Month: April 2014

Blue Devils split with Independence; home Tuesday, Thursday

by Alan Hoskins

Kansas City Kansas Community College turned back Independence in a 3-2 opening game thriller Saturday but couldn’t repeat in the nightcap, losing 4-2.

The split left the Blue Devils (12-12) two games back of Independence (14-10) in the race for fifth in the Jayhawk Conference.

KCKCC is right back home Tuesday, playing host to St. Mary JV in a single 9-inning game at 4 p.m., and again Thursday in a doubleheader against Labette starting at 1 p.m.

Winner of 15 of its last 17 games, KCKCC is 20-17 overall.

E.J. Merlo pitched himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to get his third win in Saturday’s 3-2 opener.

A dropped fly ball opened the inning and the Pirates loaded the bases on a single and two-out walk before Merlo struck out Dustin Oliver for the third time, his only strikeouts of the game.

Merlo allowed only five hits, two in the fourth when Indy scored its only runs on a walk, single, error and double.

KCKCC took a 1-0 lead in the third on a leadoff single by Tanner Foerschler, a sacrifice bunt by Zane Mapes and Luke Norton’s run-scoring single and then erased Indy’s 2-1 lead with two runs in the fourth.

After Christian Arnold reached on an error, Eric Hinostroza doubled. Mitch Glessner’s ground ball scored Arnold with the tying run and Daniel LaMunyon singled in Hinostroza for what was the game-winner.

Indy took a 2-0 lead in the third in the nightcap, scoring twice on a double, single and an error that made one of the runs unearned against KCKCC starter Hunter Phillips, and then added two insurance runs in the sixth with two out, scoring on a single, hit batsman, double and bases-loaded walk.

Tyler Raymond launched his first home run of the season in the eighth inning to go along with a double and single.

Garrett McKinzie also had three hits including a run-scoring single in the third following a hit batsman and ground ball. Pirate hurlers combined to retire 13 of the final 14 batters faced.

Chicken nuggets recalled

Tyson Foods Inc. has recalled about 75,320 pounds of frozen, fully cooked chicken nuggets that may be contaminated with small pieces of plastic.

The Sedalia, Mo., company is recalling 5-pound bags of “Tyson Fully Cooked White Meat Chicken Nuggets – 16142-928” with a “Best if Used By” date of Jan. 26, 2015 or Feb. 16, 2015.

The manufacturer codes 0264SDL0315 through 19 and 0474SDL0311 through 14 can also be found on the bags. These products were produced Jan. 26, 2014, or Feb. 16, 2014, and shipped nationwide to one retail warehouse club chain.

Also being recalled are 20-pound bulk packs of “Spare Time Fully Cooked Nugget-Shaped Chicken Breast Pattie Fritters with Rib Meat – 16142-861” with identifying case codes of 0264SDL0315 through 19, and 0474SDL0311 through 14.

These products were produced Jan. 26 and Feb. 16, 2014, and were shipped for institutional use in Indiana and Arkansas. The product bags bear the establishment number “P-13556.”

The problem was discovered after the firm received consumer complaints that small pieces of plastic were found in the products. The problem was traced to a product scraper inside a blending machine, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The company has received reports of minor oral injury associated with consumption of these products. FSIS has received no additional reports of injury or illness from consumption of these products.

Anyone concerned about an injury or illness from consumption of these products should contact a health care provider.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Tyson Foods Consumer Services toll free at 866-328-3156.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at www.AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. “Ask Karen” live chat services are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.

The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

This is a Class II recall, with the health risk ranked as low.

Rematch between Sporting KC, Real Salt Lake ends in draw

Sporting Kansas City was held to a scoreless draw on Saturday in an MLS Cup rematch with Real Salt Lake at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.

Jeff Attinella, making his fifth MLS start in place of the injured Nick Rimando, made a career-high eight saves as Sporting Kansas City outshot Real Salt Lake 20-5 with a 9-1 advantage in shots on goal.

Chance Myers returned to the lineup for Sporting Kansas City, making his 2014 debut following his recovery from a groin strain, and the Sporting KC defense lowered their season goals against average to 0.80 — tied for best in Major League Soccer with Real Salt Lake.

Also making his debut was Spanish midfielder Antonio Dovale, a second-half substitute, and Sporting KC has now used 22 different players through five weeks of the regular season.

Real Salt Lake attempted the first (2nd minute) and last (95th minute) shots of Saturday’s match, but was limited to only three other opportunities throughout the run of play.

Second-year striker Olmes Garcia sent his effort high of the crossbar from 20 yards out in the game’s opening moments while central defender Chris Schuler led the visitors with two shots on Saturday. His left-footed attempt in the 24th minute was smothered by Eric Kronberg, as was his header on the game’s final play.

The lone shot on goal of the game for Real Salt Lake came from the foot of captain Kyle Beckerman on a 45-yard strike that was on target and into the arms of Kronberg, who recorded his second clean sheet of the season and third of his MLS career.

The majority of Saturday’s action came in front of Attinella, beginning in the eighth minute with his save on Graham Zusi and then three minutes later when he did well to deny Dom Dwyer on a breakaway. Attinella added a superb stop to his highlight reel in the 27th minute, pushing Seth Sinovic’s dipping shot from outside the penalty area over the bar.

Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber forced another reaction save seven minutes later as Attinella dove to his right to keep out the well-struck volley. His final save of the first half came in the 42nd minute, darting 15 yards off his line to make a sliding stop on Paulo Nagamura near the right edge of the penalty area.

The second half started with signs of the same frustration for Sporting KC when Aurelien Collin’s header was straight at Attinella and easily held. Zusi then came close to putting Sporting KC ahead in the 51st minute, however his left-footed strike carried inches beyond the far post.

Sporting Kansas City finally found a way past Attinella in the 63rd minute only to see Dwyer’s tightly-angled attempt hit the post and the follow-up from Sal Zizzo blocked in front of the goalline by Nat Borchers.

The reigning MLS Cup champions were reduced to 10 men in the 83rd minute as referee Armando Villarreal sent off Oriol Rosell for his late challenge on Devon Sandoval. Sporting KC had one last chance to claim the full three points in stoppage time as Zusi unleashed a skipping shot from 25 yards out that earned Attinella his eighth save of the match, third most by a goalkeeper in MLS this season.

With the draw, Sporting Kansas City moves within one point of first place in the Eastern Conference while Real Salt Lake keeps its unbeaten record (2-0-3) under new head coach Jeff Cassar intact.

After five straight matches against Western Conference opponents to open the 2014 season, Sporting Kansas City will enjoy a bye in MLS Week 6 before playing host to the Montreal Impact on Saturday, April 19, at Sporting Park.