Sports – Page 557 – North Platte Post Archive

Broncos’ New Pass-Rush Tandem on Comeback Trail

Posted on April 23, 2014April 23, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos pass-rushers DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller are a lot alike. Both collect lots of sacks, hefty paychecks and plenty of accolades. The two are also on the comeback trail after offseason surgeries following a disappointing season.

Ware had his right elbow repaired in February, a few weeks before the Dallas Cowboys released him in a salary cap move.

Ware amassed a franchise-best 117 sacks for the Cowboys since getting drafted in the first round in 2005, but he got to the quarterback a career-low six times last season and missed games for the first time in his nine-year career with a thigh injury.

Miller’s season began with a six-game drug suspension and ended with a torn right ACL on Dec. 22. He finished with a career-low five sacks.

Morales Leads Rockies to 2-1 Win over Giants

Posted on April 23, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado hit a go-ahead homer leading off the fifth and Franklin Morales outdueled Madison Bumgarner, lifting the Colorado Rockies to a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

Troy Tulowitzki also added a solo shot for the Rockies, who have hit seven homers in two nights against the Giants.

Morales (2-1) was masterful on the mound as he allowed five hits over seven innings, which matches the longest outing of his career. The left-hander’s only mistake was a hanging slider to Hunter Pence in the fifth. It was Pence’s second homer of the season.

LaTroy Hawkins got the final two outs in a rocky ninth for his sixth save in as many chances.

North Platte Bulldogs Soccer Splits with Kearney, Boys Win

Posted on April 22, 2014

The North Platte Bulldogs soccer teams split with Class A rival Kearney on Tuesday.

The North Platte Bulldogs (3-8) snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 3-2 home win over the Bearcats of Kearney (7-5). North Platte jumped out to a 2-0 lead at halftime then added a goal in the second half to secure the one-goal victory. Three different players scored for North Platte in the game: Brady Mason, David Garcia and Eiljah Vierya. Mason also added two assists for the Dogs. Dakota Guenin had eight saves in earning the win as the goalkeeper.

The Lady Bulldogs (8-3) lost for just the third time this season, 2-1 to Kearney (9-3). North Platte led 1-0 at halftime before giving up two second half goals to the Lady Cats to lose for the first time in four games. Morgan Hansen scored the Lady Bulldogs lone goal and Abby Stark recorded 13 saves in the net.

Both the boys and girls for North Platte soccer will next play Saturday in Kearney. The Bulldogs will play Lincoln East and Lincoln Northeast on the neutral field.

Albert Pujols Hits 500th HR of Major League Career

Posted on April 22, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — Albert Pujols has hit the 500th home run of his career, becoming the 26th player in major league history to reach that milestone.

The Angels’ slugger did it with a pair of shots against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. He hit a three-run homer beyond left field off starter Taylor Jordan in the first inning for No. 499, then added a two-run shot for No. 500 to left-center with no outs in the fifth, again off Jordan.

The 34-year-old Pujols is the first player to collect his 499th and 500th homers in the same game, according to STATS.

He has eight homers this season, all in the past 13 games.

30 Top Prospects to Attend NFL Draft in New York

Posted on April 22, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says 30 top prospects, including Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, will attend the draft next month in New York.

Among other players scheduled to appear at Radio City Music Hall include Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins and Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack.

The prospects are expected to be selected in the first three rounds.

The first round will be Thursday, May 8, with rounds 2-3 the next day.

Avalanche, Wild Brace for Absence of Barrie, Cooke

Posted on April 22, 2014

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Cooke has been summoned for a hearing at the NHL office in New York regarding his kneeing penalty that injured Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie.

The league said Cooke’s meeting will be Wednesday afternoon. Game 4 is Thursday night, but Cooke likely will be suspended for that one and more. The Avalanche lead the series 2-1.

The incident occurred in the second period on Monday night on the open ice, as Cooke’s knee clipped Barrie’s. Barrie, who led Avalanche defensemen this season with 13 goals, will need four to six weeks to recover from a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Cooke has a long history of punishment for rough play, but none of his suspensions has come in the last three years.

NFL Playoff Game to Air on Cable for 1st Time

Posted on April 22, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — An NFL playoff game will air on cable for the first time this season.

The league said Tuesday that a wild-card matchup will be broadcast on ESPN in January. As with “Monday Night Football,” the game will be simulcast on local channels in the teams’ home markets.

In the NFL’s new TV deals that start with the 2014 season, NBC exchanged one of its wild-card matchups for one in the divisional round. It hasn’t been determined yet whether NBC will show an AFC or NFC game in January.

NPCC Knights Softball Splits with Hastings College JV

Posted on April 22, 2014

Hastings – The North Platte Community College Softball team (8-24) split the two games of their double-header with the Hastings College JV Broncos Monday afternoon in Hastings. The Knights fell in the opening game 1-3 before coming back to defeat the Broncos in the second game 6-5 in extra innings.

In the opening game, the Knights struggled to score until the seventh inning when they tried to mount a comeback. Siarra Velasquez got on base and scored but the Knights were unable to get any other runs across the plate the in the 1-3 defeat.

“We had a slow start in the first game and just couldn’t get runners across the plate,” said head coach Janelle Higgins.

Velasquez went 1-3 from the plate. Sydney Standage and Soliel Atenza each went 2-4 while Shannon Lieber and Brittany Odum both went 1-3. Katharine Savolt had the lone RBI on a sacrifice. Savolt was the losing pitcher going six innings, giving up four hits and three runs to go along with one strikeout and five walks.

The Knights rebounded with a game two victory as Shannon Lieber was the winning pitcher going all eight innings, giving up five hits and five run to go along with one strikeout and one walk. Both Britlee Anderson and Alexis Bryant led the way at the plate getting two hits apiece on four at bats. Anderson also scored two runs.

“It was a huge second game for us,” said Higgins. “We had base runners throughout the whole game, but just couldn’t get them across until the top of the 7th. (Shaylynne) Campo stepped up huge for us to help get the win.”

Other players getting hits for the Knights were Standage who was 1-3 with an RBI, Savolt who was 1-4 with a run, Atenza who was 1-4 with a run, Lieber who was 1-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, Brooke Wakefield who was 1-4 and Shaylynne Campo who was 1-2 with two RBIs.

“Our pitchers are doing a great job of getting ground balls and pop flies and our defense is playing solid. We just have to get our bats going from the start of the game. The girls are playing hard and never giving up,” said Higgins

The Knights return to the diamond on Thursday, April 24 with a doubleheader at home against McCook Community College at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Knights remain at home the following day as they host Garden City Community College on Friday, April 25 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Night Kickoffs Slated for Nebraska Games vs. Illini, NW

Posted on April 22, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two more night games are set for the Nebraska football team this season.

The Big Ten Network announced on Tuesday that the Cornhuskers’ home game against Illinois on Sept. 27 will kick off at 8 p.m. Central and that the Oct. 18 game at Northwestern will start at 6:30 p.m.

It was previously announced that the Sept. 13 game at Fresno State would kick off at 9:30 p.m. Central and the Sept. 20 home game against Miami at 7 p.m. Also, the Oct. 4 game at Michigan State is set for 7 p.m. Central.

The five-game stretch of night games will be Nebraska’s longest since also playing five in a row during the 2006 season.

Manning Says He and Gase Didn’t Break NFL rules

Posted on April 22, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Peyton Manning insists that he and Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase didn’t break any NFL rules when they met with Alabama coach Nick Saban earlier this month.

Manning said he’s well aware of the rules prohibiting NFL players from meeting with their coaches prior to the start of offseason workouts, which began today.

Asked if he and Gase met together with Saban, Manning said: “That didn’t happen. We know what the rules were and like I said, I was there on an independent project and Adam was as well.”

Gase got his coaching start under Saban at Michigan State in the 1990s and followed him to LSU.

Manning said he always tries to improve in the offseason and nothing’s changed at age 38.