Metro Sports Report

Bell saves Cougars against Iowa City West

The Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School baseball team prides itself on good pitching and tight defense, but there wasn't much of either for the Cougars on Tuesday night.

The top-ranked Cougars walked 20 batters and committed eight errors during their Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader against No.5 Iowa City West and were danger of being swept away until Cody Bell stepped to the plate.

Bell smashed a towering two-run homer over the scoreboard in left field to snap a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning and give the Cougars an 8-6 victory in the nightcap, salvaging a split of a sloppy twinbill at the Kennedy diamond.

Iowa City West (6-2, 1-1) won the opener, 16-12.

Bell went 4-for-4 in the nightcap with a single, two doubles, the two-run homer and four RBIs to lift the Cougars (6-1, 1-1). His batting prowess helped make amends for his pitching woes in the opener, which saw him allow seven runs in four innings.

Kennedy pitchers walked 14 batters in the first game, a highly unusual total for a Bret Hoyer ballclub. Toss in the four errors and the Cougars had problems all game, despite plating 12 runs of their own. Bell and

Devon Jacobus homered in the opener, and Bell's home run in the nightcap gave him three in the last three games.

Kennedy trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning of the second game, but the Cougars plated two runs to get even. It stayed tied until Bell hit his bell-ringer in the bottom of the sixth.

Nick Appleget allowed six runs in six innings, but got the victory when Bell delivered. Zach Johnson got the save.

Game 1

IOWA CITY WEST (16)

Reiners, cf, 4 3 1 0, McDowell, lf, 0 0 0 0, Siems, dh, 4 3 1 0, Yoder, p, 0 0 0 0, Searls, p, 0 0 0 0, Scott, ss, 0 0 0 0, Nash, cr/cf, 0 2 0 0, Bonner, 2b, 3 3 2 1, Doyle, 1b, 4 2 2 2, Harder, pr, 0 1 0 0, Baker, c, 2 0 1 3, Crimmins, ss/p, 3 0 0 1, Slocum, ph, 0 0 0 0, Allen, lf/p, 2 1 1 2, Wilson, pr/lf, 1 0 1 1, Adkins, 3b, 3 0 0 1, Grimsman, rf, 5 1 1 0. Totals 31 16 10 11.

KENNEDY (12)

Jahlas, cf, 4 2 3 1, Ambrosy, rf/p, 4 1 0 0, Oltmann, rf, 0 0 0 0, Bell, p/1b, 3 2 1 2, Unash, cr, 0 1 0 0, Devon Jacobus, 2b, 2 3 2 4, Skow, 3b, 4 0 0 0, Derek Jacobus, ss, 2 1 0 0, Hayden, dh, 4 0 2 3, Maiers, c, 0 0 0 0, Staton, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Z. Johnson, rf, 1 0 0 0, Smetzer, p, 0 0 0 0, King, p, 1 0 0 0, A. Johnson, lf, 4 2 2 1. Totals 32 12 10 11.

IC West     520 053 1 - 16 10 2

Kennedy     320 022 3 - 12 10 4

Yoder, Searls (5), Crimmins (6), Allen (7) and Baker. Bell, Ambrosy (5), Smetzer (5), Jurgensen (6), King (7) and Maiers. W - Yoder. L - Bell. 2B - Reiners, Doyle, A. Johnson. HR - Aller, Bell, Devon Jacobus.

Game 2

IOWA CITY WEST (6)

Reiners, cf/p, 3 1 1 1, Siems, dh, 3 1 2 2, Grimsman, p/cf, 0 0 0 0, Bonner, 2b, 3 1 1 0, Doyle, 1b, 3 1 0 0, Baker, c, 4 0 2 0, Wilson, cr, 0 1 0 0, Crimmins, ss, 3 1 0 0, Aller, lf, 2 0 0 0, Harder, pr, 0 0 0 0, Yoder, 3b, 3 0 1 1, Nash, rf, 2 0 0 0. Totals 26 6 7 4.

KENNEDY (8)

Jahlas, cf, 4 1 1 0, Ambrosy, rf, 2 3 1 0, Bell, 1b, 4 3 4 4, Devon Jacobus, 2b/3b, 1 1 1 0, Smetzer, pr, 0 0 0 0, Skow, 3b, 3 0 1 0, Seubert, pr, 0 0 0 0, Unash, pr, 0 0 0 0, Z. Johnson, p, 0 0 0 0, Derek Jacobus, ss, 3 0 0 0, Hayden, dh/2b, 3 0 1 1, Appleget, p, 0 0 0 0, A. Johnson, lf, 1 0 0 0, Lizarraga, c, 1 0 0 0, Lloyd, cr, 0 0 0 0. Totals 22 8 9 5.

Iowa City West   210 120 0 - 6 7 0

Kennedy          301 022 x - 8 9 4

Grimsman, Reiners (6) and Baker. Appleget, Z. Johnson (7) and Lizarraga. W - Appleget (2-0). L - Reiners. S - Johnson. 2B - Siems, Bell, Hayden. HR - Siems, Bell.

Stroschein helps Lions sweep Saints

With the winning run on second base, Linn-Mar fans were excited to see Austin Stroschein step to the plate Tuesday night. Up to that point, he had two doubles, a triple and five RBIs. The stage was set for a heroic final swing.

But instead of belting another line drive, he found another way to be the hero. Stroschein laid down a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt, advancing runners to second and third.

Two batters later, a passed ball scored Michael Redmond from third base to give the Lions a 12-11 victory in the nightcap of their Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Linn-Mar.

“I was just trying to get the job done and get the win, that is all that really matters,” said Stroschein.

Linn-Mar won the first game, 5-1.

Against a strong opponent in Xavier, individual success wasn’t going to ensure a victory. Team baseball was what allowed the Lions to win.

“What I am seeing out of this group is not a lot of ‘swings for me,' it is ‘swings for we',” said Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner. “If one guys gets on base, we are relying on the next guys doing the same thing and stringing two or three hits together instead of going for the one big hit.”

With the score tied at 11-11 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Linn-Mar center fielder Redmond led off with a single. Mitchell Stickney then hit a sharp grounder right to Xavier pitcher Corbin Woods, who fielded it cleanly. The Saints were poised for a quick double play, but the shortstop bobbled Woods’ throw and all runners were safe.

That set up Stroschein’s bunt, moving the runners to second and third. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, a Woods pitch glanced off theglove of Xavier catcher Luke Hammerberg and Redmond came in for the winning score.

Former Metro preps in pro baseball

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Boston Red Sox) -- Started in right field and went 0-for-4 Tuesday night in Boston's 6-3 victory over Detroit. He struck out three times. Year to date: BA - .315 (41-130), R - 13, RBI - 12, 2B - 15, 3B - 1, HR - 0, SB - 0.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays), MWL) -- Entered third base as a reserve Tuesday night in Lansing's 10-9 victory over Lake County and went 0-for-3. Year to date: BA - .179, R - 13, RBI - 12, 2B - 2, 3B - 1, HR - 0, SB - 1.

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers), MWL) -- Started in left field Tuesday night in Great Lakes' 6-5 victory over South Bend and was 2-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Year to date: BA - .251, R - 29, RBI - 28, 2B - 14, 3B - 6, HR - 3, SB - 4.

Puk enjoys fast start with Warriors

A.J. Puk has one of the sweetest left-handed swings in Iowa.

You could scour all the schools between the Mississippi River on the east and the Missouri on the west and find none better.

He showed it Monday evening.

Puk lined a single to left field in the first inning, ripped a double to deep right-center in the second inning and smashed a long, towering homer to right field in the third as the Washington Warriors dumped Oskaloosa, 17-7, in five innings in a Memorial Day special at the Washington field.

Puk batted again in the fourth inning, needing a triple to hit for the cycle in just four innings, but popped up to third base in his final at-bat.