Metro Sports Report

McCullough's 1-hitter lifts Lions to split

After a crushing defeat in the opener, Linn-Mar was in need of a boost in the nightcap of its Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader with Iowa City High on Friday night.

They got that and more from the unlikeliest of sources.

Senior Nick McCullough, who battled injury problems as a junior and had never gone more than four innings in a varsity game, came through with the performance of his life. All he did was toss a complete game one-hitter, striking out six and walking one as the Lions topped the Little Hawks, 3-0, at Linn-Mar.

McCullough's outing helped pick up a Lion team that led much of the opener only to see City High push across a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to rally for a 4-3 win.

Topsy-turvy J-Hawks split twinbill

His ballclub is battling for a division title in the Mississippi Valley Conference, but Dubuque Hempstead Coach Jeff Rapp complains about inconsistency.

“We’re like a Jekyll and Hyde team,” he said after the Mustangs (9-8, 8-4 MVC) split a doubleheader at Cedar Rapids Jefferson Friday night. “We’ve had some very good games. But we’ve also been ugly at times.”

He’s got nothing on first-year Jefferson Coach Kyle Rodenkirk. His young J-Hawks (5-13, 4-8) were embarrassed on their home field Wednesday night by Prairie, losing the opener 15-1 and the nightcap 7-4.

So what do they do but jump on Hempstead for three runs in the first inning of the first game Friday and cruise to a 6-2 win behind the solid pitching of sophomore Lucas Larson.

Kernels fall to Peoria in 10 innings

It was “Superman T-shirt Giveaway Night” for the Cedar Rapids Kernels Friday night, but in the end, the Kernels would have needed the “real” Man of Steel to emerge from the crowd of 4,580 at Veterans Memorial Stadium to avoid a 6-2 extra-inning loss to the visiting Peoria Chiefs.

Through the first seven innings, the Kernels hitters were anything but super as the Peoria pitching limited Cedar Rapids to just four singles and a J.D. Williams triple that was wasted in the Kernels’ third inning.

The Chiefs scored first on Patrick Wisdom’s 10th home run of the season in their half of the fourth inning, then added a second run in the top of the eighth inning to take a 2-0 lead.

Local players in pro baseball

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers)) - Started in left field Friday and was 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored in the Quakes' 13-2 win over Stockton. After sitting out four straight games, Schebler is 6-for-12 with two homers, two doubles and four RBIs in his last three games.  Season stats: G - 54, Avg. - .269, AB - 197, H - 53, HR - 8, RBI - 28, SB - 7.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Lansing (Blue Jays)) - Did not play Friday in the Lugnuts' 3-1 win over Bowling Green. Season stats: G - 54, Avg. - .185, AB - 178, H - 33, HR - 3, RBI - 14, SB - 0.

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Chicago Cubs) - Entered Friday's game in center field in the third inning and was 0-for-3 in the Cubs' 6-3 over the Mets. Replaced David DeJesus after the latter ran into the outfield wall. Season stats: G - 30, Avg. - .328, AB - 61, H - 20, HR - 1, RBI - 5, SB - 0.