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Nats bang out 17 hits and beat the Mets

By WTOP Staff

Craig Heist, wtop.com

Port St. Lucie, Fla.- Gio Gonzalez made his first start of the spring a good one, throwing two hitless innings as the Nationals beat the Mets in front of 3,611 fans at Tradition Field.

Gonzalez fought through a couple of errors by shortstop Zach Walters and second baseman Steve Lomardozzi, managing to get out of a 2nd and 3rd, two out jam. Gonzlaez walked one and struck out three and threw 35 pitches, 19 for strikes. “I felt good and I was having fun out there but the most important part was you see everyone that was playing was having fun,” Gonzalez said.

“I think Snyd (Chris Snyder) did a great job behind the plate. He is such a hard target to miss and he did a great job. Corey Brown making a great play for me so, it’s fun to watch these guys go out and compete at the best level. Now, it’s just a matter of pounding the strike zone and getting them back in the dugout as quick as possible. By the way they were swinging it, they were having fun.”

Gonzalez has two more starts as he prepares to pitch in the World Baseball Classic in which his first game with Team USA will be in Miami.

He has been answering questions about being linked to the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in Miami run by Anthony Bosch maintaining his innocence all along. He admits it nice to just think about baseball.

“Yea, it was good to get back on the mound and get back at it,” he said.

“Especially with the fan support I was getting out there, it nice to hear them support you. There were butterflies and that’s nice to have that feeling of butterflies which is a good thing. It means baseball hasn’t left your emotions. When I got the first pitch out of the way, I was just excited to go and play my game.”

But Gonzalez also didn’t know what kind of reaction he would get from the fans. “You want to go out there and have fun. I think my job was to go out there and pound the strike zone. You don’t know what the reaction of the fans is going to be, you are pitching in someone else’s ballpark. But, when you have a lot of people supporting you and showing you love, that means a lot too.”

Hollywood not kind to Gio

When Gonzalez met with reporters in the clubhouse after his two innings of work, he was sporting a nice little rug burn right above the right eye.

“Messin around with my dog and she gave me a rug burn,” he said.

“I hate her, then I love her, and I look here in the face and I love her again.” “She’s a French bulldog,” he said laughing wanting to come up with a better excuse. “That’s what I should have said; I took one off the forehead. No, Hollywood, I’m going to blame it on my dog.”

Mattheus closes it out

Nats pitcher Ryan Mattheus closed the door with a two run lead in the bottom of the 9th giving up a one-out single but then striking out the last two batters he faced.

Mattheus went 5-3 last season in 66 appearances with an ERA of 2.84 and despite that great year, he takes nothing for granted heading into this longer than normal spring.

“I’m kind of easing into it now saying I have a spot on the team or getting complacent or anything like that but I had a bigger work load than I had at any time in my career so, I’m taking it easy from that standpoint,” he said.

Nonetheless, there he was in a save situation in the 9th.

“The first time out is tough no matter what inning you are throwing. That’s what I like to throw in the ballgame. I came in the minor leagues in the bullpen as a closer and I hope to be a closer in the Major Leagues some day so it’s nice to get out there in that situation.”

Bring out the bats

The Nationals banged out 17 hits against Mets pitching and what impressive was the way the offense came together in the third inning.

Eury Perez, who had three infield hits on the night, reached on a single to deep second base. Steve Lombardozzi then doubled him home. Tyler Moore came through with an RBI single and then Carlos Rivero doubled home the third run of the inning.

“It was good to see us get some hits back-to-back there and get something going,” Lombardozzi said. “It was a fun night and good to see some of the younger guys get some knocks.”

Karns impresses

Nathan Karns was outstanding in his two innings of relief for the Nationals. Karns was drafted in the 12th round of the 2009 Amateur Draft and went 11-4 between both Hagerstown and Potomac last season and he pitched two innings Monday night allowing one hit and striking out three.

“Yea, I was a little nervous in the pen, I’m not going to lie,” Karns said. “It’s been a long time, especially the first outing under the lights. It was a little something special and it was nice and it was a great turnout so you can’t ask for more out of it.”

A Brave(s) new world

The Nationals travel to Disney on Tuesday to face the Braves. Ross Detwiler goes for the Nats while the Braves send out Mike Minor. Game time is 1:05.

Follow @CraigWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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