Monday August 26th Local Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The first-place Minnesota Twins didn’t get many hits off Detroit starter Matthew Boyd, but they certainly made them count.

C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop homered, Martín Pérez pitched six solid innings and Minnesota beat the last-place Detroit Tigers 7-4 on Sunday to win two of three in the weekend series.

Minnesota increased its AL Central lead to 3½ games over the Cleveland Indians, who lost at home to Kansas City 9-8 in 10 innings.

Cron’s three-run shot to center field broke open a 2-0 game in the fourth and gave Pérez (9-5) plenty of cushion to work with. The left-hander allowed two runs and five hits for his first win since July 5. It was the second time in his last three starts that Pérez went six innings and yielded two or fewer runs.

The Twins now head off on a 10-day road trip that takes them to Chicago, Detroit and Boston. Their three-game series with the White Sox starts tomorrow night at 7:10.

AMES —- Iowa State coach Matt Campbell says the focus in practice has shifted toward Northern Iowa. The Cyclones and Panthers meet in the season opener Saturday in Ames.

Campbell says as game week approaches they have turned their attention toward UNI.

Campbell says the Cyclones have for the most part remained injury free during practice.

AMES — Iowa State’s young receiving corps will get its first test against UNI. Hakeem Butler left early for the NFL and quarterback Brock Purdy is working with several new wide outs.

Purdy says the new receivers have made a lot of progress.

Offensive coordinator Tom Manning says Purdy has done a good job of spreading the ball around in practice.

Iowa State and UNI kick off at 11 o’clock on Saturday morning.

ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS — The NIACC volleyball team won their first four matches of the season over the weekend at the McHenry County College Invitational in Rockford, Illinois. On Friday, NIACC topped Kishwaukee College 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-13) and Madison College 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-18). Sophomore Kennedy Meister had 36 kills and 24 digs while freshman Becca Steffens had 64 assists, 19 digs, 14 kills and six aces on Friday. On Saturday , NIACC had a 3-1 win (25-13, 22-25, 25-13, 25-21) over Oakton Community College and a 3-2 win (25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 13-25, 15-6) over Grand Rapids Community College. Meister once again led the Lady Trojans with 24 kills and 31 digs. NIACC returns to action this coming weekend at Southeastern’s Jimmy John Invitational in West Burlington.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier and Danielle Robinson scored 23 points each and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Las Vegas Aces 98-77. Sylvia Fowles added 14 points for the Lynx (15-15), who shot 59 percent from the field and reduced their playoff-clinching magic number to one with four games to go.