TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas lawmakers see a chance to lure Kansas City’s two biggest professional sports teams across the Missouri border, but an effort to help the Super Bowl champion Chiefs and Major League Baseball’s Royals finance new stadiums in Kansas fizzed. Kansas legislators worried about how it might look to taxpayers. Members of the Republican-controlled Legislature pushed a bill Tuesday that would have allowed Kansas officials to authorize at least $1 billion in bonds to cover the entire cost of building each new stadium. But GOP leaders didn’t bring it up for a vote before lawmakers adjourned their annual session early Wednesday.

TORONTO (AP) — Michael Massey hit a two-run home run, Cole Ragans struck out nine in a season-high 6 2/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 to snap a three-game losing streak. Bobby Witt Jr. reached base three times and drove in a run as the Royals improved to 17-11 in April. It’s the most victories Kansas City has had in a month since going 17-9 in June 2017. Ragans allowed one run and four hits to improve to 2-2. Righty John Schreiber got four outs and right-hander James McArthur finished for his seventh save in eight chances. José Berríos took the loss.

DETROIT (AP) — Wenceel Pérez hit homers from both sides of the plate to help the Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 Tuesday night to split a doubleheader. The 24-year-old Dominican became the first rookie to clear the fences for the franchise hitting right and left handed in the same game since Raúl Casanova in 1996. In the opener, Jack Flaherty tied an American League record with seven straight strikeouts to start a game and struck out a career-high 14 before St. Louis rallied against a usually bullpen with a two-run ninth inning to beat Detroit 2-1.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, sidelining the three-time AL MVP indefinitely. The Angels believe Trout will be able to return this season, general manager Perry Minasian said while announcing the injury Tuesday. Trout is batting .220 with a major league-leading 10 homers, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases, but he will be sidelined by a major injury for the fourth consecutive season. Trout had an MRI after playing in the Angels’ 6-5 victory over Philadelphia on Monday. Trout’s latest injury is another major blow to the Angels, who lost Shohei Ohtani to free agency in the offseason.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Punches were thrown when a brawl broke out between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. The fracas ensued after Jose Siri grounded out against Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe leading off the eighth inning. Uribe and Siri exchanged words near first base and things quickly became heated. With an umpire standing between them trying to keep the peace, Uribe threw a punch at Siri, who then took a wild swing at the reliever as both dugouts and bullpens emptied quickly. The animosity between Siri and the Brewers had been building all night. He took a long look at his home run in the third off Freddy Peralta, who drilled Siri with a 3-0 fastball in the sixth. That led to Peralta and Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy getting ejected.

PHOENIX (AP) — A swarm of bees created quite a baseball buzzkill in the desert. The start of Tuesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks was delayed nearly two hours after a bee colony swarmed the top of the protective netting behind home plate. It took more than an hour before a beekeeper arrived and was scissor-lifted to the swarm. He safely removed the bees and pumped his fist to the cheering crowd as he lowered back to the field. The game was delayed nearly 90 minutes and the players were given an extra 30 minutes to loosen back up before first pitch.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrese Maxey saved Philadelphia from elimination with seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation, finished with 46 and led the 76ers to a 112-106 overtime victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first-round series. The 76ers trailed by six points with 28 seconds remaining in regulation before Maxey pulled out a comeback that evoked memories of Reggie Miller’s eights points in nine seconds for Indiana at Madison Square Garden in 1995. The All-Star guard converted a four-point play with 25 seconds remaining to cut it to two, and after Josh Hart’s free throw, pulled up from 35 feet to tie it at 97 with 8.1 seconds left.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner’s layup in the final seconds and the Cleveland Cavaliers survived a scare from Orlando, holding off Paolo Banchero and the Magic 104-103 in Game 5. Cleveland leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is Friday in Orlando. The Cavs, who were embarrassed by the Magic while dropping two games in Orlando last week, regrouped inside roaring Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. It took everything they had. After Mitchell missed a jumper with 15.7 seconds left, Wagner drove the left side from a potential game-tying layup but was denied at the rim with 6 seconds left by Mobley. Playing in just his fifth postseason game, the 21-year-old Banchero had 39 points and looked like a savvy veteran. He scored 16 in the fourth.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis each scored 29 points and the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks kept their season alive by routing the Indiana Pacers 115-92 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Portis had the highest point total of his playoff career and added 10 rebounds to make amends two nights after he got ejected from a Game 4 loss. The Pacers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis. The Bucks again were playing without injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, May 1st, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, May 1st, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports in a Minute for May 1st, 2024:<div><iframe title="May 1st, 2024 AP Sports in a Minute" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=3mv3t-15fe61a-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas lawmakers see a chance to lure Kansas City’s two biggest professional sports teams across the Missouri border, but an effort to help the Super Bowl champion Chiefs and Major League Baseball’s Royals finance new stadiums in Kansas fizzed. Kansas legislators worried about how it might look to taxpayers. Members of the Republican-controlled Legislature pushed a bill Tuesday that would have allowed Kansas officials to authorize at least $1 billion in bonds to cover the entire cost of building each new stadium. But GOP leaders didn’t bring it up for a vote before lawmakers adjourned their annual session early Wednesday.TORONTO (AP) — Michael Massey hit a two-run home run, Cole Ragans struck out nine in a season-high 6 2/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 to snap a three-game losing streak. Bobby Witt Jr. reached base three times and drove in a run as the Royals improved to 17-11 in April. It’s the most victories Kansas City has had in a month since going 17-9 in June 2017. Ragans allowed one run and four hits to improve to 2-2. Righty John Schreiber got four outs and right-hander James McArthur finished for his seventh save in eight chances. José Berríos took the loss.DETROIT (AP) — Wenceel Pérez hit homers from both sides of the plate to help the Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 Tuesday night to split a doubleheader. The 24-year-old Dominican became the first rookie to clear the fences for the franchise hitting right and left handed in the same game since Raúl Casanova in 1996. In the opener, Jack Flaherty tied an American League record with seven straight strikeouts to start a game and struck out a career-high 14 before St. Louis rallied against a usually bullpen with a two-run ninth inning to beat Detroit 2-1.ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, sidelining the three-time AL MVP indefinitely. The Angels believe Trout will be able to return this season, general manager Perry Minasian said while announcing the injury Tuesday. Trout is batting .220 with a major league-leading 10 homers, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases, but he will be sidelined by a major injury for the fourth consecutive season. Trout had an MRI after playing in the Angels’ 6-5 victory over Philadelphia on Monday. Trout’s latest injury is another major blow to the Angels, who lost Shohei Ohtani to free agency in the offseason.MILWAUKEE (AP) — Punches were thrown when a brawl broke out between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. The fracas ensued after Jose Siri grounded out against Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe leading off the eighth inning. Uribe and Siri exchanged words near first base and things quickly became heated. With an umpire standing between them trying to keep the peace, Uribe threw a punch at Siri, who then took a wild swing at the reliever as both dugouts and bullpens emptied quickly. The animosity between Siri and the Brewers had been building all night. He took a long look at his home run in the third off Freddy Peralta, who drilled Siri with a 3-0 fastball in the sixth. That led to Peralta and Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy getting ejected.PHOENIX (AP) — A swarm of bees created quite a baseball buzzkill in the desert. The start of Tuesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks was delayed nearly two hours after a bee colony swarmed the top of the protective netting behind home plate. It took more than an hour before a beekeeper arrived and was scissor-lifted to the swarm. He safely removed the bees and pumped his fist to the cheering crowd as he lowered back to the field. The game was delayed nearly 90 minutes and the players were given an extra 30 minutes to loosen back up before first pitch.NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrese Maxey saved Philadelphia from elimination with seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation, finished with 46 and led the 76ers to a 112-106 overtime victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first-round series. The 76ers trailed by six points with 28 seconds remaining in regulation before Maxey pulled out a comeback that evoked memories of Reggie Miller’s eights points in nine seconds for Indiana at Madison Square Garden in 1995. The All-Star guard converted a four-point play with 25 seconds remaining to cut it to two, and after Josh Hart’s free throw, pulled up from 35 feet to tie it at 97 with 8.1 seconds left.CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner’s layup in the final seconds and the Cleveland Cavaliers survived a scare from Orlando, holding off Paolo Banchero and the Magic 104-103 in Game 5. Cleveland leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is Friday in Orlando. The Cavs, who were embarrassed by the Magic while dropping two games in Orlando last week, regrouped inside roaring Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. It took everything they had. After Mitchell missed a jumper with 15.7 seconds left, Wagner drove the left side from a potential game-tying layup but was denied at the rim with 6 seconds left by Mobley. Playing in just his fifth postseason game, the 21-year-old Banchero had 39 points and looked like a savvy veteran. He scored 16 in the fourth.MILWAUKEE (AP) — Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis each scored 29 points and the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks kept their season alive by routing the Indiana Pacers 115-92 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Portis had the highest point total of his playoff career and added 10 rebounds to make amends two nights after he got ejected from a Game 4 loss. The Pacers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis. The Bucks again were playing without injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.TUESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal St. Louis 2 Detroit 1Final Detroit 11 St. Louis 6Final Boston 4 San Francisco 0Final Texas 7 Washington 1Final Milwaukee 8 Tampa Bay 2Final Seattle 3 Atlanta 2Final Oakland 5 Pittsburgh 2Final Philadelphia 7 L.A. Angels 5AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Baltimore 4 N.Y. Yankees 2Final Kansas City 4 Toronto 1Final Minnesota 6 Chicago White Sox 5Final Houston 10 Cleveland 9NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Miami 7 Colorado 6Final N.Y. Mets 4 Chicago Cubs 2Final San Diego 6 Cincinnati 4Final Arizona 4 L.A. Dodgers 3NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal OT Philadelphia 112 New York 106Final Cleveland 104 Orlando 103Final Milwaukee 115 Indiana 92NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal OT Toronto 2 Boston 1Final Carolina 6 N-Y Islanders 3

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

MANHATTAN, Kan. —The Kansas State Wildcats got a key piece of their roster back for the 2024-2025 season on Tuesday.&nbsp;

David N’Guessan announced on his X account he is returning for his final year of eligibility with the Wildcats.&nbsp;

The coming season will be the third for N’Guessan, who transferred to Kansas State from Virginia Tech after the 2021-2022 season.

N’Guessan has played in 63 games in a Wildcat uniform and started 39. He has averaged 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in that span.

He has also amassed 41 blocks and 44 steals in his time with Kansas State.

This is the final year for N’Guessan. Under normal circumstances, he would be out of eligibility, but because the NCAA allowed those who played in the 2020-2021 season to not use a year of eligibility because of the COVID pandemic, he has one left.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714580752174.jpeg" alt="AP Photo by Charlie Riedel " />
 <figcaption>AP Photo by Charlie Riedel </figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. —The Kansas State Wildcats got a key piece of their roster back for the 2024-2025 season on Tuesday.&nbsp; David N’Guessan announced on his X account he is returning for his final year of eligibility with the Wildcats.&nbsp;The coming season will be the third for N’Guessan, who transferred to Kansas State from Virginia Tech after the 2021-2022 season.N’Guessan has played in 63 games in a Wildcat uniform and started 39. He has averaged 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in that span.He has also amassed 41 blocks and 44 steals in his time with Kansas State.This is the final year for N’Guessan. Under normal circumstances, he would be out of eligibility, but because the NCAA allowed those who played in the 2020-2021 season to not use a year of eligibility because of the COVID pandemic, he has one left.&nbsp;

🏈 David N’Guessan returning to K-State for final season

SPRINGDALE, Ark.—Wichita Wind Surge pitchers surrendered six extra-base hits, including two home runs, in a series-opening 8-4 loss to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

A trio of run-scoring doubles plated four runs for the Naturals in the bottom of the first against Wind Surge starter&nbsp;Travis Adams. Dillan Shrum, Cayden Wallace, and Josh Lester each found the corners in left and right field for two-baggers, with Wallace’s being a two-RBI shot.

Andrew Cossetti&nbsp;pulled a no-doubt three-run home run out toward left field to whittle the deficit down to one in the top of the fifth.

The one-run lead for Northwest Arkansas would balloon up to five over the following two innings. Shrum tied the Texas League lead in home runs to seven on a solo round-tripper in the bottom of the sixth. Javier Vaz later singled in a run after the stretch in the seventh before crossing home plate on Rodolfo Durán’s two-run home run for an 8-3 Naturals lead.

Wind Surge third baseman&nbsp;Jorel Ortega&nbsp;brought&nbsp;Jake Rucker&nbsp;in on a bloop RBI single to shallow center in the top of the eighth inning.&nbsp;Carson McCusker&nbsp;grounded into a fielder’s choice for the final out in the ninth.

Adams received his second loss to fall to 1-2 on the season. Besides giving up five earned runs on seven hits and two walks, he tied his season-high with six strikeouts.

Wichita continues its series with Northwest Arkansas tomorrow, Wednesday, May 1, with the first pitch at 7:05 PM. You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/MiLB.TV">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714569457109.jpeg" alt="Wind Surge drops series opener" />
 <figcaption>Wind Surge drops series opener</figcaption>
 </figure>SPRINGDALE, Ark.—Wichita Wind Surge pitchers surrendered six extra-base hits, including two home runs, in a series-opening 8-4 loss to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.A trio of run-scoring doubles plated four runs for the Naturals in the bottom of the first against Wind Surge starter&nbsp;Travis Adams. Dillan Shrum, Cayden Wallace, and Josh Lester each found the corners in left and right field for two-baggers, with Wallace’s being a two-RBI shot.Andrew Cossetti&nbsp;pulled a no-doubt three-run home run out toward left field to whittle the deficit down to one in the top of the fifth.The one-run lead for Northwest Arkansas would balloon up to five over the following two innings. Shrum tied the Texas League lead in home runs to seven on a solo round-tripper in the bottom of the sixth. Javier Vaz later singled in a run after the stretch in the seventh before crossing home plate on Rodolfo Durán’s two-run home run for an 8-3 Naturals lead.Wind Surge third baseman&nbsp;Jorel Ortega&nbsp;brought&nbsp;Jake Rucker&nbsp;in on a bloop RBI single to shallow center in the top of the eighth inning.&nbsp;Carson McCusker&nbsp;grounded into a fielder’s choice for the final out in the ninth.Adams received his second loss to fall to 1-2 on the season. Besides giving up five earned runs on seven hits and two walks, he tied his season-high with six strikeouts.Wichita continues its series with Northwest Arkansas tomorrow, Wednesday, May 1, with the first pitch at 7:05 PM. You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/MiLB.TV">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>.

⚾ Wichita stumbles in series opener

Courtesy of&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas State Athletics MANHATTAN, Kan. —Kansas State bolstered its linebacker corps on Tuesday as the Wildcats signed El Paso, Texas, native Alec Marenco (al-LICK mah-REN-coe) to a Financial Aid Agreement. Marenco, who is transferring to K-State from New Mexico, is the second FBS transfer signee by the Wildcats this spring after they picked up running back Dylan Edwards on Monday. Marenco has one year of eligibility remaining after carding 96 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, three pass breakups and a forced fumble over his previous three seasons in Albuquerque. The leading tackler for the Lobos in 2023, Marenco picked up All-Mountain West Honorable Mention accolades after carding 66 tackles over his 12 games, which included 10 starts. He twice had double-digit tackle efforts, recording a career-high 12 at UMass and 11 against Utah State, the latter of which he forced a fumble. He recorded 1.5 tackles for loss against San Jose State and a half sack against New Mexico State. Marenco saw action in six games with three seasons as a sophomore in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury. He produced 26 tackles, including a season-high nine stop at LSU before coming back with six more tackles at UNLV. As a freshman, he played in nine games and recorded a pair of tackles. A product of Burges High School under head coach James Routledge, Marenco tallied 113 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss, while he also spent time at receiver, catching 17 passes for 253 yards. He was also on the track team, picking up district championships in 2019 and 2020. The Wildcats finished the 2023 season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (No. 18), AFCA Coaches Poll (No. 19) and College Football Playoff Top 25 (No. 25) after recording a 9-4 record, which included a victory over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. K-State is the only Big 12 program – and one of only 11 Power 4 Teams – currently to enjoy a streak of three eight-plus win seasons.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714580175672.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas State Athletics MANHATTAN, Kan. —Kansas State bolstered its linebacker corps on Tuesday as the Wildcats signed El Paso, Texas, native Alec Marenco (al-LICK mah-REN-coe) to a Financial Aid Agreement. Marenco, who is transferring to K-State from New Mexico, is the second FBS transfer signee by the Wildcats this spring after they picked up running back Dylan Edwards on Monday. Marenco has one year of eligibility remaining after carding 96 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, three pass breakups and a forced fumble over his previous three seasons in Albuquerque. The leading tackler for the Lobos in 2023, Marenco picked up All-Mountain West Honorable Mention accolades after carding 66 tackles over his 12 games, which included 10 starts. He twice had double-digit tackle efforts, recording a career-high 12 at UMass and 11 against Utah State, the latter of which he forced a fumble. He recorded 1.5 tackles for loss against San Jose State and a half sack against New Mexico State. Marenco saw action in six games with three seasons as a sophomore in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury. He produced 26 tackles, including a season-high nine stop at LSU before coming back with six more tackles at UNLV. As a freshman, he played in nine games and recorded a pair of tackles. A product of Burges High School under head coach James Routledge, Marenco tallied 113 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss, while he also spent time at receiver, catching 17 passes for 253 yards. He was also on the track team, picking up district championships in 2019 and 2020. The Wildcats finished the 2023 season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (No. 18), AFCA Coaches Poll (No. 19) and College Football Playoff Top 25 (No. 25) after recording a 9-4 record, which included a victory over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. K-State is the only Big 12 program – and one of only 11 Power 4 Teams – currently to enjoy a streak of three eight-plus win seasons.

🏈 Linebacker Alec Marenco signs with K-State

 TORONTO (AP) — Michael Massey hit a two-run home run, Cole Ragans struck out nine in a season-high 6 2/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Ragans was “electric” in improving to 2-0 in three career starts against Toronto, Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

“He had the best stuff he’s had all year,” Quatraro said. “He was locating. Early in the game he got quick outs.”

Bobby Witt Jr. reached base three times and drove in a run as the Royals improved to 17-11 in April and 18-13 overall. It’s the most victories Kansas City has had in a month since going 17-9 in June 2017.

“We’re in a good spot but nobody goes to the playoffs in April,” Massey said. “We’ve got to keep going.”

Ragans (2-2) allowed one run and four hits. The left-hander left because of cramping in his left calf after walking consecutive batters.

“We’ve got to get some fluids in him and get rid of that,” Quatraro said. “It’s the deepest he’s gone, the most pitches he’s thrown. It’s just fatigue, probably.”

John Schreiber came on and retired Cavan Biggio to end the inning.

Schreiber got four outs and right-hander James McArthur finished for his seventh save in eight chances.

Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings but lost to Ragans for the second straight outing. Ragans got the win as the Royals won a rain-shortened game in Kansas City last Thursday.

Berríos leads the majors with 43 2/3 innings and has six quality starts in seven outings.

“I’ve been feeling healthy, strong, mentally, really stronger and more mature,” Berríos said. “I want to keep building on top of this.”

Massey struck out to end Monday’s 6-5 loss, stranding the tying run at third base. On Tuesday, the second baseman homered on the second pitch he saw from Berríos in the second inning. It was Massey’s first homer.

“There’s probably going to be a lot more nights that I leave the tying run on third base than what I did tonight,” Massey said. “You just try to compete, try to battle and stay with your process.”

Toronto’s Bo Bichette hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth but Witt made it 3-1 with an RBI double off Erik Swanson in the eighth. Génesis Cabrera replaced Swanson and gave up an RBI double to Vinnie Pasquantino.

Salvador Perez started at first base for Kansas City one night after being scratched from a start behind the plate because of a sore back. Perez had a pinch hit single in the ninth inning of Monday’s 6-5 loss and was replaced by a pinch runner.

With a leadoff single in the second inning Tuesday, Perez extended his career-best streak of reaching base safely to 20 games.

Toronto’s Davis Schneider hit a one-out single in the second but Royals right fielder Hunter Renfroe threw Schneider out at second base as he tried to extend his hit. Renfroe leads the major leagues with 67 outfield assists since 2017.

George Springer started in center field for the Blue Jays. He didn’t make a single start in center in 2023.

Royals: Kansas City recalled RHP Colin Selby from Triple-A Omaha and optioned RHP Jonathan Bowlan to Triple-A.

Blue Jays: Toronto put RHP Yariel Rodríguez (back) on the 15-day IL and recalled RHP Zach Pop from Triple-A Buffalo. Rodríguez started Monday, allowing three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings. … RHP Alek Manoah (shoulder) allowed one run and two hits in six innings in a rehab start at Triple-A. Manoah struck out 12 and walked two.

Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (2-4, 5.64) is expected to start Wednesday’s series finale. Kansas City’s scheduled starter is RHP Seth Lugo (4-1, 1.66).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714558755008.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> TORONTO (AP) — Michael Massey hit a two-run home run, Cole Ragans struck out nine in a season-high 6 2/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.Ragans was “electric” in improving to 2-0 in three career starts against Toronto, Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.“He had the best stuff he’s had all year,” Quatraro said. “He was locating. Early in the game he got quick outs.”Bobby Witt Jr. reached base three times and drove in a run as the Royals improved to 17-11 in April and 18-13 overall. It’s the most victories Kansas City has had in a month since going 17-9 in June 2017.“We’re in a good spot but nobody goes to the playoffs in April,” Massey said. “We’ve got to keep going.”Ragans (2-2) allowed one run and four hits. The left-hander left because of cramping in his left calf after walking consecutive batters.“We’ve got to get some fluids in him and get rid of that,” Quatraro said. “It’s the deepest he’s gone, the most pitches he’s thrown. It’s just fatigue, probably.”John Schreiber came on and retired Cavan Biggio to end the inning.Schreiber got four outs and right-hander James McArthur finished for his seventh save in eight chances.Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings but lost to Ragans for the second straight outing. Ragans got the win as the Royals won a rain-shortened game in Kansas City last Thursday.Berríos leads the majors with 43 2/3 innings and has six quality starts in seven outings.“I’ve been feeling healthy, strong, mentally, really stronger and more mature,” Berríos said. “I want to keep building on top of this.”Massey struck out to end Monday’s 6-5 loss, stranding the tying run at third base. On Tuesday, the second baseman homered on the second pitch he saw from Berríos in the second inning. It was Massey’s first homer.“There’s probably going to be a lot more nights that I leave the tying run on third base than what I did tonight,” Massey said. “You just try to compete, try to battle and stay with your process.”Toronto’s Bo Bichette hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth but Witt made it 3-1 with an RBI double off Erik Swanson in the eighth. Génesis Cabrera replaced Swanson and gave up an RBI double to Vinnie Pasquantino.Salvador Perez started at first base for Kansas City one night after being scratched from a start behind the plate because of a sore back. Perez had a pinch hit single in the ninth inning of Monday’s 6-5 loss and was replaced by a pinch runner.With a leadoff single in the second inning Tuesday, Perez extended his career-best streak of reaching base safely to 20 games.Toronto’s Davis Schneider hit a one-out single in the second but Royals right fielder Hunter Renfroe threw Schneider out at second base as he tried to extend his hit. Renfroe leads the major leagues with 67 outfield assists since 2017.George Springer started in center field for the Blue Jays. He didn’t make a single start in center in 2023.ROSTER MOVESRoyals: Kansas City recalled RHP Colin Selby from Triple-A Omaha and optioned RHP Jonathan Bowlan to Triple-A.Blue Jays: Toronto put RHP Yariel Rodríguez (back) on the 15-day IL and recalled RHP Zach Pop from Triple-A Buffalo. Rodríguez started Monday, allowing three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings. … RHP Alek Manoah (shoulder) allowed one run and two hits in six innings in a rehab start at Triple-A. Manoah struck out 12 and walked two.UP NEXTBlue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (2-4, 5.64) is expected to start Wednesday’s series finale. Kansas City’s scheduled starter is RHP Seth Lugo (4-1, 1.66).

⚾ Royals snap 3-game losing streak

<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Wz4UBsXB5zz0jg2mb5M6-yspHX1rLdPM93rwFzQEunQ/edit#gid=1105823075">Updated bracket here</a>

Wednesday, May 1 12 p.m. - #1 Evangel (31-7) vs. #8 Tabor (21-13 12 p.m. - #2 Ottawa (36-14) vs. #7 Kansas Wesleyan (24-18) 2:30 p.m. - #4 Saint Mary (29-19) vs. #5 Avila (30-18) 2:30 p.m. - #3 Friends (31-15) vs. #6 Oklahoma Wesleyan (33-16) 5 p.m. - Evangel/Tabor winner vs. Saint Mary/Avila winner 5 p.m. - Friends/OK Wesleyan winner vs. Ottawa/KS Wesleyan winner 7:30 p.m. -&nbsp;Evangel/Tabor loser vs. Saint Mary/Avila loser 7:30 p.m. -&nbsp;Friends/OK Wesleyan loser vs. Ottawa/KS Wesleyan loser

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693329059361.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Wz4UBsXB5zz0jg2mb5M6-yspHX1rLdPM93rwFzQEunQ/edit#gid=1105823075">Updated bracket here</a>Wednesday, May 1 12 p.m. - #1 Evangel (31-7) vs. #8 Tabor (21-13 12 p.m. - #2 Ottawa (36-14) vs. #7 Kansas Wesleyan (24-18) 2:30 p.m. - #4 Saint Mary (29-19) vs. #5 Avila (30-18) 2:30 p.m. - #3 Friends (31-15) vs. #6 Oklahoma Wesleyan (33-16) 5 p.m. - Evangel/Tabor winner vs. Saint Mary/Avila winner 5 p.m. - Friends/OK Wesleyan winner vs. Ottawa/KS Wesleyan winner 7:30 p.m. -&nbsp;Evangel/Tabor loser vs. Saint Mary/Avila loser 7:30 p.m. -&nbsp;Friends/OK Wesleyan loser vs. Ottawa/KS Wesleyan loser

🥎 KCAC tournament begins Wednesday in Great Bend

<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/174zn4TUhBiBLRIkxPnyX86nMdYDu-FnWfLyTg1DSrZI/edit#gid=1125143313">Updated bracket here</a>

Wednesday, May 1 9:00 Oklahoma Wesleyan (31-18) vs Friends (28-21) 12:15 Tabor (34-12) vs Avila (22-28) 3:45 Ottawa (29-21) vs McPherson (23-26) 6:45 Kansas Wesleyan (41-8) vs Evangel (23-24)&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714490243116.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/174zn4TUhBiBLRIkxPnyX86nMdYDu-FnWfLyTg1DSrZI/edit#gid=1125143313">Updated bracket here</a>Wednesday, May 1 9:00 Oklahoma Wesleyan (31-18) vs Friends (28-21) 12:15 Tabor (34-12) vs Avila (22-28) 3:45 Ottawa (29-21) vs McPherson (23-26) 6:45 Kansas Wesleyan (41-8) vs Evangel (23-24)&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ KCAC tournament begins Wednesday in Great Bend

Charlotte, NC– The NJCAA has awarded Visit Hutch a bid to host the 2026 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship.&nbsp;

Visit Hutch will host the four-day championship at the Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, KS, from November 18-21, 2026.&nbsp;

"We are thrilled to welcome the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship back to Hutchinson in 2026. The Hutchinson community values our relationship with NJCAA, and we are honored that they trust our team with executing one of their most prestigious National Championships," said LeAnn Cox, Vice President of Operations and Tourism for Visit Hutch. &nbsp;&nbsp;

This will be the sixth time Visit Hutch has hosted the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship.

"The NJCAA has a long-standing relationship with the city of Hutchinson," stated Brian Luckett, NJCAA Senior Vice President for External Affairs &amp; Development. "Hutchinson continuously hosts quality championships for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans and we are excited to see how they will continue to improve upon the Division I Volleyball national tournament experience."  &nbsp;

The 2024 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship will be held at the Dunn Center on the campus of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN from November 20-23. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714490337713.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Sports Arena. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Sports Arena. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of the NJCAACharlotte, NC– The NJCAA has awarded Visit Hutch a bid to host the 2026 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship.&nbsp;Visit Hutch will host the four-day championship at the Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, KS, from November 18-21, 2026.&nbsp;"We are thrilled to welcome the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship back to Hutchinson in 2026. The Hutchinson community values our relationship with NJCAA, and we are honored that they trust our team with executing one of their most prestigious National Championships," said LeAnn Cox, Vice President of Operations and Tourism for Visit Hutch. &nbsp;&nbsp;This will be the sixth time Visit Hutch has hosted the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship."The NJCAA has a long-standing relationship with the city of Hutchinson," stated Brian Luckett, NJCAA Senior Vice President for External Affairs &amp; Development. "Hutchinson continuously hosts quality championships for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans and we are excited to see how they will continue to improve upon the Division I Volleyball national tournament experience."  &nbsp;The 2024 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship will be held at the Dunn Center on the campus of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN from November 20-23. &nbsp;

🏐 NJCAA announces national tournament will return to Hutch in 2026

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team spent its Tuesday morning at the Kansas State Capitol Building, as the team was honored for its unbeaten national championship season.

The team was first honored by the House of Representatives, followed by recognition by the Senate.

The Blue Dragons claimed the NJCAA national title on April 1 with an 88-80 overtime win over Northwest Florida State to claim its first-ever national title in the programs 50-year history. The team also finished with a perfect 37-0 record.

HutchCC head coach John Ontjes presented Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, a HutchCC native with a national championship t-shirt.

Senator Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson native, announced the proclamation for the Blue Dragons in the Senate.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714486768697.png" alt="House of Representatives. Photo Courtesy KS Legislature YouTube" />
 <figcaption>House of Representatives. Photo Courtesy KS Legislature YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team spent its Tuesday morning at the Kansas State Capitol Building, as the team was honored for its unbeaten national championship season.The team was first honored by the House of Representatives, followed by recognition by the Senate.The Blue Dragons claimed the NJCAA national title on April 1 with an 88-80 overtime win over Northwest Florida State to claim its first-ever national title in the programs 50-year history. The team also finished with a perfect 37-0 record.HutchCC head coach John Ontjes presented Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, a HutchCC native with a national championship t-shirt.Senator Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson native, announced the proclamation for the Blue Dragons in the Senate.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714489195274.png" alt="Senate Chamber. Photo Courtesy KS Legislature YouTube" />
 <figcaption>Senate Chamber. Photo Courtesy KS Legislature YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 WBB: Blue Dragons honored by House and Senate Tuesday in Topeka

Courtesy Hutchinson CC Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Powered by under-par rounds from&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/box_charlie_jgcb">Charlie Box</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/anderson_marco_qoi7">Marco Anderson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/thissen_kenton_qoy2">Keaton Thissen</a>, the Hutchinson Community College men's golf team are in second place after two round of the NJCAA Central District/Region VI Championship at Tiffany Greens Golf Club.

The No. 5-ranked Blue Dragons trail No. 3 Indian Hills by 15 strokes heading into Tuesday's final round, which tees off at 8:45 a.m. in a shotgun start. The Blue Dragons have a six-stroke lead for the Region VI lead over Dodge City.

Hutchinson also has a 33-stroke cushion to finish in the top 5 and automatically qualify for the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships in three weeks in Hobbs, New Mexico. The Blue Dragons are bidding for their 23rd consecutive bid to the national tournament.

The Dragons had rounds of 3-over 291 and 2-over 290 to card a 36-hole team score of 581. Indian Hills is at 566 (283-283) in Monday's two rounds. Dodge City is third at 587 (297-290). Iowa Western and Barton are tied for fourth at 600 and Garden City is sixth at 614.

Box shot a 1-under 71 to lead the Blue Dragons in Monday's first round. The Dragons also counted scores from&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/ross_louis_dfpl">Louis Ross</a>&nbsp;(72),&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/razinskas_david_7wz3">David Razinskas</a>&nbsp;(73) and Anderson (75).

Anderson and Thissen both shot 71s in the afternoon round to lead the Blue Dragons led the Dragons in the afternoon round with a pair of 71s. The Dragons also counted scored from Box (74) and Razinskas (74).

Individually, the Blue Dragons have to players in the Top 10 and four in the Top 15.

Box is tied for fifth in the district standings at 145. Box is 11 shots off the lead of Indian Hills' Jose Carletta, who had back-to-back 67s to lead with a 134. Box is second in the Region standings. Box trails Dodge City's Arthit Kruaprayong by three strokes in the Region 6 standings.

Anderson had a rough start to the day, playing the first five holes of his opening round at 4-over par. But the sophomore played the rest of the opening round in 1-under par to close at 75 and had a 71 in the afternoon round and is tied for seventh at 146 and is tied for fourth in the regional standings.

Razinskas and Ross are tied for 12th in the district standings and tied for eighth in the regional standings.

Individual player&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/sauder_brooks_jmni">Brooks Sauder</a>&nbsp;is 59th with a 36-hole score of 171 (90-81).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714482856458.jpeg" alt="Marco Anderson puts in the second round of the NJCAA Central District Tournament at Tiffany Greens Golf Course on Monday in Kansas City, MO. Anderson shot a 71 in the second round. (Steve Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)." />
 <figcaption>Marco Anderson puts in the second round of the NJCAA Central District Tournament at Tiffany Greens Golf Course on Monday in Kansas City, MO. Anderson shot a 71 in the second round. (Steve Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information).</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy Hutchinson CC Sports InformationKANSAS CITY, Missouri – Powered by under-par rounds from&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/box_charlie_jgcb">Charlie Box</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/anderson_marco_qoi7">Marco Anderson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/thissen_kenton_qoy2">Keaton Thissen</a>, the Hutchinson Community College men's golf team are in second place after two round of the NJCAA Central District/Region VI Championship at Tiffany Greens Golf Club.The No. 5-ranked Blue Dragons trail No. 3 Indian Hills by 15 strokes heading into Tuesday's final round, which tees off at 8:45 a.m. in a shotgun start. The Blue Dragons have a six-stroke lead for the Region VI lead over Dodge City.Hutchinson also has a 33-stroke cushion to finish in the top 5 and automatically qualify for the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships in three weeks in Hobbs, New Mexico. The Blue Dragons are bidding for their 23rd consecutive bid to the national tournament.The Dragons had rounds of 3-over 291 and 2-over 290 to card a 36-hole team score of 581. Indian Hills is at 566 (283-283) in Monday's two rounds. Dodge City is third at 587 (297-290). Iowa Western and Barton are tied for fourth at 600 and Garden City is sixth at 614.Box shot a 1-under 71 to lead the Blue Dragons in Monday's first round. The Dragons also counted scores from&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/ross_louis_dfpl">Louis Ross</a>&nbsp;(72),&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/razinskas_david_7wz3">David Razinskas</a>&nbsp;(73) and Anderson (75).Anderson and Thissen both shot 71s in the afternoon round to lead the Blue Dragons led the Dragons in the afternoon round with a pair of 71s. The Dragons also counted scored from Box (74) and Razinskas (74).Individually, the Blue Dragons have to players in the Top 10 and four in the Top 15.Box is tied for fifth in the district standings at 145. Box is 11 shots off the lead of Indian Hills' Jose Carletta, who had back-to-back 67s to lead with a 134. Box is second in the Region standings. Box trails Dodge City's Arthit Kruaprayong by three strokes in the Region 6 standings.Anderson had a rough start to the day, playing the first five holes of his opening round at 4-over par. But the sophomore played the rest of the opening round in 1-under par to close at 75 and had a 71 in the afternoon round and is tied for seventh at 146 and is tied for fourth in the regional standings.Razinskas and Ross are tied for 12th in the district standings and tied for eighth in the regional standings.Thissen is tied for 23rd at 151 (80-71).Individual player&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/bios/sauder_brooks_jmni">Brooks Sauder</a>&nbsp;is 59th with a 36-hole score of 171 (90-81).

⛳ Blue Dragons 2nd after 36 holes of Central District Tournament

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for April 30th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for April 30th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="April 30th, 2024 Early Morning Sports" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=7spkz-15fcd53-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Toronto edges Royals 🏈 Four HutchCC sign NFL deals 🏈 Kelce signs extention

Murray overcomes calf injury to score 32 and hit game-winner in Nuggets' 108-106 win over Lakers

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored a game-high 32 points Monday night despite a strained left calf and sank the game-winning shot with 3.6 seconds remaining as the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets again bounced LeBron James from the playoffs with a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5.James' two free throws tied it at 106 with 26 seconds left and the Nuggets, just as they did in Game 2, eschewed the timeout and Murray took the ball on a high screen and roll to his left, shaking Austin Reaves and he crossed through the lane and swished the 14-footer. It was Murray's buzzer beater that won Game 2.

James, Ham face uncertain futures with Lakers after being eliminated from playoffs by Nuggets again

DENVER (AP) — The futures of LeBron James and Darvin Ham with the Los Angeles Lakers remain murky. One might choose to leave and the other might not have a choice. For James, the decision is his on whether he wants to wear purple and gold again in his 22nd NBA season. For Ham, it's about whether the team brings him back for a third season as coach after back-to-back series losses to Denver. Big decisions loom after the defending champion Nuggets eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs with a 108-106 win in Game 5 on Monday.

U.S. and Mexico drop bid to host 2027 World Cup, Brazil and joint German-Dutch-Belgian bids remain

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation and its Mexican counterpart dropped their joint bid to host the 2027 Women's World Cup and said they instead will focus on trying to host the 2031 tournament. The decision left a proposal from Brazil and a joint Germany-Netherlands-Belgium plan competing to be picked for 2027 by the FIFA Congress that meets May 17 in Bangkok. The USSF said the 2031 bid will call for FIFA to invest equally in the men's and women's World Cups. FIFA said last year it planned to spend $896 million in prize money for the 2026 World Cup after devoting $110 million for last year's women's tournament.

Chiefs sign star tight end Travis Kelce to new 2-year, $34.25 million deal, AP source says

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Travis Kelce to a new two-year, $34.25 million contract. That's according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because the terms of the deal had not been released. The new deal ensures Kansas City will have its star tight end as it tries to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach says Kelce will remain the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. The 34-year-old Kelce is already the Chiefs' career leader in receiving yards. And his relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift has taken him to a new level of celebrity.

Derrick White scores 38, Celtics top Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 East playoff series lead

MIAMI (AP) — Derrick White scored a career-high 38 points, Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points and Jrue Holiday had 11 for the top-seeded Celtics, who lost Kristaps Porzingis in the first half to what the team said was a right calf injury. Bam Adebayo finished with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists for Miami, which had a sellout crowd but played again without injured starters Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier.

Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, lead OKC to a 97-89 Game 4 victory -- and sweep of the Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jalen Williams highlighted a 24-point performance with a back-breaking 3 with three minutes left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 97-89 to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which trailed by five in the fourth quarter before suddenly seizing control with a combination of stifling defense and opportunistic shooting. Giddey and Holmgren each scored 14 points. Holmgren also had nine rebounds. CJ McCollum scored 20 for New Orleans. But the Pelicans hit just eight of 34 shots from 3-point range. New Orleans stayed close despite usual high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram missing 12 of 14 shots and finishing with just eight points.

Johnston scores again and Stars beat Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 4 to even series

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Wyatt Johnston scored his third goal in two games, and the Dallas Stars beat the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 to even their first-round NHL playoffs series. Evgenii Dadonov, Ty Dellandrea and Roope Hintz also scored for the Stars, and Jake Oettinger made 33 saves. Michael Amadio and Jack Eichel had goals for the Golden Knights, and Logan Thompson stopped 28 shots. Eichel has scored goals in three consecutive games and has six points in this series. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Dallas. The road team has won every game.

Sergei Bobrovsky makes 31 saves, Panthers beat Lightning 6-1 to advance to 2nd round

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaege each had two goals and an assist, and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1 in Game 5 on Monday night to clinch their first-round series and advance in the NHL playoffs. Niko Mikkola had a goal and an assist, Evan Rodrigues also scored and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists for the Panthers, who won a playoff series against Tampa Bay for the first time in franchise history and clinched a postseason series at home for only the fourth time. Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, which was eliminated in the first round for the second straight year after reaching the Final three straight years. Andrei Vasilevsky stopped 33 shots.

Celtics' Porzingis leaves playoff game in Miami with right calf tightness

MIAMI (AP) — Boston center Kristaps Porzingis left the Celtics' playoff game in Miami on Monday night late in the first half with what the team said was right calf tightness. The play happened with about 2:35 left in the second quarter. Porzingis took a dribble as he tried to move to his left, then pulled up — without any visible contact on the play — and immediately motioned to the Boston bench. He was subbed out eight seconds later and went directly to the Celtics' locker room, stopping along the way to pull the top of his jersey over his face.

Gunnar Henderson becomes youngest player to hit 10 homers before May 1 as Orioles defeat Yankees 2-0

BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson led off the first inning with a homer to become the youngest player in major league history with 10 home runs before May 1 and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the New York Yankees 2-0 in the opener of a four-game series. Grayson Rodriguez threw 5 2/3 shutout innings for Baltimore, which won the first meeting of the season between the top teams in the AL East. New York left 10 runners on base and was 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Henderson's home run off Clarke Schmidt tied him with the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout for the major league lead.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		St. Louis	at	Detroit	6:40 p.m.	(Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, April 30th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, April 30th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for April 30th, 2024.<div><iframe title="April 30th, 2024 AP Sports" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=xxip4-15fcdad-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Murray overcomes calf injury to score 32 and hit game-winner in Nuggets' 108-106 win over LakersDENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored a game-high 32 points Monday night despite a strained left calf and sank the game-winning shot with 3.6 seconds remaining as the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets again bounced LeBron James from the playoffs with a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5.James' two free throws tied it at 106 with 26 seconds left and the Nuggets, just as they did in Game 2, eschewed the timeout and Murray took the ball on a high screen and roll to his left, shaking Austin Reaves and he crossed through the lane and swished the 14-footer. It was Murray's buzzer beater that won Game 2.James, Ham face uncertain futures with Lakers after being eliminated from playoffs by Nuggets againDENVER (AP) — The futures of LeBron James and Darvin Ham with the Los Angeles Lakers remain murky. One might choose to leave and the other might not have a choice. For James, the decision is his on whether he wants to wear purple and gold again in his 22nd NBA season. For Ham, it's about whether the team brings him back for a third season as coach after back-to-back series losses to Denver. Big decisions loom after the defending champion Nuggets eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs with a 108-106 win in Game 5 on Monday.U.S. and Mexico drop bid to host 2027 World Cup, Brazil and joint German-Dutch-Belgian bids remainNEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation and its Mexican counterpart dropped their joint bid to host the 2027 Women's World Cup and said they instead will focus on trying to host the 2031 tournament. The decision left a proposal from Brazil and a joint Germany-Netherlands-Belgium plan competing to be picked for 2027 by the FIFA Congress that meets May 17 in Bangkok. The USSF said the 2031 bid will call for FIFA to invest equally in the men's and women's World Cups. FIFA said last year it planned to spend $896 million in prize money for the 2026 World Cup after devoting $110 million for last year's women's tournament.Chiefs sign star tight end Travis Kelce to new 2-year, $34.25 million deal, AP source saysKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Travis Kelce to a new two-year, $34.25 million contract. That's according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because the terms of the deal had not been released. The new deal ensures Kansas City will have its star tight end as it tries to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach says Kelce will remain the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. The 34-year-old Kelce is already the Chiefs' career leader in receiving yards. And his relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift has taken him to a new level of celebrity.Derrick White scores 38, Celtics top Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 East playoff series leadMIAMI (AP) — Derrick White scored a career-high 38 points, Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points and Jrue Holiday had 11 for the top-seeded Celtics, who lost Kristaps Porzingis in the first half to what the team said was a right calf injury. Bam Adebayo finished with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists for Miami, which had a sellout crowd but played again without injured starters Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier.Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, lead OKC to a 97-89 Game 4 victory -- and sweep of the PelicansNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jalen Williams highlighted a 24-point performance with a back-breaking 3 with three minutes left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 97-89 to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which trailed by five in the fourth quarter before suddenly seizing control with a combination of stifling defense and opportunistic shooting. Giddey and Holmgren each scored 14 points. Holmgren also had nine rebounds. CJ McCollum scored 20 for New Orleans. But the Pelicans hit just eight of 34 shots from 3-point range. New Orleans stayed close despite usual high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram missing 12 of 14 shots and finishing with just eight points.Johnston scores again and Stars beat Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 4 to even seriesLAS VEGAS (AP) — Wyatt Johnston scored his third goal in two games, and the Dallas Stars beat the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 to even their first-round NHL playoffs series. Evgenii Dadonov, Ty Dellandrea and Roope Hintz also scored for the Stars, and Jake Oettinger made 33 saves. Michael Amadio and Jack Eichel had goals for the Golden Knights, and Logan Thompson stopped 28 shots. Eichel has scored goals in three consecutive games and has six points in this series. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Dallas. The road team has won every game.Sergei Bobrovsky makes 31 saves, Panthers beat Lightning 6-1 to advance to 2nd roundSUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaege each had two goals and an assist, and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1 in Game 5 on Monday night to clinch their first-round series and advance in the NHL playoffs. Niko Mikkola had a goal and an assist, Evan Rodrigues also scored and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists for the Panthers, who won a playoff series against Tampa Bay for the first time in franchise history and clinched a postseason series at home for only the fourth time. Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, which was eliminated in the first round for the second straight year after reaching the Final three straight years. Andrei Vasilevsky stopped 33 shots.Celtics' Porzingis leaves playoff game in Miami with right calf tightnessMIAMI (AP) — Boston center Kristaps Porzingis left the Celtics' playoff game in Miami on Monday night late in the first half with what the team said was right calf tightness. The play happened with about 2:35 left in the second quarter. Porzingis took a dribble as he tried to move to his left, then pulled up — without any visible contact on the play — and immediately motioned to the Boston bench. He was subbed out eight seconds later and went directly to the Celtics' locker room, stopping along the way to pull the top of his jersey over his face.Gunnar Henderson becomes youngest player to hit 10 homers before May 1 as Orioles defeat Yankees 2-0BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson led off the first inning with a homer to become the youngest player in major league history with 10 home runs before May 1 and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the New York Yankees 2-0 in the opener of a four-game series. Grayson Rodriguez threw 5 2/3 shutout innings for Baltimore, which won the first meeting of the season between the top teams in the AL East. New York left 10 runners on base and was 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Henderson's home run off Clarke Schmidt tied him with the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout for the major league lead.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUE		St. Louis	at	Detroit	6:40 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Tampa Bay	1	Milwaukee	0	Final	Oakland	5	Pittsburgh	1	Final	Seattle	2	Atlanta	1	Final	L.A. Angels	6	Philadelphia	5	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	2	N.Y. Yankees	0	Final	Toronto	6	Kansas City	5	Final	Minnesota	3	Chicago White Sox	2	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Washington	7	Miami	2	Final	Chicago Cubs	3	N.Y. Mets	1	Final	Cincinnati	5	San Diego	2	Final	L.A. Dodgers	8	Arizona	4	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Boston	102	Miami	88	Final	Oklahoma City	97	New Orleans	89	Final	Denver	108	L.A. Lakers	106	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Florida	6	Tampa Bay	1	Final	Dallas	4	Vegas	2	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		St. Louis	at	Detroit	3:40 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Detroit	6:40 p.m.			San Francisco	at	Boston	7:10 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Milwaukee	7:40 p.m.			Washington	at	Texas	8:05 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	L-A Angels	9:38 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Seattle	9:40 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	Oakland	9:40 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		N-Y Yankees	at	Baltimore	6:35 p.m.			Kansas City	at	Toronto	7:07 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Chi White Sox	7:40 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Houston	8:10 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Colorado	at	Miami	6:40 p.m.			Chi Cubs	at	N-Y Mets	7:10 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	San Diego	9:40 p.m.			L-A Dodgers	at	Arizona	9:40 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS		Philadelphia	at	New York	7 p.m.			Orlando	at	Cleveland	8 p.m.			Indiana	at	Milwaukee	9:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS		Toronto	at	Boston	7 p.m.			N-Y Islanders	at	Carolina	7:30 p.m.			Colorado	at	Winnipeg	9:30 p.m.			Nashville	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Tuesday

TORONTO (AP) — Justin Turner hit two home runs, Danny Jansen added a solo homer and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Monday night.

Turner hit a two-run home run in the first inning and had a leadoff homer in the third. The homers were his third and fourth. It was the 16th multihomer game of his career.

Jansen also connected in the third, his second.

The Blue Jays scored more than five runs for the first time in 21 games, ending a streak that dated back to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-blue-jays-score-26df01230f38e755b29c9e6488414d3f">a 9-8 loss at Yankee Stadium</a>&nbsp;on April 6.

“The best sign was the quality of contact and the amount of balls we kept off the ground,” Turner said. “We’ve been hitting a lot of hard balls but beating them into the ground and not getting any results. I think tonight was probably our best game of the year of having quality contact. That was good to see.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and drove in a run as Toronto won back-to-back games after losing the previous five.

The Blue Jays won for the first time in 12 games this season when their opponent scores at least five runs.

Royals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/salvador-perez-tight-back-royals-f7d1c7ab666f89964c5d1ab2742bc41f">catcher Salvador Perez was scratched</a>&nbsp;from the starting lineup because of a tight back but delivered a pinch-hit single with two out in the ninth. Dairon Blanco ran for Perez, who hit for DH Nelson Velázquez

“His back tightened up a little bit earlier in the day, but he worked on it throughout the game and he said he was 100% there at the end,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Perez.

Toronto’s Nate Pearson struck out Kansas City’s Michael Massey to end it, stranding the tying run at third base.

The save was Pearson’s first of the season. He finished for Toronto on a night that regular closer Jordan Romano and fellow right-hander Yimi Garcia were both unavailable.

“They have power arms throughout,” Quatraro said of Toronto’s deep bullpen. “I mean, Pearson is not a bad option throwing 100 miles per hour coming in in the ninth inning.”

Kyle Isbel homered and drove in two runs but the Royals lost their third straight. Freddy Fermin also homered for Kansas City, his first.

Recalled from Triple-A Omaha to make his second career start, Royals right-hander Jonathan Bowlan (0-1) allowed four runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings, including three home runs.

“The mistakes got hit at the end of the day,” Bowlan said. “I wasn’t pounding the zone how I would have liked and when you fall behind, stuff like this happens.”

Blue Jays right-hander Yariel Rodríguez allowed three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings but left with the bases loaded. Génesis Cabrera came on and retired Vinnie Pasquantino to escape the jam.

Cabrera (1-0) got four outs for the victory.

Isbel’s homer, his third, came off right-hander Trevor Richards in the sixth.

Fermin made it 6-5 with a leadoff homer off righty Erik Swanson in the eighth.

Blue Jays rookie Addison Barger got his first major league hit, a leadoff single in the sixth.

“It looked like a giant weight lifted off his shoulders,” Turner said. “He’s been taking great at-bats. He’s been hitting balls hard all over the place and hadn’t been rewarded yet.”

Kansas City optioned RHP Will Klein to Triple-A to make room for Bowlan.

RHP José Berríos (4-1, 1.23 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Tuesday night against Kansas City LHP Cole Ragans (1-2, 3.90).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708710110872.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IAN HARRISON Associated PressTORONTO (AP) — Justin Turner hit two home runs, Danny Jansen added a solo homer and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Monday night.Turner hit a two-run home run in the first inning and had a leadoff homer in the third. The homers were his third and fourth. It was the 16th multihomer game of his career.Jansen also connected in the third, his second.The Blue Jays scored more than five runs for the first time in 21 games, ending a streak that dated back to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-blue-jays-score-26df01230f38e755b29c9e6488414d3f">a 9-8 loss at Yankee Stadium</a>&nbsp;on April 6.“The best sign was the quality of contact and the amount of balls we kept off the ground,” Turner said. “We’ve been hitting a lot of hard balls but beating them into the ground and not getting any results. I think tonight was probably our best game of the year of having quality contact. That was good to see.”Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and drove in a run as Toronto won back-to-back games after losing the previous five.The Blue Jays won for the first time in 12 games this season when their opponent scores at least five runs.Royals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/salvador-perez-tight-back-royals-f7d1c7ab666f89964c5d1ab2742bc41f">catcher Salvador Perez was scratched</a>&nbsp;from the starting lineup because of a tight back but delivered a pinch-hit single with two out in the ninth. Dairon Blanco ran for Perez, who hit for DH Nelson Velázquez“His back tightened up a little bit earlier in the day, but he worked on it throughout the game and he said he was 100% there at the end,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Perez.Toronto’s Nate Pearson struck out Kansas City’s Michael Massey to end it, stranding the tying run at third base.The save was Pearson’s first of the season. He finished for Toronto on a night that regular closer Jordan Romano and fellow right-hander Yimi Garcia were both unavailable.“They have power arms throughout,” Quatraro said of Toronto’s deep bullpen. “I mean, Pearson is not a bad option throwing 100 miles per hour coming in in the ninth inning.”Kyle Isbel homered and drove in two runs but the Royals lost their third straight. Freddy Fermin also homered for Kansas City, his first.Recalled from Triple-A Omaha to make his second career start, Royals right-hander Jonathan Bowlan (0-1) allowed four runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings, including three home runs.“The mistakes got hit at the end of the day,” Bowlan said. “I wasn’t pounding the zone how I would have liked and when you fall behind, stuff like this happens.”Blue Jays right-hander Yariel Rodríguez allowed three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings but left with the bases loaded. Génesis Cabrera came on and retired Vinnie Pasquantino to escape the jam.Cabrera (1-0) got four outs for the victory.Isbel’s homer, his third, came off right-hander Trevor Richards in the sixth.Fermin made it 6-5 with a leadoff homer off righty Erik Swanson in the eighth.Blue Jays rookie Addison Barger got his first major league hit, a leadoff single in the sixth.“It looked like a giant weight lifted off his shoulders,” Turner said. “He’s been taking great at-bats. He’s been hitting balls hard all over the place and hadn’t been rewarded yet.”ROSTER MOVESKansas City optioned RHP Will Klein to Triple-A to make room for Bowlan.UP NEXTRHP José Berríos (4-1, 1.23 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Tuesday night against Kansas City LHP Cole Ragans (1-2, 3.90).

⚾ Blue Jays beat Royals Monday

TABETHA GRAY Hutchinson Boys and Girls Clubs

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Over 70 kids attended the  Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson’s 2024 Skills Combine, despite the curveball from Mother Nature. 

There were events inside the HutchCC football facility that focused on speed &amp; agility and once the weather cleared the kids went out and held one on one drills. 

Players enjoyed autographs and a photo opportunity with HCC Players and with Washington Commanders player and former Blue Dragon Mitchell Tinsley. 

Players &amp; parents were able to see first-hand the spectacular facility and program that Coach Drew Dallas has in Hutchinson.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Learn more about programs and activities offered by Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bgchutch.com/">www.bgchutch.com</a>&nbsp;or (620) 665-7171.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714413332214.png" alt="Over 70 players attended the 2024 Kids Combine, sponsored by the Hutchinson Boys and Girls Clubs. Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Boys and Girls Clubs." />
 <figcaption>Over 70 players attended the 2024 Kids Combine, sponsored by the Hutchinson Boys and Girls Clubs. Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Boys and Girls Clubs.</figcaption>
 </figure>TABETHA GRAY Hutchinson Boys and Girls ClubsHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Over 70 kids attended the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson’s 2024 Skills Combine, despite the curveball from Mother Nature. There were events inside the HutchCC football facility that focused on speed &amp; agility and once the weather cleared the kids went out and held one on one drills. Players enjoyed autographs and a photo opportunity with HCC Players and with Washington Commanders player and former Blue Dragon Mitchell Tinsley. Players &amp; parents were able to see first-hand the spectacular facility and program that Coach Drew Dallas has in Hutchinson.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about programs and activities offered by Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bgchutch.com/">www.bgchutch.com</a>&nbsp;or (620) 665-7171.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Combine big success despite weather

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs signed Travis Kelce to a two-year contract extension Monday that general manager Brett Veach said would make him the league’s highest-paid tight end while keeping him with the Super Bowl champions through the 2027 season.

Kelce signed a four-year, $57.25 million extension with Kansas City in 2020, which followed a $46 million, five-year deal that he signed in 2016. The new extension would keep the 34-year-old Kelce with the club until he is 38 years old.

Veach did not provide a financial breakdown of the latest extension, but he did call it a priority to “adjust his contract” and that “it is very fitting that Travis is now the highest-paid tight end in these two years.”

“Hard to put into words what Travis means to this organization and this city,” Veach told local reporters on Zoom. “Just a really special day and moment for this organization to once again recognize arguably one of the greatest tight ends to ever do it.”

Kelce, who was chosen by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 draft, already is their career leader with 11,328 yards receiving. He needs eight receptions to reach 917 and pass Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez for that record, and three touchdown catches would give him 77, dropping Gonzalez to No. 2 on that franchise list.

Most importantly, Kelce has helped Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowls and three titles in the past five years.

“Every now and then you have one of these guys that are outliers,” Veach said, “and Travis is one of those players. It’s not even May yet and today we had a chance to get out there in phase two (off the offseason) and Travis was the first one in line.”

It’s not just on the field where Kelce is a star, either.

His relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift has taken him to another level of celebrity, while appearances on shows such as “Saturday Night Live” have helped to make him a household name. He hosts one of the most popular podcasts across several genres with his brother and former Eagles center Jason Kelce, and he will soon host a quiz show on Amazon Prime.

But it all began on the field, where Kelce has long been considered one of the best tight ends in the game.

He missed the season opener with a knee injury last season, and he skipped the regular-season finale when the Chiefs already were assured of their playoff seeding. Those two games cost him the chance to extend his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to eight; he finished with 984 yards on 93 catches with five touchdown receptions.

When the postseason rolled around, Kelce once again took his performance to another level.

He had seven catches for 71 yards in a wild-card win over Miami, the fourth-coldest game in NFL history. He had five catches for 75 yards and two scores in a divisional win in Buffalo. He had 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the AFC title game in Baltimore, and capped it all with nine catches for 93 yards in the Super Bowl against San Francisco.

Along the way, Kelce batted down rumors of retirement, saying: “I have no reason to stop playing football. I love it.”

“The odds of someone playing this far into their 30s is low,” Veach acknowledged, “but it does happen. There are unicorns in the profession and Travis is one of those. He’s shown no signs of slowing down.”

The extension for Kelce comes one week after the Chiefs announced they had signed Veach, coach Andy Reid team president Mark Donovan to contract extensions. The team did not say how long those deals would last, but they are expected to keep the three most central leadership figures with the franchise through the 2029 season.

Patrick Mahomes, whom Kelce considers one of his closest friends, is under contract through the 2031 season. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, the third piece of their three-player core, signed a five-year, $158.75 million deal in March.

Along with rewarding Kelce for his continued superlative play, Veach pointed to several young players who will be due contract extensions in the next couple of years as another reason for getting the tight end’s long-term situation sorted out.

“We do have some younger guys coming up and like always, once the draft settles down, we’ll have a chance to address that,” he said. “Travis is an outlier here. We all know that. When you talk about Travis and his career and his legacy here, this is something we wanted to knock out of the park early on and shift our focus onto the young guys coming up.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707710371282.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce yells after a play during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)." />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce yells after a play during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson).</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs signed Travis Kelce to a two-year contract extension Monday that general manager Brett Veach said would make him the league’s highest-paid tight end while keeping him with the Super Bowl champions through the 2027 season.Kelce signed a four-year, $57.25 million extension with Kansas City in 2020, which followed a $46 million, five-year deal that he signed in 2016. The new extension would keep the 34-year-old Kelce with the club until he is 38 years old.Veach did not provide a financial breakdown of the latest extension, but he did call it a priority to “adjust his contract” and that “it is very fitting that Travis is now the highest-paid tight end in these two years.”“Hard to put into words what Travis means to this organization and this city,” Veach told local reporters on Zoom. “Just a really special day and moment for this organization to once again recognize arguably one of the greatest tight ends to ever do it.”Kelce, who was chosen by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 draft, already is their career leader with 11,328 yards receiving. He needs eight receptions to reach 917 and pass Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez for that record, and three touchdown catches would give him 77, dropping Gonzalez to No. 2 on that franchise list.Most importantly, Kelce has helped Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowls and three titles in the past five years.“Every now and then you have one of these guys that are outliers,” Veach said, “and Travis is one of those players. It’s not even May yet and today we had a chance to get out there in phase two (off the offseason) and Travis was the first one in line.”It’s not just on the field where Kelce is a star, either.His relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift has taken him to another level of celebrity, while appearances on shows such as “Saturday Night Live” have helped to make him a household name. He hosts one of the most popular podcasts across several genres with his brother and former Eagles center Jason Kelce, and he will soon host a quiz show on Amazon Prime.But it all began on the field, where Kelce has long been considered one of the best tight ends in the game.He missed the season opener with a knee injury last season, and he skipped the regular-season finale when the Chiefs already were assured of their playoff seeding. Those two games cost him the chance to extend his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to eight; he finished with 984 yards on 93 catches with five touchdown receptions.When the postseason rolled around, Kelce once again took his performance to another level.He had seven catches for 71 yards in a wild-card win over Miami, the fourth-coldest game in NFL history. He had five catches for 75 yards and two scores in a divisional win in Buffalo. He had 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the AFC title game in Baltimore, and capped it all with nine catches for 93 yards in the Super Bowl against San Francisco.Along the way, Kelce batted down rumors of retirement, saying: “I have no reason to stop playing football. I love it.”“The odds of someone playing this far into their 30s is low,” Veach acknowledged, “but it does happen. There are unicorns in the profession and Travis is one of those. He’s shown no signs of slowing down.”The extension for Kelce comes one week after the Chiefs announced they had signed Veach, coach Andy Reid team president Mark Donovan to contract extensions. The team did not say how long those deals would last, but they are expected to keep the three most central leadership figures with the franchise through the 2029 season.Patrick Mahomes, whom Kelce considers one of his closest friends, is under contract through the 2031 season. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, the third piece of their three-player core, signed a five-year, $158.75 million deal in March.Along with rewarding Kelce for his continued superlative play, Veach pointed to several young players who will be due contract extensions in the next couple of years as another reason for getting the tight end’s long-term situation sorted out.“We do have some younger guys coming up and like always, once the draft settles down, we’ll have a chance to address that,” he said. “Travis is an outlier here. We all know that. When you talk about Travis and his career and his legacy here, this is something we wanted to knock out of the park early on and shift our focus onto the young guys coming up.”

🏈 Chiefs sign All-Pro TE Travis Kelce to a 2-year extension through 2027 season

Four former Hutchinson Community College football players have signed undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams after this past weekend’s NFL Draft in Detroit.

Defensive back Ro Torrence has signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Defensive lineman Tramel Walthouer has signed with Baltimore Ravens. Defensive lineman Rodney Matthews has signed with the Green Bay Packers and Isaiah Iton has signed with the Tennessee Titans.

These four players are the 48th, 49th, 50th and 51st former Blue Dragons to be drafted or signed as undrafted free agents in the program’s history.

After Hutchinson, Torrence originally transferred to Auburn University and then to Arizona State before going to the 2024 NFL Combine and ultimately signing with the Seattle Seahawks.

With the Blue Dragons, all Torrence did was win 2020-21 National Defensive Player of the Year honors and help Hutchinson win a national championship.

The Bessemer, Alabama native helped produce a defense that ranked No. 3 in scoring defense and No. 7 in total defense in the nation in the 2020-21 Covid-challenged spring season and helped the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons defeat No. 2 Snow College 29-27 in the NJCAA Championship Game on June 5 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Torrence had a huge second-quarter interception in the championship game when the Blue Dragons were trailing 14-3. For the game, Torrence had three total tackles and the interception in the championship contest.

Torrence didn’t post the huge overall numbers one might associate with this honor. His numbers simply don’t tell the entire story of Torrence’s tremendous sophomore season, but they do speak volumes to the respect opposing teams gave him throughout the 2020-21 season.

Torrence had 26 total tackles in eight games started this season. Torrence broke up five passes with one interception During the regular season, Torrence was hardly targeted over the final five games of the regular season, thus cutting the field in half for opposing offenses.

Torrence is the third Blue Dragon to originally sign with the Seahawks, joining Claude George (2013-14, UDFA in 2017) and B.J. Emmons (2017, UDFA, 2020).

TRAMEL WALTHOUR – Baltimore Ravens

Walthour played one season for the Blue Dragons in 2018 where he garnered 16 total tackles and a quarterback sack in 10 games for Hutchinson.

Walthour spent five seasons at the University of Georgia. He played in 13 games last season while starting in five of them. He finished his career with 49 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back national titles throughout his career.

Walthouer is the fourth Blue Dragon to start his career in the Ravens’ organization. The others are Phil Hawkins (2001, UDFA 2024); Meshak Williams (2009-10, UDFA 2013) and Jonathan White (2019, UDFA 2023).

RODNEY MATTHEWS – Green Bay Packers

Matthews was a defensive tackle for the Blue Dragons in the 2019 seasons, where he earned all-Jayhawk Conference honors. Matthews played in 10 games for the Blue Dragons had had 19 total tackles with 2.5 quarterback sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss as a Blue Dragon.

Matthews moved on to Ohio University where he played in 41 games. Matthews had 71 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He snagged his first career interception during Ohio's historic victory over the Iowa State Cyclones (Sept. 16, 2023).&nbsp;

Matthews joins a long just of former Blue Dragons to start with the Packers. The others are Kevin Barry (1997-98, UDFA 2002), Angelo Pease (2011, UDFA 2013), Caliph Brice (2017-18, UDFA 2021); Devonte Wyatt (2019; 1st-round 2022).

Iton never played a game for the Blue Dragons but was with the team in the fall of 2020, the Covid pandemic season. After taking care of his course work at HutchCC, Iton transferred to the University of Mississippi and ultimately to Rutgers University for the 2023 season.

Iton started all 13 games last season after transferring from Ole Miss. He had 38 tackles and one sack.

Iton is the third Blue Dragon to start his professional career with the Titans, joining Jason Gamble (1994-95, UDFA in 1997) and Toby Johnson (2012-13, UDFA in 2015).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714411907528.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationFour former Hutchinson Community College football players have signed undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams after this past weekend’s NFL Draft in Detroit.Defensive back Ro Torrence has signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Defensive lineman Tramel Walthouer has signed with Baltimore Ravens. Defensive lineman Rodney Matthews has signed with the Green Bay Packers and Isaiah Iton has signed with the Tennessee Titans.These four players are the 48th, 49th, 50th and 51st former Blue Dragons to be drafted or signed as undrafted free agents in the program’s history.RO TORRENCE – Seattle SeahawksAfter Hutchinson, Torrence originally transferred to Auburn University and then to Arizona State before going to the 2024 NFL Combine and ultimately signing with the Seattle Seahawks.With the Blue Dragons, all Torrence did was win 2020-21 National Defensive Player of the Year honors and help Hutchinson win a national championship.The Bessemer, Alabama native helped produce a defense that ranked No. 3 in scoring defense and No. 7 in total defense in the nation in the 2020-21 Covid-challenged spring season and helped the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons defeat No. 2 Snow College 29-27 in the NJCAA Championship Game on June 5 in Little Rock, Arkansas.Torrence had a huge second-quarter interception in the championship game when the Blue Dragons were trailing 14-3. For the game, Torrence had three total tackles and the interception in the championship contest.Torrence didn’t post the huge overall numbers one might associate with this honor. His numbers simply don’t tell the entire story of Torrence’s tremendous sophomore season, but they do speak volumes to the respect opposing teams gave him throughout the 2020-21 season.Torrence had 26 total tackles in eight games started this season. Torrence broke up five passes with one interception During the regular season, Torrence was hardly targeted over the final five games of the regular season, thus cutting the field in half for opposing offenses.Torrence is the third Blue Dragon to originally sign with the Seahawks, joining Claude George (2013-14, UDFA in 2017) and B.J. Emmons (2017, UDFA, 2020).TRAMEL WALTHOUR – Baltimore RavensWalthour played one season for the Blue Dragons in 2018 where he garnered 16 total tackles and a quarterback sack in 10 games for Hutchinson.Walthour spent five seasons at the University of Georgia. He played in 13 games last season while starting in five of them. He finished his career with 49 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back national titles throughout his career.Walthouer is the fourth Blue Dragon to start his career in the Ravens’ organization. The others are Phil Hawkins (2001, UDFA 2024); Meshak Williams (2009-10, UDFA 2013) and Jonathan White (2019, UDFA 2023).RODNEY MATTHEWS – Green Bay PackersMatthews was a defensive tackle for the Blue Dragons in the 2019 seasons, where he earned all-Jayhawk Conference honors. Matthews played in 10 games for the Blue Dragons had had 19 total tackles with 2.5 quarterback sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss as a Blue Dragon.Matthews moved on to Ohio University where he played in 41 games. Matthews had 71 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He snagged his first career interception during Ohio's historic victory over the Iowa State Cyclones (Sept. 16, 2023).&nbsp;Matthews joins a long just of former Blue Dragons to start with the Packers. The others are Kevin Barry (1997-98, UDFA 2002), Angelo Pease (2011, UDFA 2013), Caliph Brice (2017-18, UDFA 2021); Devonte Wyatt (2019; 1st-round 2022).ISAIAH ITON – Tennessee TitansIton never played a game for the Blue Dragons but was with the team in the fall of 2020, the Covid pandemic season. After taking care of his course work at HutchCC, Iton transferred to the University of Mississippi and ultimately to Rutgers University for the 2023 season.Iton started all 13 games last season after transferring from Ole Miss. He had 38 tackles and one sack.Iton is the third Blue Dragon to start his professional career with the Titans, joining Jason Gamble (1994-95, UDFA in 1997) and Toby Johnson (2012-13, UDFA in 2015).

🏈 Four former Dragons sign NFL UDFAs

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Monday, April 29th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Monday, April 29th, 2024.</figcaption>
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🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals drop game to Detroit 🏈 Dylan Edwards returns to Kansas; signs with K-State ⚾ Wind Surge split with San Antonio 

SAN ANTONIO, Texas—The Wichita Wind Surge fell 3-1 on Sunday's series finale against the San Antonio Missions.

A solo home run off&nbsp;Nick Wittgren&nbsp;gave San Antonio the first run of the day with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.

Ben Ross&nbsp;came through for his first hit of the series on a run-scoring double to the gap in right center in the top of the fifth that scored&nbsp;Jake Rucker&nbsp;and tied the game at one.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714390033200.jpeg" alt="Wind Surge split series with Missions." />
 <figcaption>Wind Surge split series with Missions.</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN ANTONIO, Texas—The Wichita Wind Surge fell 3-1 on Sunday's series finale against the San Antonio Missions.A solo home run off&nbsp;Nick Wittgren&nbsp;gave San Antonio the first run of the day with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.Ben Ross&nbsp;came through for his first hit of the series on a run-scoring double to the gap in right center in the top of the fifth that scored&nbsp;Jake Rucker&nbsp;and tied the game at one.The Missions regained and improved their lead to 3-1 after a pair of RBI singles in the sixth and seventh innings against&nbsp;Aaron Rozek&nbsp;and&nbsp;John Stankiewicz. After&nbsp;Jeferson Morales&nbsp;reached on a walk to begin the top of the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, the following three Wichita hitters struck out to end the game.The Wind Surge split the series with the Missions in the Lone Star State. Rozek received his first loss of the year after surrendering an earned run on four hits and two walks in three and two-thirds innings of relief.Wichita begins the second week of a 12-game road stretch on Tuesday, April 30, against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas. The first pitch will be at 7:05 PM. You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/MiLB.TV">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>.