Metro Sports Report

Hargens looks sharp as Cougars sweep

Kennedy pitcher Blake Hargens thought it was strange when he struck out seven batters in the first three innings Monday night against Iowa City High.

Strange, but good.

"It was weird, because I'm normally a groundball pitcher," he said. "And getting all those strikeouts, I was like 'Geez.'"

Hargens tossed a one-hitter with eight strikeouts as the third-ranked Cougars blanked the Little Hawks, 8-0, in the first game of their Mississippi Valley Conference twinbill at Herkelman Field.

Kennedy won the second game, 6-3.

Hawks sweep Cougars with 'small ball'

Prairie second baseman Amanda Stecklein is such an old-school ballplayer that she’s the only one on her team who bats bare-handed without hitting gloves.

And the way the Hawks swept Kennedy 8-1 and 6-1 Monday night suited her style of play to a T.

They won by playing “small ball” that would have made Ty Cobb proud. Even with all those runs, they hardly hit anything out of the infield.

Instead, they capitalized on Cougar errors, aggressive baserunning, bunts, walks and a whole bunch of grounders they beat out for infield hits.

“That’s not the way we usually win,” said Stecklein, who scored four times and knocked in two runs on a pair of ground balls. “But we still made it work. Coach (Joe) Yegge always tells us that if we get the bat on the ball and put it in play, good things will happen.”

Erin Drahozal wins Metro Spotlight Award

Xavier High School junior Erin Drahozal has been a driving force for the Saints softball team, which is ranked No.5 in Class 4A with an 18-2 record.

She has been Xavier's leading hitter and leading pitcher as the Saints battle for the Mississippi Valley Conference title.

Drahozal is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Drahozal is hitting a healthy .476 with nine doubles, five home runs and 27 RBIs. She also has a 10-2 record and 2.16 ERA in the circle.

Spencer Hunt wins Metro Spotlight Award

The Jefferson baseball team won only 12 games last season, but the J-Hawks are enjoying a revival this year with a 13-6 mark at the halfway point of the campaign.

Spencer Hunt has been one of the driving forces this year and is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Hunt, a senior, is one of Jefferson's leading hitters with a .350 batting average, three home runs and 14 RBIs. He also has been a force on the mound with a 2-0 record and 2.88 ERA.