Metro Sports Report

Hammond takes 2nd at state tennis

IOWA CITY – Katie Hammond said her bum knee didn’t bother her.

Moving from the indoor courts at the University of Iowa’s tennis center on Thursday into the wind and sun outside the next day wasn’t a problem.

Her blonde pony tail didn’t get into her eyes and her pink shoe laces didn’t come untied.

“I wish I could say I had an excuse,” the Cedar Rapids Washington senior said Friday afternoon after her first singles defeat of the season in the championship match of the girls Class 2A high school state tournament.

The fact is, on this day anyway, the tournament’s undefeated No. 2 seed was no match for top seed and defending champ Jessica King of Ames, who kept her title with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory.

“She’s such a great player,” said Hammond, who finished third in the state last year and was 22-1 this season. “She just hit so many wonderful winners. I don’t think I played poorly at all. But she never missed.”

Hammond limps into state semifinals

IOWA CITY – Competing on one good leg and a lot of guts, Cedar Rapids Washington senior Katie Hammond simply willed herself into Friday's semifinals of the girls state tennis tournament at the University of Iowa Tennis and Recreation Complex.

With her left knee banged-up in a soccer collision from the night before, Hammond still gamely overcame two tough opponents on Thursday. The meet’s No.2 seed will now face an unseeded freshman from Johnston in the semifinals Friday at 10 a.m.

Of eight Metro players in action, Hammond is the only one who survived the first day of play.

Eliminated after two losses Thursday were fellow Washington singles competitor Lilly Hartman, the Kennedy doubles team of Sarah Lasecki and Lindsay Minder, and both Warrior doubles tandems of Olivia Brooks/Kristin King and Rina Moore/Lanie Sabin.

Hammond was a wounded Warrior after almost four hours on the indoor courts on a rainy day.

“My knee is very, very sore and swollen,” she said. “I’ll ice it down again, get some rest and hope I’ll be ready to go. I’m excited to play the girl I’ve got next.”

Tiedtke lifts J-Hawks past Warriors

Sometimes, a positive attitude can be an athlete’s most dangerous weapon. The Cedar Rapids Washington baseball team felt the full force of that weapon on Thursday night.

Jefferson’s Chance Tiedtke, who had been experiencing trouble at the plate, came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs and his team trailing by one run.

Tiedtke proceeded to rip a walk-off single down the third base line to score runners from second and third to give Jefferson a 5-4 victory over Washington at home.

“I had been down the whole game because I haven’t been hitting that well,” said Tiedtke. “So I was just trying to stay positive. I could hear my teammates just telling me to stay positive, so I just tried to put the ball in play and do whatever I could for my team.”

Jefferson struggled at the plate most of the night, but Tiedtke came up big when it counted.

Former Metro preps in pro baseball

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Boston Red Sox) -- Started in right field Thursday night and went 1-for-4 in Boston's 7-3 loss to Detroit. He collected an outfield assist, throwing out a Detroit runner at home plate. Sweeney is hitting .313 this season. His on-base percentage is .340 and his slugging percentage is .440.

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers), MWL) -- The Loons were postponed Thursday night against Fort Wayne. Schebler is hitting .251 with three homers and 28 RBIs.