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Saunders’ infield hit lifts M’s over Astros 3-1

By WTOP Staff

DAIMON EKLUND
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — A slight pause by Tony Sipp made all the difference for the Houston Astros on Thursday night.

Michael Saunders barely beat Sipp to first base for a two-run infield single with two outs in the seventh inning to lift the Seattle Mariners to a 3-1 win over the Astros.

With the game tied at 1, the bases loaded, two outs and a full count, Saunders hit a chopper to first and narrowly outraced Sipp, who was covering the bag.

“It was so close, I didn’t know whose feet hit first,” Sipp said. “It could have gone either way. Looking back, I feel I could have got there quicker. It’s one of those things you can’t get back.”

A replay review showed Saunders did get to the bag first. The batters were running on the pitch, allowing two runs to score.

“It is tough to lose that way,” Houston manager Bo Porter said. “We made the pitches to get out of it, but at the same time if we break right to the bag I think we get them.”

Jose Altuve homered on the game’s first pitch for the Astros, who have lost three in a row.

Houston starter Jarred Cosart (3-4) had kept Seattle’s offense largely bottled up until the seventh inning.

Dustin Ackley and Stefen Romero led off with singles and Cosart walked Nick Franklin to load the bases with no outs. Cosart struck out Mike Zunino before giving way to Sipp, who got pinch hitter Cole Gillespie to pop up before coming up just short of beating Saunders and getting out of the inning.

“It’s one of those things that will eat at me for a while,” Sipp said. “You try to assess the situation, see what was what and it was that little half second that I got beat by.”

Sipp had retired 21 consecutive batters before Saunders’ single.

“Tony came in and we felt like we were going to get out of it,” Porter said. “We were a groundball away and covering first from getting out of it.”

Cosart gave up three runs on five hits and over 6 1-3 innings.

“He was throwing a lot of fastballs, was working in and out pretty well,” Romero said.

Cosart struck out six but walked four, Cosart’s second straight start with four walks.

“I’ve got to figure out why I’m walking people,” Cosart said. “If I put somebody on base they usually score. They haven’t been getting hits to score the runs, they’ve been walking, then get a hit and score. I just have to stop walking guys, bottom line.”

Seattle starter Roenis Elias pitched into the sixth inning, allowing three hits, with the only run coming on Altuve’s leadoff homer. Elias struck out six, walked four and pitched out of jams a couple times early — the first two batters reached in the second and third innings — before settling down.

“We expanded our zone a little too much with a guy that did not show he was going to command the zone,” Porter said.

Altuve took Elias’ opening pitch deep into the visitor’s bullpen in right field for his second home run. It was Altuve’s third career leadoff homer and first this season.

The Mariners scratched out a run in the bottom of the first. James Jones led off with a walk, advanced to third on Saunders’ single and scored on Robinson Cano’s sacrifice fly to center.

Dominic Leone (1-0) pitched 1 2-3 innings for his first major league win in 16 appearances, and Fernando Rodney pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save.

NOTES: Houston OF George Springer was held out of the lineup after injuring his hip while getting picked off in the ninth inning Wednesday. Astros manager Bo Porter said Springer could be back as soon as Friday. … Altuve has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 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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