Metro Sports Report

Eagles split with No. 7 Heartland

NORMAL, Ill. - The Kirkwood Eagles split a non-conference doubleheader with seventh-ranked Heartland Monday in Normal, Ill.

Keaton Blackford pitched a strong game as Kirkwood won the opener, 6-2.

Heartland took the nightcap, 6-5.

Blackford tossed six innings in the first game. He allowed only four hits and one run, with four strikeouts and four walks.

Angel Merced drove in two runs, Sulliam Rios Reyes went 2-for-4 and Eric Schenck-Joblinske scored two runs.

Tyler Butz, Zach Patterson and Merced had two hits in the second game. Butz hit a home run for Kirkwood (27-14)

Xavier graduate Corbin Woods went 2-for-5 in the twinbill for Heartland (32-10) with a double and two RBIs.

Saints nipped by No. 1 West at end

Iowa City West scored with 13 seconds left in the soccer match Tuesday to snap a 2-2 tie and defeat the Xavier Saints, 3-2, in a Mississippi Valley Conference thriller at Heco Field.

Iowa City West, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, had a corner kick with 20 seconds left in the match. The ball was booted in front of the goal and a Trojan was able to poke it in the net.

The Saints, ranked No.4 in Class 2A, took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Connor Ramlo in the first half. Iowa City West tied the game, but the Saints grabbed a 2-1 edge in the second half when Luke Koechner converted a penalty kick.

Iowa City West tied the game, 2-2, with three minutes left in the second half.

Eades shines as Kernels dampen Cougars

Mother Nature helped the Cedar Rapids Kernels defeat Kane County Monday night.

Ryan Eades played a big role, too.

Eades tossed six shutout innings as the Kernels clipped the Cougars, 1-0, in a Midwest League game that was called after six innings due to rain and a slippery field.

Eades (2-3, 3.42 ERA) struck out six batters, allowed only three singles and one walk.

He called it his best performance of the season, topping an 11-2 victory at Great Lakes in Midland, Mich., April 10 when he allowed one unearned run in seven innings.

"I felt like this outing was better than the one in Midland," he said. "I felt like I had better command of my pitches."

Drake names top performers at Relays

DES MOINES – The 105th edition of the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee thrilled fans with countless fantastic performances across all divisions with 11 Relays records shattered during four days of competition at Drake Stadium.

On Monday, the best of those performances were honored with the announcement of the Relays Most Outstanding Performers.

High jumper Derek Drouin was a near unanimous choice as the Maury White Award winner as the men’s collegiate/invitational outstanding performer while hurdler Kristi Castlin earned the honor in the women’s collegiate/invitational division.

Boone High School’s Albert Meier was named the Robert Kramme Award winner as the high school boys most outstanding performer and the Gerry Cooley Award for the high school girls division went to the Davenport Assumption relay team of Emma Bassier, Maddie Irmen, Rose Ripslinger and Markel Mommsen.

That Davenport Assumption team, comprised entirely of four seniors, won the 4x100, 4x200 and sprint medley relays as Davenport Assumption claimed a Drake Relays record of four relay titles with a win in the 4x800 as well. The Knights posted times of 48.14 in the 4x100, 1:41.71 in the 4x200 and 1:45.79 in the sprint medley relay.