#5 Eagles Dominate Doubleheader Sweep of NICC at Lewis Field
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA- The #5 Kirkwood Eagles continued their strong spring campaign on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader against the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Cougars at Lewis Field. Kirkwood took game one 6-1 before exploding offensively in game two for a 12-1 victory.
Game 1: Eagles Ride Long Ball and Strong Pitching to 6-1 Win
Kirkwood wasted no time setting the tone, plating four runs in the opening inning and never looking back in a 6-1 victory.
The Eagles' offense was powered by the long ball, as Brady Blake delivered a massive performance with two home runs and 4 RBIs, accounting for the bulk of Kirkwood's scoring. He was joined in the power surge by Landon Frost and Alex Altmann, who each added a home run of their own.
At the top of the lineup, Wrigley Matthys set the table effectively, reaching base four times with a hit and three walks while adding an RBI and two stolen bases. Landon Jasper chipped in with a double, while Adam Kayko added a hit to round out a balanced offensive effort.
On the mound, Drew Zemaitis was dominant, improving to 4-0 on the season. He tossed 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits while striking out 6. Rowan Donels came in to shut the door with a clean inning, striking out two to secure the win.
Game 2: Offensive Explosion Leads to 12-1 Rout
The Eagles carried their momentum into game two, erupting for six runs in the second inning and cruising to a 12-1 win to complete the sweep.
Once again, Wrigley Matthys was at the center of everything offensively, going 2-for-3 with 5 RBIs, including a key extra-base hit that helped break the game open early.
Brady Blake continued his standout day, tallying 2 hits, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs, while Ty Andrews provided a huge boost in the middle of the lineup with 2 hits, 3 runs scored, and an RBI. Jax Theeler and Cam Templeton each drove in runs, with Templeton also scoring twice and swiping a base.
Kirkwood showed patience at the plate as well, drawing six walks and consistently applying pressure throughout the game.
On the mound, Adrian Broadus was electric, striking out 9 batters over 4 shutout innings while allowing just two hits to earn the win and move to 3-0. The bullpen trio of Grant Miller and Reid Burkle combined to allow just 1 run over the final three innings, with Burkle not surrendering a hit across his two frames.
Next Up
The Eagles will look to keep their momentum rolling this weekend as they return to Lewis Field for a four-game series against the Indian Hills Warriors. The series begins with a doubleheader on Friday, followed by another doubleheader on Saturday.
