HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays Men's Soccer team fell short on its home field against Harding University on Saturday (Oct. 2) by a score of 2-1. The Tigers tied the match late in the second half only to see Harding score on a fast break with less than two minutes left. The Tigers suffered their first conference loss and fall to 5-3-1 overall (2-1 GAC), while Harding picked up its first win of the season. The Bisons got on the board first with a header from Georgios Petousis off of a corner from Andres Castano in the 13th&nbsp;minute. The Tigers would make several attempts to tie the match and were finally successful in the 72nd&nbsp;minute as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Antonio De La Torre</a>&nbsp;slammed the ball past the keeper after receiving a pass from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6245">Nicolas Cortes</a>. The Tigers were on the verge of taking the lead with a penalty kick opportunity with just over three minutes remaining, but a missed attempt left the door open and Harding responded with Camilo Porto beating&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>&nbsp;in a one-on-one breakaway situation. The Tigers outshot the Bisons 16-9 and Brown finished with two saves in the match. The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday Oct. 7, as they go on the road to Northeastern State with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays Men's Soccer team fell short on its home field against Harding University on Saturday (Oct. 2) by a score of 2-1. The Tigers tied the match late in the second half only to see Harding score on a fast break with less than two minutes left. The Tigers suffered their first conference loss and fall to 5-3-1 overall (2-1 GAC), while Harding picked up its first win of the season. The Bisons got on the board first with a header from Georgios Petousis off of a corner from Andres Castano in the 13th&nbsp;minute. The Tigers would make several attempts to tie the match and were finally successful in the 72nd&nbsp;minute as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Antonio De La Torre</a>&nbsp;slammed the ball past the keeper after receiving a pass from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6245">Nicolas Cortes</a>. The Tigers were on the verge of taking the lead with a penalty kick opportunity with just over three minutes remaining, but a missed attempt left the door open and Harding responded with Camilo Porto beating&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>&nbsp;in a one-on-one breakaway situation. The Tigers outshot the Bisons 16-9 and Brown finished with two saves in the match. The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday Oct. 7, as they go on the road to Northeastern State with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

⚽ Harding scores late goal to stun Tiger men

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team dropped a three-set match against No. 13 Northwest Missouri State on Saturday (Oct. 2), 18-25, 16-25, 9-25. The Tigers are now 8-7 on the year and 2-4 in MIAA play, while the Bearcats move to 11-2 overall and 4-1 in league action. The Tigers totaled 22 kills and posted a .112 attack percentage for the match, while Northwest tallied an efficient .392 swing rate with 51 kills.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6112">Riley Tinder</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6111">Isabelle Reynolds</a>&nbsp;both recorded five kills to lead the Tigers, with Tinder also leading the team with 11 digs and one service ace.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6208">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>&nbsp;added four kills apiece, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6104">Morgan Christiansen</a>&nbsp;totaled a team-high two blocks. Jaden Ferguson paced the Bearcats with 13 kills on 19 swings, while Payton Kirchhoefer recorded 11 kills and three blocks. Fort Hays State wraps up a three-match home swing Tuesday when the Tigers host rivals Nebraska-Kearney. First serve against the 10th-ranked Lopers is slated for 6 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team dropped a three-set match against No. 13 Northwest Missouri State on Saturday (Oct. 2), 18-25, 16-25, 9-25. The Tigers are now 8-7 on the year and 2-4 in MIAA play, while the Bearcats move to 11-2 overall and 4-1 in league action. The Tigers totaled 22 kills and posted a .112 attack percentage for the match, while Northwest tallied an efficient .392 swing rate with 51 kills.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6112">Riley Tinder</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6111">Isabelle Reynolds</a>&nbsp;both recorded five kills to lead the Tigers, with Tinder also leading the team with 11 digs and one service ace.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6208">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>&nbsp;added four kills apiece, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6104">Morgan Christiansen</a>&nbsp;totaled a team-high two blocks. Jaden Ferguson paced the Bearcats with 13 kills on 19 swings, while Payton Kirchhoefer recorded 11 kills and three blocks. Fort Hays State wraps up a three-match home swing Tuesday when the Tigers host rivals Nebraska-Kearney. First serve against the 10th-ranked Lopers is slated for 6 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

🏐 FHSU falters against No. 13 Bearcats

ELLIS - The Victoria volleyball team improved to 20-0 Saturday, winning the Ellis Invitational Volleyball Tournament.&nbsp;

Below are their scores for the first three matches. The final match was not reported.

Victoria def. Plainville 25-8, 25-18 Victoria def. Stockton 25-17, 25-14 Victoria def. Northern Valley 25-13, 25-18

ELLIS - The Victoria volleyball team improved to 20-0 Saturday, winning the Ellis Invitational Volleyball Tournament.&nbsp;Below are their scores for the first three matches. The final match was not reported.Victoria def. Plainville 25-8, 25-18 Victoria def. Stockton 25-17, 25-14 Victoria def. Northern Valley 25-13, 25-18

🏐 Victoria wins Ellis Invitational, moves to 20-0

MILFORD LAKE – The Hays High girls had seven runners finish
in the top-20 and finished second at the Junction City Invitational cross country
meet Saturday at Milford Lake. The Indians scored 54 points, 18 back of first
place Junction City.

Arely Maldonado paced the Indians with a time of 21:07.00
and finished in fifth place. Brenlynn Albers was right behind in sixth place,
seven seconds back of Maldanado. Amelia Jaeger placed 13th (21:58), Nayeli Cisneros
16th (22:20), Brynn Kinderknecht 17th (22:24), Avery Winter 18th (22:34) and
Julia Zaadina 19th (22:44).

The junior varsity had six runner medal in the JV race led
by Mika Zimmerman who finished first (23:14).

The Indian boys finished in fifth place with 95 points.
Junction City won the team title with 32 points, 43 better than second place
Clay Center.

Leo Hernandez and Taevian Maupin both medaled for Hays.
Hernandez placed seventh (18:21) and Maupin 11th (18:43).

Four junior varsity runners in the JV race. Carter
Muehleisen was eighth (20:23). Daimon Lang ninth (20:24), Gavin Flaska 13th
(21:28) and Corben Avery 17th (21:43).

MILFORD LAKE – The Hays High girls had seven runners finish
in the top-20 and finished second at the Junction City Invitational cross country
meet Saturday at Milford Lake. The Indians scored 54 points, 18 back of first
place Junction City.Arely Maldonado paced the Indians with a time of 21:07.00
and finished in fifth place. Brenlynn Albers was right behind in sixth place,
seven seconds back of Maldanado. Amelia Jaeger placed 13th (21:58), Nayeli Cisneros
16th (22:20), Brynn Kinderknecht 17th (22:24), Avery Winter 18th (22:34) and
Julia Zaadina 19th (22:44).The junior varsity had six runner medal in the JV race led
by Mika Zimmerman who finished first (23:14).The Indian boys finished in fifth place with 95 points.
Junction City won the team title with 32 points, 43 better than second place
Clay Center.Leo Hernandez and Taevian Maupin both medaled for Hays.
Hernandez placed seventh (18:21) and Maupin 11th (18:43).Four junior varsity runners in the JV race. Carter
Muehleisen was eighth (20:23). Daimon Lang ninth (20:24), Gavin Flaska 13th
(21:28) and Corben Avery 17th (21:43).

🏃‍♀️ HHS girls' second, boys fifth at JC Invite

#12/15 Nebraska-Kearney (4-0, 4-0 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (2-2, 2-2 MIAA) Saturday, October 2 - 7 PM - Homecoming Hays, Kan. - Lewis Field Stadium Radio - KJLS (103.3-FM)

<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a> Game Sponsor: Big Creek Crossing Halftime: Homecoming Royalty Presentation, Marching Band Performance Fort Hays State Football will host No. 12/15 ranked Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday in the annual Homecoming game at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm. The Lopers are one of two remaining undefeated teams in the MIAA, but Fort Hays State has won eight straight meetings with UNK going back to the 2012 season. Fort Hays State looks to remain unbeaten against UNK in MIAA play, holding a perfect 8-0 mark in the series history since UNK joined the conference in 2012. After having a losing record in their first seven years as members of the MIAA, the Lopers made a big step in 2019 with a 7-5 finish and a win in the Mineral Water Bowl over Winona State of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. They have continued their surge to prominence by going 2-0 in a pair of official fall games in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now starting the 2021 season 4-0. Nebraska-Kearney has won seven straight games overall going back to that win in the Mineral Water Bowl to end the 2019 season. Now at No. 12 in the AFCA Top 25 Poll and No. 15 in the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, the Lopers are back in the national rankings for the first time since 2011. That was their last season as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference when they finished 10-2 overall. The Lopers entered the NCAA Playoffs that season ranked No. 4 nationally, but fell to Wayne State (Mich.) University in the second round after receiving an opening round bye. The last two meetings between Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney have been tight. The Tigers won a double-overtime thriller in Kearney in 2018 by a score of 29-26, then defeated the Lopers 37-31 in Hays during the 2019 season. Four of the games in Fort Hays State's current 8-game win streak over the Lopers were decided by seven points or less. FHSU has won four straight games against UNK in Hays and 2005 was the last year UNK won in Hays, which was the last time the two played each other as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. FHSU moved to the MIAA in 2006 and saw a 6-year hiatus in the series history before UNK moved to the MIAA in 2012. The Lopers hold a 34-31-1 advantage in the 66-game history between the schools, but have seen their edge in the series narrow considerably. The Tigers are back on track after a pair of tough losses to open the season against Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western. The Tigers have outscored their opponents (Lincoln and Missouri Southern) 111-21 over the past two weeks, bringing their record back to 2-2. Northwest Missouri State is the only other undefeated team in the MIAA aside from Nebraska-Kearney, currently at 3-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation. Missouri Western is now 2-2 like FHSU. The Tigers will be facing the third-best rushing attack in NCAA Division II in this contest. The Lopers average 272.2 yards per game on the ground, led by quarterback T.J. Davis who averages 136.2 rushing yards per game (top in the MIAA). He has kept defenses honest by also averaging 187.3 passing yards per game. Fort Hays State has seen their rushing game take flight in the last two games, averaging 292 yards per game in that span.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6186">Adrian Soto</a>&nbsp;rushed for 100 or more yards in both of those contests, including a career-high 198 last week at Missouri Southern. The Tigers own the best total offense in the MIAA at 496.8 yards per game, averaging 317 passing yards per game and 179.8 rushing yards per game. The Tigers rank 7th&nbsp;nationally in total offense. Nebraska-Kearney ranks 17th&nbsp;in the category, averaging 472.8 per game. Quick Hits -<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6146">Chance Fuller</a>&nbsp;ranks 13th&nbsp;nationally in passing yards with 1,162 for the season and 19th&nbsp;in passing yards per game (290.5). -<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6186">Adrian Soto</a>&nbsp;ranks 5th&nbsp;nationally in touchdowns scored (8), 6th&nbsp;nationally in yards per rush (8.5), and 9th&nbsp;in all-purpose yards per game (166.5). -FHSU leads the MIAA in red zone offense, scoring 94.7 percent of the time when they reach the area. They have scored 18 of 19 chances in the red zone with 17 touchdowns and one field goal. -FHSU is tied for the MIAA lead with four other teams, Nebraska-Kearney included, in turnovers gained with six. -The Tigers have three receivers with over 200 yards this season, which includes&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6174">Manny Ramsey</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6130">Hunter Budke</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6360">Monterio Burchfield</a>. -The Tigers rank 2nd&nbsp;in the MIAA in total defense, allowing 330 yards per game. Northwest Missouri State leads the conference at just 278.7 yards per game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633032812512.jpeg" alt="Courtesy FHSU Athletics (Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy FHSU Athletics (Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com</figcaption>
 </figure>#12/15 Nebraska-Kearney (4-0, 4-0 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (2-2, 2-2 MIAA) Saturday, October 2 - 7 PM - Homecoming Hays, Kan. - Lewis Field Stadium Radio - KJLS (103.3-FM)<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a> Game Sponsor: Big Creek Crossing Halftime: Homecoming Royalty Presentation, Marching Band Performance Fort Hays State Football will host No. 12/15 ranked Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday in the annual Homecoming game at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm. The Lopers are one of two remaining undefeated teams in the MIAA, but Fort Hays State has won eight straight meetings with UNK going back to the 2012 season. Fort Hays State looks to remain unbeaten against UNK in MIAA play, holding a perfect 8-0 mark in the series history since UNK joined the conference in 2012. After having a losing record in their first seven years as members of the MIAA, the Lopers made a big step in 2019 with a 7-5 finish and a win in the Mineral Water Bowl over Winona State of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. They have continued their surge to prominence by going 2-0 in a pair of official fall games in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now starting the 2021 season 4-0. Nebraska-Kearney has won seven straight games overall going back to that win in the Mineral Water Bowl to end the 2019 season. Now at No. 12 in the AFCA Top 25 Poll and No. 15 in the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, the Lopers are back in the national rankings for the first time since 2011. That was their last season as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference when they finished 10-2 overall. The Lopers entered the NCAA Playoffs that season ranked No. 4 nationally, but fell to Wayne State (Mich.) University in the second round after receiving an opening round bye. The last two meetings between Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney have been tight. The Tigers won a double-overtime thriller in Kearney in 2018 by a score of 29-26, then defeated the Lopers 37-31 in Hays during the 2019 season. Four of the games in Fort Hays State's current 8-game win streak over the Lopers were decided by seven points or less. FHSU has won four straight games against UNK in Hays and 2005 was the last year UNK won in Hays, which was the last time the two played each other as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. FHSU moved to the MIAA in 2006 and saw a 6-year hiatus in the series history before UNK moved to the MIAA in 2012. The Lopers hold a 34-31-1 advantage in the 66-game history between the schools, but have seen their edge in the series narrow considerably. The Tigers are back on track after a pair of tough losses to open the season against Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western. The Tigers have outscored their opponents (Lincoln and Missouri Southern) 111-21 over the past two weeks, bringing their record back to 2-2. Northwest Missouri State is the only other undefeated team in the MIAA aside from Nebraska-Kearney, currently at 3-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation. Missouri Western is now 2-2 like FHSU. The Tigers will be facing the third-best rushing attack in NCAA Division II in this contest. The Lopers average 272.2 yards per game on the ground, led by quarterback T.J. Davis who averages 136.2 rushing yards per game (top in the MIAA). He has kept defenses honest by also averaging 187.3 passing yards per game. Fort Hays State has seen their rushing game take flight in the last two games, averaging 292 yards per game in that span.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6186">Adrian Soto</a>&nbsp;rushed for 100 or more yards in both of those contests, including a career-high 198 last week at Missouri Southern. The Tigers own the best total offense in the MIAA at 496.8 yards per game, averaging 317 passing yards per game and 179.8 rushing yards per game. The Tigers rank 7th&nbsp;nationally in total offense. Nebraska-Kearney ranks 17th&nbsp;in the category, averaging 472.8 per game. Quick Hits -<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6146">Chance Fuller</a>&nbsp;ranks 13th&nbsp;nationally in passing yards with 1,162 for the season and 19th&nbsp;in passing yards per game (290.5). -<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6186">Adrian Soto</a>&nbsp;ranks 5th&nbsp;nationally in touchdowns scored (8), 6th&nbsp;nationally in yards per rush (8.5), and 9th&nbsp;in all-purpose yards per game (166.5). -FHSU leads the MIAA in red zone offense, scoring 94.7 percent of the time when they reach the area. They have scored 18 of 19 chances in the red zone with 17 touchdowns and one field goal. -FHSU is tied for the MIAA lead with four other teams, Nebraska-Kearney included, in turnovers gained with six. -The Tigers have three receivers with over 200 yards this season, which includes&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6174">Manny Ramsey</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6130">Hunter Budke</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6360">Monterio Burchfield</a>. -The Tigers rank 2nd&nbsp;in the MIAA in total defense, allowing 330 yards per game. Northwest Missouri State leads the conference at just 278.7 yards per game.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

🏈📻 LISTEN LIVE as Tigers host No. 12/15 Lopers

Listen as "Voice of the Chiefs" Mitch Holthus reviews the Chiefs home loss to the Chargers and previews Sunday's game at Philadelphia.

The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. on KFIX (96.9-FM).

Listen as "Voice of the Chiefs" Mitch Holthus reviews the Chiefs home loss to the Chargers and previews Sunday's game at Philadelphia.The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. on KFIX (96.9-FM).<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/1134398548%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-enza3G5Xjzw&color=%23ff5500&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/holthus-hotline-oct-2-2021/s-enza3G5Xjzw" title="Holthus Hotline (Oct 2, 2021)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Holthus Hotline (Oct 2, 2021)</a></div></div>

🎧 Holthus Hotline with ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Salvador Perez went hitless on a night when every other Royals starter had at least one hit, and Kansas City beat the Minnesota Twins 11-6 Friday.

With the loss, the Twins were assured of finishing in last place in the AL Central after winning the division the last two years.

Perez, who leads the majors with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs, went 0 for 4 and was hit by a pitch.

“That was a great display all the way through,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of the balanced attack. “A couple guys with multiple hits, extra-base hits, driving the ball to the middle of the field. We talk approach. Approach really varies pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat. When they’re using the middle and driving the ball, it puts a lot of pressure on.”

Hunter Dozier, who homered, and Whit Merrifield each had three hits.

Jonathan Heasley picked up his first major league win. On Sept. 11, he had his final start for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, the highest level he pitched before his MLB debut six day later.

Heasley (1-1) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings, with three of the runs coming in the sixth.

“He attacked the zone,” Matheny said. “I thought he did a great job of staying on the edges. Overall, not a lot of mistakes until he got tired. He hit a wall pretty quick, but that’s completely understandable. He was kind of being deconditioned before he got here and we tried to ramp him back up. That’s hard to do.”

John Gant (5-11) gave up six runs and eight hits in four innings.

“His velo was not where it should be today,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He denied during the outing that he was feeling anything, but we’re going to double back and have him checked out.”

Merrifield led off the first with a soft single, Nicky Lopez bunted for a hit and Perez was plunked, loading the bases. A wild pitch scored a run and Carlos Santana had an RBI grounder.

The Royals added two more runs in the third and Andrew Benintendi blooped a two-run double in the fourth for a 6-1 lead.

Dozier homered in a two-run fifth that ended when Perez struck out with the bases loaded.

“We did a good job battling and finding ways to get on,” Dozier said. “Taking the walks when they gave them to us. We did a good job feeding off each other.”

Ryan Jeffers led off the Twins sixth with a homer and Miguel Sano added a two-run single.

Royals C Sebastian Rivero was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. With Perez nursing a sore ankle, the Royals needed someone to back up Cam Gallagher. To make room on the roster, RHP Tyler Zuber was option to Omaha.

Griffin Jax (3-5, 6.78 ERA) starts for the Twins against Kris Bubic (6-6, 4.52 ERA).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Salvador Perez went hitless on a night when every other Royals starter had at least one hit, and Kansas City beat the Minnesota Twins 11-6 Friday.With the loss, the Twins were assured of finishing in last place in the AL Central after winning the division the last two years.Perez, who leads the majors with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs, went 0 for 4 and was hit by a pitch.“That was a great display all the way through,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of the balanced attack. “A couple guys with multiple hits, extra-base hits, driving the ball to the middle of the field. We talk approach. Approach really varies pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat. When they’re using the middle and driving the ball, it puts a lot of pressure on.”Hunter Dozier, who homered, and Whit Merrifield each had three hits.Jonathan Heasley picked up his first major league win. On Sept. 11, he had his final start for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, the highest level he pitched before his MLB debut six day later.Heasley (1-1) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings, with three of the runs coming in the sixth.“He attacked the zone,” Matheny said. “I thought he did a great job of staying on the edges. Overall, not a lot of mistakes until he got tired. He hit a wall pretty quick, but that’s completely understandable. He was kind of being deconditioned before he got here and we tried to ramp him back up. That’s hard to do.”John Gant (5-11) gave up six runs and eight hits in four innings.“His velo was not where it should be today,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He denied during the outing that he was feeling anything, but we’re going to double back and have him checked out.”Merrifield led off the first with a soft single, Nicky Lopez bunted for a hit and Perez was plunked, loading the bases. A wild pitch scored a run and Carlos Santana had an RBI grounder.The Royals added two more runs in the third and Andrew Benintendi blooped a two-run double in the fourth for a 6-1 lead.Dozier homered in a two-run fifth that ended when Perez struck out with the bases loaded.“We did a good job battling and finding ways to get on,” Dozier said. “Taking the walks when they gave them to us. We did a good job feeding off each other.”Ryan Jeffers led off the Twins sixth with a homer and Miguel Sano added a two-run single.TRANSACTIONSRoyals C Sebastian Rivero was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. With Perez nursing a sore ankle, the Royals needed someone to back up Cam Gallagher. To make room on the roster, RHP Tyler Zuber was option to Omaha.UP NEXTGriffin Jax (3-5, 6.78 ERA) starts for the Twins against Kris Bubic (6-6, 4.52 ERA).

⚾ Dozier, Merrifield guide Royals to offensive outburst in victory over Twins

By SKIP VAUGHN <a href="https://www.theredstonerocket.com/win_or_lose/article_c3c17ba0-2136-11ec-ae7e-5b9d22d75282.html">Redstone Rocket</a>

DECATUR, Ala. — Rick Cooper has had a banner year on the golf course.

The 
retired command sergeant major is the 2021 men’s club champion at the 
Links. He won the title by scoring a 1-over 73 at the club championship 
tournament Sept. 18. The tournament was shortened to one day because of 
rain.

Donna Lowen shot 74 to win the women’s club championship.

“I probably shot one of my best rounds at Redstone that day,” Cooper 
said. “And it was like catching lightning in a bottle. I had my best 
round when the better players didn’t have their best day because there 
were a lot of players much better than me out there.”

Cooper, 61, 
from Bellevue, Nebraska, retired from the Army in 2012 after 31 years. 
He works in the space management office for the Garrison.

“It’s 
been a good year for me,” he said. “I had a hole-in-one in April and I 
won the club championship. So it was a real good year for golf.

“Even though it was rain-shortened but I don’t make the rules,” he added laughing.

He and his wife of 31 years, Mary, reside in Huntsville. This is his first club championship.

Lowen, 53, from Hays, is a perennial champion at the Links. 
She won the Redstone women’s club championship in 2019, 2018, 2016, 
2014, 2013 and 2012, and the post women’s senior championship in 2019 
and 2018. She played golf for the University of Kansas from 1986-90.

“I’m
 happy to win, even though I feel like I could’ve played better,” Lowen 
said. “My mom was my secret mojo and I was sad not being able to call 
her for my pep talk before we teed off. I wanted to play well and win 
for her. I had to pull myself together a few times while playing.

“Considering there was a lot of rain as well as some muddy and wet conditions, the course was in good condition.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632952119730.png" alt="Donna Lowen is the 2021 women’s club champion at the Links while Rick Cooper is the men’s club champion. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Donna Lowen is the 2021 women’s club champion at the Links while Rick Cooper is the men’s club champion. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By SKIP VAUGHN <a href="https://www.theredstonerocket.com/win_or_lose/article_c3c17ba0-2136-11ec-ae7e-5b9d22d75282.html">Redstone Rocket</a>DECATUR, Ala. — Rick Cooper has had a banner year on the golf course.The 
retired command sergeant major is the 2021 men’s club champion at the 
Links. He won the title by scoring a 1-over 73 at the club championship 
tournament Sept. 18. The tournament was shortened to one day because of 
rain.Donna Lowen shot 74 to win the women’s club championship.“I probably shot one of my best rounds at Redstone that day,” Cooper 
said. “And it was like catching lightning in a bottle. I had my best 
round when the better players didn’t have their best day because there 
were a lot of players much better than me out there.”Cooper, 61, 
from Bellevue, Nebraska, retired from the Army in 2012 after 31 years. 
He works in the space management office for the Garrison.“It’s 
been a good year for me,” he said. “I had a hole-in-one in April and I 
won the club championship. So it was a real good year for golf.“Even though it was rain-shortened but I don’t make the rules,” he added laughing.He and his wife of 31 years, Mary, reside in Huntsville. This is his first club championship.Lowen, 53, from Hays, is a perennial champion at the Links. 
She won the Redstone women’s club championship in 2019, 2018, 2016, 
2014, 2013 and 2012, and the post women’s senior championship in 2019 
and 2018. She played golf for the University of Kansas from 1986-90.“I’m
 happy to win, even though I feel like I could’ve played better,” Lowen 
said. “My mom was my secret mojo and I was sad not being able to call 
her for my pep talk before we teed off. I wanted to play well and win 
for her. I had to pull myself together a few times while playing.“Considering there was a lot of rain as well as some muddy and wet conditions, the course was in good condition.”

Hays native wins yet another Alabama golf title

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs recorded their third straight
shutout as they take down the Ellis Railroaders 27-0 Friday night in a key
district game at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays. 

On paper, it appeared that defenses would headline the
latest of edition of the “Battle of Big Creek,” with both Ellis and TMP
allowing fewer than 15 points per game through four weeks of the season. When
it was all over it was the TMP defense that proved up to the task.

TMP held Ellis to fewer than 100 total yards of offense, sacked
quarterback Easton Burton four times and forced a pair of turnovers in the
victory.

After TMP was forced to punt on their first possession Ellis
gave the ball right back to TMP on a fumble inside their own 40 yard-line.

The Monarchs were able to string together a seven-play
40-yard drive that was capped off by an Andrew Schwartz six-yard touchdown that
put TMP up 7-0.

After that both defenses settle in for the remainder of the
first half, Ellis was forced to punt three times and had a drive come to end at
the end of the first half. TMP was forced to punt and had a turnover on downs
before they found the endzone with just 10 second left in the half.

They opened the drive on their own nine-yard line but they
wasted no time scoring in a little more than two minutes. TMP’s Junior quarterback
Kade Harris broke free on a 60-yard touchdown run that put TMP up 14-0 with
just 10 seconds left in the first half.

Leading by a pair of touchdowns TMP got a 43-yard punt
return from Harris that put the Monarchs at the Ellis 13-yard line. It took TMP
just three plays to find the endzone when Bryce Seib scored from four yards out
that made it 21-0 with 8:48 left in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter TMP added one final touchdown, this
one a six-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Jace Wentling that made it 27-0
after a blocked extra point.

Harris led the Monarchs with 98 yards on the ground and Seib
added another 76 yards.

The shutout is the third straight for TMP as they improved
to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in district play.

The Monarchs will host Southwestern Heights next Friday
night while Ellis hosts Syracuse.

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs recorded their third straight
shutout as they take down the Ellis Railroaders 27-0 Friday night in a key
district game at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays. <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/1134694021&color=%23072d54&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-814667509/10-01-21-tmp-int" title="10-01-21 - TMP coach Jay Harris" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">10-01-21 - TMP coach Jay Harris</a></div></div>On paper, it appeared that defenses would headline the
latest of edition of the “Battle of Big Creek,” with both Ellis and TMP
allowing fewer than 15 points per game through four weeks of the season. When
it was all over it was the TMP defense that proved up to the task.TMP held Ellis to fewer than 100 total yards of offense, sacked
quarterback Easton Burton four times and forced a pair of turnovers in the
victory.After TMP was forced to punt on their first possession Ellis
gave the ball right back to TMP on a fumble inside their own 40 yard-line.The Monarchs were able to string together a seven-play
40-yard drive that was capped off by an Andrew Schwartz six-yard touchdown that
put TMP up 7-0.After that both defenses settle in for the remainder of the
first half, Ellis was forced to punt three times and had a drive come to end at
the end of the first half. TMP was forced to punt and had a turnover on downs
before they found the endzone with just 10 second left in the half.They opened the drive on their own nine-yard line but they
wasted no time scoring in a little more than two minutes. TMP’s Junior quarterback
Kade Harris broke free on a 60-yard touchdown run that put TMP up 14-0 with
just 10 seconds left in the first half.Leading by a pair of touchdowns TMP got a 43-yard punt
return from Harris that put the Monarchs at the Ellis 13-yard line. It took TMP
just three plays to find the endzone when Bryce Seib scored from four yards out
that made it 21-0 with 8:48 left in the third quarter.In the fourth quarter TMP added one final touchdown, this
one a six-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Jace Wentling that made it 27-0
after a blocked extra point.<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/1134694057&color=%23072d54&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-814667509/10-01-21-tmp-highlights" title="10-01-21 - TMP Highlights vs Ellis" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">10-01-21 - TMP Highlights vs Ellis</a></div></div>Harris led the Monarchs with 98 yards on the ground and Seib
added another 76 yards.The shutout is the third straight for TMP as they improved
to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in district play.The Monarchs will host Southwestern Heights next Friday
night while Ellis hosts Syracuse.

🏈Defense leads Monarchs to shutout win over Ellis

ABILENE - Hays High headed to Abilene and the completely revamped Cowboy Stadium. The new Paul Dennis Field, complete with new turf, was finished in the last two years. A brand new orange and gray Ken Russell Track surrounded the orange turf end zones and sidelines. Four press boxes graced the west side home stands that stretched from eighty yards between the ten yard lines. Just passed the south end zone was the new video board.&nbsp;

Hays used eighteen plays over the first six possessions to score 42 points on their way to a fourth win in five games. Gavin Nutting forced a fumble on the second play of the game that was recovered by Iden Balman. Roy Maroni scored the first of his four touchdowns two plays later.

Maroni added a seven yard score followed by a Jaren Kanak 37 yard gallop to the end zone. Maroni then scored from 2 yards out and 36 yards before Kanak hit Kyreese Groen for 20 yards and a 42-0 lead with 7:41 left in the first half. Jack Fields made each of his six extra point attempts.

Malik Bah added two rushing scores in the second half and Ben Pfeifer scored his first varsity touchdown to push the lead up to 61-0. The Indians tied a school record in points on a 20 yard field goal by Teegan Turnbull on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Abilene scored on a two yard run in the final two minutes of a continuous clock fourth quarter for the final of 64-7.

Hays totaled up 438 yards of offense, taking advantage of short fields. Their longest touchdown drive was 53 yards.

Malik Bah ran for a career high 147 yards. Jaren Kanak, Jordan Dale, Corbin Werth, and Kyreese Groen all completed at least one pass. Kyreese Groen, Carson Kieffer, Jordan Dale, Trent Summers, Gavin Meyers, and Charlie Roe all had at least one catch.&nbsp;

Roy Maroni, Malik Bah, Jaren Kanak, Corbin Werth, Kyreese Groen, Derek Quach, Ben Pfeifer and Trent Summers all rushed the ball at least one time.

Hays moves to 4-1 on the year and will head to Dodge City next week to wrap up Western Athletic Conference play. Abilene drops to 0-5 and has lost 21 straight.

ABILENE - Hays High headed to Abilene and the completely revamped Cowboy Stadium. The new Paul Dennis Field, complete with new turf, was finished in the last two years. A brand new orange and gray Ken Russell Track surrounded the orange turf end zones and sidelines. Four press boxes graced the west side home stands that stretched from eighty yards between the ten yard lines. Just passed the south end zone was the new video board.&nbsp;Hays used eighteen plays over the first six possessions to score 42 points on their way to a fourth win in five games. Gavin Nutting forced a fumble on the second play of the game that was recovered by Iden Balman. Roy Maroni scored the first of his four touchdowns two plays later.Maroni added a seven yard score followed by a Jaren Kanak 37 yard gallop to the end zone. Maroni then scored from 2 yards out and 36 yards before Kanak hit Kyreese Groen for 20 yards and a 42-0 lead with 7:41 left in the first half. Jack Fields made each of his six extra point attempts.Highlights<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/1134692653&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&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-814667509/10-01-21-hhs-fb-vs-abilene-highlights" title="10 - 01 - 21 HHS FB Vs Abilene Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">10 - 01 - 21 HHS FB Vs Abilene Highlights</a></div></div>Malik Bah added two rushing scores in the second half and Ben Pfeifer scored his first varsity touchdown to push the lead up to 61-0. The Indians tied a school record in points on a 20 yard field goal by Teegan Turnbull on the first play of the fourth quarter.Abilene scored on a two yard run in the final two minutes of a continuous clock fourth quarter for the final of 64-7.Coach Tony Crough<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/1134692689&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&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/coach-crough-interview-10-01-21" title="Coach Crough Interview 10 - 01 - 21" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Coach Crough Interview 10 - 01 - 21</a></div></div>Hays totaled up 438 yards of offense, taking advantage of short fields. Their longest touchdown drive was 53 yards.Malik Bah ran for a career high 147 yards. Jaren Kanak, Jordan Dale, Corbin Werth, and Kyreese Groen all completed at least one pass. Kyreese Groen, Carson Kieffer, Jordan Dale, Trent Summers, Gavin Meyers, and Charlie Roe all had at least one catch.&nbsp;Roy Maroni, Malik Bah, Jaren Kanak, Corbin Werth, Kyreese Groen, Derek Quach, Ben Pfeifer and Trent Summers all rushed the ball at least one time.Hays moves to 4-1 on the year and will head to Dodge City next week to wrap up Western Athletic Conference play. Abilene drops to 0-5 and has lost 21 straight.

🏈 Hays ties school record with 64 points

HAYS, Kan. - The FHSU women's soccer team fell to Central Oklahoma on Friday (Oct. 1) by a score of 2-1. Two first half goals, including one with just over a minute remaining to break a 1-1 tie, pushed the Bronchos to victory. UCO improved to 6-2-1 (2-0 MIAA) and the Tigers are now 3-3-3 (0-2 MIAA).

The Bronchos got on the board first with a goal in the 11th&nbsp;minute off of a strike from Monika McGee. The Tigers answered immediately when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6229">Jordan Thompson</a>&nbsp;netted her third goal of the season in the 12th&nbsp;minute. At the end of the first half, the Bronchos Emily Tincher sent a corner kick in the direction of Taryn Kedzior who headed the ball towards the goal. The initial shot was saved by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6231">Deonna Wellbrock</a>, but Kedzior was able to put it back with her right foot in the 44th&nbsp;minute. The Bronchos took the 2-1 lead into the locker room and held it through the end of the match. The Tigers took nine shots compared to 14 by the Bronchos. Wellbrock had seven saves on the day increasing her total to 43 so far this season.

The Tigers will be back in action on Sunday (Oct. 3) when they host the Jets from Newman University with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

HAYS, Kan. - The FHSU women's soccer team fell to Central Oklahoma on Friday (Oct. 1) by a score of 2-1. Two first half goals, including one with just over a minute remaining to break a 1-1 tie, pushed the Bronchos to victory. UCO improved to 6-2-1 (2-0 MIAA) and the Tigers are now 3-3-3 (0-2 MIAA).The Bronchos got on the board first with a goal in the 11th&nbsp;minute off of a strike from Monika McGee. The Tigers answered immediately when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6229">Jordan Thompson</a>&nbsp;netted her third goal of the season in the 12th&nbsp;minute. At the end of the first half, the Bronchos Emily Tincher sent a corner kick in the direction of Taryn Kedzior who headed the ball towards the goal. The initial shot was saved by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6231">Deonna Wellbrock</a>, but Kedzior was able to put it back with her right foot in the 44th&nbsp;minute. The Bronchos took the 2-1 lead into the locker room and held it through the end of the match. The Tigers took nine shots compared to 14 by the Bronchos. Wellbrock had seven saves on the day increasing her total to 43 so far this season.The Tigers will be back in action on Sunday (Oct. 3) when they host the Jets from Newman University with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.FHSU Athletics

⚽ Tiger women fall at home to Bronchos

HAYS, Kan. - Despite collecting 12 more points than the visitors throughout the evening, the Fort Hays State volleyball team suffered a narrow defeat Friday (Oct. 1) inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, falling to Missouri Western in five sets (21-25, 25-12, 22-25, 25-16, 12-15). The Tigers move to 8-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while the Griffons are now 10-3 on the year and 2-2 in MIAA action. The Tigers led in the majority of the statistical categories, including kills, 65-57, total team blocks, 13-6, assists, 61-50, hitting percentage, .202-.186 and points, 82.0-67.0. The back-and-forth nature of the match started right away, with the first set featuring five lead changes and 12 ties. Neither side led by more than three until late in the set when a Griffon service ace pushed the MWSU lead to 22-18. Fort Hays State fought off a pair of set points before the visitors secured the opening set, 25-21. Fort Hays State responded with authority in the second set, leading wire-to-wire before heading to the locker room with a big 25-12 win. The Tigers scored the first four points of the set and eight of the first nine to take a commanding 8-1 lead.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6112">Riley Tinder</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6236">Jaysa Wichers</a>&nbsp;recorded kills on the first three rallies&nbsp;before Ellis and Tinder combined for a block to make the score 4-0. Wichers answered a Griffon kill with another spike before teaming up with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6104">Morgan Christiansen</a>&nbsp;for a block. Christiansen followed with a kill of her own, stretching the lead to 7-1 and forcing a Griffon timeout. Wichers capped off the run with another kill out of the huddle. The Tigers went on another big run late, scoring six-of-seven points to turn an 18-10 lead into a set point situation at 24-11. Multiple MWSU miscues opened the run before a block from Christiansen and kills from Tinder and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6208">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;helped the Tigers reach set point. A Griffon service error two rallies later brought the set to a decisive close and leveled the match at 1-1. Fort Hays State led by as many as seven midway through the third set, 12-5, before the Griffons went on a 9-2 run to tie things up at 14. The teams traded points for the next several rallies, later leading to another tie at 21. Missouri Western scored the next two points, prompting a Tiger timeout. Wichers responded with a kill out of the break, but the Griffons managed to finish off the set with a kill and a block. The fourth set was close early, including four ties, but the Tigers never trailed in the frame.&nbsp;Fort Hays State scored three in a row off MWSU errors after an 11-11 tie, prompting a Griffon timeout. The Tigers went on to stretch the run to 10-3, expanding their&nbsp;lead to 21-14. The home team scored four of the final points to take the set by nine and force a decisive fifth set. Fort Hays State led by as many as three midway through the fifth set after a Tinder kill stretched the lead to 8-5, prompting a Griffon timeout. Fort Hays State led as late as 11-10 before Missouri Western scored four of the final five points to steal the win, 15-12. Olson led the Tigers with 15 kills and a .400 attack percentage after recording just one error on 35 swings. Christiansen added 12 kills and seven blocks (one solo), while Tinder contributed 12 kills, 13 digs, three blocks and three service aces.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6108">Elysia Glowacz</a>&nbsp;dished out 30 assists and totaled nine digs, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6365">Olivia Hessman</a>&nbsp;tallied 27 assists and six digs. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6111">Isabelle Reynolds</a>&nbsp;led the team with 24 digs alongside eight kills and one block, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6105">Jaden Daffer</a>&nbsp;added 23 digs, one service ace and two assists. The Tigers will continue the homestand Saturday afternoon (Oct. 2) when they host No. 13 Northwest Missouri State. First serve is set for 3 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

HAYS, Kan. - Despite collecting 12 more points than the visitors throughout the evening, the Fort Hays State volleyball team suffered a narrow defeat Friday (Oct. 1) inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, falling to Missouri Western in five sets (21-25, 25-12, 22-25, 25-16, 12-15). The Tigers move to 8-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while the Griffons are now 10-3 on the year and 2-2 in MIAA action. The Tigers led in the majority of the statistical categories, including kills, 65-57, total team blocks, 13-6, assists, 61-50, hitting percentage, .202-.186 and points, 82.0-67.0. The back-and-forth nature of the match started right away, with the first set featuring five lead changes and 12 ties. Neither side led by more than three until late in the set when a Griffon service ace pushed the MWSU lead to 22-18. Fort Hays State fought off a pair of set points before the visitors secured the opening set, 25-21. Fort Hays State responded with authority in the second set, leading wire-to-wire before heading to the locker room with a big 25-12 win. The Tigers scored the first four points of the set and eight of the first nine to take a commanding 8-1 lead.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6112">Riley Tinder</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6236">Jaysa Wichers</a>&nbsp;recorded kills on the first three rallies&nbsp;before Ellis and Tinder combined for a block to make the score 4-0. Wichers answered a Griffon kill with another spike before teaming up with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6104">Morgan Christiansen</a>&nbsp;for a block. Christiansen followed with a kill of her own, stretching the lead to 7-1 and forcing a Griffon timeout. Wichers capped off the run with another kill out of the huddle. The Tigers went on another big run late, scoring six-of-seven points to turn an 18-10 lead into a set point situation at 24-11. Multiple MWSU miscues opened the run before a block from Christiansen and kills from Tinder and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6208">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;helped the Tigers reach set point. A Griffon service error two rallies later brought the set to a decisive close and leveled the match at 1-1. Fort Hays State led by as many as seven midway through the third set, 12-5, before the Griffons went on a 9-2 run to tie things up at 14. The teams traded points for the next several rallies, later leading to another tie at 21. Missouri Western scored the next two points, prompting a Tiger timeout. Wichers responded with a kill out of the break, but the Griffons managed to finish off the set with a kill and a block. The fourth set was close early, including four ties, but the Tigers never trailed in the frame.&nbsp;Fort Hays State scored three in a row off MWSU errors after an 11-11 tie, prompting a Griffon timeout. The Tigers went on to stretch the run to 10-3, expanding their&nbsp;lead to 21-14. The home team scored four of the final points to take the set by nine and force a decisive fifth set. Fort Hays State led by as many as three midway through the fifth set after a Tinder kill stretched the lead to 8-5, prompting a Griffon timeout. Fort Hays State led as late as 11-10 before Missouri Western scored four of the final five points to steal the win, 15-12. Olson led the Tigers with 15 kills and a .400 attack percentage after recording just one error on 35 swings. Christiansen added 12 kills and seven blocks (one solo), while Tinder contributed 12 kills, 13 digs, three blocks and three service aces.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6108">Elysia Glowacz</a>&nbsp;dished out 30 assists and totaled nine digs, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6365">Olivia Hessman</a>&nbsp;tallied 27 assists and six digs. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6111">Isabelle Reynolds</a>&nbsp;led the team with 24 digs alongside eight kills and one block, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6105">Jaden Daffer</a>&nbsp;added 23 digs, one service ace and two assists. The Tigers will continue the homestand Saturday afternoon (Oct. 2) when they host No. 13 Northwest Missouri State. First serve is set for 3 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏐 Tigers drop tight battle with Griffons

HUTCHINSON - The Hays High girls' golf team won the Hutchinson Invitational Friday at Carey Park. The Indians shot a 340 and edged Winfield by two strokes.

Katie Dinkel led the Indians with a third place finish after shooting a 79 , 10 strokes behind Kinsley Jones of Maize. Five other Indians placed in the top-20, Jaycee Oakley was seventh with an 86, Evyn Cox 10th with an 87, Abbie Norris 12th after an 88, Taleia McCrae 15th with and 89 and Claire Humphrey 18th with a 91.

1. &nbsp;Hays High - 340 2. &nbsp;Winfield - 342 3. &nbsp;Maize - 379

HHS Medalists Katie Dinkel- 79 - 3rd Jaycee Oakley - 86 - 7th Evyn Cox - 87 - 10th Abbie Norris - 88 - 12th Taleia McCrae - 89 - 15th Claire Humphrey - 91 - 18th&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633183588344.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON - The Hays High girls' golf team won the Hutchinson Invitational Friday at Carey Park. The Indians shot a 340 and edged Winfield by two strokes.Katie Dinkel led the Indians with a third place finish after shooting a 79 , 10 strokes behind Kinsley Jones of Maize. Five other Indians placed in the top-20, Jaycee Oakley was seventh with an 86, Evyn Cox 10th with an 87, Abbie Norris 12th after an 88, Taleia McCrae 15th with and 89 and Claire Humphrey 18th with a 91.1. &nbsp;Hays High - 340 2. &nbsp;Winfield - 342 3. &nbsp;Maize - 379 HHS Medalists Katie Dinkel- 79 - 3rd Jaycee Oakley - 86 - 7th Evyn Cox - 87 - 10th Abbie Norris - 88 - 12th Taleia McCrae - 89 - 15th Claire Humphrey - 91 - 18th&nbsp;&nbsp;

⛳ HHS girls win Hutchinson Invitational

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Hays High vs Abilene. Kickoff set for 7 p.m.

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Click the player below or click&nbsp;<a href="https://team1sports.com/eaglecommunications/hayshigh/">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the game. You can also download the Team1Sports app for your phone or connected device, including smart TVs.Hays High vs Abilene. Kickoff set for 7 p.m.<div><iframe src="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/305057?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>You can listen to the game by clicking <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">HERE</a>.

🏈🎥 WATCH LIVE Hays High Indians @ Abilene

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Click the player below or click&nbsp;<a href="https://team1sports.com/eaglecommunications/?B=297341/hayshigh/">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the game. You can also download the Team1Sports app for your phone or connected device, including smart TVs.TMP-M vs Ellis. Kickoff set for 7 p.m.<div><iframe src="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/305061?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>You can listen live by clicking <a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KHAZ">HERE</a>.

🏈🎥 WATCH LIVE Thomas More Prep-Marian vs Ellis

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched three effective innings, Bradley Zimmer drove in three runs and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 Thursday night to avoid a three-game sweep.

Royals star Salvador Perez, who left Wednesday’s game after spraining his right ankle, started as the designated hitter and hit a double. He leads the majors with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs.

Bieber allowed one run on four hits, with one strikeout. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner made his second start since returning from a three-month stay on the injured list.

“This whole process, the end goal has been to try and be as persistent and resilient as possible,” Bieber said. “I want to go out there and do what I love to do, ultimately what I’m paid to do. It was nice to get back out there for a couple of sessions at the end of the year.”

Bieber wanted to head into the offseason feeling positive. He was able to do that, even working his way out of a jam in the second.

“I didn’t get as deep in the ballgame as I would like to,” he said. “I felt good, healthy. I would have loved to (use) the fastball a little more, but I couldn’t control it, so I had to tone it back. Tonight made me more hungry to get back to where I want to be."

Acting manager DeMarlo Hale was pleased with what he got from Bieber.

“He struggled with his fastball command,” Hale said, “but he made some pitches with his secondary pitches down in the zone. That’s what he’s capable of doing.”

Logan Allen (2-7) pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the win.

Angel Zerpa (0-1), making his major league debut, allowed two unearned runs and three hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out four.

“I thought he was terrific,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He came out pounding the strike zone really good. I thought the breaking ball was sharp. It looked like he’d been here for a while, and that’s hard to do. The stuff is going to play.”

Zimmer had an RBI double and a pair of sacrifice flies.

Former Indians star Carlos Santana had two hits, including a single in the second that drove in Andrew Benintendi, who had doubled.

The Indians picked up a pair of unearned runs in the third. Roberto Perez reached on an error by third baseman Adalberto Mondesi, Oscar Mercado had an RBI double and Zimmer had a sacrifice fly.

Cleveland added a run in the sixth off reliever Dylan Coleman, who allowed his first earned run in his fifth major league appearance when Jose Ramirez tripled and Harold Ramirez singled.

Kansas City had a chance to score in the sixth when Perez led off with a double and Benintendi singled. But Perez was thrown out at the plate on a grounder and, after the Royals loaded the bases, Mondesi grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Myles Straw singled in the Cleveland seventh and scored on Zimmer’s double. Harold Ramirez added an RBI single.

Indians: OF/DH Franmil Reyes was scratched from the lineup with neck stiffness. He has 10 home runs and 30 RBIs since returning from the injured list Aug. 18.

Royals: C Salvador Perez, who left Wednesday’s game after spraining his right ankle entering the dugout after the top of second inning, was the DH. Matheny said he gave no consideration to having Perez behind the plate.

Royals LHP Daniel Lynch, who was hit in the right hand by a line drive Wednesday, was placed on the 10-day injured list with a bruise. His spot was taken by Zerpa. He was the sixth Royals pitcher to make his debut in 2021.

Indians: Travel to Texas for the final series of the season. RHP Eli Morgan (4-7, 5.27 ERA) will start the opener against RHP Spencer Howard (0-4, 7.04 ERA).

Royals: Will host the Twins for their final series. The Royals have not yet named a starter. The Twins will go with RHP John Gant (5-10, 3.74 ERA).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched three effective innings, Bradley Zimmer drove in three runs and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 Thursday night to avoid a three-game sweep.Royals star Salvador Perez, who left Wednesday’s game after spraining his right ankle, started as the designated hitter and hit a double. He leads the majors with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs.Bieber allowed one run on four hits, with one strikeout. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner made his second start since returning from a three-month stay on the injured list.“This whole process, the end goal has been to try and be as persistent and resilient as possible,” Bieber said. “I want to go out there and do what I love to do, ultimately what I’m paid to do. It was nice to get back out there for a couple of sessions at the end of the year.”Bieber wanted to head into the offseason feeling positive. He was able to do that, even working his way out of a jam in the second.“I didn’t get as deep in the ballgame as I would like to,” he said. “I felt good, healthy. I would have loved to (use) the fastball a little more, but I couldn’t control it, so I had to tone it back. Tonight made me more hungry to get back to where I want to be."Acting manager DeMarlo Hale was pleased with what he got from Bieber.“He struggled with his fastball command,” Hale said, “but he made some pitches with his secondary pitches down in the zone. That’s what he’s capable of doing.”Logan Allen (2-7) pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the win.Angel Zerpa (0-1), making his major league debut, allowed two unearned runs and three hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out four.“I thought he was terrific,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He came out pounding the strike zone really good. I thought the breaking ball was sharp. It looked like he’d been here for a while, and that’s hard to do. The stuff is going to play.”Zimmer had an RBI double and a pair of sacrifice flies.Former Indians star Carlos Santana had two hits, including a single in the second that drove in Andrew Benintendi, who had doubled.The Indians picked up a pair of unearned runs in the third. Roberto Perez reached on an error by third baseman Adalberto Mondesi, Oscar Mercado had an RBI double and Zimmer had a sacrifice fly.Cleveland added a run in the sixth off reliever Dylan Coleman, who allowed his first earned run in his fifth major league appearance when Jose Ramirez tripled and Harold Ramirez singled.Kansas City had a chance to score in the sixth when Perez led off with a double and Benintendi singled. But Perez was thrown out at the plate on a grounder and, after the Royals loaded the bases, Mondesi grounded into an inning-ending double play.Myles Straw singled in the Cleveland seventh and scored on Zimmer’s double. Harold Ramirez added an RBI single.TRAINER’S ROOMIndians: OF/DH Franmil Reyes was scratched from the lineup with neck stiffness. He has 10 home runs and 30 RBIs since returning from the injured list Aug. 18.Royals: C Salvador Perez, who left Wednesday’s game after spraining his right ankle entering the dugout after the top of second inning, was the DH. Matheny said he gave no consideration to having Perez behind the plate.TRANSACTIONSRoyals LHP Daniel Lynch, who was hit in the right hand by a line drive Wednesday, was placed on the 10-day injured list with a bruise. His spot was taken by Zerpa. He was the sixth Royals pitcher to make his debut in 2021.UP NEXTIndians: Travel to Texas for the final series of the season. RHP Eli Morgan (4-7, 5.27 ERA) will start the opener against RHP Spencer Howard (0-4, 7.04 ERA).Royals: Will host the Twins for their final series. The Royals have not yet named a starter. The Twins will go with RHP John Gant (5-10, 3.74 ERA).

⚾ Zerpa solid in debut but Royals fall to Indians

HAYS – The Hays High volleyball team went 1-2 at
their own quadrangular Thursday night. 

The Indians opened with a 2-1 win over
Salina South (22-25, 25-17, 25-15) then lost in three to Abilene (25-21, 15-25,
17-25) and in two to Norton (17-25, 21-25).

They will play in the Great Bend Invitational on Saturday.

HAYS – The Hays High volleyball team went 1-2 at
their own quadrangular Thursday night. The Indians opened with a 2-1 win over
Salina South (22-25, 25-17, 25-15) then lost in three to Abilene (25-21, 15-25,
17-25) and in two to Norton (17-25, 21-25).They will play in the Great Bend Invitational on Saturday.

🏐 Indians go 1-2 at own quad

HAYS, Kan. - The FHSU Men's Soccer team produced a blowout win over Ouachita Baptist 7-1 on Thursday at FHSU Soccer Stadium. The 15th-ranked Tigers scored two goals in the first half and then added five in the second, while Ouachita Baptist notched their only goal midway through the second half. The Tigers improved to 5-2-1 (2-0 GAC) and OBU falls to 0-6-1 (0-3 GAC). FHSU got on the board early as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6245">Nicolas Cortes</a>&nbsp;placed a corner kick perfectly inside the box where&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Antonio De La Torre</a>&nbsp;headed the ball in near the back post during the 8th minute. The Tigers found the net again in the 25th minute as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6384">Gonzalo Bazan</a>&nbsp;was able to cash in a goal off a pass from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6261">Viktor Robertsson</a>. FHSU took 16 shots and put six on target in the first half. Not satisfied with the lead 2-0 lead, FHSU added on in the 53rd minute when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6239">Taisei Arima</a>&nbsp;dribbled around defenders and sent a rocket past the keeper from outside the top of the box, extending the lead to three. Then in the 58th minute, Tiger scoring leader&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6240">Blake Arndt</a>&nbsp;took a cross from De La Torre and headed it in for his fifth goal of the season. In the 61st&nbsp;minute,&nbsp;Bazan added his second goal of the night scoring off of a chain of passes from Arndt and De La Torre, extending the lead to 5-0. The lone Ouachita Baptist goal occurred in the 68th&nbsp;minute on a nice chain of passes leading to a chip in by Joseph Lattier on the right edge of the goal. The rest of the match was all FHSU as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6254">Tyler Lockhart</a>&nbsp;received a beautiful pass from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6260">Chris Rios-Cruz</a>&nbsp;over the top, settled the ball near the top of the box, spun and sent a laser past the keeper in the 75th minute. With less than five minutes left in the match Arima added his second goal of the night by recovering a blocked shot by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6386">Eleuterio Gutierrez</a>&nbsp;and chipping it in, pushing the score to the eventual final of 7-1. The Tigers finished with 31 shots compared to 10 by OBU. Keeper&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>&nbsp;added another win to his record as he posted three saves in just under 58 minutes. When the FHSU lead reached 4-0,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6248">Ben Dixon</a>&nbsp;took over between the pipes and allowed the only goal for OBU. Dixon recorded two saves. Bazan, Arima and Lockhart notched their first goals of the season in the contest Fort Hays will be back in action at home on Saturday (Oct. 2) as the Bisons from Harding University come to town. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm at FHSU Soccer Stadium.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633082900532.jpeg" alt="FHSU's Tyler Lockhart attempts a shot Thursday vs. Ouachita Baptist (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>FHSU's Tyler Lockhart attempts a shot Thursday vs. Ouachita Baptist (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS, Kan. - The FHSU Men's Soccer team produced a blowout win over Ouachita Baptist 7-1 on Thursday at FHSU Soccer Stadium. The 15th-ranked Tigers scored two goals in the first half and then added five in the second, while Ouachita Baptist notched their only goal midway through the second half. The Tigers improved to 5-2-1 (2-0 GAC) and OBU falls to 0-6-1 (0-3 GAC). FHSU got on the board early as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6245">Nicolas Cortes</a>&nbsp;placed a corner kick perfectly inside the box where&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Antonio De La Torre</a>&nbsp;headed the ball in near the back post during the 8th minute. The Tigers found the net again in the 25th minute as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6384">Gonzalo Bazan</a>&nbsp;was able to cash in a goal off a pass from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6261">Viktor Robertsson</a>. FHSU took 16 shots and put six on target in the first half. Not satisfied with the lead 2-0 lead, FHSU added on in the 53rd minute when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6239">Taisei Arima</a>&nbsp;dribbled around defenders and sent a rocket past the keeper from outside the top of the box, extending the lead to three. Then in the 58th minute, Tiger scoring leader&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6240">Blake Arndt</a>&nbsp;took a cross from De La Torre and headed it in for his fifth goal of the season. In the 61st&nbsp;minute,&nbsp;Bazan added his second goal of the night scoring off of a chain of passes from Arndt and De La Torre, extending the lead to 5-0. The lone Ouachita Baptist goal occurred in the 68th&nbsp;minute on a nice chain of passes leading to a chip in by Joseph Lattier on the right edge of the goal. The rest of the match was all FHSU as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6254">Tyler Lockhart</a>&nbsp;received a beautiful pass from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6260">Chris Rios-Cruz</a>&nbsp;over the top, settled the ball near the top of the box, spun and sent a laser past the keeper in the 75th minute. With less than five minutes left in the match Arima added his second goal of the night by recovering a blocked shot by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6386">Eleuterio Gutierrez</a>&nbsp;and chipping it in, pushing the score to the eventual final of 7-1. The Tigers finished with 31 shots compared to 10 by OBU. Keeper&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>&nbsp;added another win to his record as he posted three saves in just under 58 minutes. When the FHSU lead reached 4-0,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6248">Ben Dixon</a>&nbsp;took over between the pipes and allowed the only goal for OBU. Dixon recorded two saves. Bazan, Arima and Lockhart notched their first goals of the season in the contest Fort Hays will be back in action at home on Saturday (Oct. 2) as the Bisons from Harding University come to town. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm at FHSU Soccer Stadium.FHSU Athletics

⚽ 15th-ranked Tiger men scorch Ouachita Baptist

CLAY CENTER – The TMP-Marian girls’ golf team
finished second at Thursday’s Clay Center Invitational at the Clay Center
Country Club. The Monarchs shot a 211 in the nine-hole event which was one shot
behind second place Clay Center. Wamego won the team title with a 184.

TMP was led by Alexis Mackey who placed 10th with
a 52. She beat teammate Emma Brummer, who also shot a 52, on a scorecard
playoff.

CLAY CENTER – The TMP-Marian girls’ golf team
finished second at Thursday’s Clay Center Invitational at the Clay Center
Country Club. The Monarchs shot a 211 in the nine-hole event which was one shot
behind second place Clay Center. Wamego won the team title with a 184.TMP was led by Alexis Mackey who placed 10th with
a 52. She beat teammate Emma Brummer, who also shot a 52, on a scorecard
playoff.

⛳ Monarch girls take third in Clay Center

LIBERAL – The Hays High boys soccer team lost 2-0
to Liberal Thursday. 

The Indians are now 3-6-1 overall and 1-3-1 in the Western
Athletic Conference

LIBERAL – The Hays High boys soccer team lost 2-0
to Liberal Thursday. The Indians are now 3-6-1 overall and 1-3-1 in the Western
Athletic Conference

⚽ HHS falls in Liberal

HAYS – The TMP-Marian boys soccer team lost 9-2
to Life Prep Academy Thursday.

HAYS – The TMP-Marian boys soccer team lost 9-2
to Life Prep Academy Thursday.

⚽ Monarchs lose at home

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have never been shy about giving players with questionable backgrounds a second chance.

The wildly talented yet trouble-prone wide receiver was reinstated by the NFL this week following his fifth suspension for violating its substance-abuse policy and policy on performance enhancers. And with a glaring need for a big, rangy wide receiver for Patrick Mahomes, it made sense that Kansas City was one of several teams to inquire about him.

Gordon wound up signing with the Chiefs on Tuesday. One day later, he was wearing a red No. 19 jersey and working out with the practice squad while trying to digest as much of coach Andy Reid's robust offensive playbook as possible.

"Josh is a good player. I think we all know that," Reid said, "and he's worked hard on his situation and making sure it was right. He's been reinstated by the league, which I thought was an important step, and so we welcome him aboard."

Reid's reputation as a coach willing to give players the benefit of the doubt dates to his time in Philadelphia, when he most famously gave Michael Vick an opportunity to be his quarterback following his prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring.

It has continued in Kansas City with mixed results.

Many teams took Tyreek Hill off their draft boards entirely following his arrest on charges of domestic violence during his time at Oklahoma State. He had finished his college career at tiny West Alabama, where he got rave reviews from coaches, and the Chiefs took a fifth-round flier on him in the 2016 draft.

Not only has he steered clear of trouble, he's been a three-time All-Pro while setting a slew of franchise records.

Travis Kelce missed an entire college season at Cincinnati to a suspension, and many believe that hurt his stock leading up to the 2013 draft. The Chiefs took him in the third round and, much like Hill, he has earned three All-Pro nods, set a slew of records and joined up with his speedy counterpart to help the Chiefs win a Super Bowl.

On the other side of the coin are players such as Marcus Peters, Kareem Hunt and Frank Clark.

Peters was a two-time All-Pro cornerback for the Chiefs, who drafted him despite his getting kicked off his college team. But he had run-ins with coaches and teammates in Kansas City and ultimately was traded to the Rams.

Hunt, who also had issues in college, had a dominant rookie season for Kansas City before video surfaced of him kicking a woman in a hotel hallway. The Chiefs immediately released Hunt, who was later signed by the Browns.

In the case of Clark, who had a domestic violence arrest in college, the Chiefs traded with the Seahawks for him and signed the pass rusher to a long-term deal. But he was arrested again in March in Los Angeles and is facing a felony gun possession charge; his arraignment and plea hearing are set for next week.

"Everybody deserves an opportunity to at least try to do the right thing," Reid said.

Gordon's talent has never been disputed. He led the league with 1,646 yards receiving in 2013, when he was an All-Pro with Cleveland, and he's showed flashes of that same ability during brief stops in Seattle and New England.

The question is whether Gordon can avoid the drug issues that have plagued his career.

"He's had a great eight months here of taking care of business. The league obviously understands that he's a good guy," Reid said. "We always sell Kansas City in general — it's a great place to live, a great fan base and so on. So you are going to have support. As long as you're doing the right things, you're going to have support."

The Chiefs also have a strong locker room culture that should help Gordon stay out of trouble.

"We like bringing in good football players, guys that work hard and come here and want to win football games," Mahomes said, "and so it was a heck of an opportunity to bring him in here and involve him in that receiver room, and he'll have his role. He's a great football player, and I think you know in this offense everybody gets a chance to make plays."

The Chiefs had hoped that Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson or Byron Pringle would emerge as their No. 2 wide receiver after Sammy Watkins left in free agency. But all of them have been inconsistent at best, and now they turn their hopes to a player whose size and athleticism are unlike anything else they have on the roster.

"He's going to be a guy that even if he's covered, he's not covered. You can kind of throw it up there and he can make plays," Mahomes said. "I've talked to him a little bit here now and he seems like a great dude that wants to come and work, so we'll see as he gets out here on the practice field how he can help us as an offense."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have never been shy about giving players with questionable backgrounds a second chance.Or third or fourth or fifth.Or, in the case of Josh Gordon, a sixth.The wildly talented yet trouble-prone wide receiver was reinstated by the NFL this week following his fifth suspension for violating its substance-abuse policy and policy on performance enhancers. And with a glaring need for a big, rangy wide receiver for Patrick Mahomes, it made sense that Kansas City was one of several teams to inquire about him.Gordon wound up signing with the Chiefs on Tuesday. One day later, he was wearing a red No. 19 jersey and working out with the practice squad while trying to digest as much of coach Andy Reid's robust offensive playbook as possible."Josh is a good player. I think we all know that," Reid said, "and he's worked hard on his situation and making sure it was right. He's been reinstated by the league, which I thought was an important step, and so we welcome him aboard."Reid's reputation as a coach willing to give players the benefit of the doubt dates to his time in Philadelphia, when he most famously gave Michael Vick an opportunity to be his quarterback following his prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring.It has continued in Kansas City with mixed results.Many teams took Tyreek Hill off their draft boards entirely following his arrest on charges of domestic violence during his time at Oklahoma State. He had finished his college career at tiny West Alabama, where he got rave reviews from coaches, and the Chiefs took a fifth-round flier on him in the 2016 draft.Not only has he steered clear of trouble, he's been a three-time All-Pro while setting a slew of franchise records.Travis Kelce missed an entire college season at Cincinnati to a suspension, and many believe that hurt his stock leading up to the 2013 draft. The Chiefs took him in the third round and, much like Hill, he has earned three All-Pro nods, set a slew of records and joined up with his speedy counterpart to help the Chiefs win a Super Bowl.On the other side of the coin are players such as Marcus Peters, Kareem Hunt and Frank Clark.Peters was a two-time All-Pro cornerback for the Chiefs, who drafted him despite his getting kicked off his college team. But he had run-ins with coaches and teammates in Kansas City and ultimately was traded to the Rams.Hunt, who also had issues in college, had a dominant rookie season for Kansas City before video surfaced of him kicking a woman in a hotel hallway. The Chiefs immediately released Hunt, who was later signed by the Browns.In the case of Clark, who had a domestic violence arrest in college, the Chiefs traded with the Seahawks for him and signed the pass rusher to a long-term deal. But he was arrested again in March in Los Angeles and is facing a felony gun possession charge; his arraignment and plea hearing are set for next week."Everybody deserves an opportunity to at least try to do the right thing," Reid said.Gordon's talent has never been disputed. He led the league with 1,646 yards receiving in 2013, when he was an All-Pro with Cleveland, and he's showed flashes of that same ability during brief stops in Seattle and New England.The question is whether Gordon can avoid the drug issues that have plagued his career."He's had a great eight months here of taking care of business. The league obviously understands that he's a good guy," Reid said. "We always sell Kansas City in general — it's a great place to live, a great fan base and so on. So you are going to have support. As long as you're doing the right things, you're going to have support."The Chiefs also have a strong locker room culture that should help Gordon stay out of trouble."We like bringing in good football players, guys that work hard and come here and want to win football games," Mahomes said, "and so it was a heck of an opportunity to bring him in here and involve him in that receiver room, and he'll have his role. He's a great football player, and I think you know in this offense everybody gets a chance to make plays."The Chiefs had hoped that Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson or Byron Pringle would emerge as their No. 2 wide receiver after Sammy Watkins left in free agency. But all of them have been inconsistent at best, and now they turn their hopes to a player whose size and athleticism are unlike anything else they have on the roster."He's going to be a guy that even if he's covered, he's not covered. You can kind of throw it up there and he can make plays," Mahomes said. "I've talked to him a little bit here now and he seems like a great dude that wants to come and work, so we'll see as he gets out here on the practice field how he can help us as an offense."

🏈 Chiefs gambling that Gordon can stay out of trouble in KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle, and Kansas City went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5 on Wednesday night.

Perez, who already broke the big league record for homers by a catcher, leads the majors in home runs and RBIs (121).

Perez said he slipped on the bottom step coming into the dugout in the middle of the second inning. He said he expects to play Thursday.

“It’s amazing,” he said about tying the team record. “We’ve got four more games to see (what happens).”

Perez homered on the first pitch he saw from Zach Plesac and struck out in the second inning before being replaced in the third by Cam Gallagher. Perez matched Jorge Soler, who smashed 48 homers for the Royals in 2019, and reached 200 for his career.

“It was probably the loudest of the group (of homers),” manager Mike Matheny said. “We see a lot of angles from our vantage point. You don’t see that kind of angle and the ball carry like that one did. It was pretty impressive. He’s a special hitter.”

Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren (2-9) to make it 8-5. The Royals added two more runs in the eighth as the franchise won its 4,000th game.

“The guys were concerned,” Matheny said about Perez’s injury. “You talk about a guy being the heart and soul, that’s who he is.

“It was a beautiful job by the bullpen. They stepped up and our offense followed suit.”

Greg Holland (3-5), the third of five Royals pitchers, earned the win with two hitless innings.

Whit Merrifield led off the game for the Royals with a double, his 40th of the season. He became the seventh player in major league history to reach at least 40 doubles and 40 stolen bases in two seasons, but he was more concerned about his teammate.

“It takes the air out of you, especially when he’s doing something that special,” Merrifield said of Perez’s injury. “I think everything checked out. Hopefully he feels better tomorrow. He’s got something special going and I’d like to see him keep it going.

“I joke with Nicky, when he hits a homer when we’re on base it’s like we hit a homer, because it’s always a no-doubter. We get to jog around the bases.”

Royals starter Daniel Lynch had to leave the game in the fourth inning when he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Austin Hedges. The Indians scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth on a double by Yu Chang to tie the game at 5-5.

Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez had a sacrifice fly in the first for his 100th RBI of the season.

“He’s checked the boxes, and it’s nice to see that,” acting Indians manager DeMarlo Hale said. “Personal goals are one thing, but being in the team concept is important too. He’s done that all year.”

The Royals announced before the game they have signed outfielder Michael A. Taylor to a two-year contract extension worth $9 million. Taylor is rated as one of the top defensive outfielders in baseball. He started in center field Wednesday, going 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

The Royals placed RHP Brady Singer on the 10-day injured list with right arm inflammation. He left Tuesday’s game with two outs in the first inning. He was replaced on the active roster by RHP Tyler Zuber.

Shane Bieber (7-4, 3.14 ERA) pitches for the Indians in Thursday’s series finale. He worked three perfect innings in his last outing, his first appearance since June 13. He had been out with shoulder issues.

Left-hander Angel Zerpa will make his major league debut for the Royals.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle, and Kansas City went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5 on Wednesday night.Perez, who already broke the big league record for homers by a catcher, leads the majors in home runs and RBIs (121).Perez said he slipped on the bottom step coming into the dugout in the middle of the second inning. He said he expects to play Thursday.“It’s amazing,” he said about tying the team record. “We’ve got four more games to see (what happens).”Perez homered on the first pitch he saw from Zach Plesac and struck out in the second inning before being replaced in the third by Cam Gallagher. Perez matched Jorge Soler, who smashed 48 homers for the Royals in 2019, and reached 200 for his career.“It was probably the loudest of the group (of homers),” manager Mike Matheny said. “We see a lot of angles from our vantage point. You don’t see that kind of angle and the ball carry like that one did. It was pretty impressive. He’s a special hitter.”Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren (2-9) to make it 8-5. The Royals added two more runs in the eighth as the franchise won its 4,000th game.“The guys were concerned,” Matheny said about Perez’s injury. “You talk about a guy being the heart and soul, that’s who he is.“It was a beautiful job by the bullpen. They stepped up and our offense followed suit.”Greg Holland (3-5), the third of five Royals pitchers, earned the win with two hitless innings.Whit Merrifield led off the game for the Royals with a double, his 40th of the season. He became the seventh player in major league history to reach at least 40 doubles and 40 stolen bases in two seasons, but he was more concerned about his teammate.“It takes the air out of you, especially when he’s doing something that special,” Merrifield said of Perez’s injury. “I think everything checked out. Hopefully he feels better tomorrow. He’s got something special going and I’d like to see him keep it going.“I joke with Nicky, when he hits a homer when we’re on base it’s like we hit a homer, because it’s always a no-doubter. We get to jog around the bases.”Royals starter Daniel Lynch had to leave the game in the fourth inning when he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Austin Hedges. The Indians scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth on a double by Yu Chang to tie the game at 5-5.Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez had a sacrifice fly in the first for his 100th RBI of the season.“He’s checked the boxes, and it’s nice to see that,” acting Indians manager DeMarlo Hale said. “Personal goals are one thing, but being in the team concept is important too. He’s done that all year.”STICKING AROUNDThe Royals announced before the game they have signed outfielder Michael A. Taylor to a two-year contract extension worth $9 million. Taylor is rated as one of the top defensive outfielders in baseball. He started in center field Wednesday, going 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.TRAINER’S ROOMThe Royals placed RHP Brady Singer on the 10-day injured list with right arm inflammation. He left Tuesday’s game with two outs in the first inning. He was replaced on the active roster by RHP Tyler Zuber.UP NEXTShane Bieber (7-4, 3.14 ERA) pitches for the Indians in Thursday’s series finale. He worked three perfect innings in his last outing, his first appearance since June 13. He had been out with shoulder issues.Left-hander Angel Zerpa will make his major league debut for the Royals.

⚾ Salvy hits record-tying homer, leaves with ankle sprain before Royals top Indians

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -&nbsp;The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have agreed to a two-year extension with center fielder&nbsp;Michael A. Taylor&nbsp;that will cover the 2022-23 seasons. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.&nbsp;

In 137 games with the Royals this season, Taylor has 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases, and is one game shy of matching his career high of games played with Washington in 2015. He’s scored a career-high 56 runs this season and his 52 RBI are his most since recording 53 in 2017.

Taylor leads the Majors with 21 defensive runs saved, according to&nbsp;FanGraphs, and his 14 outs above average are tied for the Majors lead among all outfielders. Taylor leads all center fielders with a career-high 11 outfield assists, which are the most by a Royals center fielder since&nbsp;Melky Cabrera&nbsp;had 13 in 2011.

Taylor, 30, signed with Kansas City last offseason as a free agent, after spending the first seven seasons of his big league career with the Washington Nationals, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Westminster Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Taylor won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019 and is a career .316 (12-for-38) hitter in 16 postseason games, with four home runs and 10 RBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -&nbsp;The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have agreed to a two-year extension with center fielder&nbsp;Michael A. Taylor&nbsp;that will cover the 2022-23 seasons. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.&nbsp;In 137 games with the Royals this season, Taylor has 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases, and is one game shy of matching his career high of games played with Washington in 2015. He’s scored a career-high 56 runs this season and his 52 RBI are his most since recording 53 in 2017.Taylor leads the Majors with 21 defensive runs saved, according to&nbsp;FanGraphs, and his 14 outs above average are tied for the Majors lead among all outfielders. Taylor leads all center fielders with a career-high 11 outfield assists, which are the most by a Royals center fielder since&nbsp;Melky Cabrera&nbsp;had 13 in 2011.Taylor, 30, signed with Kansas City last offseason as a free agent, after spending the first seven seasons of his big league career with the Washington Nationals, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Westminster Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.Taylor won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019 and is a career .316 (12-for-38) hitter in 16 postseason games, with four home runs and 10 RBI.Kansas City Royals