It was Ken Charipar Memorial Night at Xavier for the Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader between Jefferson and the Saints Monday evening.

The event had special meaning for both baseball clubs.

One of Charipar’s grandsons, Corbin Woods, plays shortstop for Xavier. Another grandson, Kyle Rodenkirk, is the head coach for Jefferson.

In addition, a number of players from both teams played youth baseball for the late Ken Charipar and the results Monday at Ken Charipar Field were appropriate enough.

The J-Hawks and Saints split the twinbill. Jefferson won the first game, 10-3, and Xavier took the nightcap, 14-4, in six innings.

“That is just the way grandpa would have wanted it,” said Rodenkirk. “It’s pretty cool with Corbin at shortstop and having all the family together.

"Grandpa’s smiling to see us all together as a family at a ballgame.”

Ken Charipar was a successful American Legion coach and also served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, in addition to coaching other youth teams.

“Tonight is exciting for me, but it’s good for the whole team,” said Woods. “My grandpa helped a lot of players become good young men and it is neat to share that with the team.”

Jefferson got a complete game in the opener from Ben Koering, who scattered six hits while striking out four and walking two.

“I just tried to keep my pitches low and hit my spots,” said Koering. “I tried to change speeds and keep them guessing and I got a lot of good play from my teammates.”

Spencer Hunt led a 13-hit attack for the J-Hawks (4-9, 3-5) by going 2-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Spencer Van Scoyoc, Cam Frazier, Ky Kramer and Layne Sullivan all contributed two hits as well.

“I tried to stay in on the fastball and not open up too soon,” said Hunt. “That approach gives me a better chance to drive the ball.”

Adam Pick had two hits for Xavier (8-6, 3-5) in the first game and added two more in the nightcap. The Saints were in control all the way in the second game, cruising to the 10-run victory.

“I have changed my stance,” said Pick. ”I am seeing the ball better. I try to sit on fastballs and fight off everything else.”

Mitch Keller went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for Xavier in the second game. Ryan Meaney delivered a home run in the second inning and collected two RBIs for the Saints.

“Coach (Jim) Arp tells me that if I hit for line drives the extra-base hits will come,” said Meaney. “It was there, I hit it and it traveled.”

Luke Hammerberg and Woods also contributed two hits in the nightcap.

“I look to make hard contact,” said Woods. “I just think, 'See the ball, hit the ball.'”

“I think we came out for the first game a bit down,” said Xavier head coach Dave Schemmel. “We may have still been suffering the after-effect of dropping two one-run games to Iowa City West the last time out.

“We just don’t seem to get that one key hit that can decide the game consistently,” said Schemmel. “It’s a little part of the game, but it makes such a big difference.”

Kramer picked up two hits for the J-Hawks in the second game. Koering finished with five RBIs in the doubleheader.

Colton Spicer, one of the players who played for Coach Charipar in youth baseball, hit a home run for the J-Hawks as a pinch-hitter in the nightcap.

“I hit a fastball that was just sitting right there,” said Spicer. “Let’s just say that one was for Coach Charipar.”

“We have to be very aggressive at the plate,” said Rodenkirk. “When you are a young team, that is what you have to do to get momentum and build on it.

"We had four errors in that second game and you just aren’t going to win many games if you don’t catch the ball. We will continue to improve.”

Jefferson travels to Des Moines East Tuesday while Xavier prepares for a doubleheader with Linn-Mar Wednesday night at home.

GAME 1

JEFFERSON (10): Van Scoyoc, cf, 4 2 2 1, Frazier, rf, 4 1 2 1, Spicer, ph, 0 0 0 0, McIntosh, pr, 0 0 0 0, Hunt, c, 5 3 2 1, Kramer, 3b, 4 2 2 0, Sullivan, lf, 3 0 2 1, Koering, p, 4 0 1 4, Larson, ss, 4 0 1 2, Wright, 1b, 4 1 0 0, Johnson, 2b, 4 1 1 0. Totals 36 10 13 10.

XAVIER (3): Grimm, cf, 4 1 0 0, Woods, ss, 4 0 1 1, O’Connell, pr, 0 0 0 0, Even, pr, 0 0 0 0, Pick, 1b, 4 0 2 1, Brown, 3b, 2 1 1 1, Ratz, rf, 3 0 0 0, Hammerberg, dh, 2 0 0 0, Drahozal, p, 0 0 0 0, Schulte, p, 0 0 0 0, Harriott, lf, 3 0 1 0, Keller, 2b, 2 1 0 0, Helms, c, 3 0 1 0, Miller, cr, 0 0 0 0. Totals 26 3 6 3.

Jefferson    112 330 0 - 10 13 2
Xavier         001 001 1 -  3 6 3

Koering and Hunt. Drahozal, Schulte (3) and Helms. W – Koering. L - Drahozal. 2B - Hunt. HR - Brown. SB - Frazier, Hunt, Kramer.

GAME 2

JEFFERSON (4): Van Scoyoc, cf, 4 0 1 0, Hunt, c, 3 2 1 0, Kramer, 1b/3b, 3 1 2 0, Sullivan, lf/p, 2 0 0 0, Koering, 3b/ss, 3 0 1 1, Larson, ss/p, 2 0 0 0, Frazier, lf, 0 0 0 0, Wright, rf, 3 0 1 1, Newberger, dh/1b, 3 0 0 0, Scott, p, 0 0 0 0, Johnson, 2b, 2 0 1 0, Spicer, ph, 1 1 1 1. Totals 26 4 8 3.

XAVIER (14): Grimm, cf, 3 1 1 0, Robinson, ph, 1 0 0 0, Woods, ss, 4 1 2 0, Dlouhy, pr 0 1 0 0, Baldus, ph, 1 0 1 1, Pick, 1b, 3 3 2 1, Brown, 3b, 1 1 0 1, Ratz, rf, 3 1 0 0, Miller, ph, 1 1 1 0, Hammerberg, c, 3 1 2 2, Herder, ph, 1 1 10, Clarahan, dh, 3 0 0 0, Schemmel, p, 0 0 0 0, Schulte, ph, 1 1 1 0, Meaney, lf, 3 1 1 2, Keller, 2b, 4 1 3 3. Totals 32 14 15 10.

Jefferson   102 001 - 4 8 4
Xavier        315 005 - 14 15 1

Scott, Larson (2), Sullivan (6) and Hunt. Schemmel and Hammerberg. W - Schemmel. L - Scott. 2B - Van Scoyoc, Woods, Pick. HR - Spicer, Meaney. SB - Kramer.