The Hays Monarchs waited until they were down to their final out in the seventh inning before recording their first hit Thursday against Marysville in the first round of the AA State American Legion Baseball tournament, but Zane Staab would make that hit count.
Down 2-0, with two outs and runners at first and second Staab delivered a two-run single tying the game at two.
Then with the game still tied at two in the top of the eighth inning the Monarchs first two runners of the inning reached base setting up a Chase Werth two-run single to give Hays a 4-2 lead. The Monarchs added another run on a wild-pitch to take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
Marysville threatened, scoring two runs to cut the deficit to 5-4 but the Monarchs held on for the win.
Ricky Hockett earned the win for the Monarchs going seven and a third innings allowing four runs, three earned on seven hits while striking out 11 and walking two.
Monarchs coach Ryan Post
The Monarchs improved to 21-10 and they will take on Garnett in the second semifinal game Friday evening in Marysville.
Doniphan County takes on Iola in the other semifinal game.
In the elimination games Hoisington takes on Russell at 10 a.m. Friday and Beloit will play Marysville after that.
Hays moved to 2-0 at the AAA Legion Tournament in Ottawa on Tuesday night with a 10-3 victory over Oskaloosa. They did so by following the same blue print they used the night before. Strong pitching, timely hitting and a big inning. In this case two big innings on their way to a 10-3 victory.
Oskaloosa scored on a squeeze play in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Hays immediately struck back with a four run top of the second inning. Hays continued to be aggressive on the base paths. Hays initially tied the game on an fielding error with the bases loaded. Then with two out Palmer Hutchison singled into left field. After the first two runs scored on the play, Oskaloosa looked to have caught Hutchison trying to advance to second. They however dropped the throw allowing a third run to score and Hays to take a 4-1 lead.
Highlights
Oskaloosa got a run back in the third inning, but starting pitcher Cole Murphy continued to keep the River Bandits off balance as he cruised through the next three innings, allowing just two base runners.
The Eagle’s offense continued to tack on runs with a single run in the fourth and sixth. Each of the two runs scored on wild pitches.
Hays notched their second four run inning of the game in the seventh. The big hit came off the bat of Cole Murphy who drove in two runs on a double. Dylan Scheibler also drove in a run on his first at-bat of the tournament.
Coach Dustin Schumacher
Cole Murphy used just 94 pitches in the complete game victory. His complete game along with Trey Riggs doing the same thing the night before allows Hays to have the maximum amount of pitching remaining in the double elimination tournament.
Hays will play Great Bend at 6:00 on Friday evening. They are the two remaining teams in the tournament without a loss. Great Bend beat Nickerson with a 7th inning walk-off sacrifice fly.
Earlier in the day during elimination games, Chanute beat Leavenworth 10-0 in six innings. Ottawa beat Arkansas City 5-0. Chanute will play Oskaloosa at 10:00 in the morning. They will be followed by Ottawa and Nickerson. Both games are elimination games. The winners of those two games will play following the Hays and Great Bend game.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say they are investigating whether the death of a couple’s baby in California is related to the death of their older child in Kansas in 2015.
Gage and Debra Roberts were charged with second-degree murder Tuesday in the death of their infant in a Bakersfield hotel in April 2016, according to the Bakersfield Californian.
In Kansas, Shawnee County’s District Attorney Michael Kagay then announced Wednesday there was an ongoing investigation into the death of the couple’s six-month-old baby in Topeka in 2015.
Kagay said his office is cooperating with the Topeka Police Department and authorities in California to determine to if the two deaths are connected.
Court documents filed in California say police were called to a hotel in 2016 and found a maid performing CPR on a baby. The child was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the newspaper.
Gage Roberts said he had slept in the same bed with the infant and they remained face up, the document said. Police reported they found evidence inconsistent with that statement.
The couple told police they had another child die in Kansas from sudden infant death syndrome.
Debra Roberts is represented by the Kern County public defender’s office. Dominic Eyherabide, chief assistant public defender, warned the public against rushing to judgment.
A court-appointed attorney for Gage Roberts could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
The couple is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 1.
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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — Authorities are investigating whether the death of a couple’s baby in California is related to the death of their older child in Kansas in 2015.
The Bakersfield Californian reports that Gage and Debra Roberts were charged with second degree murder Tuesday in the death of their infant in Bakersfield in 2016.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the district attorney for Shawnee County announced Wednesday an investigation into the death of the couple’s six-month-old baby in Topeka, Kansas in 2015.
Court documents say that police were called to a hotel in 2016 and found a maid performing CPR on a baby. The child was pronounced dead on the scene.
The couple told police they had another child die in Kansas from sudden infant death syndrome.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback says he wishes Kansas had preserved part of an income tax break he championed as a boon for small businesses.
Brownback cited the death of the exemption for more than 330,000 farmers and business owners as one of his regrets during his 6½ years as governor. He reflected on his tenure during a Statehouse news conference following his nomination by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.
His departure would elevate Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, a fellow GOP conservative, to governor. Brownback said he doesn’t know whether he’ll wait until his ambassador’s appointment is confirmed by the U.S. Senate before resigning as governor.
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TOPEKA -Kansas Governor Sam Brownback discussed his appointment to become an ambassador in President Trump’s administration during a news conference Thursday.
The 2-term governor answered many questions on a variety of topics including taxes, the economy and more.
On Wednesday the White House announced President Donald Trump nominated Brownback to serve as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.
If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll run the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A fake naturopathic doctor accused of operating medical clinics in Kansas and three other states has pleaded guilty in U.S. court in Alabama. Federal prosecutors say 60-year-old Isabel Kesari Gervais pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding patients in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover in 2015.
Authorities say Gervais used the name Dr. Rose Starr to run the Euro Med Klinic. She claimed to use naturopathic medicine to cure illnesses including cancer.
But a statement from prosecutors says the woman admitted lying about her medical license, experience and her credentials in her guilty plea. They say she also used aliases to run clinics in Arkansas, Georgia and Kansas over 15 years.
Gervais was arrested in March in Arkansas. Prosecutors say she faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine at sentencing in November.
Great Bend City Administrator Howard Partington at a City Council meeting on July 17, 2017.
By COLE REIF Great Bend Post
GREAT BEND — The Great Bend Police Department lost its highest-ranking employee Monday night after the city council voted to suspend Police Chief Cliff Couch. The department is down to 25 employees with one of the officers recently hired and still in training.
City Administrator Howard Partington now is filling in as the active police chief. A city ordinance assigns the city administrator as the active police chief if the current chief is out. Partington served as acting chief after longtime chief Dean Akings retired at the end of 2014 until Couch was hired in the spring of 2015.
Partington is in communication with the department’s three police lieutenants to keep the department running as smoothly as possible to serve the community.
Police Chief Couch was suspended without pay according to the notice, because he made “false or reckless” accusation about Partington and Mayor Mike Allison. The notice also mentioned Couch stated he couldn’t settle the differences between him and Partington and the chief failed to do an investigation into a harassing workplace.
Couch brought questions of misconduct and unethical procedures by the city administration to the Great Bend City Council on June 5, 2017. Couch awaits a date for his hearing to make his rebuttal to the council’s decision to suspend him.
Dennis Schiel works on 150 Years of Service on the Hays VFW building.
Have you seen the huge mural project underway on the north side of the Hays VFW building?
The military history painting by Hays artist Dennis Schiel has been consigned by the Hays Arts Council in observation of the 150th anniversary of Ellis County, the city of Hays and historic Fort Hays.
A spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the project will be held Sat., July 29, 5-8 p.m. at the VFW Post 9076, 2106 Vine. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
The meal is a free will donation, and includes spaghetti with meat sauce, meatballs, garlic bread and Caesar salad.
A raffle will be held during the meal with an oral auction held afterwards.
Dennis Schiel working Thu. on the 150 Years of Service mural on the north wall of the Hays VFW building.
SUBMITTED
Have you seen the huge mural project underway on the north side of the Hays VFW building?
The military history painting by Hays artist Dennis Schiel has been consigned by the Hays Arts Council in observation of the 150th anniversary of Ellis County, the city of Hays and historic Fort Hays.
A spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the project will be held Sat., July 29, 5-8 p.m. at the VFW Post 9076, 2106 Vine. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
The meal is a free will donation, and includes spaghetti with meat sauce, meatballs, garlic bread and Caesar salad.
A raffle will be held during the meal with an oral auction held afterwards.
Fire crews during Thursday water rescue -photo courtesy KCTV
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Storms that dumped several inches of rain on portions of the Kansas City area turned scary for two people after floodwaters briefly trapped them in the bar they own.
As co-owner of Coach’s Bar & Grill in Kansas City, Brian Darby says he began sending out goodbye texts to his family when Indian Creek floodwaters crashed through the business’ wall early Thursday. The two jumped onto the bar and then onto equipment for safety. Firefighters later rescued them through a roof. Darby says the restaurant is a complete loss.
Indian Creek at State Line is cresting at 27 feet this morning, which breaks the previous record level by almost 2 feet, @NWSKansasCity says pic.twitter.com/uwPxGjra37
———- KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Heavy rains across the Kansas City area have closed roads and led to numerous water rescues. National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Bowman says widespread flooding was reported after 4 to 7 inches fell over just a few hours starting late Wednesday in east-central Kansas and west-central Missouri.
Kansas City Fire Chief Paul Berardi urged motorists in a tweet not to drive into high water. He says his department is responding to numerous high water calls. In Kansas, a stretch of Interstate 35 was closed early Thursday. The Missouri Department of Transportation says that road closures in the state include stretches of Missouri 2 and 23 in Johnson County and Missouri 79 in Pike County. Several flood warnings also have been issued for rivers and streams downstream from the deluge.
The Ellis County Public Works Department said Thursday a cold-in-place asphalt recycling project will take place beginning at the U.S. 183 and Antonino Road intersection and commencing west on Antonino Road for 2 miles ending at the 230th Avenue and Antonino Road intersection.
This 2-mile area of Antonino Road will be closed to through traffic beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday and will remain closed until the project is complete. The expected completion date is two to three working days from the start date of the project. Motorists traveling in the affected closure area should use alternate routes of travel until the project is complete.
HESSTON- It is an honor that comes from a heroic deed during the great tragedy in the community of Hesston. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Hesston Police Chief Doug Schroeder will be one of the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Valor.
Hesston Mayor Dave Kauffman made the announcement to city employees and congratulated Schroeder on his accomplishment. Kauffman read an email sent by Gregory Joy, the Designated Federal Officer who is responsible for administering the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor program.
Schroeder was nominated for the award following his actions during the shooting at Excel Industries. Schroeder entered the building without backup, located the active shooter and brought an end to the shooting spree.
City Administrator Gary Emry said Schroeder and “a select group of people” will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the award ceremony where Schroeder will be given the medal, either by President Donald Trump or by Vice President Mike Pence. Emry said the date of the ceremony is still unknown.