DUBUQUE - The Kennedy Cougars nearly had a no-hitter thrown at them Friday night, but the No. 1 baseball team in the state came home with two more victories after finding a way to sweep a Mississippi Valley Conference twinbill from Dubuque Senior.

Kennedy captured the first game, 11-0, in six innings behind a three-hit shutout by Alex Hayden. The second game was an entirely different story.

The Cougars scored an unearned run in the first inning and collected another unearned run in the seventh for a 2-0 victory behind a four-hit shutout by Adam Lloyd. Incredibly, the Cougars did not get their first (and only) hit in the game until Hayden delivered an RBI single with two outs in the top of the seventh.

Alex Steines finished with a one-hitter for the Rams in the nightcap and was the hard-luck loser.

The victories lifted Kennedy to 17-2 overall and 10-2 in the MVC. Dubuque Senior fell to 10-11 overall and 5-7 in the league.

Lloyd went 3-for-3 for Kennedy in the opener with two runs and two RBIs. Hayden was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Devon Jacobus went 2-for-3 and scored three runs. Andrew Johnson drove in two runs.

Hayden (5-1) struck out seven batters and walked one in the opener. He has allowed only two earned runs this season in 33 innings for a microscopic 0.42 ERA.

Lloyd (6-0) struck out two batters and did not walk anyone in the nightcap. He has allowed five earned runs in 33 innings for a 1.06 ERA.

GAME ONE

KENNEDY (11)
Jahlas, cf, 4 0 0 1, Ambrosy, 1b, 4 1 1 0, Bell, 3b, 3 2 1 0, Dv Jacobus, 2b, 3 3 2 1, Lizarraga, c, 2 1 0 0, Maiers, c, 1 1 0 0, Lloyd, rf, 3 2 3 2, Hayden, p, 3 1 2 2, Dk Jacobus, ss, 2 0 1 1, A.Johnson, lf, 3 0 0 2. Totals 28 11 10 9.

DUBUQUE SENIOR (0)
Grant, dh, 3 0 2 0, D.Jones, c, 1 0 0 0, Jantsch, p, 1 0 0 0, Schueler, p, 2 0 0 0, Merritt, 3b, 3 0 0 0, R.Jones, ss, 3 0 0 0, Hansen, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Powers, rf, 2 0 0 0, Clemens, cf, 1 0 0 0, Capesius, lf, 2 0 1 0, Blake, 2b, 0 0 0 0. Totals 20 0 3 0.

Kennedy            024 104 - 11 10 0
Dubuque Senior  000 000 -  0   3 1

Hayden and Lizarraga, Maiers. Jantsch, Schueler (3) and D.Jones. W - Hayden (5-1). L - Jantsch. 2B - Ambrosy, Dv Jacobus, Hayden, Capesius. SB - Lloyd, Hayden.

GAME TWO

KENNEDY (2)
Jahlas, cf, 3 1 0 0, Ambrosy, rf, 3 0 0 0, Bell, 1b, 1 0 0 0, Smetzer, pr, 0 1 0 0, Dv Jacobus, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Lizarraga, c, 2 0 0 0, Z.Johnson, cr, 0 0 0 0, Lloyd, p, 3 0 0 0, Hayden, 2b, 3 0 1 1, Dk Jacobus, ss, 3 0 0 0, A.Johnson, lf, 2 0 0 0. Totals 23 2 1 1.

DUBUQUE SENIOR (0)
Grant, dh, 3 0 0 0, D.Jones, lf, 3 0 0 0, Jantsch, rf, 3 0 0 0, Merritt, 3b, 3 0 1 0, R.Jones, ss, 3 0 2 0, Hansen, 1b, 3 0 1 0, Clemens, cf, 3 0 0 0, Capesius, c, 2 0 0 0, Blake, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Steines, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 25 0 4 0.

Kennedy            100 000 1 - 2 1 1
Dubuque Senior  000 000 0 - 0 4 3

Lloyd and Lizarraga. Steines and Capesius. W - Lloyd (6-0). L - Steines.