Metro Sports Report

Frustrating day for Kirkwood baseball

The Kirkwood Eagles suffered a heap of frustration, one stinging defeat and an agonizing tie during a long day at the ballpark Tuesday.

The eighth-ranked Eagles dropped the first game of their doubleheader against NIACC, 8-3, when the Kirkwood pitchers issued 11 walks and the Kirkwood batters struck out 14 times in seven innings.

The Eagles then had to settle for a 1-1 tie with NIACC in a game that lasted 11 innings and ended in darkness at 8 p.m. The Eagles squandered numerous chances, leaving the bases loaded in the 9th, 10th and 11th innings and stranding 18 runners.

"We had chances," said Kirkwood Coach Todd Rima.

The first game took three hours. The second game lasted 3 1/2 hours and settled nothing. And when it was all over, the Eagles had dropped out of first place in the ICCAC standings and fallen a half-game behind Southeastern.

"Game 1 they were better than us," said Rima. "I didn't think we pitched it very well. We didn't play as well defensively as we had (with four errors). We gave them too many free bases, and you can't do that against good teams in our league.

No. 3 Eagles pound Iowa Central, 35-0

The third-ranked Kirkwood softball team destroyed Iowa Central in an ICCAC conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Kirkwood.

The Eagles whipped Iowa Central, 25-0, in the first game and captured the second game, 10-0.

Both mismatches were stopped after 4 1/2 innings by the college mercy rule. Kirkwood scored 35 runs in just eight innings.

Rachel Stewart went 5-for-5 in the first game with two doubles, two homers, four RBIs and five runs. The freshman shortstop has belted 13 homers this year.

Monika Bevans was 3-for-3 and drove in two runs. Kenady Waugh, Audra Bridenstine and Skylar Ryan had two hits. Waugh and Ryan collected a pair of doubles.

Luke Appel joins KCC men's basketball

Luke Appel, a 6-foot-7 forward who averaged a double-double this season at Marshalltown High School, has committed to the Kirkwood men's basketball program.

Appel averaged 22 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Bobcats and received Honorable Mention all-state from the Des Moines Register.

Appel, a left-hander, is the fourth Iowa high school senior to commit to the Eagles for the 2018-19 campaign.

Seybian Sims, a 6-foot-7 forward from Iowa City West; Brady Sartorius, a 6-foot guard from Mount Pleasant; and Griff Clark, a 5-11 guard from Cedar Rapids Prairie, also plan to join Kirkwood.

KCC golfers take 2nd at Rend Lake

WHITTINGTON, Ill. - The Kirkwood Eagles struggled on Day 2 of the Rend Lake Spring Invite Monday and finished in second place.

The Eagles held the lead after the first 18 holes Sunday at 302, but they shot 316 Monday and finished six shots behind John A. Logan College.

Max Thrune, who fired a 1-under-par 71 for Kirkwood Sunday, shot an 8-over 80 Monday and tied for fifth place at 151.