Metro Sports Report

Kirkwood softball splits in Kansas

CONCORDIA, Kan. - The Kirkwood softball team split its two games at the Cloud County Spring Classic Saturday in Kansas.

The seventh-ranked Eagles topped Central Community College-Columbus, 8-5, in their first game and lost to 16th-ranked Highland Community College, 9-1, in their second outing.

Kirkwood (7-1) is scheduled to play two more games in the tournament Sunday.

DoniRae Mayhew belted two home runs, drove in three runs and scored three times in the 8-5 victory over Central. She also was the winning pitcher, with seven strikeouts in six innings.

KCC baseball sweeps Lewis & Clark

GODFREY, Ill. - The Kirkwood baseball team rode good work by their starting pitchers Saturday to a sweep of Lewis & Clark College in Godfrey, Ill.

Cameron Leff allowed only one earned run in five innings in a 7-5 victory in the first game, then Adam Ketelsen allowed did exactly the same thing in an 11-1 verdict in the nightcap.

The sweep lifted the Eagles to 4-2 for the season heading into another twinbill at Lewis & Clark Sunday.

Cal Clark drove in two runs for Kirkwood in the 7-5 victory in the opener. Ellison Hanna and Chili Moseley had two hits. Kaden Wadle got the final two outs in the bottom of the seventh for the save.

KCC softball sweeps No. 5 Johnson County

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Freshman Lauren Kuch went 5-for-7 with six RBIs Friday as the seventh-ranked Kirkwood softball team swept fifth-ranked Johnson County, 8-5 and 14-4, in Overland Park, Kan.

The Eagles raised their record to 6-0.

Kuch went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the first game. Hannah Mauser was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Lauren Klaahsen was 2-for-4 with  two RBIs and Audra Bridenstine was also 2-for-4. Natalie Halvorson got the win.

Kuch went 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the 14-4 victory in the second game, which was stopped after five innings by the mercy rule. Rachel  Stewart was 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs. Bridenstine had two more hits and two RBIs. Monika Bevans drove in three runs.

DoniRae Mayhew and Alli Sprague split the pitching, with Mayhew going 2 2/3 innings for the win.

4 Illinois State players join IWSL

The softball team at Illinois State University hopes to battle for the Missouri Valley Conference title again this season after tying for the championship last year.

When their season is over, four of the Redbirds will be heading to Cedar Rapids to compete in the Iowa Women's Softball League this summer.

Alyssa Wiebel, a shortstop and left fielder from Benton Community, and Morgan Christner, a pitcher from New London, played in the inaugural season of the IWSL last summer.

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Brittni LaFountaine, a catcher from East Moline, Ill., and Stephanie Thulen, a center fielder from Fenton, Ill., will be playing in IWSL for the first time this season.