Metro Sports Report

Clarke trips Mount Mercy baseball

DUBUQUE - Austin Mettica delivered a two-run double in the bottom of  the ninth inning Saturday to give Clarke a 7-6 victory over Mount  Mercy in a Heart of America Conference baseball game in Dubuque.

Mount Mercy scored in the top of the ninth to take a 6-5 lead, but  Clarke responded in the bottom of the inning for the walk-off victory.

Mount Mercy fell to 22-20 overall and 13-13 in the conference. Clarke  raised its records to 21-17 overall and 16-8 in the league.

Chili Moseley hit a solo home run for the Mustangs. Evan Jackson was  3-for-4 and scored twice. Owen Oreskovich was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.  Jake Faur also drove in two runs.

Hocker spins 1-hitter for No. 5 Eagles

Erin Hocker tossed a one-hit shutout Friday as the fifth-ranked  Kirkwood Eagles trimmed Ellsworth, 1-0, in the first game of their  ICCAC conference doubleheader at Kirkwood.

Bradee Bouman followed Hocker's gem by pitching a two-hit shutout in  an 8-0 victory that last only five innings.

Hocker (17-6) struck out 12 batters in the 1-0 victory and did not  walk anyone. Taleah Smith drove in Shelby Hulsebus with the only run  in the ballgame in the fifth inning. The Eagles had only two hits  themselves.

Kirkwood exploded for six runs in the bottom of the first inning of  the nightcap and coasted to the 8-0 victory. Bouman (15-5) struck out  two batters and walked one.

Eagles find strong pitching in sweep

IOWA FALLS - The Kirkwood baseball team found some hot pitchers Friday  and swept an ICCAC doubleheader from Ellsworth, 1-0 and 5-0, in Iowa  Falls.

The Eagles, who allowed 35 runs in three straight losses to DMACC last  weekend, got excellent outings from Austin Krob and Will Nigut to move  in the right direction again.

Krob tossed eight shutout innings in the 1-0 victory in the opener,  allowing just three hits with 10 strikeouts. Caleb Fuller got the  final three outs for his first save, netting two strikeouts.

The Eagles scored the only run in the top of the ninth when Taylor  Jackson came around to score. Jamarion Loston was 3-for-4 in the game.

Epperly paces KCC golfers at Blue Boy

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Ben Epperly of Kirkwood successfully battled 25  mph winds at the Blue Boy Invitational Friday and sits in first place  heading into the final round on Saturday.

Epperly shot an even-par 72 at The Rail Golf Course for a one-shot  lead after 18 holes.

Kirkwood holds a four-shot edge on Nebraska Wesleyan, 304 to 308,  heading into the final round in the 11-team field.