SALINA – The TMP-Marian Monarchs and Sacred Heart Knights
combined to score 52 total runs in a wild doubleheader Monday in Salina.

GAME 1: Sacred Heart 5, TMP 4 The Knights won the first game 5-4, scoring on a walk-off
single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

With the Knights leading 1-0, through the first inning, the
Monarchs tied the game in the top of the second inning when Adler Brown scored
on an error by the catcher.

After a 1-2-3 bottom of the second, TMP took the lead in the
top of the third scoring three times.

The Monarchs loaded the bases with one out and then took the lead
when Brown walked putting TMP up 2-1. Treger Williby followed that with an RBI single
and then an error on the play led to two more runs for the Monarchs putting TMP
up 4-1.

Sacred Heart came all the way back to tie the game at 4,
scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Then with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Sacred
Heart loaded the bases and Jett Samuelson delivered an RBI single lifting the Knights
to the 5-4 walk-off win.

Drew Werth allowed one run, just two earned, in two and a
third innings, suffering the loss.

GAME 2: TMP 22, Sacred Heart 21 The second game saw the two teams combine to score 43 runs
on 32 hits in a 22-21 TMP victory.

TMP opened the game scoring five runs in the top of the
first inning. 

Caden Dinkel got the scoring started with an RBI double that
scored Joey Mindrup who walked to lead off the game.

After advancing to third on a wild pitch Dinkel scored on a
Carson Liles sacrifice fly putting TMP up 2-0.

Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Garrett Feauto drove
in a run with an RBI single. Drew Werth added a bases loaded walk and then Ian
Nehls plated a run on a sacrifice fly putting TMP up 5-0 through the top of the
first.

The Knights answered with eight in the bottom of the first
and five more in the second taking a 13-5 lead.

TMP cut into the Sacred Heart lead with their second
five-run inning in the top of the fourth.

They walked the bases loaded with one out in the inning and
then scored three runs on back-to-back errors making it 13-8 Knights. Werth and
Nehls added back-to-back RBI singles cutting the lead to 13-10 Sacred Heart.

A two-run error in the bottom of the inning made it 15-10
Knights.

TMP scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth inning
tying the game at 15.

Adler Brown drove in two of the six runs and TMP added two
runs on an error and two runs on a pair of walks.

The Knights answered right back with a run in the bottom of
the six taking a 16-15 lead.

TMP scored six runs in the top of the seventh taking a 22-16
lead.

Kendall Walker and Ian Nehls each doubled in a run and then Treger
Williby and Werth each singled in a run during the six-run seventh for TMP.

Sacred Heart scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh
inning before Brown struck out the final hitter of the game securing the 22-21
TMP victory.

Adler Brown drove in a career-high five runs and was
three-for-six in the game. Drew Werth and Ian Nehls each drove in four runs.
Nehls was three-for-three at the plate.

Nehls got the win on the mound. He allowed three runs, one
earned, in four and a third innings, earning his first win of the season.

The two teams combined to committ 15 errors.

TMP is 4-10 on the season and will open play at the Hays
Diamond Classic Thursday at 6 p.m. against Hays High.

SALINA – The TMP-Marian Monarchs and Sacred Heart Knights
combined to score 52 total runs in a wild doubleheader Monday in Salina.GAME 1: Sacred Heart 5, TMP 4 The Knights won the first game 5-4, scoring on a walk-off
single in the bottom of the eighth inning.With the Knights leading 1-0, through the first inning, the
Monarchs tied the game in the top of the second inning when Adler Brown scored
on an error by the catcher.After a 1-2-3 bottom of the second, TMP took the lead in the
top of the third scoring three times.The Monarchs loaded the bases with one out and then took the lead
when Brown walked putting TMP up 2-1. Treger Williby followed that with an RBI single
and then an error on the play led to two more runs for the Monarchs putting TMP
up 4-1.Sacred Heart came all the way back to tie the game at 4,
scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth.Then with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Sacred
Heart loaded the bases and Jett Samuelson delivered an RBI single lifting the Knights
to the 5-4 walk-off win.TMP was held to just three hits.Drew Werth allowed one run, just two earned, in two and a
third innings, suffering the loss.GAME 2: TMP 22, Sacred Heart 21 The second game saw the two teams combine to score 43 runs
on 32 hits in a 22-21 TMP victory.TMP opened the game scoring five runs in the top of the
first inning. Caden Dinkel got the scoring started with an RBI double that
scored Joey Mindrup who walked to lead off the game.After advancing to third on a wild pitch Dinkel scored on a
Carson Liles sacrifice fly putting TMP up 2-0.Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Garrett Feauto drove
in a run with an RBI single. Drew Werth added a bases loaded walk and then Ian
Nehls plated a run on a sacrifice fly putting TMP up 5-0 through the top of the
first.The Knights answered with eight in the bottom of the first
and five more in the second taking a 13-5 lead.TMP cut into the Sacred Heart lead with their second
five-run inning in the top of the fourth.They walked the bases loaded with one out in the inning and
then scored three runs on back-to-back errors making it 13-8 Knights. Werth and
Nehls added back-to-back RBI singles cutting the lead to 13-10 Sacred Heart.A two-run error in the bottom of the inning made it 15-10
Knights.TMP scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth inning
tying the game at 15.Adler Brown drove in two of the six runs and TMP added two
runs on an error and two runs on a pair of walks.The Knights answered right back with a run in the bottom of
the six taking a 16-15 lead.TMP scored six runs in the top of the seventh taking a 22-16
lead.Kendall Walker and Ian Nehls each doubled in a run and then Treger
Williby and Werth each singled in a run during the six-run seventh for TMP.Sacred Heart scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh
inning before Brown struck out the final hitter of the game securing the 22-21
TMP victory.Adler Brown drove in a career-high five runs and was
three-for-six in the game. Drew Werth and Ian Nehls each drove in four runs.
Nehls was three-for-three at the plate.Nehls got the win on the mound. He allowed three runs, one
earned, in four and a third innings, earning his first win of the season.The two teams combined to committ 15 errors.TMP is 4-10 on the season and will open play at the Hays
Diamond Classic Thursday at 6 p.m. against Hays High.

⚾TMP splits wild doubleheader with Sacred Heart

HAYS – For the second straight season TMP’s Pake
Dewey won the TMP-Marin Invitational, helping the Monarchs to a second place
team finish Monday at Smoky Hill Country Club in Hays.

Dewey fired a five-over 77 to earn the top spot while his
teammate Landon Rozean was four shots back in third with an 81. 

Heuer Brungardt shot a 98 and finished in a tie for 20th.
Peyton Schwartz was 27th and Jensen Brull was 32nd.

The Monarchs finished with a 359 team total, eight shots
back of first place Colby. Goodland was third, Larned fourth and Ellis was
fifth as a team.

Austin Carroll turned in a fourth place finish with an 84.

The Monarchs will travel to the Ellsworth Invitational on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683031098204.jpeg" alt="TMP-Marian’s Pake Dewey with coach Bryan VonFeldt – Courtesy TMP-Marian Athletics" />
 <figcaption>TMP-Marian’s Pake Dewey with coach Bryan VonFeldt – Courtesy TMP-Marian Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS – For the second straight season TMP’s Pake
Dewey won the TMP-Marin Invitational, helping the Monarchs to a second place
team finish Monday at Smoky Hill Country Club in Hays.Dewey fired a five-over 77 to earn the top spot while his
teammate Landon Rozean was four shots back in third with an 81. Heuer Brungardt shot a 98 and finished in a tie for 20th.
Peyton Schwartz was 27th and Jensen Brull was 32nd.The Monarchs finished with a 359 team total, eight shots
back of first place Colby. Goodland was third, Larned fourth and Ellis was
fifth as a team.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683031240425.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Austin Carroll turned in a fourth place finish with an 84.The Monarchs will travel to the Ellsworth Invitational on Thursday.

⛳TMP's Dewey wins TMP invite

GREAT BEND – The Hays High boys golf team earned a third
place finish at the Great Bend Invitational at Lark Barton Golf Club in Great
Bend Monday. 

The Indians combined for a 342 team total. Dodge City won
the team title with a 313. Garden City’s 335 was good enough for a second place
finish and Hays High third.

Hays' Ashton Bickle turned in a seven-over 78 and finished
third. The third place finish earned Bickle a 1st team All WAC
selection.

Landen Clark was sixth with an 80 and earned an honorable
mention WAC selection.

Blake Buckles finished in a tie for 12th and
Braxton Banker tied for 15th. Both were honorable mention WAC
selections.

Hays High boys golf will travel to Liberal Saturday.

GREAT BEND – The Hays High boys golf team earned a third
place finish at the Great Bend Invitational at Lark Barton Golf Club in Great
Bend Monday. The Indians combined for a 342 team total. Dodge City won
the team title with a 313. Garden City’s 335 was good enough for a second place
finish and Hays High third.Hays' Ashton Bickle turned in a seven-over 78 and finished
third. The third place finish earned Bickle a 1st team All WAC
selection.Landen Clark was sixth with an 80 and earned an honorable
mention WAC selection.Blake Buckles finished in a tie for 12th and
Braxton Banker tied for 15th. Both were honorable mention WAC
selections.Hays High boys golf will travel to Liberal Saturday.

⛳HHS boys third at Great Bend

GREAT BEND – The Hays High boys tennis earned a third place
finish at the Western Athletic Conference meet in Great Bend Monday. 

The number two doubles team of Ken Shaffer and Kale Schwien earned
a first place finish with a 4-0 record.

The number one doubles team of Henry Fitzthum and Xavier
Catura finished 3-1 and was second.

Colin Clark finished 1-3 and placed fourth in No. 1 single and
the No. 2 single Kaiden Bunger finished 2-2 was third.

The Indians will travel to Salina South for their 5A
regional on Friday.

GREAT BEND – The Hays High boys tennis earned a third place
finish at the Western Athletic Conference meet in Great Bend Monday. The number two doubles team of Ken Shaffer and Kale Schwien earned
a first place finish with a 4-0 record.The number one doubles team of Henry Fitzthum and Xavier
Catura finished 3-1 and was second.Colin Clark finished 1-3 and placed fourth in No. 1 single and
the No. 2 single Kaiden Bunger finished 2-2 was third.The Indians will travel to Salina South for their 5A
regional on Friday.

🎾HHS boys third at WAC

INDIANAPOLIS - Fort Hays State junior golfer&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-golf/roster/morgan-brasser/6948">Morgan Brasser</a>&nbsp;has been selected to compete at the 2023 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Central Region Championships, announced Monday by the NCAA office. This will be Brasser's third-straight trip to the regional meet. Nine teams (three conference champions, six at-large) and the top six individuals not on those teams from the MIAA, Northern Sun and Great American Conference will make up the field at the Central Regional, held this year at Grand Falls Casino &amp; Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa May 8-10. The MIAA will make up 32 of the 51 players at the regional, with six teams earning a bid in addition to two individuals. The 2022-23 MIAA Women's Golfer of the Year, Brasser picked up her first of three event victories this season on this course in October at the Augustana Regional Preview. Brasser turned in a two-round score of 4-over 148 to win by three strokes. Brasser has recorded a program-record stroke average of 75.72 through 25 rounds this season. She has won three times in 11 events, placing inside the top five six times and in the top 10 eight times. She turned in eight round at-or-under par, including two rounds of 69 that tied the program record. She also set a program record with a 36-hole tournament score of 4-under 140 at the Newman Spring Invitational. A three-time All-MIAA selection, Brasser finished T-12th at regionals as a freshman before finishing seventh last year, one shot back of the final individual qualifying slot. Brasser is now tied with Hannah Perkins (2017-19) for the most postseason trips in program history. Tiger Sports Hall of Famer Shelby White was the first FHSU women's golfer to earn a spot in the NCAA DII Regional Championships, doing so in 2006. The Andale, Kan. native's opening round is slated to start at 10:50 a.m. off hole 10 on Monday. Tuesday's round two will begin at 10 a.m. for the individual competitors before round three begins at either 10:50 a.m. or 11 a.m. on Wednesday. The top three teams and the low two individuals not on those teams will advance to the finals, slated for May 16-20 at Fox Run Golf Club in Eureka, Mo. 2023 NCAA Division II Central Region Championship Participants Larchwood, Iowa • Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort Host: Augustana University Teams: 1. Henderson State [Great American Conference] 2. Central Missouri [Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association] 3. Rogers State 4. Augustana&nbsp;[Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference] 5. Northeastern State 6. Nebraska-Kearney 7. Central Oklahoma 8. Harding 9. Missouri Western Individuals: 1. Paige Hoffman, Northwest Missouri 2.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-golf/roster/morgan-brasser/6948">Morgan Brasser</a>, Fort Hays State 3. Carly Moon, Winona State 4. Ellen Spigner Arkansas Tech 5. Morgan Becker, Oklahoma Baptist 6. Gabriela Maldonado, Arkansas-Monticello&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1682971939428.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Morgan Brasser hits a shot at the Dr. Virginia Laas Classic at the Bald Eagle Course at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Joplin, Missouri on Monday, April 10, 2023. (Shaun Buck/Joplin Sports Authority)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Morgan Brasser hits a shot at the Dr. Virginia Laas Classic at the Bald Eagle Course at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Joplin, Missouri on Monday, April 10, 2023. (Shaun Buck/Joplin Sports Authority)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsINDIANAPOLIS - Fort Hays State junior golfer&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-golf/roster/morgan-brasser/6948">Morgan Brasser</a>&nbsp;has been selected to compete at the 2023 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Central Region Championships, announced Monday by the NCAA office. This will be Brasser's third-straight trip to the regional meet. Nine teams (three conference champions, six at-large) and the top six individuals not on those teams from the MIAA, Northern Sun and Great American Conference will make up the field at the Central Regional, held this year at Grand Falls Casino &amp; Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa May 8-10. The MIAA will make up 32 of the 51 players at the regional, with six teams earning a bid in addition to two individuals. The 2022-23 MIAA Women's Golfer of the Year, Brasser picked up her first of three event victories this season on this course in October at the Augustana Regional Preview. Brasser turned in a two-round score of 4-over 148 to win by three strokes. Brasser has recorded a program-record stroke average of 75.72 through 25 rounds this season. She has won three times in 11 events, placing inside the top five six times and in the top 10 eight times. She turned in eight round at-or-under par, including two rounds of 69 that tied the program record. She also set a program record with a 36-hole tournament score of 4-under 140 at the Newman Spring Invitational. A three-time All-MIAA selection, Brasser finished T-12th at regionals as a freshman before finishing seventh last year, one shot back of the final individual qualifying slot. Brasser is now tied with Hannah Perkins (2017-19) for the most postseason trips in program history. Tiger Sports Hall of Famer Shelby White was the first FHSU women's golfer to earn a spot in the NCAA DII Regional Championships, doing so in 2006. The Andale, Kan. native's opening round is slated to start at 10:50 a.m. off hole 10 on Monday. Tuesday's round two will begin at 10 a.m. for the individual competitors before round three begins at either 10:50 a.m. or 11 a.m. on Wednesday. The top three teams and the low two individuals not on those teams will advance to the finals, slated for May 16-20 at Fox Run Golf Club in Eureka, Mo. 2023 NCAA Division II Central Region Championship Participants Larchwood, Iowa • Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort Host: Augustana University Teams: 1. Henderson State [Great American Conference] 2. Central Missouri [Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association] 3. Rogers State 4. Augustana&nbsp;[Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference] 5. Northeastern State 6. Nebraska-Kearney 7. Central Oklahoma 8. Harding 9. Missouri Western Individuals: 1. Paige Hoffman, Northwest Missouri 2.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-golf/roster/morgan-brasser/6948">Morgan Brasser</a>, Fort Hays State 3. Carly Moon, Winona State 4. Ellen Spigner Arkansas Tech 5. Morgan Becker, Oklahoma Baptist 6. Gabriela Maldonado, Arkansas-Monticello&nbsp;&nbsp;

⛳ FHSU's Brasser qualifies for 3rd-straight NCAA II regional

&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its pairings for its 2023 Softball Championship Tournament Sunday evening. The tournament will take place in Topeka, Kan. at Envista Softball Complex (Lake Shawnee Softball Complex). Fort Hays State tied for seventh in the MIAA standings with Emporia State, but received the No. 8 seed in the tournament since Emporia State held tiebreaker for the higher seed. The Tigers will face No. 1 seed and MIAA Regular Season Champion Central Oklahoma in the first round on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. on Field One. <a href="https://themiaa.com/sports/2023/4/11/SB_2023_Championship.aspx">MIAA Championship Tournament Central Page</a> The tournament is double elimination format with all first-round games on Wednesday. Second-round championship and elimination bracket games will be on Thursday. More championship and elimination bracket games will take place on Friday before Saturday's championship. See the tournament schedule on the MIAA Championship Tournament Central Page above. Fort Hays State will be making its second appearance in the MIAA Tournament in the last three years. It will be the team's fourth appearance in the tournament under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/adrian-pilkington/1157">Adrian Pilkington</a>. The Tigers have already produced their most wins in a season under coach Pilkington with 31 entering the championship tournament. Impressively, all eight teams competing in the championship tournament this season have 30 or more wins as the conference boasted an unprecedented nine teams (out of 14) with 30 or more wins in a season. Eleven of the 14 teams in the conference will finish with winning records overall. For those unable to make the trip over to Topeka to cheer on the Tigers, the games will be available on&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/">The MIAA Network</a>&nbsp;as well as KJLS (103.3). Below are the opening round matchups for Wednesday.

Game 1: No. 1 seed Central Oklahoma (43-6) vs. No. 8 seed Fort Hays State (31-22) – 3 p.m. (Field One) Game 2: No. 4 seed Central Missouri (32-19) vs. No. 5 seed Washburn (36-14) – 3 p.m. (Field Two) Game 3: No. 2 seed Missouri Southern (36-11) vs. No. 7 seed Emporia State (33-21) – 5:30 p.m. (Field One) Game 4: No. 3 seed Rogers State (41-10) vs. No. 6 seed Missouri Western (35-18) – 5:30 p.m. (Field Two)&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682901815805.png" alt="FHSU-SB.png" />
 <figcaption>FHSU-SB.png</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its pairings for its 2023 Softball Championship Tournament Sunday evening. The tournament will take place in Topeka, Kan. at Envista Softball Complex (Lake Shawnee Softball Complex). Fort Hays State tied for seventh in the MIAA standings with Emporia State, but received the No. 8 seed in the tournament since Emporia State held tiebreaker for the higher seed. The Tigers will face No. 1 seed and MIAA Regular Season Champion Central Oklahoma in the first round on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. on Field One. <a href="https://themiaa.com/sports/2023/4/11/SB_2023_Championship.aspx">MIAA Championship Tournament Central Page</a> The tournament is double elimination format with all first-round games on Wednesday. Second-round championship and elimination bracket games will be on Thursday. More championship and elimination bracket games will take place on Friday before Saturday's championship. See the tournament schedule on the MIAA Championship Tournament Central Page above. Fort Hays State will be making its second appearance in the MIAA Tournament in the last three years. It will be the team's fourth appearance in the tournament under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/adrian-pilkington/1157">Adrian Pilkington</a>. The Tigers have already produced their most wins in a season under coach Pilkington with 31 entering the championship tournament. Impressively, all eight teams competing in the championship tournament this season have 30 or more wins as the conference boasted an unprecedented nine teams (out of 14) with 30 or more wins in a season. Eleven of the 14 teams in the conference will finish with winning records overall. For those unable to make the trip over to Topeka to cheer on the Tigers, the games will be available on&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/">The MIAA Network</a>&nbsp;as well as KJLS (103.3). Below are the opening round matchups for Wednesday.Game 1: No. 1 seed Central Oklahoma (43-6) vs. No. 8 seed Fort Hays State (31-22) – 3 p.m. (Field One) Game 2: No. 4 seed Central Missouri (32-19) vs. No. 5 seed Washburn (36-14) – 3 p.m. (Field Two) Game 3: No. 2 seed Missouri Southern (36-11) vs. No. 7 seed Emporia State (33-21) – 5:30 p.m. (Field One) Game 4: No. 3 seed Rogers State (41-10) vs. No. 6 seed Missouri Western (35-18) – 5:30 p.m. (Field Two)&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 FHSU No. 8 seed in MIAA Tournament, opens with Central Oklahoma

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State softball team needed one win Sunday to punch their ticket to the MIAA Tournament next week in Topeka. The Tigers got the job done in game one with a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Northeastern State. The RiverHawks took game two 7-1. 

FHSU closed the regular season at 31-22 overall, 13-13 in the MIAA, while NSU finished its season at 30-21 overall, 12-14 in the MIAA.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=softball&amp;id=12500">Game 1 Box Score</a> <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=softball&amp;id=12501">Game 2 Box Score</a> The MIAA will officially release the championship tournament bracket once all games wrap up on Sunday. Game 1: Fort Hays State 5, Northeastern State 4 The RiverHawks took the early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a well-placed infield single and a two-run home run by Chloe Bohuslavicky. They added to that in the second after a double to open the inning led to a sacrifice fly making it 3-0. Fort Hays State rallied back within a run in the bottom of the second as an error led to a pair of runs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;led off the inning with a single and then&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lilliana-ramirez-johnson/7093">Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson</a>&nbsp;reached on a throwing error that allowed both to move up an extra base.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/adysen-burghart/7077">Adysen Burghart</a>&nbsp;plated the first Tiger run with a sacrifice fly RBI to right field, then&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;followed with a single down the third-base line to plate the second run. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;started a run of three scoreless frames in the circle in the third inning and saw her team rally ahead in the bottom of the fourth. Ramirez-Johnson got things started with a one-out single, then&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/reese-curry/7079">Reese Curry</a>&nbsp;singled to put two on base. Burghart delivered a game-changing blow with a deep drive to right-center field for an RBI double, tying the game at 3-3. Moments later, Shepard beat out a chopper on the infield for an RBI single that put the Tigers into the lead at 4-3.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;recorded the Tigers' fifth straight hit with a single to right field scoring the third run of the inning to give FHSU a 5-3 advantage. After Egger limited the RiverHawks to just one hit between the third and fifth innings, Bohuslavicky notched her second homer of the game in the sixth on a line drive to dead center field getting the RiverHawks back within one. But Egger and the Tiger defense was air tight the rest of the way as she retired the final six batters of the game for her 18th&nbsp;complete game of the season. She improved to 14-8 on the season with the win, recording four strikeouts. And for her third-straight complete game, she did not allow a walk. Game 2: Northeastern State 7, Fort Hays State 1 The RiverHawks scored two in the third, one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and two in the seventh before the Tigers avoided a shutout with a run in the bottom of the seventh. FHSU recorded six hits in the game, all scattered among six different players.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/aubrey-martinez/7090">Aubrey Martinez</a>&nbsp;broke up a shutout bid by Madison Heinle in the circle with a two-out RBI single in the seventh. She moved to 13-7 on the season for NSU with a complete-game win. Heinle struck out eight Tigers and walked three. The RiverHawks had four players record two hits in the game and Emily Sampson led their cause in RBIs with two on a home run. Like the first contest, NSU had a pair of home runs in the game. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;tossed the first 4.0 innings of the game for the Tigers, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/morgan-schmidt/7087">Morgan Schmidt</a>&nbsp;threw 2.0 innings and surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits with two strikeouts.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/emma-montoya/7092">Emma Montoya</a>&nbsp;got the final three outs for FHSU, allowing a run on a hit and walk. Carlson moved to 11-9 on the season. The MIAA Tournament is set to start on Wednesday afternoon (May 3) in Topeka, Kan. at Envista Softball Complex (Lake Shawnee Softball Complex), where the Tigers played earlier this season in February. A release on the Tigers' seed and first-round game time will come later Sunday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682895840140.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State softball team needed one win Sunday to punch their ticket to the MIAA Tournament next week in Topeka. The Tigers got the job done in game one with a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Northeastern State. The RiverHawks took game two 7-1. FHSU closed the regular season at 31-22 overall, 13-13 in the MIAA, while NSU finished its season at 30-21 overall, 12-14 in the MIAA.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=softball&amp;id=12500">Game 1 Box Score</a> <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=softball&amp;id=12501">Game 2 Box Score</a> The MIAA will officially release the championship tournament bracket once all games wrap up on Sunday. Game 1: Fort Hays State 5, Northeastern State 4 The RiverHawks took the early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a well-placed infield single and a two-run home run by Chloe Bohuslavicky. They added to that in the second after a double to open the inning led to a sacrifice fly making it 3-0. Fort Hays State rallied back within a run in the bottom of the second as an error led to a pair of runs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;led off the inning with a single and then&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lilliana-ramirez-johnson/7093">Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson</a>&nbsp;reached on a throwing error that allowed both to move up an extra base.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/adysen-burghart/7077">Adysen Burghart</a>&nbsp;plated the first Tiger run with a sacrifice fly RBI to right field, then&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;followed with a single down the third-base line to plate the second run. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;started a run of three scoreless frames in the circle in the third inning and saw her team rally ahead in the bottom of the fourth. Ramirez-Johnson got things started with a one-out single, then&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/reese-curry/7079">Reese Curry</a>&nbsp;singled to put two on base. Burghart delivered a game-changing blow with a deep drive to right-center field for an RBI double, tying the game at 3-3. Moments later, Shepard beat out a chopper on the infield for an RBI single that put the Tigers into the lead at 4-3.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;recorded the Tigers' fifth straight hit with a single to right field scoring the third run of the inning to give FHSU a 5-3 advantage. After Egger limited the RiverHawks to just one hit between the third and fifth innings, Bohuslavicky notched her second homer of the game in the sixth on a line drive to dead center field getting the RiverHawks back within one. But Egger and the Tiger defense was air tight the rest of the way as she retired the final six batters of the game for her 18th&nbsp;complete game of the season. She improved to 14-8 on the season with the win, recording four strikeouts. And for her third-straight complete game, she did not allow a walk. Game 2: Northeastern State 7, Fort Hays State 1 The RiverHawks scored two in the third, one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and two in the seventh before the Tigers avoided a shutout with a run in the bottom of the seventh. FHSU recorded six hits in the game, all scattered among six different players.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/aubrey-martinez/7090">Aubrey Martinez</a>&nbsp;broke up a shutout bid by Madison Heinle in the circle with a two-out RBI single in the seventh. She moved to 13-7 on the season for NSU with a complete-game win. Heinle struck out eight Tigers and walked three. The RiverHawks had four players record two hits in the game and Emily Sampson led their cause in RBIs with two on a home run. Like the first contest, NSU had a pair of home runs in the game. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;tossed the first 4.0 innings of the game for the Tigers, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/morgan-schmidt/7087">Morgan Schmidt</a>&nbsp;threw 2.0 innings and surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits with two strikeouts.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/emma-montoya/7092">Emma Montoya</a>&nbsp;got the final three outs for FHSU, allowing a run on a hit and walk. Carlson moved to 11-9 on the season. The MIAA Tournament is set to start on Wednesday afternoon (May 3) in Topeka, Kan. at Envista Softball Complex (Lake Shawnee Softball Complex), where the Tigers played earlier this season in February. A release on the Tigers' seed and first-round game time will come later Sunday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Tigers clinch MIAA tourney berth with split in regular season finale

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team saw their season end in a 13-11 loss to No. 4 Central Missouri on Sunday at Crane Stadium/Tomkins Field. The Tigers rallied from 6-1 first inning deficit to take a one-run lead in the ninth before the Mules walked it off in the home half to secure the outright MIAA regular season title. 

The Mules finished the regular season 36-13 overall and 27-6 in the MIAA while the Tigers wrapped up their much improved season 20-30 overall and 10-23 in the conference.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=baseball&amp;id=12554">Box Score</a>

The Tigers got on the board in the opening frame with an RBI double from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;that drove in&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>, who had reached on a leadoff walk. The Mules would answer with a six-run bottom of the inning.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-flaherty/6811">Cade Flaherty</a>&nbsp;started the game on the mound for the Tigers, but was unable to retire the first six batters he faced.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/nate-pitts/7269">Nate Pitts</a>&nbsp;took over and limited further damage as he forced a couple of fielder's choices before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Mikey </a>

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Felton</a>&nbsp;caught a runner stealing to end the inning. The Tigers manufactured a pair of runs in the third to cut into the lead as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;singled back to the mound bouncing the ball off of the rubber into shallow left field allowing him to reach second and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/joel-nieves/7267">Joel Nieves</a>&nbsp;to cross the plate. A passed ball moved Ural to third before a sacrifice fly from Boies brought him home.

Pitts retired nine of the first ten batters he faced holding the Mules in place until the fourth inning when they tallied three runs on five hits extending their lead to 9-3. The Tigers responded with a two-run home run by Scott that flew over the center field wall. UCM got one of those runs back in the sixth with a solo shot to go up 10-5. The Tigers crept within three runs in the seventh as Scott crushed his second home run of the game over the wall in center. Pitts managed to capture the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jenner-kehe/6818">Jenner Kehe</a>&nbsp;emerged from the bullpen to get the final out.

The Tigers tied the game in the eighth with a pair of home runs from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/elliott-herrmann/7260">Elliott Herrmann</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zach-davis/7256">Zach Davis</a>. Herrmann slapped a two-run bomb to dead center before Davis plated the tying run with a solo shot over the wall in right center. Kehe retired the first two batters in the home half before a double put a runner in scoring position for the Mules. Boies took over on the mound and forced the final out. Boies kept the momentum going as he batted in the run the put the Tigers ahead with a two-out single up the middle. The Mules found themselves trailing 11-10 with runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Carter Young turned on a 2-2 pitch and lifted it over the left center wall for a walk off three-run home run.

Pitts allowed four runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings pitched while walking three batters and striking out one. Kehe retired three out of the four batters he faced in one full frame on the mound and Boies (0-1) gave up two hits in his inning of work with one strikeout.

Scott, Boies, and Nieves each collected a pair of hits in the contest. Scott finished with four RBI and scored three runs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682739658053.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsWARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team saw their season end in a 13-11 loss to No. 4 Central Missouri on Sunday at Crane Stadium/Tomkins Field. The Tigers rallied from 6-1 first inning deficit to take a one-run lead in the ninth before the Mules walked it off in the home half to secure the outright MIAA regular season title. The Mules finished the regular season 36-13 overall and 27-6 in the MIAA while the Tigers wrapped up their much improved season 20-30 overall and 10-23 in the conference.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=baseball&amp;id=12554">Box Score</a>The Tigers got on the board in the opening frame with an RBI double from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;that drove in&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>, who had reached on a leadoff walk. The Mules would answer with a six-run bottom of the inning.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-flaherty/6811">Cade Flaherty</a>&nbsp;started the game on the mound for the Tigers, but was unable to retire the first six batters he faced.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/nate-pitts/7269">Nate Pitts</a>&nbsp;took over and limited further damage as he forced a couple of fielder's choices before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Mikey </a><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Felton</a>&nbsp;caught a runner stealing to end the inning. The Tigers manufactured a pair of runs in the third to cut into the lead as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;singled back to the mound bouncing the ball off of the rubber into shallow left field allowing him to reach second and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/joel-nieves/7267">Joel Nieves</a>&nbsp;to cross the plate. A passed ball moved Ural to third before a sacrifice fly from Boies brought him home.Pitts retired nine of the first ten batters he faced holding the Mules in place until the fourth inning when they tallied three runs on five hits extending their lead to 9-3. The Tigers responded with a two-run home run by Scott that flew over the center field wall. UCM got one of those runs back in the sixth with a solo shot to go up 10-5. The Tigers crept within three runs in the seventh as Scott crushed his second home run of the game over the wall in center. Pitts managed to capture the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jenner-kehe/6818">Jenner Kehe</a>&nbsp;emerged from the bullpen to get the final out.The Tigers tied the game in the eighth with a pair of home runs from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/elliott-herrmann/7260">Elliott Herrmann</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zach-davis/7256">Zach Davis</a>. Herrmann slapped a two-run bomb to dead center before Davis plated the tying run with a solo shot over the wall in right center. Kehe retired the first two batters in the home half before a double put a runner in scoring position for the Mules. Boies took over on the mound and forced the final out. Boies kept the momentum going as he batted in the run the put the Tigers ahead with a two-out single up the middle. The Mules found themselves trailing 11-10 with runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Carter Young turned on a 2-2 pitch and lifted it over the left center wall for a walk off three-run home run.Pitts allowed four runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings pitched while walking three batters and striking out one. Kehe retired three out of the four batters he faced in one full frame on the mound and Boies (0-1) gave up two hits in his inning of work with one strikeout.Scott, Boies, and Nieves each collected a pair of hits in the contest. Scott finished with four RBI and scored three runs.

⚾ FHSU rallies but loses to No. 4 Mules on walkoff homer

By BRIAN HALL Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning, Sonny Gray kept rolling with six strong innings and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 on Sunday.

Gray (4-0) allowed one run on five hits while striking out seven batters. Gray has given up just three runs in 35 innings this season and saw his MLB-best ERA rise to 0.77 after the outing.

Minnesota won three of the four games against Kansas City and has won six of eight.

Buxton homered for the second straight game, making it four in his past five games. The Twins homered in 13 straight games, hitting 22 over that span.

Brady Singer (2-3) lasted just 2 2/3 innings for the Royals, surrendering eight runs on five hits and three walks.

Vinnie Pasquantino had three hits for Kansas City, including a two-run single in the ninth inning before Jhoan Duran entered with two outs and recorded his sixth save.

The Royals' 21 losses in April tie the club record for losses in any calendar month.

Buxton doubled and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Gordon in the second inning before launching his seventh homer of the season to the third deck in left field in the third.

Gordon, Willi Castro and Christian Vázquez followed with consecutive run-scoring singles.

Buxton’s homer allowed Minnesota to show off its new home run celebration. When he entered the dugout, Buxton was given a fishing vest and fishing pole. On the back of the vest was “Land of 10,000 Rakes” a play on Minnesota’s famous “Land of 10,000 Lakes" slogan.

Twins: RHP Tyler Mahle had an MRI and X-rays done on his sore right arm. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Mahle will be shut down and won’t make his next start, but didn't get into specifics because the team had yet to meet with Mahle to discuss the results.

Royals: Host Baltimore on Tuesday for the first of 10 straight home games. LHP Ryan Yarbrough (0-3, 6.35 ERA) will make his second straight start for the Royals in place of Kris Bubic.

Twins: Start a six-game road trip with three games against the Chicago White Sox. RHP Joe Ryan (5-0, 2.81) starts the first game Tuesday with RHP Michael Kopech (0-3, 7.01) scheduled for Chicago.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682896838107.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino hits a two-run single against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 30, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino hits a two-run single against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 30, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN HALL Associated PressMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning, Sonny Gray kept rolling with six strong innings and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 on Sunday.Gray (4-0) allowed one run on five hits while striking out seven batters. Gray has given up just three runs in 35 innings this season and saw his MLB-best ERA rise to 0.77 after the outing.Minnesota won three of the four games against Kansas City and has won six of eight.Buxton homered for the second straight game, making it four in his past five games. The Twins homered in 13 straight games, hitting 22 over that span.Brady Singer (2-3) lasted just 2 2/3 innings for the Royals, surrendering eight runs on five hits and three walks.Vinnie Pasquantino had three hits for Kansas City, including a two-run single in the ninth inning before Jhoan Duran entered with two outs and recorded his sixth save.The Royals' 21 losses in April tie the club record for losses in any calendar month.Buxton doubled and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Gordon in the second inning before launching his seventh homer of the season to the third deck in left field in the third.Gordon, Willi Castro and Christian Vázquez followed with consecutive run-scoring singles.DEEP FISHINGBuxton’s homer allowed Minnesota to show off its new home run celebration. When he entered the dugout, Buxton was given a fishing vest and fishing pole. On the back of the vest was “Land of 10,000 Rakes” a play on Minnesota’s famous “Land of 10,000 Lakes" slogan.TRAINER’S ROOMTwins: RHP Tyler Mahle had an MRI and X-rays done on his sore right arm. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Mahle will be shut down and won’t make his next start, but didn't get into specifics because the team had yet to meet with Mahle to discuss the results.UP NEXTRoyals: Host Baltimore on Tuesday for the first of 10 straight home games. LHP Ryan Yarbrough (0-3, 6.35 ERA) will make his second straight start for the Royals in place of Kris Bubic.Twins: Start a six-game road trip with three games against the Chicago White Sox. RHP Joe Ryan (5-0, 2.81) starts the first game Tuesday with RHP Michael Kopech (0-3, 7.01) scheduled for Chicago.

⚾ Buxton homer, Gray's 6 innings push Twins over Royals

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State earned a split in a crucial doubleheader with No. 8 Rogers State on Saturday at Fleharty Family Field in Hays. After falling in game one 6-1,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;spun a shutout gem in the circle against the defending national champions and was backed by a fourth-inning RBI single from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/reese-curry/7079">Reese Curry</a>&nbsp;for a 1-0 FHSU game two win. The Tigers remain in good position in the MIAA standings at 12-12 heading into the final day of the regular season, but their work is not done yet as they host an 11-13 Northeastern State team (29-20 overall) still alive in the conference tournament picture on Sunday. With the game-two win, Fort Hays State clinched its first 30-win season since 2013 and the first under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/adrian-pilkington/1157">Adrian Pilkington</a>. They now look to lock down their second MIAA Tournament appearance in the last three seasons on Sunday.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=softball&amp;id=12498">Game 1 Box Score</a> <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=softball&amp;id=12499">Game 2 Box Score</a> Game 1: Rogers State 6, Fort Hays State 1 Rogers State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with two runs in the first and one in the second and never looked back in its win to open the doubleheader. FHSU picked up its only run in the fifth on an RBI single by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>, but RSU found three more insurance runs in the seventh with a two-out rally. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;threw the first 4.1 innings of the contest, allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks. She struck out one.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/morgan-schmidt/7087">Morgan Schmidt</a>&nbsp;threw the next 2.1 innings and allowed three runs on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/emma-montoya/7092">Emma Montoya</a>&nbsp;picked up the final Rogers State out of the game. The Tigers had a hard time getting anything going against MIAA earned run average leader Sara Llamas-Howell who surrendered four hits, two walks, and a hit batter. She struck out five in her six innings of work, moving to 20-2 on the season. Courtney Hill pitched the final inning for the Hillcats and walked two. The run in the fifth by FHSU was set up on a triple to center field by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>. Tiffany brought her in on a one-out single to center field. Game 2: Fort Hays State 1, Rogers State 0 Game two was a pitcher's duel between&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;of Fort Hays State and Jade Sanders of Rogers State. Egger was masterful in her MIAA-leading ninth shutout of the season in a critical battle to set up the Tigers' position in the MIAA standings going into Sunday. After having golden run-scoring opportunities in both the first and third innings, FHSU finally broke through against Sanders in the fourth on a clutch two-out RBI single by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/reese-curry/7079">Reese Curry</a>. She scored&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;who led off the inning by beating out a deep infield single up the middle. Sanders (14-5) went on to finish with 10 strikeouts in her complete-game loss. Egger had a perfect game rolling in the fifth inning, retiring the first 14 batters of the game before Jaylan Gibson snuck a ball down the third-base line that either crossed over top of the bag or barely clipped the foul line past the bag for a double. But she ended that RSU threat with a ground out. Egger mowed through the Hillcats in order in the sixth with three ground outs, but then finally had to face her biggest challenge in the seventh. A perfectly placed infield single by Nicole Price and then a one-out half swing single by Abbey Rogers that fell into left field gave Rogers State one last chance to crack through. But, Egger battled and got MaKayla Jackson to ground into a fielder's choice for the second out, then induced a weak pop up on the infield out of Gibson to end the game. Egger finished with three strikeouts and did not allow any free passes to first in her complete-game effort, moving to 13-8 on the season. Fort Hays State plays host to Northeastern State on Sunday (Apr. 30) at 12 p.m. at Fleharty Family Field, looking to snag one of the last two spots available for the conference tournament.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682812677635.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Savannah Egger delivers a pitch in an NCAA softball game vs. Rogers State on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at Fleharty Family Field in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Savannah Egger delivers a pitch in an NCAA softball game vs. Rogers State on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at Fleharty Family Field in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State earned a split in a crucial doubleheader with No. 8 Rogers State on Saturday at Fleharty Family Field in Hays. After falling in game one 6-1,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;spun a shutout gem in the circle against the defending national champions and was backed by a fourth-inning RBI single from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/reese-curry/7079">Reese Curry</a>&nbsp;for a 1-0 FHSU game two win. The Tigers remain in good position in the MIAA standings at 12-12 heading into the final day of the regular season, but their work is not done yet as they host an 11-13 Northeastern State team (29-20 overall) still alive in the conference tournament picture on Sunday. With the game-two win, Fort Hays State clinched its first 30-win season since 2013 and the first under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/adrian-pilkington/1157">Adrian Pilkington</a>. They now look to lock down their second MIAA Tournament appearance in the last three seasons on Sunday.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=softball&amp;id=12498">Game 1 Box Score</a> <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=softball&amp;id=12499">Game 2 Box Score</a> Game 1: Rogers State 6, Fort Hays State 1 Rogers State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with two runs in the first and one in the second and never looked back in its win to open the doubleheader. FHSU picked up its only run in the fifth on an RBI single by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>, but RSU found three more insurance runs in the seventh with a two-out rally. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;threw the first 4.1 innings of the contest, allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks. She struck out one.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/morgan-schmidt/7087">Morgan Schmidt</a>&nbsp;threw the next 2.1 innings and allowed three runs on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/emma-montoya/7092">Emma Montoya</a>&nbsp;picked up the final Rogers State out of the game. The Tigers had a hard time getting anything going against MIAA earned run average leader Sara Llamas-Howell who surrendered four hits, two walks, and a hit batter. She struck out five in her six innings of work, moving to 20-2 on the season. Courtney Hill pitched the final inning for the Hillcats and walked two. The run in the fifth by FHSU was set up on a triple to center field by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>. Tiffany brought her in on a one-out single to center field. Game 2: Fort Hays State 1, Rogers State 0 Game two was a pitcher's duel between&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;of Fort Hays State and Jade Sanders of Rogers State. Egger was masterful in her MIAA-leading ninth shutout of the season in a critical battle to set up the Tigers' position in the MIAA standings going into Sunday. After having golden run-scoring opportunities in both the first and third innings, FHSU finally broke through against Sanders in the fourth on a clutch two-out RBI single by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/reese-curry/7079">Reese Curry</a>. She scored&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;who led off the inning by beating out a deep infield single up the middle. Sanders (14-5) went on to finish with 10 strikeouts in her complete-game loss. Egger had a perfect game rolling in the fifth inning, retiring the first 14 batters of the game before Jaylan Gibson snuck a ball down the third-base line that either crossed over top of the bag or barely clipped the foul line past the bag for a double. But she ended that RSU threat with a ground out. Egger mowed through the Hillcats in order in the sixth with three ground outs, but then finally had to face her biggest challenge in the seventh. A perfectly placed infield single by Nicole Price and then a one-out half swing single by Abbey Rogers that fell into left field gave Rogers State one last chance to crack through. But, Egger battled and got MaKayla Jackson to ground into a fielder's choice for the second out, then induced a weak pop up on the infield out of Gibson to end the game. Egger finished with three strikeouts and did not allow any free passes to first in her complete-game effort, moving to 13-8 on the season. Fort Hays State plays host to Northeastern State on Sunday (Apr. 30) at 12 p.m. at Fleharty Family Field, looking to snag one of the last two spots available for the conference tournament.

🥎 Egger’s gem, Curry single lifts Tigers to split with No. 8 Hillcats

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brett Veach knew he was utilizing the NFL draft's biggest cliche at the scouting combine in February, when the Chiefs general manager insisted that the Super Bowl champions would take “the best player available” when they were on the clock.

The best player available wound up matching their biggest needs over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-2023-live-updates-d45256e5f5eb6f6de7b24b65a2996e9c">three days of selections</a>. The Chiefs added to their pass rush in the first round with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-chiefs-super-bowl-5b503ec7789b81a50176f87215a4c7a3">Kansas State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah</a>, gave Patrick Mahomes another playmaker in the second round with SMU's Rashee Rice and some protection up front in the third with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-chiefs-super-bowl-b0e7c08efd510b7b1bb69cae33ff73ef">Oklahoma offensive tackle Wanya Morris</a>.

The final four selections Saturday provided some much needed depth: Virginia Tech safety Chamarri Conner in the fourth round, Stephen F. Austin linebacker BJ Thompson in the fifth, Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn in the sixth and Ball State cornerback Nic Jones in the seventh to wrap up a hometown draft held at Union Station near downtown Kansas City.

“There's always a sense of what you need,” Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi admitted, “but we're really looking at the best value on the board. So the first night we took Felix — obviously a pass rusher, you can't get enough of those guys. And then we came back and we knew we wanted to take a receiver in the second round early, and we moved up for Rice. And you know, we were able to get a tackle in the third, so we felt good about filling the needs but also staying true to the board.”

In other words, that cliche about taking the best player available had some element of truth to it.

But the Chiefs also knew there were specific areas they needed to target.

They had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-frank-clark-orlando-brown-super-bowl-02ba7e989e9d38be31afed964f1fda48">to release Frank Clark</a>&nbsp;early in the offseason to create some salary cap space, and Carlos Dunlap became a free agent, so they needed some help rushing the passer. Charles Omenihu provided a veteran presence, but the Chiefs were eager to get a bookend for last year's first-round pick, George Karlaftis, and they found it just down the road.

Anudike-Uzomah grew up in Kansas City before turning into the Big 12's defensive player of the year at Kansas State.

“Frank Clark is one of my favorite pass rushers, watching him, and I was like, ‘Listen, if he left, I could definitely have input for the team,’ especially because I'm a young rusher and I could learn from the people in front of me,” he said. “It's honestly surreal, and I'm glad to be a part of the Chiefs and glad to be part of a winning culture.”

The Chiefs traded up in the second round to select Rice, who is aggressive after the catch in the same mold as JuJu Smith-Schuster, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juju-smithschuster-patriots-nfl-free-agency-fe398fefbeb228ca29f4da5e0a25c04c">left in free agency</a>. The Chiefs also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-mecole-hardman-nfl-free-agency-4e443d9997fd44484be30553d3be1650">lost Mecole Hardman</a>, making it a priority to add another pass catcher to a group headlined by Kadarius Toney and second-year pro Skyy Moore.

“You're getting a playmaker. You're getting someone who really wants to be a part of the Chiefs' program,” said Rice, who caught passes from Mahomes at some impromptu workouts in Texas and got the MVP quarterback's seal of approval.

“I can't complain about a great quarterback,” he said. “I'm going to be able to build my relationship with him.”

Mahomes will need to establish a good relationship with Morris, too.

The Chiefs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/free-agency-bengals-orlando-brown-jr-766708d0ff8b8b51bf8ea51f05c4f8ef">lost Orlando Brown Jr.</a>&nbsp;when they were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal with the franchise left tackle, then they lost right tackle Andrew Wylie when he signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commanders-nfl-free-agency-bb908c3f2c71de54354a95d0d8c3a070">a lucrative contract</a>&nbsp;in free agency. The Chiefs opened the checkbook to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-free-agency-15593e77833b3a80e2333f12c4c25262">bring in Jawaan Taylor</a>, and plan to move him from the right side to left, but that still left an opening on the offensive line.

Morris is expected to compete with Lucas Niang and others for that starting job throughout the summer and training camp.

“You know, he's long, he's athletic, he's got the feet. Now he's just got to put everything together,” Borgonzi said, “and we feel comfortable with our room here that he'll learn from some of the guys here.”

After the three biggest holes were plugged the first two days of the draft, the Chiefs spent Saturday on some luxury picks.

Conner could see playing time immediately after safety Juan Thornhill left in free agency. Thompson is an athletic linebacker who could play a variety of special teams roles. Coburn is a 332-pound space-eater in the defensive line who could free up Chris Jones to make plays. Ball State's Nic Jones can provide depth in the defensive backfield.

“I think Day 2 and Day 3 are really where personnel staffs can distinguish themselves,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said, “and Brett's staff has certainly done that in recent years. We look back to last year and the number of players that we were able to select in the later rounds who ended up making a big contribution last year all the way to the Super Bowl.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682811763769.jpeg" alt="Former Kansas State defensive lineman Felix Anudike-Uzomah takes a selfie with fans during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 28, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Anudike-Uzomah was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Former Kansas State defensive lineman Felix Anudike-Uzomah takes a selfie with fans during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 28, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Anudike-Uzomah was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brett Veach knew he was utilizing the NFL draft's biggest cliche at the scouting combine in February, when the Chiefs general manager insisted that the Super Bowl champions would take “the best player available” when they were on the clock.How fortuitous they must have been.The best player available wound up matching their biggest needs over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-2023-live-updates-d45256e5f5eb6f6de7b24b65a2996e9c">three days of selections</a>. The Chiefs added to their pass rush in the first round with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-chiefs-super-bowl-5b503ec7789b81a50176f87215a4c7a3">Kansas State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah</a>, gave Patrick Mahomes another playmaker in the second round with SMU's Rashee Rice and some protection up front in the third with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-chiefs-super-bowl-b0e7c08efd510b7b1bb69cae33ff73ef">Oklahoma offensive tackle Wanya Morris</a>.The final four selections Saturday provided some much needed depth: Virginia Tech safety Chamarri Conner in the fourth round, Stephen F. Austin linebacker BJ Thompson in the fifth, Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn in the sixth and Ball State cornerback Nic Jones in the seventh to wrap up a hometown draft held at Union Station near downtown Kansas City.“There's always a sense of what you need,” Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi admitted, “but we're really looking at the best value on the board. So the first night we took Felix — obviously a pass rusher, you can't get enough of those guys. And then we came back and we knew we wanted to take a receiver in the second round early, and we moved up for Rice. And you know, we were able to get a tackle in the third, so we felt good about filling the needs but also staying true to the board.”In other words, that cliche about taking the best player available had some element of truth to it.But the Chiefs also knew there were specific areas they needed to target.They had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-frank-clark-orlando-brown-super-bowl-02ba7e989e9d38be31afed964f1fda48">to release Frank Clark</a>&nbsp;early in the offseason to create some salary cap space, and Carlos Dunlap became a free agent, so they needed some help rushing the passer. Charles Omenihu provided a veteran presence, but the Chiefs were eager to get a bookend for last year's first-round pick, George Karlaftis, and they found it just down the road.Anudike-Uzomah grew up in Kansas City before turning into the Big 12's defensive player of the year at Kansas State.“Frank Clark is one of my favorite pass rushers, watching him, and I was like, ‘Listen, if he left, I could definitely have input for the team,’ especially because I'm a young rusher and I could learn from the people in front of me,” he said. “It's honestly surreal, and I'm glad to be a part of the Chiefs and glad to be part of a winning culture.”The Chiefs traded up in the second round to select Rice, who is aggressive after the catch in the same mold as JuJu Smith-Schuster, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juju-smithschuster-patriots-nfl-free-agency-fe398fefbeb228ca29f4da5e0a25c04c">left in free agency</a>. The Chiefs also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-mecole-hardman-nfl-free-agency-4e443d9997fd44484be30553d3be1650">lost Mecole Hardman</a>, making it a priority to add another pass catcher to a group headlined by Kadarius Toney and second-year pro Skyy Moore.“You're getting a playmaker. You're getting someone who really wants to be a part of the Chiefs' program,” said Rice, who caught passes from Mahomes at some impromptu workouts in Texas and got the MVP quarterback's seal of approval.“I can't complain about a great quarterback,” he said. “I'm going to be able to build my relationship with him.”Mahomes will need to establish a good relationship with Morris, too.The Chiefs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/free-agency-bengals-orlando-brown-jr-766708d0ff8b8b51bf8ea51f05c4f8ef">lost Orlando Brown Jr.</a>&nbsp;when they were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal with the franchise left tackle, then they lost right tackle Andrew Wylie when he signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commanders-nfl-free-agency-bb908c3f2c71de54354a95d0d8c3a070">a lucrative contract</a>&nbsp;in free agency. The Chiefs opened the checkbook to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-free-agency-15593e77833b3a80e2333f12c4c25262">bring in Jawaan Taylor</a>, and plan to move him from the right side to left, but that still left an opening on the offensive line.Morris is expected to compete with Lucas Niang and others for that starting job throughout the summer and training camp.“You know, he's long, he's athletic, he's got the feet. Now he's just got to put everything together,” Borgonzi said, “and we feel comfortable with our room here that he'll learn from some of the guys here.”After the three biggest holes were plugged the first two days of the draft, the Chiefs spent Saturday on some luxury picks.Conner could see playing time immediately after safety Juan Thornhill left in free agency. Thompson is an athletic linebacker who could play a variety of special teams roles. Coburn is a 332-pound space-eater in the defensive line who could free up Chris Jones to make plays. Ball State's Nic Jones can provide depth in the defensive backfield.“I think Day 2 and Day 3 are really where personnel staffs can distinguish themselves,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said, “and Brett's staff has certainly done that in recent years. We look back to last year and the number of players that we were able to select in the later rounds who ended up making a big contribution last year all the way to the Super Bowl.”

🏈 Chiefs address biggest needs during hometown NFL draft

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State saw two more of its former football players selected on the final day of the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday, as defensive back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/josh-hayes/8594">Josh Hayes</a>&nbsp;and running back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/deuce-vaughn/8582">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;were both drafted in the sixth round. Hayes was selected with the fourth pick of the round – No. 181 overall – by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Vaughn was drafted with the 35th&nbsp;pick of the round – No. 212 overall – by the Dallas Cowboys.&nbsp;&nbsp;

K-State concluded the draft with four of its players selected, which was the most since four were selected in 2003. Hayes was the eighth Wildcat ever to be selected by Tampa Bay and the first since quarterback Josh Freeman in 2009. Vaughn is just the third K-State player selected by the Cowboys and the first since cornerback Terence Newman went fifth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. Vaughn's selection was even more special as his father, Chris, is a scout for the Cowboys. A transfer from North Dakota State prior to the 2022 season, Hayes played in 68 career games with 38 starts over parts of six seasons, including 13 starts during his lone season in Manhattan. Despite missing the season opener due to injury, Hayes still ranked third on the team in tackles (71) and tackles for loss (5.5), while he broke up seven passes. His highwater mark for tackles was 11 at Iowa State to go along with a TFL and a pass breakup as he earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Vaughn, a product of Round Rock, Texas, left K-State with the school records for receptions (116) and receiving yards (1,280) by a running back, while he also ranked in the top 10 in 12 other categories. Just the second player in school history to earn two Consensus All-America honors, Vaughn was also just the third player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons, joining Darren Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004) and Daniel Thomas (2009, 2010). Additionally, Vaughn is the only player in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving, while he was the only player in school history to reach 3,000 all-purpose yards prior to the end of his sophomore season. In 2022, Vaughn earned First Team All-America honors from Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association,&nbsp;Sporting News&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Athletic, while he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors as an all-purpose player from the AP as he was the only player in the nation with over 1,500 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards. He ended his junior season ranked eighth nationally in total rushing yards (1,558), 12th in all-purpose yards per game (138.29) and 15th in rushing yards per game (111.3). More former Wildcats could join NFL teams as organizations begin to sign rookie free agents in the coming days. Those will be announced as they made public by their respective organizations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682812630480.png" alt="Kansas State Athletics photos" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics photos</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State saw two more of its former football players selected on the final day of the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday, as defensive back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/josh-hayes/8594">Josh Hayes</a>&nbsp;and running back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/deuce-vaughn/8582">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;were both drafted in the sixth round. Hayes was selected with the fourth pick of the round – No. 181 overall – by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Vaughn was drafted with the 35th&nbsp;pick of the round – No. 212 overall – by the Dallas Cowboys.&nbsp;&nbsp;K-State concluded the draft with four of its players selected, which was the most since four were selected in 2003. Hayes was the eighth Wildcat ever to be selected by Tampa Bay and the first since quarterback Josh Freeman in 2009. Vaughn is just the third K-State player selected by the Cowboys and the first since cornerback Terence Newman went fifth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. Vaughn's selection was even more special as his father, Chris, is a scout for the Cowboys. A transfer from North Dakota State prior to the 2022 season, Hayes played in 68 career games with 38 starts over parts of six seasons, including 13 starts during his lone season in Manhattan. Despite missing the season opener due to injury, Hayes still ranked third on the team in tackles (71) and tackles for loss (5.5), while he broke up seven passes. His highwater mark for tackles was 11 at Iowa State to go along with a TFL and a pass breakup as he earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Vaughn, a product of Round Rock, Texas, left K-State with the school records for receptions (116) and receiving yards (1,280) by a running back, while he also ranked in the top 10 in 12 other categories. Just the second player in school history to earn two Consensus All-America honors, Vaughn was also just the third player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons, joining Darren Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004) and Daniel Thomas (2009, 2010). Additionally, Vaughn is the only player in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving, while he was the only player in school history to reach 3,000 all-purpose yards prior to the end of his sophomore season. In 2022, Vaughn earned First Team All-America honors from Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association,&nbsp;Sporting News&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Athletic, while he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors as an all-purpose player from the AP as he was the only player in the nation with over 1,500 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards. He ended his junior season ranked eighth nationally in total rushing yards (1,558), 12th in all-purpose yards per game (138.29) and 15th in rushing yards per game (111.3). More former Wildcats could join NFL teams as organizations begin to sign rookie free agents in the coming days. Those will be announced as they made public by their respective organizations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 K-State's Hayes, Vaughn selected on final day of NFL draft

By MIKE COOK Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jhoan Duran’s wild pitch allowed Edward Olivares to score the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning, and the Kansas City Royals ended a nine-game losing streak at Target Field with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

Olivares doubled twice and walked on four pitches from Duran (0-1) leading off the ninth. Olivares stole second, and Michael Massey walked for the first time in 81 plate appearances this season when Duran committed a pitch-clock violation with a full count.

Nicky Lopez sacrificed and Olivares bounced a 1-0 curveball off the mitt of catcher Ryan Jeffers, the ball bouncing to the warning track in front of the first-base dugout.

“You get Duran coming in there throwing 101 (mph). It easy to say, ‘Oh, he wasn’t throwing strikes,’ but you have to gear up and be ready for that, for laying off some of those pitches,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Ollie had a really good at-bat. You can’t overstate what Nicky’s bunt did for us there. Throwing that hard it’s not easy to bunt, and then when you’re a little bit erratic it’s even tougher.”

Kansas City (7-21) won for just the third time in 15 games as Scott Barlow hung on for his fourth save. Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco singled with one out, Byron Buxton took a called third strike and Trevor Larnach hit a game-ending comebacker. The Royals had not won at Minnesota since last May 28.

Minnesota went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners, matching its season high. The AL Central-leading Twins had won five of their previous six games.

“We had a good offensive approach. We just didn’t get those timely hits that we normally get,” Buxton said. “To be able to have a chance to tie it up and win the game in the ninth, that’s what you’re asking for.”

José Caus, Taylor Clarke, Chapman (1-1) and Barlow allowed one run over the final 3 2/3 innings, a day after the bullpen gave up one hit in four innings. In its past seven games, Royals relievers have allowed five earned runs in 25 innings.

Chapman got his first win with the Royals.

“The group we got down there is just feeding off each other really well. One of the things we say in meetings is pass the baton, feed off the guy that went before you and fight for the guys behind that are going to come in after you,” Barlow said.

Polanco thought he hit a line drive home run in the first inning and, with the crowd cheering, started a home run trot. However, the ball ricocheted off the top of the wall near the right field foul pole and right fielder Nick Pratto threw to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who tagged a shocked Polanco as he got to second base. A video review showed the ball missed clearing the wall by inches.

Buxton homered in the seventh off Clarke for a 2-1 lead, a ball that skipped off the top of the left-field wall, caromed off a short fence just past the flower bed and back onto the field. Buxton stopped at second base, but after a brief huddle by the umpires, a home run was signaled.

Brad Keller’s wild pitch allowed Minnesota to score its first run in the fourth, Lopez had a tying RBI single in the fifth and Salvador Perez had a tying RBI single in the eighth.

Keller gave up one run, five hits in 5 1/3 innings, threw a pair of wild pitches and walked five, one shy of his career high. He has 16 walks over 13 1/3 innings in his last three starts.

Bailey Ober, recalled from Triple-A St. Paul and taking the slot of injured Kenta Maeda, allowed one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Kansas City stole four bases for the first time since April 4 last year.

Twins: INF Kyle Farmer, hit on the face by a fastball on April 12, is expected to play some rehab games next week. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Farmer is “mostly done” with dental work and has been taking swings and fielding. … Maeda was placed on the on the 15-day IL retroactive to Thursday with a right triceps strain.

Minnesota RHP Sonny Gray (3-0, 0.62) looks to extend his strong start in Sunday’s series finale. Kansas City plans to start RHP Brady Singer (2-2, 6.67).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682805926111.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Edward Olivares, right, slides home ahead of the tag by Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, left, as umpire Brock Ballou watchers the play in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Edward Olivares, right, slides home ahead of the tag by Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, left, as umpire Brock Ballou watchers the play in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COOK Associated PressMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jhoan Duran’s wild pitch allowed Edward Olivares to score the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning, and the Kansas City Royals ended a nine-game losing streak at Target Field with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.Olivares doubled twice and walked on four pitches from Duran (0-1) leading off the ninth. Olivares stole second, and Michael Massey walked for the first time in 81 plate appearances this season when Duran committed a pitch-clock violation with a full count.Nicky Lopez sacrificed and Olivares bounced a 1-0 curveball off the mitt of catcher Ryan Jeffers, the ball bouncing to the warning track in front of the first-base dugout.“You get Duran coming in there throwing 101 (mph). It easy to say, ‘Oh, he wasn’t throwing strikes,’ but you have to gear up and be ready for that, for laying off some of those pitches,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Ollie had a really good at-bat. You can’t overstate what Nicky’s bunt did for us there. Throwing that hard it’s not easy to bunt, and then when you’re a little bit erratic it’s even tougher.”Kansas City (7-21) won for just the third time in 15 games as Scott Barlow hung on for his fourth save. Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco singled with one out, Byron Buxton took a called third strike and Trevor Larnach hit a game-ending comebacker. The Royals had not won at Minnesota since last May 28.Minnesota went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners, matching its season high. The AL Central-leading Twins had won five of their previous six games.“We had a good offensive approach. We just didn’t get those timely hits that we normally get,” Buxton said. “To be able to have a chance to tie it up and win the game in the ninth, that’s what you’re asking for.”José Caus, Taylor Clarke, Chapman (1-1) and Barlow allowed one run over the final 3 2/3 innings, a day after the bullpen gave up one hit in four innings. In its past seven games, Royals relievers have allowed five earned runs in 25 innings.Chapman got his first win with the Royals.“The group we got down there is just feeding off each other really well. One of the things we say in meetings is pass the baton, feed off the guy that went before you and fight for the guys behind that are going to come in after you,” Barlow said.Polanco thought he hit a line drive home run in the first inning and, with the crowd cheering, started a home run trot. However, the ball ricocheted off the top of the wall near the right field foul pole and right fielder Nick Pratto threw to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who tagged a shocked Polanco as he got to second base. A video review showed the ball missed clearing the wall by inches.Buxton homered in the seventh off Clarke for a 2-1 lead, a ball that skipped off the top of the left-field wall, caromed off a short fence just past the flower bed and back onto the field. Buxton stopped at second base, but after a brief huddle by the umpires, a home run was signaled.Brad Keller’s wild pitch allowed Minnesota to score its first run in the fourth, Lopez had a tying RBI single in the fifth and Salvador Perez had a tying RBI single in the eighth.Keller gave up one run, five hits in 5 1/3 innings, threw a pair of wild pitches and walked five, one shy of his career high. He has 16 walks over 13 1/3 innings in his last three starts.Bailey Ober, recalled from Triple-A St. Paul and taking the slot of injured Kenta Maeda, allowed one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks.THIEVERYKansas City stole four bases for the first time since April 4 last year.TRAINER’S ROOMTwins: INF Kyle Farmer, hit on the face by a fastball on April 12, is expected to play some rehab games next week. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Farmer is “mostly done” with dental work and has been taking swings and fielding. … Maeda was placed on the on the 15-day IL retroactive to Thursday with a right triceps strain.UP NEXTMinnesota RHP Sonny Gray (3-0, 0.62) looks to extend his strong start in Sunday’s series finale. Kansas City plans to start RHP Brady Singer (2-2, 6.67).

⚾ Royals win on wild pitch, ending 9-game skid at Twins

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team fell in game two of their series with No. 4 Central Missouri on Saturday (April 29), 11-6. The Tigers put together a rally in the ninth, but it fell short. The Mules improved to 35-13 overall and 26-6 in the MIAA while the Tigers move to 20-29 overall and 10-22 in the conference.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=baseball&amp;id=12553">Box Score</a>

The Mules got on the board with a two-run home run in the opening frame, but the Tigers managed to answer with a three-run third inning to take the lead.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/trip-davis/7255">Trip Davis</a>&nbsp;led off the inning with a single before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>&nbsp;got hit by a pitch. An infield single from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;allowed Davis to cross the plate before an erratic throw by the Mules allowed Ural to reach second. The Tigers took the lead 3-2 as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;stepped up and drove an 0-2 pitch back up the middle plating two more runs.

After the home run in the first inning, Tiger starter&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-campbell/6805">Jake Campbell</a>&nbsp;retired five straight Mules before a string of hits allowed UCM to regain the lead 4-3 in the home half of the third. FHSU struggled against the UCM bullpen for the remainder of the contest up until the ninth inning. The Mules added another run in the fourth before piling on four in the fifth and two more in the eighth extending their lead to 11-3 entering the final frame.

A UCM error and a pair of hit by pitches loaded the bases for FHSU. Ural singled to the left center gap plating a pair of runs and Elliot Herrmann followed with an RBI double to the same spot, but the rally was cut short with a pop up in the following at-bat.

Campbell (4-1) went three-plus innings in the start allowing five runs on ten hits with a walk and a strikeout.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/andrew-hansen/7259">Andrew Hansen</a>&nbsp;took over to finish out the fourth inning allowing three runs on one hit and a pair of walks.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jenner-kehe/6818">Jenner Kehe</a>&nbsp;went the rest of the way for the Tigers allowing three runs on five hits over four frames with one strikeout.

Ural finished the day 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI. Boies also recorded a multi-hit day with two singles and two RBI.

The Tigers and Mules will wrap up the regular season tomorrow. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682812286774.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Isaiah Ural (FHSU Athletics photo/Madison Shapland)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Isaiah Ural (FHSU Athletics photo/Madison Shapland)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsWARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team fell in game two of their series with No. 4 Central Missouri on Saturday (April 29), 11-6. The Tigers put together a rally in the ninth, but it fell short. The Mules improved to 35-13 overall and 26-6 in the MIAA while the Tigers move to 20-29 overall and 10-22 in the conference.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=baseball&amp;id=12553">Box Score</a>The Mules got on the board with a two-run home run in the opening frame, but the Tigers managed to answer with a three-run third inning to take the lead.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/trip-davis/7255">Trip Davis</a>&nbsp;led off the inning with a single before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>&nbsp;got hit by a pitch. An infield single from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;allowed Davis to cross the plate before an erratic throw by the Mules allowed Ural to reach second. The Tigers took the lead 3-2 as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;stepped up and drove an 0-2 pitch back up the middle plating two more runs.After the home run in the first inning, Tiger starter&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-campbell/6805">Jake Campbell</a>&nbsp;retired five straight Mules before a string of hits allowed UCM to regain the lead 4-3 in the home half of the third. FHSU struggled against the UCM bullpen for the remainder of the contest up until the ninth inning. The Mules added another run in the fourth before piling on four in the fifth and two more in the eighth extending their lead to 11-3 entering the final frame.A UCM error and a pair of hit by pitches loaded the bases for FHSU. Ural singled to the left center gap plating a pair of runs and Elliot Herrmann followed with an RBI double to the same spot, but the rally was cut short with a pop up in the following at-bat.Campbell (4-1) went three-plus innings in the start allowing five runs on ten hits with a walk and a strikeout.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/andrew-hansen/7259">Andrew Hansen</a>&nbsp;took over to finish out the fourth inning allowing three runs on one hit and a pair of walks.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jenner-kehe/6818">Jenner Kehe</a>&nbsp;went the rest of the way for the Tigers allowing three runs on five hits over four frames with one strikeout.Ural finished the day 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI. Boies also recorded a multi-hit day with two singles and two RBI.The Tigers and Mules will wrap up the regular season tomorrow. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

⚾ Tigers rally falls short at Central Missouri

HAYS – A pair of big innings doomed the TMP-Marian Monarchs
(3-9, 2-2 MCL) in a pair of losses Friday against the Russell Broncos in a doubleheader at Larks Park in Hays.

Game 1: Russell 12, TMP 2 After the Monarchs jumped out to an early lead the Broncos
answered with 12 runs over the final four innings of the game on their way to a
12-2 victory.

The Monarchs took an early 1-0 lead scoring a run in the
bottom of the first inning. Joey Mindrup opened the&nbsp; inning
with a walk and then after an error by the Russell pitcher, Caden Dinkel drove
in the game's first run with a ground out to second.

Monarchs starter Garrett Feauto held Russell (16-0, 2-0 MCL)
in check through two innings and allowed just a single run through three
innings.

Then with the game tied at one Russell struck for six runs in the
fourth inning for a 7-1 lead.

In the inning Russell scored on an error, a double, fielder’s
choice and a pair of singles.

Russell plated two more in the fifth and three more in the sixth
on their way to the 12-2 win in six innings.

TMP’s Caden Dinkel drove in both Monarchs runs. 

Garrett Feauto allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits with
two walks and two strikeouts in three and a third innings on the mound.

Game 2: Russell 14, TMP 7 The Broncos used a pair of big innings and rallied for a
14-7 win in game two.

The Monarchs took an early 2-0 lead, in the bottom of the
first, scoring on an error and a Garrett Feauto RBI single.

Russell’s offense exploded for six runs in the top of the
second inning taking a 6-2 run through an inning and a half.

The Monarchs chipped away at the lead, scoring three runs in
the bottom of the second inning.

Adler Brown drove in the first run of the inning and then
with two outs, Caden Dinkel drove in two runs with an RBI single, making it
6-5 Russell.

The Monarchs then took the lead back, scoring two runs on a
pair of errors putting TMP up 7-6 in the bottom of the third inning.

After a scoreless fourth Russell scored five runs in the fifth
and added three more in the sixth on their way to a 14-7 victory.

Dinkel collected a pair of hits and two RBI’s.

Caron Liles suffered the loss on the mound. He allowed 11
runs, 10 earned on 11 hits with three walks and two strikeouts in the loss.

TMP will travel to Saline Sacred Heart on Monday.

HAYS – A pair of big innings doomed the TMP-Marian Monarchs
(3-9, 2-2 MCL) in a pair of losses Friday against the Russell Broncos in a doubleheader at Larks Park in Hays.Game 1: Russell 12, TMP 2 After the Monarchs jumped out to an early lead the Broncos
answered with 12 runs over the final four innings of the game on their way to a
12-2 victory.The Monarchs took an early 1-0 lead scoring a run in the
bottom of the first inning. Joey Mindrup opened the&nbsp; inning
with a walk and then after an error by the Russell pitcher, Caden Dinkel drove
in the game's first run with a ground out to second.Monarchs starter Garrett Feauto held Russell (16-0, 2-0 MCL)
in check through two innings and allowed just a single run through three
innings.Then with the game tied at one Russell struck for six runs in the
fourth inning for a 7-1 lead.In the inning Russell scored on an error, a double, fielder’s
choice and a pair of singles.Russell plated two more in the fifth and three more in the sixth
on their way to the 12-2 win in six innings.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1502547448&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/04-28-23-tmp-game-1-highlights" title="04 - 28 - 23 Tmp Game 1 Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">04 - 28 - 23 Tmp Game 1 Highlights</a></div></div>TMP’s Caden Dinkel drove in both Monarchs runs. Garrett Feauto allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits with
two walks and two strikeouts in three and a third innings on the mound.Game 2: Russell 14, TMP 7 The Broncos used a pair of big innings and rallied for a
14-7 win in game two.The Monarchs took an early 2-0 lead, in the bottom of the
first, scoring on an error and a Garrett Feauto RBI single.Russell’s offense exploded for six runs in the top of the
second inning taking a 6-2 run through an inning and a half.The Monarchs chipped away at the lead, scoring three runs in
the bottom of the second inning.Adler Brown drove in the first run of the inning and then
with two outs, Caden Dinkel drove in two runs with an RBI single, making it
6-5 Russell.The Monarchs then took the lead back, scoring two runs on a
pair of errors putting TMP up 7-6 in the bottom of the third inning.After a scoreless fourth Russell scored five runs in the fifth
and added three more in the sixth on their way to a 14-7 victory.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1502547532&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/04-28-23-tmp-game-2-highlights" title="04 - 28 - 23 Tmp Game 2 Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">04 - 28 - 23 Tmp Game 2 Highlights</a></div></div>Dinkel collected a pair of hits and two RBI’s.Caron Liles suffered the loss on the mound. He allowed 11
runs, 10 earned on 11 hits with three walks and two strikeouts in the loss.TMP will travel to Saline Sacred Heart on Monday.

⚾ Monarchs drop two against Russell

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State senior cornerback&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/julius-brents/8508">Julius Brents</a>&nbsp;is the second Wildcat in as many days to be drafted by his hometown team as he was selected with the 13th&nbsp;pick of the second round – No. 44 overall – by the Indianapolis Colts on Friday during the 2023 NFL Draft outside Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The pick came one night after Kansas City native&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/felix-anudike-uzomah/8503">Felix Anudike-Uzomah</a>&nbsp;was taken in the first round by the Chiefs. It is the first time in school history two Wildcats were selected within the first 44 picks of an NFL Draft. Additionally, it is the third time in school history that two Wildcats were selected within the first two rounds of a draft. The other two times were 2003 when Terence Newman (first round – Dallas) and Terry Pierce (second round – Denver) were taken, and 1997 when Chris Canty (first round – New England) and Kevin Lockett (second round – Kansas City) came off the board. Brents became the fifth K-State player ever selected by the Colts and the first since tight end Eddy Whitley was selected in the 11th&nbsp;round in 1980 when the organization was located in Baltimore. A product of Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Brents began his career at Iowa before transferring to K-State prior to the 2021 season. He played in 46 collegiate games with 32 starts between the Hawkeyes and Wildcats, which included starts in all 27 games over his two-year stint in Manhattan. An All-Big 12 honoree each of the last two seasons – including first-team honors in 2022 – Brents totaled 45 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and eight total passes defended during his senior campaign. Brents ranked 22nd nationally and third in the Big 12 in total interceptions during the 2022 season, one of which came in the end zone during the Big 12 Championship to halt a potential TCU scoring drive. He also forced his first-career fumble in the championship game following a 31-yard reception. More Wildcats were hear their names called on Saturday when the 2023 NFL Draft concludes with rounds 4 through 7 beginning at 11 a.m. (CT). The draft can be seen on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682772075376.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State senior cornerback&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/julius-brents/8508">Julius Brents</a>&nbsp;is the second Wildcat in as many days to be drafted by his hometown team as he was selected with the 13th&nbsp;pick of the second round – No. 44 overall – by the Indianapolis Colts on Friday during the 2023 NFL Draft outside Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp;&nbsp;The pick came one night after Kansas City native&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/felix-anudike-uzomah/8503">Felix Anudike-Uzomah</a>&nbsp;was taken in the first round by the Chiefs. It is the first time in school history two Wildcats were selected within the first 44 picks of an NFL Draft. Additionally, it is the third time in school history that two Wildcats were selected within the first two rounds of a draft. The other two times were 2003 when Terence Newman (first round – Dallas) and Terry Pierce (second round – Denver) were taken, and 1997 when Chris Canty (first round – New England) and Kevin Lockett (second round – Kansas City) came off the board. Brents became the fifth K-State player ever selected by the Colts and the first since tight end Eddy Whitley was selected in the 11th&nbsp;round in 1980 when the organization was located in Baltimore. A product of Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Brents began his career at Iowa before transferring to K-State prior to the 2021 season. He played in 46 collegiate games with 32 starts between the Hawkeyes and Wildcats, which included starts in all 27 games over his two-year stint in Manhattan. An All-Big 12 honoree each of the last two seasons – including first-team honors in 2022 – Brents totaled 45 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and eight total passes defended during his senior campaign. Brents ranked 22nd nationally and third in the Big 12 in total interceptions during the 2022 season, one of which came in the end zone during the Big 12 Championship to halt a potential TCU scoring drive. He also forced his first-career fumble in the championship game following a 31-yard reception. More Wildcats were hear their names called on Saturday when the 2023 NFL Draft concludes with rounds 4 through 7 beginning at 11 a.m. (CT). The draft can be seen on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 K-State's Brents selected by Colts on day two of NFL draft

The Kansas City Chiefs addressed the offensive line by selecting Oklahoma offensive lineman Wanya Morris in the third round of the NFL Draft Friday night. Morris was the 92nd overall pick.

The Chiefs traded up with Cincinnati for the pick, giving away the 95th pick to the Bengals.

Morris was a five-star recruit and made the SEC All-Freshman Team as a 12-game starter at left tackle for Tennessee in 2019. He started seven of nine games played in 2020, five at left tackle, two as a blocking tight end.

Morris was a college teammate of Trey Smith - a former Volunteer who's now the Chiefs' starting right guard. Smith was drafted in the sixth round by Kansas City in 2021.

THE 6'5" 307 pound Morris transferred to Oklahoma for the 2021 season, and played in six games as a reserve. He then started eight of nine contests at right tackle in 2022 while missing time with a shoulder injury. He opted out of the team's bowl game to prepare for the draft.

The Chiefs have six picks remaining in the 2023 draft. Rounds 4-7 come up Saturday. The final day of the draft gets started at 11 a.m. central.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682737321013.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of 24/7 Sports." />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of 24/7 Sports.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas City Chiefs addressed the offensive line by selecting Oklahoma offensive lineman Wanya Morris in the third round of the NFL Draft Friday night. Morris was the 92nd overall pick.The Chiefs traded up with Cincinnati for the pick, giving away the 95th pick to the Bengals.Morris was a five-star recruit and made the SEC All-Freshman Team as a 12-game starter at left tackle for Tennessee in 2019. He started seven of nine games played in 2020, five at left tackle, two as a blocking tight end.Morris was a college teammate of Trey Smith - a former Volunteer who's now the Chiefs' starting right guard. Smith was drafted in the sixth round by Kansas City in 2021.THE 6'5" 307 pound Morris transferred to Oklahoma for the 2021 season, and played in six games as a reserve. He then started eight of nine contests at right tackle in 2022 while missing time with a shoulder injury. He opted out of the team's bowl game to prepare for the draft.The Chiefs have six picks remaining in the 2023 draft. Rounds 4-7 come up Saturday. The final day of the draft gets started at 11 a.m. central.

🏈 Chiefs select OU offensive tackle Wanya Morris in third round

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up in the second round of the NFL draft&nbsp;to select SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice on Friday night, giving MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes another target in a rebuilt pass-catching corps.

The Chiefs acquired the 55th pick along with a sixth-round selection from Detroit to move up from the No. 63 pick while kicking in fourth-round and seventh-round choices. That allowed the Super Bowl champions to leap other teams looking for a wide receiver and address one of their biggest holes on the offensive side of the ball.

Rice caught 96 passes for 1,335 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

The Chiefs lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and fellow wide receiver Mecole Hardman in free agency, and their only notable addition had been Richie James. That means Rice will be counted upon right away to help last year's second-round pick, Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney.

The Chiefs used their first-round pick on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-chiefs-super-bowl-5b503ec7789b81a50176f87215a4c7a3">Kansas State pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah.</a>&nbsp;They still had a third-round choice Friday night

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682731399472.png" alt="Chiefs 2nd round draft pick WR Rashee Rice." />
 <figcaption>Chiefs 2nd round draft pick WR Rashee Rice.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up in the second round of the NFL draft&nbsp;to select SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice on Friday night, giving MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes another target in a rebuilt pass-catching corps.The Chiefs acquired the 55th pick along with a sixth-round selection from Detroit to move up from the No. 63 pick while kicking in fourth-round and seventh-round choices. That allowed the Super Bowl champions to leap other teams looking for a wide receiver and address one of their biggest holes on the offensive side of the ball.Rice caught 96 passes for 1,335 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.The Chiefs lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and fellow wide receiver Mecole Hardman in free agency, and their only notable addition had been Richie James. That means Rice will be counted upon right away to help last year's second-round pick, Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney.The Chiefs used their first-round pick on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-chiefs-super-bowl-5b503ec7789b81a50176f87215a4c7a3">Kansas State pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah.</a>&nbsp;They still had a third-round choice Friday night

🏈 Chiefs trade up to pick SMU WR Rashee Rice in 2nd round

By PATRICK DONNELLY Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Jose Miranda homered as the Minnesota Twins stayed hot at the plate with an 8-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Kansas City loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning, but Jorge López struck out Nick Pratto on a full-count pitch for his second save.

Salvador Perez had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs for the Royals. Pratto added three singles and two RBIs, and Edward Olivares doubled twice, tripled and scored three runs.

The Twins have scored 33 runs in their last five games after starting the season in an offensive slump. The three homers gave Minnesota 36 on the season, second-most in the American League behind the Rays.

After the first pitch was delayed two hours by rain, Royals starter Jordan Lyles (0-5) gave up seven runs in four innings.

Minnesota right-hander Pablo López (2-2) struggled for the second straight outing but still pitched into the seventh for the third time in six starts this year. He allowed six earned runs while striking out seven.

In previous outing last Saturday, López gave up five earned runs over four innings in a loss to Washington. It was his first start after the Twins signed him to a $73.5 million, four-year contract.

Polanco's second homer of the year, a three-run shot to right field, put the Twins on top 7-2 in the fourth. He started the season on the injured list with knee soreness, but is hitting .367 (11 for 30) with nine RBIs since making his 2023 debut last Friday.

By PATRICK DONNELLY Associated PressMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Jose Miranda homered as the Minnesota Twins stayed hot at the plate with an 8-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.Kansas City loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning, but Jorge López struck out Nick Pratto on a full-count pitch for his second save.Salvador Perez had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs for the Royals. Pratto added three singles and two RBIs, and Edward Olivares doubled twice, tripled and scored three runs.The Twins have scored 33 runs in their last five games after starting the season in an offensive slump. The three homers gave Minnesota 36 on the season, second-most in the American League behind the Rays.After the first pitch was delayed two hours by rain, Royals starter Jordan Lyles (0-5) gave up seven runs in four innings.Minnesota right-hander Pablo López (2-2) struggled for the second straight outing but still pitched into the seventh for the third time in six starts this year. He allowed six earned runs while striking out seven.In previous outing last Saturday, López gave up five earned runs over four innings in a loss to Washington. It was his first start after the Twins signed him to a $73.5 million, four-year contract.Polanco's second homer of the year, a three-run shot to right field, put the Twins on top 7-2 in the fourth. He started the season on the injured list with knee soreness, but is hitting .367 (11 for 30) with nine RBIs since making his 2023 debut last Friday.Kepler led off the bottom of the first with his third homer of the season. Miranda hit his third in three games leading off the fifth.Miranda's drive gave the Twins an 8-2 lead, but the Royals wouldn't go down quietly. In the sixth, Perez hit a long homer into the bullpen. Olivares then hit a two-out triple and scored on a single by Pratto.Kansas City added two more runs in the seventh, keyed by Perez's RBI single.Royals manager Matt Quatraro was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the eighth. He objected to a called third strike by umpire Jerry Layne with Michael Massey at the plate as the potential go-ahead run.3-FOOT DOUBLEMichael A. Taylor brought home a run in the fourth for Minnesota with one of the shortest extra-base hits in baseball history. With Joey Gallo on third base and one out, Taylor laid down a perfect squeeze bunt in front of home plate. Perez, the catcher, fielded the bunt, but second baseman Massey was late covering first, forcing Perez to hold the ball.Taylor then alertly sprinted to second base when he saw it had been left uncovered. The play was scored an RBI double for Taylor on a ball that didn't reach the infield grass.TRAINER’S ROOMTwins: RHP Kenta Maeda (triceps strain) will be shut down until his symptoms subside, according to trainer Nick Paparesta. Maeda is expected to be replaced in the roation by RHP Bailey Ober, who was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul and will be activated to face the Royals on Saturday. … RHP Tyler Mahle was diagnosed with a posterior impingement of his right elbow and also won’t resume throwing until the soreness is gone. Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said Mahle’s status is day-to-day, while no timetable was given for Maeda’s return.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Brad Keller (2-2, 3.96 ERA) will face Minnesota on Saturday afternoon. Keller took the loss against the Twins on April 2 in Kansas City but is 2-0 in three road starts this season.Twins: Ober (1-0, 1.59) made his 2023 debut on Sunday, pitching into the sixth inning in a win over Washington.