Metro Sports Report

KCC softball splits at tourney

COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Kirkwood softball team split its final two games  at the NFCA Lead-Off Classic Saturday to finish the prestigious  tournament with a 2-and-3 record.

The fourth-ranked Eagles were nipped by Northwest Florida State, 2-1,  in their first game Saturday. Kirkwood blanked Sinclair Community  College, 7-0, in their second contest.

Northwest Florida State scored in the top of the seventh inning to  snap a 1-1 deadlock and claim a 2-1 victory. Erin Hocker (4-2) was the  tough-luck loser for the Eagles, allowing two runs on six hits.

Jackson socks 2 homers for Eagles

ALTUS, Okla. - Taylor Jackson belted two home runs for the Kirkwood Eagles in an 8-3 loss to Western Oklahoma State in the second game of their doubleheader Saturday.

Western Oklahoma State, which is ranked eighth in the country, captured the first game 13-6 by scoring nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The two setbacks dropped the 10th-ranked Kirkwood Eagles to 2-4 for the season.

Jackson provided all the offense for Kirkwood in the 8-3 loss in the nightcap. The Eagles had only two hits in the ballgame and Jackson had both of them with his home runs.

Kirkwood had a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning in the opener, but Western Oklahoma got on the board in the bottom of the third and tacked on five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take command.

Mustangs take care of Missouri Valley

The Mount Mercy men's volleyball team has three shiny victories over  ranked teams this season, but now their matches against non-ranked  opponents have taken on extra meaning.

The Mustangs are chasing at least a share of the Heart of America  Conference title, something they'll achieve if they do not lose  another conference match this year.

The ninth-ranked Mustangs took a step in the right direction Friday  night with a 3-1 victory over Missouri Valley at the Hennessey  Recreation Center. The set scores were 25-21, 25-14, 23-25 and 25-17.

Grand View, the defending national champions, tops the Heart of  America Conference standings with an 8-1 record. Mount Mercy is  sitting in second place at 6-1 in the 10-game campaign.

For Mount Mercy, the goal is to win their final three matches in the  league and clinch at least a share of first place at 9-1.

The Mustangs upset Grand View when the Vikings were ranked No. 1  earlier in the season, but Grand View gained a measure of revenge by  defeating the Mustangs this past Wednesday.

Eagles nipped by No. 1 Jones County

COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Kirkwood women's softball team battled top-ranked  Jones County to the wire Friday, but dropped a 6-4 verdict when Jones  County scored twice in the top of the seventh.

The fourth-ranked Eagles finished with a 1-2 record on the first day  of their trip to Georgia. They lost to Indian River, 7-1, in their  second game Friday and topped Rock Valley, 6-3, in eight innings in  their final contest.

The outcomes left Kirkwood with a 9-2 record for the campaign.

Taleah Smith continued her hot hitting for Kirkwood. She went 7 for 12  in the three ballgames and scored three runs. Smith is hitting .622  for the campaign.