KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Edinson Volquez threw three-hit ball for seven innings, Salvador Perez homered and drove in two runs and the Kansas City Royals rudely welcomed Chris Capuano back to the big leagues with a 6-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday.

The Royals got production from throughout their lineup to take the rubber game of their three-game set with the Yankees, whom they face again next week in New York.

Volquez (3-3) struck out five without issuing a walk in an effortless performance. He never allowed a leadoff man on base, and just one Yankee reached second all afternoon.

Capuano (0-1) made his season debut after rehabbing a quad strain that he sustained in spring training. The veteran left-hander gave up four runs on four hits and two walks, and left New York in a big hole when he was pulled four batters into the third inning.

The loss was the Yankees’ fifth in their last six games.

The Junction City Blue Jay baseball team ( 10-10 ) will play Topeka High ( 7-13 )  in the first round of their Class 6A Regional Tournament Thursday at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka. The game is scheduled at 2 p.m.

The other half of the bracket finds Washburn Rural, 13-5, playing Lawrence High School ( 7-13 ) at 4 p.m.

The championship game in the tournament is at 6 p.m. at Hummer Sports Park.

This is a correction from an earlier report which had the tournament on Tuesday. We apologize for the inconvenience.

——–

The Junction City Lady Jay softball team ( 7-13 ) will play Olathe Northwest ( 18-2 ) in a first round Class 6A Regional Softball Tournament game in Olathe Tuesday at 3 p.m.

The other half of the bracket finds Lawrence Free State ( 12-8 ) meeting Topeka High ( 11-9) at 4:45 p.m.  The championship game is at 6:30 p.m.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State University held its spring commencement exercises on Saturday and among those receiving degrees were 44 current or former Wildcat student-athletes.

Highlighting the 44 graduates on the weekend were 13 members of the football team, nine members of the rowing squad, six women’s basketball student-athletes, six from track and field, five from the equestrian team, three from baseball, and two men’s basketball.

“It has been another great year for all of our student-athletes with the success they have achieved and these 44 student-athletes now have degrees to add to their accomplishments,” said Jill Shields, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Services. “Each of these student-athletes has displayed a tremendous amount of commitment and determination during their time at K-State, and we are proud to now call them K-State graduates.”

K-State has had another outstanding academic year in 2014-15 as a total of 82 current or former student-athletes earned degrees in the fall and spring. Also, a total of 125 student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big 12 recognition this year, while 269 student-athletes were named to the Fall 2014 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the most since 2008.

“Earning a degree is one of the best and most fulfilling accomplishments I’ve ever earned,” said K-State women’s basketball graduate Ashia Woods. “It was a long commitment that required discipline, intelligence and hard work, and I now feel like I’m well equipped to take on the real world.”
SPRING 2015 STUDENT-ATHLETE GRADUATES:

BASEBALL

Taylor Anderson – Social Sciences

Max Brown – Social Sciences

Carter Yagi – Social Sciences

EQUESTRIAN

Kelly Bovaird – Social Sciences

Karsen Brown – Animal Science & Industry

Kelsey Conrad – Animal Science & Industry

Katlyn Delano – Agribusiness

Madison Wayda – Animal Science & Industry

FOOTBALL

Dante Barnett – Kinesiology

Marquel Bryant – Social Sciences

Jack Cantele – Civil Engineering

Valentino Coleman – Social Sciences

Travis Green – Marketing

Nathan Jackson – Social Sciences

Matt Kleinsorge – Sociology & Criminology

Evan Loomis – Management Information Systems

Dylan Schellenberg – Management

Tate Snyder – Kinesiology

Adam Weber – Kinesiology

Stanton Weber – Accounting

Steven West – Marketing

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Thomas Gipson – Family Studies & Human Services

Ryan Schultz – Kinesiology

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Ivan Hartung – Kinesiology

Zack Riley – Social Sciences

ROWING

Lisa Angell – Horticulture

Emily Elliott – Bakery Science & Management

Allison Franken – Civil Engineering

Jessica Kuhlman – Kinesiology

Brittany Long – Psychology

Kara Omo – Kinesiology

Hillary Schartz – Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology

Lindsey Schmeidler – History

Jennifer Smisek – Management

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Heidi Brown – Kinesiology

Chantay Caron – Elementary Education

Ashlynn Knoll – Marketing

Laurie Koehn – Social Sciences

Deborah Meeks – Social Sciences

Ashia Woods – Marketing

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Angela Hart – Geography

Avery Loyd – Animal Sciences & Industry

Merryl Mbeng – Social Sciences

Erica Twiss – Elementary Education

Release courtesy: KENNY LANNOU
Assistant A.D. for Communications | K-State Athletics

LAWRENCE, Kan. – K-State erased a three-run deficit in the eighth inning and scored a pair of two-out runs in the ninth to complete a come-from-behind 6-4 win over Kansas on Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark to clinch the

Sunflower Showdown series and a spot in the 2015 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship.

The Wildcats (26-27, 10-13 Big 12) earned their seventh trip to the Big 12 postseason tournament in the last eight years by overcoming a 4-1 disadvantage after the seventh inning. KU starting pitcher Drew Morovick limited K-State to five hits in the first seven frames, but in the eighth, the Wildcats tallied three straight hits off the senior to start the rally. Tyler Wolfe, who had three hits in the game, chased Morovick from the contest by hitting an RBI single to score Jake Wodtke and make it 4-2. The Jayhawks brought in closer Stephen Villines following Wolfe’s hit, but Shane Conlon worked a nine-pitch at-bat that resulted in a double, the first extra-base hit for the Wildcats on the afternoon, and scored Carter Yagi. After a fielder’s choice by Tyler Moore loaded the bases, Max Brown hit into a double play for the first two outs of the eighth, but also helped bring in Conlon to tie the game at 4-4.

“Just a couple mistakes on [Morovick’s] part,” said K-State head coach Brad Hill. “We get lucky, get inside the baseball and it finds itself just inside the foul line. There’s your momentum. And then we get that followed up with two really good at-bats [by Wolfe and Conlon]. Shane’s at-bat was phenomenal.”

In the ninth, Yagi laced a two-out single through the right side of the infield to drive in Clayton Dalrymple for the game-winning run. Dalrymple, who matched Wolfe with a team-high three hits, sparked the inning with a leadoff hit by pitch issued by Villines. The junior was then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Keith Browning, setting up Yagi’s first game-winning RBI of the season. Wolfe made it a two-run inning when he followed up Yagi with a triple into the right-field corner to score the senior from second.

The pair of two-out runs in the ninth were two of the three by the Wildcats in the game. KU, meanwhile, scored all four of its runs with two outs.

Wolfe and Dalrymple combined for six of the 11 K-State hits, six of which were recorded over the final two innings. Yagi (2-for-5) joined the two juniors to make up a trio of Wildcats with multi-hit efforts.

While Morovick limited K-State to just one run in the first seven innings, K-State reliever Brandon Erickson kept the Wildcats in the game with five innings of one-run baseball. The right-hander inherited two runners in the third, allowing one to score and make it 3-0 KU, but he went on to retire nine of the 11 batters he faced over the fourth through sixth frames. In the seventh, Erickson surrendered a pair of doubles, with the last by Connor McKay hitting off the top of Yagi’s glove at third as he leapt in the air in an attempt to catch the liner. The RBI by McKay brought the score to 4-1 Jayhawks.

“Erickson is really the key to the game because if he doesn’t come in and get stops, we’re out of it,” said Hill. “I start with Brandon Erickson as the MVP of the game because he went into shutdown mode on them.”

Lucas Benenati worked a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn his second career win. The right-hander hit a batter with two outs in the eighth, but catcher Alex Bee caught Matt McLaughlin stealing second base to end the inning while in the ninth, Benenati worked around two singles to close out the game.

K-State starting pitcher Jordan Floyd, making his first start of the season and third of his career, allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in his two-plus innings pitched. The sophomore faced two batters in the third, surrendering a walk and a single, before being lifted from the game.

Villines took the loss for KU, dropping to 3-5 on the year. The right-hander was responsible for two runs on three hits in two innings. He also allowed two inherited runners to score in the eighth, giving Morovick four runs surrendered in his eight-plus innings pitched of a no-decision.

“I just give Morovick a lot of credit,” said Hill. “He just confused us all day. Made pitches when he had to, and then finally, we got the approach we needed. He got the ball elevated a couple of times late (in the game), and we finally got him.”

Brown drove in the only run off Morovick with a two-out single in the fourth that scored Conlon and made it 3-1 KU. The RBI was Brown’s third in the series, all of which have been recorded with two outs. The senior leads K-State with 20 two-out RBIs this season.

K-State will go for its second consecutive sweep in Lawrence on Sunday when the Wildcats take on the Jayhawks at 2 p.m. Right-hander Colton Kalmus will start for K-State, his 13th start of the year, and face KU right-hander Sean Rackoski. The Wildcats swept KU in Lawrence in 2013.

NOTES

K-State has won five straight games at KU and eight of the last nine. Since 2007, the Wildcats are 10-3 in Lawrence.

Since April 29 at Minnesota, K-State is hitting .302 (103-for-341) with 57 walks and 76 runs scored over 10 games. The team also has a .409 OBP.

Tyler Wolfe’s opposite-field single to lead off the fourth extended his on-base streak to a career-high 18 games. The junior’s on-base streak is the second longest by a Wildcat this season (Shane Conlon, 22 games).

Release from CHRIS KUTZ
Assistant Director | Athletics Communications

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chase Headley and Alex Rodriguez homered, CC Sabathia found his form in his eighth start of the season, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Saturday night.

The Yankees snapped their skid at four and evened the three-game series.

With rain approaching the entire evening, Sabathia (2-5) made quick work of the Royals, who had pounded out 12 runs on 17 hits the previous night. The lefty allowed the lone run on six hits without a walk in seven innings to win his second straight start.

Headley hit a three-run drive and Rodriguez added his 10th homer of the season in the ninth.

Danny Duffy (2-3) lost his third straight start, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks in five innings. It was a modest improvement over his previous two starts, when he’d been hammered for 10 runs in 4 2-3 innings by the Indians and Rangers.

NCKL 5-15-15

The Wakefield Bombers finished first in the Wheat State League Meet on Thursday. The Bombers finished with 165 points to lead the nine team field. Solomon was second with 122 points.

In the individual competition for Wakefield, Ethan Hammond won the Pole Vault with a vault of 11′-3/4, Zack Melius three events including the 100 meter dash in 11.36, the 200 meter dash in 23.64, and the 400 meter dash in 51.82.

Brock Barrett won the 800 meter run in 2:10.18, and J.J. Judy finished first in the discus with a throw of 118′-06.”Dylan Murphy finished third in the 200 meter dash in 24.44, and the 300 meter Intermdiate Hurdles in 44.68.

Wakefield won three relays including the 4 x 100 where James Williams, Sammy Finnegan, Brock Barrett, and Dylan Murphy finished first in 46.99, the 4 x 400 where Zack Melius, Brock Barrett, Preson McCollum, and Justin Carver were first in 3:41.28, and the 4 x 800 that included the winning time of 9:00.14 by the quartet of John Yenni, Preston McCollum, Justin Carver, and Kirk Iseli.

—–

In the girls Wheat State League Meet, Wakefield finished third with 87 points. Goessell captured first place with 138 points followed by Solomon with 91.

For Wakefield, Sara Casaus captured first place in the Long Jump with a leap of 16′-5 3/4,” first place in the 100 meter dash in 13.10, and first in the 200 meter dash in 27.39. Siarra Taylor finished second in the 800 meter run in 2:40.46, and Sierra Otto finished third in the 100 meter hurdles in 19.30.

In the relays the Wakefield quartet of Kenzy Barrett, Siarra Taylor, Sara Casaus, and Joanna Wright won the 4 x 100 in 53.06, while the relay team of Siarra Taylor, Katie Yarrow, Joanna Wright, and Kenzy Barrett won the 4 x 400 in 4:36.32.  In the 4 x 800 Wakefield finished with Siarra Taylor, Katie Yarrow, Louisa Casaus, and Haley Bonea finishing second in 11:49.21.

The Junction City Blue Jays finished fourth in the boys competition and the Lady Jays sixth in the girls competition at the Centennial League Meet at Al Simpler Stadium this past week.

Manhattan won the girls team title with 172 points while Junction City had 69.2 On the boys side Shawnee Heights captured first place with 156 points, while the Blue Jays had 76 points.

For the Blue Jay boys, Jaylene Brime finished first in the triple jump with a mark of 43′-1.50.  Tamarche Mason was third in the 100 meter dash in 11.13, and the 4 x 400 meter relay team of Jquan Robinson, Jase Taliaferro, Ricardo Erans, and Raye Wilson finished third in 3:26.06.

For the Lady Jays, Myrissa Humphreys won the 800 meter run in 2:23.96, the 4 x 400 meter relay team of Deisjambra Bisio, Myrissa Humphreys, Alana Kramer, and Brianna Pace finished first in 4:10.04, the 4 x 800 meter relay team of Myrissa Humphreys, Deisjambra Bisio, Kaitlyn Cross, and Brianna Pace finished first in 9:59.20, and Birona Jenson captured third place in the 3200 meter run in 12:29.84.

The Chapman High School softball team ( 13-7 ) will play Lindsborg-Smoky Valley ( 6-14 ) in the first round of their Class 4A Regional Tournament Tuesday at the Beemer Sports Complex in Chapman. Game time is 4:45 p.m.

The other half of the bracket will pit Clay Center ( 16-4 )  against Concordia ( 3-17 ) at 3 p.m.

The championship game in the tournament will be at 6:30 p.m.

—

The Chapman Irish baseball team ( 3-17 ) plays Concordia ( 17-3 ) in the first round of their Class 4A Regional Tournament in Nickerson on Tuesday. The game is scheduled at 2 p.m.

The other half of that tournament bracket sends Lindsborg-Smoky Valley ( 3-15 ) against the team from Nickerson High School ( 11-9 ) at 4 p.m.

The championship game is at 6 p.m.

The Junction City Blue Jays sent a contingent to the first day of the Class 6A State Tennis Tournament in Olathe.

The doubles team of Neil Glaser and David Graham went 1-1 on the day before being eliminated from the tournament in consolation action.

In singles play it was the same result for Kyle Hand, who lost to Tyler Garland of Shawnee Mission Northwest in the first round, defeated Brett Groth of Dodge City,and then lost to Elliott Abromeit of Lawrence.

Also in singles play Angeleau Scott went 0-2. He fell to Billy Louiselle of Shawnee Mission East and then lost to Miles Medaris of Maize.