Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – City High need a good start.

The Little Hawks were in need of a win and a spark and what they really wanted was a sweep.

City High got all of those things on Thursday evening against Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Senior Lexi Ellermeier tossed a gem in the opener and City High hammered 14 hits in the nightcap on its way to a Mississippi Valley Conference cross-divisional doubleheader sweep of Cedar Rapids Prairie.

“This is absolutely what we needed,” City High coach Jeff Koenig said. “We were kind of struggling to find our way a little bit and we challenged them tonight and said this is what it will take for us to win and it was the best two games we’ve played all season, by far.”

Ellermeier took a no-hitter in the sixth inning in a 5-1 City High win in game one and the Little Hawks pounded out 14 hits in a 12-5 win in the nightcap while improving to 5-9 on the season.

The sweep halted a five-game losing skid for City High which had lost eight of nine games since a doubleheader sweep of rival West High on May 23.

“We needed a good sweep,” City High freshman Molly Carlson said. “Coming off some of those losses after West High we needed a sweep and I think this is going to give us confidence going through the rest of the season.”

City High wasted no time getting going on Thursday.

After Ellermeier retired Cedar Rapids Prairie in order in the top of the first inning the first five Little Hawk hitters reached base and came around to score in a five-run City High first inning.

“We were struggling to get runs so getting runs early is really what gave us confidence throughout the game,” Carlson said. “Our energy was great in the dugout.”

Ellermeier took care of the rest after the strong offensive start allowing just one run on two hits in a complete game win.

The senior right-hander struck out two and walked four in the win, holding the Hawks hitless until Jade Hynek doubled with two out in the sixth.

“She is coming off an ACL tear 18 months ago and she has taken a little time to find herself,” Koenig said of Ellermeier. “I think what you saw from here tonight is her upswing now.”

City High never let up in game two.

Cedar Rapids Prairie scored two runs in the top of the first but City High sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning while taking a 6-2 lead.

Carlson had an RBI single, Avy Lindsey had a two-run double and Mackenzie Dvorsky had an RBI single in the six-run Little Hawk first.

“With this group I thought we had the potential to do more than what we were doing,” Koenig said. “Tonight we went up the middle, we put balls in the gap all night long where most of the season we’ve been trying to put balls over the fence. We were trying to make more plays than we probably could. Tonight we did the little things and the big things came.”

Cedar Rapids Prairie closed to within 6-4 with two runs in the second but City High again had an answer with a five-run third inning.

Ellermeier had an RBI double and eighth-grader Eliza Mitchell had a two-run single in the pivotal five-run third that gave City High an 11-4 lead.

“We really needed it because we haven’t been hitting great,” Mitchell said. “Hopefully this will help us get our confidence up for the rest of our games.”

Lianna Hull had three hits in the nightcap as seven different Little Hawks had a hit in game two.

Carlson was 3-for-3 with four RBI in game two and Dvorsky and Ellermeier each had two hits and Ava Lindsey drove in two runs.

“Once we got some runs the energy went way up,” Mitchell said. “When you are able to score runs and get the energy going its kind of contagious.”

Game 1

CR Prairie     000  001  0  –  1  2  2

City High       500  000  x  –  5  5  1

W – Lexi Ellermeier              L – Dani Klees

2B – CRP: Jade Hynek. ICH: Addyson McKillip

Game 2

CR Prairie     220  000  1  –   5    9   4

City High       605  010  x  –  12  14  2

W – Lance Grulke-Mangrich             L – Tatum Goerdt

2B – CRP: Jade Hynek, Hannah Rudd, Piper Johnson. ICH: Ellermeier, Molly Carlson

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.