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1st female Little League player happy for 2 girls

By WTOP Staff

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — More than six decades after Kathryn “Tubby” Johnston Massar cut off her braids, tucked her hair under her cap and became the first girl to play Little League baseball, she’s delighted to see two girls in the Little League World Series.

“It’s truly amazing. I’m very happy to see girls playing,” said Massar, 78, of Yuba City, California.

Philadelphia’s Mo’ne Davis and Canada’s Emma March became the 17th and 18th girls to play in the tournament Friday. It is only the third time in the event’s 68-year history that two girls are playing in the same series.

Davis threw a two-hitter to help Philadelphia beat Nashville 4-0. She had eight strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter.

Davis, who received a noticeably louder reception than any other player during introductions, said she noticed plenty of girls younger than her in the audience. The applause heightened significantly when Davis struck out the final batter, becoming the first girl to throw a shutout in Little League World Series history.

“It’s very unreal. I never thought at the age of 13 I would be a role model,” Davis said. “Hopefully, more girls play Little League.”

March did not fare as well.

Batting cleanup ahead of her brother — Evan — and playing first base, she went hitless Friday in Canada’s 4-3 loss to Mexico.

But March created some excitement when she stepped into the batter’s box for the Vancouver, British Columbia, team.

She drove a long fly ball to right field in the fourth inning that the crowd thought might be a home run. However, the hit sailed foul into the stands. Then in the top of the fifth, March stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and Canada down by two runs. After working the count to 2-2, she struck out looking on a pitch that caught the outside corner.

As March trotted back to the dugout, the crowd let the umpire know its opinion of the call as boos reigned down from the stands.

Massar, slated to throw out the first pitch at one of Monday’s games, believes more girls will start to play in Little League and beyond. She thinks eventually there will be a woman in Major League Baseball.

Massar played in 1950, leading to a rule barring girls from playing. That rule was overturned in 1974. The self-described “trailblazer” said she celebrates her role in history.

“It’s something I’m proud of,” she said. “Why not play baseball with the boys?”

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett was in South Williamsport on Friday and watched Davis’ dominating performance.

“There’s a lot of pressure on her, and she seems to be handling it very, very well for her age,” Corbertt said during the Philadelphia game, adding that the 13-year-old has a nice delivery. “It goes to show you how sports have moved the last 30 or 40 years, and we wouldn’t have thought of this 40 or 50 years ago. And today, she’s out there pitching, doing a great job and I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Is she going to go into professional baseball?’ I don’t know.

“She’s played as well as any kid out there right now.”

Davis retired the first six batters and needed only 70 pitches. She was hitless in three at-bats.

Jared Sprague-Lott hit a three-run home run in the first inning, and Carter Davis had an RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Also Friday in U.S. play, Pearland, Texas, beat Cumberland, Rhode Island, 6-4. In the other International game, Japan beat Venezuela 1-0.

The tournament opened with four games Thursday. In the U.S. bracket, Chicago beat Lynnwood, Washington 12-2 in five innings, and Las Vegas topped Rapid City, South Dakota, 12-2, also in five innings. In the International games, Seoul, South Korea, beat Brno, Czech Republic, 10-3, and Humacao, Puerto Rico, topped Perth, Australia, 16-3 in four innings.

PEARLAND 6, CUMBERLAND 4

Matthew Adams stuck out seven in 4 2-3 innings to lead Pearland.

Landon Donley earned a save in the opener for both teams, allowing a run on a fielder’s choice before getting Addison Kopack to fly out to deep right center.

Michael Groover had a two-run single for Pearland in the top of the sixth.

Pearland catcher Joshua Gabino left in the bottom of the first with an injured left hand.

JAPAN 1, VENEZUELA 0

Takuma Takahashi threw a one-hitter and struck out 14 for Japan.

Takahashi threw 73 pitched in six innings in the opener for the Tokyo team.

Japan scored in the top of the third inning on Suguru Kanamori’s single after Taro Hashiguchi reached third on second baseman Greybell Salom’s throwing error.

Jorge Cabrera pitched a complete game for the Venezuelan team from Maracaibo.

MEXICO 4, CANADA 3

Juan Garza struck out eight and limited Canada to two in four innings for Guadalupe.

After Canada tied it at 1 in the top of the third, Mexico’s Luis Rodriguez hit a two-run homer. The third baseman was 3 for 3, adding a single and a double. Garza added an RBI double in the fourth.

___

Associated Press Writer Sean Carlin in Philadelphia and AP freelance writers John McGonigal and Michael Kilcoyne in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania contributed to this report.

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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