Metro Sports Report

Mustangs split pair with Statesmen

Former Kennedy standouts Jimmy Lizarraga and Cody Bell played key roles as Mount Mercy topped William Penn, 3-2, in the first game of a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader Sunday at Ken Charipar Field.

The Statesmen took advantage of three Mustang errors to score three unearned runs in a 3-1 nightcap win.

Lizarraga had two hits and an RBI for Mount Mercy (14-17, 5-8) in the opener. Bell also had two hits and an RBI. Cale Henke pitched a complete game, allowing just four hits.

Devin Holmes and Jason Darichuk two hits apiece for Mount Mercy in Game 2. The Mustangs had eight hits but only managed a single run. Bell had the RBI for Mount Mercy. Evan Boddicker was the tough-luck loser, allowing six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Kernels finish sweep of Kane County

GENEVA, Ill. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels made it a little exciting in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday afternoon, but they wriggled out of trouble and topped Kane County 5-3 to sweep the opening three-game series before 2,643 fans at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark.

The Kernels will put their 3-0 record on the line Sunday at 4:05 p.m. in the home opener against Beloit at Veterans Memorial Stadium for the start of a six-game homestand.

Cedar Rapids had a 5-1 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Saturday, but two straight infield errors helped Kane County score two unearned runs and brought the winning run to the plate for the Cougars with two runners on base.

Kernels relief pitcher Trevor Hildenberger took matters into his own hands at that point and collected a strikeout to end the game and end the suspense.

Stephen Gonsalves pitched six strong innings for the Kernels. He struck out nine batters and allowed only one run on five hits. Gonsalves did not walk anyone and did not face more than four batters in any inning.

RoughRiders nab 2nd place for home ice

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders claimed second place in the Eastern Conference and earned the home-ice advantage for the first round of the USHL playoffs with a clutch 4-3 victory over Chicago Saturday night at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

The RoughRiders will face the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the best-of-5 playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The series will begin in Dubuque Tuesday night, with Games 2 and 3 in Cedar Rapids next Friday and Saturday.

Game 4 would be played in Dubuque April 20, with Game 5 in Cedar Rapids April 22 if necessary.

The RoughRiders fell one point behind Dubuque in the Eastern Conference standings Friday night, but that changed Saturday night when Cedar Rapids won its game and Dubuque lost to Waterloo.

Youngstown won the Eastern Conference title with a 40-14-6 record for 86 points. Cedar Rapids finished 39-21-0 for 78 points. Dubuque finished 36-19-5 for 77 points for third place and Muskegon was 35-21-4 for 74 points and fourth place.

Prior helps No.11 Eagles sweep twinbill

Brooke Prior went 5-for-6, drove in four runs and pitched a one-hitter Saturday as Kirkwood cruised to a pair of victories over Southwestern, 9-0 and 10-0, at Kirkwood.

Both games lasted only five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Prior went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs in the first game. She was 3-for-3 with two more RBIs and pitched her one-hitter in the nightcap, raising her record to 7-0.

The 11th-ranked Eagles raised their records to 30-8 overall and 17-1 in the conference. Southwestern fell to 18-12 overall and 9-9 in the league.