Metro Sports Report

Puk returns with vengeance for Warriors

WATERLOO - A.J. Puk made a triumphant return for the Cedar Rapids Washington baseball team Friday night after missing four weeks with a hairline fracture in his right thumb.

Puk struck out 12 batters in six innings as the Warriors trimmed Waterloo West, 5-4, in the first game of a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader.

The Warriors also won the second game, 13-9.

Sammy Lizarraga gives Cougars a lift

DUBUQUE - Freshman Sammy Lizarraga was promoted to the varsity Friday and pitched a two-hit shutout as Cedar Rapids Kennedy pounded Dubuque Wahlert, 15-0 in four innings, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game in Dubuque.

The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was suspended with Kennedy holding a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning with two outs.

Lizarraga has played with Kennedy's sophomore team this season, but the Cougars needed a fresh arm on the mound Friday as they headed into their third doubleheader this week. He allowed only two singles with two strikeouts and one walk.

Former Metro preps in pro baseball

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Boston Red Sox) -- Placed on 15-day disabled list June 17 with broken bone in his foot. He took batting practice on Friday in Seattle, but is still wearing a small cast on his left big toe.  Year to date -- BA - .292, AB - 171, R - 19, H - 50, RBI - 13, 2B - 17, 3B - 1, HR - 0, SB - 0.

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers), MWL) -- Started in left field Saturday and was 0-for-3 with a walk in the Loons' 4-3 loss to Fort Wayne. Scott is second in the Midwest League in triples (6) and seventh in RBI (45). Year to date -- BA - .276, AB - 301, R - 40, H - 83, RBI - 45, 2B - 23, 3B - 6, HR - 5, SB - 11.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays), NWL) -- Vancouver's game against Eugene on Saturday was postponed by rain. Vancouver totals -- BA - .130, AB - 46, R - 7, H - 6, RBI - 3, 2B - 3, 3B - 0, HR - 0, SB - 0

J-Hawks split with Hempstead

DUBUQUE -- Jefferson split a Mississippi Valley Conference baseball doubleheader against Dubuque Hempstead on Friday at Dick Core Field.

Hempstead won the opener, 5-3. Jefferson took the nightcap, 1-0. The second game was called after five innings because of lightning.

In the third inning of the nightcap, Dylan Jellison's one-out sinking liner eluded Hempstead right fielder David Fitzgerald and rolled past for a triple. Christian Knox followed with a grounder to short that drove home Jellison with the only run of the game.

Austin Goodell and Chance Tiedtke combined to throw a two-hitter for the J-Hawks. Goodell wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the Hempstead second inning, striking out Andrew Seymour to end the frame.