Xavier High School - Cedar Rapids, 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

Saints, J-Hawks ranked 5th in polls

The Xavier Saints and Jefferson J-Hawks are both ranked No.5 in the latest high school softball polls by the IGHSAU.

The Saints are ranked No.5 in Class 4A and the J-Hawks are No.5 in Class 5A. The Prairie Hawks are ranked 10th in Class 5A.

Dallas Center-Grimes is No.1 in Class 4A and Johnston is No.5 in 5A.

CLASS 4A

1. Dallas Center-Grimes (16-0), 2. Solon (19-0), 3. Carlisle (14-1), 4. Fort Dodge (13-5), 5. Xavier (18-2), 6. Davenport Assumption (17-4), 7. Oskaloosa (18-1), 8. Norwalk (15-4), 9. Fairfield (15-4), 10. Ballard (15-4), 11. West Delaware (18-5), 12. Waverly-Shell Rock (13-3), 13. Charles City (15-4), 14. Boone (15-7), 15. Indianola (11-8).

CLASS 5A

1. Johnston (15-2), 2. Dowling Catholic (12-5), 3. West Des Moines Valley (17-5), 4. Southeast Polk (15-5), 5. Jefferson (16-4), 6. Muscatine (19-2), 7. Ankeny (11-7), 8. Iowa City West (16-5), 9. Waukee (13-9), 10. Prairie (16-7).

Flaherty tosses two-hitter for Saints

The Xavier Saints rallied in the seventh inning and rallied again in the eighth inning to stay alive against Dubuque Senior Friday night, but their final rally fell a run short in the bottom of the 12th inning.

The Rams tripped the Saints, 7-6, in 12 innings in the first game of a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Ken Charipar Field.

Xavier won the second game, 7-0, on a two-hitter by Ryan Flaherty.

Dubuque Senior grabbed a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh, but Adam Pick belted a two-run homer to tie the game and force extra innings.

The Rams took a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth, but Nolan Arp led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, went to third on a double by Jake

Robinson and scored on an RBI grounder by Logan Clarahan to make it 5-5.

Nobody scored in the 9th, 10th or 11th innings as the drama continued to build.

Dubuque Senior scored twice in the top of the 12th, but the Saints refused to go quietly in the home half. Arp led off with his fourth hit of the game. Bryce Grimm forced Arp at second, but Robinson socked an RBI double to plate Grimm and make it 7-6 with one out.

Pick was given an intentional walk, but the next two batters were not able to produce a hit and the three-hour game ended in frustration for the home team.

Arp went 4-for-5. Robinson was 4-for-7 with two doubles in the opener.

Grimm hit a two-run homer in the second game. Arp drove in two runs. Flaherty had two hits, in addition to his two-hitter on the mound.

Game 1

Dubuque Senior   100 001 210 002 - 7 10 4
Xavier           200 000 210 001 - 6 15 5

W - Troy. L - Callahan. S - Thein.

Game 2

Dubuque Senior   000 000 0 - 0 2 1
Xavier           003 004 x - 7 7 0

W - Flaherty. L - Thein.

Drahozal helps Saints sweep Burlington

Erin Drahozal slugged a home run and was the winning pitcher Wednesday night as the Xavier Saints defeated Burlington, 7-2, in the first game of a doubleheader at Bob Erusha Field.

Xavier took the second game, 12-2, in six innings.

Drahozal went 2-for-4 in the opener with a double and homer. Allison Schwach was 3-for-3 with a double and two runs. Jamie Feltes was 2-for-4.

Hayley Deutmeyer, Steph Wehr and Courtney Colston had two hits in the second game. Deutmeyer scored two runs. Kylie Oldridge was the winning pitcher.