KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - One of these days, Royals manager Mike Matheny hopes to see Jorge Soler smile when he trots around the bases.

It didn't happen after either of Soler's two homers Saturday night.

Maybe if he didn't just miss on another one that was caught at the warning track.

The slugging outfielder's big power output included a three-run shot during ago-ahead six-run fourth inning, when Nicky Lopez and Salvador Perez also went deep, and helped to push Kansas City to a 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins that clinched its first winning series against the AL Central rivals since September 2018.

"It's my goal to get him to smile one time when he comes around. That has to be fun to be able to do that," said Matheny, whose club has won three straight on the heels of a six-game slide. "I'm sure he must be smiling on the inside."

Soler and Perez went back-to-back for the second time this season, and it was the first time the Royals hit three homers in an inning since Aug. 19, 2018, against the White Sox. Lopez's two-run shot came off Lewis Thorpe (0-1) and tied the game.

Tyler Zuber (1-1) earned the win in relief of Danny Duffy. Trevor Rosenthal got four outs for his second straight save.

"The bullpen once again came in and did a fantastic job for us," Matheny said, "but that inning where we give up four and we come right back and take six, that's special, and that sort of thing can carry a club for a while, knowing you have that kind of talent and that kind of ability. The three home runs are huge right there."

Nelson Cruz, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler went deep for the Twins, who lost the series opener in a 3-2 pitching duel.

Soler began the show with his homer leading off the third against former Royals pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was making his season debut for Minnesota after dealing with a sore muscle in his ribs. That gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead.

The Twins answered with a pair of homers in the fourth. Cruz hit the first leading off, the ninth time the 40-year-old slugger has gone deep in his last 12 games against Kansas City. Buxton's three-run shot was the second, giving him homers in three consecutive games after a slow start to the season.

"To put up those runs, it was big inning for us," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "It was a big moment the next half-inning when they put up some runs, too."

The Royals' big rally in the fourth began with a simple single by Maikel Franco, but Lopez immediately followed with his third career homer to tie the game. Brett Phillips and Whit Merrifield continued the charge with singles, and Soler added a three-run shot for his first multi-homer game since -- coincidentally -- facing the Twins last September.

Perez added his homer to cap the six-run inning. That's more than the Royals had scored in all but two games this season.

The Twins got a run back on Buxton's single in the sixth, and another when Kepler went deep in the seventh, before the Kansas City bullpen closed down the last two innings to raise the possibility of a series sweep.

"We decided to go out there and fight. We put a bunch of hits together," Soler said. "That was a big stand."

CF Nick Heath (strained left hamstring) was placed on the injured list and RHP Chance Adams recalled prior to the game. Heath hurt his hamstring on a stolen base attempt in the series opener Friday night.

Twins: 2B Luis Arraez (sore right knee) was back in the starting lineup after missing the past two games. ... 1B Miguel Sano started despite a sore right wrist. His glove was knocked off trying to tag a runner Friday night.

Royals: 1B Ryan O'Hearn fouled a pitch off his right shin in the fourth inning. He was checked by manager Mike Matheny and trainer Nick Kenney but stayed in the game until the fifth, when he was replaced by Franchy Cordero.

Royals RHP Brady Singer (0-1, 4.80 ERA) makes his fourth start and the first of his career at Kauffman Stadium when the rookie takes the hill in Sunday's series finale. The Twins counter with RHP Jose Berrios (1-1, 4.80), who allowed one run on four hits in six innings in a win Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - One of these days, Royals manager Mike Matheny hopes to see Jorge Soler smile when he trots around the bases.It didn't happen after either of Soler's two homers Saturday night.Maybe if he didn't just miss on another one that was caught at the warning track.The slugging outfielder's big power output included a three-run shot during ago-ahead six-run fourth inning, when Nicky Lopez and Salvador Perez also went deep, and helped to push Kansas City to a 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins that clinched its first winning series against the AL Central rivals since September 2018."It's my goal to get him to smile one time when he comes around. That has to be fun to be able to do that," said Matheny, whose club has won three straight on the heels of a six-game slide. "I'm sure he must be smiling on the inside."Soler and Perez went back-to-back for the second time this season, and it was the first time the Royals hit three homers in an inning since Aug. 19, 2018, against the White Sox. Lopez's two-run shot came off Lewis Thorpe (0-1) and tied the game.Tyler Zuber (1-1) earned the win in relief of Danny Duffy. Trevor Rosenthal got four outs for his second straight save."The bullpen once again came in and did a fantastic job for us," Matheny said, "but that inning where we give up four and we come right back and take six, that's special, and that sort of thing can carry a club for a while, knowing you have that kind of talent and that kind of ability. The three home runs are huge right there."Nelson Cruz, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler went deep for the Twins, who lost the series opener in a 3-2 pitching duel.This one was decided by the long ball.Soler began the show with his homer leading off the third against former Royals pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was making his season debut for Minnesota after dealing with a sore muscle in his ribs. That gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead.The Twins answered with a pair of homers in the fourth. Cruz hit the first leading off, the ninth time the 40-year-old slugger has gone deep in his last 12 games against Kansas City. Buxton's three-run shot was the second, giving him homers in three consecutive games after a slow start to the season."To put up those runs, it was big inning for us," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "It was a big moment the next half-inning when they put up some runs, too."The Royals' big rally in the fourth began with a simple single by Maikel Franco, but Lopez immediately followed with his third career homer to tie the game. Brett Phillips and Whit Merrifield continued the charge with singles, and Soler added a three-run shot for his first multi-homer game since -- coincidentally -- facing the Twins last September.Perez added his homer to cap the six-run inning. That's more than the Royals had scored in all but two games this season.The Twins got a run back on Buxton's single in the sixth, and another when Kepler went deep in the seventh, before the Kansas City bullpen closed down the last two innings to raise the possibility of a series sweep."We decided to go out there and fight. We put a bunch of hits together," Soler said. "That was a big stand."ROYALS MOVESCF Nick Heath (strained left hamstring) was placed on the injured list and RHP Chance Adams recalled prior to the game. Heath hurt his hamstring on a stolen base attempt in the series opener Friday night.TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: 2B Luis Arraez (sore right knee) was back in the starting lineup after missing the past two games. ... 1B Miguel Sano started despite a sore right wrist. His glove was knocked off trying to tag a runner Friday night.Royals: 1B Ryan O'Hearn fouled a pitch off his right shin in the fourth inning. He was checked by manager Mike Matheny and trainer Nick Kenney but stayed in the game until the fifth, when he was replaced by Franchy Cordero.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Brady Singer (0-1, 4.80 ERA) makes his fourth start and the first of his career at Kauffman Stadium when the rookie takes the hill in Sunday's series finale. The Twins counter with RHP Jose Berrios (1-1, 4.80), who allowed one run on four hits in six innings in a win Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.

Royals defeat Twins for third straight win

WICHITA - Hutchinson's No. 9 hitter Clayton Chadwick hit a solo homer and a grand slam to highlight a seven-run fifth inning to lead the Monarchs to an 11-3, seven inning run-rule victory over the Hays Larks late Friday night, ending the Larks run at the 86th NBC World Series.

Corbin Truslow's tw0-run homer in the top of the first gave the Larks (22-10) the early lead.&nbsp;

It would stay that way until the bottom of the third, when Chadwick hit a lead-off solo homer off the Larks starter Ryan Ruder.&nbsp;

Ruder would get Chadwick to fly out to center with the bases-loaded to end the fourth but Zach Curry would not be as lucky. The Larks third pitcher of the night gave up a two-out grand slam to center.

Trevor Munsch (2-2) came in relief of Ruder in the fifth. With runners at second and third and one out, he induced a ground ball to shortstop Cameron Pehrson who tried to throw a runner out at the plate. The throw was off line and the Monarchs tied the game 2-2.

Back-to-back walks gave Hutch (31-7) a 3-2 lead. First baseman Garrett McGowan bobbled a grounder which allowed another run to score. Following a strikeout, Chadwick hit a 1-2 fastball over the center field wall to blow the game open.

After the Monarchs added a run in the sixth, the Larks scored in the top of the seventh after Sean Cooper doubled with two outs then came around on a Leo Jiminian single to center.

Hutchinson lead off the bottom of the seventh with a double then back to back singles and a steal of home scored two runs to end the game by run-rule.

Munsch took the loss allowing four runs (two earned) on one hit in 1/3 of an inning.

Monarchs starter, Jake Hamilton, a weekend starter for Wichita State picked up the win allowing two runs on two hits over six innings.

The Monarchs, who have won three straight in the loser's bracker, plays the Houston (TX) Express Saturday at 8:30 p.m.. The Express stayed alive with a 5-4 win over Liberal in the Friday's first game.

WICHITA - Hutchinson's No. 9 hitter Clayton Chadwick hit a solo homer and a grand slam to highlight a seven-run fifth inning to lead the Monarchs to an 11-3, seven inning run-rule victory over the Hays Larks late Friday night, ending the Larks run at the 86th NBC World Series.<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/872245531&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-814667509/8-7-2020-larks-interview" title="Frank Leo Postgame Interview 080720" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Frank Leo Postgame Interview 080720</a></div></div>Corbin Truslow's tw0-run homer in the top of the first gave the Larks (22-10) the early lead.&nbsp;It would stay that way until the bottom of the third, when Chadwick hit a lead-off solo homer off the Larks starter Ryan Ruder.&nbsp;<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/872245552&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-814667509/8-7-2020-larks-highlights" title="Hays Larks vs. Hutchinson Monarchs highlights 080720" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays Larks vs. Hutchinson Monarchs highlights 080720</a></div></div>Ruder would get Chadwick to fly out to center with the bases-loaded to end the fourth but Zach Curry would not be as lucky. The Larks third pitcher of the night gave up a two-out grand slam to center.Trevor Munsch (2-2) came in relief of Ruder in the fifth. With runners at second and third and one out, he induced a ground ball to shortstop Cameron Pehrson who tried to throw a runner out at the plate. The throw was off line and the Monarchs tied the game 2-2.Back-to-back walks gave Hutch (31-7) a 3-2 lead. First baseman Garrett McGowan bobbled a grounder which allowed another run to score. Following a strikeout, Chadwick hit a 1-2 fastball over the center field wall to blow the game open.After the Monarchs added a run in the sixth, the Larks scored in the top of the seventh after Sean Cooper doubled with two outs then came around on a Leo Jiminian single to center.Hutchinson lead off the bottom of the seventh with a double then back to back singles and a steal of home scored two runs to end the game by run-rule.Munsch took the loss allowing four runs (two earned) on one hit in 1/3 of an inning.Monarchs starter, Jake Hamilton, a weekend starter for Wichita State picked up the win allowing two runs on two hits over six innings.The Monarchs, who have won three straight in the loser's bracker, plays the Houston (TX) Express Saturday at 8:30 p.m.. The Express stayed alive with a 5-4 win over Liberal in the Friday's first game.

Larks run at NBC World Series comes to an end

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Ryan McBroom hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning, the Kansas City pitching staff held the powerful Twins to just a pair of solo homers, and the Royals beat Minnesota 3-2 on Friday night.

Nick Heath and Nicky Lopez also drove in runs for the Royals, who have won two straight after a six-game slide.

Jakob Junis served up homers to Byron Buxton and Marwin Gonzalez before leaving with two outs in the fifth inning, and Greg Holland (2-0) led four relievers in holding down the Twins the rest of the way. Trevor Rosenthal retired the final three batters in order for his second save.

Matt Wisler (0-1) served up McBroom's homer as Minnesota lost a one-run game for the second consecutive night.

The quintessential power-versus-pluck game played out through the first five innings.

The Twins, who came into the game fourth in the league in homers, got another when Buxton went deep for the second straight night leading off third. Gonzalez hit his over the center field fence with one down in the fourth.

The Royals, whose popgun offense came alive with 13 runs against the Cubs on Thursday, resorted to small-ball to coax across their first runs. Maikel Franco scored in the third after a double, sacrifice bunt from Lopez and a base hit by Heath, and Alex Gordon scored in the fifth after a single, Franco's groundout and Lopez's sharp single.

Whit Merrifield nearly broke the game open with a three-run shot later in the fifth, but Twins left fielder Nick Cave drifted back to the wall and made a leaping grab in front of the Minnesota bullpen to keep the game knotted 2-all.

The Royals finally got a long-ball of their own when McBroom hit the second of his career in the sixth.

The game was halted in the fifth inning for a sudden downpour that was over so quickly the grounds crew never fully got the tarp unrolled. In fact, most of the players never left the field before resuming after a 9-minute delay. The game pressed on the rest of the way despite constant thunder and lightning.

Before the game, the Royals reinstated RHP Jorge Lopez from the bereavement list and designated him for assignment. They also reinstated RHP Chance Adams from the injured list and optioned him to their alternate training site, and they transferred LHP Mike Montgomery (lat strain) and RHP Glenn Sparkman (right forearm strain) to the 60-day IL.

Royals: Heath (left hamstring strain) left in the fifth inning. Brett Phillips replaced him. ... RF Hunter Dozier continues to progress at the club's alternate site after returning from COVID-19. "He's feeling good health-wise and I think it's just that timing," manager Mike Matheny said. "It just takes a little while."

Twins: 3B Josh Donaldson (right calf strain) was place on the IL retroactive to Tuesday. He was hurt against the Indians on July 31. ... 2B Luis Arraez (sore right knee) was out of the lineup for the second straight day.

Twins RHP Jake Odorizzi makes his season debut Saturday against his former team after missing the start of the season with a right intercostal strain. He will face Royals LHP Danny Duffy (0-2, 4.11 ERA).

"Is Jake going to go out there and throw 110 (pitches) in his first start? No," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We're just going to let him pitch and hopefully he can pitch us somewhere into the middle of the game."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Ryan McBroom hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning, the Kansas City pitching staff held the powerful Twins to just a pair of solo homers, and the Royals beat Minnesota 3-2 on Friday night.Nick Heath and Nicky Lopez also drove in runs for the Royals, who have won two straight after a six-game slide.Jakob Junis served up homers to Byron Buxton and Marwin Gonzalez before leaving with two outs in the fifth inning, and Greg Holland (2-0) led four relievers in holding down the Twins the rest of the way. Trevor Rosenthal retired the final three batters in order for his second save.Matt Wisler (0-1) served up McBroom's homer as Minnesota lost a one-run game for the second consecutive night.The quintessential power-versus-pluck game played out through the first five innings.The Twins, who came into the game fourth in the league in homers, got another when Buxton went deep for the second straight night leading off third. Gonzalez hit his over the center field fence with one down in the fourth.The Royals, whose popgun offense came alive with 13 runs against the Cubs on Thursday, resorted to small-ball to coax across their first runs. Maikel Franco scored in the third after a double, sacrifice bunt from Lopez and a base hit by Heath, and Alex Gordon scored in the fifth after a single, Franco's groundout and Lopez's sharp single.Whit Merrifield nearly broke the game open with a three-run shot later in the fifth, but Twins left fielder Nick Cave drifted back to the wall and made a leaping grab in front of the Minnesota bullpen to keep the game knotted 2-all.The Royals finally got a long-ball of their own when McBroom hit the second of his career in the sixth.POP-UP SHOWERThe game was halted in the fifth inning for a sudden downpour that was over so quickly the grounds crew never fully got the tarp unrolled. In fact, most of the players never left the field before resuming after a 9-minute delay. The game pressed on the rest of the way despite constant thunder and lightning.ROYALS MOVESBefore the game, the Royals reinstated RHP Jorge Lopez from the bereavement list and designated him for assignment. They also reinstated RHP Chance Adams from the injured list and optioned him to their alternate training site, and they transferred LHP Mike Montgomery (lat strain) and RHP Glenn Sparkman (right forearm strain) to the 60-day IL.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: Heath (left hamstring strain) left in the fifth inning. Brett Phillips replaced him. ... RF Hunter Dozier continues to progress at the club's alternate site after returning from COVID-19. "He's feeling good health-wise and I think it's just that timing," manager Mike Matheny said. "It just takes a little while."Twins: 3B Josh Donaldson (right calf strain) was place on the IL retroactive to Tuesday. He was hurt against the Indians on July 31. ... 2B Luis Arraez (sore right knee) was out of the lineup for the second straight day.UP NEXTTwins RHP Jake Odorizzi makes his season debut Saturday against his former team after missing the start of the season with a right intercostal strain. He will face Royals LHP Danny Duffy (0-2, 4.11 ERA)."Is Jake going to go out there and throw 110 (pitches) in his first start? No," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We're just going to let him pitch and hopefully he can pitch us somewhere into the middle of the game."

Royals take opener against Minnesota

MIAA’s focus continues to be on the health and well-being of MIAA students, administrators, and our communities

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The MIAA has released statements regarding Wednesday's announcement by the NCAA Division II President’s Council to cancel the 2020 NCAA Division II Fall Championships, and also the NCAA's release of new COVID-19 Mitigation Requirements for practices and competition this year in all three divisions. “Like last winter and spring, our hearts break again for MIAA student-athletes and coaches who will not have an opportunity this fall to compete for NCAA national championships.&nbsp; Our student-athletes train to be the best in the country in their particular sport, and it is very difficult to accept when that pinnacle event is taken away,” stated MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy.

The new NCAA COVID-19 mitigation requirements include Testing Protocols for all student-athletes and key athletics personnel (regardless of local health procedures and guidelines), and legal and insurance restrictions for schools that decide to practice or compete this fall in any sport.&nbsp; The MIAA COVID-19 Task Force, MIAA Athletic Directors and the MIAA CEO Council continue to meet and discuss how these new requirements impact MIAA plans for athletic department activities this fall.&nbsp; The MIAA CEO Council is scheduled to meet again on August 13. "As an Association, we are committed to exploring every option available for MIAA student-athletes and coaches to be engaged in meaningful intercollegiate athletic activities this fall.&nbsp; Our commitment remains that we will do this in a healthy and safe environment for MIAA students, coaches and staff,” added President Steve Scott of Pittsburg State University and chairperson of the MIAA CEO Council.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>MIAA’s focus continues to be on the health and well-being of MIAA students, administrators, and our communities</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The MIAA has released statements regarding Wednesday's announcement by the NCAA Division II President’s Council to cancel the 2020 NCAA Division II Fall Championships, and also the NCAA's release of new COVID-19 Mitigation Requirements for practices and competition this year in all three divisions. “Like last winter and spring, our hearts break again for MIAA student-athletes and coaches who will not have an opportunity this fall to compete for NCAA national championships.&nbsp; Our student-athletes train to be the best in the country in their particular sport, and it is very difficult to accept when that pinnacle event is taken away,” stated MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy.The new NCAA COVID-19 mitigation requirements include Testing Protocols for all student-athletes and key athletics personnel (regardless of local health procedures and guidelines), and legal and insurance restrictions for schools that decide to practice or compete this fall in any sport.&nbsp; The MIAA COVID-19 Task Force, MIAA Athletic Directors and the MIAA CEO Council continue to meet and discuss how these new requirements impact MIAA plans for athletic department activities this fall.&nbsp; The MIAA CEO Council is scheduled to meet again on August 13. "As an Association, we are committed to exploring every option available for MIAA student-athletes and coaches to be engaged in meaningful intercollegiate athletic activities this fall.&nbsp; Our commitment remains that we will do this in a healthy and safe environment for MIAA students, coaches and staff,” added President Steve Scott of Pittsburg State University and chairperson of the MIAA CEO Council.&nbsp;&nbsp;

MIAA statement regarding recent NCAA COVID-19 announcements

By DAVE COLLINS <a href="https://panhandlepost.com/">Panhandle Post</a>

Chadron State and the rest of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference will have to wait until Spring 2021 for college football and volleyball games to take place.&nbsp; The RMAC announced a decision to postpone fall sports until then, with the exception for three sports with much lower contact.

Here is the full RMAC release on the delay:

In a meeting earlier today, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Presidents’ Council postponed conference schedules and championships for fall sports (Football, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, Volleyball) to the spring semester except for cross country which shall compete as originally scheduled. Additionally, the Council agreed that men’s and women’s golf could continue its non-championship segment competition this fall. After considerable deliberation, the Council’s decision was made based on the recent National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Board of Governors’ mandate of the NCAA Resocialization principles and the Division II Presidents Council decision to cancel fall championships. The RMAC decision allows league members further opportunity to align with the student-athlete safety measures outlined in the NCAA document to prepare for competition. The determination on sport status was made based on the NCAA risk rankings of sport. As it stands currently with NCAA guidance, cross country and golf are lower risk than all other fall sports. Further details on the structure and scope of the spring semester practice and competition schedules for postponed sports will be released in the coming weeks. Practice opportunities will be available in the fall semester for fall sport student-athletes per Division II rules and at the discretion of each RMAC member institution. As has been the case throughout the past five months, the RMAC will continue to monitor local and national developments regarding health and safety, along with association guidance to make any necessary adjustments moving forward. Member representatives and conference officials understand the significant impact these decisions have on our student-athletes and stand ready to provide support and guidance in any way possible. Questions related to eligibility, scholarships and academics should be directed to member institutions as always.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589989740699.jpeg" alt="Elliott Field will stay empty and quiet until spring after the RMAC announcement Thursday night that fall sports would be delayed to spring 2021." />
 <figcaption>Elliott Field will stay empty and quiet until spring after the RMAC announcement Thursday night that fall sports would be delayed to spring 2021.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE COLLINS <a href="https://panhandlepost.com/">Panhandle Post</a>Chadron State and the rest of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference will have to wait until Spring 2021 for college football and volleyball games to take place.&nbsp; The RMAC announced a decision to postpone fall sports until then, with the exception for three sports with much lower contact.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584135586681.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Here is the full RMAC release on the delay:In a meeting earlier today, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Presidents’ Council postponed conference schedules and championships for fall sports (Football, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, Volleyball) to the spring semester except for cross country which shall compete as originally scheduled. Additionally, the Council agreed that men’s and women’s golf could continue its non-championship segment competition this fall. After considerable deliberation, the Council’s decision was made based on the recent National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Board of Governors’ mandate of the NCAA Resocialization principles and the Division II Presidents Council decision to cancel fall championships. The RMAC decision allows league members further opportunity to align with the student-athlete safety measures outlined in the NCAA document to prepare for competition. The determination on sport status was made based on the NCAA risk rankings of sport. As it stands currently with NCAA guidance, cross country and golf are lower risk than all other fall sports. Further details on the structure and scope of the spring semester practice and competition schedules for postponed sports will be released in the coming weeks. Practice opportunities will be available in the fall semester for fall sport student-athletes per Division II rules and at the discretion of each RMAC member institution. As has been the case throughout the past five months, the RMAC will continue to monitor local and national developments regarding health and safety, along with association guidance to make any necessary adjustments moving forward. Member representatives and conference officials understand the significant impact these decisions have on our student-athletes and stand ready to provide support and guidance in any way possible. Questions related to eligibility, scholarships and academics should be directed to member institutions as always.

RMAC delays fall sports to spring 2021

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-05/what-a-pending-football-game-says-about-covid-19-the-fate-small-colleges-and-college-towns">Kansas News Service</a>

STERLING —&nbsp;There’s a lot riding on a kickoff set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.

The
 Sterling College Warriors are scheduled to take on the McPherson 
College Bulldogs at home. If that familiar thud of shoe against football
 and cheer from the stands doesn’t happen, the college that keeps the 
central Kansas town’s economy humming, that gives it cultural vitality, 
and that separates Sterling from the hollowing out that defines so many 
other small Midwestern towns, might not survive.

The school, after
 133 years, could die and doom the town that takes such pride in the 
football squad and embraces the student body like family.

“If 
COVID defeats the athletic season this year, it will probably defeat a 
lot of small colleges,” said Jeb Miller, a non-traditional senior at 
Sterling College. “And, as a result, harm a lot of small towns. Badly.”

Hundreds
 of small colleges dotting the country rely on students paying tens of 
thousands of dollars a year in exchange for a distinctive, personal, 
high-touch college experience.

Many of those colleges hung on 
year-to-year even before the pandemic. Now COVID-19 threatens to cut off
 the oxygen sustaining these schools, and the sports programs that drive
 enrollment.

But the very thing small colleges need to stay afloat
 — students coming in, spending money, playing sports — also poses a 
major risk to relatively isolated little towns that, so far, have dodged
 major coronavirus outbreaks.

Only about 2,200 people live in 
Sterling out on the flat, flat plains of south-central Kansas. But this 
small city boasts an almost idyllic downtown. New office buildings. Two 
good coffee shops. A nice grocery store, a bowling alley, you name it.

Sterling
 has good schools, competitive sports teams. Locals say school plays, 
games and concerts draw big crowds. Without the college, the money, 
diversity and energy that defines life in Sterling could evaporate 
quickly.

“There is just so much overlap,” said Kyler Comley, a 
Sterling College senior who’s lived in the town all his life. “The 
community supports the college. The college supports the community. You 
know, you just see how everything’s intertwined and how people are just 
so overly giving and involved.”

Every student attending Sterling 
College gets paired with a family in town. Those families speak 
endearingly about their adopted scholars.

The students left in 
March. Most haven’t come back. Like many people here, Sterling criminal 
justice professor Mark Tremaine said that starting classes up again in 
person this month is make or break for Sterling College.

“The 
bottom line is, we’ve got to get students back to campus. If we’re going
 to survive,” he said.“We have to accept whatever the risks are and do 
it.”

And that’s the plan. Sterling doesn’t have much of a choice.

“We
 have committed to open up in the fall,” Sterling College President 
Scott Rich said. “With face to face classes, face-to-face coursework, 
dorms and activities and full swing. But we’re committed to doing it 
safely.”

Rich said the school will quarantine students coming back to the 
dorms, test them liberally, and isolate those who come down sick in 
local hotels.

Rich said the freshman class looks strong, with 
about 200 new students. But he is desperately trying to woo 50 or so 
upperclassmen who haven’t signed on this year. The school needs them 
because, like many other small institutions, Sterling College scrapes by
 from year to year.

“We’re always dependent upon enrollment, 
always dependent upon that next year, always dependent upon persistence 
or retention,” Rich said. “We have to get students to come back.”

Other small-town schools across the country, and the communities tied to their fate, face the same existential crisis.

“Some
 of the people I know are looking at hundreds of colleges going out of 
business within the next several years, if this pandemic continues and 
if the economic devastation associated with it continues,” said Scott 
Carlson with the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Small liberal arts
 colleges have been shaky for years. Enrollments have slumped, 
endowments have been drained. Many schools have piled on debt in a 
building boom fueled by competition for students.

Most offer 
courses online, but online classes don’t pay the bills. Small schools 
survive only by providing an expensive, in-person college experience. 
And Carlson said the pandemic shreds that business model, and threatens 
to trigger the higher education equivalent of a mass extinction.

“It’s
 kind of sad," he said. "These colleges are unique, little entities all 
on their own, and each one of them provides a unique spin on higher 
education.”

Sterling College, 
for instance, leans heavily on a particular interpretation of 
Christianity. Guarding the front door of the classic, old limestone 
building that anchors campus is a statue of Christ — not being tortured 
on the cross, but humbly washing the feet of a disciple. “Servant 
leadership,” as anyone here will tell you, guides the campus ethic.

But Jesus doesn’t keep the lights on here. Football does.

“We
 do have a good football team,” said Sterling’s athletic director, Scott
 Downing. “They’ve been fairly successful the last dozen years and been 
to the national playoffs, won the conference championship.”

The team helps bring the students together, but more importantly, it drives enrollment.

“With
 a football team number of about 125 to 135 student-athletes, quite a 
bit of our student body is involved in that sport,” Downing said.

That’s
 an understatement. There are only about 500 students on campus in a 
given year, one in four is on the football team. And there are 20 other 
sports.

The chance to play college sports is a major selling point
 for schools like Sterling. It drives enrollment. But in a pandemic, 
sports can be vectors for disease. And Jed Miller, who’s finishing his 
degree at Sterling online next year, says that’s another vulnerability.

“If
 COVID defeats the athletic season this year, it will probably defeat a 
lot of small colleges,” he said. “And as a result, hurt a lot of small 
towns ... badly.”

So, the same colleges that keep some small towns vibrant now pose a particular threat to public health.

“The
 college probably is the most dangerous element for us in terms of 
COVID,” said Kristina Darnauer, a family practice doctor in Sterling. 
“It potentially brings back students from all over the US who have 
variable levels of exposure.”

Darnauer is torn. She loves 
Sterling, loves the college, and fully appreciates how important it is 
to the school and the town that college ramp almost as normal this fall.

But
 she’s got patients to care for. And she said this county, with only one
 hospital and no intensive care unit is not ready for a cluster of 
coronavirus cases.

“If we have a huge outbreak,” Darnauer said, “we’re going to be out of resources very quickly.”

Small colleges and college towns across much of the country face the same worries.

But
 some analysts say that a pruning of universities may prove inevitable, 
and that the coronavirus has only sped up the thinning of the higher 
education herd.

“I actually see the future of higher education, 
broadly speaking, as entering a new golden age,” said Richard Price, a 
research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute. It’s a think tank 
that presses for dramatic change in institutions.

Price said the 
pandemic may hasten the evolution to better online classes, and a public
 education system that’s much more accessible and equitable.

“The 
traditional model, it was originally for the landed elite and it wasn’t 
for all genders,” Price said. “It wasn’t for all races. And that is 
slowly getting phased out along with some older business models that 
aren’t pivoting well.”

And Price thinks many little colleges will 
adapt. Lots of them have cheated death before. But he said there’s 
little doubt that this time next year the United States will have many 
fewer colleges. Folks in Sterling, Kansas, hope and, yes, pray, that 
Sterling College is among the survivors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596722865321.png" alt="A local gospel quintet entertains Sterling residents on a recent Tuesday evening. Frank Morris photo" />
 <figcaption>A local gospel quintet entertains Sterling residents on a recent Tuesday evening. Frank Morris photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-05/what-a-pending-football-game-says-about-covid-19-the-fate-small-colleges-and-college-towns">Kansas News Service</a>STERLING —&nbsp;There’s a lot riding on a kickoff set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.The
 Sterling College Warriors are scheduled to take on the McPherson 
College Bulldogs at home. If that familiar thud of shoe against football
 and cheer from the stands doesn’t happen, the college that keeps the 
central Kansas town’s economy humming, that gives it cultural vitality, 
and that separates Sterling from the hollowing out that defines so many 
other small Midwestern towns, might not survive.The school, after
 133 years, could die and doom the town that takes such pride in the 
football squad and embraces the student body like family.“If 
COVID defeats the athletic season this year, it will probably defeat a 
lot of small colleges,” said Jeb Miller, a non-traditional senior at 
Sterling College. “And, as a result, harm a lot of small towns. Badly.”<h2>Small town institutions</h2>Hundreds
 of small colleges dotting the country rely on students paying tens of 
thousands of dollars a year in exchange for a distinctive, personal, 
high-touch college experience.Many of those colleges hung on 
year-to-year even before the pandemic. Now COVID-19 threatens to cut off
 the oxygen sustaining these schools, and the sports programs that drive
 enrollment.But the very thing small colleges need to stay afloat
 — students coming in, spending money, playing sports — also poses a 
major risk to relatively isolated little towns that, so far, have dodged
 major coronavirus outbreaks.Only about 2,200 people live in 
Sterling out on the flat, flat plains of south-central Kansas. But this 
small city boasts an almost idyllic downtown. New office buildings. Two 
good coffee shops. A nice grocery store, a bowling alley, you name it.Sterling
 has good schools, competitive sports teams. Locals say school plays, 
games and concerts draw big crowds. Without the college, the money, 
diversity and energy that defines life in Sterling could evaporate 
quickly.“There is just so much overlap,” said Kyler Comley, a 
Sterling College senior who’s lived in the town all his life. “The 
community supports the college. The college supports the community. You 
know, you just see how everything’s intertwined and how people are just 
so overly giving and involved.”Every student attending Sterling 
College gets paired with a family in town. Those families speak 
endearingly about their adopted scholars.The students left in 
March. Most haven’t come back. Like many people here, Sterling criminal 
justice professor Mark Tremaine said that starting classes up again in 
person this month is make or break for Sterling College.“The 
bottom line is, we’ve got to get students back to campus. If we’re going
 to survive,” he said.“We have to accept whatever the risks are and do 
it.”And that’s the plan. Sterling doesn’t have much of a choice.<h2>Staying alive</h2>“We
 have committed to open up in the fall,” Sterling College President 
Scott Rich said. “With face to face classes, face-to-face coursework, 
dorms and activities and full swing. But we’re committed to doing it 
safely.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596722974216.png" alt="Sterling College President Scot Rich. Frank Morris photo" />
 <figcaption>Sterling College President Scot Rich. Frank Morris photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Rich said the school will quarantine students coming back to the 
dorms, test them liberally, and isolate those who come down sick in 
local hotels.Rich said the freshman class looks strong, with 
about 200 new students. But he is desperately trying to woo 50 or so 
upperclassmen who haven’t signed on this year. The school needs them 
because, like many other small institutions, Sterling College scrapes by
 from year to year.“We’re always dependent upon enrollment, 
always dependent upon that next year, always dependent upon persistence 
or retention,” Rich said. “We have to get students to come back.”Other small-town schools across the country, and the communities tied to their fate, face the same existential crisis.“Some
 of the people I know are looking at hundreds of colleges going out of 
business within the next several years, if this pandemic continues and 
if the economic devastation associated with it continues,” said Scott 
Carlson with the Chronicle of Higher Education.Small liberal arts
 colleges have been shaky for years. Enrollments have slumped, 
endowments have been drained. Many schools have piled on debt in a 
building boom fueled by competition for students.Most offer 
courses online, but online classes don’t pay the bills. Small schools 
survive only by providing an expensive, in-person college experience. 
And Carlson said the pandemic shreds that business model, and threatens 
to trigger the higher education equivalent of a mass extinction.“It’s
 kind of sad," he said. "These colleges are unique, little entities all 
on their own, and each one of them provides a unique spin on higher 
education.”<h2>‘Servant leadership’</h2>Sterling College, 
for instance, leans heavily on a particular interpretation of 
Christianity. Guarding the front door of the classic, old limestone 
building that anchors campus is a statue of Christ — not being tortured 
on the cross, but humbly washing the feet of a disciple. “Servant 
leadership,” as anyone here will tell you, guides the campus ethic.But Jesus doesn’t keep the lights on here. Football does.“We
 do have a good football team,” said Sterling’s athletic director, Scott
 Downing. “They’ve been fairly successful the last dozen years and been 
to the national playoffs, won the conference championship.”The team helps bring the students together, but more importantly, it drives enrollment.“With
 a football team number of about 125 to 135 student-athletes, quite a 
bit of our student body is involved in that sport,” Downing said.That’s
 an understatement. There are only about 500 students on campus in a 
given year, one in four is on the football team. And there are 20 other 
sports.The chance to play college sports is a major selling point
 for schools like Sterling. It drives enrollment. But in a pandemic, 
sports can be vectors for disease. And Jed Miller, who’s finishing his 
degree at Sterling online next year, says that’s another vulnerability.“If
 COVID defeats the athletic season this year, it will probably defeat a 
lot of small colleges,” he said. “And as a result, hurt a lot of small 
towns ... badly.”So, the same colleges that keep some small towns vibrant now pose a particular threat to public health.“The
 college probably is the most dangerous element for us in terms of 
COVID,” said Kristina Darnauer, a family practice doctor in Sterling. 
“It potentially brings back students from all over the US who have 
variable levels of exposure.”Darnauer is torn. She loves 
Sterling, loves the college, and fully appreciates how important it is 
to the school and the town that college ramp almost as normal this fall.But
 she’s got patients to care for. And she said this county, with only one
 hospital and no intensive care unit is not ready for a cluster of 
coronavirus cases.“If we have a huge outbreak,” Darnauer said, “we’re going to be out of resources very quickly.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596723019769.png" alt="An aging note on a door at the University of Missouri Kansas City promises a speedy reopening. Frank Morris photo" />
 <figcaption>An aging note on a door at the University of Missouri Kansas City promises a speedy reopening. Frank Morris photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A new era</h2>Small colleges and college towns across much of the country face the same worries.But
 some analysts say that a pruning of universities may prove inevitable, 
and that the coronavirus has only sped up the thinning of the higher 
education herd.“I actually see the future of higher education, 
broadly speaking, as entering a new golden age,” said Richard Price, a 
research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute. It’s a think tank 
that presses for dramatic change in institutions.Price said the 
pandemic may hasten the evolution to better online classes, and a public
 education system that’s much more accessible and equitable.“The 
traditional model, it was originally for the landed elite and it wasn’t 
for all genders,” Price said. “It wasn’t for all races. And that is 
slowly getting phased out along with some older business models that 
aren’t pivoting well.”And Price thinks many little colleges will 
adapt. Lots of them have cheated death before. But he said there’s 
little doubt that this time next year the United States will have many 
fewer colleges. Folks in Sterling, Kansas, hope and, yes, pray, that 
Sterling College is among the survivors.

What a football game says about COVID-19, fate of small colleges

WICHITA - The Hays Larks outhit Cheney but came up one run short to the Diamond Dawgs, losing 2-1 in their winner's bracket semifinal game at Eck Stadium Thursday night at the 86th NBC World Series.

The Larks (22-9) broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when Cameron Pehrson doubled down the right field line with two outs then scored on Corbin Truslow's base hit.

Cheney (35-6), who shared the Sunflower Collegiate League title with Hutchinson, answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Larks starter Rustin Hays walked the lead off batter then following a sacrifice bunt, designated hitter Davis Sims singled to center to drive in Jackson Glenn.

Drew Buhr replaced Hays in the sixth. He entered with the bases loaded and one out and got a strikeout and lineout to get out of the inning. He gave up a leadoff single in the seventh then following a sacrifice bunt, a single to center by George Specht scored Ed Scott with the go-ahead and eventual winning run.

Brennen van Breusegen was hit by a pitch to start the Larks ninth. Dylan Dreiling's sacrifice bunt advanced him to second. Pinch-hitter Sean Cooper singled to left but a grounder to short and strikeout ended the threat and the game.

Buhr (2-4) took the loss for the Larks, allowing one runon two hits with a two strikeouts and a walk.

van Breusegen had three of the Larks eight hits was on base four times. Pehrson had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 17 games.

The Larks are 2-1 in the tournament and will play the Hutchinson Monarchs at 8:30 p.m. in an elimination game Friday at Eck Stadium.

WICHITA - The Hays Larks outhit Cheney but came up one run short to the Diamond Dawgs, losing 2-1 in their winner's bracket semifinal game at Eck Stadium Thursday night at the 86th NBC World Series.<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/871614916&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-814667509/8-6-2020-larks-coach-frank-leo-postgame-interview" title="Frank Leo Postgame Interview 080620" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Frank Leo Postgame Interview 080620</a></div></div>The Larks (22-9) broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when Cameron Pehrson doubled down the right field line with two outs then scored on Corbin Truslow's base hit.Cheney (35-6), who shared the Sunflower Collegiate League title with Hutchinson, answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Larks starter Rustin Hays walked the lead off batter then following a sacrifice bunt, designated hitter Davis Sims singled to center to drive in Jackson Glenn.<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/871614658&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-814667509/8-6-2020-larks-vs-cheney-diamond-dawgs-highlights" title="Hays Larks vs. Cheney Diamond Dawgs highlights 080620" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays Larks vs. Cheney Diamond Dawgs highlights 080620</a></div></div>Drew Buhr replaced Hays in the sixth. He entered with the bases loaded and one out and got a strikeout and lineout to get out of the inning. He gave up a leadoff single in the seventh then following a sacrifice bunt, a single to center by George Specht scored Ed Scott with the go-ahead and eventual winning run.Brennen van Breusegen was hit by a pitch to start the Larks ninth. Dylan Dreiling's sacrifice bunt advanced him to second. Pinch-hitter Sean Cooper singled to left but a grounder to short and strikeout ended the threat and the game.Buhr (2-4) took the loss for the Larks, allowing one runon two hits with a two strikeouts and a walk.van Breusegen had three of the Larks eight hits was on base four times. Pehrson had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 17 games.The Larks are 2-1 in the tournament and will play the Hutchinson Monarchs at 8:30 p.m. in an elimination game Friday at Eck Stadium.

Larks drop first game at NBC World Series

The NCAA Division II Presidents Council has cancelled the fall championships for the 2020 season.

In a p<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/dii-presidents-council-cancels-fall-2020-championships">ress announcement </a>Wednesday the NCAA season the presidents council made the decision because of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Division II conferences are still allowed to play the fall season but there will be no national championship.

The MIAA has not announced its plans for the fall semester. Fort Hays State is a member of the MIAA.

The RMAC and CSC has, at this point, elected to move forward.

The NCAA Division II Presidents Council has cancelled the fall championships for the 2020 season.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">DII Presidents Council cancels fall 2020 championships: <a href="https://t.co/ANi4gC6C6b">https://t.co/ANi4gC6C6b</a> <a href="https://t.co/DsUF0vrsQt">pic.twitter.com/DsUF0vrsQt</a>&mdash; NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAADII/status/1291113194182922241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a p<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/dii-presidents-council-cancels-fall-2020-championships">ress announcement </a>Wednesday the NCAA season the presidents council made the decision because of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.Division II conferences are still allowed to play the fall season but there will be no national championship.The MIAA has not announced its plans for the fall semester. Fort Hays State is a member of the MIAA.The RMAC and CSC has, at this point, elected to move forward.

NCAA cancels D2 fall championships; seasons up in the air

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs overcame another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.

Jason Heyward, Jason Kipnis and Willson Contreras homered and the Chicago Cubs overcame another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 for their fifth straight win. 

Kimbrel took over to begin the ninth inning with a 5-2 lead, but struggled again and allowed two runs and two hits while getting only one out. 

Kyle Ryan closed it out for his first save, getting Bubba Starling to ground out with a runner on third to end it.

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs overcame another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.Jason Heyward, Jason Kipnis and Willson Contreras homered and the Chicago Cubs overcame another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 for their fifth straight win. Kimbrel took over to begin the ninth inning with a 5-2 lead, but struggled again and allowed two runs and two hits while getting only one out. Kyle Ryan closed it out for his first save, getting Bubba Starling to ground out with a runner on third to end it.

Kimbrel shaky again, Cubs hold off Royals for 5th win in row

HUTCHINSON – The Hays Larks overcame four errors and 16
stranded base runners to beat the Lonestar (TX) Baseball Club 5-3 late Tuesday
and early Wednesday at Hobart-Detter Field and advance to Thursday’s winner’s
bracket semifinals at the 86th NBC World Series.

The Larks (22-8) trailed 2-0 after four innings but scored
two in the top of the fifth to tie then taook the lead with a run in the sixth.
After Lonestar (19-3) scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, the Larks
answered with two unearned runs in the eighth.

Carlos Tavera struck out 11 in six innings for the Larks.
The UT-Arlington product who played for Hays in 2018 then again in last year’s
NBC World Series, allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits. Trevor Munsch
got a big strikeout with two on in the eighth to preserve the two-run lead and
pick up the win. Jacob Ensz worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.

Cameron Pehrson’s bloop single to center scored Matt
Cavanagh to cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth. Brennen van Breusegen’s infield single
scored Wyatt Divis with the tying run.

Cruz Aranda led off the sixth with a triple to left then
scored on a wild pitch to give the Larks a 3-2 lead which they would hold until
bottom of the seventh when LBC scored when Pehrson couldn’t handle a throw from
catcher Max McGuire on a steal attempt allowing Seth Stephenson to score.

The Larks would take the lead for good in the top of the eighth.
Matt Cavanagh opened the inning with an infield single then advanced to second
on a Wyatt Divis walk. Cameron Pehrson then reached safely on a bunt to lead
the bases. After back-to-back strikeouts by Garrett McGowan and van Breusegen, Max
McGuire grounded to third but the throw was dropped by the first baseman
allowing Cavanagh to score the go-ahead run. Cruz Aranda then knocked in the
second run with an infield single that deflected off the glove of the third
baseman.

The Larks get an off-day Wednesday. They will play the
Cheney Diamond Dawgs at a yet to be determined time Thursday at Eck Stadium.

Tuesday’s NBC World Series results… 
Kansas City All-Stars 11, Houston MVP Prospects 10 (Houston eliminated) 
Liberal BJ’s 2, Hutchinson Monarchs 0 
Cheney Diamond Dawgs 5, Colorado Cyclones 3 
Santa Barbara Foresters 8, Denver Cougars 0 Hays Larks 5, Lonestar (TX) Baseball Club 3

HUTCHINSON – The Hays Larks overcame four errors and 16
stranded base runners to beat the Lonestar (TX) Baseball Club 5-3 late Tuesday
and early Wednesday at Hobart-Detter Field and advance to Thursday’s winner’s
bracket semifinals at the 86th NBC World Series.<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/870452413&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-814667509/8-4-2020-larks-coach-frank-leo-postgame-interview" title="Frank Leo Postgame Interview 080420" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Frank Leo Postgame Interview 080420</a></div></div>The Larks (22-8) trailed 2-0 after four innings but scored
two in the top of the fifth to tie then taook the lead with a run in the sixth.
After Lonestar (19-3) scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, the Larks
answered with two unearned runs in the eighth.<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/870452851&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-814667509/8-5-2020-hays-larks-vs-lonestar-baseball-club-of-texas-highlights" title="Hays Larks vs. Lonestar (TX) Baseball Club highlights 080420" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays Larks vs. Lonestar (TX) Baseball Club highlights 080420</a></div></div>Carlos Tavera struck out 11 in six innings for the Larks.
The UT-Arlington product who played for Hays in 2018 then again in last year’s
NBC World Series, allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits. Trevor Munsch
got a big strikeout with two on in the eighth to preserve the two-run lead and
pick up the win. Jacob Ensz worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.Cameron Pehrson’s bloop single to center scored Matt
Cavanagh to cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth. Brennen van Breusegen’s infield single
scored Wyatt Divis with the tying run.Cruz Aranda led off the sixth with a triple to left then
scored on a wild pitch to give the Larks a 3-2 lead which they would hold until
bottom of the seventh when LBC scored when Pehrson couldn’t handle a throw from
catcher Max McGuire on a steal attempt allowing Seth Stephenson to score.The Larks would take the lead for good in the top of the eighth.
Matt Cavanagh opened the inning with an infield single then advanced to second
on a Wyatt Divis walk. Cameron Pehrson then reached safely on a bunt to lead
the bases. After back-to-back strikeouts by Garrett McGowan and van Breusegen, Max
McGuire grounded to third but the throw was dropped by the first baseman
allowing Cavanagh to score the go-ahead run. Cruz Aranda then knocked in the
second run with an infield single that deflected off the glove of the third
baseman.The Larks get an off-day Wednesday. They will play the
Cheney Diamond Dawgs at a yet to be determined time Thursday at Eck Stadium.Tuesday’s NBC World Series results… 
Kansas City All-Stars 11, Houston MVP Prospects 10 (Houston eliminated) 
Liberal BJ’s 2, Hutchinson Monarchs 0 
Cheney Diamond Dawgs 5, Colorado Cyclones 3 
Santa Barbara Foresters 8, Denver Cougars 0 Hays Larks 5, Lonestar (TX) Baseball Club 3

Larks rally to stay unbeaten at NBC World Series

CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant homered in his return to the lineup and Alec Mills pitched seven effective innings, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0 for their fourth consecutive win. 

Javier Báez had a sacrifice fly and a nice play in the field as NL Central-leading Chicago improved to 8-2 for the first time since 2016. 

Bryant also doubled in the first after missing two games with a stomach ailment. Kansas City wasted a solid performance by Danny Duffy, who pitched six innings of one-run ball.&nbsp;

CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant homered in his return to the lineup and Alec Mills pitched seven effective innings, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0 for their fourth consecutive win. Javier Báez had a sacrifice fly and a nice play in the field as NL Central-leading Chicago improved to 8-2 for the first time since 2016. Bryant also doubled in the first after missing two games with a stomach ailment. Kansas City wasted a solid performance by Danny Duffy, who pitched six innings of one-run ball.&nbsp;

Bryant homers, Mills shines as surging Cubs beat Royals 2-0

WICHITA – The Hays Larks took advantage of 11 walks and got
a solid start on the mound from Wyatt Divis and beat the Kansas City All-Stars 10-0 in seven
innings at Eck Stadium in the opening round of the 86th NBC World Series. 

The
Larks (21-8) advance to the second round of the 13-team double-elimination tournament where they will play the Lonestar (TX) Baseball Club at 8:3 p.m. Tuesday at Hobert-Detter Field in Hutchinson. Lonestar scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie then another in the 10th to edge the Houston (TX) MVP Prospects 3-2.

Divis (3-0), who had walked three in his 10 outings during
the regular season, walked two in the first inning but settled down after that
to pick up the win. The third-year Lark struck out nine while allowing only two
hits over five innings.

Drew Buhr and Ryan Ruder both pitched a scoreless inning
of relief.

The Larks first three batters reached safely to start the
game in the top of the first inning. Leo Jiminian scored on a bases-loaded walk
to newcomer Brennen van Breusegan. Matt Cavanagh, who doubled, scored on a wild
pitch.

The Larks went up 3-0 on Jiminian’s groundout to short in
the fourth.

They put the game away with a four-run fifth. With two outs,
Max McGuire singled which was followed by four straight walks and a hit batter.

Hays tacked on three more runs in the in the seventh for the final margin.

Matt Cavanagh, Max McGuire and Sean Cooper all had two of
the Larks 12 hits with McGuire driving in two runs.

WICHITA – The Hays Larks took advantage of 11 walks and got
a solid start on the mound from Wyatt Divis and beat the Kansas City All-Stars 10-0 in seven
innings at Eck Stadium in the opening round of the 86th NBC World Series. The
Larks (21-8) advance to the second round of the 13-team double-elimination tournament where they will play the Lonestar (TX) Baseball Club at 8:3 p.m. Tuesday at Hobert-Detter Field in Hutchinson. Lonestar scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie then another in the 10th to edge the Houston (TX) MVP Prospects 3-2.<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/869761549&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-814667509/8-3-20-larks-interview" title="Frank Leo Postgame Interiew 080220" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Frank Leo Postgame Interiew 080220</a></div></div>Divis (3-0), who had walked three in his 10 outings during
the regular season, walked two in the first inning but settled down after that
to pick up the win. The third-year Lark struck out nine while allowing only two
hits over five innings.Drew Buhr and Ryan Ruder both pitched a scoreless inning
of relief.<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/869761672&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-814667509/8-3-20-larks-highlights" title="Hays Larks vs. Kansas City All-Stars highlights 080220" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays Larks vs. Kansas City All-Stars highlights 080220</a></div></div>The Larks first three batters reached safely to start the
game in the top of the first inning. Leo Jiminian scored on a bases-loaded walk
to newcomer Brennen van Breusegan. Matt Cavanagh, who doubled, scored on a wild
pitch.The Larks went up 3-0 on Jiminian’s groundout to short in
the fourth.They put the game away with a four-run fifth. With two outs,
Max McGuire singled which was followed by four straight walks and a hit batter.Hays tacked on three more runs in the in the seventh for the final margin.Matt Cavanagh, Max McGuire and Sean Cooper all had two of
the Larks 12 hits with McGuire driving in two runs.

Larks roll in NBC World Series opener

OAK GROVE, Mo. – After not allowing a run in their first
three games, the Hays Senior Eagles had to come from behind in the title game
to win the USSSAA MO-KAN State High School Championship Sunday. The Eagles beat
the Central Region Mules 5-0 in the semifinals then knocked off Velocity
Baseball 10-5 in the title game.

Starter Carson Jacobs struggled with control in the title
game against Velocity, walking two and throwing four wild pitches in the
first inning which allowed two runs to score.

The Eagles (28-3) took advantage of a key two-out error in the
bottom of the first to score four runs and never trailed again. Remington Cox and
Dawson VonFeldt both hit run-scoring singles following the miscue. Dalton Dale
added and RBI double.

Velocity scored twice in the top of the second to pull
within 4-3 but the Eagles took advantage of another error to score two
more runs and led 6-3. 

Velocity scored on a bases loaded walk and passed ball
in the top of the third to close the gap to 6-5 where it would stay until
the fifth when the Eagles scored three on a Remington Cox fielder’s choice, a
Dawson VonFeldt double and Dalton Dale single.

Brady Kreutzer scored on a passes ball in the sixth to push
the lead to 10-5.

Kreutzer pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief and picked up the
win, allowing no runs on three this with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Remington Cox, Dawson VonFeldt and Dalton Dale all had two
hits and drove in two runs.

Colby Dreiling pitched a complete-game six-hit shutout with
seven strikeouts and one walk in the semifinals win over the Central Region
Mules.

The Mules loaded the bases in the top of the first on an
error, hit batter and single but a strikeout and double play kept them off the
board.

The Eagles would score twice in the bottom of the inning
then ad a run in the third and two in the sixth.

Carson Jacobs had three hits and Remington Cox drove in
three runs.

OAK GROVE, Mo. – After not allowing a run in their first
three games, the Hays Senior Eagles had to come from behind in the title game
to win the USSSAA MO-KAN State High School Championship Sunday. The Eagles beat
the Central Region Mules 5-0 in the semifinals then knocked off Velocity
Baseball 10-5 in the title game.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596427664732.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Starter Carson Jacobs struggled with control in the title
game against Velocity, walking two and throwing four wild pitches in the
first inning which allowed two runs to score.The Eagles (28-3) took advantage of a key two-out error in the
bottom of the first to score four runs and never trailed again. Remington Cox and
Dawson VonFeldt both hit run-scoring singles following the miscue. Dalton Dale
added and RBI double.Velocity scored twice in the top of the second to pull
within 4-3 but the Eagles took advantage of another error to score two
more runs and led 6-3. Velocity scored on a bases loaded walk and passed ball
in the top of the third to close the gap to 6-5 where it would stay until
the fifth when the Eagles scored three on a Remington Cox fielder’s choice, a
Dawson VonFeldt double and Dalton Dale single.Brady Kreutzer scored on a passes ball in the sixth to push
the lead to 10-5.Kreutzer pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief and picked up the
win, allowing no runs on three this with seven strikeouts and two walks.Remington Cox, Dawson VonFeldt and Dalton Dale all had two
hits and drove in two runs.Colby Dreiling pitched a complete-game six-hit shutout with
seven strikeouts and one walk in the semifinals win over the Central Region
Mules.The Mules loaded the bases in the top of the first on an
error, hit batter and single but a strikeout and double play kept them off the
board.The Eagles would score twice in the bottom of the inning
then ad a run in the third and two in the sixth.Carson Jacobs had three hits and Remington Cox drove in
three runs.

Senior Eagles take MO-KAN Tourney title

SMITH CENTER – After blowing out BDS (Neb.) American Legion
17-1 in a three inning run-rule victory, the TMP-Marian Monarchs 18U lost a
heartbreaker to the Alma (Neb.) Seniors 4-3 in Sunday’s championship of the Blue
Raiders Tournament in Smith Center.

The Monarchs (23-11) erased a 1-0 first inning deficit in their
opener against BDS, scoring 11 runs in the top of the second then six in the
third. Four Monarchs had two hits each with Mark Rack, Mason Robbins, Ethan
Atherton and Nick Herrman all driving in two runs apiece.

Kirk Huser allowed one run on four hits with a strikeouts in
the three inning complete-game victory.

In the title game against Alma, the Monarchs led 3-0 after
three but gave up two runs in the top of the sixth and two more in the top of
the seventh after committing two errors with two outs. Alma scored the tying
run on a passed ball and the go-ahead run on a dropped third strike.

The Monarchs were retired in order in the bottom of the
inning to end the game.

TMP scored their first run in the first on an error than
added two more in the third on a Kirk Huser two-run homer.

Mason Robbins went the distance on the mound and suffered
the loss. He allowed four unearned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and
no walks.

SMITH CENTER – After blowing out BDS (Neb.) American Legion
17-1 in a three inning run-rule victory, the TMP-Marian Monarchs 18U lost a
heartbreaker to the Alma (Neb.) Seniors 4-3 in Sunday’s championship of the Blue
Raiders Tournament in Smith Center.The Monarchs (23-11) erased a 1-0 first inning deficit in their
opener against BDS, scoring 11 runs in the top of the second then six in the
third. Four Monarchs had two hits each with Mark Rack, Mason Robbins, Ethan
Atherton and Nick Herrman all driving in two runs apiece.Kirk Huser allowed one run on four hits with a strikeouts in
the three inning complete-game victory.In the title game against Alma, the Monarchs led 3-0 after
three but gave up two runs in the top of the sixth and two more in the top of
the seventh after committing two errors with two outs. Alma scored the tying
run on a passed ball and the go-ahead run on a dropped third strike.The Monarchs were retired in order in the bottom of the
inning to end the game.TMP scored their first run in the first on an error than
added two more in the third on a Kirk Huser two-run homer.Mason Robbins went the distance on the mound and suffered
the loss. He allowed four unearned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and
no walks.

Monarchs drop hearbreaker in SC Tourney finals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Nick Madrigal was starting to lose sleep after two frustrating games without his first big league hit.

Once the top prospect finally got it, they kept right on coming.

Madrigal followed his first career hit with three more on Sunday, pacing the Chicago White Sox to a 9-2 romp over the Kansas City Royals. The 23-year-old infielder had a pair of hits in a seven-run seventh inning, when he scored the go-ahead run and had his first career RBI, and barely missed out on a 5-for-5 day on a ground ball in the ninth inning.

"It's hard when everyone knows that you hadn't gotten a hit yet," said Madrigal, who was brought up for the start of the three-game series Friday night.

"They kind of joke with you and the pressure builds," he said, "but once I saw that first one fall the weight was off me."

Yasmani Grandal added three RBI and Nicky Delmonico two in support of right-hander Dylan Cease (1-1), who gave up a homer to Alex Gordon in the third inning but otherwise steered clear of trouble. Cease wound up allowing two runs and five hits over six innings in a solid bounce-back performance from a miserable start in Detroit.

"The biggest thing is I was just a little more under control," Cease said. "Made sure I wasn't rushing down the mound and just trying to be aggressive. It all started with my fastball command."

Scott Barlow (1-1) took the loss for the Royals, who wound up getting swept.

"There are things we need to clean up and get better at. But there are things we're doing well," Royals manager Mike Matheny said, "and when we're doing them well we need to make sure we're pointing that out, too. Bottom line is we play this game for W's and right now they're hard to come by."

Madrigal, the fourth overall pick out of Oregon State in the 2018 draft, had been hitless through two games. He finally got the first of his career in the third inning -- and the White Sox made sure he got the ball -- then added another in the fifth before scoring on a bases-loaded walk.

Madrigal put an exclamation mark on his big afternoon in the seventh. He led off with a single and scored the go-ahead run on Jose Abreu's base hit, then singled again and drove in his first career run when the White Sox batted through the lineup.

If not for Salvador Perez beating him to first base in the ninth, it would have been even more spectacular.

"I think he was a little calmer," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "After the first hit he was much more relaxed. When you get to the big leagues, one of the things you want to do is get that one out of the way."

The Royals had high hopes Jakob Junis would get their pitching back on track. He was recalled along with batterymate Cam Gallagher earlier in the day to make his season debut. Both players had been cleared after testing positive for COVID-19 and building up their stamina at the club's alternate training site in Kansas City, Kansas.

Junis and Gallagher worked well together through 4 1/3 innings, surrendering just two runs and six hits.

It was the bullpen that let Kansas City down.

Tyler Zuber walked three while recording just two outs. Barlow then allowed the go-ahead runs in the seventh when Greg Holland was unable to get him out of the two-on, no-out jam. Holland proceeded to allow two more of his own volition, then Glenn Sparkman threw the ball away on an easy grounder for an error that let two more runs score.

Junis helped himself in the second when he deflected a liner by Eloy Jimenez off his foot to Maikel Franco at third base. The ball never hit the ground, so Franco caught it for an out and fired to first base to double off Edwin Encarnacion.

"Looking back on it, it was pretty dumb honestly," Junis said. "The shift was working perfectly right where he hit it. One of those things where I just reacted. I don't know if I've ever reacted by putting my foot out like that. I kicked it up perfectly and it was a pretty cool play all-in-all but not the smartest one."

The Royals optioned right-hander Ronald Bolanos and designated catcher Oscar Hernandez for assignment to make room for Junis and Gallagher on the roster. Bolanos (0-2) allowed five runs while recording just five outs Saturday night.

White Sox utilityman Leury Garcia got the day off after a death in his family. "We'll just leave it at that," Renteria said. "I just kind of gave him a day today to kind of settle his own thoughts. I'm sure everybody understands."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Nick Madrigal was starting to lose sleep after two frustrating games without his first big league hit.Once the top prospect finally got it, they kept right on coming.Madrigal followed his first career hit with three more on Sunday, pacing the Chicago White Sox to a 9-2 romp over the Kansas City Royals. The 23-year-old infielder had a pair of hits in a seven-run seventh inning, when he scored the go-ahead run and had his first career RBI, and barely missed out on a 5-for-5 day on a ground ball in the ninth inning."It's hard when everyone knows that you hadn't gotten a hit yet," said Madrigal, who was brought up for the start of the three-game series Friday night."They kind of joke with you and the pressure builds," he said, "but once I saw that first one fall the weight was off me."Yasmani Grandal added three RBI and Nicky Delmonico two in support of right-hander Dylan Cease (1-1), who gave up a homer to Alex Gordon in the third inning but otherwise steered clear of trouble. Cease wound up allowing two runs and five hits over six innings in a solid bounce-back performance from a miserable start in Detroit."The biggest thing is I was just a little more under control," Cease said. "Made sure I wasn't rushing down the mound and just trying to be aggressive. It all started with my fastball command."Scott Barlow (1-1) took the loss for the Royals, who wound up getting swept."There are things we need to clean up and get better at. But there are things we're doing well," Royals manager Mike Matheny said, "and when we're doing them well we need to make sure we're pointing that out, too. Bottom line is we play this game for W's and right now they're hard to come by."Madrigal, the fourth overall pick out of Oregon State in the 2018 draft, had been hitless through two games. He finally got the first of his career in the third inning -- and the White Sox made sure he got the ball -- then added another in the fifth before scoring on a bases-loaded walk.Madrigal put an exclamation mark on his big afternoon in the seventh. He led off with a single and scored the go-ahead run on Jose Abreu's base hit, then singled again and drove in his first career run when the White Sox batted through the lineup.If not for Salvador Perez beating him to first base in the ninth, it would have been even more spectacular."I think he was a little calmer," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "After the first hit he was much more relaxed. When you get to the big leagues, one of the things you want to do is get that one out of the way."The Royals had high hopes Jakob Junis would get their pitching back on track. He was recalled along with batterymate Cam Gallagher earlier in the day to make his season debut. Both players had been cleared after testing positive for COVID-19 and building up their stamina at the club's alternate training site in Kansas City, Kansas.Junis and Gallagher worked well together through 4 1/3 innings, surrendering just two runs and six hits.It was the bullpen that let Kansas City down.Tyler Zuber walked three while recording just two outs. Barlow then allowed the go-ahead runs in the seventh when Greg Holland was unable to get him out of the two-on, no-out jam. Holland proceeded to allow two more of his own volition, then Glenn Sparkman threw the ball away on an easy grounder for an error that let two more runs score.KICK SAVE AND A BEAUTYJunis helped himself in the second when he deflected a liner by Eloy Jimenez off his foot to Maikel Franco at third base. The ball never hit the ground, so Franco caught it for an out and fired to first base to double off Edwin Encarnacion."Looking back on it, it was pretty dumb honestly," Junis said. "The shift was working perfectly right where he hit it. One of those things where I just reacted. I don't know if I've ever reacted by putting my foot out like that. I kicked it up perfectly and it was a pretty cool play all-in-all but not the smartest one."ROSTER MOVESThe Royals optioned right-hander Ronald Bolanos and designated catcher Oscar Hernandez for assignment to make room for Junis and Gallagher on the roster. Bolanos (0-2) allowed five runs while recording just five outs Saturday night.DAY OFFWhite Sox utilityman Leury Garcia got the day off after a death in his family. "We'll just leave it at that," Renteria said. "I just kind of gave him a day today to kind of settle his own thoughts. I'm sure everybody understands."TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: SS Adalberto Mondesi left after the fifth with a bruised quad. Nicky Lopez replaced him. ... OF Hunter Dozier (coronavirus) could join the alternate site camp Monday to begin a two-week ramp-up, general manager Dayton Moore said. Dozier tested positive July 22 but has been cleared to return.UP NEXTThe White Sox conclude an eight-game, nine-day trip with left-hander Carlos Rodon (0-1, 12.27 ERA) on the mound Monday night in the opener of a two-game series in Milwaukee. The Royals begin a four-game, two-city series against the Cubs on Monday night with lefty Danny Duffy (0-1, 5.79 ERA) starting the first of two in Chicago.

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