Kirkwood Community College - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

KCC golfers win 5th regional in row

AMES - The Kirkwood men's golf team captured the Region XI title for the fifth straight year Monday.

The third-ranked Eagles topped DMACC by 20 shots, 603 to 623, in the 36-hole tournament at the Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames.

Kirkwood advanced to the NJCAA Division II national tournament May 21-24 at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Ind.

James Morgan of Kirkwood claimed medalist honors at 3-over-par 147 with rounds of 71 and 76. Ben Epperly of Kirkwood placed third, Will Babcock tied for fifth, Ryan Morrison tied for seventh and Dawson  Peters tied for 15th.

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Clutch Eagles will host softball regional

MASON CITY - The eighth-ranked Kirkwood softball team delivered in the  clutch Sunday by sweeping an ICCAC doubleheader from NIACC, 5-3 and  6-4, in the final games of the regular season.

As a result, Kirkwood will host an NJCAA Division II regional  tournament this weekend in Cedar Rapids.

Kirkwood (44-13) will face Ellsworth (17-36) in the regional opener  Friday at 2 p.m., with NIACC (28-16) meeting Iowa Lakes (17-33) at 4  p.m. in the four-team, double-elimination event.

The second-ranked DMACC Bears, who won the ICCAC title, will be  hosting a different four-team regional. Kirkwood finished second in  the ICCAC standings behind DMACC.

DMACC and Kirkwood will not meet again this season unless they both  reach the NJCAA World Series and meet in the national tournament.

Regional champions advance to district tournaments, and district  champions advance to the World Series.

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KCC golfers lead regional meet

AMES - The Kirkwood men's golf team has a six-shot lead at the NJCAA  regional tournament heading into the final round Monday at the Veenker  Memorial Golf Course.

The Eagles finished the first round Sunday at 16-over-par 304, with  DMACC in second place at 310.

James Morgan of Kirkwood is tied for first place in the individual  standings at 1-under 71. All five Kirkwood golfers are in the top-11  on the scoreboard. Ben Epperly is tied for fifth at 3-over 75.

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Eagles get No. 5 seed for regional

WEST BURLINGTON - The Kirkwood baseball team traded a pair of one-run  victories with 16th-ranked Southeastern Community College Saturday and  earned the No. 5 seed for the regional tournament.

Kirkwood (31-18) will face Northeast Community College (27-17) in the  first round of the NJCAA Division II regional tournament this Thursday  at noon at Ashford Field in Clinton.

Kirkwood trimmed Southeastern, 5-4, in 11 innings in the first game  Saturday. Southeastern took the nightcap, 8-7, in walk-off fashion in  the bottom of the seventh.

Kirkwood finished the ICCAC campaign with a 15-13 record.

Caleb Fuller (3-0) pitched three scoreless innings in relief to finish  the 5-4 victory in Game 1 and earn the victory. Levi Usher and Kal  Youngquist were 2-for-5 and scored twice to lead the offense.

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No. 8 Eagles seeking to host regional

ESTHERVILLE - The Kirkwood Eagles swept Iowa Lakes, 8-0 and 9-0, on a  pair of two-hit shutouts Saturday in an ICCAC conference doubleheader.

Both games ended after five innings due to the mercy rule.

The eighth-ranked Eagles have a showdown with 17th-ranked NIACC in  Mason City Sunday as both teams battle to host an NCJAA Division II  regional that will be held May 10-12.

Kirkwood (21-5) has a one-game lead over NIACC (20-6) heading into the  final two games of the regular season on Sunday. The Eagles need a  split to host the regional, but NIACC would host the regional if the  Trojans sweep the twinbill from Kirkwood.

Erin Hocker (22-7, 1.84 ERA) and Bradee Bouman (18-6, 3.07) tossed the  two-hit shutouts against Iowa Lakes. Hocker struck out seven batters  and walked one. Bouman had one strikeout and one walk.

Kirkwood shortstop Rachel Stewart went 4-for-6 in the doubleheader  with four runs and five RBIs, along with a triple, her fifth home run  and two stolen bases.

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Nigut helps Eagles split with No. 16 SCC

Will Nigut allowed only one earned run in six innings Friday to help  the Kirkwood Eagles trim 16th-ranked Southeastern, 5-4, in the second  game of their ICCAC doubleheader at Kirkwood.

Southeastern claimed the first game, 8-2.

The split left Kirkwood at 30-17 overall and 14-12 in the league.  Southeastern is 37-16 overall and 15-11 in the conference. Kirkwood  finishes the regular season with a twinbill at Southeastern Saturday  in West Burlington.

Nigut (3-1) was touched for four runs, but only one of those tallies  was earned due to a Kirkwood error. Jackson Bennett tossed three  scoreless innings in relief with five strikeouts for his fourth save.

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Stewart powers No. 8 Eagles in sweep

IOWA FALLS - Rachel Stewart belted two home runs as the eighth-ranked  Kirkwood Eagles topped Ellsworth Community College, 10-6, in the  second game of their ICCAC doubleheader in Iowa Falls Wednesday.

Kirkwood captured the first game, 12-2, in five innings to sweep the  twinbill, raising their records to 40-13 overall and 19-5 in the  league. Ellsworth fell to 17-33 overall and 7-17 in the conference.

Stewart was 3-for-3 with her two homers and three RBIs in the 10-6  victory in the nightcap. Shelby Hulsebus, Lauren Klaahsen and Jayme  Finn had two hits. London Jackson and Finn had two RBIs. Lauren Kuch,  Stewart and Randyn Carter scored twice.

Bradee Bouman (17-6) pitched a complete game for the victory in Game 2.

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Kuch honored by softball Hall of Fame

Lauren Kuch of Kirkwood has become the first two-time winner of a $1,000 scholarship from the Cedar Rapids Softball Hall of Fame.

Kuch, a sophomore All-American for the Kirkwood Eagles, was honored during a ceremony Wednesday at Johnson Hall.

The $1,000 scholarship has been awarded annually since 2010 to a Kirkwood softball player who is from the Metro area. Kuch was an all-state selection at Cedar Rapids Prairie and was named a junior college All-American at Kirkwood last season.

Kuch, an outfielder and first baseman, has played in 113 games during her career at Kirkwood. She has scored 110 runs and also has drive in exactly 110 runs during that time. Her combined batting average is better than .400.

The Cedar Rapids Softball Hall of Fame has endowed the $1,000 scholarship by making a $20,000 donation to the Kirkwood Foundation.

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Youngquist helps Eagles gain split

Kal Youngquist belted a home run and drove in five runs Monday as the Kirkwood Eagles topped Northeast Community College, 9-1, in the second game of their ICCAC conference doubleheader at Kirkwood.

Northeast took the first game, 4-2.

Youngquist went 3-for-3 and socked his seventh homer in the nightcap. Carter Lawler (4-3, 3.43) pitched a complete game for the victory, allowing only four hits with six strikeouts and one walk.

Taylor Jackson was 2-for-3 and drove in two runs in Game 1. Zion Pettigrew scored three times. Joel Vaske drove in two runs. Brett Givens scored twice.

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