Kennedy Baseball

No. 1 Cougars spoil Washington's upset bid

It's been a rough season for the Cedar Rapids Washington baseball team, with 15 straight losses and a key injury to A.J. Puk, but for a shining moment Thursday night it looked like the Warriors would wipe away their frustration and grab a big victory over the No. 1 team in the state.

The Warriors led 4-0 after four innings and southpaw Grant Dostal was cruising with a no-hitter, keeping the Kennedy hitters off-balance with his assortment of tantalizing pitches that had the Cougars hitting the ball in the air for outs.

It looked like it might be Washington's night, finally, after all the losing and all the disappointment. "No question," said Wash Coach Tony Lombardi.

But Kennedy is ranked No. 1 in the state for a reason. And the Warriors have a 3-and-23 record for a reason. And a high school baseball game lasts seven innings for a reason.

The Cougars broke through with two runs in the fifth inning to get back in the game and make the Warriors nervous, and they plated five more runs in the sixth inning to complete the rally for a 7-5 victory in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Washington.

"One inning put us behind and we couldn't come back from there," said Dostal, a competitive senior who went the entire game and threw 127 pitches.

Lombardi visited the mound in the fifth inning, trying to settle his team after Kennedy scored two runs. He had a brief conversation with Dostal before leaving.

"I said, 'How do you feel?' and he said, 'I'm not coming out of this game.'"

This was probably the last time Dostal will ever pitch against the Cougars and he wanted something to remember. Besides, he's a trouper.

"When I get the ball, I usually try and pitch the whole game," he remarked.

Noah Dostal hit a long, towering two-run homer to give Washington a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Adam Lloyd. The Warriors scored two more runs in the third for a 4-0 edge on an RBI triple by eighth grader Johnny Dobbs and an RBI double by Noah Dostal.

Meanwhile, the Cougars hit fly ball after fly ball, some of them hard and deep, but all within range of the Washington outfielders. Grant Dostal can sneak a fastball by you, but usually it's slow, slower and slowest, a series of pitches that look hittable until you swing too hard or swing at something out of the strike zone.

"That's what he's real good at," observed Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer. "He stays within himself, he changes speeds and he gives the hitters an opportunity to get themselves out.

"We were doing that, and we weren't doing a very good job of making adjustments and letting the ball get deep on us. We talked about it."

Dostal tried everything he could on the mound.

"I was changing my fastball speed, I was throwing changeups, I was throwing curveballs," he said. "I was just trying to keep them off-balance and get outs."

It worked for four innings, but then things changed.

Logan Ambrosy knocked a two-run double off the right-field fence to pull the Cougars within 4-2 in the top of the fifth and break the ice. Washington countered with an RBI double by Zach Gillis to give the Warriors a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Dostal nearly escaped the pivotal sixth inning unscathed. It was still a 5-2 ballgame with two outs and two runners on base, but he couldn't get in the dugout with that third out for a long time.

Derek Jacobus laid down a perfect bunt for an infield single to load the bases. Andrew Johnson drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run, making it 5-3, and then came the biggest play of the night.

Josh Jahlas ripped a single to right field, driving in two runs and tying the game at 5-5, and another run scored on the play when the throw from right field skipped by Washington catcher Will Rings for a hard-luck error for the Warriors. With one swing of the bat, Kennedy erased a 5-3 deficit and took a 6-5 lead. Ambrosy walked and Cody Bell singled to right, driving in Jahlas for an insurance run and a 7-5 edge.

Jahlas had big base hits in the fifth and sixth innings after struggling with the rest of the Cougars in the first four frames.

"We didn't start off very well," said Jahlas. "We hit a lot of popups, he got us out a lot. We adjusted. Eventually the whole team adjusted."

Lloyd had a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth to preserve the 7-5 lead while Nick Appleget warmed up in the bullpen, but Appleget wasn't needed.

The Warriors brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but Noah Dostal bounced into a controversial 4-6-3 double play to end the game. The Warriors thought Dostal beat the relay to first base, but the field umpire did not see it that way.

"I was really proud of our kids," said Lombardi after the near-miss. "We're learning a lot, mostly about ourselves and how to play seven innings. And probably tonight we didn't do that, but we came close.

"I just thought we came out and played baseball. It wasn't good enough tonight, but I'd like to think that some day, if we continue to grow, it will be good enough."

Lombardi had only two seniors in his starting lineup. Puk, his top hitter and top pitcher, is sidelined with a broken thumb, and the Warriors had two graduated eighth graders in the infield with Dobbs at third base and Trevor Thulin at second base.

"We're a work in progress," said Lombardi, in his first year as the varsity baseball coach. "We're very young.

"We're trying to build a culture," he said. "We're trying to build a baseball culture, someplace where our kids take pride and want to be part of a quality baseball program. Maybe that's why we're not quitting."

Washington has lost 15 straight games since its last victory on June 2, a 2-0 verdict over Pella nearly three weeks ago. The Warriors are 0-and-15 in the Mississippi Valley Conference, yet they had the fortitude to give top-ranked Kennedy a tough battle.

"It's been tough, but we just have to keep fighting," said Grant Dostal. "It's my senior year, the last year I'm ever going to play baseball possibly. I don't know. I just keep trying, I guess."

Lloyd allowed seven hits and four earned runs, but raised his record to 7-0 by tossing a complete with 95 pitches and six strikeouts.

Washington and Kennedy (19-3, 12-3) tangle again Friday night at Kennedy.

KENNEDY (7)
Jahlas, cf, 4 2 2 2, Ambrosy, rf, 3 0 1 2, Bell, 1b, 4 0 1 1, Oltmann, pr, 0 0 0 0, Dv Jacobus, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Lizarraga, c, 3 0 1 0, Smetzer, cr, 0 1 0 0, Lloyd, p, 3 1 1 0, Staton, cr, 0 1 0 0, Hayden, 2b, 3 1 0 0, Dr Jacobus, ss, 4 1 2 0, A.Johnson, lf, 2 1 0 1. Totals 29 7 8 6.

WASHINGTON (5)
Burdt, rf, 2 2 0 0, Dobbs, 3b, 4 2 2 1, N.Dostal, ss, 4 1 2 3, Gillis, 1b, 2 0 1 1, Metzger, pr, 0 0 0 0, G.Dostal, p, 3 0 2 0, Rings, c, 3 0 0 0, Troendle, cf, 3 0 0 0, Hogg, lf, 3 0 0 0, Thulin, 2b, 3 0 0 0. Totals 27 5 7 5.

Kennedy      000 025 0 - 7 8 1
Washington   202 010 0 - 5 7 1

Lloyd and Lizarraga; G.Dostal and Rings. W - Lloyd (7-0). L - G.Dostal. 2B - Ambrosy, N.Dostal, Gillis. 3B - Dobbs. HR - N.Dostal.

Stroschein helps Lions trip No. 1 Cougars

Linn-Mar junior Austin Stroschein was so excited about walloping the ball with the bases loaded against top-ranked Kennedy Monday night that he tripped over first base and fell flat on his face.

He got up grinning.

Stroschein socked a grand slam at a key moment to help the 10th-ranked Lions split a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Kennedy in a showdown for first place.

The Cougars won the first game, 4-1, behind a strong performance by right-hander Nick Appleget, but Linn-Mar rallied from a 5-0 deficit to grab the nightcap 7-6.

Kennedy snapped Linn-Mar's 10-game winning streak in the opener, then Linn-Mar snapped Kennedy's nine-game winning streak in the nightcap. The split left both clubs 11-3 in the Mississippi Division of the MVC, locked in a three-way tie for first place with Iowa City High with 12 games left in the league campaign.

The Cougars were leading 5-1 in the sixth inning of the second game when Stroschein strode to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out. He ripped the first pitch he saw from Kennedy's Zach Johnson to deep center field.

"I wasn't expecting it to go out, so I was just trying to get as many bases as I can," said Stroschein. "Yeah, I tripped a little bit on first base. I wiped out."

He dusted himself off with a big smile and was able to trot around the bases, tying the game at 5-5. Kennedy thought he missed first base and appealed, but the umpire said Stroschein hit the bag when he tripped and Stroschein heartily agreed.

It was Stroschein's first homer of the season, but he slugged four round-trippers last year and normally makes it around the bases without getting his uniform and face all dusty.

Linn-Mar took a 7-5 lead in the top of the seventh inning with two runs. Travis Kvach led off with a pinch-hit single, stole second base and scored on a short passed ball for a 6-5 lead. Michael Redmond scored an insurance run on an RBI single by Mitch Stickney.

Kennedy pulled within 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run by Logan Ambrosy. The Cougars put runners on first and second with one out, but Keaton Blackford relieved Justin Wyant and got the final two outs.

Alex Hayden hit a rocket to left field with two outs for the Cougars, but Nate Greve made a leaping catch to end the game and give the Lions (16-7) a precious split.

"I knew Greve was there," said Blackford. "I didn't think the ball was out and Greve is fast. For some reason I just knew it was going right to him. So I felt good about it."

Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner was happy to go home with a split.

"That's fantastic," he remarked. "We said to the kids in between innings, 'I know it's hot, but you guys are still playing for a conference title if you split with them. I mean, you're right there.'"

Kennedy (18-3 overall) touched Wyant for five runs in the first two innings of the nightcap, but Wyant buckled down and gave his team a chance to rally.

"He's kind of taken on that M.O., where he seems to get stronger as games wear on," said Lechner.

Blackford pitched one inning in relief in the first game and was ready to pitch again in the nightcap with the game hanging in the balance. He took the ball from Wyant with a 7-6 lead, runners on first and second and only one out.

"I love the situation," he said. "The crowd's in every pitch, especially against Kennedy, the top-ranked team. I always love playing Kennedy. You have to love those moments."

Cody Bell took a 5-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning for Kennedy in the nightcap, but Coach Bret Hoyer went to his bullpen after Bell allowed a leadoff single. Bell had thrown only 66 pitches at that point, but Hoyer decided it was time for a change to give his relief pitchers some work in a key game.

"We've never asked Cody to go that far. We thought, 'Well, this is an oppportunity to get those guys some work,'" said Hoyer. "Our guys who have been pitching at the end have done real well this year. This one got away from us."

Johnson and Devon Jacobus, two of Kennedy's top relief pitchers, gave up five runs in two innings as the game slipped away from the Cougars.

Appleget (5-0) pitched a complete game for Kennedy in the opener. He spaced five hits, struck out seven batters and allowed an unearned run in the 4-1 verdict. Appleget topped Greve, one of Linn-Mar's top pitchers who took the loss.

Derek Jacobus drove in two runs for Kennedy in the opener.

GAME ONE

LINN-MAR (1)
Greve, p/lf, 3 0 1 0, Kvach, cr, 0 1 0 0, Bogert, rf/cf, 3 0 0 0, Redmond, cf/2b, 3 0 0 0, Stickney, lf/rf, 3 0 1 1, Stroschein, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Banks, c/ss, 3 0 0 0, Stolley, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Roth, 2b, 3 0 2 0, Ollinger, c, 0 0 0 0, Blackford, dh/p, 3 0 1 0, Strellner, ss, 0 0 0 0. Totals 27 1 5 1.

KENNEDY (4)
Jahlas, cf, 3 0 1 0, Ambrosy, rf, 3 0 1 0, Bell, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Dv Jacobus, 3b, 1 1 0 0, Staton, pr, 0 0 0 0, Lizarraga, c, 2 0 1 0, Smetzer, cr, 0 2 0 0, Lloyd, dh, 1 1 0 0, Hayden, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Dr Jacobus, ss, 1 0 0 2, A.Johnson, lf, 2 0 0 0. Totals 18 4 3 2.

Linn-Mar       100 000 0 - 1 5 0
Kennedy      030 001 x - 4 3 2

Greve, Blackford (6) and Banks, Ollinger (6). Appleget and Lizarraga. W - Appleget (5-0). L - Greve (5-2). 2B - Roth, Lizarraga. SB - Jahlas.

GAME TWO

LINN-MAR (7)
Greve, lf, 4 0 1 0, Bogert, cf, 2 1 1 0, Redmond, 2b, 4 2 1 0, Stickney, rf, 3 2 2 1, Stroschein, 3b, 4 1 2 5, Banks, c, 3 0 0 0, Ollinger, ph, 1 0 0 0, Stolley, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Strellner, ss, 3 0 0 0, Wyant, p, 2 0 0 0, Kvach, ph, 1 1 1 0, Blackford, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 30 7 9 6.

KENNEDY (6)
Jahlas, cf, 4 1 2 0, Ambrosy, 1b/rf, 3 2 2 1, Bell, p/1b/3b, 2 0 1 1, Staton, cr, 0 1 0 0, Smetzer, pr, 0 0 0 0, Dv Jacobus, 3b/p, 2 1 1 0, Staton, pr, 0 0 0 0, Lizarraga, c, 4 0 1 1, Smetzer, cr, 0 1 0 0, Lloyd, rf, 3 0 2 0, Z.Johnson, p, 0 0 0 0, Maiers, p, 1 0 0 0, Hayden, 2b, 2 0 0 1, Dr Jacobus, ss, 3 0 0 1, A.Johnson, lf, 3 0 0 0. Totals 27 6 9 5.

Linn-Mar       000 104 2 - 7 9 1
Kennedy      410 000 1 - 6 9 0

Wyant, Blackford (7) and Banks. Bell, Z.Johnson (6), Dv Jacobus (7), Maiers (7) and Lizarraga. W - Wyant (4-1). L - Dv Jacobus (0-1). S - Blackford (1). 2B - Stickney, Jahlas. HR - Stroschein, Ambrosy. SB - Kvach, Ambrosy, Staton.

Cougars sweep Rams with stellar pitching

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.

Lizarraga is special weapon for Cougars

Kennedy catcher Jimmy "Chico" Lizarraga has a special bond with the pitching staff for the top-ranked Cougars.

After all, he's been catching most of them since they were eight years old and playing at a high level for the Junior Cougars.

"I really don't trust anyone else," said Nick Appleget, one of the starting pitchers at Kennedy. "I mean, I can throw with anyone else back there, but I look for Jimmy. He's the best catcher I know."

Appleget tossed five strong innings Tuesday night as Kennedy walked past Davenport Central, 8-2, in a non-conference game at the Kennedy field.

Lizarraga caught a flawless game and picked two runners off base as the surging Cougars raised their record to 15-2.

Kennedy features a starting rotation of Alex Hayden, Adam Lloyd, Appleget and Cody Bell. They're all seniors, and so is their favorite backstop.

The Cougars have allowed only 34 earned runs in 17 games and feature a staff ERA of 2.25, a sparkling number. Pitchers normally get all the credit for numbers like that, but somebody has to catch the ball after they throw it.

"It's pretty easy, because I just sit back there and they hit the mitt," Lizarraga claimed. "Their confidence level goes up when I'm back there and mine goes up, too.

"I think I believe in them and they believe in me. We just go out there and get the job done."

Most of the seniors on Kennedy's ballclub finished second in the 9-and-under C.A.B.A. World Series in Charles City when they were eight years old. They won a USSSA World Series when they were 12 and fared very well in many other major events.

Kennedy's starting pitchers and their starting catcher have been through a lot together and have succeeded at a high level.

"There's got to be a high degree of comfort there," said Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer. "And I know there's a high degree of comfort on the coaching staff when Jimmy is back there catching them."

Devon Jacobus, Logan Ambrosy and Josh Jahlas also played for those Junior Cougars and are three more key ingredients for Kennedy. It's a talented, close-knit group and accustomed to winning ballgames.

Kennedy has featured a string of all-state catchers during Hoyer's 20 years as head coach. He thinks Lizarraga handles the job as well as any of them.

"He's one of the best I've ever coached," said Hoyer. "He's right up there. He'd fit in the conversation with the best I've ever had."

Appleget (4-0) swears by him.

"I feel comfortable with him," said Appleget. "If I'm struggling on the mound, he comes out and he's got good words of wisdom. He laughs about things. It's fun having him behind the plate."

You rarely see a passed ball with Lizarraga behind the plate. And you rarely see opponents trying to steal bases, because Lizarraga has a strong, accurate arm. "He's crazy," said Appleget.

"I want to be a wall and let nothing get behind me," said Lizarraga. "So far I've done a good job of keeping everything in front of me."

Lizarraga said he's enjoyed working with Kennedy assistant coach Jake Waddle on his catching. Waddle was a catcher in college and calls the pitches for the Cougars.

Lizarraga was the starting quarterback for the Kennedy football team last fall and has committed to play football at Iowa Central Community College, but he has not abandoned the idea of also playing baseball in college.

"I still think about it," he said. "We'll see how the season turns out."

Lizarraga is hitting .333 with 11 RBIs this season, so he's also a tough out at the plate.

Kennedy scored five runs on one hit in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday when Davenport Central pitcher Jacob Light walked five batters and his defense committed two errors. That's really all Appleget needed en route to his fourth win of the season.

Appleget got into trouble in the third inning when Davenport Central (5-8) scored a run and loaded the bases with nobody out, but he collected a strikeout and the Cougars executed a snappy 5-4-3 double play to get out of trouble.

Kennedy scored three more times in the sixth inning for an 8-1 lead, and once again the Cougars had only one hit in the inning. Davenport pitchers walked three batters and hit another to make it easy for the home team.

Bell went 3-for-4 for Kennedy. Lizarraga, Hayden and Devon Jacobus drove in two runs apiece.

Kennedy collected only five hits in the game (all singles), but got 12 free bases on 10 walks and two hit batters.

DAVENPORT CENTRAL (2)
Cartee, 2b, 3 0 1 0, Betsworth, lf, 3 0 1 1, Waterman, rf, 3 0 1 0, Mampre, c, 3 0 1 0, Weiman, cr, 0 0 0 0, Corbin, cf, 3 0 0 0, Light, p, 1 0 0 0, Pethoud, cr, 0 0 0 0, Gowey, p, 0 1 0 0, Hoeksema, ss, 3 0 1 1, Behrendt, 1b, 2 1 1 0, Burke, 1b, 1 0 0 0, Styvaert, 3b, 2 0 0 0. Totals 24 2 6 2.

KENNEDY (8)
Jahlas, cf, 3 0 0 1, Ambrosy, rf,/1b, 2 2 0 0, Bell, 1b/p/3b, 4 1 3 0, Smetzer, pr, 0 1 0 0, Dv Jacobus, 3b/p, 1 1 0 0, Staton, pr, 0 0 0 0, Lizarraga, c, 3 0 1 2, Smetzer, cr, 0 2 0 0, Hayden, 2b, 4 0 1 2, Lloyd, dh/rf, 1 1 0 0, Appleget, p, 0 0 0 0, Dr Jacobus, ss, 2 0 0 2, A.Johnson, lf, 4 0 0 0. Totals 24 8 5 7.

Davenport Central   001 000 1 - 2 6 2
Kennedy                500 003 x - 8 5 0

Light, Gowey (6) and Mampre. Appleget, Bell (6), Dv Jacobus (7) and Lizarraga. W - Appleget (4-0). L - Light. 2B - Mampre. SB - Lloyd.