CHICAGO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals’ game at the Chicago White Sox has been postponed because of rain. It will be made up on Wednesday afternoon as part of a straight doubleheader. Kansas City beat Chicago 2-0 in the series opener on Monday night. White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon takes the mound in the doubleheader opener for his big league debut. Right-hander Brady Singer starts for the Royals. Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha and Chicago right-hander Erick Fedde pitch in the second game.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals’ game at the Chicago White Sox has been postponed because of rain. It will be made up on Wednesday afternoon as part of a straight doubleheader. Kansas City beat Chicago 2-0 in the series opener on Monday night. White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon takes the mound in the doubleheader opener for his big league debut. Right-hander Brady Singer starts for the Royals. Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha and Chicago right-hander Erick Fedde pitch in the second game.

Royals at White Sox game has been postponed by rain

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press

Travis Kelce's NFL off-season with the Kansas City Chiefs has been a busy one.

The Super Bowl LVIII-winning tight end is the host of a new game show called “Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?” for Prime Video, the streaming service confirmed Tuesday. Filming for the 20-episode season has already completed.

The premise is a twist on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?", which debuted on Fox in 2007 and was hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. It also aired in syndication. John Cena hosted a 2019 revival for Nickelodeon.

In Kelce's show, an adult contestant will be given 11 elementary-level questions where they can ask a classroom of various celebrities for help answering. The final question is from the 6th grade curriculum and is worth $100,000. Only one celebrity is allowed to talk through the answer to the last question with the contestant.

Kelce, who is dating music superstar Taylor Swift, said in a statement he grew up watching game shows and is “excited to be following in the footsteps of so many TV icons.”

This isn't Kelce's first TV gig. He starred in his own 2016 dating competition show for E! called “Catching Kelce" and hosted an episode of “Saturday Night Live” last year.

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated PressTravis Kelce's NFL off-season with the Kansas City Chiefs has been a busy one.The Super Bowl LVIII-winning tight end is the host of a new game show called “Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?” for Prime Video, the streaming service confirmed Tuesday. Filming for the 20-episode season has already completed.The premise is a twist on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?", which debuted on Fox in 2007 and was hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. It also aired in syndication. John Cena hosted a 2019 revival for Nickelodeon.In Kelce's show, an adult contestant will be given 11 elementary-level questions where they can ask a classroom of various celebrities for help answering. The final question is from the 6th grade curriculum and is worth $100,000. Only one celebrity is allowed to talk through the answer to the last question with the contestant.Kelce, who is dating music superstar Taylor Swift, said in a statement he grew up watching game shows and is “excited to be following in the footsteps of so many TV icons.”This isn't Kelce's first TV gig. He starred in his own 2016 dating competition show for E! called “Catching Kelce" and hosted an episode of “Saturday Night Live” last year.

Travis Kelce named host of 'Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?'

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" for Panther Sports

<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/1foeWUJPhBo?si=PuFzmC8wLCU3DOfb" 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>- "Voice of the Cougars" Cole Reif- Barton Softball coach Carson Dubose- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" for Panther Sports- Tuesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Tuesday on Sports Day (Watch) 

NEW YORK (AP) — Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as "Whiteyball," has died. He was 92.

Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Tuesday the team had been informed of his death by Herzog's family. The team was not yet sure whether it happened Monday night or Tuesday. Herzog had been at Busch Stadium on April 4 for the Cardinals' home opener.

A crew-cut, pot-bellied tobacco chewer who had no patience for the "buddy-buddy" school of management, Herzog joined the Cardinals in 1980 and helped end the team's decade-plus pennant drought by adapting it to the artificial surface and distant fences of Busch Memorial Stadium. A typical Cardinals victory under Herzog was a low-scoring, 1-run game, sealed in the final innings by a “bullpen by committee,” relievers who might be replaced after a single pitch, or temporarily shifted to the outfield, then brought back to the mound.

The Cardinals had power hitters in George Hendrick and Jack Clark, but they mostly relied on the speed and resourcefulness of switch-hitters Vince Coleman and Willie McGee, the acrobat fielding of shortstop and future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith and the effective pitching of starters such as John Tudor and Danny Cox and relievers Todd Worrell, Ken Dayley and Jeff Lahti. For the '82 champions, Herzog didn't bother rotating relievers, but simply brought in future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to finish the job.

"They (the media) seemed to think there was something wrong with the way we played baseball, with speed and defense and line-drive hitters," Herzog wrote in his memoir "White Rat: A Life in Baseball," published in 1987. "They called it 'Whiteyball' and said it couldn't last."

Under Herzog, the Cards won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987, and the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. Herzog managed the Kansas City Royals to division titles in 1976-78, but they lost each time in the league championship to the New York Yankees.

Overall, Herzog was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling a record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985 and voted into the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 2010, his plaque noting his "stern, yet good-natured style," and his emphasis on speed, pitching and defense. Just before he formally entered the Hall, the Cardinals retired his uniform number, 24.

When asked about the secrets of managing, he would reply a sense of humor and a good bullpen.

Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog was born in New Athens, Illinois, a blue-collar community that would shape him long after he left. He excelled in baseball and basketball and was open to skipping the occasional class to take in a Cardinals game. Signed up by the Yankees, he was a center fielder who discovered that he had competition from a prospect born just weeks before him, Mickey Mantle.

Herzog never played for the Yankees, but he did get to know manager Casey Stengel, another master shuffler of players who became a key influence. The light-haired Herzog was named "The White Rat" because of his resemblance to Yankees pitcher Bob "The White Rat" Kuzava.

Like so many successful managers, Herzog was a mediocre player, batting just .257 over eight seasons and playing several positions. His best year was with Baltimore in 1961, when he hit .291. He also played for the Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers, with whom he ended his playing career, in 1963.

"Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it," he liked to say.

After working as a scout and coach, Herzog was hired in 1967 by the New York Mets as director of player development, with Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan among the future stars he helped bring along. The Mets liked him well enough to designate him the successor to Gil Hodges, but when the manager died suddenly in 1972 the job went to Yogi Berra. Herzog instead debuted with the Texas Rangers the following season, finishing just 47-91 before being replaced by Billy Martin. He managed the Angels for a few games in 1974 and joined the Royals the following season, his time with Kansas City peaking in 1977 when the team finished 102-60.

Many players spoke warmly of Herzog, but he didn’t hesitate to rid his teams of those he no longer wanted, dumping such Cardinals stars as outfielder Lonnie Smith and starting pitcher Joaquin Andujar. One trade worked out brilliantly: Before the 1982 season, he exchanged .300 hitting shortstop Garry Templeton, whom Herzog had chastised for not hustling, for the Padres' light-hitting Ozzie Smith, now widely regarded as the best defensive shortstop in history. Another deal was less far successful: Gold Glove first baseman Keith Hernandez, with whom Herzog had feuded, to the Mets in the middle of 1983 for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. Hernandez led New York to the World Series title in 1986, while Allen and Ownbey were soon forgotten.

Herzog was just as tough on himself, resigning in the middle of 1990 because he was “embarrassed” by the team’s 33-47 record. He served as a consultant and general manager for the Angels in the early '90s and briefly considered managing the Red Sox before the 1997 season.

If the '82 championship was the highlight of his career, his greatest blow was the '85 series. The Cardinals were up 3 games to 2 against his former team, the Royals, and in Game 6 led 1-0 going into the bottom of the ninth, with Worrell brought in to finish the job.

Jorge Orta led off and grounded a 0-2 pitch between the mound and first base. In one of the most famous blown calls in baseball history, he was ruled safe by umpire Don Denkinger, even though replays showed first baseman Jack Clark's toss to Worrell was in time. The Cardinals never recovered. Kansas City rallied for two runs to tie the series and crushed the Cards 11-0 in Game 7.

"No, I'm not bitter at Denkinger," Herzog told the AP years later. "He's a good guy, he knows he made a mistake, and he's a human being. It happened at an inopportune time but I do think they ought to have instant replay in the playoffs and World Series."

As if testing Herzog's humor, the Hall inducted him alongside an umpire, Doug Harvey.

"I don't know why he should get in," Herzog joked at the time. "Doug kicked me out of more games than any other umpire."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713282597678.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as "Whiteyball," has died. He was 92.Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Tuesday the team had been informed of his death by Herzog's family. The team was not yet sure whether it happened Monday night or Tuesday. Herzog had been at Busch Stadium on April 4 for the Cardinals' home opener.A crew-cut, pot-bellied tobacco chewer who had no patience for the "buddy-buddy" school of management, Herzog joined the Cardinals in 1980 and helped end the team's decade-plus pennant drought by adapting it to the artificial surface and distant fences of Busch Memorial Stadium. A typical Cardinals victory under Herzog was a low-scoring, 1-run game, sealed in the final innings by a “bullpen by committee,” relievers who might be replaced after a single pitch, or temporarily shifted to the outfield, then brought back to the mound.The Cardinals had power hitters in George Hendrick and Jack Clark, but they mostly relied on the speed and resourcefulness of switch-hitters Vince Coleman and Willie McGee, the acrobat fielding of shortstop and future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith and the effective pitching of starters such as John Tudor and Danny Cox and relievers Todd Worrell, Ken Dayley and Jeff Lahti. For the '82 champions, Herzog didn't bother rotating relievers, but simply brought in future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to finish the job."They (the media) seemed to think there was something wrong with the way we played baseball, with speed and defense and line-drive hitters," Herzog wrote in his memoir "White Rat: A Life in Baseball," published in 1987. "They called it 'Whiteyball' and said it couldn't last."Under Herzog, the Cards won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987, and the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. Herzog managed the Kansas City Royals to division titles in 1976-78, but they lost each time in the league championship to the New York Yankees.Overall, Herzog was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling a record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985 and voted into the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 2010, his plaque noting his "stern, yet good-natured style," and his emphasis on speed, pitching and defense. Just before he formally entered the Hall, the Cardinals retired his uniform number, 24.When asked about the secrets of managing, he would reply a sense of humor and a good bullpen.Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog was born in New Athens, Illinois, a blue-collar community that would shape him long after he left. He excelled in baseball and basketball and was open to skipping the occasional class to take in a Cardinals game. Signed up by the Yankees, he was a center fielder who discovered that he had competition from a prospect born just weeks before him, Mickey Mantle.Herzog never played for the Yankees, but he did get to know manager Casey Stengel, another master shuffler of players who became a key influence. The light-haired Herzog was named "The White Rat" because of his resemblance to Yankees pitcher Bob "The White Rat" Kuzava.Like so many successful managers, Herzog was a mediocre player, batting just .257 over eight seasons and playing several positions. His best year was with Baltimore in 1961, when he hit .291. He also played for the Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers, with whom he ended his playing career, in 1963."Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it," he liked to say.After working as a scout and coach, Herzog was hired in 1967 by the New York Mets as director of player development, with Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan among the future stars he helped bring along. The Mets liked him well enough to designate him the successor to Gil Hodges, but when the manager died suddenly in 1972 the job went to Yogi Berra. Herzog instead debuted with the Texas Rangers the following season, finishing just 47-91 before being replaced by Billy Martin. He managed the Angels for a few games in 1974 and joined the Royals the following season, his time with Kansas City peaking in 1977 when the team finished 102-60.Many players spoke warmly of Herzog, but he didn’t hesitate to rid his teams of those he no longer wanted, dumping such Cardinals stars as outfielder Lonnie Smith and starting pitcher Joaquin Andujar. One trade worked out brilliantly: Before the 1982 season, he exchanged .300 hitting shortstop Garry Templeton, whom Herzog had chastised for not hustling, for the Padres' light-hitting Ozzie Smith, now widely regarded as the best defensive shortstop in history. Another deal was less far successful: Gold Glove first baseman Keith Hernandez, with whom Herzog had feuded, to the Mets in the middle of 1983 for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. Hernandez led New York to the World Series title in 1986, while Allen and Ownbey were soon forgotten.Herzog was just as tough on himself, resigning in the middle of 1990 because he was “embarrassed” by the team’s 33-47 record. He served as a consultant and general manager for the Angels in the early '90s and briefly considered managing the Red Sox before the 1997 season.If the '82 championship was the highlight of his career, his greatest blow was the '85 series. The Cardinals were up 3 games to 2 against his former team, the Royals, and in Game 6 led 1-0 going into the bottom of the ninth, with Worrell brought in to finish the job.Jorge Orta led off and grounded a 0-2 pitch between the mound and first base. In one of the most famous blown calls in baseball history, he was ruled safe by umpire Don Denkinger, even though replays showed first baseman Jack Clark's toss to Worrell was in time. The Cardinals never recovered. Kansas City rallied for two runs to tie the series and crushed the Cards 11-0 in Game 7."No, I'm not bitter at Denkinger," Herzog told the AP years later. "He's a good guy, he knows he made a mistake, and he's a human being. It happened at an inopportune time but I do think they ought to have instant replay in the playoffs and World Series."As if testing Herzog's humor, the Hall inducted him alongside an umpire, Doug Harvey."I don't know why he should get in," Herzog joked at the time. "Doug kicked me out of more games than any other umpire."

Legendary Cardinals and Royals manager Whitey Herzog dies at 92

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Area track and field leaders through 4/15

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College cheer and dance teams wrapped up its national competition Saturday at the 2024 NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships held in Daytona Beach, Florida.

All three of Barton's entries competed in the Junior College Division, the Dance squad improving from its preliminary round score in placing 3rd overall in Team Performance, Cheer with a slightly lower final round score to place 9th in the Intermediate Small Coed, and the Cougars' Hip Hop dance squad placing 7th in their competition.

Complete results from the 2024 NCA/NDA Championships found at: <a href="https://tv.varsity.com/events/11267612-2024-nca-nda-college-nationals/results">https://tv.varsity.com/events/11267612-2024-nca-nda-college-nationals/results</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713264282646.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College cheer and dance teams wrapped up its national competition Saturday at the 2024 NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships held in Daytona Beach, Florida.All three of Barton's entries competed in the Junior College Division, the Dance squad improving from its preliminary round score in placing 3rd overall in Team Performance, Cheer with a slightly lower final round score to place 9th in the Intermediate Small Coed, and the Cougars' Hip Hop dance squad placing 7th in their competition.Complete results from the 2024 NCA/NDA Championships found at: <a href="https://tv.varsity.com/events/11267612-2024-nca-nda-college-nationals/results">https://tv.varsity.com/events/11267612-2024-nca-nda-college-nationals/results</a>

Barton Dance places 3rd at Nationals, Cheer finishes 9th

CHICAGO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven crisp innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals topped the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Monday night.

Lugo (3-0) allowed four hits — all singles — in his third straight win. The right-hander also beat the White Sox with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball on April 4.

“I feel like I had most of my pitches moving in the directions I want,” he said. “Was able to locate when I needed to.”

Kansas City improved to 5-0 against Chicago already this season. The surprising Royals have allowed a major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, and the White Sox have scored 34 runs so far — also the lowest total in the big leagues.

Andrew Benintendi had two of Chicago's four hits in its fifth consecutive loss — part of a franchise-worst 2-14 start. The White Sox became the first team to get shut out six times in their first 16 games since the 1907 Brooklyn Superbas, according to Baseball Reference.

“I just think a lot of these guys are pressing,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “But it’s not something we can talk about every single day and use that crutch. We’ve got to make adjustments, plain and simple.”

Braden Shewmake was the only Chicago runner to advance past first base. He singled and swiped second in the fifth, but was stranded there when Robbie Grossman flied to the warning track in right.

Chris Stratton got three outs for Kansas City before James McArthur earned his third save.

Gavin Sheets was hit by a pitch with two down in the ninth, but McArthur struck out pinch-hitter Eloy Jiménez for the final out.

White Sox right-hander Nick Nastrini (0-1) permitted two runs and three hits over five innings in his major league debut. He struck out five and walked two.

“For the most part I thought I executed my game plan really well,” he said, "and I was able to use my fastball the way I wanted to and I was able to use my off-speed in counts I really liked to, so I think for the most part I felt pretty good.”

Nastrini retired his first 11 batters before Pasquantino connected for his third homer in the fourth, a 421-foot drive to right on a 2-1 fastball.

Pasquantino also doubled in the sixth and walked in the eighth after hitting a home run off All-Star closer Edwin Díaz in the ninth inning of Sunday's 2-1 loss to the New York Mets.

“I just feel like I'm trying to go have good at-bats,” Pasquantino said. “That's it. Not really thinking about the result too much.”

Kyle Isbel hit a two-out RBI single in the fifth for Kansas City's second run. The Royals had a chance to break it open, but Bobby Witt Jr. flied out to the wall in center with the bases loaded.

Royals: C Salvador Perez rested after he had an MRI that showed a mild groin strain. He was replaced by Freddy Fermin. Perez left Sunday’s loss at the Mets following a fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. ... INF Michael Massey (low back strain) had an off day as he continues his rehab stint with Triple-A Omaha. “He's progressing really well,” manager Matt Quatraro said.

White Sox: Jiménez was activated from the 10-day injured list. The slugger had been sidelined by a left adductor strain.

Right-handers Brady Singer and Jonathan Cannon take the mound on Tuesday night. Singer (2-0, 0.98 ERA) pitched five innings of one-run ball in Kansas City's 13-3 victory over Houston on Thursday. Cannon will make his major league debut for Chicago.

CHICAGO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven crisp innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals topped the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Monday night.Lugo (3-0) allowed four hits — all singles — in his third straight win. The right-hander also beat the White Sox with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball on April 4.“I feel like I had most of my pitches moving in the directions I want,” he said. “Was able to locate when I needed to.”Kansas City improved to 5-0 against Chicago already this season. The surprising Royals have allowed a major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, and the White Sox have scored 34 runs so far — also the lowest total in the big leagues.Andrew Benintendi had two of Chicago's four hits in its fifth consecutive loss — part of a franchise-worst 2-14 start. The White Sox became the first team to get shut out six times in their first 16 games since the 1907 Brooklyn Superbas, according to Baseball Reference.“I just think a lot of these guys are pressing,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “But it’s not something we can talk about every single day and use that crutch. We’ve got to make adjustments, plain and simple.”Braden Shewmake was the only Chicago runner to advance past first base. He singled and swiped second in the fifth, but was stranded there when Robbie Grossman flied to the warning track in right.Chris Stratton got three outs for Kansas City before James McArthur earned his third save.Gavin Sheets was hit by a pitch with two down in the ninth, but McArthur struck out pinch-hitter Eloy Jiménez for the final out.White Sox right-hander Nick Nastrini (0-1) permitted two runs and three hits over five innings in his major league debut. He struck out five and walked two.“For the most part I thought I executed my game plan really well,” he said, "and I was able to use my fastball the way I wanted to and I was able to use my off-speed in counts I really liked to, so I think for the most part I felt pretty good.”Nastrini retired his first 11 batters before Pasquantino connected for his third homer in the fourth, a 421-foot drive to right on a 2-1 fastball.Pasquantino also doubled in the sixth and walked in the eighth after hitting a home run off All-Star closer Edwin Díaz in the ninth inning of Sunday's 2-1 loss to the New York Mets.“I just feel like I'm trying to go have good at-bats,” Pasquantino said. “That's it. Not really thinking about the result too much.”Kyle Isbel hit a two-out RBI single in the fifth for Kansas City's second run. The Royals had a chance to break it open, but Bobby Witt Jr. flied out to the wall in center with the bases loaded.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: C Salvador Perez rested after he had an MRI that showed a mild groin strain. He was replaced by Freddy Fermin. Perez left Sunday’s loss at the Mets following a fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. ... INF Michael Massey (low back strain) had an off day as he continues his rehab stint with Triple-A Omaha. “He's progressing really well,” manager Matt Quatraro said.White Sox: Jiménez was activated from the 10-day injured list. The slugger had been sidelined by a left adductor strain.UP NEXTRight-handers Brady Singer and Jonathan Cannon take the mound on Tuesday night. Singer (2-0, 0.98 ERA) pitched five innings of one-run ball in Kansas City's 13-3 victory over Houston on Thursday. Cannon will make his major league debut for Chicago.

Lugo pitches 7 crisp innings as the Royals beat the White Sox 2-0


CHICAGO (AP) — Seth Lugo
pitched seven crisp innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the
Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0. Lugo allowed four
hits in his third straight win. Kansas City improved to 5-0 against
Chicago already this season. The surprising Royals have allowed a
major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, and the White Sox
have scored 34 runs so far — also the lowest total in the big
leagues. Andrew Benintendi had two of Chicago’s four hits in its
fifth consecutive loss.


CHICAGO (AP) — Kansas City
Royals catcher Salvador Perez had an MRI that showed a mild groin
strain. It was a promising development for Kansas City after Perez
left Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the New York Mets following a
fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. Royals
manager Matt Quatraro says it was the best result the team could have
hoped for. The 33-year-old Perez rested during a 2-0 win at Chicago
in the opener of a three-game series. Freddy Fermin started at
catcher. Perez is batting .339 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16
games this season.


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Sonny
Gray struck out six and didn’t walk a batter over six scoreless
innings to beat his former club, and Willson Contreras doubled twice
and drove in a run for the St. Louis Cardinals in their 3-1 win
against the Oakland Athletics. Nolan Arenado hit an RBI single in the
first to stake Gray to an early lead against an Oakland team that had
won three of four and drew a crowd of 5,508. Esteury Ruiz was called
up by Oakland shortly before first pitch from Triple-A Las Vegas and
hit a pinch homer in the eighth.


BOSTON (AP) — Sisay Lemma of
Ethiopia ran alone for most of the Boston Marathon to win in 2 hours,
6 minutes, 17 seconds. Hellen Obiri repeated as the women's winner.
She outsprinted Sharon Lokedi down Boylston Street to win by eight
seconds. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug righted himself after crashing
into a barrier when he took a turn too fast and still coasted to his
seventh win in the men’s wheelchair race. Eden Rainbow-Cooper won
the women's wheelchair race. Nearly 30,000 runners left Hopkinton for
the 128th Boston Marathon. The sleepy New England town celebrated its
100th anniversary as the course's starting line.


UNDATED (AP) — LeBron James
and the Los Angeles Lakers are back in the play-in tournament. So is
Stephen Curry, as he and Golden State will be fighting for their
season. And Jimmy Butler returns as well, after this round last year
was the first step on Miami’s way to the NBA Finals. The postseason
gets underway Tuesday with a pair of Western Conference matchups. The
Lakers visit New Orleans and Golden State goes to Sacramento. The
Eastern Conference takes the stage Wednesday, when Philadelphia plays
host to Miami and Atlanta visits Chicago.


ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) —
The flame that is to burn at the Paris Olympics has been kindled at
the site of the ancient games in southern Greece. Cloudy skies
frustrated efforts to produce the flame in the customary fashion,
when an actress dressed as an ancient Greek priestess uses the sun to
ignite a silver torch. Instead, a backup flame was used that had been
lit on the same spot, during the final rehearsal. The flame will next
be carried from the ruined temples and sports grounds of Ancient
Olympia by a relay of torchbearers. The 11-day journey through Greece
culminates with the handover in Athens to Paris 2024 organizers.


AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Scottie
Scheffler is a Masters champion for the second time in three years.
And all he wants to do is to keep winning. He manages expectations
because he never looks too far behind or too far ahead. It's alarming
how far he has come in such a short time. It was only two years and
two months ago when Scheffler was still trying to win for the first
time on the PGA Tour. And it was only two months ago that he was
being questioned for his putting. He is now No. 1 in the world by a
margin not seen since peak Tiger Woods.


NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees
radio broadcaster John Sterling has announced his immediate
retirement at age 85, a few weeks into his 36th season in New York’s
broadcast booth. Sterling had cut back his schedule in recent years
and was not with the team for its trip to Houston and Toronto. He
called 5,420 regular-season games, the last against the Blue Jays on
April 7, plus 211 postseason games. Sterling broadcast 5,060
consecutive games from September 1989 through July 2019 after
starting with the Yankees as a pregame host.


Final	Kansas City	2	Chicago
White Sox	0	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712497619824.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
CHICAGO (AP) — Seth Lugo
pitched seven crisp innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the
Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0. Lugo allowed four
hits in his third straight win. Kansas City improved to 5-0 against
Chicago already this season. The surprising Royals have allowed a
major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, and the White Sox
have scored 34 runs so far — also the lowest total in the big
leagues. Andrew Benintendi had two of Chicago’s four hits in its
fifth consecutive loss.
CHICAGO (AP) — Kansas City
Royals catcher Salvador Perez had an MRI that showed a mild groin
strain. It was a promising development for Kansas City after Perez
left Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the New York Mets following a
fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. Royals
manager Matt Quatraro says it was the best result the team could have
hoped for. The 33-year-old Perez rested during a 2-0 win at Chicago
in the opener of a three-game series. Freddy Fermin started at
catcher. Perez is batting .339 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16
games this season.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Sonny
Gray struck out six and didn’t walk a batter over six scoreless
innings to beat his former club, and Willson Contreras doubled twice
and drove in a run for the St. Louis Cardinals in their 3-1 win
against the Oakland Athletics. Nolan Arenado hit an RBI single in the
first to stake Gray to an early lead against an Oakland team that had
won three of four and drew a crowd of 5,508. Esteury Ruiz was called
up by Oakland shortly before first pitch from Triple-A Las Vegas and
hit a pinch homer in the eighth.
BOSTON (AP) — Sisay Lemma of
Ethiopia ran alone for most of the Boston Marathon to win in 2 hours,
6 minutes, 17 seconds. Hellen Obiri repeated as the women's winner.
She outsprinted Sharon Lokedi down Boylston Street to win by eight
seconds. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug righted himself after crashing
into a barrier when he took a turn too fast and still coasted to his
seventh win in the men’s wheelchair race. Eden Rainbow-Cooper won
the women's wheelchair race. Nearly 30,000 runners left Hopkinton for
the 128th Boston Marathon. The sleepy New England town celebrated its
100th anniversary as the course's starting line.
UNDATED (AP) — LeBron James
and the Los Angeles Lakers are back in the play-in tournament. So is
Stephen Curry, as he and Golden State will be fighting for their
season. And Jimmy Butler returns as well, after this round last year
was the first step on Miami’s way to the NBA Finals. The postseason
gets underway Tuesday with a pair of Western Conference matchups. The
Lakers visit New Orleans and Golden State goes to Sacramento. The
Eastern Conference takes the stage Wednesday, when Philadelphia plays
host to Miami and Atlanta visits Chicago.
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) —
The flame that is to burn at the Paris Olympics has been kindled at
the site of the ancient games in southern Greece. Cloudy skies
frustrated efforts to produce the flame in the customary fashion,
when an actress dressed as an ancient Greek priestess uses the sun to
ignite a silver torch. Instead, a backup flame was used that had been
lit on the same spot, during the final rehearsal. The flame will next
be carried from the ruined temples and sports grounds of Ancient
Olympia by a relay of torchbearers. The 11-day journey through Greece
culminates with the handover in Athens to Paris 2024 organizers.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Scottie
Scheffler is a Masters champion for the second time in three years.
And all he wants to do is to keep winning. He manages expectations
because he never looks too far behind or too far ahead. It's alarming
how far he has come in such a short time. It was only two years and
two months ago when Scheffler was still trying to win for the first
time on the PGA Tour. And it was only two months ago that he was
being questioned for his putting. He is now No. 1 in the world by a
margin not seen since peak Tiger Woods.
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees
radio broadcaster John Sterling has announced his immediate
retirement at age 85, a few weeks into his 36th season in New York’s
broadcast booth. Sterling had cut back his schedule in recent years
and was not with the team for its trip to Houston and Toronto. He
called 5,420 regular-season games, the last against the Blue Jays on
April 7, plus 211 postseason games. Sterling broadcast 5,060
consecutive games from September 1989 through July 2019 after
starting with the Yankees as a pregame host.MONDAY
SCORESMAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUE
Final	Atlanta	6	Houston	1	
Final	St. Louis	3	Oakland	1	
Final	Seattle	9	Cincinnati	3	AMERICAN
LEAGUE
Final	Cleveland	6	Boston	0	
Final	Texas	1	Detroit	0	
Final	Baltimore	7	Minnesota	4	
Final	L.A. Angels	7	Tampa
Bay	3	
Final	Toronto	3	N.Y.
Yankees	1	
Final	Kansas City	2	Chicago
White Sox	0	NATIONAL
LEAGUE
Final	San Francisco	4	Miami	3	
Final	Philadelphia	2	Colorado	1	
Final	N.Y.
Mets	6	Pittsburgh	3	
Final	San Diego	7	Milwaukee	3	
Final	Washington	6	L.A.
Dodgers	4	
Final	Chicago
Cubs	3	Arizona	2	NATIONAL
HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final	N-Y Islanders	4	New
Jersey	1	
Final	Buffalo	4	Tampa Bay	2	
Final	Washington	2	Boston	0	
Final	Pittsburgh	4	Nashville	2	
Final OT	Detroit	5	Montreal	4	
Final	N-Y Rangers	4	Ottawa	0	
Final	Edmonton	9	San Jose	2

Tuesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

CHICAGO (AP) — Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez had an MRI on Monday that showed a mild groin strain.

It was a promising development for Kansas City after Perez left Sunday's 2-1 loss to the New York Mets following a fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte.

“It was the best result we could have hoped for,” manager Matt Quatraro said before a&nbsp;2-0 victory&nbsp;against the White Sox. “Just a mild groin strain, nothing to do with his hip or any other body parts. So we were as happy as we could be with that.”

The 33-year-old Perez rested during the win at Chicago in the opener of a three-game series. Freddy Fermin started at catcher and went 1 for 4.

“He did want to play today, but we're going to use discretion there and give him a full day of treatment,” Quatraro said.

Perez is batting .339 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16 games this season. He hit his 250th career homer on Saturday.

CHICAGO (AP) — Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez had an MRI on Monday that showed a mild groin strain.It was a promising development for Kansas City after Perez left Sunday's 2-1 loss to the New York Mets following a fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte.“It was the best result we could have hoped for,” manager Matt Quatraro said before a&nbsp;2-0 victory&nbsp;against the White Sox. “Just a mild groin strain, nothing to do with his hip or any other body parts. So we were as happy as we could be with that.”The 33-year-old Perez rested during the win at Chicago in the opener of a three-game series. Freddy Fermin started at catcher and went 1 for 4.“He did want to play today, but we're going to use discretion there and give him a full day of treatment,” Quatraro said.Perez is batting .339 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16 games this season. He hit his 250th career homer on Saturday.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez sidelined by mild groin strain


2	Northwest Florida State College	46-3	133


3	Florida Southwestern State College	45-5	126


7	Walters State Community College	32-6	98

11	Butler
Community College - KS	36-6	70


16	Bossier Parish Community College	31-9-1	35


18	Trinity Valley Community College	37-13	21


19	Wallace State Community College-Hanceville	22-10	14


20	Chattanooga State Community College	27-9	3

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711745558543.png" alt="NJCAA DI Softball Poll | Week Eight - 4-15-24" />
 <figcaption>NJCAA DI Softball Poll | Week Eight - 4-15-24</figcaption>
 </figure>Place	Name	Record	Points
1	McLennan Community College	49-1	140
2	Northwest Florida State College	46-3	133
3	Florida Southwestern State College	45-5	126
4	Indian River State College	42-5	119
5	Temple College	42-9-1	112
6	Salt Lake Community College	32-7	105
7	Walters State Community College	32-6	98
8	College of Central Florida	35-15	91
9	College of Southern Idaho	31-11	84
10	Paris Junior College	36-8	7711	Butler
Community College - KS	36-6	70
12	Gulf Coast State College	36-12	63	
13	Grayson College	28-13	56
14	John A. Logan College	37-5	49
15	Galveston College	31-10	42
16	Bossier Parish Community College	31-9-1	35
17	Santa Fe College	31-16	28
18	Trinity Valley Community College	37-13	21
19	Wallace State Community College-Hanceville	22-10	14
20	Chattanooga State Community College	27-9	3

NJCAA DI Softball Rankings - Week Eight

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State signee David Castillo (Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]) will play for Team USA in the prestigious 25th annual Nike Hoop Summit at 9 p.m., CT on Saturday (April 13) night at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. The game will air nationally on FS1.

Castillo, who was named to the team in January, will be among 12 American high school seniors who will take on a World Team of top international players 19-and-younger at the Nike Hoops Summit, which has been held annually since 1995. An impressive 287 alumni have been drafted into the NBA, including 15 No. 1 picks and 92 top-10 selections. Team USA has a 17-7 record all-time against the World Select Team, including three straight wins.

Castillo will be joined on Team USA by Ace Bailey (Rutgers), Isaiah Evans (Duke), Cooper Flagg (Duke), Boogie Fland (Kentucky), Dylan Harper (Rutgers), Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois), Tre Johnson (Texas), Asa Newell (Georgia), Patrick Ngongba II (Duke) and Jayden Quaintance.

The team will be led by head coach Sharman White (Pace Academy [Ga.]) and assistant coaches Frank Bennett (Chaminade College Prep [Mo.]) and Nick LoGalbo (Lane Technical College Prep [Ill.]).

Castillo will go up against future conference foes Flory Bidunga (Congo/Kansas) and V.J. Edgecombe (Bahamas/Baylor), who highlight an 11-man World Select Team roster led by head coach Marshall Cho.

"It's great honor for David," said head coach Jerome Tang. "First of all, other than this past summer, he didn't make Team USA (the under-19 team) because he was injured. The two summers before that, he was the starting point guard on gold-medal winning teams. This past summer, they didn't even medal without him. David's a winner and this is a reward for the hard work that he's put in. I think he's gonna have a blast playing that game. He's healthy now. He's been out of sight out of mind (because of his injury), so people are gonna see what a talent he is. I'm happy for him and his family. It's a great honor to be a part of that team and excited to watch."

Castillo has a long history with USA Basketball, having led Team USA to a pair of gold medals, including the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. He was also invited to the 2023 Team USA Junior National Team minicamp in April but could not play due to a foot injury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713209376808.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State signee David Castillo (Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]) will play for Team USA in the prestigious 25th annual Nike Hoop Summit at 9 p.m., CT on Saturday (April 13) night at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. The game will air nationally on FS1.Castillo, who was named to the team in January, will be among 12 American high school seniors who will take on a World Team of top international players 19-and-younger at the Nike Hoops Summit, which has been held annually since 1995. An impressive 287 alumni have been drafted into the NBA, including 15 No. 1 picks and 92 top-10 selections. Team USA has a 17-7 record all-time against the World Select Team, including three straight wins.Castillo will be joined on Team USA by Ace Bailey (Rutgers), Isaiah Evans (Duke), Cooper Flagg (Duke), Boogie Fland (Kentucky), Dylan Harper (Rutgers), Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois), Tre Johnson (Texas), Asa Newell (Georgia), Patrick Ngongba II (Duke) and Jayden Quaintance.The team will be led by head coach Sharman White (Pace Academy [Ga.]) and assistant coaches Frank Bennett (Chaminade College Prep [Mo.]) and Nick LoGalbo (Lane Technical College Prep [Ill.]).Castillo will go up against future conference foes Flory Bidunga (Congo/Kansas) and V.J. Edgecombe (Bahamas/Baylor), who highlight an 11-man World Select Team roster led by head coach Marshall Cho."It's great honor for David," said head coach Jerome Tang. "First of all, other than this past summer, he didn't make Team USA (the under-19 team) because he was injured. The two summers before that, he was the starting point guard on gold-medal winning teams. This past summer, they didn't even medal without him. David's a winner and this is a reward for the hard work that he's put in. I think he's gonna have a blast playing that game. He's healthy now. He's been out of sight out of mind (because of his injury), so people are gonna see what a talent he is. I'm happy for him and his family. It's a great honor to be a part of that team and excited to watch."Castillo has a long history with USA Basketball, having led Team USA to a pair of gold medals, including the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. He was also invited to the 2023 Team USA Junior National Team minicamp in April but could not play due to a foot injury.

Kansas State signee David Castillo to Play for Team USA at Nike Hoop Summit


1	Iowa Western Community College	36-5	160

3	Johnson County
Community College	36-8	144


4	Florence-Darlington Technical College	42-6	129


10	Walters State Community College	36-10	89


11	Northwest Florida State College	28-12	83


12	Florida Southwestern State College	31-15	62

15	Cowley County
Community College	30-12	44

17	Hutchinson
Community College	36-8	30

18	Kansas City
Kansas Community College	33-6	28

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710859281123.jpeg" alt="NJCAA DI Baseball Poll - Week Eight - 4-15-24" />
 <figcaption>NJCAA DI Baseball Poll - Week Eight - 4-15-24</figcaption>
 </figure>Place	Name	Record	Points
1	Iowa Western Community College	36-5	160
2	Gaston College	43-5	1513	Johnson County
Community College	36-8	144
4	Florence-Darlington Technical College	42-6	129
5	Georgia Highlands College	39-7	127
6	Central Arizona College	39-10	124
7	Crowder College	38-10	120
8	Tyler Junior College	34-10	101
9	Salt Lake Community College	36-6	95
10	Walters State Community College	36-10	89
11	Northwest Florida State College	28-12	83
12	Florida Southwestern State College	31-15	62
13	Weatherford College	32-12	55
14	John A. Logan College	34-6	5215	Cowley County
Community College	30-12	44
16	Pima Community College	36-12	4117	Hutchinson
Community College	36-8	3018	Kansas City
Kansas Community College	33-6	28
19	Blinn College	27-13	16
20	Chipola College	29-15	4

NJCAA DI Baseball Rankings - Week Eight

- Barton Baseball coach Brent Biggs wraps up the Cougars 4-game series with Cloud County over the weekend and the previews the week ahead.

- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misunas.

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend Track and Field coach Lyles Lashley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Monday 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/s0sz3C-l6Y4?si=oByS3A2FkMYvLx-9" 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>- Barton Baseball coach Brent Biggs wraps up the Cougars 4-game series with Cloud County over the weekend and the previews the week ahead.- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misunas.- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend Track and Field coach Lyles Lashley.-Weekend Sports Headlines- Sounds of the Weekend

Monday on Sports Day (Watch)

Pounding out 34 hits for 39 runs Saturday at Cougar Field, the Barton Community College softball team had a record setting 25-run outburst registering a pair of five inning victories over Garden City Community College.

A nine-run third inning highlighted the opener's 14-6 victory with a 13-run first inning of the backend of the twin bill kickstarting a 25-5 win for the most runs scored by the Cougars in program history.  Barton's previous most of 24 runs crossing came last year at Northwest Kansas Technical College and the 2022 victory hosting the junior varsity of Central Christian College.

The Cougars batted .618 on the day, 20 of their hits coming via the extra bases as fourteen came on doubles, a triple, and five clearing the fence for home runs with four of those coming in the record breaking game two run production.

Barton improves to 17-9 in conference play and 20-16 overall while Garden City falls to 3-21 in league and 5-32 on the season.

The hot day at the plate will now have a week to simmer as Barton has down time before a busy final stretch of the regular season beginning with next Saturday's trip to Goodland for a 2:00 p.m. (CT) doubleheader at Northwest Kansas Technical College.

The Cougars will then step out of conference play on the ensuing Monday for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch hosting Otero Junior College, travel to Pratt Community College on Wednesday, then wrap up the regular season slate on Saturday, April 27, hosting Hutchinson Community College on Sophomore Recognition Day.

Allyson McDougal led the Cougars' fireworks connecting on extra cases in five of her six hits in seven at-bats, driving in a team high eight runs coming on a trio of doubles, a triple, and the freshman's 4th home run of the season.

Fellow freshman Elina Bartlett also connected on her fourth of the year, blasting the Cougars' lone fence clearer in the opener's 9-run third frame helping the Cougars build a then 14-0 lead.

In game two Barton jumped on the Broncbusters in their first at-bat, scoring 13 runs on 8 hits including a stretch of three home runs in four at-bats. Aly Lawrence began the power surge with a three-run drive deep to left field for her second of the year. Following a Kelsi Gaston walk, McDougal and Chloe Enslinger went back-to-back to cap the big inning as Enslinger's center field deep fly increased the freshman's team home run lead to seven on the season.

Lani Dryden, who was pulled in game one's second inning due to a minor injury making a tag on a stolen base attempt, was back in the lineup for the backend going 3-for-3 including her first plate appearance driving a 1-2 pitch over the left center fence for the sophomore's second of the year.

The home run keyed a 3-run frame for the Cougars, another trio plating in the third inning, with another nine runs crossing the plate in Barton's final at-bat fourth inning.

In addition to a five RBI afternoon, Lawrence picked up the game one victory improving to 5-3 on the year. Alicia Goseland, who took over to get the final out of the opener, picked up the game two win improving to 2-4 on the year after relieving Bartlett with an out remaining in the third frame.

Parlaying multiple centerfield defensive gems including throwing out a runner at the plate, Laci Dryden keyed the offense at the top of the lineup going 4-of-5 on three doubles in driving in four runs, walking four times, and stealing three bases drawing the sophomore just outside the single season Top-10 list with 19 thus far.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713177794238.jpeg" alt="Cougars celebrate Lani Dryden's 2nd inning leadoff home run-Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Cougars celebrate Lani Dryden's 2nd inning leadoff home run-Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Pounding out 34 hits for 39 runs Saturday at Cougar Field, the Barton Community College softball team had a record setting 25-run outburst registering a pair of five inning victories over Garden City Community College.A nine-run third inning highlighted the opener's 14-6 victory with a 13-run first inning of the backend of the twin bill kickstarting a 25-5 win for the most runs scored by the Cougars in program history. Barton's previous most of 24 runs crossing came last year at Northwest Kansas Technical College and the 2022 victory hosting the junior varsity of Central Christian College.The Cougars batted .618 on the day, 20 of their hits coming via the extra bases as fourteen came on doubles, a triple, and five clearing the fence for home runs with four of those coming in the record breaking game two run production.Barton improves to 17-9 in conference play and 20-16 overall while Garden City falls to 3-21 in league and 5-32 on the season.The hot day at the plate will now have a week to simmer as Barton has down time before a busy final stretch of the regular season beginning with next Saturday's trip to Goodland for a 2:00 p.m. (CT) doubleheader at Northwest Kansas Technical College.The Cougars will then step out of conference play on the ensuing Monday for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch hosting Otero Junior College, travel to Pratt Community College on Wednesday, then wrap up the regular season slate on Saturday, April 27, hosting Hutchinson Community College on Sophomore Recognition Day.Allyson McDougal led the Cougars' fireworks connecting on extra cases in five of her six hits in seven at-bats, driving in a team high eight runs coming on a trio of doubles, a triple, and the freshman's 4th home run of the season.Fellow freshman Elina Bartlett also connected on her fourth of the year, blasting the Cougars' lone fence clearer in the opener's 9-run third frame helping the Cougars build a then 14-0 lead.In game two Barton jumped on the Broncbusters in their first at-bat, scoring 13 runs on 8 hits including a stretch of three home runs in four at-bats. Aly Lawrence began the power surge with a three-run drive deep to left field for her second of the year. Following a Kelsi Gaston walk, McDougal and Chloe Enslinger went back-to-back to cap the big inning as Enslinger's center field deep fly increased the freshman's team home run lead to seven on the season.Lani Dryden, who was pulled in game one's second inning due to a minor injury making a tag on a stolen base attempt, was back in the lineup for the backend going 3-for-3 including her first plate appearance driving a 1-2 pitch over the left center fence for the sophomore's second of the year.The home run keyed a 3-run frame for the Cougars, another trio plating in the third inning, with another nine runs crossing the plate in Barton's final at-bat fourth inning.In addition to a five RBI afternoon, Lawrence picked up the game one victory improving to 5-3 on the year. Alicia Goseland, who took over to get the final out of the opener, picked up the game two win improving to 2-4 on the year after relieving Bartlett with an out remaining in the third frame.Parlaying multiple centerfield defensive gems including throwing out a runner at the plate, Laci Dryden keyed the offense at the top of the lineup going 4-of-5 on three doubles in driving in four runs, walking four times, and stealing three bases drawing the sophomore just outside the single season Top-10 list with 19 thus far.

Cougar Softball pounds out record setting sweep over Garden City

Cedricka Williams took down the national discus record Saturday highlighting the Barton track and field team results in the two-day KT Woodman Classic held at Wichita's Cessna Stadium.

Having broke the program best two weeks ago, Williams rewrote the record and then some on her third toss of the event marking a 57.57m (188-11) to better her collegiate best by over seven feet while blowing past the national NJCAA all-time furthest by over three and half feet. Just a freshman, Williams' personal best came as a high school senior in setting the Jamaican U20 record ten inches further at 57.84m (189-9).

In addition to Williams' accomplishment in the event, fellow freshman Ivanilda Semedo also bettered her best effort in finishing second on a 53.98m (177-01) throw to not only solidify her program second best slot but move into the 5th best NJCAA all-time spot.

Staying on the 8th ranked women's side of results and impacts, freshman Sanae Hassnaoui ran her way into the program's 1500m all-time placing with an event winning 4:26.29 time.

Two days of windy conditions prevented both the Cougar women and men from adding a few more to its national qualifying list but still recorded some wind legal and non-affected personal bests.

Ana Couto met 100m hurdle qualifying standards clocking a 14.58 time with Great Bend's Kyndall Blessing posting two new bests, improving her national qualifying javelin mark to 38.86m (127-06) and improving her hammer throw to a 43.29m (142-0) mark.

Highlighting the 5th ranked men's performances, Hamza Belkhalfi moved up a spot on the program's 1500m list to 8th all-time with a 3:53.92 stoppage to place second in Friday's event by a photo finish .40 seconds.

Both already qualified in discus, Christopher Young's season best 58.69m (192-07) placed second on the day ahead of Ricardo Hayles personal best 54.03m (177-03) in landing just outside the program's top ten.

Barton will next head to Waco, Texas this weekend competing against another top tiered level of competition at Baylor University's Michael Johnson Invitational.

100m Hurdles: 8th Ana Couto (NQ 14.58), 14th Widlife Vermilus (15.27)

400m Hurdles: 13th Widlife Vermilus (1:09.20)

Triple Jump: 10th Jazmine Williamson (10.96m, 35-11.50)

100m: 5th Ashley Shaw (11.84 *Non-NQ due to +5.4 wind), 11th Chloe Perryman (12.12), 18th Jazmine Williamson (12.26), 23rd Kay-Lagay Clarke (12.35), 39th Myla Tabora (12.87)

200m: 22nd Kialia Claiborne (25.42), 26th Chloe Perryman (25.44), 35th Kay-Lagay Clarke (26.01), 65th Myla Tabora (28.05)

400m: 16th Kialia Claiborne (58.87), 18th Shone Walters (59.32)

800m: 8th Shone Walters (PB 2:17.16 *Already NQ)

1500m: 1st Sanae Hassnaoui (NQ 4:26.29 *3rd Program All-Time), 59th Karina Estrada (PB 6:32.36)

Discus Throw: 1st Cedricka Williams (57.57m, 188-11 *Rewrites her program record **National Record), 2nd Ivanilda Semedo (PB 53.98m, 177-01 *Already NQ *Betters her 2nd Program All-time), 15th Treneese Hamilton (36.54m, 119-11)

Javelin Throw: 5th Kyndall Blessing (PB 38.86m, 127-06 *Already NQ)

Hammer Throw: 7th Treneese Hamilton (45.61m, 149-08 *Already NQ), 12th Kyndall Blessing (PB 43.29m, 142-0)

Long Jump: 12th Micah Dobson (6.55m, 21-05.75), 13th Kalil Murphy (6.52m, 21-04.75)

Triple Jump: 7th Micah Dobson (14.56m, 47-09.25)

110m Hurdles: 4th Bryce Southerland (14.21 *Non-NQ due to +4.9 wind)

400m Hurdles: 14th Jayden Singleton (56.80), 24th Grayden Stapleton (58.87)

100m: 15th Brandon Pemberton (PB 10.51), 18th Malachi Carter (10.55), 19th Jermaine Thompson (10.60), 30th Noah Kincade (10.73)

200m: 6th Jermaine Thompson (21.38), 19th Noah Kincade (21.95), 27th Brandon Pemberton (22.14), 29th Marshae McDonald (22.19), 40th Malachi Carter (22.42)

400m: 20th Marshae McDonald (50.39), 23rd Charles Green (50.53)

1500m: 2nd Hamza Belkhalfi (PB 3:53.92 *Already NQ **Moved from 9th to 8th Program All-Time)

Discus Throw: 2nd Christopher Young (SB 58.69m, 192-07 *Already NQ), 3rd Ricardo Hayles (PB 54.03m, 177-03 *Already NQ)

Hammer Throw: 12th Boris Peranovic (46.78m, 153-6 *Already NQ), 14th Christopher Young (45.93m, 150-08)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713177422036.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Cedricka Williams took down the national discus record Saturday highlighting the Barton track and field team results in the two-day KT Woodman Classic held at Wichita's Cessna Stadium.Having broke the program best two weeks ago, Williams rewrote the record and then some on her third toss of the event marking a 57.57m (188-11) to better her collegiate best by over seven feet while blowing past the national NJCAA all-time furthest by over three and half feet. Just a freshman, Williams' personal best came as a high school senior in setting the Jamaican U20 record ten inches further at 57.84m (189-9).In addition to Williams' accomplishment in the event, fellow freshman Ivanilda Semedo also bettered her best effort in finishing second on a 53.98m (177-01) throw to not only solidify her program second best slot but move into the 5th best NJCAA all-time spot.Staying on the 8th ranked women's side of results and impacts, freshman Sanae Hassnaoui ran her way into the program's 1500m all-time placing with an event winning 4:26.29 time.Two days of windy conditions prevented both the Cougar women and men from adding a few more to its national qualifying list but still recorded some wind legal and non-affected personal bests.Ana Couto met 100m hurdle qualifying standards clocking a 14.58 time with Great Bend's Kyndall Blessing posting two new bests, improving her national qualifying javelin mark to 38.86m (127-06) and improving her hammer throw to a 43.29m (142-0) mark.Highlighting the 5th ranked men's performances, Hamza Belkhalfi moved up a spot on the program's 1500m list to 8th all-time with a 3:53.92 stoppage to place second in Friday's event by a photo finish .40 seconds.Both already qualified in discus, Christopher Young's season best 58.69m (192-07) placed second on the day ahead of Ricardo Hayles personal best 54.03m (177-03) in landing just outside the program's top ten.Barton will next head to Waco, Texas this weekend competing against another top tiered level of competition at Baylor University's Michael Johnson Invitational.Barton Women's Results:100m Hurdles: 8th Ana Couto (NQ 14.58), 14th Widlife Vermilus (15.27)400m Hurdles: 13th Widlife Vermilus (1:09.20)Triple Jump: 10th Jazmine Williamson (10.96m, 35-11.50)High Jump: DNP Ana Couto (NH)100m: 5th Ashley Shaw (11.84 *Non-NQ due to +5.4 wind), 11th Chloe Perryman (12.12), 18th Jazmine Williamson (12.26), 23rd Kay-Lagay Clarke (12.35), 39th Myla Tabora (12.87)200m: 22nd Kialia Claiborne (25.42), 26th Chloe Perryman (25.44), 35th Kay-Lagay Clarke (26.01), 65th Myla Tabora (28.05)400m: 16th Kialia Claiborne (58.87), 18th Shone Walters (59.32)800m: 8th Shone Walters (PB 2:17.16 *Already NQ)1500m: 1st Sanae Hassnaoui (NQ 4:26.29 *3rd Program All-Time), 59th Karina Estrada (PB 6:32.36)Discus Throw: 1st Cedricka Williams (57.57m, 188-11 *Rewrites her program record **National Record), 2nd Ivanilda Semedo (PB 53.98m, 177-01 *Already NQ *Betters her 2nd Program All-time), 15th Treneese Hamilton (36.54m, 119-11)Javelin Throw: 5th Kyndall Blessing (PB 38.86m, 127-06 *Already NQ)Hammer Throw: 7th Treneese Hamilton (45.61m, 149-08 *Already NQ), 12th Kyndall Blessing (PB 43.29m, 142-0)Barton Men's Results:Long Jump: 12th Micah Dobson (6.55m, 21-05.75), 13th Kalil Murphy (6.52m, 21-04.75)Triple Jump: 7th Micah Dobson (14.56m, 47-09.25)110m Hurdles: 4th Bryce Southerland (14.21 *Non-NQ due to +4.9 wind)400m Hurdles: 14th Jayden Singleton (56.80), 24th Grayden Stapleton (58.87)100m: 15th Brandon Pemberton (PB 10.51), 18th Malachi Carter (10.55), 19th Jermaine Thompson (10.60), 30th Noah Kincade (10.73)200m: 6th Jermaine Thompson (21.38), 19th Noah Kincade (21.95), 27th Brandon Pemberton (22.14), 29th Marshae McDonald (22.19), 40th Malachi Carter (22.42)400m: 20th Marshae McDonald (50.39), 23rd Charles Green (50.53)1500m: 2nd Hamza Belkhalfi (PB 3:53.92 *Already NQ **Moved from 9th to 8th Program All-Time)Discus Throw: 2nd Christopher Young (SB 58.69m, 192-07 *Already NQ), 3rd Ricardo Hayles (PB 54.03m, 177-03 *Already NQ)Hammer Throw: 12th Boris Peranovic (46.78m, 153-6 *Already NQ), 14th Christopher Young (45.93m, 150-08)

Williams breaks National record at KT Woodman Classic

AMERICAN LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GBNew York	12	4	.750	—Baltimore	9	6	.600	2½Boston	9	7	.563	3Tampa Bay	9	7	.563	3Toronto	8	8	.500	4Central DivisionCleveland	10	5	.667	—Kansas
City	10	6	.625	½Detroit	9	6	.600	1Minnesota	6	8	.429	3½Chicago	2	13	.133	8West DivisionTexas	8	8	.500	—Los
Angeles	7	8	.467	½Oakland	7	9	.438	1Seattle	6	10	.375	2Houston	6	11	.353	2½NATIONAL LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GBAtlanta	9	5	.643	—Philadelphia	8	8	.500	2New York	7	8	.467	2½Washington	6	9	.400	3½Miami	3	13	.188	7Central DivisionMilwaukee	10	4	.714	—Pittsburgh	11	5	.688	—Chicago	9	6	.600	1½Cincinnati	9	6	.600	1½St.
Louis	7	9	.438	4West DivisionLos
Angeles	11	7	.611	—San Diego	9	9	.500	2Arizona	8	8	.500	2San
Francisco	6	10	.375	4

MLB Standings

NEW YORK (AP) —
Harrison Bader broke a scoreless tie with an infield single in the
eighth inning and Edwin Díaz earned his first save at Citi Field
since October 2022 as the New York Mets edged the Kansas City Royals
2-1. Mets rookie Jose Buttó and Royals starter Cole Ragans matched
zeros for six innings in a crisp pitchers’ duel. New York stranded
nine runners over the first seven innings before Kansas City reliever
Chris Stratton walked the bases loaded in the eighth. With two outs,
Bader hit a slow roller toward third and Maikel Garcia was unable to
make a barehand pickup. Stratton then walked Brandon Nimmo on four
pitches, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. Díaz gave up a homer in the
ninth before getting his third save this season.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez left a game against the New
York Mets with injuries to his left groin and hip following a
fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. Marte
attempted to tag up and score on Tyrone Taylor’s lineout to left.
MJ Melendez’s throw beat Marte, who slid and appeared to hit Perez
in his midsection. Perez held on to the ball for the final out but
was slow to get up. Perez walked off the field slowly and was
replaced by Freddy Fermin in the bottom of the fifth.

PHOENIX (AP) — Zac
Gallen pitched six sharp innings and Corbin Carroll hit a two-run
single in a five-run fifth to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks over the
St. Louis Cardinals 5-0. Gallen threw 90 pitches, giving up four hits
and walking two. He struck out seven, two of them coming with a
runner on third and one out. The right-hander caught Brandon Crawford
looking on a full count with the bases loaded in the second and then
got a grounder to escape the jam. Gallen also whiffed Ivan Herrera on
a 3-2 curve in the fourth before retiring Crawford on a popup. St.
Louis starter Miles Mikolas faced the minimum through four innings
but didn’t finish the fifth.

BALTIMORE (AP) —
Jackson Holliday delivered his first big league hit in the seventh
inning, then scored the tiebreaking run to help the Baltimore Orioles
avoid a sweep with a 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Holliday, baseball’s top-ranked prospect, struck out in his first
two at-bats and was 0 for 13 with nine Ks since his call-up before he
singled with the Orioles down 4-3 in the seventh. Gunnar Henderson
followed with a tying single, and then Holliday scored when Adley
Rutschman bounced into a double play. Colton Cowser went deep the
following inning for Baltimore’s third solo homer of the day.
Milwaukee went 2 for 17 with runners in scoring position.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) —
Scottie Scheffler is the Masters champion for the second time in
three years. And once again, it wasn't particularly close. Scheffler
grabbed the lead for good with magnificent shots around the turn. And
then he let Ludvig Aberg, Collin Morikawa and Max Homa make all the
mistakes. Scheffler closed with a 68 for a four-shot victory. He's
the fourth-youngest player to have two green jackets. And he
stretches his lead at No. 1 in the world to levels not seen since the
peak years of Tiger Woods. Scheffler now has three wins in his last
four starts.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) —
Tiger Woods finished the Masters on Sunday wtih a 16-over 304, his
highest 72-hole score ever in a career that spans three decades. All
of that hardly mattered to the crowd. The 48-year-old Woods, who is
still dealing with the effects of numerous surgeries that have
impacted his body and limited his playing time on the PGA Tour,
received a huge ovation after he pitched onto the green on No. 18 and
made par while wearing his traditional Sunday red. Woods went 82-77
on the weekend. Despite the score, Woods called it a “good week”
and said he plans to begin preparing for the other three majors
including the PGA Championship in May, the U.S. Open in June and the
British Open in July.

FORT WORTH, Texas
(AP) — Chase Elliott pulled ahead and cleared Ross Chastain on the
first lap after the second restart in overtime at Texas Motor
Speedway, ending a 42-race winless streak for NASCAR’s most popular
driver. The race ended on the 16th caution after Elliott had taken
the white flag for the 276th lap in a race scheduled for 267 laps.
The chasing Chastain was bumped from behind by defending race winner
William Byron, who finished third. Brad Keselowski was second. It was
the fifth win this season for Hendrick Motorsports, the 306th for
NASCAR’s winningest team. It was the first for Elliott in the No. 9
since Talladega in October 2022.

UTICA, N.Y. (AP) —
Danielle Serdachny converted a rebound in front 5:16 into overtime
for a power-play goal and Canada beat the United States 6-5 in a
breathtaking women’s world hockey championship gold medal game.
Canada won its tournament-leading 13ths gold medal and did so on U.S.
soil in central New York, a year after the Americans won their 10th
tournament outside of Toronto. Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin
scored twice, Julia Gosling also scored, while Erin Ambrose and Emily
Clark had shots bank into the net off U.S. defenseman Caroline
Harvey. Harvey and Laila Edwards had a goal and assist for the
Americans who finished the tournament 6-1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —
Harrison Bader broke a scoreless tie with an infield single in the
eighth inning and Edwin Díaz earned his first save at Citi Field
since October 2022 as the New York Mets edged the Kansas City Royals
2-1. Mets rookie Jose Buttó and Royals starter Cole Ragans matched
zeros for six innings in a crisp pitchers’ duel. New York stranded
nine runners over the first seven innings before Kansas City reliever
Chris Stratton walked the bases loaded in the eighth. With two outs,
Bader hit a slow roller toward third and Maikel Garcia was unable to
make a barehand pickup. Stratton then walked Brandon Nimmo on four
pitches, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. Díaz gave up a homer in the
ninth before getting his third save this season.NEW YORK (AP) —
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez left a game against the New
York Mets with injuries to his left groin and hip following a
fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. Marte
attempted to tag up and score on Tyrone Taylor’s lineout to left.
MJ Melendez’s throw beat Marte, who slid and appeared to hit Perez
in his midsection. Perez held on to the ball for the final out but
was slow to get up. Perez walked off the field slowly and was
replaced by Freddy Fermin in the bottom of the fifth.PHOENIX (AP) — Zac
Gallen pitched six sharp innings and Corbin Carroll hit a two-run
single in a five-run fifth to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks over the
St. Louis Cardinals 5-0. Gallen threw 90 pitches, giving up four hits
and walking two. He struck out seven, two of them coming with a
runner on third and one out. The right-hander caught Brandon Crawford
looking on a full count with the bases loaded in the second and then
got a grounder to escape the jam. Gallen also whiffed Ivan Herrera on
a 3-2 curve in the fourth before retiring Crawford on a popup. St.
Louis starter Miles Mikolas faced the minimum through four innings
but didn’t finish the fifth.BALTIMORE (AP) —
Jackson Holliday delivered his first big league hit in the seventh
inning, then scored the tiebreaking run to help the Baltimore Orioles
avoid a sweep with a 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Holliday, baseball’s top-ranked prospect, struck out in his first
two at-bats and was 0 for 13 with nine Ks since his call-up before he
singled with the Orioles down 4-3 in the seventh. Gunnar Henderson
followed with a tying single, and then Holliday scored when Adley
Rutschman bounced into a double play. Colton Cowser went deep the
following inning for Baltimore’s third solo homer of the day.
Milwaukee went 2 for 17 with runners in scoring position.AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) —
Scottie Scheffler is the Masters champion for the second time in
three years. And once again, it wasn't particularly close. Scheffler
grabbed the lead for good with magnificent shots around the turn. And
then he let Ludvig Aberg, Collin Morikawa and Max Homa make all the
mistakes. Scheffler closed with a 68 for a four-shot victory. He's
the fourth-youngest player to have two green jackets. And he
stretches his lead at No. 1 in the world to levels not seen since the
peak years of Tiger Woods. Scheffler now has three wins in his last
four starts.AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) —
Tiger Woods finished the Masters on Sunday wtih a 16-over 304, his
highest 72-hole score ever in a career that spans three decades. All
of that hardly mattered to the crowd. The 48-year-old Woods, who is
still dealing with the effects of numerous surgeries that have
impacted his body and limited his playing time on the PGA Tour,
received a huge ovation after he pitched onto the green on No. 18 and
made par while wearing his traditional Sunday red. Woods went 82-77
on the weekend. Despite the score, Woods called it a “good week”
and said he plans to begin preparing for the other three majors
including the PGA Championship in May, the U.S. Open in June and the
British Open in July.FORT WORTH, Texas
(AP) — Chase Elliott pulled ahead and cleared Ross Chastain on the
first lap after the second restart in overtime at Texas Motor
Speedway, ending a 42-race winless streak for NASCAR’s most popular
driver. The race ended on the 16th caution after Elliott had taken
the white flag for the 276th lap in a race scheduled for 267 laps.
The chasing Chastain was bumped from behind by defending race winner
William Byron, who finished third. Brad Keselowski was second. It was
the fifth win this season for Hendrick Motorsports, the 306th for
NASCAR’s winningest team. It was the first for Elliott in the No. 9
since Talladega in October 2022.UTICA, N.Y. (AP) —
Danielle Serdachny converted a rebound in front 5:16 into overtime
for a power-play goal and Canada beat the United States 6-5 in a
breathtaking women’s world hockey championship gold medal game.
Canada won its tournament-leading 13ths gold medal and did so on U.S.
soil in central New York, a year after the Americans won their 10th
tournament outside of Toronto. Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin
scored twice, Julia Gosling also scored, while Erin Ambrose and Emily
Clark had shots bank into the net off U.S. defenseman Caroline
Harvey. Harvey and Laila Edwards had a goal and assist for the
Americans who finished the tournament 6-1.SUNDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Tampa
Bay	9	San Francisco	4	Final	N.Y.
Mets	2	Kansas City	1	Final	Toronto	5	Colorado	0	Final	Baltimore	6	Milwaukee	4	Final	Cincinnati	11	Chicago
White Sox	4	Final	Chicago
Cubs	3	Seattle	2	Final	Oakland	7	Washington	6	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	4	Minnesota	3	Final	Boston	5	L.A.
Angels	4	Final	Houston	8	Texas	5	Final	Cleveland	8	N.Y.
Yankees	7	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Pittsburgh	9	Philadelphia	2	Final	Atlanta	9	Miami	7	Final	Arizona	5	St.
Louis	0	Final	San
Diego	6	L.A. Dodgers	3	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Charlotte	120	Cleveland	110	Final	Boston	132	Washington	122	Final	Philadelphia	107	Brooklyn	86	Final	Indiana	157	Atlanta	115	Final	Miami	118	Toronto	103	Final	Orlando	113	Milwaukee	88	Final OT	New
York	120	Chicago	119	Final	San
Antonio	123	Detroit	95	Final	Houston	116	L.A.
Clippers	105	Final	Oklahoma
City	135	Dallas	86	Final	Golden
State	123	Utah	116	Final	Sacramento	121	Portland	82	Final	Denver	126	Memphis	111	Final	Phoenix	125	Minnesota	106	Final	L.A.
Lakers	124	New Orleans	108	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	St.
Louis	4	Seattle	1	Final
OT	Vegas	4	Colorado	3	Final	Carolina	4	Chicago	2

Monday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

NEW YORK (AP) — Harrison Bader broke a scoreless tie with an infield single in the eighth inning and Edwin Díaz earned his first save at Citi Field since October 2022 as the New York Mets edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Sunday.

“That was obviously not the most conventional way of scoring an RBI, but it did get the job done,” Bader said.

Mets rookie Jose Buttó and Royals starter Cole Ragans matched zeros for six innings in a crisp pitchers’ duel. New York stranded nine runners over the first seven innings — seven between the fifth and seventh — before Chris Stratton (1-1) walked the bases loaded in the eighth.

With two outs, Bader hit a slow roller toward third and Maikel Garcia was unable to make a barehand pickup.

“I thought it was going to hit the wall,” Bader said with a grin. “That was just a fortunate play and a play that went in our favor, which we like. I think we create our own luck in this field and in this game. That one worked out for us and I’m very happy it did.”

Stratton then walked Brandon Nimmo on four pitches, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. The four walks by Stratton were his most since Aug. 26, 2019, when he walked four in two innings for Pittsburgh against Philadelphia.

“That’s an uncharacteristic outing and it certainly didn’t look like he was missing by much,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

Díaz gave up a two-out homer to Vinnie Pasquantino in the ninth before getting Freddy Fermin on a popup for his third save this season. The first two came in Cincinnati.

It was Díaz’s first save at home — where his high-energy entrances to “ Narco ” by Blasterjaxx &amp; Timmy Trumpet became hugely popular two years ago — since Oct. 4, 2022. After signing a $102 million, five-year contract, the star closer missed last season following a March 2023 knee injury sustained while celebrating on the field after Puerto Rico beat the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

Brooks Raley (1-0) struck out two in a perfect eighth for the win. New York has won seven of 10 since an 0-5 start, taking three straight series.

“We’re playing a really good brand of baseball,” Bader said. “Just got to keep going.”

Buttó allowed two hits and struck out a career-high nine in six innings, the most strikeouts by a Mets pitcher since Jose Quintana had 10 last Sept. 23. The 26-year-old right-hander, who has made 12 big league appearances dating to 2022, is likely to get an extended audition in the rotation with Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill sidelined by shoulder injuries.

“He’s not going anywhere,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’ll continue to get the ball and he’ll get his chance. It’s good to see somebody stepping up.”

After the start was delayed 46 minutes by rain, Ragans gave up five hits and fanned eight in six innings. He was aided by a terrific defensive play from left fielder MJ Melendez, who threw out Starling Marte at the plate for an inning-ending double play in the fourth.

Marte slid hard into Salvador Perez, and the All-Star catcher later exited with injuries to his left groin and hip. Quatraro said Perez would be evaluated again Monday.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better play on the defensive side, aside from the injury," Quatraro said.

Dwight Gooden had his No. 16 retired by the Mets in a pregame ceremony. Gooden went 157-85 with a 3.10 ERA and 1,875 strikeouts from 1984-94 during a Mets tenure interrupted by substance abuse and a suspension.

Royals: INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) went 1 for 4 with an RBI in his fifth rehab game for Double-A Omaha. Massey is batting .318 (7 of 22) for the Storm Chasers.

Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (back), who had a cortisone shot Tuesday, is expected to resume baseball activities Monday. … RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder) began a minor league rehab assignment and struck out the side in a perfect inning for Class A Brooklyn.

Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (2-0, 1.45 ERA) pitches Monday as Kansas City begins a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox, who counter with RHP Erick Fedde (0-0, 4.30).

Mets: Continue their homestand Monday night when RHP Adrian Houser (0-1, 5.40 ERA) starts against Pittsburgh LHP Martin Perez (1-0, 1.89).

NEW YORK (AP) — Harrison Bader broke a scoreless tie with an infield single in the eighth inning and Edwin Díaz earned his first save at Citi Field since October 2022 as the New York Mets edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Sunday.“That was obviously not the most conventional way of scoring an RBI, but it did get the job done,” Bader said.Mets rookie Jose Buttó and Royals starter Cole Ragans matched zeros for six innings in a crisp pitchers’ duel. New York stranded nine runners over the first seven innings — seven between the fifth and seventh — before Chris Stratton (1-1) walked the bases loaded in the eighth.With two outs, Bader hit a slow roller toward third and Maikel Garcia was unable to make a barehand pickup.“I thought it was going to hit the wall,” Bader said with a grin. “That was just a fortunate play and a play that went in our favor, which we like. I think we create our own luck in this field and in this game. That one worked out for us and I’m very happy it did.”Stratton then walked Brandon Nimmo on four pitches, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. The four walks by Stratton were his most since Aug. 26, 2019, when he walked four in two innings for Pittsburgh against Philadelphia.“That’s an uncharacteristic outing and it certainly didn’t look like he was missing by much,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.Díaz gave up a two-out homer to Vinnie Pasquantino in the ninth before getting Freddy Fermin on a popup for his third save this season. The first two came in Cincinnati.It was Díaz’s first save at home — where his high-energy entrances to “ Narco ” by Blasterjaxx &amp; Timmy Trumpet became hugely popular two years ago — since Oct. 4, 2022. After signing a $102 million, five-year contract, the star closer missed last season following a March 2023 knee injury sustained while celebrating on the field after Puerto Rico beat the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.Brooks Raley (1-0) struck out two in a perfect eighth for the win. New York has won seven of 10 since an 0-5 start, taking three straight series.“We’re playing a really good brand of baseball,” Bader said. “Just got to keep going.”Buttó allowed two hits and struck out a career-high nine in six innings, the most strikeouts by a Mets pitcher since Jose Quintana had 10 last Sept. 23. The 26-year-old right-hander, who has made 12 big league appearances dating to 2022, is likely to get an extended audition in the rotation with Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill sidelined by shoulder injuries.“He’s not going anywhere,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’ll continue to get the ball and he’ll get his chance. It’s good to see somebody stepping up.”After the start was delayed 46 minutes by rain, Ragans gave up five hits and fanned eight in six innings. He was aided by a terrific defensive play from left fielder MJ Melendez, who threw out Starling Marte at the plate for an inning-ending double play in the fourth.Marte slid hard into Salvador Perez, and the All-Star catcher later exited with injuries to his left groin and hip. Quatraro said Perez would be evaluated again Monday.“We couldn’t have asked for a better play on the defensive side, aside from the injury," Quatraro said.THE DOCTOR IS INDwight Gooden had his No. 16 retired by the Mets in a pregame ceremony. Gooden went 157-85 with a 3.10 ERA and 1,875 strikeouts from 1984-94 during a Mets tenure interrupted by substance abuse and a suspension.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) went 1 for 4 with an RBI in his fifth rehab game for Double-A Omaha. Massey is batting .318 (7 of 22) for the Storm Chasers.Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (back), who had a cortisone shot Tuesday, is expected to resume baseball activities Monday. … RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder) began a minor league rehab assignment and struck out the side in a perfect inning for Class A Brooklyn.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Seth Lugo (2-0, 1.45 ERA) pitches Monday as Kansas City begins a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox, who counter with RHP Erick Fedde (0-0, 4.30).Mets: Continue their homestand Monday night when RHP Adrian Houser (0-1, 5.40 ERA) starts against Pittsburgh LHP Martin Perez (1-0, 1.89).