Metro Sports Report

Saints frustrated at state tourney, 1-0

DES MOINES - Three failed bunt attempts. No clutch hits. Highway robbery in the outfield.

Man-oh-man-oh-man, it turned out to be a frustrating night for the Xavier Saints at the Class 4A state baseball tournament Wednesday at Principal Park in Des Moines.

The Saints left 11 runners on base and wasted an excellent pitching performance by Mitch Keller in a 1-0 loss to Sioux City East in the opening round.

"It's just disappointing," said Keller, a 6-foot-4 junior who has committed to North Carolina. "We had guys on all the time. We hit the ball pretty good. It just wasn't falling for us."

The Saints (25-16) loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh inning, but hot-hitting Jordan Ratz struck out on a high fastball to end the threat and the game.

No.7 Johnston walks by Lions, 2-0

DES MOINES - Something happens to Linn-Mar pitchers when they get to the Class 4A state baseball tournament at spacious Principal Park in Des Moines.

They have trouble throwing strikes.

It happened to Linn-Mar senior Justin Wyant Wednesday against No.7 Johnston, just like it happened to the Lions last year in the first round of the state tournament against Kennedy.

Wyant walked eight batters in four-plus innings Wednesday and uncorked a wild pitch as Linn-Mar lost to Johnston, 2-0, in the opening round on a warm, sunny day in Des Moines.

Kernels boot away game to Bees

BURLINGTON - Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher Josue Montanez deserved better.

Montanez took the loss and worked just five innings as the Kernels fell, 3-1, to the Burlington Bees Wednesday night at Community Field.

But it’s hard to win games when the defense behind you allows opposing hitters four outs per inning. And that’s exactly what the Kernels defense did in four of the five innings Montanez (4-4) was on the mound.

Trout highlights 2014 C.R. Hall class

It didn't take Mike Trout long to make an impact at the major league level.

Just two years removed from patrolling the outfield at Veterans Memorial Stadium, Trout was the 2012 American League Rookie of the Year and finished second in voting for the AL Most Valuable Player.

While his latter accomplishments may have been the start of a career that will eventually lead to Cooperstown, it was for his former tour of duty that Trout will grace his first baseball Hall of Fame.

Trout is among five people chosen for induction into the Cedar Rapids Baseball Hall of Fame, the ballclub announced Wednesday. The 2014 class also includes former player Chris Sabo, and contributors Verna Nance, Ron Gonder and Tom Barbee.