Metro Sports Report

Marion Indians enjoy home cooking

Home for the first time since the Metro Tournament four weeks ago, the Marion baseball team took a Wamac conference doubleheader Monday night by dominating Independence, 14-1 in five innings and 9-2.

“I guess it’s just a quirk in the conference schedule,” said Marion assistant coach Tom Hauck. “It sure was nice to be back home. It feels good. The boys enjoyed it and it sparked our play. We really got the bats going.”

That may have been an understatement as the Indians amassed 25 hits in the doubleheader. Meanwhile, Marion pitchers struck out 16 and scattered nine hits.

Marion sweeps past Indee in softball

Four perfect innings of relief pitching by a freshman and a timely hit by a senior capped a doubleheader sweep for the Marion softball team over Independence Monday night, 5-4 and 2-1, at home.

The one-run wins were a welcome tonic for the Indians (9-13, 5-7 Wamac), who had lost four in a row and seven of their last eight.

“We finally got some hits when we needed them,” said Marion Coach Kim Knapp. “We’ve been having trouble leaving runners on base.

“We executed a lot better tonight. This is the best we’ve done, hitting wise. And we got real solid pitching from all three of our pitchers.”

Local players in pro baseball

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers)) - The Quakes did not play Monday. Season stats: G - 56, Avg. - .277, AB - 206, H - 57, HR - 9, RBI - 30, SB - 7.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Lansing (Blue Jays)) - The Lugnuts did not play Monday. Season stats: G - 56, Avg. - .191, AB - 183, H - 35, HR - 3, RBI - 14, SB - 0.

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Chicago Cubs) - Started in center field Monday and was 0-for-4 in the Cubs' 5-2 loss to the Cardinals. Season stats: G - 33, Avg. - .301, AB - 73, H - 22, HR - 1, RBI - 5, SB - 0.

ANDREW HANSE (Linn-Mar, Hudson Valley (Rays)) -  Pitched two innings in relief Monday and struck out three in the Renegades' 5-0 win over Aberdeen. Season stats: W - 0. L - 0. Sv - 0. ERA - 0.00. G - 1. IP - 2. H - 0. BB - 1. SO - 3.

Kernels fans love Buxton - for how long?

Byron Buxton sat in the outfield grass at Perfect Game Field Sunday afternoon and signed autographs for 45 minutes.

There were young fans, older fans. Male fans, female fans. Hundreds of fans, who formed a squiggly line down the right-field line and patiently waited for his autograph.

Buxton signed baseballs, shirts, pictures and caps. His teammates signed autographs, too, but they were finished in 10 or 15 minutes.

Not Buxton. He kept signing and signing, until there was nothing more to sign.

Meanwhile, there were whispers going around Veterans Memorial Stadium Sunday that Buxton will be promoted very soon, perhaps right after he plays in the Midwest League All-Star game in Dayton, Ohio, Tuesday night.