Metro Sports Report

KCC baseball drops pair to Northeast

The Kirkwood baseball team spent a long, chilly day at the ballpark  Sunday and went home empty-handed.

The Eagles were swept by Northeast Community College, 4-2 and 8-0, in  an ICCAC doubleheader at Kirkwood.

The losses dropped Kirkwood to 27-16 overall and 12-10 in the  conference, putting them in fifth place in the eight-team league.  Northeast raised its marks to 25-13 overall and 14-8 in the league,  good for second place.

Kirkwood and Northeast are scheduled for another doubleheader Monday  at Kirkwood at 1 p.m.

Mustangs split with No. 16 Central Methodist

FAYETTE, Mo. - Jake Faur turned in a strong pitching performance Saturday as the Mount Mercy Mustangs knocked off 16th-ranked Central Methodist, 8-1, in the second game of their Heart of America Conference doubleheader.

Central Methodist took the opener, 9-0.

Faur (3-2) pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed only one run on four hits. Matt Trouten tossed the final 1 2/3 innings to finish the 8-1 conquest.

Tito Berdecia went 2-for-3 with his sixth homer and three RBIs in Game 1. Kobi Candaroma hit his second homer of the year. Nick Sueppel was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Austin Hilpipre scored twice.

Mount Mercy finished the regular season at 25-21 overall and 16-14 in the conference. Central Methodist is 32-12 overall and 19-8 in the league.

Heick stars as Mustangs split

OLATHE, Kan. - Jess Heick had a big game to remember Saturday as the Mount Mercy softball team topped MidAmerica Nazarene, 11-5, in the second game of their Heart of America Conference doubleheader.

MidAmerica Nazarene won the first game, 7-4.

Heick went 4-for-5 with two homers and six RBIs in the 11-5 victory in Game 1. The Mount Mercy third baseman had belted only one homer all season before connecting twice on Saturday.

Jaicee Lyons went 2-for-2 with three RBIs for the Mustangs in the victory. Payton Bruner, Jessica Miller and Jolona Shield had two hits. Tawny Menster drove in two runs.

Jayna Witzany (11-7) pitched a complete game for the victory.

Hocker nets both wins as Eagles sweep

FORT DODGE - Erin Hocker collected both victories in the circle Friday  as the fifth-ranked Kirkwood Eagles swept Iowa Central, 5-0 and 7-6,  in an ICCAC conference doubleheader in Fort Dodge.

Hocker picked up her 19th and 20th victories, tying her for third-most  in the country.

Hocker (20-7) tossed a six-hit shutout in the 5-0 triumph in the  opener. London Jackson belted her 17th home run, the fourth-most  homers in the country this season. Randyn Carter hit her seventh homer  and drove in two runs. Shelby Hulsebus had two hits. Jackson scored  twice.

Hocker pitched three innings in relief to get the victory in the 7-6  triumph in the nightcap. Kirkwood scored twice in the top of the  seventh to snap a 5-5 tie and take a 7-5 lead, then Hocker got out of  trouble in the bottom of the seventh after Iowa Central scored a run.