MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Paulo Orlando and Lorenzo Cain each got four hits and drove in three runs as the Kansas City Royals won their first road series since late June, beating the Minnesota Twins 11-4 Sunday.

Orlando homered, tripled and scored three times. Cain matched his career high for hits in a game.

Edinson Volquez (9-10) threw six solid innings to snap his five-game winless streak. He gave up two earned runs and five hits.

Chris Young pitched three scoreless innings for his first save.

Orlando hit a three-run homer off starter Hector Santiago (10-7) in the fourth, capping a six-run inning. Orlando is hitting .368 (39 for 106) since the All-Star break.

Brian Dozier hit his 26th home run for Minnesota and Joe Mauer had a pair of hits, including an RBI single in the fifth that pulled the Twins to 7-4.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Yordano Ventura won consecutive starts for the first time in two months, Kendrys Morales homered in his return from a one-game suspension and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 7-3 Friday night. Ventura struck out nine in seven innings, allowing four hits, one walk and three runs, pitching the Royals to their fifth win in the last six games.

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Akela Jones posted a strong mark on day one of the heptathlon at the 2016 Olympic Games, scoring 3,964 points to finish in third place after four events at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday.

 

“For her to be in third place after the first day in her first Olympic Games and her sixth heptathlon of her life is impressive,” Kansas State head coach and Jones’ personal coach Cliff Rovelto said. “There is a lot more there, which speaks to her promising future.”

 

Jones opened her first Olympic Games in fine fashion, taking second in heat four of the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.00, which was also good for second overall in the event, for 1,124 points. Great Britain’s Jessica Ennis-Hill won the first event of the heptathlon with a time of 12.84.

 

The St. Michael, Barbados, native then overcame adversity in the high jump, clearing two bars on her final attempts, to post a strong mark of 1.89m/6-02.25, earning 1,093 points to finish in fourth place in the event. After the first two events, Jones sat in fourth place with 2,217 points.

 

“Her time in the hurdles was her second fastest time ever and she ran it in a light drizzle,” Rovelto said. “The high jump result was solid but she really had to fight to get that result.”

 

During the afternoon session, she recorded a fifth-place finish in the shot put with a throw of 14.09m/46-02.75 which was good for 800 points. The mark moved Jones back into third place overall in the heptathlon with 3,017 points.

 

In the 200 meter dash, Jones finished in eighth place in her heat and 13^thplace overall with a time of 24.35 to earn 947 points. After four events, she sits in third place in the overall heptathlon competition with a first-day score of3,964 points.

 

“Her mark in shot put was okay, but I feel like she was rushing a little bit,” Rovelto added. “In the 200, her result was not indicative of her fitness. She did not get out and tightened up working too hard to get back in it.”

 

Jones resumes competition on Saturday morning at 9:45 a.m. CT with the heptathlon long jump. Live results, as well as the live stream for the competition, can be found by clicking here.

 

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 Olympics Games

Olympic Stadium

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 

Heptathlon 100 Meter Hurdles

2. Akela Jones – 13.00 (1,124 points)

 

Heptathlon High Jump

4. Akela Jones – 1.89m/6-02.25 (1,093 pts.)

 

Heptathlon Shot Put

5. Akela Jones – 14.09m/46-02.75 (800 pts.)

 

Heptathlon 200 Meter Dash

13. Akela Jones – 24.35 (947 pts.)

 

Heptathlon Score

3. Akela Jones – 3,964 pts.

 

 

–www.kstatesports.com–

 

————
Josh Brunner
Graduate Assistant | Athletics Communications

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Danny Duffy pitched his first complete game to win his eighth straight decision, Cheslor Cuthbert had two hits and drove in a run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Thursday night.

Duffy (9-1) limited the White Sox to seven singles, struck out six and walked none. He has not lost since June 6 and has a 1.73 ERA in his past five starts. Duffy threw 98 pitches, 71 for strikes.

Cuthbert tripled home Jarrod Dyson in the sixth and is second among AL rookies with 93 hits, 24 multihit games and a .303 batting average. Dyson was initially called out trying to steal second, but the Royals appealed and the call was overturned.

Cuthbert then scored the go-ahead run on Eric Hosmer’s single off Carson Fulmer (0-2). Fulmer has an 8.47 ERA in eight relief appearances.

ROME, Italy – The Kansas State men’s basketball won the first game of its exhibition tour on Thursday night, as sophomores Barry Brown and Kamau Stokes combined for 33 points in a 97-80 victory over BC Silute at the Stella Azzurra Sports Complex.

 

Brown and Stokes paced five Wildcats in double figures with 17 and 16 points, respectively, on a combined 14-of-23 field goals. Brown went 7-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with 3 rebounds and 3 steals, while Stokes knocked down 7-of-12 field goals, along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. It was a marked improvement for the duo, who combined for just 12 points in Wednesday night’s 82-75 loss to LCC International University on 5-of-22 shooting.

 

Senior Carlbe Ervin II enjoyed another solid outing, scoring 12 points on 4-of-4 field goals to go with a team-high 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds, while redshirt freshman Isaiah Mauriceand freshman Xavier Sneed each chipped in 10 points. Senior Wesley Iwundu totaled team-highs in rebounds (7), steals (4) and blocks (3), along with 8 points.

 

“The first game we had just stepped off the plane we were out of our routine and we weren’t use to the conditions,” said Ervin. “The second game we said that we weren’t going to lose and we went out and played as a team. We got to the rim and picked up our defense tonight.”

 

Ervin, who has gotten high marks for his improvements this summer, has combined for 20 points in the first two exhibition games to go with 10 assists and 5 steals. Sneed, who netted 11 points in Wednesday’s first game, is the only Wildcat to score in double figures in the first two exhibitions.

 

“It feels like I have been playing with these guys forever,” said Sneed on his effort so far. “We are starting to gel as a team and I’m starting to understand how we play and what my role can be.”

 

A full night’s rest benefitted the entire Wildcat team, which connected on 59.4 percent (38-of-64) of its field goals against BC Silute. All 15 players who made the trip appeared in the game with 11 netting at least one field goal. The team was sluggish in its first exhibition loss, shooting just 37.2 percent from the field, including 24.2 percent from 3-point range, after their tour was delayed by a day due to flight complications.

 

K-State won all four quarters of the contest, beginning with the first where the Wildcats knocked down 8-of-10 field goals on six assists en route to a 22-15 advantage. In all, eight different players scored in the first quarter led by 4 points each from Iwundu and Sneed. The lead was pushed to 46-36 at the halftime break, as Brown (9) and Stokes (7) combined for 16 of the team’s 24 second-quarter points on 7-of-10 shooting.

 

The Wildcats’ lead ballooned to 16 points (71-55) after the third quarter, as eight different Wildcats contributed to the scoring led by Maurice (6 points) and freshman Brian Patrick (5 points). This balanced attack continued in a tight fourth quarter (26-25), as nine of the 13 players who played scored led by Stokes’ 5 points.

 

The contest was the Wildcats’ second of five scheduled exhibitions on its 10-day tour of Italy and Switzerland. The travel party was able to experience a full day of sightseeing on Thursday, including a three-hour tour of the Vatican City and stops at the surrounding sights of the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navonna and the Pantheon.

 

All five exhibitions will utilize FIBA (Internal Basketball Federation) rules, which include four 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock among several variations from the college game.

K-State leaves Rome on Friday morning and starts its journey to Florence with a sightseeing stop in Siena. The Wildcats return to the basketball court on Saturday evening with a contest against the Italian Select team at 8:30 p.m. local time/1:30 p.m. CT in Livorno, Italy.

 

–www.k-statesports.com–

 

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

 

ROME, Italy – The Kansas State men’s basketball dropped the first game of its exhibition tour of Italy and Switzerland on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats could not finish off its double-digit comeback in an 82-75 loss to LCC International University at the Stella Azzurra Sports Complex.

 

Down by as many 18 points in the fourth quarter, K-State closed to within 79-73 with 1:09 to play after five straight free throws from freshman Xavier Sneed, who was one of two Wildcats to notch double figures with 11 points. The score crept even closer after a steal and lay-up by senior Carlbe Ervin III cut the deficit to 79-75 with 25.2 seconds remaining. However, LCC International was able to close the game out from the free throw line.

 

Senior D.J. Johnson led the way with team-highs in both points (15) and rebounds (10) on 6-of-8 shooting, while Sneed added 4 rebounds and 2 steals to his 11 points off the bench. Ervin notched an impressive all-around game in gaining the start at the point with 8 points, 9 rebounds, a team-high 5 assists and a pair of steals. Ervin and Johnson were joined in the starting lineup by senior Wesley Iwundu and sophomores Barry Brown and Dean Wade.

 

K-State connected on 37.2 percent (29-of-78) from the field, including just 24.2 percent (4-of-24) from 3-point range, to go with 75 rebounds, 10 steals, 9 assists and 2 blocks. Brown and Wade, along with sophomore Kamau Stokes, felt the effects of a long nine-hour flight from Atlanta, as the trio combined for 23 points on just 27.3 percent shooting (9-of-33), including 25 percent (3-of-12) from long range.

 

The game went back and forth early, as LCC International led 21-20 after the first quarter with Wade leading the way with 5 points and 3 rebounds for K-State. The opposition slowly started to widen the gap in the second quarter, pushing the lead to 43-34 before taking a 63-50 lead after three quarters behind a strong 3-point presence.

 

They continued to push their advantage in the fourth quarter before the Wildcats closed to within striking distance. Redshirt freshman Isaiah Maurice totaled all 7 of his points and all 5 of his rebounds in the final quarter, while Johnson added 6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Sneed also added 5 of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.

 

The contest was the Wildcats’ first of five scheduled exhibitions on its 10-day tour of Italy and Switzerland, which was delayed by more than a day after flight complications. The travel party did not arrive in Rome until 10:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday with many not sleeping much on the nine-hour flight from Atlanta. The team was able to enjoy a short tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum before leaving for the game.

 

All five exhibitions will utilize FIBA (Internal Basketball Federation) rules, which include four 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock among several variations from the college game.

K-State returns to action on Thursday evening, as the Wildcats play BC Silute at 6:30 p.m.local time/11:30 a.m. CT at the Stellar Azzurra Sport Complex.

 

–www.k-statesports.com–

 TOM GILBERT

Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Todd Frazier hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning and Justin Morneau had four hits to lift the Chicago White Sox over the Kansas City Royals 7-5 on Tuesday night.

Frazier is tied for the major league lead with 31 homers, and his latest came on the first pitch from Kelvin Herrera (1-4) after a single by Jose Abreu and a double by Morneau.

David Robertson (3-2) blew a save in the ninth when Alcides Escobar’s two-out single scored pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson.

Dan Jennings struck out Eric Hosmer to end the game, logging his first career save.

White Sox All-Star left-hander Chris Sale is 0-3 in five starts since a July 2 victory over Houston. He gave up three runs and seven hits in the first 2 1/3 innings but did not allow a hit after that. He threw 115 pitches in seven innings, striking out seven and walking one.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior defensive end Jordan Willis was one of 28 players in the nation to be named to the watch list for the 2016 Ted Hendricks Award, presented annually to the nation’s best defensive end, the Ted Hendricks Foundation has announced.

 

Willis’ inclusion on the list marks the fourth time since 2012 that a Wildcat has been up for the award and the seventh since the award’s inception in 2002. Most recently, Ryan Mueller was a two-time candidate (2013-14), while Ian Campbell was up for the award three times (2006-08), including being a semifinalist in 2006. Meshak Williamswas also a candidate for the award during K-State’s Big 12 Championship season of 2012.

 

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, and one of just two Big 12 players on this year’s watch list (Josh Carraway, TCU), Willis played at an All-Big 12 level in 2015 as he made 36 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three pass breakups, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. A 2016 Preseason All-Big 12 pick, Willis finished his junior season ranked 13^th nationally and tied for first in the Big 12 in forced fumbles, while he was 24^th in the NCAA and second in the league in sacks.

 

K-State fans can get their first look at Willis and the 2016 Wildcats this Saturday as K-State hosts the annual Fan Appreciation Day at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Gates open at 5 p.m., and fans can watch the final hour of practice prior to a one-hour autograph session on the field.

 

The West Stadium Center ticket office will be open during the free event for fans wishing to purchase single-game tickets. Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to purchase a special one-day-only ticket package that includes a souvenir for the Fan Appreciation Day autograph session as a K-State mini-helmet will be included in the first 100 Wildcat 4 Packs purchased in person at the west ticket booth of Bill Snyder Family Stadium starting at 4 p.m.

 

Ticket availability for the Missouri State (September 24) and Texas (October 22) games is down to scattered singles and standing room only. Wildcat 4 Packs, which include four reserved tickets, are still available for K-State’s other four home games and are only $99 for FAU (September 17), $149 for Texas Tech (October 8) and Kansas (November 26), and $199 for Oklahoma State (November 5). The mini-helmet Wildcat 4 Packs are limited to the first 100 purchases in person on Fan Appreciation Day.

K-State opens the 2016 football season with a nationally-televised matchup at Stanford on Friday, September 2. Kickoff at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California, is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT), and the game will be aired on FS1.

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

 

————
RYAN LACKEY
Assistant Director | Athletics Communications

Byron Pringle is a name you might have heard coming out of spring drills or the spring football game for Kansas State.

The 6-2 205 pound receiver was rated the number nine receiver coming out of the community college ranks by ESPN after one season at Butler County Community College.

He explained at Media Day this past Saturday that K-State receivers and pass game coordinator coach Andre Coleman was a key reason for his decision to come to Kansas State. He likes Coleman’s NFL player background. “Him being an NFL receiver. Now he can show me the ropes, not just me, the whole receiver corps, ropes that he  could have probably been better at…like drills he when played in the NFL could have made him a better player. He put it into our head how to be great.”

Pringle is expected to immediately compete for playing time.

During his days as a Wildcat receiver Coleman was a four-year letter winner, and played five years in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a two-time pro bowler and a 1994 NFl All-Rookie squad honoree. He also returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown for San Diego in the Super Bowl.