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Today's Line-up

Metro Sports Report

Austin Czerwiec fired a one-hitter with nine strikeouts Sunday as Fairfax blanked Red Top, 7-0, in an Iowa Valley League game at Kennedy. (MSR photo by Ken Gilchrist)

Czerwiec, Bell propel Fairfax

Sun - 04 Jun Written by Mike Condon

The hotter it is, the better Fairfax's Austin Czerwiec seems to pitch.

And it would have been hard to be any sharper that Czerwiec was during Sunday's Iowa Valley League contest against Red Top.

"I love the heat," the former Mount Mercy and Muscatine High School standout said Sunday after he allowed just one hit in a 7-0 win over the defending IVL champions at Herkleman Field on the Kennedy High School campus. "It helps keep my arm nice and relaxed and I don't have to worry about it tightening up at all."

Fairfax forfeited the second game because they did not have an umpire available. Both teams are now 3-1.

Czerwiec allowed a single to lead-off hitter Cal Clark in the first inning and little else the rest of the way. He struck out nine, walked one and hit another. He was able to keep Red Top's hitters off balance with his variety of deliveries.

"I had my curveball working, my slider working and I was locating my fastball well," he said. "If I have all my pitches working, it seems like everything else is working too."

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Morgan Christner of Illinois State fires a pitch for Construction Materials during Sunday's action in the Iowa Women's Softball League at Coe. (MSR photo by Margaret O'Banion)

Pitching shines in MSR softball league

Sun - 04 Jun Written by Jim Ecker

If you like good pitching, plan to stop by Kirkwood or Coe this summer and catch some of the action in the new Iowa Women's Softball League.

It's smoking!

We've got Jaclyn Spencer and Brooke Craig of UNI, Emily Ira of Western Illinois, Kelsey Aikey of Western Kentucky, Morgan Christner of Illinois State, Lexi Kinnaird and DoniRae Mayhew of Kirkwood and Chelsea Thornley of Webster University, among others.

They'll blow you away.

Ira tossed a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts Sunday as Hawkeye Convenience Stores blanked Emil's Hideaway, 5-0, in the first game of their doubleheader at Kirkwood.

Aikey came right back in the second game and tossed a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts as Emil's Hideaway took the nightcap, 2-1. Taylor Nearad of Kirkwood, Megan Bonnett of Luther and player/coach Shelby Crist had two hits for Emil's in the victory.

In the ballgames at Coe, Hailey Duwa of Western Illinois socked a three-run homer to give Construction Materials a 4-3 victory over Ironside Apparel in the first game of their twinbill.

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Van Scoyoc boosts Norway in IVL

Tue - 06 Jun Written by Metro Sports Report

NORWAY - Arizona State freshman Spencer Van Scoyoc struck out 10 batters in 5 1/3 innings Sunday to help Norway top Watkins, 10-2, in the first game of an Iowa Valley League doubleheader in Norway.

Otis Roby, Tony Salato and J.T. Sole belted home runs for Norway. Roby and Salato had three hits.

The Bandits took control with five runs in the fifth inning.

Watkins rebounded with an 8-2 victory in the second game behind a complete game by Luke Franzenburg. DJ Utley and Phil Velez socked home runs for the Mudhens. Jonny Frese and Conner Frese had two hits for the winners.

Travis Mueller hit a home run for Norway.

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Xavier Coach Amir Hadzic comforts senior Maliki Wilson after the Saints lost to Norwalk in the championship match of the Class 2A state tournament Saturday in Des Moines. (MSR photo by Margaret O'Banion)

Saints lose thriller in state finals

Sat - 03 Jun Written by Bill Seals

DES MOINES - Less than eight minutes stood between top-seeded Xavier and a 1-0 victory over the defending Class 2A state champions, but a collision in front of its own goal that involved keeper Owen McCarron would help change those fortunes and lead to a third title in four years for Norwalk.

The Warriors took advantage of a fallen McCarron to even the score at 1-1 when Kason Crall booted a rebounded ball into an empty net. McCarron couldn’t recover quickly enough as Crall found an open net and didn’t miss from the left wing.

With the score knotted at one, both sides continued fighting for an elusive title for another 27 minutes, including a pair of overtimes, before Norwalk triumphed 4-1 in a shootout. Krall, Nick Eltjes, Chase Sinclair and Jack Palen notched penalty kick goals, while the Saints were 1-for-3 in the extra session with only Nick Koechner finding the back of the net.

“I knew it would be a hard, close game, and unfortunately for us it ended up this way,” said Xavier Coach Amir Hadzic. “It’s really hard to lose in penalty kicks, especially when we spent so much energy in a game. It’s like finishing a basketball game shooting free throws.”

The late second-half sequence was also tough to stomach for Hadzic’s senior-laden roster that included veteran forward Luke Duball. The veteran forward’s thoughts echoed those on the Xavier sideline, which felt McCarron was fouled on the game-tying goal.

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Saints top Iowa Falls, eye 8th state title

Sat - 03 Jun Written by Metro Sports Report

DES MOINES - The Xavier Saints will be seeking their eighth state title in school history Saturday afternoon when they face Norwalk in the championship game of the Class 2A boys state soccer tournament in Des Moines.

Xavier (14-4) is the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Norwalk (17-4) is the No. 2 seed and the defending state champions. The championship match is scheduled for 2:30.

The Saints clipped Iowa Falls/Alden, 4-2, in the semifinals Friday.

Luke Duball and Will Hanigan gave Xavier an early 2-0 lead, but Iowa Falls superstar Marcos Villa scored twice to pull his team into a 2-2 deadlock at intermission.

All the scoring in the first half came in the first 10 minutes.

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