Metro Sports Report

Christensen excited to make Kernels

FORT MYERS, Fla. - On Wednesday, Kernels Manager Jake Mauer said of local Cedar Rapids boy and Twins minor league farmhand Chad Christensen, "There’s no doubt that he’s somebody we’d like to take north with us.”

On Saturday, Mauer got his wish as Christensen was among the 25 players listed on the Opening Day roster.

Christensen, a 2009 graduate of Cedar Rapids Washington, is listed on the Kernels roster as an outfielder, but Mauer has indicated he could see time at five different positions in the outfield and infield.

In an interview following a spring training game earlier in the week,Christensen told the MSR that playing in Cedar Rapids "Would be real exciting. I grew up there and everything. It would be a lot of fun to come home.”

Weary Eagles salvage split

Kirkwood Coach Joe Yegge had some parting advice for his weary softball players as they left the ballpark Saturday afternoon.

"Get some rest," he told them. "Get some sleep."

Chances are, the Eagles did not need to be convinced after a whirlwind 36-hour trip that took them from Cedar Rapids to Estherville to Sioux City and back to Cedar Rapids for four games against conference opponents on Friday and Saturday.

The seventh-ranked Eagles returned home at 2 a.m. Saturday morning from Sioux City and were not mentally sharp in their doubleheader Saturday afternoon against Iowa Central.

Tiffels sparks RoughRiders in Ohio

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Frederik Tiffels scored two goals and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders scored three times in the third period Saturday night to down Youngstown for the second straight night, winning 4-1 before 3,261 fans at the Covelli Center.

The Riders took advantage on the power play in the third period as Tiffels and Andrew Gaus scored with the extra man. Kevin Shand had a pair of assists and goaltender Danny Tirone stopped 28 of 29 shots to get the win. Judd Peterson also scored for the RoughRiders.

The victory allowed Cedar Rapids (35-20-3, 73 points) to close in on a second-place finish in the USHL's Eastern Conference. Dubuque is three points behind the RoughRiders with three games left after a 3-2 home win Saturday over Indiana.

Coe netters sweep Dubuque, Simpson

The seniors on the Coe men's tennis team came to win Saturday.

For their first competition outside in almost a month at the Clark Racquet Center, the Kohawks beat Simpson 9-0 Saturday afternoon with an all-senior lineup for their second shutout of the day.

Earlier Saturday morning, the Kohawks blanked the University of Dubuque, 9-0.

Seniors Michael Janssen and Sean Stokstad played No.1 doubles against Simpson, coming out on top in a tough match, 8-5.