Metro Sports Report

David Kuhn wins Metro Spotlight Award

Marion junior David Kuhn is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Kuhn pitched two no-hitters for the Indians in Wamac Conference games in June.

He tossed his first no-hitter in an 11-0 victory against Vinton-Shellsburg June 2. He struck out 12 batters and walked only two.

Kuhn twirled his second no-hitter three weeks later in an 8-0 triumph over Independence June 23. He whiffed nine batters in that contest with only one walk.

Kuhn has a 5-1 record and 1.66 ERA for Marion this season. He has struck out 51 batters in 38 innings, with 13 walks. Opponents are hitting only .143 against him.

Kuhn, also an outfielder, is hitting .278 with 11 RBIs.

Marion is 14-12 overall and 11-9 in Wamac games.

Kernels waste good effort by Slegers

Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher Aaron Slegers was named the club’s Pitcher of the Month in April and now, after some inconsistency in May and June, the tall right-hander is trying to make a case for the same honor in July.

On Sunday, Slegers (5-6) was the hard-luck loser as Cedar Rapids batters managed just one hit in 13 opportunities with runners in scoring position en route to a 3-2 loss to the Beloit Snappers before 1,354 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Slegers went seven innings and was charged with all three Beloit runs.

It was the second straight strong start for Slegers, without a win to show for it. On Tuesday in Appleton, Wis., Slegers worked five scoreless innings against Wisconsin before an hour-long rain delay in the middle of the sixth inning put an end to his evening.

Stewart ejected as Kernels fall to Beloit

Kohl Stewart got a $4.5 million bonus to sign with the Minnesota Twins last year, but he's won only one game for the Kernels this season despite a fine earned run average and the frustration appears to be mounting.

It came to a head Saturday night when Stewart said a magic word to the home-plate umpire and got ejected in the third inning of a 6-3 loss to the Beloit Snappers.

The Kernels had already made two errors on routine plays in the inning and Stewart had hit a batter with a pitch. And when Beloit catcher Phil Pohl hit an RBI double down the third-base line, Stewart complained to the umpire that the ball was foul and got tossed.

Mildren makes it happy 4th of July

A lucky Kernels fan bid $85 and won the patriotic jersey that Ethan Mildren wore during Friday night's game against Beloit on the 4th of July.

If Mildren keeps pitching like this, that jersey could become a collector's item.

Midlren tossed a shutout for seven innings as the Kernels blanked Beloit, 3-0, before a season-high holiday crowd of 5,564 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

When it was over, Mildren literally took the shirt off his back and gave it to the lady who made the winning bid during a silent auction.