Metro Sports Report

Prairie earns date with No.2 Mason City

The Cedar Rapids Prairie baseball team might as well give the other team a few runs at the start of each game. It's a risky formula, but it seems to work.

The Hawks came from behind to defeat Waterloo West in the first round of the Class 4A substate tournament on Friday and they did it again Monday night against Linn-Mar.

Prairie yielded four quick runs in the top of the first inning against Linn-Mar, but showed resiliency and battled back to top the Lions, 5-4, in the substate semifinals at Prairie.

“Any other day I think I would have been a little uptight and nervous, but when we got down it kind of took the pressure off of us,” said Prairie Coach Matt Thede. “It was almost like what do we have to lose? We might as well go out and hit the ball and throw some more strikes.”

Prairie (26-15) advanced to face second-ranked Mason City (32-9) in the substate finals Wednesday night in Mason City. The winner of that game will qualify for the Class 4A state tournament that starts next Wednesday in Des Moines.

The toughest 9 holes in Metro golf

Fall high school golf, that inconsistent season that begins in brilliant warmth and often ends in blustery and cool weather, is only a couple weeks from getting under way. Metro golfers play a variety of courses during the season and, therefore, encounter some very interesting holes.

The four Cedar Rapids municipal courses – Ellis, Jones, Gardner and Twin Pines – along with Hunters Ridge and Airport National all will host high school events this fall. All have their share of challenging holes, all of them influenced by weather conditions.

Here’s one person’s view of the Toughest Nine Holes in the Metro area (with two criteria: every course must be represented, and country clubs are excluded because not everyone has access to them):

9. GARDNER #8. This pick may be influenced by my personal perils because I can’t remember ever hitting this green in regulation. It’s a fairly straightforward par-3, a downhill shot measuring 218 yards from the blues. The green is guarded by a marsh on the far left and a couple bunkers. It’s a wide, narrow green with a lot of undulation, depending on the pin placement.

8. TWIN PINES #16 – This 401-yard par-4 can be even more difficult if the wind is blowing from the south. A dogleg left, it requires a well positioned tee shot that favors the right side. The second shot is blind to an accessible green. Not overly difficult but it requires two well-struck shots.

Albaugh keeps hopping, helps Marion win

Dusty Albaugh hit running backs Monday morning, then hit baseballs Monday night.

It was a long, hot and busy day for the Marion High School senior, but he enjoyed it.

Albaugh went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs Monday night as the Indians belted Union, 16-2, in five innings to win a Class 3A district title at Marion.

Marion (25-16) will face Williamsburg (19-19) in the substate finals Wednesday night at Benton Community High School in Van Horne for a berth in the Class 3A state tournament next week.

Albaugh began the day in Ames, practicing with the North squad for the annual Shrine Bowl football game that will be held at Jack Trice Stadium this Saturday night.

He practiced football in pads for 2 1/2 hours Monday morning in sweltering heat in Ames - "It was hot," he confirmed - then scooted home to prepare for Monday night's baseball game.

"I came down here and hit right away (for batting practice)," he said. "There's really no break."

Albaugh said he felt fine after the game.

"Not too bad, actually," he said. "I'm sure tomorrow morning it will be going against me and what my mind is telling me to do."

Saints claw back, but fall in 7th

Dubuque Hempstead senior Nick Barker had one previous at-bat in his varsity career when he stepped to the plate with one out in the top of the seventh inning of a tie game against Xavier on Monday night at Ken Charipar Field.

"I struck out," Barker said.

But not this time.

Barker pushed a bunt past Xavier junior pitcher Mack Mattke for a single, courtesy runner Mitch Brimeyer made it to second base on a groundout and Sean Fitzgerald ripped a liner down the left-field line for a run-scoring single that lifted Hempstead past Xavier, 9-8, in a Class 4A substate semifinal baseball game.

Hempstead (21-18) advances to play Kennedy (30-8) in the substate final Wednesday at Kennedy at 7 p.m.

Xavier finished its season 26-11.

Barker came into the game as a relief pitcher in the bottom of the sixth inning and set the Saints down after Nate Even had blooped a leadoff double. Barker was then the second batter for the Mustangs in the seventh inning.