Cedar Rapids Jefferson gets offensive to beat Cedar Rapids Xavier

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Jefferson discovered its offense.

It was the type of play expected by J-Hawks Coach Kyle Rodenkirk.

Third-ranked Jefferson had 13 hits and beat Cedar Rapids Xavier, 11-3, in a consolation game of the Bob Vrbicek Metro Baseball tournament Tuesday at Jefferson.

'I thought it was better,' Jefferson Coach Kyle Rodenkirk said. 'It was more our style.'

The J-Hawks scored in all but two innings, pushing three across in the first. Manny Olutunde opened the game with a single and was one of two who scored when Jared Eivins' bases-loaded grounder was misplayed.

Olutunde helped lead the way with three hits, including an RBI triple in the seventh. Zeb Render added three hits as well, smacking an RBI double in the first and finishing with four RBIs.

Eivins and Tyler Roeder had two hits apiece for Jefferson (1-1). Spencer Van Scoyoc reached base four times, hitting his second home run in two days and matching his total from last season.

'We got some different guys in the lineup,' Rodenkirk said. 'I was impressed with what I saw.'

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Xavier went down swinging, literally. The Saints rallied for three runs in the final inning. Will Angstman had a two-run single, bringing in Jacob Hines and Nolan Butkowski. Nicholas Kamin also scored and Sam Meyer added a hit for Xavier (0-2).

Jefferson will host Marion (1-1) in the fifth-place game, beginning Wednesday at 5 p.m. Xavier will face Linn-Mar (0-2) for seventh, which is also at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Cornell's Ash Park in Mount Vernon.

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