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Cardinals sweep Diamondbacks with 4-2 win

By WTOP Staff

ST. LOUIS (AP) — After returning from Triple-A Memphis a day earlier, Shane Robinson didn’t take long to make his presence felt with the big club.

Robinson was given a start and made the most of it by going 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored and the St. Louis Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of Arizona by beating the Diamondbacks 4-2 Thursday night.

“It was a good feeling to be able to get in there and help out the club and get a win tonight,” Robinson said. “I’m just feeling blessed to be up here.”

Allen Craig drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the seventh inning. Craig was 2 for 4 and also scored a run.

The sweep was the first of a three-game series this season for St. Louis, which has won seven of eight.

Pat Neshek (1-0) pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings to pick up his first win as a Cardinal.

“You try to throw strikes and keep the game within reach and maybe our hitters will score,” Neshek said. “Tonight, they did.”

Trevor Rosenthal retired Arizona in order in the ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances.

Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt had an RBI single and Aaron Hill drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley (3-5) lasted 6 2-3 innings and allowed three runs and seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

Miley seemed poised to get through seven innings as he retired Matt Carpenter and Peter Bourjos on groundouts to start that inning.

But he walked Matt Holiday, and Craig hit his next pitch into the gap in right-center to score Holliday and give St. Louis a 3-2 lead.

“He was trying to hit the ball the other way in that situation and get back on track,” Miley said of Craig. “I make a better pitch and it’s a different situation.”

Matt Carpenter gave the Cardinals some insurance with a two-out RBI single off Arizona reliever Joe Thatcher in the eighth.

Arizona manager Kirk Gibson credited the Cardinals for their ability to extend innings.

“They scored two-out runs on us this whole series,” Gibson said. “They’re very good at that.”

The Diamondbacks jumped on St. Louis starter Lance Lynn early.

Gerardo Parra led off the game with a single to right and went to second on a walk to Martin Prado. Goldschmidt singled to right to score Parra and move Prado to third. Hill then made Arizona’s first out, but it was a productive one as his sacrifice fly to right made it 2-0.

But those were all the runs that Lynn allowed. He lasted six innings and allowed seven hits and a walk while striking out six.

“I stopped throwing the ball down the middle,” Lynn said. “I left a few balls up in the first. I was able to regroup.”

St. Louis scored twice in the sixth to tie it at 2-2.

With one out, Craig reached on an infield single to second.

One out later, Craig moved to third on Jhonny Peralta’s double down the line in left. Robinson then scored both of them when he followed Peralta with a double to the gap in left-center to tie it 2-2.

“My swing feels pretty good right now,” Robinson said. “I had a chance to work on it down there (at Memphis) I think it helped getting in right away.”

NOTES: Holliday has reached base safely in all 21 home games. … Chase Anderson (2-0, 5.06 ERA) takes on Bartolo Colon (3-5) when the Diamondbacks open a three-game series at the New York Mets on Friday. … Shelby Miller (6-2) will seek to win his seventh straight decision when he opposes the Reds’ Homer Bailey in the opener of a three-game series in Cincinnati on Friday. … Goldschmidt has driven in 17 runs in his past 21 games.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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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