Month: April 2019

Saturday events

Democrats to meet Saturday
 The Wyandotte County Third Saturday Democratic Breakfast will meet on Saturday, April 20, at Las Islas Marias, 7516 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The guest speakers will be State Rep. Louis Ruiz, D- 31st Dist., and Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree. The buffet will open at 8:15 a.m., with the program starting at 9 a.m. The cost of the buffet is $10; with students and those on limited incomes, $6. The breakfast is open to all Democrats, and no purchase is necessary to attend. Those who do want to purchase a breakfast are asked to make reservations to [email protected] by Friday, April 20. Reservations are desired but not required.

Central Avenue plans cleanup April 20
 Central Avenue will have a cleanup and Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 20. The event begins with a breakfast at 9 a.m., followed by a cleanup. A lunch is planned for volunteers at noon at 1258 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Residents, businesses and neighborhood groups are invited to participate. For information, call the Central Avenue Betterment Association at 913-281-9222.

Cleanup for Wyandotte County Lake Park
 In celebration of Earth Day coming up next week, the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library at Wyandotte County Lake Park, 4051 West Drive, has scheduled a trash pickup on Saturday, April 20, at Wyandotte County Lake. Those who want to participate may come by the library between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and pick up a trash bag and a pair of gloves to help clean up the park. The lake is at 91st and Leavenworth Road.

Easter egg hunt planned at Big 11 Lake
 A free Easter egg hunt is planned for children age 10 and younger from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Big 11 Lake, 11th and State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas. There will be more than 10,000 Easter eggs, along with food and games. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The Easter bunny will make an appearance. Also appearing will be the Gateway Highsteppers at 11 a.m.

Easter egg hunt planned
 Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold an Easter egg hunt for toddlers through fifth grade at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20, in the church park. If there is inclement weather, the event will be held indoors in the Cole Activity Center.

Folk dancing planned
 “Programa de Folklorico” is planned from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 20, in Conference Room B at the South Branch Library, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The Spanish language program is for children, teens and adults. Lugarda Rodriguez is the presenter.

Family story time planned
 Family story time is planned from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 20, at the youth services craft room, Main Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, 625 Minnesota Ave. There will be stories, dancing and singing. The story time is geared to families with readers ages 2 to 6.

Egg decorating party planned
 An egg decorating party is planned from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the storytime room, South Branch Library, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Children will decorate non-messy plastic eggs and enjoy snacks. The program is limited to the first 25 participants.

Sporting travels to San Jose on Saturday

Riding a five-game MLS unbeaten run, Sporting Kansas City (2-1-3, 9 points) travels to northern California this weekend to face the San Jose Earthquakes (1-5-0, 3 points) on Saturday at Avaya Stadium.

The Western Conference clash will kick off at 9 p.m. CT with three hours of live television coverage beginning at 8:30p.m. CT on FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Midwest Plus. Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish) will carry local radio broadcasts.

Coming off a dramatic run to the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Semifinals-the best showing of any MLS team in the tournament-Sporting approaches Saturday’s contest with a full week of preparation under their belts for the first time this year.

The club has already played a league-high 12 matches in all competitions and can now focus full attention on the MLS regular season campaign, currently occupying the seventh and final playoff spot in the Western Conference standings.

Manager Peter Vermes’ men pushed their MLS unbeaten streak to five matches with a dramatic 2-2 home draw on Sunday against the New York Red Bulls, receiving a late equalizer from blossoming 16-year-old Gianluca Busio.

The U.S. youth international has become the youngest MLS player to score in consecutive regular season matches-doing so in three straight games since March 30-and has the opportunity to join Preki and Dom Dwyer as the only players in Sporting history to score in four straight league fixtures.

Forward Johnny Russell was also on target in Sunday’s stalemate, bagging a first-half goal to bring his total to four on the year. He joins striker Krisztian Nemeth (eight goals) and winger Gerso Fernandes (four goals) as part of a prolific front line that has already amassed 16 goals in all competitions this season.

On the opposite sideline, the maladies that plagued San Jose’s historically poor 2018 campaign have carried into 2019. Their 5-26-9 record and three total clean sheets over the last two seasons are both the worst marks in MLS.

The Quakes are under new guidance this season and have begun to show signs of improvement under first-year head coach Matias Almeyda, who guided Liga MX side Chivas de Guadalajara to the 2018 Concacaf Champions League title.

Almeyda’s high-pressure, man-marking system has vaulted San Jose into the top five in MLS in possession and interceptions.

Despite a 1-5-0 record, San Jose recently secured a 3-0 home victory over the Portland Timbers and poses a threat through the likes of attackers Danny Hoesen and Cristian Espinoza, the latter of whom played for Argentine giant Boca Juniors from 2017 to 2018.

The Quakes took a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Houston Dynamo last Saturday, equalizing in the second half through Jackson Yueill before conceding a 60th-minute strike to Tomas Martinez.

Recent history in the series belongs to Sporting, who are 5-0-1 in their last six regular season meetings against the Earthquakes. This stretch includes a 3-2 home win last March and a 5-1 thumping at Avaya Stadium last September that saw Gerso explode for two goals and two assists.

San Jose’s last win over Sporting came by a 1-0 score in April 2016, when striker Chris Wondolowski delivered the game’s only goal from the penalty spot.

Now in his 10th season with the club, the San Jose legend is two goals away from breaking Landon Donovan’s all-time MLS regular season scoring record which stands at 145. The 36-year-old Wondolowski, who has hit double-digit goals every year since 2010, has nine goals in 17 career appearances versus Sporting.

  • Story from Sporting KC

Blue Devils drop 2-1, 3-2 softball decisions at Labette

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College got outstanding softball pitching performances Thursday. Unfortunately, Labette’s hurlers were a shade better.

Limiting the Blue Devils to six hits in two games, the Cardinals posted 2-1 and 3-2 wins in the doubleheader played in Parsons.

The losses dropped the Blue Devils (11-7) into sixth place in the Jayhawk Conference standings with two games to go against Cowley College at KCKCC Sophomore Day next Thursday.

The Blue Devils close out non-conference play Tuesday when they play host to Crowder College. Both doubleheaders are scheduled for 2 and 4 p.m. No. 12 ranked Johnson County (13-3) continues to lead the conference followed by No. 5 Highland and Cowley, both 13-5; Hesston (11-5) and Labette (12-6).

“The sweep was vital for us,” Labette coach Ryan Phillips said. “Kansas City Kansas is a very well-coached program. So coming out with a sweep is huge. It gives us two big wins against a great team.”

Shay Grosstephen (14-8) allowed just four hits in the 2-1 opening loss but two of the four were home runs, the second a walk-off round tripper by Grey Holland leading off the bottom of the seventh that broke a 1-1 tie. Payton Nigh had the other home run in the first.

The Blue Devils were held to just two hits by Victoria Gonzales, a single by Jennica Messer and a double by Hannah Redick that drove in KCKCC’s only run in the third inning.

Labette took a 3-1 lead in the third inning of the second game and held off a late KCKCC rally for the 3-2 win. Brittney Beck had two of the Blue Devils’ four hits and both figured in the scoring, a single after an error in the second inning and a double in the seventh. Redick and Grosstephan had the other two KCKCC hits off winner Haylee VanDeventer.

Mackenzie Pinkerton (14-8) took the loss, allowing seven hits, walking two and striking out seven. Trailing 1-0, the Cardinals tied the game in the second on a single and double and then scored what proved to be the winning runs on a walk, double and two-out single in the third.

“I thought the pitching was very good on both sides,” KCKCC coach Lana Ross said. “Shay gave up just four hitters but two were home runs. And I thought we play well defensively (no errors).”