KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Danny Duffy won his 10th straight decision, Eric Hosmer doubled in the go-ahead run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 Sunday for their eighth consecutive win.

The Royals swept a four-game series from the Twins for the first time since 1999 and have their longest winning streak since an eight-game run August 3rd through 11th, 2014.

Duffy (11-1), unbeaten since June 6, improved to 5-0 with a 1.18 ERA in August. His 2.66 ERA ranks second in the American League, while his .917 winning percent tops the majors.

Duffy left after 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run and a season-high eight hits while walking two and striking out four.

He outpitched Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (6-10), who allowed two runs and five hits while striking out 10 and walking one over seven innings.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Competing in her first Olympic Games, former Wildcat and Canadian Alyx Treasure recorded a 17^th-place finish in the high jump finals on day nine of track and field events at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday.

 

The Canadian is the second former Wildcat to make the high jump finals at the 2016 Olympic Games after Team USA’s Erik Kynard made the finals in the men’s high jump. Kynard went on to finish in sixth place with a final mark of 2.33m/7-07.75.

 

Treasure made things interesting on the first bar of 1.88m/6-02, missing on her first two attempts. However, she came back big on her final attempt, clearing the bar with ease to advance to the next height.

 

Moving to the next bar of 1.93m/6-04, which was the Olympic Standard needed to qualify for the Games, Treasure posted three solid efforts at the height but could not clear the bar to finish the finals in 17^th place.

 

“Alyx looked good physically and had a great warmup, but when the lights came on she got a little tight and uncomfortable,” Treasure’s personal coach and Kansas State head coach Cliff Rovelto said. “To make the finals and to set a new PR in her first Games is great stuff. She will have fun going forward.”

 

Kansas State had a strong showing at the 2016 Olympics with Treasure and Kynard both making the finals in high jump and hurdlers Jeff Julmis and Balazs Baji making the semifinals in the 110 meter hurdles. Akela Jones and Shadae Lawrence each recorded top-25 finishes in the heptathlon and discus throw, respectively, while Beverly Ramos finished in 71^st place in her first Olympic marathon.

 

The Wildcats kick off their 2016-17 season on December 9 as the team host the Carol Robinson Winter Pentathlon on the Ward Haylett Track in Ahearn Field House.

 

For the latest on K-State track and field, follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter using the hashtag #KStateTF or on the team’s Facebook page.

 

2016 Olympic Games

Olympic Stadium

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 

Women’s High Jump Final

17. Alyx Treasure – 1.88m/6-02

 

 

–www.kstatesports.com–

 

————
Josh Brunner
Graduate Assistant | Athletics Communications

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Royals didn’t have a postseason prayer – until a praying mantis showed up in their dugout. Since then, the defending World Series champions are playing like world beaters.

The Royals were sputtering when a praying mantis appeared in their dugout at Kauffman Stadium on Aug. 6. They beat Toronto that night and suddenly the big bug had a new home.

The team christened it the Rally Mantis and Kansas City went on to win five of six. The new mascot traveled with the club to Minnesota, but died on Aug. 13 – and the Royals lost that day.

Then Junior showed up during a game in Detroit. The Royals swept their first three-game series in Detroit since 2008. Rally Mantis Jr. boarded the charter flight for Kansas City, where the Royals beat the Twins on Thursday night to move back over .500. The surge has moved them back into the AL wild-card race.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Eric Hosmer’s single in the 11th inning drove in Cheslor Cuthbert with the winning run to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

The Royals have won six straight, matching a season high, and got their eighth walk-off victory.

There was a 3-hour, 3-minute rain delay in the top of the fifth, plus a 12-minute delay when some of the lights went out in the bottom of the sixth. The game did not end until seven hours after the first pitch.

Cuthbert led off the 11th with an infield single against J.T. Chargois (0-1), the sixth Twins pitcher. Lorenzo Cain then walked before Hosmer’s game-winning hit.

Chien-Ming Wang (6-0) allowed one single in two innings.

Alex Gordon, who extended his hitting streak to a season-high 10 games, and Alcides Escobar singled with one-out in the 10th, but the Royals failed to score.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Sophomore Dean Wade contributed a team-high 17 points and 8 rebounds in just three quarters of work, as the Kansas State men’s basketball team wrapped up its 10-day tour of Italy and Switzerland with a 68-47 win over BBC Lausanne on Thursday night at the Vallee de la Jeunesse.

The Wildcats, who finished the tour with a 3-2 record, never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 40-19 lead at halftime before pushing their advantage to as many as 34 points (60-26) late in the third quarter. The team did not play any of its main starters and reserves in the fourth quarter, as all 15 players on the trip saw time in the contest.

“I was very happy for our players and the many K-State fans in attendance to finish off our tour with an easy win,” said head coach Bruce Weber. “At times, we played a little sloppy, but our players competed the entire game and displayed great toughness. We were very active on the defensive end and on the boards. Dean led a balanced attack in a game where everyone produced in some way. We truly appreciate the hospitality of the Lausanne Basketball Club.”

BBC Lausanne is a professional team based in Lausanne, who was recently elevated to the highest level (LNA) of the Ligue Nationale de Basket (Swiss Pro League) after winning the 2016 LNB Championship in 2016. Lausanne is about a 45-minute drive from Montreux, where the Wildcats have been staying since getting to Switzerland.

Wade was the only Wildcat to score in double figures, as he scored a team-high 17 points on 6-of-8 field goals, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 8 rebounds. The native of St. John, Kan., averaged a team-high 6.2 rebounds during the 5-game exhibition tour, while he was second in scoring at 9.6 points per game.

Six other players scored at least 5 points in the contest, including freshman Brian Patrick, redshirt freshman Isaiah Maurice, senior Carlbe Ervin II and sophomoreBarry Brown each chipping in 6 points. Senior Wesley Iwundu added 5 points on 2-of-2 shooting to go with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.

Freshman Xavier Sneed, who scored in double figures in the first four exhibitions, finished the contest with 5 points on 2-of-3 field goals. Sneed finished as the Wildcats’ leading scorer for the trip at 10.4 points per game.

For the contest, K-State connected on 41.8 percent (23-of-55) of its field goals, including 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from 3-point range, to go with 40 rebounds, 11 steals and 10 assists.

Changing his opening lineup for the first time on the tour, Weber saw the Wildcats score the game’s first six points before Lausanne closed to within 8-6. However, a Wade 3-pointer ignited another 6-0 spurt to push the advantage to 14-6. After Lausanne again crept within 15-11 on four straight points, Stokes ended the first quarter with a 3-pointer to give the squad an 18-11 edge. Wade and Stokes led all Wildcats with 4 points each in the opening quarter.

Weber started sophomore Kamau Stokes, Patrick, Sneed, Maurice and senior D.J. Johnson after opening the first four exhibitions with a lineup of Ervin, Brown, Iwundu, Wade and Johnson.

K-State pushed the lead to double digits (22-12) early in the second quarter prompting Lausanne to call its first timeout. The squad didn’t relent, as consecutive 3-pointers by Wade helped start an 11-3 run en route to a 35-17 advantage. Patrick finished off the quarter with another 3-pointer and a 40-19 edge at halftime. Wade collected 9 of the team’s 22 points in the second quarter, while Iwundu dished out 4 assists to go with 2 rebounds and a steal.

K-State shot 51.9 percent (14-of-27) in the first half, including 56.3 percent (9-of-16) in the second quarter.

The momentum continued in the third quarter, as the Wildcats stretched their lead to more than 30 points. Leading 45-26 midway through the quarter, the squad rattled off 15 straight points to take its largest lead at 60-26. Ervin, Iwundu and Wade each scored 4 points in the quarter, while Wade grabbed a team-high 5 rebounds.

With K-State leading 60-29 after three quarters, Weber elected to not play any of his usual starters and main reserves in the fourth quarter, as junior Mason Schoen, redshirt freshman Pierson McAtee and freshman James Love III joined Brown and Maurice in the starting lineup. Lausanne was able to close the gap to 68-47 on the strength of an 18-8 fourth quarter. Senior Austin Budke totaled five of the team’s 8 points, including a 3-pointer.

The Wildcats concluded the sightseeing portion of their trip on Wednesday and Thursday in Switzerland, where the travel party toured Montreux, which lies on the waters of Lake Geneva. The party toured the famous Chateau de Chillon earlier on Thursday, which is a Medieval fort set on the shores of Lake Geneva and served as an inspiration to the famous poet Lord Byron.

The contest was the Wildcats’ fifth and final exhibition on its 10-day tour of Italy and Switzerland. All the exhibition have utilized FIBA (International Basketball Federation) rules, which include four 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock among several variations from the college game.

“Today’s game was a great finish to an unbelievable trip,” said Weber. “We have a lot of work to do, but our players are excited to get back to Manhattan to start school and get into our workouts to prepare for what should be a fun season.”

K-State will start its return to the United States on Friday, flying from Geneva to Amsterdam to Atlanta before arriving in Kansas City early Saturday morning. The Wildcats will have a few days off before starting the Fall semester on Monday.

 

–www.k-statesports.com–

————
TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Alex Gordon hit a grand slam, Dillon Gee pitched seven strong innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 8-1 Thursday night.

The Royals have won five straight and eight of nine to move above .500 for the first time since July 22. Royals starting pitchers have a 1.61 ERA in the five-game winning streak, allowing 23 hits and six earned runs in 33 2-3 innings, while striking out 27 and walking seven.

Gordon, who was hitting .199 with 16 RBIs on August 9th, extended his hitting streak to a season-best nine games. Gordon has homered in three consecutive games.

Gee (5-6) picked up the Royals’ first victory from a Number 5 starter since May 31st. The Royals are 9-21 is games started by the fifth starter.

The Junction City / Geary County Catbacker Club will hold their annual Tailgate event Thursday evening, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge 1037, at 723 South Washington Street.

The club will provide hamburgers and those attending are asked to bring a dish they would take to a tailgate party.

This event is open to members of the club, but you can join the club at this event. Single memberships are $15 and family memberships $25.

There will be an auction of sports related items ranging from signed footballs and basketballs to an overhead picture of Bill Snyder Family Stadium. There will also be speakers from Kansas State University athletics.

The tailgate event comes ahead of the upcoming Wildcat football season.

DETROIT (AP) – Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers Wednesday night and complete a three-game sweep.

Hosmer broke up Anibal Sanchez’s no-hit bid with a double in the seventh inning after spoiling his perfect game bid with a walk in the fifth.

Sanchez threw seven shutout innings after allowing eight runs in four innings in his previous start. He struck out six and walked two Wednesday.

In the ninth, Shane Greene (2-3) allowed a one-out single to Lorenzo Cain before Hosmer’s line drive into the right-field stands. Drew Butera added an RBI single later in the inning.

Matt Strahm (1-0) got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, and Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Xenith has issued a recall of football helmets, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission.

This recall involves Xenith Epic Varsity, X2 Varsity, X2E Varsity and Youth football helmets with a gloss or metallic-painted polycarbonate shell sold or factory-reconditioned between May 1, 2015 and March 18, 2016.

The shells of the football helmets can crack, posing a risk of head injuries to football players.

The helmets were sold in multiple sizes depending on the model, and in varying colors and custom-paint designs. T

hey have a facemask and a chin cup, available in different styles and varying colors, and may have an optional eye shield. The serial number is printed on a white sticker inside the top of the helmet. A complete list of the serial numbers included in this recall is available at www.xenith.com/recall.

The firm received 29 reports of cracking helmets; no injuries reported.

Consumers should contact Xenith at 800-956-9022 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.xenith.com and click on the “Helmet Shell Recall” link on the homepage for more information.