh in 32.25. Howard won the 100 butterfly silver in 1:28.70, 11 seconds behind the winner, and Holden placed third in 1:41.42.Josephine Mazouch also swam a consideration time in the 100 free, winning by more than a second in 1:01.82. Feist placed fourth in 1:04.22 to miss the bronze by just 0.12 seconds. Kruckenberg placed sixth in 1:08.21.Snapp led the Lady Panthers with a first-place finish in the 100 breast by better than three seconds in 1:24.88. Carper placed third in 1:32.22, and Siefkes swam fifth in 1:32.90.Feist finished second in the 200 free in 2:25.17, six seconds off the gold. Madelynne Siefkes finished sixth in 2:54.12. Gregg won the 200 IM bronze in 2:58.25 to miss the silver by 11 seconds. Snapp swam fourth in 2:59.94, followed by Mermis in 3:23.26 for fifth.The Lady Panther 400 free team of Feist, Snapp, Kruckenberg, and Carper finished third in 4:38.45, nine seconds behind the silver. The team of Howard, Gregg, Gilkison, and Meredith Mazouch placed fourth in 4:56.51. The squad of Holden, Mermis, Lutt, and Madalyn Bonine finished fifth in 5:18.95.The Lady Panthers travel to Garden City next Tuesday.

Lady Panther swimmers dominate home invite

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was thrown into question Tuesday night when residents of Jackson County, Missouri, resoundingly voted down a sales tax measure that would have helped to fund a new downtown ballpark along with major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.

Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged long before the final tally that the initiative would fail.

 More than 58% of voters ultimately rejected the plan, which would have replaced an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Truman Sports Complex — the home for more than 50 years to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums — with a similar tax that would have been in place for the next 40 years.

The Royals, who had pledged at least $1 billion from ownership for their project, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to help fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who had committed $300 million in private money, would have used their share as part of an $800 million overhaul of Arrowhead Stadium.

“We’re deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals,” said Sherman, who left without taking questions. “As someone whose roots run deep in this town, who has been a dedicated fan and season-ticket holder for both of these teams, and now leading a remarkable ownership group.”

Donovan said the Chiefs would do “what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”

That could mean many things: The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan more agreeable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment, or they could even listen to offers from competing cities and states — such as Kansas, just across the state line to the west — that would provide the public funding they desire.

“We’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process,” Donovan said. “We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We’re ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”

The current lease lease at Truman Sports Complex lasts through Jan. 31, 2031. And while Sherman has said the Royals would not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium.

The tax — or, more accurately, the stadium plans — received significant public pushback almost from the start, when the teams struggled to put concrete plans before voters and were accused of lacking transparency throughout the process.

Last fall, the Royals unveiled two potential locations for their ballpark district, one on the eastern edge of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri.

But, a self-imposed deadline to finalize their location lapsed without a plan, and in February, they finally announced they had scrapped both concepts and chosen a different downtown spot.

The new area, known as the Crossroads, has a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, and it is just blocks away from the T-Mobile Center and the bustling Power &amp; Light entertainment district. It also is close to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the 18th &amp; Vine district, which is home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

But even then, plans remained vague. The latest ballpark renderings were made obsolete just last week when the Royals acquiesced to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ request that a major street that would have been part of the stadium footprint remain open; Lucas did not endorse the tax initiative until the Royals agreed to the change.

“I think everyone has the same mixed feelings,” said Deidre Chasteen, a voter from Independence, Missouri, who remembers attending games downtown at old Municipal Stadium when the Royals played there from 1969-72.

“It’s not that we mind paying the three-eighths-cent sales tax. I think the problem is putting the stadium where it is,” Chasteen said. “We’re saying don’t ruin businesses that have been established down there for years.”

The club also had not reached sales agreements with many landowners in the Crossroads, and other businesses had expressed concerns about traffic, congestion and parking in an already thriving residential neighborhood.

Sarah Tourville, the Royals’ executive vice president, said the goal was to move into the stadium for opening day in 2028.

The Royals moved from Municipal Stadium to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and extensively renovated the ballpark from 2009-12. Arrowhead Stadium was built alongside Kauffman Stadium and also was renovated around the same time.

While the Royals insist on playing in a new ballpark, the Chiefs wanted to stay put with a renovation that would have touched every aspect of their 52-year-old building, from the seating bowl to luxury amenities to the tailgating scene.

“We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose father, Lamar Hunt, helped get the existing stadiums built, said before Tuesday’s vote. “The financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we’ve outlined.”

The Chiefs had hoped their success, including three Super Bowl titles in the last five years, would sway voters in their favor.

“What my dad loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt said. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712112749211.jpeg" alt="An Air Force B2 bomber flies over Kauffman Stadium before a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)." />
 <figcaption>An Air Force B2 bomber flies over Kauffman Stadium before a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was thrown into question Tuesday night when residents of Jackson County, Missouri, resoundingly voted down a sales tax measure that would have helped to fund a new downtown ballpark along with major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged long before the final tally that the initiative would fail.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712104528404.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure> More than 58% of voters ultimately rejected the plan, which would have replaced an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Truman Sports Complex — the home for more than 50 years to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums — with a similar tax that would have been in place for the next 40 years.The Royals, who had pledged at least $1 billion from ownership for their project, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to help fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who had committed $300 million in private money, would have used their share as part of an $800 million overhaul of Arrowhead Stadium.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A statement from John Sherman regarding today&#39;s Jackson County election: <a href="https://t.co/t85qx0Cwfh">pic.twitter.com/t85qx0Cwfh</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1775347697345610113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’re deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals,” said Sherman, who left without taking questions. “As someone whose roots run deep in this town, who has been a dedicated fan and season-ticket holder for both of these teams, and now leading a remarkable ownership group.”Donovan said the Chiefs would do “what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”That could mean many things: The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan more agreeable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment, or they could even listen to offers from competing cities and states — such as Kansas, just across the state line to the west — that would provide the public funding they desire.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonCountyMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JacksonCountyMO</a>⁩ voters have spoken. I’ll say more on the election results and what happens next soon. Stay tuned! <a href="https://t.co/emqsBfJqYq">pic.twitter.com/emqsBfJqYq</a>&mdash; Frank White (@JCEFrankWhite) <a href="https://twitter.com/JCEFrankWhite/status/1775364416424280068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process,” Donovan said. “We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We’re ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”The current lease lease at Truman Sports Complex lasts through Jan. 31, 2031. And while Sherman has said the Royals would not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium.The tax — or, more accurately, the stadium plans — received significant public pushback almost from the start, when the teams struggled to put concrete plans before voters and were accused of lacking transparency throughout the process.Last fall, the Royals unveiled two potential locations for their ballpark district, one on the eastern edge of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri.But, a self-imposed deadline to finalize their location lapsed without a plan, and in February, they finally announced they had scrapped both concepts and chosen a different downtown spot.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/ijleg960iH">pic.twitter.com/ijleg960iH</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1775340879663825097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The new area, known as the Crossroads, has a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, and it is just blocks away from the T-Mobile Center and the bustling Power &amp; Light entertainment district. It also is close to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the 18th &amp; Vine district, which is home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.But even then, plans remained vague. The latest ballpark renderings were made obsolete just last week when the Royals acquiesced to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ request that a major street that would have been part of the stadium footprint remain open; Lucas did not endorse the tax initiative until the Royals agreed to the change.“I think everyone has the same mixed feelings,” said Deidre Chasteen, a voter from Independence, Missouri, who remembers attending games downtown at old Municipal Stadium when the Royals played there from 1969-72.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712112786193.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, address the media while Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan looks on during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)." />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, address the media while Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan looks on during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).</figcaption>
 </figure>“It’s not that we mind paying the three-eighths-cent sales tax. I think the problem is putting the stadium where it is,” Chasteen said. “We’re saying don’t ruin businesses that have been established down there for years.”The club also had not reached sales agreements with many landowners in the Crossroads, and other businesses had expressed concerns about traffic, congestion and parking in an already thriving residential neighborhood.Sarah Tourville, the Royals’ executive vice president, said the goal was to move into the stadium for opening day in 2028.The Royals moved from Municipal Stadium to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and extensively renovated the ballpark from 2009-12. Arrowhead Stadium was built alongside Kauffman Stadium and also was renovated around the same time.While the Royals insist on playing in a new ballpark, the Chiefs wanted to stay put with a renovation that would have touched every aspect of their 52-year-old building, from the seating bowl to luxury amenities to the tailgating scene.“We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose father, Lamar Hunt, helped get the existing stadiums built, said before Tuesday’s vote. “The financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we’ve outlined.”The Chiefs had hoped their success, including three Super Bowl titles in the last five years, would sway voters in their favor.“What my dad loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt said. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”

Voters reject stadium tax for Royals and Chiefs, leaving future in KC in question

Tuesday's matchup at the Great Bend Sports Complex was a big one as the unbeaten and seventh-ranked Panther baseball team played host to No. 6 Kapaun Mt. Carmel for a doubleheader. The Panthers walked off the Crusaders 8-7 in game one but dropped game two 2-0.

Great Bend jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings in game one. Kapaun scored the next seven runs, including three in the sixth to pull ahead 7-4. The Panthers strung together three straight singles from Hunter Herrman, Daxton Minton, and JJ Grove in the bottom of the sixth. Herrman scored on Grove's hit, and a fielder's choice off the bat of Koehn Ribordy scored Minton. Ian Premer singled in Ribordy to tie the game.

The 7-7 tie remained until the bottom of the ninth. Premer led things off with a single, moving to second on a sacrifice from Owen Kaiser. Trenton Kern kept the inning alive with a one-out walk, then Mohr provided the heroic hit to drive in Premer for the win.

Ribordy recorded just one out on the mound but picked up the win. Minton allowed just one hit in 3.1 innings with two strikeouts and three walks, and Herrman allowed five earned runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts and three walks in his two innings. Carson Umphres threw 3.1 innings, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on four hits.

Grove and Premer each singled three times, and Premer added a pair of walks. Ribordy singled twice, drove in two, and scored once. Kern's double was the lone Panther extra-base hit. He also walked and drove in three.

Game two proved to be nearly as thrilling as the scoreboard was full of zeroes until the seventh inning when Kapaun scored both of its runs with two outs. The Panthers nearly followed suit in the bottom half with Grove picking up a 2-out walk and Ribordy reaching on a single.

Kaiser threw all seven innings in the loss, striking out eight and allowing the two earned runs on four hits.

Premer and Ribordy split four of the six Panther hits in the loss. Kaiser doubled and Mohr added the other single.&nbsp;

Great Bend moves to 6-1 on the season and will host Liberal for a pair of games on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886359882.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsTuesday's matchup at the Great Bend Sports Complex was a big one as the unbeaten and seventh-ranked Panther baseball team played host to No. 6 Kapaun Mt. Carmel for a doubleheader. The Panthers walked off the Crusaders 8-7 in game one but dropped game two 2-0.Great Bend jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings in game one. Kapaun scored the next seven runs, including three in the sixth to pull ahead 7-4. The Panthers strung together three straight singles from Hunter Herrman, Daxton Minton, and JJ Grove in the bottom of the sixth. Herrman scored on Grove's hit, and a fielder's choice off the bat of Koehn Ribordy scored Minton. Ian Premer singled in Ribordy to tie the game.The 7-7 tie remained until the bottom of the ninth. Premer led things off with a single, moving to second on a sacrifice from Owen Kaiser. Trenton Kern kept the inning alive with a one-out walk, then Mohr provided the heroic hit to drive in Premer for the win.Ribordy recorded just one out on the mound but picked up the win. Minton allowed just one hit in 3.1 innings with two strikeouts and three walks, and Herrman allowed five earned runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts and three walks in his two innings. Carson Umphres threw 3.1 innings, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on four hits.Grove and Premer each singled three times, and Premer added a pair of walks. Ribordy singled twice, drove in two, and scored once. Kern's double was the lone Panther extra-base hit. He also walked and drove in three.Game two proved to be nearly as thrilling as the scoreboard was full of zeroes until the seventh inning when Kapaun scored both of its runs with two outs. The Panthers nearly followed suit in the bottom half with Grove picking up a 2-out walk and Ribordy reaching on a single.Kaiser threw all seven innings in the loss, striking out eight and allowing the two earned runs on four hits.Premer and Ribordy split four of the six Panther hits in the loss. Kaiser doubled and Mohr added the other single.&nbsp;Great Bend moves to 6-1 on the season and will host Liberal for a pair of games on Friday.

No. 7 Panthers walk off Kapaun, drop game two to No. 6 Crusaders

The drive from Liberal to Great Bend is a long one. So was the first inning in Tuesday's Western Athletic Conference softball game as the Lady Panthers plated eight runs at the Sports Complex. Great Bend added seven runs in the second and another in the third to set up a 16-2 run-rule after five innings.

The big first inning was highlighted by a home run from Paige Thexton and doubles from DeShawnna Bryant and Ava Kaiser. Thexton added a 2-run double in the second. Alyssa McCauley went deep for the lone run in the third.

The Lady Panthers banged out 12 hits, with half of those being extra-base hits, and walked five times. Thexton finished with the two hits and a walk, five RBIs, and three runs scored. McCauley homered and singled. Camdyn Post doubled, singled twice, and walked, coming around to score once. Kaiser drove in three runs with her double.

McCauley picked up the win in the circle, striking out one and allowing an earned run on four hits in her four innings of work. Braelyn Turner pitched the final inning without allowing a hit and striking out two.

Great Bend moves to 6-1 on the season. The Lady Panthers travel to Liberal for a doubleheader on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886547614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe drive from Liberal to Great Bend is a long one. So was the first inning in Tuesday's Western Athletic Conference softball game as the Lady Panthers plated eight runs at the Sports Complex. Great Bend added seven runs in the second and another in the third to set up a 16-2 run-rule after five innings.The big first inning was highlighted by a home run from Paige Thexton and doubles from DeShawnna Bryant and Ava Kaiser. Thexton added a 2-run double in the second. Alyssa McCauley went deep for the lone run in the third.The Lady Panthers banged out 12 hits, with half of those being extra-base hits, and walked five times. Thexton finished with the two hits and a walk, five RBIs, and three runs scored. McCauley homered and singled. Camdyn Post doubled, singled twice, and walked, coming around to score once. Kaiser drove in three runs with her double.McCauley picked up the win in the circle, striking out one and allowing an earned run on four hits in her four innings of work. Braelyn Turner pitched the final inning without allowing a hit and striking out two.Great Bend moves to 6-1 on the season. The Lady Panthers travel to Liberal for a doubleheader on Thursday.

Lady Panther softball makes short work of Liberal

BALTIMORE (AP) — Alec Marsh pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Maikel Garcia drove in three runs and the Kansas City Royals breezed past the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 Tuesday night at wet and chilly Camden Yards.

Marsh (1-0) turned in the best performance of his budding career, dominating the defending AL East champions with an exceptional display of control. He struck out five, walked one and retired the side in order five times.

“He was outstanding,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Marsh. “Adverse conditions to pitch in against a really good lineup, and he did nothing but attack, right from the get-go.”

Now in his second season, Marsh previously hadn't gone more than six innings and never allowed fewer than three hits in any outing longer than an inning. In this one, the right-hander threw 72 pitches, only 18 of which were called balls.

“You couldn't ask for anything more,” Quatraro said.

Marsh received offensive support from Garcia, who hit a two-run double in the second inning and added an RBI triple in the fourth.

A persistent, light rain soaked the players and the announced crowd of 9,404. Temperatures dipped into the 40s soon after the game started, and a crisp breeze provided the stouthearted fans additional discomfort.

The Orioles gave their supporters little reason to stand up and cheer. Baltimore's only run came in the third inning on successive doubles by Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser, but that only served to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Kansas City answered in the fourth with a walk and a triple by Garcia on a liner off the right-field wall. That was more than enough backing for Marsh, who earned the fifth spot in the Royals rotation with a strong showing in spring training.

As a rookie in 2023, Marsh lost his first eight decisions before ending up 3-9 with a 5.69 ERA.

The solid finish, along with his productive spring, gave Marsh some momentum heading into the 2024 season.

“He's been on a mission,” Quatraro said. “That's one game. We don't want to proclaim this to be a finished product. He's a very young pitcher in his big league career, but there's a lot of upside and we're excited about it.”

When the Orioles got good wood on the ball, there always seemed to be someone there to catch it.

“Good fastball, curveball had a lot of depth on it,” Baltimore's Ryan O’Hearn said. “It was one of those nights. I feel like we had a lot of balls hit right at guys. Sometimes it happens that way.”

After Marsh put in his seven innings, the bullpen finished up without incident. John Schreiber gave up a single in the eighth and Will Smith got three straight outs for his first save.

Orioles starter Cole Irvin (0-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings. The 30-year-old is attempting to bounce back from a disappointing season in which he went 1-4, endured three stints in the minor leagues and did not appear on Baltimore's postseason roster.

Royals reliever Jake Brentz threw in the bullpen for the first time since going on the IL last month with a left hamstring strain. Brentz, 29, hasn't pitched in the big leagues since undergoing elbow surgery in July of 2022.

The teams face a rainy forecast for Wednesday's series finale, which matches Orioles ace Corbin Burnes (1-0, 1.50 ERA) and Royals opening day starter Cole Ragans (0-1, 3.00).

BALTIMORE (AP) — Alec Marsh pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Maikel Garcia drove in three runs and the Kansas City Royals breezed past the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 Tuesday night at wet and chilly Camden Yards.Marsh (1-0) turned in the best performance of his budding career, dominating the defending AL East champions with an exceptional display of control. He struck out five, walked one and retired the side in order five times.“He was outstanding,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Marsh. “Adverse conditions to pitch in against a really good lineup, and he did nothing but attack, right from the get-go.”Now in his second season, Marsh previously hadn't gone more than six innings and never allowed fewer than three hits in any outing longer than an inning. In this one, the right-hander threw 72 pitches, only 18 of which were called balls.“You couldn't ask for anything more,” Quatraro said.Marsh received offensive support from Garcia, who hit a two-run double in the second inning and added an RBI triple in the fourth.A persistent, light rain soaked the players and the announced crowd of 9,404. Temperatures dipped into the 40s soon after the game started, and a crisp breeze provided the stouthearted fans additional discomfort.The Orioles gave their supporters little reason to stand up and cheer. Baltimore's only run came in the third inning on successive doubles by Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser, but that only served to cut the deficit to 3-1.Kansas City answered in the fourth with a walk and a triple by Garcia on a liner off the right-field wall. That was more than enough backing for Marsh, who earned the fifth spot in the Royals rotation with a strong showing in spring training.As a rookie in 2023, Marsh lost his first eight decisions before ending up 3-9 with a 5.69 ERA.The solid finish, along with his productive spring, gave Marsh some momentum heading into the 2024 season.“He's been on a mission,” Quatraro said. “That's one game. We don't want to proclaim this to be a finished product. He's a very young pitcher in his big league career, but there's a lot of upside and we're excited about it.”When the Orioles got good wood on the ball, there always seemed to be someone there to catch it.“Good fastball, curveball had a lot of depth on it,” Baltimore's Ryan O’Hearn said. “It was one of those nights. I feel like we had a lot of balls hit right at guys. Sometimes it happens that way.”After Marsh put in his seven innings, the bullpen finished up without incident. John Schreiber gave up a single in the eighth and Will Smith got three straight outs for his first save.Orioles starter Cole Irvin (0-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings. The 30-year-old is attempting to bounce back from a disappointing season in which he went 1-4, endured three stints in the minor leagues and did not appear on Baltimore's postseason roster.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals reliever Jake Brentz threw in the bullpen for the first time since going on the IL last month with a left hamstring strain. Brentz, 29, hasn't pitched in the big leagues since undergoing elbow surgery in July of 2022.UP NEXTThe teams face a rainy forecast for Wednesday's series finale, which matches Orioles ace Corbin Burnes (1-0, 1.50 ERA) and Royals opening day starter Cole Ragans (0-1, 3.00).

Alec Marsh and Maikel Garcia lead Royals past Orioles 4-1

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was
thrown into question when residents of Jackson County, Missouri,
voted against a sales tax to help to pay for a new downtown ballpark
and renovations to Arrowhead Stadium. Royals owner John Sherman and
Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged about two hours after
polls closed Tuesday night that the ballot measure would fail. They
were hoping to replace an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax
that has been paying for upkeep of current stadiums with a new
three-eighths of a cent tax that would have been in place for the
next 40 years.

BALTIMORE (AP) —
Alec Marsh pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Maikel Garcia drove
in three runs and the Kansas City Royals breezed past the Baltimore
Orioles 4-1 on a wet, chilly night at Camden Yards. Marsh turned in
the best performance of his budding career, dominating the defending
AL East champions Tuesday night with an exceptional display of
control. He struck out five, walked one and retired the side in order
five times. Now in his second season, Marsh previously hadn’t gone
more than six innings and never allowed fewer than three hits in any
outing longer than an inning. In this one, he threw 72 pitches, only
18 of which were called balls.

SAN DIEGO (AP) —
Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer off Yu Darvish in the sixth
inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 to
win the first two of a three-game series. Miles Mikolas, who broke
into the majors with San Diego in 2012, improved to 3-2 against his
old squad. He allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. Ryan
Helsley worked the ninth for his first save in two chances. The
Padres held a pregame moment of silence for Larry Lucchino, their CEO
and president from 1995-2001 who led the push for Petco Park.
Lucchino died early Tuesday morning of congenital heart failure. He
was 78.

CHICAGO (AP) —
Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, Christopher Morel and Garrett Cooper
homered, and the Chicago Cubs pounded the Colorado Rockies 12-2 on
Tuesday night for their third straight win. Bellinger’s two-run
drive off the right-field scoreboard at Wrigley Field was his first
homer of the season. The 2019 NL MVP re-signed with the Cubs for a
$80 million, three-year contract in February. Some fans in the crowd
of 26,555 chanted “Cody! Cody! Cody!” when Bellinger stepped to
the plate in the seventh on a chilly, breezy night. It only got
louder when Bellinger launched his 425-foot shot on a 1-2 fastball.

DALLAS (AP) — An
attorney says one of two speeding sports cars that police say caused
a chain-reaction crash on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend was
being leased by Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. An
attorney for a Dallas-based car rental company said Rice was leasing
the Lamborghini sport utility vehicle involved in Saturday’s crash.
Police have said the drivers of a Corvette and a Lamborghini were
speeding on North Central Expressway when they lost control. Police
said the occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette left without
determining if anyone needed medical attention or providing their
information. Police said Tuesday they are still working to identify
suspects. Police have not said whether Rice is among the people they
are seeking.

UNDATED (AP) —
Steve Lutz was hired Monday as the basketball coach at Oklahoma State
after one season at Western Kentucky. The 51-year-old Lutz has a
69-35 career record and has led his teams to the NCAA Tournament in
each of his three seasons as a head coach — this year at Western
Kentucky and the previous two at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi. Before
that, he was an assistant at Purdue and Creighton. Lutz takes over
for Mike Boynton, who was fired after going 119-109 in seven seasons.
The Cowboys reached only one NCAA Tournament under Boynton as he
dealt with the fallout from an NCAA investigation.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —
North Carolina State is riding an emotional wave with its men's and
women's basketball teams both reaching the Final Four. It marks the
first trip to the Final Four for the men's team since Jim Valvano's
“Cardiac Pack” won the 1983 NCAA title by stunning heavily
favored Houston. For the women, it marks the first Final Four trip
since 1998 under Hall of Famer Kay Yow. Sunday's wins marked a
breakthrough moment for both programs. N.C. State is now the 11th
school to have its men's and women's teams reach the Final Four in
the same year.

UNDATED (AP) —
Deion Sanders has brought in Hall of Fame defensive lineman Warren
Sapp as a graduate assistant to work with the Colorado Buffaloes. The
grad assistant position paves the way for the 51-year-old Sapp to
work more closely on the field with the team. Sapp introduced himself
to the team as the senior quality control analyst, but that role
would limit his involvement on the field. The University of Miami
standout spent 13 seasons in the NFL with Tampa Bay and the Oakland
Raiders. Sapp was the 1999 AP defensive player of the year. He won a
Super Bowl title with the Buccaneers following the 2002 season.

Detroit	at	N-Y
Mets	1:10 p.m.	(Postponed)

Final	Philadelphia	109	Oklahoma
City	105	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710682717672.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was
thrown into question when residents of Jackson County, Missouri,
voted against a sales tax to help to pay for a new downtown ballpark
and renovations to Arrowhead Stadium. Royals owner John Sherman and
Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged about two hours after
polls closed Tuesday night that the ballot measure would fail. They
were hoping to replace an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax
that has been paying for upkeep of current stadiums with a new
three-eighths of a cent tax that would have been in place for the
next 40 years.BALTIMORE (AP) —
Alec Marsh pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Maikel Garcia drove
in three runs and the Kansas City Royals breezed past the Baltimore
Orioles 4-1 on a wet, chilly night at Camden Yards. Marsh turned in
the best performance of his budding career, dominating the defending
AL East champions Tuesday night with an exceptional display of
control. He struck out five, walked one and retired the side in order
five times. Now in his second season, Marsh previously hadn’t gone
more than six innings and never allowed fewer than three hits in any
outing longer than an inning. In this one, he threw 72 pitches, only
18 of which were called balls.SAN DIEGO (AP) —
Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer off Yu Darvish in the sixth
inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 to
win the first two of a three-game series. Miles Mikolas, who broke
into the majors with San Diego in 2012, improved to 3-2 against his
old squad. He allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. Ryan
Helsley worked the ninth for his first save in two chances. The
Padres held a pregame moment of silence for Larry Lucchino, their CEO
and president from 1995-2001 who led the push for Petco Park.
Lucchino died early Tuesday morning of congenital heart failure. He
was 78.CHICAGO (AP) —
Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, Christopher Morel and Garrett Cooper
homered, and the Chicago Cubs pounded the Colorado Rockies 12-2 on
Tuesday night for their third straight win. Bellinger’s two-run
drive off the right-field scoreboard at Wrigley Field was his first
homer of the season. The 2019 NL MVP re-signed with the Cubs for a
$80 million, three-year contract in February. Some fans in the crowd
of 26,555 chanted “Cody! Cody! Cody!” when Bellinger stepped to
the plate in the seventh on a chilly, breezy night. It only got
louder when Bellinger launched his 425-foot shot on a 1-2 fastball.DALLAS (AP) — An
attorney says one of two speeding sports cars that police say caused
a chain-reaction crash on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend was
being leased by Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. An
attorney for a Dallas-based car rental company said Rice was leasing
the Lamborghini sport utility vehicle involved in Saturday’s crash.
Police have said the drivers of a Corvette and a Lamborghini were
speeding on North Central Expressway when they lost control. Police
said the occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette left without
determining if anyone needed medical attention or providing their
information. Police said Tuesday they are still working to identify
suspects. Police have not said whether Rice is among the people they
are seeking.UNDATED (AP) —
Steve Lutz was hired Monday as the basketball coach at Oklahoma State
after one season at Western Kentucky. The 51-year-old Lutz has a
69-35 career record and has led his teams to the NCAA Tournament in
each of his three seasons as a head coach — this year at Western
Kentucky and the previous two at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi. Before
that, he was an assistant at Purdue and Creighton. Lutz takes over
for Mike Boynton, who was fired after going 119-109 in seven seasons.
The Cowboys reached only one NCAA Tournament under Boynton as he
dealt with the fallout from an NCAA investigation.RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —
North Carolina State is riding an emotional wave with its men's and
women's basketball teams both reaching the Final Four. It marks the
first trip to the Final Four for the men's team since Jim Valvano's
“Cardiac Pack” won the 1983 NCAA title by stunning heavily
favored Houston. For the women, it marks the first Final Four trip
since 1998 under Hall of Famer Kay Yow. Sunday's wins marked a
breakthrough moment for both programs. N.C. State is now the 11th
school to have its men's and women's teams reach the Final Four in
the same year.UNDATED (AP) —
Deion Sanders has brought in Hall of Fame defensive lineman Warren
Sapp as a graduate assistant to work with the Colorado Buffaloes. The
grad assistant position paves the way for the 51-year-old Sapp to
work more closely on the field with the team. Sapp introduced himself
to the team as the senior quality control analyst, but that role
would limit his involvement on the field. The University of Miami
standout spent 13 seasons in the NFL with Tampa Bay and the Oakland
Raiders. Sapp was the 1999 AP defensive player of the year. He won a
Super Bowl title with the Buccaneers following the 2002 season.TUESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEDetroit	at	N-Y
Mets	1:10 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Milwaukee	3	Minnesota	2	Final	L.A.
Angels	3	Miami	1	Final	Chicago White
Sox	3	Atlanta	2	Final	Arizona	7	N.Y.
Yankees	0	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Kansas
City	4	Baltimore	1	Final	Tampa
Bay	5	Texas	2	Final	Toronto	2	Houston	1	Final	Cleveland	5	Seattle	2	Final	Boston	5	Oakland	4	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	9	Cincinnati	4	Final	Chicago
Cubs	12	Colorado	2	Final	St.
Louis	5	San Diego	2	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	5	San Francisco	4	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	L.A.
Lakers	128	Toronto	111	Final	Washington	117	Milwaukee	113	Final	Miami	109	New
York	99	Final	Philadelphia	109	Oklahoma
City	105	Final	Minnesota	113	Houston	106	Final	Cleveland	129	Utah	113	Final	Denver	110	San
Antonio	105	Final	Sacramento	109	L.A.
Clippers	95	Final	Golden
State	104	Dallas	100

Wednesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans revamped their secondary with a pair of brand new starting cornerbacks, signing Chidobe Awuzie and trading with Kansas City for L'Jarius Sneed.

General manager Ran Carthon said Tuesday that's up for them to decide.

“We paid a lot of money to get those two guys on the outside,” Carthon said. "So I expect those guys to play, you know, really well.”

The Titans introduced Sneed on Tuesday after capping a spending frenzy to start free agency. Tennessee had to trade with Kansas City with the Chiefs using the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed.

Sneed got a new contract making him the NFL's fifth-highest paid cornerback at an average of $19.4 million. He now has the fourth-highest guaranteed money among cornerbacks with $55 million, according to Spotrac.com. Awuzie got a three-year deal for $36 million with $23 million guaranteed.

Carthon credited Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk along with fellow owners Kenneth and Barclay Adams with approving their plan for free agency. Tennessee has spent $306.4 million in free agency and extensions — most in the NFL per Spotrac.com.

“We came in with a targeted plan and idea of what we wanted to do,” Carthon said.

Sneed was seen as one of the top cornerbacks available as someone Kansas City allowed to roam and defend each opponent's top receiver. As a fourth-round pick at No. 138 overall in 2020 out of Louisiana Tech, Sneed expects that to continue in Tennessee.

He'll be working for new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and Chris Harris, who was retained as the Titans' passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach.

The Titans introduced Sneed on Tuesday after announcing the trade late last week. Carthon pointed to logistics with Tennessee agreeing to the deal just before the NFL spring owners meetings and Sneed needing to pass a physical as well.

“I just feel like I deserve to be known to be the highest paid off of my season that I had last year," Sneed said. "That’s why I wanted to shoot that number up there high, and I feel that I deserved it.”

Sneed said money won't change anything about how aggressively he plays. He ranked second on the Chiefs last season with 17 penalties during the regular season because Sneed's not afraid to get his hands on wide receivers.

He's looking forward to testing both of the Titans' wide receivers — three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins and their other big free agent addition in Calvin Ridley. Sneed said they've both talked at each other during games and he doesn't think anyone else runs routes like Ridley.

Does Sneed care which receiver he lines up against when practices begin?

“Both of them are great receivers, so whoever lines up in front of me that’s who’s going to get the work," Sneed said.

Adding Sneed and Awuzie helps Tennessee upgrade a position that has been an issue after trying to fix it through the draft. Caleb Farley, the 22nd pick overall in 2021, has played only 12 games. The Titans let Kristian Fulton, a second-rounder in 2020, leave in free agency this spring.

Only Roger McCreary, the 35th pick overall in 2022, has been healthy and available. Now he gives the Titans flexibility along with Awuzie, who began his NFL career in Dallas as the 60th pick overall out of Colorado in 2017, before starting 74 of 86 games with Cincinnati.

Sneed has 10 career interceptions, Awuzie has six and McCreary two in his first two seasons. That helps a defense that had just six picks all of last season. News the Titans had traded for Sneed prompted two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons to applaud the move on social media.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans revamped their secondary with a pair of brand new starting cornerbacks, signing Chidobe Awuzie and trading with Kansas City for L'Jarius Sneed.Can they be the NFL 's best?General manager Ran Carthon said Tuesday that's up for them to decide.“We paid a lot of money to get those two guys on the outside,” Carthon said. "So I expect those guys to play, you know, really well.”The Titans introduced Sneed on Tuesday after capping a spending frenzy to start free agency. Tennessee had to trade with Kansas City with the Chiefs using the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed.Sneed got a new contract making him the NFL's fifth-highest paid cornerback at an average of $19.4 million. He now has the fourth-highest guaranteed money among cornerbacks with $55 million, according to Spotrac.com. Awuzie got a three-year deal for $36 million with $23 million guaranteed.Carthon credited Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk along with fellow owners Kenneth and Barclay Adams with approving their plan for free agency. Tennessee has spent $306.4 million in free agency and extensions — most in the NFL per Spotrac.com.“We came in with a targeted plan and idea of what we wanted to do,” Carthon said.Sneed was seen as one of the top cornerbacks available as someone Kansas City allowed to roam and defend each opponent's top receiver. As a fourth-round pick at No. 138 overall in 2020 out of Louisiana Tech, Sneed expects that to continue in Tennessee.He'll be working for new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and Chris Harris, who was retained as the Titans' passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach.The Titans introduced Sneed on Tuesday after announcing the trade late last week. Carthon pointed to logistics with Tennessee agreeing to the deal just before the NFL spring owners meetings and Sneed needing to pass a physical as well.“I just feel like I deserve to be known to be the highest paid off of my season that I had last year," Sneed said. "That’s why I wanted to shoot that number up there high, and I feel that I deserved it.”Sneed said money won't change anything about how aggressively he plays. He ranked second on the Chiefs last season with 17 penalties during the regular season because Sneed's not afraid to get his hands on wide receivers.He's looking forward to testing both of the Titans' wide receivers — three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins and their other big free agent addition in Calvin Ridley. Sneed said they've both talked at each other during games and he doesn't think anyone else runs routes like Ridley.Does Sneed care which receiver he lines up against when practices begin?“Both of them are great receivers, so whoever lines up in front of me that’s who’s going to get the work," Sneed said.Adding Sneed and Awuzie helps Tennessee upgrade a position that has been an issue after trying to fix it through the draft. Caleb Farley, the 22nd pick overall in 2021, has played only 12 games. The Titans let Kristian Fulton, a second-rounder in 2020, leave in free agency this spring.Only Roger McCreary, the 35th pick overall in 2022, has been healthy and available. Now he gives the Titans flexibility along with Awuzie, who began his NFL career in Dallas as the 60th pick overall out of Colorado in 2017, before starting 74 of 86 games with Cincinnati.Sneed has 10 career interceptions, Awuzie has six and McCreary two in his first two seasons. That helps a defense that had just six picks all of last season. News the Titans had traded for Sneed prompted two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons to applaud the move on social media.

Big-spending Titans see L'Jarius Sneed as key piece of revamped secondary

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

Carson Wentz has agreed to a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract hasn’t been announced.

Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in 2016, joins his fifth team in five years to back up three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. He spent last season with the Rams and led Los Angeles to a victory in the final game in his only start.

Blaine Gabbert backed up Mahomes in 2023 when the Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl and third in five years.

Wentz was 47-45-1 as a starter in eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders and Rams. He finished third in AP NFL MVP voting in 2017 but tore two knee ligaments late in the season and watched backup Nick Foles lead the Eagles to the franchise’s only Super Bowl victory.

Wentz last started 17 games in a season for the Colts in 2021, going 9-8. He threw for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football WriterCarson Wentz has agreed to a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract hasn’t been announced.Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in 2016, joins his fifth team in five years to back up three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. He spent last season with the Rams and led Los Angeles to a victory in the final game in his only start.Blaine Gabbert backed up Mahomes in 2023 when the Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl and third in five years.Wentz was 47-45-1 as a starter in eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders and Rams. He finished third in AP NFL MVP voting in 2017 but tore two knee ligaments late in the season and watched backup Nick Foles lead the Eagles to the franchise’s only Super Bowl victory.Wentz last started 17 games in a season for the Colts in 2021, going 9-8. He threw for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Carson Wentz agrees to a 1-year deal with the Chiefs to back up Patrick Mahomes

- The "Voice of the Cougars" Cole Reif has more on the Barton Cougars National Championship and 36-1 season that came to a conclusion with a win over Triton College Saturday in Hutchinson.

- Barton Softball coach Carson Dubose preview's the Lady Cougars Wednesday doubleheader at home against Butler.

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend Panther Tennis coach Chris Manning.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lb9LucJWH6c?si=Kl3X5JGKfU9JPGik" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- The "Voice of the Cougars" Cole Reif has more on the Barton Cougars National Championship and 36-1 season that came to a conclusion with a win over Triton College Saturday in Hutchinson.- Barton Softball coach Carson Dubose preview's the Lady Cougars Wednesday doubleheader at home against Butler.- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend Panther Tennis coach Chris Manning.- Tuesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Tuesday on Sports Day (Watch)

Area track and field leaders through April 1

The Lady Panther swim team will make its home debut this afternoon at Barton Community College. Great Bend scored 402 points for third place last Thursday at Campus. Derby took the meet with 611 points, followed by the host Colts with 469 points. Thirty-six Derby points came in the diving event, and Campus scored 32 points.

Clarise Snapp led the way with a silver medal in the 100-yard breast in 1:21.72, just 0.62 seconds from the win. Ava Gregg finished behind her in 1:28.09 for the bronze, and Madelynne Siefkes placed sixth in 1:34.54.

Ellie Lutt finished third-place in the 500 free in 7:21.59 to miss the silver by 53 seconds. Siefkes placed seventh in 7:56.60.

The 200-yard medley relay placed fifth in 2:17.46 team of Emilee Hall, Ava Gregg, Ally Howard, and Josephine Mazouch placed fifth in 2:17.46 to miss the bronze by five seconds. The squad of Snapp, Meredith Mazouch, Avah Holden, and Katelyn Mermis swam seventh in 2:28.17.

Darcy Feist placed fourth in the 200 free in 2:27.21 to miss the bronze by six seconds. Sydney Kruckenberg finished seventh in 2:32.50. Snapp swam sixth in the 200 IM in 2:54.74 to miss the bronze by 17 seconds. Gregg followed in 2:58.74 for seventh.

Josephine Mazouch finished fourth in the 50 free in 27.73 to miss the bronze by 0.06 seconds and state qualification by just over a second. Feist swam sixth in 29.64. Mazouch also placed fourth in the 100 free in 1:01.27, less than a second behind the bronze. Sydney Gilkison finished 13th in 1:13.91.

Ally Howard placed fifth in the 100 fly in 1:26.86 to miss the bronze by 12 seconds. Mermis finished seventh in 1:40.80. Meredith Mazouch finished seventh in the 100 back in 1:27.67, 13 seconds off the bronze. Olivia Boone swam 11th in 1:39.50.

The 200 free relay of Hall, Feist, Mermis, and Josephine Mazouch placed fifth in 2:03.57 to miss the bronze by less than two seconds. The team of Kruckenberg, Gilkison, Meredith Mazouch, and Braylee Carper finished behind the other Great Bend team in 2:05.42.

The 400 free relay squad of Feist, Snapp, Kruckenberg, and Carper placed fourth in 4:42.49, six seconds from the bronze. The team of Howard, Lutt, Gregg, and Gilkison placed sixth in 5:24.59.

The Lady Panthers hit the water Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Barton Community College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886602159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Lady Panther swim team will make its home debut this afternoon at Barton Community College. Great Bend scored 402 points for third place last Thursday at Campus. Derby took the meet with 611 points, followed by the host Colts with 469 points. Thirty-six Derby points came in the diving event, and Campus scored 32 points.Clarise Snapp led the way with a silver medal in the 100-yard breast in 1:21.72, just 0.62 seconds from the win. Ava Gregg finished behind her in 1:28.09 for the bronze, and Madelynne Siefkes placed sixth in 1:34.54.Ellie Lutt finished third-place in the 500 free in 7:21.59 to miss the silver by 53 seconds. Siefkes placed seventh in 7:56.60.The 200-yard medley relay placed fifth in 2:17.46 team of Emilee Hall, Ava Gregg, Ally Howard, and Josephine Mazouch placed fifth in 2:17.46 to miss the bronze by five seconds. The squad of Snapp, Meredith Mazouch, Avah Holden, and Katelyn Mermis swam seventh in 2:28.17.Darcy Feist placed fourth in the 200 free in 2:27.21 to miss the bronze by six seconds. Sydney Kruckenberg finished seventh in 2:32.50. Snapp swam sixth in the 200 IM in 2:54.74 to miss the bronze by 17 seconds. Gregg followed in 2:58.74 for seventh.Josephine Mazouch finished fourth in the 50 free in 27.73 to miss the bronze by 0.06 seconds and state qualification by just over a second. Feist swam sixth in 29.64. Mazouch also placed fourth in the 100 free in 1:01.27, less than a second behind the bronze. Sydney Gilkison finished 13th in 1:13.91.Ally Howard placed fifth in the 100 fly in 1:26.86 to miss the bronze by 12 seconds. Mermis finished seventh in 1:40.80. Meredith Mazouch finished seventh in the 100 back in 1:27.67, 13 seconds off the bronze. Olivia Boone swam 11th in 1:39.50.The 200 free relay of Hall, Feist, Mermis, and Josephine Mazouch placed fifth in 2:03.57 to miss the bronze by less than two seconds. The team of Kruckenberg, Gilkison, Meredith Mazouch, and Braylee Carper finished behind the other Great Bend team in 2:05.42.The 400 free relay squad of Feist, Snapp, Kruckenberg, and Carper placed fourth in 4:42.49, six seconds from the bronze. The team of Howard, Lutt, Gregg, and Gilkison placed sixth in 5:24.59.The Lady Panthers hit the water Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Barton Community College.

Lady Panthers swimmers third at Campus, at home today

DALLAS (AP) — An attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice said Monday that the wide receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend.

A total of six vehicles were involved in the crash shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the northbound lanes of North Central Expressway, Dallas police said Monday. The people in the Lamborghini and Corvette left the scene without determining if anyone needed medical attention or providing their information, police said. Two of the drivers in the other vehicles were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and two occupants of another vehicle were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Dallas television station WFAA, citing unnamed sources, reported that one of the speeding vehicles was registered to Rice. Police said Monday morning that they were working to identify the occupants of the Corvette and Lamborghini but did not release any information about the people they were seeking and would not confirm reports that Rice was among them.

Police spokesperson Kristin Lowman said early Monday evening that she could confirm that police had “spoken with members of legal counsel but have not conducted interviews with potentially involved individuals in Saturday’s crash.”

State Sen. Royce West, an attorney for Rice, said in a statement Monday that his client’s thoughts were with everyone impacted by the accident and that he was cooperating with local authorities.

West said in the statement that Rice “will take all necessary steps to address this situation responsibly.”

Police said the drivers of the Corvette and Lamborghini were speeding in the far left lane when they lost control and the Lamborghini traveled onto the shoulder and hit the center median wall, causing the chain collision.

Rice, a member of the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs team, is from the Dallas area. He played for Southern Methodist University and grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills.

Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in an interview Monday with KCMO Talk Radio's “Mundo in the Morning” that the team will “react accordingly” once more is known about what happened.

“In all these situations you have to wait until you have all the facts, and frankly, we don’t have all the facts at this point,” Donovan said.

DALLAS (AP) — An attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice said Monday that the wide receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend.A total of six vehicles were involved in the crash shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the northbound lanes of North Central Expressway, Dallas police said Monday. The people in the Lamborghini and Corvette left the scene without determining if anyone needed medical attention or providing their information, police said. Two of the drivers in the other vehicles were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and two occupants of another vehicle were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.Dallas television station WFAA, citing unnamed sources, reported that one of the speeding vehicles was registered to Rice. Police said Monday morning that they were working to identify the occupants of the Corvette and Lamborghini but did not release any information about the people they were seeking and would not confirm reports that Rice was among them.Police spokesperson Kristin Lowman said early Monday evening that she could confirm that police had “spoken with members of legal counsel but have not conducted interviews with potentially involved individuals in Saturday’s crash.”State Sen. Royce West, an attorney for Rice, said in a statement Monday that his client’s thoughts were with everyone impacted by the accident and that he was cooperating with local authorities.West said in the statement that Rice “will take all necessary steps to address this situation responsibly.”Police said the drivers of the Corvette and Lamborghini were speeding in the far left lane when they lost control and the Lamborghini traveled onto the shoulder and hit the center median wall, causing the chain collision.Rice, a member of the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs team, is from the Dallas area. He played for Southern Methodist University and grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills.Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in an interview Monday with KCMO Talk Radio's “Mundo in the Morning” that the team will “react accordingly” once more is known about what happened.“In all these situations you have to wait until you have all the facts, and frankly, we don’t have all the facts at this point,” Donovan said.

Chiefs player Rashee Rice is cooperating with police after sports car crash in Dallas

Last week's triangular softball action with Manhattan and McPherson was rescheduled for Monday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. On another chilly day, the Lady Panthers suffered their first loss of the season to Manhattan in game one 4-1. Great Bend survived a comeback bid from McPherson in game two to win 8-6. The Lady Panthers move to 5-1 on the season.

After two scoreless innings, Katherine Mazouch opened the bottom of the third inning against McPherson with a single. She scored on a double from Paige Thexton, who came around to score on a double from Kya Behr for a 2-0 lead.

McPherson homered in the top of the fifth to tie the score 2-2. Thexton answered with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the frame. Behr tacked on a 3-run double in the bottom of the sixth to bump the Panther lead to 8-2.

Chayla Prendergast threw the first 6.2 innings for Great Bend, striking out five with eight walks. The Bullpups strung out seven hits for six earned runs against the freshman. With the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the seventh, sophomore Braelyn Turner entered the game and struck out her first McPherson opponent to secure the win.

The teams combined for 16 walks in the game. Thexton homered, doubled, and walked, driving in three and scoring three times. Behr doubled for her two hits and also walked, driving in four runs. Mazouch, Prendergast, and DeShawnna Bryant all singled in the win, and Mazouch also walked and scored twice.

Great Bend fell into a 2-0 hole in the first inning of game one against Manhattan. Alyssa McCauley scored on an inside-the-park home run in the second inning but proved to be it for the Lady Panther offense as Manhattan plated two insurance runs later in the game.

Bryant and Denver Ringo doubled in the loss, and Halle Post and Behr provided the other two hits, both singles.&nbsp;

Turner threw all seven innings in the circle, striking out eight with four earned runs on nine hits.

Great Bend travels to Liberal on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886547614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsLast week's triangular softball action with Manhattan and McPherson was rescheduled for Monday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. On another chilly day, the Lady Panthers suffered their first loss of the season to Manhattan in game one 4-1. Great Bend survived a comeback bid from McPherson in game two to win 8-6. The Lady Panthers move to 5-1 on the season.After two scoreless innings, Katherine Mazouch opened the bottom of the third inning against McPherson with a single. She scored on a double from Paige Thexton, who came around to score on a double from Kya Behr for a 2-0 lead.McPherson homered in the top of the fifth to tie the score 2-2. Thexton answered with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the frame. Behr tacked on a 3-run double in the bottom of the sixth to bump the Panther lead to 8-2.Chayla Prendergast threw the first 6.2 innings for Great Bend, striking out five with eight walks. The Bullpups strung out seven hits for six earned runs against the freshman. With the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the seventh, sophomore Braelyn Turner entered the game and struck out her first McPherson opponent to secure the win.The teams combined for 16 walks in the game. Thexton homered, doubled, and walked, driving in three and scoring three times. Behr doubled for her two hits and also walked, driving in four runs. Mazouch, Prendergast, and DeShawnna Bryant all singled in the win, and Mazouch also walked and scored twice.Great Bend fell into a 2-0 hole in the first inning of game one against Manhattan. Alyssa McCauley scored on an inside-the-park home run in the second inning but proved to be it for the Lady Panther offense as Manhattan plated two insurance runs later in the game.Bryant and Denver Ringo doubled in the loss, and Halle Post and Behr provided the other two hits, both singles.&nbsp;Turner threw all seven innings in the circle, striking out eight with four earned runs on nine hits.Great Bend travels to Liberal on Tuesday.

Lady Panthers suffer first loss, rebound to beat McPherson

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Monday night.

Westburg's opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2 pitch from Nick Anderson (0-1) after the Royals rallied to tie the game in the top of the inning.

“I really wasn't trying to do too much, just trying to move the ball and get to the next man (in the lineup)," Westburg said.

Instead, the second-year infielder put an end to a tight contest.

“That was the coolest moment of my career so far,” Westburg said. “I've never had a walk-off in all my years I've played baseball. To have my first one here in Baltimore is pretty special.”

Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three runs for the Orioles.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep.

With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, singles by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman put runners at the corners with two outs for Mountcastle, who reached on an RBI infield single when first baseman Nick Loftin couldn't handle the throw from the shortstop Witt.

That gave closer Craig Kimbrel (1-0) a chance to seal the victory in his Baltimore debut. But Kyle Isbel singled, and pinch-runner Dairon Blanco stole second and third before scoring on a fly ball by Maikel Garcia.

Westburg delivered in the bottom half. He leaped in joy after rounding first base and was drenched in water after arriving at the plate.

“It just an euphoric feeling, seeing that ball go over the wall,” he said.

Making his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings. The only three hits he allowed came in succession in the fourth, when Baltimore bounced back from a 3-0 deficit to pull even.

“Good one to build off of,” Wacha said. “I felt like I had good command of stuff early, and carried it toward the end of my outing as well.”

Orioles starter Dean Kremer allowed three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Witt hit a solo shot in the third and Perez added a two-run drive to put the Royals up 3-0.

Rutschman doubled leading off the Baltimore fourth, Anthony Santander followed with an RBI single and Mountcastle went deep.

“Our guys went out and put up a three-spot, and as a pitcher you want to be able to hold that lead,” Wacha said. “It was frustrating giving it right back to them a couple innings later.”

The Orioles fumbled two grounders for errors in the first inning, but a pair of superb fielding plays kept the game tied in the seventh. After Nelson Velázquez hit a one-out double, Mountcastle dived to snare a grounder past first base and beat Isbel to the bag. Henderson then charged to pick up a short-hop grounder to shortstop and threw out speedy Maikel Garcia.

Orioles: LHP John Means (elbow) began his rehabilitation assignment by yielding two homers and seven runs in one-plus innings for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. “The numbers didn't show great success but he felt good physically,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday. “That's what matters in any rehab, for sure.”

Royals: INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) is “progressing well” and could begin a rehab assignment “in the next few days,” manager Matt Quatraro said.

There's rain in the forecast Tuesday night, when Orioles starter Cole Irvin is scheduled to face the Royals and Alec Marsh, who lost his first eight decisions as a rookie last year before finishing 3-9.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Monday night.Westburg's opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2 pitch from Nick Anderson (0-1) after the Royals rallied to tie the game in the top of the inning.“I really wasn't trying to do too much, just trying to move the ball and get to the next man (in the lineup)," Westburg said.Instead, the second-year infielder put an end to a tight contest.“That was the coolest moment of my career so far,” Westburg said. “I've never had a walk-off in all my years I've played baseball. To have my first one here in Baltimore is pretty special.”Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three runs for the Orioles.Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep.With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, singles by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman put runners at the corners with two outs for Mountcastle, who reached on an RBI infield single when first baseman Nick Loftin couldn't handle the throw from the shortstop Witt.That gave closer Craig Kimbrel (1-0) a chance to seal the victory in his Baltimore debut. But Kyle Isbel singled, and pinch-runner Dairon Blanco stole second and third before scoring on a fly ball by Maikel Garcia.Westburg delivered in the bottom half. He leaped in joy after rounding first base and was drenched in water after arriving at the plate.“It just an euphoric feeling, seeing that ball go over the wall,” he said.Making his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings. The only three hits he allowed came in succession in the fourth, when Baltimore bounced back from a 3-0 deficit to pull even.“Good one to build off of,” Wacha said. “I felt like I had good command of stuff early, and carried it toward the end of my outing as well.”Orioles starter Dean Kremer allowed three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.Witt hit a solo shot in the third and Perez added a two-run drive to put the Royals up 3-0.Rutschman doubled leading off the Baltimore fourth, Anthony Santander followed with an RBI single and Mountcastle went deep.“Our guys went out and put up a three-spot, and as a pitcher you want to be able to hold that lead,” Wacha said. “It was frustrating giving it right back to them a couple innings later.”FIELDING GEMSThe Orioles fumbled two grounders for errors in the first inning, but a pair of superb fielding plays kept the game tied in the seventh. After Nelson Velázquez hit a one-out double, Mountcastle dived to snare a grounder past first base and beat Isbel to the bag. Henderson then charged to pick up a short-hop grounder to shortstop and threw out speedy Maikel Garcia.TRAINER'S ROOMOrioles: LHP John Means (elbow) began his rehabilitation assignment by yielding two homers and seven runs in one-plus innings for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. “The numbers didn't show great success but he felt good physically,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday. “That's what matters in any rehab, for sure.”Royals: INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) is “progressing well” and could begin a rehab assignment “in the next few days,” manager Matt Quatraro said.UP NEXTThere's rain in the forecast Tuesday night, when Orioles starter Cole Irvin is scheduled to face the Royals and Alec Marsh, who lost his first eight decisions as a rookie last year before finishing 3-9.

Westburg delivers tiebreaking homer in 9th to lift Orioles past Royals 6-4

DALLAS (AP) — An
attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice says the wide
receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette
and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash
on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend. Police say the occupants
of both of the speeding sports cars left the scene after the crash
shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Police said Monday they were
working to identify the occupants of the Corvette and Lamborghini.
Sources told television station WFAA that one of the speeding
vehicles was registered to Rice. An attorney for Rice says his client
is cooperating with local authorities.

BALTIMORE (AP) —
Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the
ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City
Royals 6-4. Westburg’s opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2
pitch from Nick Anderson after the Royals rallied to tie the game in
the top of the inning. Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three
runs for the Orioles. Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for
the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep. Making
his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract
in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings.

SAN DIEGO (AP) —
Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan each hit a two-run home run,
Kyle Gibson was dominant in his St. Louis debut and the Cardinals won
6-2 against their former manager Mike Schildt and the San Diego
Padres. Shildt managed the Cardinals from August 2018 until 2021,
when he was fired suddenly despite leading them to three straight
playoff berths and winning the 2019 NL Manager of the Year Award. He
worked in the Padres’ organization the last two seasons before
being promoted to manager in October after Bob Melvin left for his
hometown San Francisco Giants with one year remaining on his contract
in San Diego.

CHICAGO (AP) —
Shota Imanaga pitched six sparkling innings in his major league
debut, and the Cubs used another defensive mistake by Nolan Jones to
beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Monday. Working in short sleeves on
a cold, gray afternoon, Imanaga struck out nine in Chicago’s home
opener. The Japanese left-hander, who signed a $53 million, four-year
contract with the Cubs in January, allowed two singles and walked
none — throwing 65 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Dakota Hudson
also was impressive in his first start for Colorado, but a pair of
errors on Jones on one play in the sixth sent the right-hander to the
loss.

HOUSTON (AP) —
Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw the first no-hitter in the
major leagues this season, blanking the Toronto Blue Jays 10-0. The
right-hander struck out seven and walked two. He walked George
Springer to start the game and again with two outs in the ninth. When
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to end it, Blanco smiled broadly
before raising his arms above his head just before being mobbed by
teammates. It was the 17th no-hitter in Astros history and the first
in the majors since Philadelphia’s Michael Lorenzen threw one
against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 9 of last year.

WASHINGTON (AP) —
Let other folks downplay the way the Pittsburgh Pirates have begun
2024. Manager Derek Shelton is thrilled that his club is 5-0 for the
first time in 41 years. Pittsburgh also has scored at least a
half-dozen runs each time out this deep into a season for the first
time in at least 124 years. The Pirates opened a three-game series at
the Washington Nationals with an 8-4 victory Monday night. That
followed a four-game sweep at the Miami Marlins to open the season.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 76-86 record a year ago and a fourth-place
finish in the NL Central.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) —
Caitlin Clark made nine 3-pointers and finished with 41 points and 12
assists in a sensational performance as Iowa knocked defending
national champion LSU out of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a
94-87 victory, advancing the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final
Four. Top-seeded Iowa will play UConn in the national semifinals
Friday night in Cleveland. Monday’s highly anticipated matchup was
a rematch of last year’s national championship game won by LSU,
which drew a record 9.9 million viewers. With the game tied at 45
after an entertaining first half, Clark took over in the third
quarter. She hit four 3-pointers in the period.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— After being a spectator a year ago, Paige Bueckers is headed back
to the Final Four after scoring 28 points and lifting UConn to a
80-73 win over Southern California in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Bueckers outdueled fabulous USC freshman All-American JuJu Watkins,
sparking a decisive run over the final five minutes that sent
third-seeded UConn to its 23rd Final Four, the most of any school.
Leading 65-64, the Huskies scored 11 straight points, including seven
from Bueckers and a three-point play from Aaliyah Edwards to finally
put away the top-seeded Trojans. Edwards finished with 24 points.
Watkins scored 29 points for USC.

UNDATED (AP) —
Drake has hired Ben McCollum as its basketball coach. He replaces
Darian DeVries, who was hired by West Virginia after taking the
Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournaments in the last four years. The
42-year-old McCollum grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa, and played junior
college ball in the state before finishing his playing career at
Northwest Missouri State. He went into coaching at his alma mater,
spent four years at rival Emporia State, then returned to the
Bearcats in 2009 as a 27-year-old head coach. Over the next 15
seasons, Northwest Missouri State won four national championships
along with 12 regular-season conference titles and eight conference
tournament titles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — An
attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice says the wide
receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette
and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash
on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend. Police say the occupants
of both of the speeding sports cars left the scene after the crash
shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Police said Monday they were
working to identify the occupants of the Corvette and Lamborghini.
Sources told television station WFAA that one of the speeding
vehicles was registered to Rice. An attorney for Rice says his client
is cooperating with local authorities.BALTIMORE (AP) —
Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the
ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City
Royals 6-4. Westburg’s opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2
pitch from Nick Anderson after the Royals rallied to tie the game in
the top of the inning. Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three
runs for the Orioles. Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for
the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep. Making
his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract
in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings.SAN DIEGO (AP) —
Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan each hit a two-run home run,
Kyle Gibson was dominant in his St. Louis debut and the Cardinals won
6-2 against their former manager Mike Schildt and the San Diego
Padres. Shildt managed the Cardinals from August 2018 until 2021,
when he was fired suddenly despite leading them to three straight
playoff berths and winning the 2019 NL Manager of the Year Award. He
worked in the Padres’ organization the last two seasons before
being promoted to manager in October after Bob Melvin left for his
hometown San Francisco Giants with one year remaining on his contract
in San Diego.CHICAGO (AP) —
Shota Imanaga pitched six sparkling innings in his major league
debut, and the Cubs used another defensive mistake by Nolan Jones to
beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Monday. Working in short sleeves on
a cold, gray afternoon, Imanaga struck out nine in Chicago’s home
opener. The Japanese left-hander, who signed a $53 million, four-year
contract with the Cubs in January, allowed two singles and walked
none — throwing 65 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Dakota Hudson
also was impressive in his first start for Colorado, but a pair of
errors on Jones on one play in the sixth sent the right-hander to the
loss.HOUSTON (AP) —
Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw the first no-hitter in the
major leagues this season, blanking the Toronto Blue Jays 10-0. The
right-hander struck out seven and walked two. He walked George
Springer to start the game and again with two outs in the ninth. When
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to end it, Blanco smiled broadly
before raising his arms above his head just before being mobbed by
teammates. It was the 17th no-hitter in Astros history and the first
in the majors since Philadelphia’s Michael Lorenzen threw one
against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 9 of last year.WASHINGTON (AP) —
Let other folks downplay the way the Pittsburgh Pirates have begun
2024. Manager Derek Shelton is thrilled that his club is 5-0 for the
first time in 41 years. Pittsburgh also has scored at least a
half-dozen runs each time out this deep into a season for the first
time in at least 124 years. The Pirates opened a three-game series at
the Washington Nationals with an 8-4 victory Monday night. That
followed a four-game sweep at the Miami Marlins to open the season.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 76-86 record a year ago and a fourth-place
finish in the NL Central.ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) —
Caitlin Clark made nine 3-pointers and finished with 41 points and 12
assists in a sensational performance as Iowa knocked defending
national champion LSU out of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a
94-87 victory, advancing the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final
Four. Top-seeded Iowa will play UConn in the national semifinals
Friday night in Cleveland. Monday’s highly anticipated matchup was
a rematch of last year’s national championship game won by LSU,
which drew a record 9.9 million viewers. With the game tied at 45
after an entertaining first half, Clark took over in the third
quarter. She hit four 3-pointers in the period.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— After being a spectator a year ago, Paige Bueckers is headed back
to the Final Four after scoring 28 points and lifting UConn to a
80-73 win over Southern California in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Bueckers outdueled fabulous USC freshman All-American JuJu Watkins,
sparking a decisive run over the final five minutes that sent
third-seeded UConn to its 23rd Final Four, the most of any school.
Leading 65-64, the Huskies scored 11 straight points, including seven
from Bueckers and a three-point play from Aaliyah Edwards to finally
put away the top-seeded Trojans. Edwards finished with 24 points.
Watkins scored 29 points for USC.UNDATED (AP) —
Drake has hired Ben McCollum as its basketball coach. He replaces
Darian DeVries, who was hired by West Virginia after taking the
Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournaments in the last four years. The
42-year-old McCollum grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa, and played junior
college ball in the state before finishing his playing career at
Northwest Missouri State. He went into coaching at his alma mater,
spent four years at rival Emporia State, then returned to the
Bearcats in 2009 as a 27-year-old head coach. Over the next 15
seasons, Northwest Missouri State won four national championships
along with 12 regular-season conference titles and eight conference
tournament titles.MONDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Atlanta	9	Chicago
White Sox	0	Final	L.A.
Angels	7	Miami	4	Final	Detroit	5	N.Y.
Mets	0	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	5	Arizona	2	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	6	Kansas
City	4	Final	Texas	9	Tampa
Bay	3	Final	Houston	10	Toronto	0	Final	Boston	9	Oakland	0	Final	Seattle	5	Cleveland	4	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Chicago
Cubs	5	Colorado	0	Final	Pittsburgh	8	Washington	4	Final	Cincinnati	6	Philadelphia	3	Final	St.
Louis	6	San Diego	2	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	8	San Francisco	3	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Boston	118	Charlotte	104	Final	Memphis	110	Detroit	108	Final	Orlando	104	Portland	103	Final	Indiana	133	Brooklyn	111	Final	Atlanta	113	Chicago	101	Final	Phoenix	124	New
Orleans	111	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	Columbus	4	Colorado	1	Final	Toronto	6	Florida	4	Final OT	N-Y
Islanders	4	Philadelphia	3	Final	Pittsburgh	5	N-Y
Rangers	2	Final	Detroit	4	Tampa
Bay	2	Final	Winnipeg	4	Los
Angeles	3	Final OT	St.
Louis	3	Edmonton	2

Tuesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports Writer

The NCAA said Monday one of the 3-point lines on the court used for the women's basketball regionals at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, was about 9 inches short of regulation, a mistake by the contractor that makes the courts used throughout March Madness.

The line has been corrected, the NCAA said. UConn and USC will play the final Elite Eight game of the tournament Monday night on that court.

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports WriterThe NCAA said Monday one of the 3-point lines on the court used for the women's basketball regionals at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, was about 9 inches short of regulation, a mistake by the contractor that makes the courts used throughout March Madness.The line has been corrected, the NCAA said. UConn and USC will play the final Elite Eight game of the tournament Monday night on that court.The NCAA uses Connor Sports to supply and install the courts. The NCAA said the marking used to draw the line at the top of the arc in the center of the court was marked too short.“For all NCAA courts, a small hole is punched in the floor at each end of the court that indicates ‘center-of-basket’ during the finishing process. A calibrated vinyl-tape device is then placed in the hole, which lays the 2-inch game line to be painted," Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president for women’s basketball, said in an email update that went out to members.After reviewing the Portland court, it was found that the center hole was punched about 9 inches short of where it needed to be at the apex of the 3-point arc.“Connor Sports and the NCAA found the inaccurate line was the result of human error by the finisher contracted by Connor Sports,” Holzman said. “The review also found the sides of the 3-point line were accurately painted, as were all other court markings.”The discrepancy in distance was discovered Sunday when Texas and North Carolina State played an Elite Eight game to determine a spot in the Final Four. Four games already had been been played over two days with the mismatched 3-point lines.The teams’ coaches agreed to play Sunday’s game as scheduled with one line shorter than the other rather than delay it. N.C. State beat Texas 76-66 to advance to the Final Four.The NCAA 3-point line is at 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches for both women and men.“We apologize for this error and the length of time for which it went unnoticed,” Holzman said. "Simply put, this court did not meet our expectations, and the NCAA should have caught the error sooner.