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Hill, Miley lead Diamondbacks over Giants

By WTOP Staff

RICK EYMER
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hitting his first home run in a month gave Aaron Hill a sense of relief. Doing so in a victory made it even better.

Hill homered, doubled and scored twice, Wade Miley pitched seven shutout innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants 2-0 on Saturday.

“It felt good to put a run on the board,” Hill said. “There are always going to be times when you will be struggling. It’s good just to contribute.”

David Peralta and Gerardo Parra each added two hits for the Diamondbacks, who won their fourth in six games.

Marco Scutaro went hitless in two at-bats with a walk in his season debut for the Giants, who were shut out for the fifth time in 13 games.

Miley (5-6) allowed four hits and won his second straight start for the first time since early April. He has given up three runs over his past 22 2/3 innings.

“I found it later in the game. They were hitting the ball hard but right at people,” Miley said.

Brad Ziegler worked the eighth and Addison Reed pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 26 chances.

Ryan Vogelsong (5-7) gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

“With two runs it shows you how good a job Wade did and also on the other side with Vogelsong,” Hill said.

Vogelsong has lost his last four starts despite a 2.19 ERA over that span. The Giants have been shut out in each of his last three starts and given him no support in his last 24 2/3 innings.

“I’m sure he’s frustrated,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He had a quality start, good stuff. I wish we could have gotten him some runs. He really threw the ball well.”

Scutaro, a postseason star for the Giants in their run to the 2012 championship, received a standing ovation when he came to the plate for his first at-bat of the season. He drew a walk.

Scutaro has missed the first half of the year because of a back problem.

Miley permitted one hitter — Brandon Belt, who singled and walked twice — to reach third base and that came with two outs in the seventh.

“I couldn’t throw him a strike,” Miley said. “I wish I didn’t walk him.”

Miley gave up one leadoff hit, and then promptly picked off Gregor Blanco in the fifth.

“That pickoff hurt,” Bochy said. “We were trying to bunt him over to second, maybe put a little more pressure on the pitcher with some good hitters coming up. He has a good move and got him.”

Hill homered with one out in the fourth. He hit a leadoff double in the seventh and Parra’s RBI single ended Vogelsong’s day.

NOTES: The Diamondbacks pushed RHP Chase Anderson’s scheduled start Sunday to five days after the All-Star break as a proactive move to reduce the possibility of fatigue as his workload increased. “It will be good for him, give him time to recover physically and mentally,” Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. LHP Vidal Nuno will make Sunday’s start instead. Recently acquired from the New York Yankees, Nuno threw seven shutout innings in his first appearance with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. … Parra drove in just his second run since June 7. He entered the game hitting .180 (20 for 111) since then. … Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt doubled in the first inning and has reached base safely in a career-high 32 straight game, the longest string by a Diamondbacks player since Orlando Hudson went 33 straight in 2007. … LHP Madison Bumgarner (9-7, 3.36) pitches for the Giants on Sunday. He’s on a three-game losing streak after giving up a season-high six runs in his last start. . Giants SS Brandon Crawford was given the day off. . Arizona’s Martin Prado went hitless in four at bats and had his 10-game hitting streak end.

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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