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Today's Line-up

Mustangs win 5 events in track
Mustangs spiked by Vikings for title
Mustangs win 7 events at Wartburg
Nickelson takes 2nd in triple jump
Mount Mercy baseball drops pair
Anderson takes 5th for Mustangs
Mount Mercy women finish 5-25
Mustang women pounded by Penn
Lohaus shines for Mount Mercy
Mustangs win 3 track events

Metro Sports Report

Bice helped Prospect Meadows get off the ground

Mon - 20 May Written by Jim Ecker

Richard Bice would love to grab his old glove and play a ballgame at Prospect Meadows this year, but it’s probably not going to happen.

You see, Richard is 87 years old and played his last varsity baseball game for Woodward High School in 1951.

There will be games at Prospect Meadows this year for 8-and-under kids, but there won't be any for 88-and-under grandfathers, no matter how willing they are.

Nonetheless, just the thought of playing ball again puts a twinkle in Richard's eye. He’d love the opportunity.

“Oh, you betcha,” he said with a big smile, relaxing at his long-time home in Marion.

The thought brought back fond memories.

“We used to use cow-chips in the pasture as bases,” he said, laughing. “And we played all the time.

“Yeah, I love ball. I think it’s the greatest thing we can do for our community and our young people.”

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Eagles crush Dawson, 19-2, for district title

Thu - 16 May Written by Metro Sports Report

GLENDIVE, Mont. - Erin Hocker celebrated her trip home to Montana with all of her friends from Kirkwood Thursday afternoon.

Hocker pitched a complete game as the seventh-ranked Eagles smashed 18th-ranked Dawson Community College, 19-2, in the championship game of the district tournament to earn a spot in the NJCAA Division II World Series.

Kirkwood (50-15) advances to the national tournament May 22-25 in Clinton, Miss.

London Jackson belted her 22th home run in the second inning to give Kirkwood an early lead and the Eagles piled up the runs as the game went along. There was no mercy rule in the district finals and the Eagles showed no mercy.

Lauren Kuch socked a three-run homer and pinch-hitter Skylar Ryan hit a grand slam in the seventh inning as the slugfest continued.

Eric Frese will be taking his team to the national tournament in his first year as head coach. Frese had never been a college softball coach before coming to Kirkwood this season, but the Norway native has vast experience as a college baseball coach and had no trouble adjusting.

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No. 7 Eagles rally at district tourney

Thu - 16 May Written by Metro Sports Report

GLENDIVE, Mont. - The Kirkwood softball team has been living dangerously in postseason tournaments this year, but so far the Eagles are still alive and kicking.

The seventh-ranked Eagles rallied to split two games with 18th-ranked Dawson on Wednesday and will face the Bucs again on Thursday in the championship game of the district tournament in Montana.

Kirkwood (49-15) and Dawson (43-4) will tangle on Dawson's home field Thursday at 1 p.m., with the winner claiming a spot in the NJCAA Division II national championships.

Dawson blanked the Eagles, 1-0, in the first game Wednesday in the best-of-3 district tournament. The Bucs then held a 3-2 lead over the Eagles after three innings of the second game, putting Kirkwood on the verge of elimination, but Kirkwood's bats came alive and the Eagles soared to a 12-3 victory to force Game 3.

Kirkwood also had to rally in the regional tournament against NIACC last weekend after losing to NIACC in the winners bracket final, then whipping NIACC twice in the championship round.

Dawson scored in the top of the first inning of the first game Wednesday for a 1-0 lead, and that turned out to be all the scoring in the ballgame as Kirkwood collected only five hits. Kirkwood pitcher Erin Hocker, playing in her home state of Montana, allowed one run on seven hits and was the tough-luck loser.

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Jordan joins Board at Prospect Meadows

Wed - 15 May Written by Jim Ecker

Angela Jordan knew she wanted to help when she heard about plans to build a major youth baseball and softball facility in Linn County.

Angela and her husband, Dennis, have three sons, all of whom played travel ball in various parts of the Midwest when they were younger. They did an awful lot of traveling.

“We were in Omaha, Chicago, Kansas City. Everywhere,” said Angela, who lives in Marion. “We had to spend more time in Des Moines than we could here because we didn’t have the facilities.

“When they started working on Prospect Meadows, we just knew we had to get involved and help with the fundraising, because it had to happen. It just had to happen.”

Private fundraising efforts have netted more than $6.5 million, providing about half the funds for the new complex. The grand opening is set for Thursday, May 23 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m., an open house at 5 p.m. and games at 5:30.

Prospect Meadows will feature eight regulation baseball fields this year and a Miracle Field for people with special needs. Eight more fields are scheduled to open in 2023.

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Kirkwood pitcher Erin Hocker (middle) is surrounded by her teammates after she tossed two straight shutouts Sunday against NIACC to help the Eagles win the regional title. (MSR photo by Margaret O'Banion)

Hocker shines as KCC wins regional

Mon - 13 May Written by Jim Ecker

Erin Hocker is going home to Montana for the district softball tournament this week and she's taking all of the Kirkwood Eagles with her.

Hocker twirled a pair of shutouts Sunday as the seventh-ranked Eagles blanked NIACC in the championship round of the regional tournament, 5-0 and 8-0 in five innings, at Kirkwood.

Kirkwood (48-14) will face 18th-ranked Dawson Community College (42-3) on Dawson's home field in Glendive, Mont., in the two-team district tournament that starts Wednesday.

Hocker pitched all 12 innings in the two ballgames, tossing a two-hit shutout in the opener and hurling a one-hitter in the second game.

Kirkwood lost to NIACC in the winners bracket final Saturday, so the Eagles needed two victories Sunday to reach the district. They responded like true champions.

After Hocker tossed her two-hitter in the opener, Kirkwood Coach Eric Frese asked his ace right-hander how she felt about pitching the second game against NIACC as well.

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Today's Line-up

Metro Sports Report

Bice helped Prospect Meadows get off the ground

Eagles crush Dawson, 19-2, for district title

No. 7 Eagles rally at district tourney

Jordan joins Board at Prospect Meadows

Hocker shines as KCC wins regional

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Wednesday, June 26, 2019