Metro Sports Report

Saints claim top seed in substate

Xavier hosted Waterloo West in a Mississippi Valley Conference baseball doubleheader Friday night and it was no contest.

Twice.

The Saints posted 25 runs on 24 hits and took two five inning games from the Wahawks, 15-4 and 11-1.

Xavier’s sweep puts them at 19-9 overall and 12-6 in the MVC. That, coupled with a pair of losses by Prairie Friday night, moved the Saints into the No.1 seed for Substate No.3 when the tournament begins July 19.

Prairie drops costly twinbill to Wahlert

The Cedar Rapids Prairie baseball team did not realize its shiny new spot in the Class 4A rankings this week came with a curse.

The Hawks popped into the IHSBCA rankings in the No.8 spot Monday and promptly got rained out Monday night. On Tuesday, they lost 8-0 to North Scott in a hastily scheduled game. And on Friday, the wheels came off the wagon.

Prairie squandered a pair of seemingly comfortable leads Friday and lost a Mississippi Valley Conference twinbill to Dubuque Wahlert, 5-4 in eight innings and 11-9, at the wind-swept Prairie field.

The twin defeats cost Prairie the No.1 seed in the Class 4A substate tournament that begins in three weeks and dearly cost the Hawks in the conference race.

Harrison blasts Kernels' streak to 8

The Cedar Rapids Kernels jumped all over the Burlington Bees Friday night, scoring six runs over the first two innings and then holding on to top the Bees 7-1, securing their eighth straight win to start the second half of the Midwest League baseball season.

A crowd of 3,707 at Veterans Memorial Stadium saw the Kernels’ win on “Halfway to Christmas” night, but it was the Kernels who received a gift from their parent organization, the Minnesota Twins, Friday night.

The Kernels learned that Twins starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey will be suiting up for Cedar Rapids on Monday for a rehabilitation start. Pelfrey has been on the Twins’ 15-Day Disabled List with a strained back and is hoping to rejoin the Twins’ rotation July 6.

Local players in pro baseball

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Chicago Cubs) - Started in center field Friday and was 1-for-4 with an RBI triple and a run scored in the Cubs' 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Mariners. Season stats: G - 43, Avg. - .297, AB - 111, H - 33, HR - 4, RBI - 15, SB - 1.

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers)) - Started in right field Friday and belted a walk-off grand slam to cap a five-run rally that lifted the Quakes to a 6-3 win over Lancaster. He was 1-for-4 with four RBIs and has hit safely in his last 14 games, going 22-for-58 (.379) over that span. Season stats: G - 65, Avg. - .284, AB - 243, H - 69, HR - 11, RBI - 39, SB - 7.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Lansing (Blue Jays)) - The Lugnuts' game against Fort Wayne was rained out Friday night. Season stats: G - 62, Avg. - .187, AB - 203, H - 38, HR - 3, RBI - 15, SB - 0.

ANDREW HANSE (Linn-Mar, Hudson Valley (Rays)) - Did not pitch Friday in the Renegades' 7-4 loss to Brooklyn. Season stats: W - 0. L - 1. Sv - 1. ERA - 7.71. G - 4. IP - 7. H - 8. BB - 2. SO - 6.

CHAD CHRISTENSEN (Washington, GCL Twins (Twins)) - Started in left field Friday and was 0-for-3 in the Twins' 5-2 win over the GCL Red Sox. Season stats: G - 5, Avg. - .286, AB - 21, H - 6, HR - 0, RBI - 4, SB - 0.