Appleget throws a gem as Kennedy routs Prairie for Metro tourney title (w/photo gallery)

CEDAR RAPIDS - When your number three guy is threatening to throw a no-hitter, you've probably got a pretty good pitching staff.

Nick Appleget nearly earned one of baseball's great achievements Wednesday night in the finals of the Bob Vrbicek Metro Tournament. The sidearming senior righty didn't allow a hit until two outs in the sixth inning as Cedar Rapids Kennedy rolled past Cedar Rapids Prairie, 9-0, at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

In their three tournament games, Cougars hurlers Appleget, Alex Hayden and Adam Lloyd combined to give up two runs (one earned) and six hits. Guess there's a reason the Cougars are Class 4A's top-ranked team.

“It's awful tough to say who's one, two or three at this point of the season when you've got four seniors pitching,” said Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer. “I'm excited to see Cody Bell pitch for us Friday night. We'll see where we're at there with him.”

Appleget walked the second guy he faced, then retired the next 16 Hawks. Jason Velvick ruined the no-no by lining a clean single to right field, patting Appleget on the back in respect as the two met at first base.

“I'm just here to pitch and help my team out,” said Appleget. “It would have been nice, though. I've only had one of those in life. When I was 9, playing for the (Junior) Cougars, versus the Cedar Rapids Reds in a tournament.”

Appleget is a study in perserverance, overcoming three left knee surgeries (two ACL and one meniscus) in the last three years to continue playing baseball. He suffered shin splints last week in practice, which aggravated his knee to the point where he couldn't walk up a flight of stairs.

He was just plain aggravating to Prairie Wednesday night.

“I haven't missed a baseball season, yet,” he said, proudly. “I had to quit every other sport, so I could make it for this one. It's the only one I've got left.”

Kennedy scored seven runs in the second inning to essentially cinch its third Metro tourney title in a row and 12th overall. The Cougars got those runs on only three hits, drawing four walks.

Catcher Jimmy Lizarraga had three of Kennedy's 10 hits, with Bell adding two and three RBIs. Zachariah Johnson pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.

In the third-place game here, Cedar Rapids Xavier edged Linn-Mar, 9-8, on Mack Mattke's two-out RBI double to left-center in the seventh. Mattke also had a three-run home run.

Austin Banks hit a two-run home run to left for Linn-Mar, which rallied from holes of 5-0 and 8-3. The Lions tied the game in the top of the seventh on a two-out wild pitch.

AT VETERANS MEMORIAL STADIUM

C.R. Prairie 000 000 0-0 1 1

C.R. Kennedy 071 000 x-9 10 0

Mitch Adams, Tyler Votroubek (3) and Dylan Pond. Nick Appleget, Zachariah Johnson (7) and Jimmy Lizarraga. WP-Appleget (1-0). LP-Adams (0-1).

Highlights: Appleget had a no-hitter through 5 2-3 innings, broken up by a Jason Velvick single. He walked one and struck out nine in six innings. Lizarraga had three hits for Kennedy. Cody Bell had two hits and two RBIs. Derek Jacobus was 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs and three stolen bases.