Northeastern State scored early and often as they sweep the Fort Hays State Tigers 8-1 and 12-1 Saturday afternoon at Larks Park. The Tigers, who won the series opener 11-10 in 10 innings Friday night, fall to 6-20 on the year and 5-14 in the MIAA. The RiverHawks are now 16-10 and 9-9 in conference play.
Game Highlights
The two close out the series with a single game on Sunday beginning at noon. You can hear the game on KAYS.
Game 1: Northeastern State 8, Fort Hays State 1
RiverHawk starter Ryan Helsey allowed just one hit over five innings, striking out six and walking five for his fifth win of the season. Tiger starter Tyler Patty was roughed up early, giving up seven runs in the first three innings and takes the loss.
NSU scored two in the first, three in the second and two in the third for the 7-0 lead. FHSU’s lone run came in the fourh on a bases loaded walk by Andre Vieyra.
FHSU was held to just three hits and committed three errors in the game.
Game 2: Northeastern State 12, Fort Hays State 1 Gabe Coldwell throws the RiverHawks first complete game of the season, limiting the Tigers to a Cooper Langley sixth inning home run. Coldwell allowed just the one run on five its, striking out one and walking three.
Tiger starter Chase Newman lasts just two innings, allowing six runs (one earned) on seven hits.
NSU scored in every inning but the seventh. They blow the game open with five in the second, the final three coming with two outs.
LIBERAL, Kan. (AP) — Police have arrested a man in the killing of a Liberal woman whose death initially appeared to be a suicide.
The High Plains Daily Leader reports that no charges have been filed against the suspect. He was arrested Friday in the death of 31-year-old Andrea Garrison.
Liberal Police Capt. Pat McClurg said in a news release that police responded Jan. 2 to a possible suicide. Garrison was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy was completed Jan. 5.
McClurg said there were “suspicious circumstances.” He said that after talking to witnesses, conducting search warrants and collecting evidence, investigators determined Garrison was the “victim of foul play.”
McClurg says the investigation is ongoing. No other details were immediately provided.
Fort Hays State closed out the weekend with a doubleheader split against No. 19 Central Oklahoma. FHSU won the first game in extra innings, 3-2, before falling in game two, 4-1.
The Tigers (17-13, 10-6 MIAA) are in the midst of a 10-game homestand and return to action on Tuesday (March 31) against Newman. Game time from Tiger Stadium is 4 p.m.
Complete results for Saturday’s games are below…
Fort Hays State 3, Central Oklahoma 2 (Eight innings)
Fort Hays State used a two-run eighth inning in a 3-2 comeback, walk-off win against Central Oklahoma in game one.
Paxton Duran (9-6) threw all eighth innings, not walking a batter with six strikeouts on the day. Duran gave up six hits and two runs in the complete game victory. Nicole Brady (8-5) took the loss for the Bronchos, allowed three runs on eight hits with five walks allowed.
Rilee Krier was 2-for-4 in the game and had one of two doubles for the Tigers. Amanda Vaupel (1-for-3) had the other double and an RBI on the day. Mackenzie Villarreal and Courtney Dobson also had hits and each drove in the game tying and winning runs, respectively.
FHSU took an early lead in the first off Vaupel’s sacrifice fly to deep right, scoring Erin Elmore from third.
That lead held until the seventh when Brooke Zukerman led off the top half with a triple to right field, eventually scoring on a one-out squeeze play from Ashleigh Tramel.
In the bottom of the seventh, FHSU had runners on the corners with two outs but couldn’t come up with a game-winner as the teams headed for extras.
UCO scored again in the top of the eighth to take a 2-1 lead off Zukerman’s sacrifice fly that scored Kaylee Brunson. The Tigers, however, strung together three hits and scored two runs – including a walk-off RBI single from Dobson.
Tori Beltz led off the inning with a full-count walk, and with one out Vaupel doubled to left center to put Gabrielle Sandoval(who pinch ran for Beltz) on third. Mackenzie Villarreal‘s first hit of the day followed, as the freshman took a 2-2 pitch up the middle to score Sandoval and tie it, 2-2. Duran was intentionally walked to load the bases before the Bronchos got a fielder’s choice at home for the second out of the inning as Krier reached first. Dobson came through in the clutch for the Tigers, taking a 2-0 pitch back up the middle into center field for the game-winning RBI, scoring Mackenzie Villarreal.
It was the Tigers’ eighth extra-inning game this season and FHSU now holds a 4-4 record in those contests.
Central Oklahoma 4, Fort Hays State 1
Fort Hays State was held hitless through the first 4.1 innings and couldn’t string together a late rally, falling 4-1 in the finale versus Central Oklahoma.
Kelsey Kimminau (7-7) threw five innings with four strikeouts, giving up four runs on eight hits in the loss. Savannah Pricetossed the final two innings and gave up two hits with a strikeout and a walk allowed. UCO’s Kelsey Berlin (7-6) struck out seven in a complete game performance, giving up one unearned run and five walks.
Beltz had a double and two walks for the day while Dobson and Samantha Villarreal had the Tigers’ only hits on the day.
UCO led 1-0 in the second after a solo home run from Ashleigh Tramel, and extended that lead to two in the fourth behind Shelby Carel’s RBI triple. Another two runs were tacked on in the fifth when Tramel doubled down the left line, but FHSU struck back with on in the bottom of the sixth to get on the board.
Beltz led off the sixth with a double to right center, scoring on the next at-bat when Samantha Villarreal singled into center. On that play, UCO’s Kaylee Brunson mishandled the ball in center and allowed Beltz to score on the error.
That was it for the Tigers, however, as UCO hung on for the win and sealed the doubleheader split.
MOUND CITY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 11 a.m. on Saturday in Linn County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1995 Freightliner straight truck driven by Adam Ray Culbertson, 31, Mound City, was eastbound on Kansas 31 five miles west of Mound City.
The truck went off the roadway to the south. The driver overcorrected and the truck rolled into the south right of way.
Culbertson was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
The KHP reported he was properly restrained at the time of the accident.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The father of an Iraq war veteran who died after he was struck over the head with a beer bottle is seeking $1.5 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 13 in the case filed by Joseph Sardina. He blames 23-year-old Justin Gonzalez and Whitney Beck of negligence in the killing of Nicholas Sardina. The 27-year-old died in February 2012 when a brawl broke out during a house party in Lawrence.
Gonzalez, a 23-year-old Mission man, is free on bond while appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction in the killing. Gonzalez argues that he was defending himself.
Beck was the host of the party. Beck’s attorney argued in court documents that getting involved in the brawl was “inherently dangerous.”
The TMP-Marian girls soccer teams opens their season 2-0 following a 7-0 win over Wichita Classical School at the Wichita Classic. Annaka Applequist scored two goals with Bailey Hageman, Kayla Vitztum, Aubrey Koeningsman, Megan Koeningsman and Ashley Ostrander all adding one.
The Monarchs will now play defending 4-1A state champion Wichita Trinity Monday.
ATTICA – A Kansas teen was injured in an accident just before 9 a.m. on Saturday in Harper County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1991 Ford F 150 driven by Courtney K. Campbell, 17, Anthony, was eastbound on U.S 160 two miles east of Attica.
The truck left the road and entered the south ditch. The driver overcorrected and the truck crossed the centerline, entered the north ditch and crashed into a dry creek bottom.
Campbell was transported to Anthony Medical Center.
The KHP reported she was properly restrained at the time of the accident.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — GOP legislators are weighing the political risks of voting on legislation allowing supermarkets to sell stronger alcohol.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce said in a Wednesday meeting of the GOP Senate caucus that the chamber needs to debate the issue as it looks ahead to the 2016 campaign. That’s because the topic has been the target major lobbying efforts by both supporters and opponents.
Supermarket and convenience store chains like Dillons, Hy-Vee and QuikTrip support the move, saying it will increase consumer choices.
But, opponents say that allowing the major chains to sell alcohol would threaten the state’s roughly 750 individually-owned liquor stores.
Republican Sen. Vicki Schmidt from Topeka said that voting on the measure would be risky because it would force lawmakers to publicly pick sides.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita woman says she was shocked when her special needs son was asked to remove his letter jacket at school.
Michael Kelley has Down syndrome and autism and participates in extracurricular special needs basketball.
Wichita station KSN-TV reports that his family bought him a varsity letter like the other kids wear. But the school says it’s an official Wichita East High School varsity letter and Kelley is not supposed to have it.
His mother, Jolinda Kelley, says she put it on the jacket after her son was recognized for participating in the special needs basketball problem.
East High Principal Ken Thiessen says the school decided against giving letters to special needs athletes because those sports are not varsity-level competitions.
Area residents are encouraged to “plant” your mark at Cedar Bluff State Park during the annual open house Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A new flower bed is being dug in the grassy area between the office parking lot and the road.
Attendees are asked to bring their favorite flowering plant — annual or perennial — to be placed in the bed during the open house. “Because this is your park, we want to include you in the design,” the state park workers said on their Facebook page.
There will also be a free hot dog feed, cabin tours and free entry to the park, located in Trego County.
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Bryan Noone, Director of the Sleep and Neurodiagnostic Institute at HaysMed, by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
DENVER (AP) — Legal weed in Colorado isn’t hurting its neighboring states. That’s according to a Supreme Court filing Friday that marks the first time Colorado has defended legal marijuana in writing.
Colorado sent the argument to the nation’s highest court as a defense against a lawsuit from Oklahoma and Nebraska, which have asked the court to stop pot regulation.
A fourth lawsuit against Colorado comes from county sheriffs in Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska.
Colorado says in response that their gripe is with the federal government for not enforcing the Controlled Substances Act. Colorado says that Congress banned marijuana but did not compel states to enforce the ban.
Colorado’s neighbors claim that the 2012 pot legalization vote has sent the drug flooding across Colorado’s borders.
The U.S. Supreme Court has not said whether it will hear the challenge.
Although Ron Willis has met many people in his travels throughout the United States, he recalls a number of individuals from his childhood who taught him early on about being a person with integrity and compassion.
One of those people included his grandfather, a wise man and retired railroad engineer who completed school through the 8th grade.
“He always taught me that in the business of helping other people, what we had living in our hearts was more important than diplomas hanging on a wall,” said Willis, who still believes this despite the fact that he holds an education specialist degree from Fort Hays State University and has served as a mental health consultant throughout his adult life.
Others on that list include a kindergarten teacher and a high school track coach who taught him to save a little back for the finish line.
“I was an awful miler,” Willis recalled. “I usually came in toward the last of every race. But, my coach said, ‘No one will remember years later where you finished in a race, but they will remember how you finished.'”
“Finish well!” is the theme for an aging conference next month open to seniors, their families and their caregivers. K-State Research and Extension will sponsor the regional event, titled “Full Circle…an Aging Expo.” It will take place Friday, April 24 at the Colby Community College Student Union in Colby, and Willis is one of the featured speakers.
“I’m a storyteller,” Willis said, “so I believe that we hold people’s attention better when we use stories– personal examples and the like– to make our points. My grandfather, who was a real storyteller, always told me that I should have a point for their heads and a picture for their hearts, so listeners are apt to walk away knowing at least one thing to focus on to make a difference.”
While presenting at the Full Circle expo, Willis plans to engage all participants in some way. For those who care for seniors, he plans to talk about how to avoid burnout and compassion fatigue, which he said are two major struggles for caretakers. Some of the ways to protect against these struggles include knowing our triggers that allow us to stay encouraged, and understanding the importance of maintaining our integrity and finishing well.
“Most people will say in listening to me that they maybe didn’t learn anything new, but they were reminded of things they had learned along the way and may have forgotten,” Willis said.
In addition to Willis, a variety of other speakers will present information as part of the aging conference. Charmane Kandt of the Neuromuscular Wellness Center at Fort Hays State University will focus on exercising and being active to achieve optimum health. Other session topics will cover death and grieving, knowing your health history, financial matters for seniors, charitable estate planning, memory and making reading more fun.
Registration is $30 per person or $50 for two family members, and the pre-registration deadline is April 17. Registration at the door is $35 per person and will take place until 9:15 a.m. the day of the event. However, lunch cannot be guaranteed for registration at the door. The program begins at 9:45 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. You can find the conference registration brochure on the Ellis County Extension website at www.ellis.ksu.edu.
An added feature of the Full Circle Aging Expo is an educational track for professionals who can earn up to 6 CEU’s for participation. The theme is “Person-Centered Care.” Cost for the full-day professional training is $85, register by April 17. More information about the professional track of the conference is available at 785-462-6281 or online at www.northwest.ksu.edu/fullcircle.
Mark your calendar now and plan to attend the Full Circle Aging Expo. To register or for questions, contact the K-State Research and Extension Northwest Area Office (https://www.northwest.ksu.edu/p.aspx) for registration and program information at 785-462-6281.
Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.
