Kennedy beats Jefferson, 7-3

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Kennedy blew its first chance at taking an early lead against crosstown rival Jefferson. It did not blow its second.

The seventh-ranked and top-seeded Cougars scored four runs in the third inning to take a 4-0 lead in this Class 4A prep baseball substate opener at Kennedy.

Kennedy (29-8) had runners on second and third and none out against Jeff starting pitcher Bailey Hollingsworth but didn't score, with two runners thrown out at the plate. Hollingsworth walked Austin Benson leading off the Cougars third, which led to big trouble for him.

Austin Christensen laced a run-scoring double to the gap in left-center for a 1-0 Kennedy lead. Griffin Michael then sliced an RBI triple the other way into the right-field corner and Devon Jacobus followed with an immense two-run home run over the large former Cedar Rapids Kernels-owned scoreboard in left-center to make it a 4-0 advantage.

Christensen is pitching for Kennedy, as expected. Jefferson comes in 14-23.

Kennedy added another run in the fifth, knocking out Hollingsworth. Michael Rooney on in relief.

Four more hits has led to two seventh-inning runs for Kennedy. Michael is 3-for-4 with a double and triple.

Jefferson scored three times against reliever David Yancey in the bottom of the seventh. Two of those runs were unearned.

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