Kirkwood Community College - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Howell would listen to pro offer

Kirkwood shortstop Korry Howell could have a big decision to make this summer, but there are no bad options.

He could turn pro and play baseball for a living if he's drafted high enough and likes the offer, or he could play for the Iowa Hawkeyes next season and join one of the top programs in the Big Ten.

He could turn pro, make money and not have to wake up early for classes. Or he could move to Iowa City and play for the Hawks.

Howell was selected in the 19th round of the Major League draft last summer by Kansas City, but he'd already decided to stick with Kirkwood for his sophomore year and declined a modest offer from the Royals.

This time he'll be tempted to go play in the minor leagues if he likes the possibilities.

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KCC golfers take 2nd at Fighting Scots

MONMOUTH, Ill. - Will Babcock, Niall Powell and Max Thrune of Kirkwood all tied for third place at the Fighting Scots Invitational Saturday at Gibson Woods golf course.

The three Eagles finished at 2-over-par 144 for the 36-hole tournament, five shots behind champion Jeffrey Perez of Black Hawk College who shot a 3-under 139.

Black Hawk won the tournament at 574, eight shots ahead of Kirkwood in the 12-team field.

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Powell, Thrune lead Kirkwood golfers

MONMOUTH, Ill. - Niall Powell and Max Thrune of Kirkwood fired rounds of even-par 71 Friday to share the lead after 18 holes of the Fighting Scots Invitational at Gibson Woods.

Black Hawk College Gold leads the tournament at 7-over 291, with Kirkwood five shots behind in second place at 296.

The final round is Saturday.

Will Babcock of Kirkwood is tied for 10th at 3-over 74. J.D. Goodfellow and Jake Sevcik are tied for 18th at 5-over 76. Dawson Peters is tied for 32nd at 78 and Ryan Morrison is tied for 36th at 79.

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Clark injured as No. 10 Eagles split

Cal Clark looked like he'd just fought 15 rounds with Rocky Balboa Wednesday afternoon, but the Kirkwood second baseman vowed to play baseball again this season after suffering six fractured bones in his face after being hit by a pitch against Indian Hills.

The accident happened in the first game of the doubleheader at Kirkwood when Clark was hit by an inside fastball that caught part of his batting helmet and part of the left side of his face.

He stayed at the ballpark for awhile after being treated by the Kirkwood trainer, but then went to the hospital with his mother and returned to the park a few hours later.

Clark's left eye was black-and-blue and completely shut due to the injury. The left side of his face was swollen and he was still trying to staunch a bloody nose.

He appeared to be in good spirits, everything considered, and was embraced by his worried teammates upon his return to the field.

Kirkwood split the twinbill with Indian Hills, winning the second game 6-1 after dropping the opener 6-4.

"I feel OK," he insisted. "It's obviously pretty sore, but it will go away soon.

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KCC softball blanked by No. 1 DMACC

BOONE - The Kirkwood Eagles have one of the best-hitting teams in junior college softball, but their offense disappeared in a pair of games against top-ranked DMACC Wednesday.

The fifth-ranked Eagles were blanked by the Bears in a pair of ICCAC conference games, 8-0 in five innings and 6-0.

Kirkwood did not get any hits in the first game. Monika Bevans led the Eagles with two hits in the second game.

DMACC is now on the verge of clinching the conference title at 36-0 overall and 18-0 in the league. Kirkwood fell to 40-8 overall and 15-5 in the conference.

The Bears won all four of their regular-season games against Kirkwood this season.

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Kaste sparks Eagles past Indian Hills

Miranda Kaste waited three years to enjoy a day like this for the Kirkwood softball team.

Kaste sparkled as a relief pitcher and then drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the Eagles trim Indian Hills, 4-3, in the first game of their non-conference doubleheader Tuesday at Kirkwood.

Kirkwood exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to win the second game, 9-1.

Kaste enrolled at Kirkwood in 2015 as a middle infielder, but she broke her left leg in practice that fall and did not recover in time to play during the 2016 campaign.

She had a metal plate and screws removed from her leg during the summer of 2016, but developed a stress fracture in the leg and had to watch the entire 2017 season come and go as well.

Finally healthy this year, Kaste has been a key utility player for the Eagles as an infielder and emergency relief pitcher after several other pitchers left the program.

Tuesday was her day to shine.

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Clark stars as Eagles sweep Northeast

NORFOLK, Neb. - Cal Clark hit a grand slam and drove in nine runs  Monday as the eighth-ranked Kirkwood Eagles swept a conference  doubleheader from Northeast Community College, 12-1 and 7-4.

The first game was stopped after five innings due to the college mercy rule.

Clark, a second baseman from Cedar Rapids Prairie, went 3-for-3 with a  double, grand slam and seven RBIs in the first game and collected two  more RBIs in the second game.

Ellison Hanna went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBIs and three  runs in the opener. Izaya Fullard also went 3-for-4 with a double and  scored twice. Spencer Wiskus and Ross Kramer scored twice.

Peyton (1-1) pitched a complete game in the opener for his first  victory of the season. He allowed only two hits and one unearned run  in the 12-1 triumph, with nine strikeouts and no walks.

Taylor Jackson, Fullard and Wiskus had two hits in the 7-4 victory in  the second game. Korry Howell, Fullard and Wiskus scored twice.  Jackson hit a triple.

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Stewart playing like All-American for Eagles

Rachel Stewart had two big adjustments to make when she joined the Kirkwood softball team this season.

Stewart was a stalwart at second base for Davenport West during her last three years in high school, but Kirkwood Coach Joe Yegge asked her to move to shortstop due to an injury to another player.

In addition, Stewart hit in the No. 3 spot in high school last season and Yegge wanted her to succeed National Player of the Year Taylor Nearad in the leadoff slot for the Eagles.

She has handled both adjustments in stellar fashion.

"She's been great," Yegge said Sunday after Stewart enjoyed another big day. "She's putting up All-American numbers.

"She didn't want to play shortstop, and when we asked her to do it she was a little hesitant. But she's got a good glove, she's confident now in her arm. She's doing a great job."

The third-ranked Eagles swept Iowa Lakes, 17-7 and 10-1, in their conference doubleheader at Kirkwood.

Stewart went 6-for-9 in the twinbill with two doubles, a sacrifice fly, four RBIs and six runs. She also made three outstanding plays in the field at shortstop.

Stewart is hitting .487 with 13 homers, 56 RBIs, 77 hits and 77 runs in 44 games. She leads all NJCAA Division II players in runs scored, ranks third in hits and is tied for sixth with teammate Lauren Kuch in RBIs.

Nearad was the two-time National Player of the Year at Kirkwood before moving to Iowa State. Stewart is a completely different player, but her production in the leadoff spot has been a key ingredient for the Eagles.

"Coming in here I knew that Taylor Nearad was an incredible player, but I knew that I was my own player," she said. "To do what I needed to do to fill that spot was going to be difficult, but I've done the best I can to live up to it."

Stewart said she takes more pitches and works the count a little more as a leadoff hitter, as opposed to batting in the No. 3 spot in the order like she did at Davenport West. And she's been the spark-plug for a team that has a .400 composite batting mark and averages 10 runs per game.

"At one point in the fall we (the coaches) were sitting down and talking and we go, 'She might be our best player overall, when it comes to everything she does,'" said Yegge. "That's why she's the leadoff hitter. She's a tough out."

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No. 8 Eagles sweep Northeast CC

NORFOLK, Neb. - The eighth-ranked Kirkwood Eagles got strong pitching Sunday and swept their conference doubleheader from Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb.

Hunter Lee tossed a four-hitter with 12 strikeouts as the Eagles defeated Northeast, 5-1, in the first game.

Cameron Leff pitched six strong innings in an 11-1 triumph in the nightcap, allowing one run on four hits with eight strikeouts.

Lee and Leff raised their records to 6-1.

Ellison Hanna hit a home run and drove in three runs for Kirkwood in the first game. Izaya Fullard also had an RBI for the Eagles.

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