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Hill, Pennington lead D-Backs past Marlins, 3-2

By WTOP Staff

MIAMI (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks started fast and held on late.

Aaron Hill and Cliff Pennington hit home runs in the first inning for the Diamondbacks, who beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night.

All five runs in the game were scored in the first inning.

“We hit some balls hard with three runs and then they scored two in the first and our pitching shut them down,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said.

Trevor Cahill (3-8) pitched 6 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits. Addison Reed pitched the ninth for his 29th save in 34 chances.

Marlins starter Brad Hand (2-5) allowed three runs in seven innings.

The Marlins, trailing 3-2, loaded the bases in the seventh, but Matt Stites got Donovan Soloano to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the scoring threat.

The Marlins threatened again in the eighth, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia bounced into an inning-ending double play, one of four turned by the Diamondbacks.

“They hurt us tonight for sure,” said Marlins third baseman Casey McGehee, who grounded into two of the four. “It’s going to happen from time to time, but it doesn’t make you feel any better about it.”

Pennington hit his first homer since May 1, 2013, against San Francisco, and Hill added a two-run shot, his 10th of the season.

“I’m going up there just looking for something up,” Hill said. “I typically don’t swing at the first pitch, but it worked out and it ended up being all right.”

The Marlins responded with RBI singles by Giancarlo Stanton and Garrett Jones.

“That’s the beauty of the big leagues,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. “Both teams come out swinging the bats and then zeroes the rest of the way.”

Diamondbacks rookie Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the fifth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: LHP Matt Reynolds (Tommy John surgery) threw live batting practice to SS Chris Owings (left shoulder strain) in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Marlins: RHP Henderson Alvarez is expected to rejoin the rotation on Saturday after missing two starts with right shoulder inflammation.

“He threw a bullpen the other day and he looks great,” Redmond said. “…Whatever stillness he had is gone and he’s ready to go.”

ON DECK

Diamondbacks LHP Wade Miley (7-8, 4.61) will oppose Alvarez (8-5, 2.48), who is 5-2 with a 1.48 ERA at home. Miley is 2-1 with a 0.89 ERA in three career starts against the Marlins.

SHOW AND GO

With the Diamondbacks in the middle of a season-high, 10-game road trip, which included a pair of long nights in Cleveland, Gibson elected to give his team extra time off before the game. The team showed up just two hours before game time and did not partake in batting practice.

“Experience just tells you that it’s something smart to do,” Gibson said. “Mentally it’s a good lift for them to give them a little extra time to chill out and do some other things and not overthink things.”

The plan is the same for Saturday, which excited the players.

“It’s funny, you should have heard the reaction from everybody when (director of team travel) Roger (Riley) yelled it was show and go,” Hill said. “We obviously can’t do it every day, but on a long road trip. It’s funny how a bunch of grown men get excited about the little things.”

POSTGAME MOVE

Marlins RHP Anthony DeSclafani was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans to make room for Alvarez, who will be reinstated from the disabled list on Saturday.

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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