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Virginia beats Ole Miss 2-1 in CWS on hit in 9th

By WTOP Staff

ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — With one swing of the bat, Mike Papi delivered a victory for Virginia in its College World Series opener and kept a sensational pitching performance from potentially going to waste.

Papi’s RBI double into right-center with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Virginia a 2-1 win Sunday night. The Cavaliers’ win came as Nathan Kirby and Artie Lewicki combined for the first one-hitter at the CWS in 31 years.

“I’m playing for the guys next to me. I’m doing everything I can to get the job done,” Papi said. “When we have two guys like Nathan and Artie do a fantastic job and only give up one hit, our offense needs to put it together and give them more run support.”

The win sent Virginia (50-14) into a winners game against TCU on Tuesday night. Ole Miss (46-20) meets Texas Tech in an elimination game in the afternoon.

“I thought they outplayed us tonight,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “Not by much, but enough to make a difference, especially in this tight of a ball game.”

Virginia was just 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position when Papi went to the plate in the ninth. The Rebels elected to pitch to the Cavaliers’ top hitter and RBI leader even though first base was unoccupied.

Aaron Greenwood (3-2) ran the count full before Papi drilled the ball into the gap, allowing Nate Irving to score from second.

“We kept getting opportunities and couldn’t get that big hit to tack on some more runs,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “I guess we saved it for the dramatic there in the ninth.”

Lewicki (2-0) earned the win after Kirby gave up one hit and one run over seven innings. Ole Miss converted two walks and a groundout to tie it in the eighth.

The one-hitter was the first since Alabama’s Alan Dunn and Tim Meacham combined for one against Arizona State in 1983, and came after Kirby had pitched poorly and took the loss in last week’s super-regional opener against Maryland.

“Last week I left a bunch of pitches up, and they made me pay for it,” Kirby said. “This week I just wanted to completely turn the page and get out there and attack and force them to beat me, and fortunately for me it went my way.”

The Cavaliers had used three singles and a walk to produce a run in the fifth and then hoped Kirby could take them the rest of the way. Ole Miss’ only hit against Kirby was Errol Robinson’s single leading off the third.

Rebels center fielder Auston Bousfield had kept Virginia from taking a three-run lead in the seventh when, with two runners on, he made an over-the-shoulder catch of Derek Fisher’s fly to end the inning.

That big defensive play put the Rebels in position to tie it after Kirby, who had retired 14 of the previous 15 batters, walked Sikes Orvis and Colby Bortles to start the eighth. Lewicki came on, the runners moved over on a sacrifice and then pinch-hitter Holt Perdzock made it 1-1 with his RBI groundout.

Rebels starter Chris Ellis allowed six hits, walked four and struck out three in six innings. Jeremy Massie entered with a runner on base and none out in the seventh and, thanks to Bousfield’s spectacular catch, got out of the seventh unscathed.

Greenwood pitched a perfect eighth but walked Irving to start the bottom of the ninth. Branden Coswell moved him over with a sacrifice. After Daniel Pinero struck out, Papi delivered his game-winning hit to spark Virginia’s celebration.

Bianco didn’t second guess his decision to have the right-handed Greenwood pitch to Papi, the first of three straight lefties in Virginia’s batting order. Bianco said he was short of left-handers in the bullpen and that he had confidence in Greenwood.

“He’s been our guy,” Bianco said.

Still, he said, “It’s not the place you want to be with the winning run at second base.”

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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