Metro Sports Report

Mustangs lose 27-0, but gain split

DES MOINES - The Mount Mercy baseball team was outscored 29-3 Friday, but the Mustangs managed to split their Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader with Grand View.

Mount Mercy won the first game, 3-2 in eight innings, on a game-winning single by Jimmy Lizarraga and a strong pitching performance by Cale Henke.

Grand View crushed Mount Mercy in the second game, 27-0.

Austin Czerwiec began the top of the eighth inning of the first game with a double for the Mustangs and was replaced by pinch-runner Ben Larson. Larson advanced to third base on a fly ball by Cody Bell and scored on Lizarraga's single to left field.

Henke allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning, then ended the game with his 11th strikeout. Henke (2-2) allowed eight hits and walked only one batter.

Kuster lifts RoughRiders in OT

MADISON, Wis. - Clark Kuster scored at the 2:39 mark of overtime Friday night to give the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders a clutch 3-2 victory over Madison in a USHL game before 3,234 fans at the Alliant Energy Arena in Madison, Wis.

The victory kept the RoughRiders a single point behind Youngstown in the torrid race for the Eastern Conference title. Youngstown nipped Waterloo, 2-1, Friday and has a 34-13-5 record for 73 points. Cedar Rapids has a 36-16-0 mark for 72 points. Both teams have eight games left in the regular season.

Charlie Gerard gave Madison a 1-0 lead in the first period Friday night, but Ross Colton scored twice on power plays in the second frame to give the RoughRiders a 2-1 edge.

Kuster and Andrew Gaus collected assists on Colton's first goal. Mitch Reinke and Derek Daschke collected assists on Colton's second goal with a man advantage.

Miguel Fidler tied the game for Madison, 2-2, at the 17:15 mark of the third period.

Kuster scored the game-winner with an assist from Cal Burke.

Ben Blacker made 31 saves for the RoughRiders. Garrett Metcalf turned aside 45 shots for Madison.

Cedar Rapids hosts Dubuque Saturday night at 7:05.

RoughRiders   0  2  0  1 - 3
Madison       1  0  1  0 - 2

Kirkwood softball sweeps Simpson JV

INDIANOLA - Lexie Biehl belted two home runs and drove in six runs as Kirkwood clobbered the Simpson junior varsity, 15-1, in the second game of a college softball doubleheader Friday in Indianola.

Kirkwood also won the first game, 4-1.

Biehl went 3-for-3 and scored three runs in the second game. Allie Mengler went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Tara Walls was 2-for-3 with a solo home run. Chasney Jenkins was 2-for-2 and scored three runs.

Nicky Simpson pitched a complete game for Kirkwood in the opener. She had five strikeouts and allowed seven hits. Jasmine Ragusi and Walls were 2-for-4 with an RBI.

The sweep raised Kirkwood's record to 9-5. The Eagles host Iowa Lakes in a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.

No. 6 Eagles dumped by No. 7 Monroe CC

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The Kirkwood Eagles suffered a power outage Thursday night at the NJCAA Division II national basketball tournament in Overland Park, Kan.

The sixth-ranked Eagles were spanked by seventh-ranked Monroe Community College of New York, 59-42, in the quarterfinals with one of their poorest offensive showings of the season.

Kirkwood shot 16 of 67 overall from the field for 23.9 percent and was 5 of 26 on 3-pointers for 19.2 percent, including a succession of air-balls from behind the 3-point arc.

The 17-point loss was the most lopsided of the year for the Eagles and their 42 points were the second-lowest total of the campaign.

"We didn't play very well. Very uncharacteristic of this team," said Coach Kim Muhl. "Some kids wouldn't shoot the ball, some kids were hesitant instead of just shooting it. I don't know. I don't have an answer.