Metro Sports Report

Fitzgerald makes PGA Championship field

Appropriately enough, it was a Wednesday when Caine Fitzgerald faced the most significant and pressure-packed challenge of his golf career.

He had spent many Wednesdays in northeast Cedar Rapids, competing in what is called The Wednesday Game at St. Andrews Golf Club. The game has drawn upwards of 50 players each week. It involves an entry fee, fierce competition and sometimes some significant side bets.

“I’ve said many times those days at St. Andrews prepared me as much as anything for tournament golf,’’ Fitzgerald said.

Prairie swipes wild twinbill from Warriors

Landen Akers was standing on third base with two outs in the top of the seventh inning Wednesday night when Cedar Rapids Washington assistant coach Javier Rivera came over from the third-base coaching box with a startling idea.

"Steal home," Rivera told Akers.

Huh?

"Yeah, I thought it was risky at first," said Akers, a speedy sophomore. "But then I thought I had a chance. I had to go."

Marion sweeps to Wamac division title

The Marion Indians began the 2013 baseball season with five straight losses, but my-oh-my take a look at them now.

The Indians swept Vinton-Shellsburg, 3-2 in nine innings and 5-2, to move to the top of the Wamac Conference in their division Wednesday night.

“We clinched at least a tie with Benton for the championship of the Western Division,” said Marion Coach Steve Fish. “These kids have been through a lot and they have worked hard for this kind of success.”

Marion worked overtime to win the first game. The Indians (17-12, 15-9) had eight hits, walked nine times and were helped by six errors by Vinton-Shellsburg.

Snappers continue hex on Kernels

BELOIT, Wis. - Pohlman Field has turned into a house of horrors for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

The Kernels lost for the seventh time in eight games at Pohlman Field Wednesday night, 9-2, to the Beloit Snappers.

Beloit, which won the Midwest League Western Division first-half title by two games over the Kernels, moved into a tie with Cedar Rapids atop the second-half standings with its second win over the Kernels in as many nights - at Pohlman Field. Both teams are 11-2.