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Jeter leads Yankees’ sweep of Seattle with 6-3 win

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — Derek Jeter made his final regular season appearance in Seattle memorable.

Seemed appropriate.

Of all the stops on Jeter’s season-long farewell tour, Seattle holds a bit more meaning because this is where his career started.

“You tend to think about the first time you came, when you got here,” Jeter said. “It’s still hard to think I’m not going to play another game here but when you come to some of these cities you start thinking about a lot of the memories you’ve had here. Seattle will always be special because it was the beginning.”

Jeter had three hits, two RBIs and scored twice as the New York Yankees completed their first three-game sweep of the season with a 6-3 win over the Mariners on Thursday night.

Jeter was honored by the Mariners before the start of the series, then helped jump start the Yankees. Jeter had singles in his first two at-bats off Seattle starter Roenis Elias (5-5), then greeted reliever Dominic Leone with a two-run single in the fourth that gave the Yankees a 6-1 lead.

Jeter finished the series with seven hits.

“It feels good to come out here and win three games. It’s not an easy place to win,” New York manager Joe Girardi said. “Obviously they pitch very well and we had not scored a lot of runs off them.”

This night, and much of the series, was about Jeter’s farewell tour. His professional start came in Seattle in May 1995. He was given thundering ovations every time he stepped to the plate.

Jeter received a standing ovation from the entire stadium on his final at-bat in the ninth. He grounded out on a comebacker to the mound and tipped his helmet as he jogged of the field.

“Fans have always been good to me here. Even when they get on you a little bit they still respect you,” Jeter said. “They were awesome.”

Jacoby Ellsbury hit a two-run homer in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 16 games and gave starter Chase Whitley (2-0) an early lead.

Whitley threw a career-high 7 2-3 innings to get his second straight win. He also got a huge defensive play from Ellsbury in the fifth, robbing former Yankees star Robinson Cano of at least a RBI double with a leaping catch at the wall in center field.

Whitley allowed just five hits and his only mistake was a pitch left up in the strike zone to Logan Morrison, who hit a line drive homer in the second inning. Whitley struck out six and has not walked a batter in his past four starts.

David Robertson got the final two outs for his 16th save.

“Chase has been consistent with his stuff. He doesn’t beat himself. He doesn’t walk people. He’s doing the little things,” Girardi said. “He’s mixed in an outstanding changeup with his fastball and slider. He gets ahead in the count. We only saw him as a reliever. We weren’t sure what we had as a starter but he’s done a really good job.”

Ellsbury did give the Yankees a brief scare when he left later in the game with tightness in his right hip. Ellsbury said he expected to be in the lineup Friday in Oakland.

Both times Seattle was on the verge of a rally it could not get a two-out hit. The Mariners had runners at the corners in the third but Kyle Seager struck out looking on an inside fastball. In the fifth, James Jones chopped a two-out single to score Brad Miller. Cano then drove the first pitch from Whitley to deep left-center, only to watch Ellsbury jump and haul in the drive crashing into the wall.

Two innings later Brett Gardner added another defensive gem, hauling in Mike Zunino’s drive at the top of the fence in left-center to take away extra bases. Whitley said he was already looking toward the umpire for a new ball thinking Zunino’s drive had left the park.

“They were making good plays out there, keeping the ball in the yard and saving their guy some runs,” Zunino said. “That’s all you can do is try and square the ball up.”

NOTES: Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Macklemore threw out the first pitch on the night he was honored by the Mariners with a bobblehead. … Yankees are 17-10 in their last 27 road games. … Whitley has gone 114 consecutive batters without issuing a walk.

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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