Cody Bell swings a good stick, whether he's on a golf course or a baseball field. Either way, he can belt the ball a long way.

Bell smashed a long two-run homer Monday as No. 1 Kennedy defeated Marshalltown, 9-7, on a warm Memorial Day afternoon at the Kennedy diamond.

Marshalltown scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to pull within 7-6, but Bell gave the Cougars (5-0) some breathing room when he slugged his long homer to left-center in the bottom of the sixth.

"They were pitching me outside the whole game, so I tried to look for one outside," he said. "It got a lot of the plate and I was able to hit it deep."

Bell will be headed to the University of Northern Iowa to join the men's golf team this summer, but for now it's all baseball. He doesn't like to mix baseball and golf at the same time, because they require different swings.

He won't play any serious golf until his final baseball campaign at Kennedy is done. "None. No, I don't think so," he said. "Maybe my short game."

Bell is a 6-foot-4 first baseman and pitcher. He's hitting .533 after five games (8 for 15) with a homer and eight RBIs. He's scheduled to be one of the starting pitchers Tuesday night Kennedy hosts No. 5 Iowa City West in the Mississippi Valley Conference opener at 5 p.m.

Bell doesn't put too much stock in being ranked No. 1 this early in the season.

"I don't think it really means anything," he said. "It's just in the papers for people to read. We just have to come out and win games."

Kennedy appeared on its way to an easy victory when Marshalltown relief pitcher Blake Judkins walked five straight batters (one intentionally) in the fifth inning to help the Cougars snap a 2-2 tie and grab their 7-2 advantage. Andrew Johnson had a big two-run single for Kennedy in the frame, one of only two hits in the inning.

The Cougars turned right around and helped the Bobcats (4-1) score four times in the top of the sixth when they committed two errors, including a two-run throwing error by shortstop Derek Jacobus on a double-play pivot that would have ended the inning.

Kennedy relief pitchers Zach Johnson and Alex Hayden combined to give Marshalltown four free runners in the sixth inning with three walks and a hit batsman. The Bobcats scored their four runs with only one base hit in the inning.

Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer was not pleased with the sloppy baseball in the sixth while it happened, but tried to put it in perspective. "One bad inning in five games," he noted. "I can't complain too much about that."

Adam Lloyd (2-0) pitched five strong innings for the victory. Devon Jacobus pitched the seventh inning and allowed one run, but got the save.

Josh Jahlas and Logan Ambrosy went 2-for-4 for the Cougars. Bell, Andrew Johnson and Brock Skow drove in two runs apiece.

MARSHALLTOWN (7)
Thompson, cf, 4 1 1 0, Blackford, 2b, 2 1 0 0, Carnahan, p/ss/1b, 3 3 2 1, Judkins, ss/p, 4 0 1 1, Mann, rf, 1 1 0 0, Hillygus, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Moranville, p, 0 0 0 0, Moore, cr, 0 1 0 0, Mitchell, 3b, 3 0 3 0, Fienup, c, 3 0 0 1, Thimesch, cr, 0 0 0 0, Bueghly, lf, 3 0 0 0. Totals 25 7 7 3.

KENNEDY (9)
Jahlas, cf, 4 2 2 0, Ambrosy, rf/c, 4 1 2 1, Unash, cr, 0 1 0 0, Bell, 1b, 3 2 1 2, Devon Jacobus, 2b/p, 2 0 0 0, Seubert, pr, 0 1 0 0, Skow, 3b, 3 1 1 2, Derek Jacobus, ss, 3 1 1 1, Hayden, dh/p/2b, 2 0 0 0, Lloyd, p/rf, 0 0 0 0, Oltmann, pr, 0 0 0 0, A. Johnson, lf, 3 0 1 2, Maiers, c, 2 0 0 0, Staton, ph, 1 0 0 0, Z. Johnson, p, 0 0 0 0, Moorman, rf, 0 0 0 0. Totals 27 9 8 8.

Marshalltown   100 104 1 - 7 7 1
Kennedy        002 052 x - 9 8 2

Carnahan, Judkins (5), Moranville (5) and Fienup. Lloyd, Z. Johnson (6), Hayden (6), Devon Jacobus (7) and Maiers, Ambrosy (6), Maiers (7). W - Lloyd (2-0). L - Carnahan. S - Jacobus. 2B - Thompson, Carnahan, Mitchell, Jahlas, Ambrosy, Derek Jacobus. HR - Bell.