Lizarraga delivers Metro title for Kennedy

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Sammy Lizarraga faced this situation in the past.

As the final inning played out, he realized the Cougars' success might rest on his shoulders. He embraced it and delivered.

'I was looking forward to it,' Lizarraga said. 'I was hoping it was. I wanted to be in that situation. I'm glad I was and came through there.'

Lizarraga hit a bases-loaded single, helping Class 4A top-ranked Kennedy defeat No. 9 Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 5-4, in nine innings last night to win the Bob Vrbicek Metro Baseball Tournament at Cedar Rapids Washington. The Cougars topped the J-Hawks in the finals for the second straight year.

Lizarraga said it is fun to be in those crucial moments, but admitted he learned from times like last year's state tournament when he stranded runners in scoring position of a 1-0 loss.

'Once it happens a couple times you kind of get used to it,' Lizarraga said. 'You just have to stay calm and collected and try to do your best for your team.'

Kennedy and Jefferson had been tied, 4-4, since the second inning. Mitch Gaffey led off the bottom of the ninth, getting hit by a pitch. Zach Daniels was intentionally walked and Tyler Dralle reached on a fielder's choice that failed to get the out at third. Lizarraga smacked a base hit to right field, scoring Gaffey to end it.

'It was a matter of stringing some good at-bats there,' Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer said. 'He came through for us.'

The Cougars used strong pitching and effective defense to thwart a few late threats by Jefferson (2-1). The J-Hawks placed the leadoff batter on the last three innings and Kennedy produced double plays in each. Jefferson loaded the bases with one out in the seventh only for Kennedy third baseman Bryce Church to throw home to Matt Berst, who stepped on home and threw to first to end the inning.

Jacob Henry and Tyler Dralle combined for six innings of shutout relief.

'I was real proud of our pitchers because they area terrific hitting team and they made some great pitches when they needed to,' Hoyer said. 'Our defense came through with some incredible plays in high-pressure moments. We had some young players really step forward.'

Lizarraga scored the Cougars first run in the opening inning. He reached on an error and scored on Henry's double. Jackson Behn and Berst sparked a three-run inning with consecutive base hits to start the second, taking a 4-2 lead. Kennedy was aided by a couple fielders' choices that didn't result in outs and extended the inning.

The J-Hawks scored twice in the second with a single by Brayden Frazier that scored Caleb Stekl and an RBI groundout from Colton Knox that drove in Cam Frazier. Spencer Van Scoyoc added an RBI double and then scored on a passed ball, tying the score in the third.

'Our boys were prepared for them,' Jefferson Coach Kyle Rodenkirk said. 'We shot ourselves in the foot there three times and that can't happen against a fundamentally sound team like them. I told the boys it is early. You have to clean that up. we have to peaking at the end of the season instead of right now.

'Baseball is very humbling. That is what is so great about the game.'

Kennedy (3-0) won its 13th Metro tournament title, tying Jefferson for the most.

'Anytime you win the Metro tournament with the caliber of teams in our Metro it is a huge deal,' Hoyer said. 'I'm very proud of our kids and happy for them.'

In the third-place game, Cedar Rapids Prairie scored 15 runs for the second time in three games, beating Marion, 15-2, in five innings.

Prairie (2-1) plated seven runs in the second with just two hits. Trey Beckman helped lead the Hawks' offense with two singles and a double. Nic Mougin was 2-for-2, reaching base in all three at-bats, with two RBIs for Prairie.

Marion's Maverick Miller had two hits and scored once. The Indians fell to 1-2.

BOB VRBICEK METRO BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Final round

At C.R. Washington

Championship — C.R. Kennedy 5, C.R. Jefferson 4 (9)

Third place — C.R. Prairie 15, Marion 2 (5)

At C.R. Kennedy

Fifth place — Linn-Mar 5, Mount Vernon 2

Seventh place — Xavier 12, C.R. Washington 7

l Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com