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Orioles beat White Sox 5-4 in 12 innings

By WTOP Staff

DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) — As poorly as they played for the first seven innings, it seemed hard to imagine the Baltimore Orioles would be celebrating an uplifting victory well after midnight.

Then again, strange things happen when the Chicago White Sox are involved.

Nelson Cruz hit a game-tying grand slam in the eighth inning and David Lough scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 12th to give the Orioles a 5-4 victory Wednesday night.

Nick Markakis had four hits for the Orioles, who won two of three from Chicago — twice in their last at-bat.

“It’s big,” Lough said. “That’s our second walk-off win against these guys. They’re a good team. Give credit to them and their pitching staff for holding us.”

The Orioles didn’t get a runner past first base against White Sox starter Hector Noesi until the seventh inning and trailed 4-0 entering the eighth. Noesi was pulled after giving up two straight singles, and Scott Downs walked Chris Davis to load the bases with two outs.

Chicago manager Robin Ventura summoned Javy Guerra, the fourth pitcher of the inning, to face Cruz. On a 2-1 pitch, Cruz launched an opposite-field drive that barely cleared the wall in right field. It was his 24th home run, the second grand slam of the season and eighth of his career.

“I had the chance to do some damage in a couple of at-bats before then, but I grounded into a double play twice,” Cruz said. “It feels good to get the home run to tie the game.”

Said Lough: “That’s a big-time clutch hit right there, as big as it gets. That’s who we want at the plate, because he leads this team. You see what he’s capable of doing and the numbers he’s put up. He’s a special player.”

Neither team threatened before the grounds crew came with the tarp as soon as the ninth inning ended. Rain delayed the start of the 10th for 69 minutes.

Nick Hundley opened the bottom of the 12th with a walk off Daniel Webb (4-2) and Lough entered as a pinch-runner. Lough took third on a single by Markakis and scored easily when Webb uncorked a pitch that got past catcher Tyler Flowers.

“It’s tough to lose like that,” Ventura said. “Hector threw a great game, but we couldn’t hold onto it. We’ve got to be able to be better at the end.”

Tommy Hunter (2-1) got the final out in the Chicago 12th to earn the win.

“It didn’t look like it was a 4-4 game or it ended up being 5-4 in the first seven innings,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Eight innings. Whatever it was. It seems like yesterday. It was yesterday.”

Jose Abreu hit his 23rd home run for the White Sox, Adam Eaton tied a career high with four hits and Flowers drove in two runs. Abreu has four homers and 10 RBIs during his current 10-game hitting streak.

None of it mattered.

“The way we played, we should have (won), but the baseball gods must be upset with us in some way, shape, or form,” Eaton said.

Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander left the mound in danger of absorbing his ninth loss, but Cruz’s slam took Jimenez off the hook.

Until Cruz connected, Noesi and the White Sox dominated.

Abreu provided Chicago a 1-0 lead by hitting the first pitch of the fourth inning into the seats in left.

In the fifth, Alejandro De Aza drew a leadoff walk and scored on a triple by Eaton. The Orioles pulled the infield in, and that resulted in Eaton being thrown out at the plate on a grounder to third.

Flowers hit a two-run single in the seventh to make it 4-0. That seemingly provided a bit of breathing room for the White Sox, whose previous seven games were decided by two runs or fewer.

Unfortunately for Chicago, the lead didn’t hold up.

“That was my fault, I put this game on myself,” Guerra said. “I have to be better in that situation, no matter what. I need to understand the situation. I feel bad for the team in general because I know I let everyone down.”

NOTES: Baltimore is off Thursday. Chicago sends Scott Carroll to the mound in the opener of a four-game series against host Toronto. … Orioles RHP Bud Norris (strained groin) was supposed to pitch in Friday’s split doubleheader against Tampa Bay. Chris Tillman will start instead, and Norris might not pitch again until Tuesday. He was expected to have an MRI on Thursday, Showalter said. … Eaton has reached base in 20 straight games and owns a career-best 12-game hitting streak.

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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