Eagles Fall Short in Region 11 Tournament
CARROLL, IA- The Kirkwood Eagles entered the Region 11 Tournament at Merchants Park in Carroll, Iowa as the tournament's No. 2 seed after a stellar 21-6 run through ICCAC play, earning a first-round bye and positioning themselves for a deep postseason push. But despite competitive performances against two battle-tested conference opponents, the Eagles were unable to extend their season, falling to Iowa Central and DMACC in consecutive elimination games.
Kirkwood opened tournament play against Iowa Central after the Tritons defeated Ellsworth in the opening round. The Eagles found themselves battling from behind early as Iowa Central used four home runs to build a lead and eventually claim a 7-4 victory.
Despite the loss, Kirkwood showed flashes offensively, led by Adam Kayko, who delivered nearly all of the Eagles' scoring with two towering home runs and four RBIs. Kayko launched a solo blast during Kirkwood's three-run fourth inning before adding another homer in the ninth to keep the Eagles alive late.
Ty Andrews added a strong performance at the plate, finishing with a double and a run scored, while Will Nuss collected a pair of hits. Landon Frost also chipped in a hit and a run as the Eagles tried to chip away at the deficit.
On the mound, Jackson Niederwerder took the loss after Iowa Central struck for five runs in the opening three innings. Collin Homan worked 2.2 innings in relief and recorded five strikeouts, while Rafe McConnell stabilized the game late, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to keep Kirkwood within reach.
The loss dropped Kirkwood into the elimination bracket, where they faced DMACC in a dramatic offensive showdown that turned into one of the tournament's most entertaining games. The Eagles erased multiple deficits and exploded offensively with six home runs, but ultimately came up just short in a heartbreaking 13-12 defeat.
Kirkwood's lineup delivered punch after punch throughout the afternoon. Brady Blake finished 3-for-5 with a home run, double, and three RBIs, while Ty Andrews continued his torrid weekend by blasting two home runs and driving in three more runs.
Landon Frost provided one of the game's biggest swings with a four-RBI performance that included a home run during Kirkwood's seven-run fifth inning, an inning that briefly swung momentum firmly in the Eagles' favor. Adam Kayko and Alex Altmann also homered as Kirkwood's offense combined for 12 runs on 12 hits.
The Eagles battled back repeatedly after falling behind 8-2 early, storming ahead with their massive fifth inning before trading runs late into the game. DMACC, however, answered with a three-run ninth inning and narrowly held off Kirkwood's final comeback attempt.
Blake Lundholm added two hits and a stolen base, while Wrigley Matthys scored a run at the top of the order. Kirkwood's offense showed the explosive ability that made the Eagles one of the top teams in the ICCAC throughout the season.
