IOWA CITY — Kaylin Kinney and Jayme Scheck are “the two best pitchers we’ve seen all year,” according to Iowa City High Coach Jeff Koenig.
Abby Spore gets to see them every day.
“It’s so much fun catching those two,” Spore said. “I’m so blessed to be able to catch for them.”
Kinney and Scheck spun back-to-back shutouts, allowing six hits between them — and striking out 19 while walking none — as Class 5A top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy swept No. 15 City High, 3-0 and 5-0, in a Mississippi Valley Conference softball doubleheader Tuesday night at City High.
Kennedy improved to 20-3 overall, 16-0 in the MVC. The Cougars have won 19 conference games in a row.
“We don’t think about that,” Spore said. “We just think about going game by game.”
Kinney (11-1), a sophomore who has committed to the University of Nebraska, allowed four hits and fanned seven. Then Scheck (9-2) followed with a two-hit gem, striking out 12. The freshman retired the first 15 batters she faced before Brianna Bentler singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth.
“I’m so proud of our pitching,” Kennedy Coach Maddison LeClere said. “To hold that team — and that’s a good team — to six hits is very impressive.”
The Cougars have recorded 13 shutouts this season.
Kennedy struck for two unearned runs in the top of the second inning of Game 1, then added another tally on Mary Krystofiak’s single in the third. Kinney handcuffed the Little Hawks (16-11, 12-6), not allowing multiple baserunners in any inning.
Ella Cook matched Scheck early in the second game before Kinney broke a scoreless tie by scoring on a fourth-inning wild pitch.
Kinney was intentionally passed in her final two plate appearances, but Spore followed with a run-scoring ground out in the top of the sixth that made it 2-0, then added a two-run single in the seventh.
“It doesn’t make me mad when other teams (walk Kinney), but it does get me fired up,” Spore said.
Koenig said, “I thought both of our pitchers pitched well. We’re close.”
CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 3-5, IOWA CITY HIGH 0-0
At Iowa City High
Game 1
C.R. Kennedy 021 000 0 — 3 9 2
Iowa City High 000 000 0 — 0 4 2
Kaylin Kinney and Abby Spore. Ayana Lindsey and Carey Koenig. W — Kinney (11-1). L — Lindsey (6-4).
Game 2
C.R. Kennedy 000 102 2 — 5 9 1
Iowa City High 000 000 0 — 0 2 0
Jayme Scheck and Abby Spore. Ella Cook and Jayden Young. W — Scheck (9-2). L — Cook (6-4).
l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com