Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

CEDAR RAPIDS – Cedar Rapids Prairie has a robust high school baseball field.

At 342 feet from home plate to the outfield corners, an opposing pitcher stands an excellent chance of keeping the ball in the ballpark.

Kyle Cherry used the extra real estate to his advantage.

“I just threw strikes, that’s how I wanted,” West High junior left-handed pitcher said after tossing a four-hit shutout as the Trojans eliminated Prairie, 3-0, in the opening round of the Class 4A substate baseball playoffs. “The strategy was to throw all outside pitches to left-handed and right-handed batters. That is how it worked.”

Cherry (6-4) walked three batters and struck out one on 97 pitches.

He induced eight flyouts to his outfielders and another five infield popouts as the West High defense played error-free baseball.

“I knew my defense could help me out, so I just threw strikes and let them hit it,” Cherry said. “My confidence all comes from my defense, so I can just throw strikes and they can hit it and they make plays.”

The win was the seventh in 10 games for West High (19-21), which will visit Davenport Central (24-14) in a substate semifinal Monday at Davenport.

On Wednesday, West High held on for a 10-9 win at Davenport Central after leading by six runs two innings into the contest.

West High sophomore Owen Harms (2-1, 2.04 earned run average) will start for the Trojans on the mound.

“We have the whole staff, that’s what this does,” West Coach Charlie Stumpff said. “It lets everybody be available. They’ll be a good matchup for us. The deal in tournament baseball is hopefully we get there and then Kyle is available on Wednesday for your substate final, but that is premature. We have got to play like we did today. You have got to catch the ball and throw strikes and stay in the game. As long as it stays close you have a chance.”

West High got its first run in the top of the third when senior Nathan Heenan opened the frame with a single, advanced to second on an error and then to third on a single by junior Declan Bunn.

With the Prairie pitcher beginning his delivery, Heenan broke for home plate and easily scored as senior Gerik Fish placed a perfect bunt up the first base line.

“You have got to be scared, honestly,” Heenan said. “You have got to trust your teammate at that point. You have got to make sure you know what is going to happen. You know you have got to commit, no matter what.”

Heenan scored the second run of the game in the top of the fifth after singling with one out, advancing to second on a groundout and then stealing third base.

The throw by the Prairie catcher went into left field, and Heenan raced home to extend the Trojans’ lead to 2-0.

“It was amazing, just to get the energy back up,” Heenan said. “I was relying on my coach mostly. I looked for a brief second and saw it over and just said, ‘Let’s go, run. Get the energy going again’.”

With two outs, Fish singled and scored on a double by senior Jacob Koch.

Prairie – which split a doubleheader at West High earlier this season – retires at 23-12.

West High      001  020 0  –  3  6  0

CR Prairie      000  000 0  – 0  4  3

W — Kyle Cherry                  L – Reid Burkle

2B – ICW: Jacob Koch. CRP: Maddux Mueller

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