The Kennedy High School baseball team lived dangerously in the first game of a doubleheader Friday against Dubuque Senior and cruised in the other game at Kennedy Field.

The result was two more victories for the ninth-ranked Cougars (18-4, 11-1).

Kennedy eked out the opener, 4-3, and came back to blow out the Rams in the nightcap, 12-2.

Griffin Michael stepped to the plate with the score tied, 3-3, in the bottom of the seventh inning of the opener with two runners on base and two out. He promptly hit a run-scoring double, driving home Jimmy Lizarraga with the winning run.

The Rams pitched around Austin Christensen to face Michael, who made them pay.

“They walked Christensen and I went up looking for a fastball. I got the pitch I was looking for and just put the ball in play,” said Michael.  “I really like batting in RBI situations.”

Christensen had two hits in the opener, including a double in the first inning. Michael had two RBIs.

Alex Hayden pitched a solid six innings for Kennedy in the opener, striking out eight and not allowing any earned runs. David Yancey pitched the seventh inning and got the win.

The Rams (5-7, 8-12) collected only four hits in the opener, but scored three unearned runs.

The second game was all Kennedy. Christensen socked a two-run homer in the first inning as the Cougars scored five times. It was Christensen's 12th homer this season.

“They were mixing their pitches, so I was patiently looking for a fastball,” said Christensen. “I can be patient because there are so many good hitters in our lineup.”

Cody Bell led a 16-hit barrage in the nightcap by going 3-for-3, scoring three runs and collecting three RBIs. He also flashed some leather at first base on a sensational pickup to finish a double play and save two runs in the third inning.

“We practice on that short hop every day and work at trying to read the ball,” said Bell.

Logan Ambrosy drove in four runs with two hits. Yancey and Austin Benson had two hits apiece.

Adam Lloyd went the distance for Kennedy, giving up three hits and facing only 18 hitters in the five-inning game.

Christensen went 3-for-5 in the doubleheader and is hitting .639 this season (39 for 61).

Game 1

DUBUQUE SENIOR (3)
Grant, ss, 3 1 0 0, Capesius, c, 1 0 0 0, Blake, 1b, 4 0 0 0, Jantsch, rf, 2 0 1 0, Jones, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Kremer, cf, 3 1 1 0, Hansen, dh, 3 0 1 0, Moore, pr, 0 0 0 0, Sabers p, 0 0 0 0, Steines, p, 0 0 0 0, Janes, 3b, 2 1 0 0, Clemens lf, 3 0 0 0. Totals 25 3 4 0.

KENNEDY (4)
Sykes, 2b, 3 1 1 0, Jacobus, 3b, 2 1 1 0, Rhoades, pr, 0 0 0 0, Christensen, rf, 3 1 2 0, Michael, ss, 4 0 1 2, Yancey, lf, 3 0 1 0, Bell, 1b, 3 0 1 0, Maiers, c, 2 0 1 0, Taylor, dh, 2 0 0 0, Ambrosy, pr, 0 0 0 0, Hayden, p, 0 0 0 0, Lloyd, lf, 0 0 0 0, Benson, cf, 3 0 0 0. Totals 25 4 8 3.

Dubuque Senior  002 100 0 - 3 4
Kennedy            102 000 1 - 4 8

Sabers, Steines(7) and Capesius. Hayden, Yancey (7) and Maiers. W - Yancey. L - Sabers. 2B – Jantsch, Christensen. 3B – Kremer. SB – Grant, Sykes, Christensen, Maiers, Ambrosy.

Game 2

DUBUQUE SENIOR (2)
Grant, ss, 1 1 1 0, Capesius, c, 1 0 1 1, Blake, cr, 0 0 0 0, Jantsch, 1b, 1 0 0 1, Powers, dh, 2 0 1 0, Anderson, p, 0 0 0 0, Gesiel, p, 0 0 0 0, Jones, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Kremer, cf, 1 0 0 0, Foley, rf, 2 0 0 0, Clemens lf, 2 1 0 0. Totals 14 3 2 0.

KENNEDY (12)
Sykes, 2b, 3 0 1 1, Jacobus, 3b, 3 1 1 0, Christensen, rf, 2 2 1 2, Unash, ph, 1 0 0 0, Michael, ss, 3 1 1 0, Appelget, ph, 1 0 0 0, Yancey, lf, 2 2 2 1, Rhoades ph, 0 2 0 0, Bell, 1b, 3 3 3 3, Hayden, ph, 1 0 1 0, Maiers, c, 2 0 1 0, Lizarraga, c, 2 0 1 0, Ambrosy, cf, 2 1 2 4, Benson, dh, 3 0 2 0, Lloyd, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 27 12 16 11.

Anderson, Gesiel (5), and Capesius. Lloyd and Maiers, Lizarraga (4). W - Lloyd. L - Anderson. 2B – Powers, Jacobus, Yancey, Bell, Hayden, Maiers, Ambrosy. HR - Christensen. SB - Christensen, Michael.