Xavier High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Hammerberg's homer aids Xavier split

A solo home run by Luke Hammerberg in the bottom of the fourth inning proved to be the margin of victory for Xavier in a 3-2 win against Prairie in the first game of a Mississippi Valley doubleheader Friday night at Xavier.

Prairie claimed the nightcap, 9-1.

With the score tied at 2-2, Hammerberg drove a pitch over the left field fence. Starting pitcher Zach Brown and reliever Mitch Keller managed to make that run hold up for the victory.

“I just let my defense work for me,” said Brown.  “They have a good hitting front end of the lineup. They all hit the ball well, you just have to mix your pitches and keep them guessing.”

Hammerberg collected two hits and teammate Brenden Miller added a two-out RBI double in the second.

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Frisch boots Saints into state finals

DES MOINES - Isaac Frisch kept his promise Friday.

As a result, the Xavier Saints will be gunning for their third state title in four years Saturday in the Class 2A state soccer tournament at Cownie Park.

Frisch blasted in the game-winning goal with 5 minutes, 36 seconds left in the second overtime Friday as the Saints rallied to trim Pella, 2-1, in a semifinal thriller.

Frisch was exhausted, but he delivered.

"He promised a goal. And when he scored I couldn't believe it," exclaimed Xavier Coach Amir Hadzic, relieved with the victory.

Xavier (13-5) will face Storm Lake (15-1) for the title on Saturday at 2:35 p.m.

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Xavier netters ousted at 1A state meet

ANKENY - Xavier's Allison Jasper and the doubles team of Jeanne and Claire Bouchard were knocked out of the Class 1A girls state tennis tournament Thursday.

Jasper won her first singles match, defeating Mary Eide of Fort Dodge St. Edmond, 6-4, 6-4. She was beaten in the quarterfinals by Ashlee Sinnott of Waterloo Columbus, then was eliminated with a loss in the consolation quarterfinals.

The Bouchard sisters were beaten in the first round by a team from Red Oak. They won in the consolation first round, beating a team from Charles City. They were eliminated in the consolation quarterfinals by another team from Charles City.

The tournament concludes Friday.

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Saints hold off Wahlert at state soccer

DES MOINES - The Xavier Saints won state soccer titles in 2010 and 2011, but they fell short last year and saw their rivals from Dubuque Wahlert walk away with top honors.

The Saints did something about it Thursday.

Xavier built a 3-0 lead against Wahlert and escaped with a 3-2 victory in the opening round of the Class 2A tournament at the Cownie Soccer Park on a soggy, gray day in Des Moines.

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