Kennedy receives boost, avenging loss to Prairie

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Kennedy needed a little boost.

The Cougars finished a seven-game stretch with a losing record, going from the preseason top-ranked team in Class 4A to likely a brief stop at the bottom of the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division.

Senior Zach Daniels provided the remedy, striking out 12 in Kennedy's 3-2 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie last night in a Mississippi Valley Conference baseball game at Herkelman Field.

'The team needed that result,” Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer said. 'We're still not playing the caliber of baseball we'd like to be playing at this point, but I'd like to think we will get there.”

A day after surrendering a lead in a loss to the Hawks, Kennedy (7-4, 2-4) watched as Prairie placed the go-ahead run on base in the seventh with one out. Hoyer visited the mound, noting he did it to calm the defense down. Daniels said he was determined to stay in, getting a grounder up the middle that shortstop Parker Kalb caught on a short-hopped and flipped Jacob Henry, whose throw to first was scooped by Tyler Jacobs to end the game.

'I just wanted to make sure we got that win, no matter how many pitches I was at,” Daniels said. 'Even when Coach Hoyer came out, I was going to tell him I'm staying out here. We needed a win to get things going again.”

Daniels kept the Hawks off balance for most of the game. He improved to 2-0, increasing his strikeout total to 23 in 16 innings. Hoyer said it was the all-stater's best performance of the season.

'I actually threw my curveball pretty decent,” Daniels said. 'My change up was on, which I think is an out pitch for me.”

Tyler Dralle provided some support with a clutch two-out hit in the fourth, giving the Cougars a 3-1 lead. Dralle blooped a shot to shallow center that scored Kyle Brewer and Mitchell Gaffey.

Dralle was looking fastball and delivered.

'I love those clutch situations,” Dralle said. 'Whenever I can come up and get a hit there, that's what I want to do.”

Dralle went 1-for-2, reaching on a walk and was hit by pitch as well. He has been hot the last week, hitting .500 with nine RBIs and three runs in the last five games.

'He's been fantastic all year,” Hoyer said. 'He's just been snake bit. He was really smoking some balls right at people. He's been sitting back on it a little bit.”

The Cougars squandered a great opportunity in the first with a leadoff double from Daniels, which was followed by a walk to Dralle. A double steal put them at third and second with none out, but Nunemaker stranded the bases loaded.

Kennedy did get on the board, manufacturing a run without a hit in the second. Bryce Church walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Mitchell Gaffey's groundout for a 1-0 lead.

Prairie answered in the top of the third, taking advantage of some miscues. Ben Boldt reached on an error, stole second and moved up when the throw sailed into center field. Boldt scored on Ethan Copeland's groundout for a 1-1 tie.

Prairie (9-2, 5-1) pulled within a run in the fifth. Alex Mixon opened with a single up the middle. Pinch runner Hunter Johnson circled the bases on a throwing error and two wild pitches.

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