Linn-Mar High School - Marion, Iowa

Cougars, J-Hawks lead Metro baseball

This is not shaping up as a particularly good year for high school baseball in the Metro area.

Only Kennedy and Jefferson have winning records in conference games. And only Kennedy, Jefferson and Xavier have winning records overall.

The Xavier Saints suffered a big loss this month when Mitch Keller accepted a $1 million signing bonus from Pittsburgh and left to begin his pro career.

The Linn-Mar Lions also have suffered a big loss with all-state catcher Brandt Ollinger playing travel ball this summer with an all-star team. Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner said Ollinger will be gone for an extended period of time.

Kennedy is ranked No. 2 in Class 4A and Jefferson defeated No. 1 Hempstead in the second game of a doubleheader Friday.

Here are the Metro records through June 22:

Kennedy         14-2 overall   10-2 MVC
Jefferson       13-6 overall   8-4 MVC
Xavier          12-8 overall   6-6 MVC
Marion          8-8 overall    6-6 Wamac
Linn-Mar        9-14 overall   4-8 MVC
Prairie         4-12 overall   3-7 MVC
Washington      3-12 overall   3-9 MVC
Cedar Valley    0-14 overall

Lions fall twice to No.5 Waukee

WAUKEE - The Linn-Mar Lions dropped a pair of baseball games to No.5 Waukee Saturday, 2-1 and 11-1 in five innings, at Waukee.

Brandon Homewood pitched a strong game for the Lions in the opener. He went six innings and allowed two runs on five hits. Ben Larson and Adam Stolley had two hits for Linn-Mar.

Linn-Mar got only four hits in the second game and used four pitchers.

Game 1

Linn-Mar    000 010 0 - 1 7 1

Waukee      020 000 x - 2 5 0

W - Corbett. L - Homewood.

Game 2

Linn-Mar    000 10 - 1 4 0

Waukee      240 23 - 11 13 0

W - Sell. L - Yoke.

Lions split with City High

IOWA CITY - Linn-Mar relief pitcher Michael Bogert got the final out in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday as the Lions held off Iowa City High, 8-7, in the first game of a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader in Iowa City.

The Little Hawks won the second game, 2-0, on a one-hitter by Brady Cotton.

Linn-Mar carried an 8-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning of the opener. The Little Hawks pulled within 8-7, but Bogert ended the game with a strikeout.

Manny Jeffery scored three runs for Linn-Mar. Thomas Niemeyer and Ryan Wyant had two hits. Jackson Jacobs, Taylor Yoke and Wyant had two RBIs.

Game 1

Linn-Mar    102 032 0 - 8 7 2
City High   000 230 2 - 7 8 4

W - Wyant. L - Forrester. S - Bogert.

Game 2

Linn-Mar    000 000 0 - 0 1 2
City High   001 001 x - 2 4 2

W - Cotton. L - Jeffery.

Lions nipped twice by Wahlert

The Linn-Mar baseball team spent a frustrating night at the ballpark Wednesday and dropped a pair of one-run games to Dubuque Wahlert, 4-3 in eight innings and 2-1.

The Lions took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning of the opener, but Wahlert tied the game in the seventh and won the game in the eighth.

Jackson Jacobs scored twice for Linn-Mar in Game 1. Michael Bogert gave the Lions a quality start, allowing only one run in five innings.

Linn-Mar tied the second game, 1-1, in the fifth inning, but Wahlert scored in the top of the sixth and hung on for its second victory in the Mississippi Valley Conference twinbill.

Manny Jeffery and Nic Redmond had two hits for the Lions in the nightcap. Ben Larson gave Linn-Mar another quality start and allowed two runs in six innings, but was the hard-luck loser.

Game 1

Wahlert   100 000 21 - 4 13 0
Linn-Mar  010 200 00 - 3 6 1

W - Hoffman. L - Yoke.

Game 2

Wahlert     100 001 0 - 2 8 1
Linn-Mar    000 010 0 - 1 7 1

W - Timp. L - Larson.