April 7, 2026

#3 Eagles Walk It Off Again, Edge Indian Hills 9-8

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA- The #3 Kirkwood Eagles continue to find ways to win—and on Monday afternoon at Lewis Field, they delivered one of their most thrilling victories of the season.

In the third game of a weekend series against the Indian Hills Warriors, Kirkwood walked it off in the bottom of the 9th to secure a dramatic 9-8 victory, improving to 32-3 on the season. This victory was the second walk-off win for the Eagles against the Warriors in their series.

From the opening inning, the Eagles came out swinging. Kirkwood plated five runs in the first and added another in the second to take early control, building what looked like a comfortable 6-0 lead. Brady Blake set the tone at the top of the lineup, finishing with two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored, while Jax Theeler and Alex Altmann provided the early fireworks. Theeler launched a home run and drove in two, and Altmann delivered the biggest swing of the day—a four-RBI performance that included a home run of his own.

Ty Andrews added to the offensive attack with a double and an RBI, while Wrigley Matthys and Blake Lundholm consistently applied pressure on the basepaths, combining for five walks and a pair of stolen bases.

But the game was far from over.

After being held in check early, Indian Hills erupted for a seven-run fifth inning to tie the game at 8-8 and completely shift the momentum. The Eagles' pitching staff was tested, cycling through multiple arms to stop the surge. Despite the adversity, the bullpen settled in late. Grant Miller delivered 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, and Reid Burkle shut the door in the final moments to earn the win, moving to 3-0 on the year.

Trailing late, Kirkwood showed its resilience once again.

After surrendering the lead, the Eagles regrouped and eventually evened the score before stepping to the plate in the bottom of the 9th with a chance to end it—and they did just that. With runners on first and third, Brady Blake delivered in the biggest moment of the game, ripping a walk-off hit to bring home the winning run and secure the 9-8 victory for Kirkwood.

Despite being outhit 7-6, the Eagles made the most of their opportunities, drawing an impressive 17 walks and capitalizing on timely hits to manufacture runs when it mattered most.

In a game that featured momentum swings, power hitting, and late-game heroics, the Eagles once again proved why they are one of the top teams in the nation—never out of a fight and always dangerous in the final inning.