Kennedy Softball

Warriors experience sweet taste of victory - twice

The Cedar Rapids Washington softball team hasn’t had a dream season by any means. Struggling to keep pace, the Warriors were sitting at an overall 3-24 record coming into Tuesday night. They proceeded to take the field against Cedar Rapids Kennedy and the sour taste vanished completely.

In a doubleheader at Washington Softball Field, the Warriors swept the Cougars, winning the first game 12-1 in 5 innings and the nightcap 7-6.

“These kids have been working hard for three or four years now and I think we are starting to see it all come to a head. It’s the first time we have been playing good defense and good offense and putting it all together,” said Warrior Coach Fanaye Wooldrik.

Washington (5-24, 3-17) came out in the opener playing with conviction, as they sprayed hits all over the field, collecting 10 in the short game. When the Warriors scored, they scored in bunches, plating five runs in the second inning and seven runs in the fourth.

“I always expect them to hit,” said Wooldrik. “Whether they do it or not is something else, but they are starting to get a little confidence in themselves and hits are contagious. Once one person started going then they all went.”

Leadoff hitter Gail Barnum led the Warriors offensively, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Pitcher Kirsten Peterson also contributed, collecting two hits and two RBIs.

On the mound, Peterson went all five innings and only allowed one Kennedy run on three hits.

The nightcap proved to be a tighter game. The Cougars came out and attacked early taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The teams went back and forth, sending base rips all over the diamond. Each team ended up with 14 hits.

Kennedy (5-26, 2-18) kept the lead until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Peterson knocked in a game-tying single to knot the score at 6.

Washington proceeded to hold Kennedy in the sevent, and ended the game when Hannah Schroeder belted a walk off double, plating Sam Short to give the Warriors the win, 7-6.

“We came out in the second game and got a little overanxious,” said Wooldrik. “But each person stepped in and did what they could and got base hits. We kept battling and found a way to win.”

Washington was led in the nightcap by Schroeder and Bria Lenten, each collecting three hits.

Heather McKinnon paced Kennedy going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Washington hosts Waterloo West for a doubleheader on Thursday and Kennedy travels to Cedar Falls for two games.  

Game 1

KENNEDY (1)
Flesner, ss, 3 0 0 0, Kubovec, c, 3 0 0 0, Nunnikhoven, p, 3 0 0 0, Gaffey, 3b, 3 1 2 0, McKinnon, lf, 2 0 0 0, Rathjens, rf, 2 0 1 1, Coker, 1b, 2 0 0 0, McQuiston, cf, 2 0 0 0, Wagner, 2b, 2 0 0 0  Totals  22 1 3 1. 

WASHINGTON (12)
Barnum, lf, 4 1 3 4, Lenten, 3b, 4 0 0 0, K. Peterson, p, 3 2 2 2, Pilcher, cf, 3 1 2 1, Short, c, 3 1 0 0, Schroeder, 1b, 3 2 0 0, Cook, dh, 3 1 0 0, Carr, ss, 3 2 1 2, Riley, rf, 3 2 2 1 C. Peterson, 2b  Totals  29 12 10 10.

Kennedy           000 10 -  1    3  4
Washington       050 7x - 12  10 0 

Nunnikhoven and Kubovec. K. Peterson and Short.  W – Peterson.  L – Nunnikhoven.  2B - Barnum 2, K.Peterson.  3B - Pilcher.  


Game 2

KENNEDY (6)
Flesner, ss, 5 0 0 0, Kubovec, c, 5 1 2 0, Nunnikhoven, cf, 4 0 1 0, Gaffey, 3b, 4 1 2 1, Rathjens, rf, 4 1 1 0, McKinnon, lf, 4 1 3 2, Coker, 1b, 4 1 2 0, Sohn, p, 4 1 2 1, Wagner, 2b, 4 0 1 1.  Totals  38 6 14 4.

WASHINGTON (7)
Barnum, lf, 4 0 0 0, Lenten, 3b, 4 1 3 0, K. Peterson, 2b, 4 0 1 1, Pilcher, cf, 4 1 2 1, Short, c, 4 2 1 0, Schroeder, 1b, 4 1 3 1, Cook, dh, 3 1 1 1, Carr, ss, 3 0 2 1, Riley, rf, 3 1 1 0 C. Peterson, p, 0 0 0 0.  Totals  33 7 14 5. 

Kennedy           010 311 0 -   6  14  1
Washington       010 131 1 -   7  14  1 

Sohn and Kubovec. C. Peterson, K. Peterson(5) and Short.  W – K. Peterson.  L – Sohn.  2B - Rathjens, McKinnon 2, Wagner, Schroeder.  SB- Schroeder.

Bombs away; J-Hawks blast Cougars twice

The ball was flying off the bats of Jefferson hitters Thursday night in a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Kennedy. The No. 6 J-Hawks had 17 hits in each game and a combined four home runs to power their way to a pair of wins.

“They fly out of here,” Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer said. “It is a short field.”

The J-Hawks (23-4, 16-1) took the opener 17-0 in five innings and followed that up with a 12-1 win in five in the nightcap. The doubleheader was the fourth in as many nights for the J-Hawks, who won seven of the eight games, and have won 10 of their last 11. Kennedy (4-21, 2-16) has lost 14 straight games.

In the opener the J-Hawks exploded for 11 runs in the fifth inning to take complete control of the Cougars. Jefferson junior ace Hannah Petersen (12-3) also tossed a three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts.

“I got confidence (pitching),” Petersen said. “I have a good defense behind me which makes it easy to relax.”

Run support also helps.

The J-Hawks got on the board in the first inning when junior Kenna Fry singled in courtesy runner Ashley Madsen, who was running for Petersen after she had singled.

Jefferson added one run in the second on a RBI single by sophomore Kaitlyn Davidson and four more in the third, which was highlighted by two-run blast from sophomore Amber Grimm.

The J-Hawks hammered out 11 runs on 10 hits in the fifth inning to put the game away. Jefferson sent 16 batters to the plate in the inning, and eight collected at least one hit. Junior Rachel Sedlacek and Petersen had two hits apiece in the frame and both had two-run doubles.

Jefferson senior Katie Naber (8-1) matched Petersen's three-hitter with one of her own in the nightcap.

Jefferson again scored early and often to end the game in five innings by the 10-run rule.

After singles from Sedlacek and junior Kailey Drake, Fry hit a three-run home run to right center to put the J-Hawks ahead in the first inning.

The J-Hawks added four more runs and two home runs in the second inning to push their lead to 7-0. Sedlacek hit a two-run home run, her ninth round-tripper, and Drake followed with a solo shot of her own.

The J-Hawks continued to pound the ball in the third inning, adding three more runs on four hits.

Jefferson added another pair of runs in the fifth inning for good measure before the Cougars got their only run of the night on a solo blast from senior Kassi Nunnikhoven.

Sedlacek was 5-for-8 with four RBIs in the twinbill. Petersen also was 5-for-8.

Jefferson will play Creston and Mount Vernon on Saturday at a classic they will host.

Kennedy plays Friday and Saturday at the Clear Creek Amana tournament.

GAME 1

JEFFERSON (17)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 4 2 2 2, Kailey Drake, CF, 5 1 1 1, Hannah Petersen. P, 5 0 3 2, Ashley Madsen, cr, 0 3 0 0, Alissa Good, P, 0 0 0 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 5 1 2 2, Dani Stromert, 1B, 0 0 0 0, Hannah McInerney, 3B, 4 1 2 1, Amber Grimm, RF, 4 2 1 2, Maddie Koolbeck, DP, 2 4 2 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 4 2 2 2, Katelyn Holub, SS, 0 0 0 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 2 1 2 3, Hannah Towns, 2B, 0 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 0 0 0 0. Totals 35 17 17 15.

KENNEDY (0)
Lauren Kubovec, C, 2 0 1 0, Madeline Flesner, 2B, 2 0 1 0, Erin Coker, 1B, 2 0 0 0, Heather Mckinnon, LF, 2 0 0 0, Amanda Gaffey, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Tanner Rathjens, RF, 2 0 1 0, Kassi Nunnikhoven, P, 2 0 0 0, Alycia McQuiston, CF, 2 0 0 0, Taylor Wagner, SS, 2 0 0 0. Totals 18 0 3 0.

Jefferson  114 0(11) -  17  17  0
Kennedy   000 00    -    0    3  5
Petersen, Good and Marquart. Nunnikhoven and Kubovec. W – Petersen. L – Nunnikhoven. 2B – Sedlacek, Petersen, Burgart, Davidson. HR – Grimm.

GAME 2

JEFFERSON (12)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 4 3 3 2, Kailey Drake, CF, 3 2 2 1, Amber Grimm, RF, 1 1 1 0, Hannah Petersen, RF, 3 1 2 1, Ashley Madsen, CF, 1 2 1 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 3 1 2 4, Dani Stromert, 1B, 0 0 0 1, Maddie Hanson, DP, 4 0 2 2, Carson Burgart, SS, 3 0 1 0, Katelyn Holub, SS, 1 2 0 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 3 0 2 0, Maddy Blietz, 3B, 3 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 3 0 2 0, Katie Naber, P, 0 0 0 0. Totals 31 12 17 11.

KENNEDY (1)
Lauren Kubovec, C, 1 0 0 0, Madeline Flesner, SS, 2 0 0 0, Erin Coker, 1B, 2 0 1 0, Heather Mckinnon, LF, 2 0 1 0, Amanda Gaffey, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Taylor Steffans, DP, 2 0 0 0, Kassi Nunnikhoven, CF, 2 1 1 1, Tanner Rathjens, RF, 2 0 0 0, Taylor Wagner, 2B, 0 0 0 0, Callie Sauer, 2B, 1 0 0 0, Ashley Geels, PH, 1 0 0 0, Taylor Sohn, P, 0 0 0 0. Totals 17 1 3 1.

Jefferson  343 02  -  12  17  0
Kennedy   000 01 -   1     3  1
Naber and Marquart. Sohn and Kubovec. W – Naber. L – Sohn. 2B – Petersen, Fry, Hanson. HR – Sedlacek, Fry, Drake. SB - Sedlacek.   

Xavier sweeps Kennedy in MVC softball

With what looked like heavy rain closing in, someone had to break a tie and make the game official. Xavier’s Abby Bedard made it happen.

Bedard’s two-run double in the top of the sixth inning propelled Xavier past Kennedy, 9-5, in the second game of a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader Tuesday night at Kennedy.

Xavier won the opener, 7-2.

Through four innings of the nightcap, Xavier was riding pitcher Erin Drahozal, an eighth grader who was retiring Kennedy batters with ease. In the bottom of the fifth, however, Kennedy caught fire and collected five singles, including a two-run hit by Amanda Gaffey to even the score at 5-5.

“We just relaxed a little after we got the 5-0 lead,” said Xavier Coach Brian Erbe. “Drahozal was coasting, then she started getting too much of the plate and that will happen to an eighth grader sometime. Kennedy did a great job of hitting.”

Bedard’s heroics came into play in the top of the sixth when she ripped a double into the right-center gap, plating two runs and pushing Xavier ahead 7-5. “Bedard’s hit was clutch, big time,” Erbe said.

Xavier’s Tyler Sampson also swung the bat well in the second game, hitting a two-run home run in the third inning and ripping an RBI double off the wall in the fifth.

Taylor Wagner went 2-for-3 and Amanda Gaffey had two RBIs for Kennedy.

In the opener, Xavier pitcher Jacey Wiebold went the distance to get the win. “Wiebold was in command of her pitches in the first game,” Erbe said.

Wiebold, a sophomore, held the Cougars scoreless through the first six innings, giving up only three hits.

In the seventh, Kennedy made an attempt at a comeback as Alycia McQuiston launched a two-run homer over the left field wall, but Wiebold quickly retired three straight batters to secure the win.

McQuiston was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Lauren Kubovec had two hits for Kennedy.

Xavier’s Sydney Galligan went 2-for-3, including a two-run triple in the fourth inning.

Xavier (16-5, 11-5) travels to Burlington for a doubleheader Wednesday. Kennedy (4-19, 2-14) hosts Cedar Rapids Jefferson for a doubleheader Thursday.

Game 1

XAVIER (7)
Bedard, 3b, 4 1 1 0, Colston, cf, 4 1 1 0, Sampson, ss, 4 0 1 3, Winter, 2b, 4 0 0 0, Walton, dh, 3 1 1 0, Schulte, 1b, 4 1 1 1, Kuba-Tresnak, rf, 3 0 1 0, Miller, c, 4 1 0 0, Galligan, lf, 3 2 2 2, Schwach, 1 0 0 0, Richards, 1 0 0 0.  Totals 35 7 9 6.

KENNEDY (2)
Kubovec, c, 4 0 2 0, Sohn, 2b, 3 0 0 0, Nunnikhoven, p, 3 0 0 0, McKinnon, lf, 3 0 0 0, Gaffey, 3b, 3 1 1 0, McQuiston, cf, 3 1 2 2, Rathjens, 1b, 3 0 1 0, Steffans, rf, 3 0 1 0, Wagner, ss, 3 0 0 0, Sauer, 1 0 0 0. Totals 29 2 7 2.

Xavier      000 403 0 - 7 9 0
Kennedy  000 000 2 - 2 7 1

Wiebold and Miller. Nunnikhoven and Kubovec. W – Wiebold. L – Nunnikhoven. 2B - Bedard, Colston, Sampson, Walton. 3B - Galligan. HR - McQuiston. SB - Sampson 2, Galligan.

Game 2

XAVIER (9)
Bedard, 3b, 4 1 2 2, Colston, rf, 4 1 1 0, Sampson, ss, 4 2 2 3, Winter, 2b, 4 0 1 2, Walton, c, 4 1 1 0, Schulte, 1b, 4 0 0 0, Kuba-Tresnak, cf, 4 2 1 1, Drahozal, p, 4 0 1 1, Ireland, lf, 4 2 1 0. Totals 36 9 10 9.

KENNEDY (5)
Kubovec, c, 4 1 0 1, Nunnikhoven, cf, 4 1 0 0, Coker, 1b, 4 1 1 1, Gaffey, 3b, 4 0 1 2, McKinnon, lf, 3 0 1 1, Rathjens, 1b, 3 1 1 0, Sohn, p, 3 1 1 0, McQuiston, rf, 3 0 1 0, Wagner, ss, 3 0 2 0. Totals 31 5 8 5.

Xavier        002 032 2 - 9 10 1
Kennedy    000 050 0 - 5  8 1

Drahozal and Walton. Sohn and Kubovec. W – Drahozal. L – Sohn. 2B - Bedard, Sampson, Drahozal. HR - Sampson. SB - Bedard.

Cougars whiff 15 times in loss to East

JESUP - Kennedy lost a nonconference softball game to Waterloo East at the Jesup tournament, 6-2, Friday.

Tyalor Wagner hit a home run for Kennedy (2-5). Heather McKinnon and Amanda Gaffey had doubles.

Alyson Netty scattered five hits and struck out 15 Cougars on the mound for East (6-3). She also hit a home run. Kesley Rash had three doubles.

Taylor Sohn took the loss for the Cougars.

Waterloo East   200 002 2 - 6 8 2

Kennedy          000 020 0 - 2 5 1

Alyson Netty and Ashley Kubik. Taylor Sohn and Lauren Kubovec. W-Netty. L-Sohn. 2B-Kesley Rash 3, Heather McKinnon, Amanda Gaffey. HR-Netty, Taylor Wagner.