Metro Sports Report

Prokop's night for Lions

It was Corey Prokop's night Monday at Linn-Mar.

Prokop's three-run home run in the opener provided all the offense the Lions needed and his two-out RBI double in the bottom of the 10th inning in the nightcap chased home the winning run as Linn-Mar swept a Mississippi Valley Conference baseball doubleheader from Jefferson.

Linn-Mar (9-6, 5-4 MVC) won the opener, 3-1, behind the two-hit pitching of junior Jake Stolley and Prokop's blast. The Lions took the nightcap, 8-7.

"I don't remember the last time we swept Jeff," Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner said."Hopefully, that's a stepping stone for our program and we can build on that a little bit."

While Stolley and Jefferson senior Michael Rooney hooked up in a pitchers' duel in the opener, the teams combined for 29 hits in the nightcap. Jeffferson's Jordan McCormick and Bailey Hollingsworth hit home runs and Linn-Mar batters banged out seven doubles, two by Prokop, who finished the night 5-for-7 with six RBIs.

"It was a fastball middle," the diminutive Prokop said of his game-winning blow in the nightcap. "I just wanted to hit it hard."

Xavier streak among best in state history

The legacy of Xavier girls soccer is yet to be fully realized. The Saints have six straight state championships, a remarkable sum to be sure. But since most of its starting lineup returns next season, making Xavier the undoubted 2012 preseason favorite, that string may stretch to seven or more.

Already, the consecutive championship streak is one of the best in state history. Only Bettendorf’s tennis teams and Cedar Falls’ swimming teams (each with six in a row) in the 1990s rival Xavier among girls teams.

Not to diminish things by any means, but the Xavier girls still have some work to do to become the most decorated Metro team in history.

Prairie hitters stumped by West hurlers

IOWA CITY - Iowa City West pitchers Shelly Stumpff and Mackenzie Laux pitched complete games Monday as the Women of Troy swept Cedar Rapids Prairie, 5-1 and 6-0, in a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader.

Prairie (7-10, 3-7) was held to five hits in the twinbill.

Stumpff pitched a complete game in the opener and had Prairie hitters confused, allowing one run on three hits. She mixed a nice changeup with her fastball, causing Prairie hitters to lunge at pitches.

“In the first game, the changeup hurt us. We did not adjust well at all to the changing of the speeds,” said Prairie Coach Kim Hynek.

West scored early on an RBI single from Alise Miller in the bottom of the first in the opener. The Women of Troy (11-3, 6-2) plated three more runs in the second inning on consecutive RBI singles by Lynn Jehle, Mikaela Morgan and Tatum Klein.

Prairie scored its lone run in the third inning. Katelyn Kuch’s sacrifice fly to left field scored Brittney Lash from third base. Lash doubled to start the inning.

Saints sweep No.12 Hempstead in tight games

The Dubuque Hempstead softball team arrived in Cedar Rapids Monday with a sparkling 13-0 record and the No.12 spot in the new IGHSAU softball rankings.

The Mustangs (13-2, 8-2) went home with a headache.

The Xavier Saints (8-3, 7-3) swept Hempstead, 2-1 and 7-6, in a pair of Mississippi Valley Conference squeakers at the Xavier field.

Emily Walton drove in the winning run for Xavier in the first game with a fifth-inning double. Tyler Sampson hit a home run for the Saints (8-3, 7-3) in the second inning.

Abby Bedard went 3-for-4 and drove in a run in the second game for Xavier. Sydney Galligan was 2-for-3 with an RBI.