A sexual assault allegation from 2015 didn’t scare him off.Just hours after Okereke’s name surfaced publicly for the first time in the case Daniel Jones Jersey , Ballard told reporters on a conference call he took a hard look at Okereke’s past and made others in the organization aware of the accusation before selecting the Stanford linebacker in April’s NFL draft.“When we looked at it and talked to him, it was an incident from four years ago. He was never charged with a crime, he was never disciplined by the university,” Ballard said. “He was a team captain, up for the Lott IMPACT award, he graduated with a degree in management and engineering and he’s working on a master’s. From everything we gathered, we felt it was appropriate to take him.”Okereke has not spoken about the incident since it was first reported by The Fountain Hopper, an independent student-run website at Stanford. The New York Times initially reported on the case in December 2016, without naming the parties involved, and said a university board twice voted 3-2 in favor of the accuser but that no punishment was assessed because Stanford policy required a vote of at least 4-1. The Times also reported the university denied the accuser’s request for a third hearing.Ballard said he learned of the allegation when Okereke addressed it during their first meeting at the Senior Bowl in January.The Colts Dexter Lawrence Jersey , Ballard said, then spoke multiple times with Okereke, contacted Stanford officials and reached out to others close to Okereke to create a more complete picture of the NFL prospect. Ballard said nobody spoke to the accuser or her attorney.Ballard also made Colts owner Jim Irsay aware of the accusation prior to taking the 6-foot-1, 239-pound linebacker with a third-round pick, No. 89 overall.“I don’t want to sit here and act like we don’t have sympathy for both sides,” Ballard said, noting that he has three daughters. “It happened four years ago, and because there were no charges and no disciplinary action taken by the university, and because of his track record since, we felt comfortable drafting him.”Okereke recorded 96 tackles for the Cardinal in 2017 and 2018 and was named to the Butkus Award and Bednarik Award watch lists. He also was a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy Deandre Baker Jersey , which is awarded annually to the nation’s top defensive player for his performance on and off the field.The Colts believe Okereke can add depth to an improving linebacker group and perhaps may emerge as a future starter.“He was very honest about his side of the story and what occurred and how he had to move forward,” Ballard said. “It’s a very sensitive subject and it’s hard, I get that.Ballard added: “We talked it through and at the end of the day it falls on me.” The Arizona Diamondbacks have put their miserable May in the rearview mirror. The New York Mets are in a June swoon that keeps dragging on.

Paul Goldschmidt and Daniel Descalso homered, Zack Godley pitched effectively into the seventh inning and the Diamondbacks beat the staggering Mets 7-3 on Friday night.

The NL West leaders have won seven of eight and 11 of 14. The freefalling Mets have dropped four straight, 12 of 13 and 19 of 23.

After starting the season 12-2, the Mets (28-38) have gone from 10 games over .500 to 10 games under earlier than any team in major league history. The previous mark was held by the 2011 Marlins, who did it in their 76th game.

It wasn’t that long ago that the tables were turned. When the Mets swept three from the Diamondbacks in New York from May 18-20, Arizona was in the midst of losing 15 times in 17 games. Since then, the Diamondbacks are 13-4.

”We were scuffling pretty bad the last time we played these guys, right in the middle of that pretty terrible stretch Oshane Ximines Jersey ,” Descalso said. ”It seems like since we’ve been home after that road trip and kind of got right it’s been a much better ballclub, a much more offensive ballclub and we’ve been playing a lot better.”

New York’s stagnant offense has mustered just 21 runs in the last 13 games, scoring three or fewer in 11 straight.

Rookie manager Mickey Callaway insists he’s seeing subtle signs his team is breaking out of it.

”We were very close. We had lots of baserunners tonight,” he said. ”We put ourselves in position where we didn’t even need hits to score runs. We just needed some groundballs. … It felt different during the game. When you get in here at the end of the night it feels like the same thing, but we’re slowly coming out of it.”

Goldschmidt gave Arizona a lead in the first with his second solo home run in two nights. The slugging first baseman, having a torrid June after a horrendous May, has nine homers and 21 RBIs in his past 20 games. He also singled twice and drove in two runs.

Descalso had a sacrifice fly to go with a two-run homer off Seth Lugo (2-2) that put Arizona up 5-2 in the fifth. Jon Jay added three hits, including a triple.

Dominic Smith, brought up from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, homered and doubled for the Mets on his 23rd birthday.

Godley (7-5) dodged trouble through the first four innings before retiring 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. He went 6 2/3 innings Julian Love Jersey , allowing two runs and five hits while striking out eight and walking three.

”I had to fight myself pretty much for the first three innings,” Godley said. ”After that I kind of settled in a little bit, got some quick outs and was able to go deep in the game.”

With two runners on, Brad Boxberger retired Michael Conforto for his 16th save.

Lugo led off the third with a single, Conforto was hit by a pitch and Todd Frazier followed with an RBI double. But the damage was limited when Godley fanned the next three batters to keep it tied at 1.

David Peralta singled with one out in the fifth ahead of Descalso’s eighth home run of the season.

”I left that changeup up to Descalso,” Lugo said. ”I think if I execute that pitch we’re in a different ballgame.”

In the sixth, Jarrod Dyson drew a one-out walk, stole second and third and scored on Jay’s single to make it 6-2. Jay tripled in the eighth and Goldschmidt singled him home.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Activated INF Wilmer Flores (back) from the 10-day disabled list and optioned INF-OF Ty Kelly to Triple-A Las Vegas. Flores entered in a double switch in the sixth and had an RBI double in the ninth.

Diamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray (strained right oblique) made his first rehab start Thursday night for Class A Visalia, allowing five runs, two earned Darius Slayton Jersey , and five hits with three strikeouts. He threw 45 pitches in 2 1/3 innings. His next start will be Tuesday for Triple-A Reno, when he is to throw 65-75 pitches. … RHP Randall Delgado threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a rehab appearance for Reno on Thursday. He is to throw an inning of relief for Reno on Monday.

UP NEXT

The Diamondbacks send left-hander Patrick Corbin (6-2, 3.21 ERA) to the mound and the Mets counter with lefty Steven Matz (2-4, 3.53) on Saturday night in the third matchup of the four-game series.

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