Sports – Page 549 – North Platte Post Archive

Broncos Sign DT Marvin Austin

Posted on May 6, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos have signed fourth-year defensive tackle Marvin Austin, whose career has been beset by injuries since the New York Giants made him a second-round draft pick in 2011.

After starring at North Carolina, Austin missed his rookie season with a torn chest muscle before playing in eight games in New York in 2012.

He played in a total of three games last season for Miami and Dallas. The Cowboys released him after just one game and one tackle when he hurt his back in practice in November.

Austin (6-foot-2 and 312 pounds) has 10 career tackles.

Tulowitzki’s 2 Homers Lead Rockies past Rangers

Posted on May 6, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Troy Tulowitzki homered twice, Jordan Lyles pitched eight strong innings and the Colorado Rockies beat the Texas Rangers 8-2 on Monday night.

Nolan Arenado also homered to extend his hitting streak to 25 games. It is the longest in the majors this season.

Tulowitzki, who was named the NL Player of the Month for April before the game, had his first multi-homer game of the season and the ninth of his career. He hit a two-run shot off Texas starter Martin Perez in the fifth and hit another two-run homer off reliever Shawn Tolleson to give Colorado a 7-1 lead in the seventh.

It was more than enough for Lyles (4-0), who came within three outs of the second complete game of his career.

Venable Gives Padres 6-5 Win over Royals in 12

Posted on May 6, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Will Venable hit a two-run single in the 12th inning to give the San Diego Padres a 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

Venable singled off Tim Collins (0-2) and over the head of right fielder Lorenzo Cain to score Chris Denorfia with the tying run and Yonder Alonso with the winning run from second base.

Denorfia led off the inning with a single off Louis Coleman before Collins came on. After a sacrifice, Alonso reached a bloop double to left to bring up Venable.

Mike Moustakas hit an RBI single in the 12th off Tim Stauffer (1-0) to give the Royals a brief lead.

Jedd Gyorko’s solo homer with one out in the ninth inning off Royals closer Greg Holland tied the game at 4. It was Holland’s first blown save in eight chances.

Lady Dawgs Advance, Boys Season Ends

Posted on May 5, 2014

The North Platte Bulldogs boys and girls soccer team both competed in the first round of districts on Monday with the Lady Dawgs earning a win and the North Platte boys taking a loss to end their season.

The North Platte Bulldogs boys soccer team was the No. 3 seed in the A-6 District hosted by Grand Island. North Platte went in with a 5-10 record against No. 2 seed Papillion-La Vista South and their 10-6 record. The Titans won the match going away with a 7-0 shutout victory. The Dawgs season came to an end with the loss at Memorial Stadium in Grand Island. Papillion-La Vista South moves on to the A-6 District Finals against No. 1 seed Grand Island on Thursday.

Brady Mason finished his senior season by leading the team with 11 goals. He also added four assists for a team-high 26 points. Senior David Garcia led the team with five assists to go along with three goals to finish with 11 points, good for second on the team. Senior Dakota Guenin finished his goalkeeping career with 101 saves on the season, compared to just 26 goals allowed.

The Lady Dawgs won their first round district game on Monday over Omaha Burke 4-1. North Platte is the No. 2 seed in the A-5 District hosted by Kearney. Burke came in as the No. 3 seed with a 5-12 record compared to the Lady Dawgs record of 11-4. North Platte will play in the district finals on Wednesday against the host school Kearney at Ted Baldwin Park in Kearney. The No. 1 seed Lady Bearcats beat No. 4 Lincoln High 10-0 in Monday’s early game. Wednesdays district final game will be played at 6:00 PM. The last time the two rivals met Kearney won 2-1 on the turf in North Platte on April 22.

The bracket for the girls A-5 District can be seen below.

Tossed Toilet Bowl Kills Brazilian Soccer Fan

Posted on May 5, 2014

SAO PAULO (AP) — Police say a soccer fan was killed when he was struck in the head by a toilet bowl hurled from stadium stands as supporters of rival clubs clashed in northeastern Brazil.

A police officer in the city of Recife said Saturday that the clash occurred Friday night at the Arruda stadium after a match between Santa Cruz and Parana. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

The officer said fans ripped three toilet bowls out of stadium restrooms and threw them from the stands. He said one hit and instantly killed a fan he identified as Paulo Ricardo Gomes da Silva.

The incident comes six weeks before Brazil hosts the World Cup. Four tournament games are scheduled in Recife, but in a different stadium.

Rockies Promote RHP Masset from Triple-A

Posted on May 5, 2014

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have called up right-hander Nick Masset from Triple-A Colorado Springs and sent down infielder Ryan Wheeler.

Masset is available to pitch out of the bullpen in Monday night’s game against the Texas Rangers.

The 31-year-old Masset has not pitched in the major leagues since 2011 when he was with Cincinnati. He has dealt with an injured right shoulder for the past two seasons.

The Rockies signed Masset to a minor league contract on Feb. 1. He made eight scoreless appearances in Triple-A this year.

In 308 career games with Texas, the Chicago White Sox and the Reds, Masset is 16-14 with four saves and a 3.78 ERA.

The Rockies selected Masset’s contract from Triple-A and optioned Wheeler to Colorado Springs.

The team also transferred righty Tyler Chatwood from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL with a strained right elbow.

Some NFL Retirees Fault Concussion Deal

Posted on May 5, 2014

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The proposed $765 million settlement of NFL concussion claims is under attack again, this time from retirees who say they would get nothing for their residual health problems.

Seven former players asked Monday to intervene in the court case in Philadelphia.

They say the plan doesn’t offer anything to men who can still work, but suffer from headaches, personality changes, and other side effects.

The group includes 2008 Pro Bowl player Sean Morey, now a sprint football coach at Princeton University.

The proposed $765 million agreement would give millions to men with Parkinson’s Disease and other serious neurological problems.

Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody fears the settlement is too small, but lawyers for both the NFL and the lead players’ group hope to convince her otherwise.

Tri-City Looks To Future, Drafts 9 In Phase 1

Posted on May 5, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm were able to add talent on both sides of the puck during Phase 1 of the 2014 USHL Draft on Monday night, selecting nine players born in 1998.

With the third overall pick in the draft, the Storm selected forward Cameron Dineen from the New Jersey Rockets program. Dineen, a Toms River, N.J. native, is committed to Yale University.

At 5-foot, 10-inches, Dineen becomes the second straight defenseman taken by Tri-City in the first round of the Phase 1 Draft.

The Storm had two selections in round two, picking forwards Sam Sternschein and Brian Hawkinson.

Sternschein, a Syosset, N.Y. native is committed to Cornell University, while Hawkinson hails from Aurora, Colo. and plays for the Thunderbirds program.

In round three, Tri-City picked up Houston native Brandon Schuldhaus from Shattuck St. Mary’s with the 35th overall selection. The defenseman has great size for his age, at 6-foot, 2-inches.

The team picked 50th overall in round four, selecting Austen Long out of Blane, Minn. Long, a forward who plays for Spring Lake Park High School, is expected to contribute on the offensive side of the puck once he arrives in Kearney.

Rounds five and six both included defensemen in John Sladic and Jack Kelly. Sladic played for the Detroit Bell Tire program this season, while Kelly suited up for Maple Grove High School in Minnesota.

In the final two rounds, Tri-City selected forwards Monte Graham and Joe Abate out of Thayer Academy and the Chicago Fury respectively.

A full list of the team’s selections can be seen below.

The draft continues with Phase 2, starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

In addition to these draft picks, the Storm have 18 players from the 2013-14 roster that will be eligible to try out for next season’s team.

Tri-City Storm 2014 USHL Phase 1 Draft Selections

1st Round: Cameron Dineen – Defenseman – Toms River, NJ – New Jersey Rockets

2nd Round: Sam Sternschein – Forward – Syosset, NY – Portledge High School

2nd Round: Brian Hawkinson – Forward – Aurora, CO – Colorado Thunderbirds

3rd Round: Brandon Schuldhaus – Defenseman – Bearspaw, Alta. – Shattuck St Mary’s

4th Round: Austen Long – Forward – Blaine, MN – Spring Lake Park High School

5th Round: John Sladic – Defenseman – Detroit Bell Tire

6th Round: Jack Kelly – Defenseman – Maple Grove, MN – Maple Grove High School
7th Round: Monte Graham – Forward – Hanover, MA – Thayer Academy
8th Round: Joe Abate – Forward – Bloomingdale, IL – Chicago Fury

Tim Simmons Signs With Dallas Baptist University

Posted on May 5, 2014

North Platte – Sophomore Tim Simmons signed a National Letter of Intent Monday afternoon to continue his basketball career with Dallas Baptist University, a NCAA Division II school located in Dallas, Texas.

“It has been a great two years in North Platte,” said Simmons. “I am excited to continue my education and basketball career at DBU and set myself up for my future.”

Simmons was the Knights third leading scorer at 11.8 points per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. Simmons led the Knights in shooting percentage at 54.3 percent from the field. Most importantly Simmons was also responsible for guarding the oppositions best perimeter player.

“We are so excited to welcome Tim into our basketball family,” said Dallas Baptist head coach Blake Flickner. “He comes from an excellent, winning program and it shows in his basketball IQ. He is one of those guys that really understands how to play.”

“He is versatile and tough and capable of playing and defending multiple positions. I love his ability to defend, and he also has a feel for setting the right screen or making the right pass, and he’s willing to step up and make the big shot. He is a special young man and we look forward to what he will bring to our campus community.”

Simmons was named to the All-Region IX Tournament team after scoring 16, 11 and 11 to go along with 10 assists over three games. Simmons was also named to the All-Nebraska Community College Athletic Association Conference Second-Team.

Simmons finished his career with 700 career points to finish 40th All-Time in Knights program history.

“We will miss Tim’s leadership both on and off the court,” said head coach Kevin O’Connor. “Tim has really grown and matured during his time here and we always knew we could count on him to show up and not quit until he had won.”

Simmons has been a part of the most successful two year stretch in program history as the Knights compiled a 57-11 record during his career, including a Region IX Championship in 2013 and National Tournament appearance. The 57 wins are the most in program history in a two year stretch and the 11 losses are the fewest. Simmons never knew defeat at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium finishing a perfect 28-0 in his two years, also a school record.

NPCC Knights Softball Ends Season at Region IX Division II Tournament

Posted on May 5, 2014

Beatrice – The North Platte Community College softball team (10-28) ended their season Friday in the Region IX Division II Tournament falling in the opening game of the tournament to the Southeast Community College Storm (3-36) by a score of 6-7 before falling by the same score to the Dawson Community College Buccaneers (27-17) to end their season.

In the opening game against the Storm, the Knights struggled to get their bats going as they fell behind 0-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. With their backs against the wall the Knights responded by scoring six runs. However it was not enough as the Knights fell in the opening game 6-7. Shannon Lieber took the loss on the mound as she gave up eight hits, two earned runs and one walk to go along with five strikeouts in four innings. Katharine Savolt pitched the first three innings giving up four hits and two earned runs.

Soliel Atenza and Lieber were both 2-4. Atenza had two RBIs to go with a double and run scored. Lieber had an RBI and scored a run. Brittany Odum was 1-2 with two walks and scored a run. Brooke Wakefield was 2-3 with two RBIs, a double and scored a run.

“We played hard and fought back in game one,” said head coach Janelle Higgins. “It was our fourth time seeing Southeast and we didn’t adjust well at the plate until the last inning. We left eight runners in scoring position which is tough when you lose by one.”

In the second game of the day against the Buccaneers Savolt took the loss as she gave up six hits and three earned runs in seven innings of work. Sydney Standage was 1-1 with three walks, Britlee Anderson was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Jazmin Change was 2-3 with an RBI and a double and Siarra Velasquez was 1-2 with a homerun, three RBIs and two walks.

“In game two we bounced back and scored right away and had the lead most of the game,” said Higgins. “We left 7 runners in scoring position in game two.”

Katharine Savolt and Britlee Anderson were named to the All-Region IX Division II Tournament Team while Savolt and Soliel Atenza were named to the All-Region IX Division II Team.

“The season didn’t end how we wanted but we battled injuries, illness and lost close to twenty games because of weather,” said Higgins. “Our girls still fought hard till the very end. I am very proud of these young ladies and am going to miss our sophomores and their leadership and heart next season as they were great role models for our freshman.”