The Linn-Mar baseball team was the victim of bad timing Saturday when it hosted North Scott in a doubleheader.

Colby Sorensen and Eric Huber, the top pitchers for the 10th-ranked Lancers, were rested and ready for a tuneup as the Class 4A postseason tournament approaches.

The eighth-ranked Lions paid the price.

Linn-Mar scored only two runs in the twinbill and was swept, 2-1 and 12-1, on a steamy 100-degree day in Marion.

The Lions had a big Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader Friday night and have an even bigger MVC twinbill Monday against Iowa City High as they try to win a division title. As a result, Saturday's games against North Scott were not a top priority.

"Well, it would have been nice to have some rain today, wouldn't it?," quipped Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner.

Lechner naturally wanted to win both games, but he substituted liberally in the second game and did not use any of his top starting pitchers. He could live with the defeats.

"We don't put a lot of stake in it," he said. "It is what it is on a Saturday."

The assignment got harder for Linn-Mar (26-10) when junior Tyler Kane hurt his right arm just a few minutes before he was scheduled to take the mound for the first game. "He felt something pop in his elbow, so we shut him down," Lechner said.

Nick Jennings, who was supposed to start the second game, hurriedly got ready and took the ball for the opener and gave the Lions five shutout innings. He left with a 1-0 lead and a runner on second base with nobody out in the sixth, but North Scott (30-8) tied the game in the sixth and pushed across the winning run in the seventh on two infield singles and two throwing errors.

North Scott scored 12 runs against four inexperienced pitchers in the second game and won in five innings.

Sorensen (7-0) pitched a complete game in the opener for North Scott despite the heat. He allowed five hits and collected six strikeouts.

Huber (5-0) tossed four strong innings for the Lancers in the nightcap and left the game with an 8-1 lead. North Scott played excellent defense in the doubleheader, which made its pitching even more effective.

Linn-Mar collected only eight hits in the doubleheader. "Those are their two top pitchers, so it was good for us to see top pitching," said Lechner. "The substate is filled with pitchers."

Lechner talked to his players after the game about a few defensive mistakes that were committed against North Scott, then let them go.

"Hopefully we'll learn from those a little bit and forget about it and get ready for Monday," he remarked.

Monday's doubleheader against Iowa City High at Mercer Park in Iowa City will resume at 5 p.m. with the Lions holding a 2-0 lead in the top of the third
inning of the opener. The twinbill was postponed by lightning on June 29.

Linn-Mar will be gunning for the Mississippi Division title in the MVC on Monday. Kennedy finished its MVC schedule with a 22-4 record and the Lions are sitting at 21-3, with both teams battling for the division title.

GAME ONE

NORTH SCOTT (2)
Brade, 2b, 3 1 1 0, Pumphrey, cf, 3 0 0 0, Engler, 3b, 4 0 2 1, Kinney, 1b, 2 1 1 1, Guerrero, lf, 4 0 0 0, Moseley, c, 3 0 1 0, Fleetwood, rf, 2 0 0 1, Sorensen, p, 3 0 2 0, Schelin, cr, 0 0 0 0, Breneman, ss, 2 0 1 0. Totals 26 2 8 1.

LINN-MAR (1)
Greve, lf, 4 0 2 0, Bogert, cf, 2 0 0 0, Redmond, 2b, 3 0 1 0, Stickney, rf, 2 0 0 0, Stroschein, 3b, 2 0 0 0, Roth, 1b, 2 1 0 0, Stolley, dh, 3 0 1 1, Jennings, p, 0 0 0 0, Blackford, ph, 0 0 0 0, Banks, c, 2 0 0 0, Kvach, ph, 1 0 0 0, Strellner, ss, 2 0 1 0. Totals 23 1 5 1.

North Scott   000 001 1 - 2 8 0
Linn-Mar        010 000 0 - 1 5 2

Sorensen and Moseley. Jennings, Blackford (6) and Banks. W - Sorensen (7-0). L - Blackford (2-3). 2B - Kinney, Stolley. SB - Kinney, Breneman, Redmond.

GAME TWO

NORTH SCOTT (12)
Brade, 2b, 3 1 3 0, Hall, 2b, 1 0 0 0, Pumphrey, lf, 2 1 2 1, Moss, lf, 0 1 0 0, Engler, 3b, 3 1 0 0, Kinney, 1b, 2 0 0 1, Arp, 1b, 0 1 0 0, Huber, p, 2 1 0 0, Moss, cr, 0 1 0 0, Fleetwood, rf, 1 1 0 0, Edmundson, rf, 0 0 0 0, Shivley, c, 3 1 2 3, Schelin, cf, 4 0 1 0, Breneman, ss, 3 3 2 2. Totals 24 12 10 7.

LINN-MAR (1)
Kvach, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Bogert, rf, 1 0 0 0, Mortensen, ph/cf, 2 0 0 0, Redmond, cr, 1 0 1 0, Jennings, rf, 1 0 0 0, Stickney, lf, 1 0 0 0, Kruse, lf, 1 0 0 0, Stroschein, dh, 1 0 0 0, Bettman, p, 0 0 0 0, Hunter, dh, 0 1 0 0, McCullough, p, 0 0 0 0, Reimer, p, 0 0 0 0, Smith, p, 0 0 0 0, Blackford, 1b, 2 0 1 0, Ollinger, c, 2 0 1 1, Smith, cr, 0 0 0 0, Wyant, 3b, 2 0 0 0, Strellner, ss, 2 0 0 0. Totals 18 1 3 1.

North Scott   701 04 - 12 10  0
Linn-Mar        000 10 -  1   3  3

Huber, Ogden (5) and Shivley. Bettman, McCullough (1), Reimer (4), Smith (5) and Ollinger. W - Huber (5-0). L - Bettman (0-1). 2B - Ollinger. SB - Brade.