Metro Sports Report

Murdock claims Pribyl golf title

Cole Murdock and his buddies from the Cedar Rapids Kennedy golf team turned the 2013 Rotary Pribyl Junior Tournament into their personal playground Friday.

Murdock fired an even-par 70 at Elmcrest Country Club and captured the Open Division with a 72-hole score of 293 in a battle with two of his teammates.

Conner Koberg finished second at 296 and Davis Sutton placed third at 300 as the three juniors grabbed the gold, silver and bronze for the Cougars.

Walker's 25th homer leads Kernels

BELOIT, Wis. - Adam Brett Walker belted his 25th home run and Max Kepler also homered to power the Cedar Rapids Kernels past the Beloit Snappers, 7-4, Friday night in a Midwest League baseball game at Pohlman Field.

The Kernels swept the three-game series from the Snappers and held onto their half-game lead over Quad Cities in the Western Division second-half pennant race.

Five Kernels pitchers combined to strike out 13 Snappers. Mason Melotakis (10-4) pitched 2-1/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief of spot starter Tim Shibuya to pick up the win. Madison Boer pitched a perfect ninth inning for his fourth save.

Local players in pro baseball

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Chicago Cubs) - Placed on disabled list June 30 with fractured rib. Expected to return Sept. 1. Season stats: G - 44, Avg. - .295, AB - 112, H - 33, HR - 4, RBI - 15, SB - 1.

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers)) - Started in right field Friday and was 1-for-4 with a stolen base in the Quakes' 9-3 loss to Lake Elsinore. Season stats: G - 104, Avg. - .306, AB - 399, H - 122, HR - 25, RBI - 79, SB - 13.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Lansing (Blue Jays)) - Did not play Friday in the Lugnuts' 7-5, 12-inning win over West Michigan. Season stats: G - 93, Avg. - .178, AB - 297, H - 53, HR - 5, RBI - 22, SB - 0.

ANDREW HANSE (Linn-Mar, Bowling Green (Rays)) - Did not pitch Friday in the Hot Rods' 3-0 win over Great Lakes. Season stats: W - 1. L - 0. Sv - 0. ERA - 1.29. G - 3. IP - 7. H - 6. BB - 0. SO - 7.

CHAD CHRISTENSEN (Washington, GCL Twins (Twins)) - Started at third base Friday and was 2-for-4 with a double in the Twins' 3-2 loss to the GCL Red Sox. Season stats: G - 32, Avg. - .236, AB - 110, H - 26, HR - 1, RBI - 15, SB - 3.

JON KELLER (Xavier, GCL Orioles (Orioles)) - Did not pitch Friday in the Orioles' 4-3 loss to the GCL Rays. Season stats: W - 0. L - 0. Sv - 0. ERA - 0.00. G - 3. IP - 6. H - 3. BB - 0. SO - 5.

More bad news for newspaper industry

The newspaper industry has been undergoing dramatic change for years, and now this – Iowa City Press-Citizen veteran sportswriters no longer will be covering their hometown teams at the University of Iowa.

Word surfaced this week that beat writers at the Des Moines Register now will have the bylines in the P-C for Hawkeye coverage. Meanwhile, veteran P-C sportswriters Ryan Suchomel and Pat Harty are off the beat. Suchomel, the sports editor, has lost his job and Harty apparently has been told he will be covering high school events.

The Press-Citizen and The Register are owned by The Gannett Company, the largest U.S. newspaper publisher. It owns USA Today along with numerous other newspapers, and radio and television stations. Gannett’s net income was $588 million in 2010.