Washington Baseball

Saints suffer 2 painful losses to Wash

All of the young Junior Saints who were honored at Ken Charipar Field Monday night were home safely in bed by the time Xavier's unsightly doubleheader against Cedar Rapids Washington ended at 10:45 p.m.

It's probably a good idea that all those future Saints didn't stick around for the sad ending.

Xavier owned a 9-4 lead after five innings of the nightcap and its first victory of the season was only six outs away, but Washington rallied and won the game 17-11 in eight painful innings.

The Warriors also took the first game, 8-6, leaving the Saints with an 0-and-9 record in Bob Cataldo's first season as head coach.

The Saints had their first victory within reach in the nightcap, but Washington scored three times in the sixth inning to pull within 9-7 and tied the score 9-9 on a two-run double by Drew Christensen in the seventh.

The Warriors then scored eight times in the top of the eighth for a 17-9 lead before Xavier got a pair of consolation runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Cataldo is not sure how he's going to lift his team's spirits in time for Tuesday night's home game against Benton Community.

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Leonard powers Warriors by Saints

Trey Leonard has spent most of the spring with the Cedar Rapids Washington track team and helped the Warriors finish second in the 4x100 relay at the state meet on Saturday, so he rarely practiced with the baseball squad prior to the start of the season with the Metro Tournament on Monday.

The lack of practice did not hurt him a bit.

Leonard came out swinging Monday and went 5-for-5 with a three-run homer and five RBIs as the Warriors smacked the undermanned Xavier Saints, 15-6, in the quarterfinals at the Jefferson field.

Leonard scored four runs, smacked two balls off the outfield fence and had two stolen bases in his virtuoso performance. He saw the ball well and hit it hard all day.

"It looked like a beachball," he said. "It was a good hitting day. The swing felt good and obviously it showed with where the ball went."

Prairie trimmed Spencer VanScoyoc and the third-ranked Jefferson J-Hawks, 3-2, in the second game Monday night at Jefferson. Kennedy beat Linn-Mar, 13-5, and Mount Vernon edged Marion, 3-1, in the first-round games at Mount Vernon.

The tournament continues Tuesday at both sites. Xavier and Jefferson are scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. at Jefferson, with Washington and Prairie meeting in the winner's bracket at 7 p.m.

Linn-Mar faces Marion at 5 p.m. at Mount Vernon, with Kennedy meeting Mount Vernon in the winner's bracket at 7 p.m.

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Prairie blanks Wash for 31st win

Cedar Rapids Prairie took care of business in the opening round of the Class 4A substate baseball tournament Friday night by whipping the Washington Warriors, 10-0, in five innings at the Prairie field.

The fifth-ranked Hawks raised their record to 31-7 and moved within one victory of reaching the state tournament.

Prairie, the No. 1 seed in the substate, earned a bye in the second round and will face Iowa City West or Ottumwa in the substate finals next Wednesday night at Prairie. Iowa City West and Ottumwa meet in the semifinals Monday night in Iowa City.

Drew Yanecek tossed four shutout innings for the Hawks against Washington. He struck out two batters and walked two.

Trey Beckman went 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. Nic Mougin was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Jalen Rima went 2-for-3 and scored twice.

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Puk, Gators ousted at World Series

OMAHA - A.J. Puk and the Florida Gators saw their baseball season come to an end at the College World Series Saturday night with a 5-4 loss to Virginia.

Puk, a 6-foot-7 left-hander from Cedar Rapids Washington, did not pitch for Florida in the game. He was the losing pitcher in a 1-0 setback to Virginia earlier in the CWS on Monday.

Virginia will face Vanderbilt in the championship round of the College World Series in a rematch of last year's finals. Vandy beat Virginia for the NCAA title last year. The best-of-3 series begins Monday.

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