Metro Sports Report

Eagles grab 4th at NJCAA tournament

CLINTON, Miss. - The Kirkwood Eagles finally lost at the NJCAA Division II national softball tournament Friday, but they went down fighting and claimed fourth place.

Kirkwood won two elimination games Friday before falling to DMACC, 13-8, in their third game of the day at Traceway Park.

The Eagles were seeded seventh out of 16 teams, but they posted a 4-2 record at the tournament and finished the season at 54-17 under Eric Frese in his first year as head coach.

Both of Kirkwood's losses in the tournament were to DMACC, which will play Phoenix in the losers bracket final Saturday in a battle to see who faces No. 1 seed LSU Eunice for the title.

DMACC and Kirkwood played six times this season - four times in the ICCAC conference and twice at nationals - and the Bears won five of those head-to-head meetings.

Kirkwood began Friday with a 2-0 victory over Louisburg on a two-hit shutout by Erin Hocker. London Jackson belted a two-run homer in the top of the sixth for the only scoring.

KCC golfers take 4th at nationals

PLYMOUTH, Ind. - The Kirkwood men's golf team slipped a notch Friday and finished fourth at the NJCAA Division II national tournament at Swan Lake Resort.

South Mountain Community College won the 72-hole tournament with a four-man total of 15-over-par 1,167. Kirkwood finished with an aggregate score of 1,213, which was 61-over par and 46 shots behind the champion.

Ryan Morrison of Kirkwood placed 15th at 11-over-par 299 with rounds of 76, 75, 74 and 74. Leon D'Souza of South Mountain claimed medalist honors at 4-under 284 for a two-shot victory.

Roeder shows the way at Prospect Meadows

Jack Roeder arrived at Prospect Meadows bright and early Thursday  morning to turn on the field lights and get ready for a television  interview for KGAN and FOX28.

The moon was visible over one shoulder and the eastern sky was  starting to brighten slightly over the other with dawn approaching. He  had time to think and reflect about Opening Day at the new facility, a  project that has consumed nearly 10 years of his life.

It's been a long journey to a happy ending at Prospect Meadows. Or  rather, a happy new beginning. The sparkling new facility is now  officially open for business.

"You know, between this and my two grandsons being born, I don't think  I've had a prouder moment," he later told assembled guests at the  ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon.

Roeder began working on Prospect Meadows shortly after he retired as  general manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2010. He accepted  another challenging job as GM for the proposed new baseball and  softball complex and has been working at it ever since.

Big rally saves KCC at nationals

CLINTON, Miss. - The Kirkwood Eagles had one foot on the bus for the  long ride back to Cedar Rapids Thursday, but a big rally kept them  alive at the NJCAA Division II national softball tournament.

Kirkwood fell behind Madison, 8-0, in the second inning of an  elimination game at Traceway Park, but the Eagles stormed all the way  back for a 12-9 victory to play another day.

Kirkwood (2-1) will face Louisburg (2-1) in the double-elimination  tournament Friday at noon. Eight teams are still playing in the  tournament and eight have been eliminated.

The Eagles lost to DMACC, 6-3, in their first game Thursday to fall  into the losers bracket. They had to play again right away and got off  to a miserable start against Madison before igniting.

Kirkwood scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull  within 9-7, then the Eagles tacked on five more runs in the sixth to  claim a 12-9 advantage in the wild contest.