Metro Sports Report

Miller shines as Eagles sweep SCC

The Kirkwood Eagles needed a boost Saturday after dropping a pair of one-run games to 19th-ranked Southeastern Community College on the  final weekend of the regular season.

It was Miller time.

Austin Miller tossed a complete game as the Eagles trimmed the Blackhawks, 3-1, in the first game of their doubleheader to stop the bleeding and lift everyone's spirits.

Kirkwood then captured the second game, 9-5, to earn a split of the  fourth-game series and give themselves a heavy dose of momentum heading into the regional tournament in Waterloo.

Kirkwood and Southeastern began the weekend in a tie for first place  in the conference with 13-7 records, but they were only one game ahead  of NIACC and Iowa Central. As it turned out, NIACC and Iowa Central both swept their four-game series this weekend and tied for the conference title with 16-8 marks. Kirkwood and Southeastern tied for  third at 15-9.

Kirkwood drew the No. 4 seed in the regional tournament at Riverfront  Stadium in Waterloo and will meet No. 5 seed DMACC on Thursday at 3:30  p.m.

Miller, a 6-foot-7 right-hander from Iowa City West, had struggled on the mound the last few weeks, but he emerged as the stopper Saturday with a good fastball and nasty change-up.

Hansen makes bid for Player of Year

Maddie Hansen used to be a base-clogger. Now she's a base-clearer. And she might be the National Player of the Year as one of the stars for the Kirkwood softball team.

Hansen belted her 18th home run Friday and added to her sterling credentials as the second-ranked Eagles dumped Southwestern, 18-1, to claim the regional title at Kirkwood.

Kirkwood Coach Joe Yegge termed the phrase "base-clogger" to describe Hansen when the All-American catcher arrived on campus in 2015 from Cedar Rapids Jefferson, but that was before Hansen dropped 25 pounds  thanks to a heavy diet of racquetball.

"I was pretty slow as a base-runner when I got here," she acknowledged Friday. "I lost a lot of weight my freshman year and I became more athletic, and I think that's helped me get where I am."

It's helped her climb to the top of the charts in junior college softball. Hansen leads the nation with 90 RBIs, is tied for second with 18 homers and ranks fourth in batting with a .537 average.

On top of that, she's an outstanding catcher.

Kirkwood baseball team has tough day

The Kirkwood baseball team began Friday in a tie for first place in the ICCAC conference standings, but by the time the long frustrating  day was over the Eagles had slipped all the way to fourth.

Now the Eagles have to bounce back in a rare "triple-header" against 19th-ranked Southeastern Saturday afternoon to climb back on top of the standings on the final day of the regular season.

Kirkwood wasted a terrific effort by right-hander Joe Funkhouser and lost the first game of Friday's doubleheader to Southeastern, 1-0, at the Kirkwood field.

The second game was suspended by darkness with the score tied, 8-8, after eight innings. The Eagles had an 8-2 lead after five innings, but saw it slip away.

Kirkwood and Southeastern will resume the suspended game at noon Saturday, followed by the regularly scheduled doubleheader.

If the Eagles win all three times Saturday, they can clinch at least a tie for first place. If they lose all three games, they can fall all the way to fifth place.

McBeain stars as Eagles sink Lakers

Angie McBeain has made a powerful impact on the Kirkwood softball team this season as a freshman.

Powerful arm. Powerful bat.

McBeain starred as a hitter and pitcher Thursday as the second-ranked Eagles topped 16th-ranked Iowa Lakes, 12-4, in six innings in the second round of the regional tournament at Kirkwood.

Kirkwood (51-4) will face Southwestern (9-27) in the championship round again Friday at noon. The Eagles need one more victory to win the regional title, but the Spartans would have to win twice in the double-elimination tourney to earn the crown.

McBeain, who hails from Prior Lake, Minn., went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBIs Thursday. She also pitched well in relief, allowing no runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Lexi Kinnaird, who set the Kirkwood record with her 51st victory in  the opening round Wednesday, suffered a rough patch in the fourth inning against Iowa Lakes and was touched for four runs, but McBeain came to the rescue and stopped the bleeding.

McBeain is hitting .433 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs, and she's compiled a 19-1 record and 1.72 ERA in the circle.

DoniRae Mayhew, another talented freshman who can hit and pitch, also socked a three-run homer Thursday. She's hitting .441 with 15 homers and 74 RBIs, along with a 5-0 record and 2.38 ERA as the team's No. 3 hurler.