Thursday May 9th Local Sports
TORONTO (AP) — Jorge Polanco had five hits, including a two-run home run, Kyle Gibson struck out a career-high 11 and the Minnesota Twins beat Toronto 9-1, completing a three-game sweep of the struggling Blue Jays. Eddie Rosario hit his AL-leading 13th home run, one of four long balls by the Twins. Minnesota had 18 hits, one shy of its season high, as the Twins swept a series for the fifth time this season. Minnesota has won 10 of 13. Toronto has lost a season-high five straight and eight of nine overall.
The Twins have today off before starting a three-day, four-game series with Detroit at Target Field on Friday night, with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday and a single game Sunday afternoon.
MASON CITY – NIACC sophomore first baseman Fox Leum was selected as the NJCAA Division II baseball player of the week for the week of April 29-May 5.
Leum, who was honored as the ICCAC player of the week on Monday, homered in seven of the eight games, hitting a total of nine home runs.
Last week, Leum drove in 15 runs and scored 14 runs during the course of the week. The slugger also collected his 100th career hit last week becoming the 25th member of the school’s 100 hit club.
Leum leads NJCAA Division II with 24 home runs, which ranks second on the school’s all-time single season list. Leum is also tied for first on the school’s career list with 33 home runs.
Leum is hitting .400 with 66 RBIs and 51 walks with an on-base percentage of .554.
NIACC will take on Southeastern in the first round of the NJCAA Region XI tournament at 3 p.m. Thursday in Clinton.
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA — The Iowa Hawkeyes open the Big Ten softball tournament in Bloomington, Indiana, Thursday morning by taking on Wisconsin. The 12th seeded Hawkeyes were swept in a three game series by the fifth seeded Badgers back in early April.
That’s Iowa coach Renee Gillispie who says the Hawkeyes are a better team right now.
The Hawkeyes need to find a way to pitch to Badger standouts Kayla Konwent and Taylor Johnson. That duo has combined to hit 26 homers and drive in 92 runs. The winner advances to play fourth seeded Ohio State Friday morning.
MASON CITY — Co-ed state-qualifier track & field meets take place today:
== 4A at Fort Dodge — Mason City, Ames, Ankeny, Ankeny Centennial, Des Moines Lincoln, Des Moines Roosevelt, Fort Dodge, Urbandale
== 3A at Charles City — Clear Lake, Charles City, Algona, Decorah, Hampton-Dumont/CAL, Iowa Falls-Alden, Waverly-Shell Rock, Webster City
== 2A at Garner — Aplington-Parkersburg, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Crestwood, Denver, Eagle Grove, Emmetsburg, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Lake Mills, Osage, Pocahontas
== 1A at Northwood — Newman, AGWSR, Belmond-Klemme, Central Springs, Clarksville, Janesville, Nashua-Plainfield, North Butler, North Iowa, Northwood-Kensett, Riceville, Rockford, St. Ansgar, West Fork
== 1A at North Union — (local team listed only) West Hancock
Qualifiers from today’s meets will compete at the state track meet which gets underway next Thursday in Des Moines.