Jefferson Softball

Warriors put up fight; J-Hawks still sweep

It wasn’t very pretty.

Jefferson didn’t play to its usual high level. Washington wasn’t stellar, but it came ready to play.

No. 6 Jefferson played well enough to post a pair of softball wins. The J-Hawks won the first game, 6-0, then took the nightcap, 9-4, despite some sloppy play.

"The second game was hard to watch,” Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer said. “Our hitting was below average, our fielding was below average, our pitching was below average.”

Washington stuck around in the nightcap and made it more interesting than the J-Hawks (19-4, 12-1 MVC) would have liked. The Warriors (3-18, 1-15) battled back late in the game to put some unexpected pressure on the J-Hawks. Washington cut the J-Hawk lead to 6-4 before Jefferson eventually pulled away.

“We are a team that is going to fight for all seven innings,” Washington Coach Fanaye Wooldrik said. “We are a young team but we will outwork people. Hopefully, it will help us at the end of the year.”

The J-Hawks took the opener 6-0 in typical J-Hawk fashion, relying on the pitching of junior ace Hannah Petersen, who allowed just three hits.

“She’s a phenomenal pitcher, one of the best in the state,” Wooldrik said. “Our kids had a good mentality, (but) hats off to her, she throws great.”

While Petersen dominated in the circle, the J-Hawk offense put together a big second inning off Warrior pitcher sophomore Kristen Peterson. Jefferson strung together six hits to score six runs. The inning was capped off by back-to-back two-run singles by Petersen and junior Kenna Fry.

In the nightcap, the J-Hawks got on the board in the second when junior Carson Burgart doubled home sophomore Maddie Koolbeck, who had been hit by a pitch.

Jefferson added three in the third, sparked by Petersen's two-run double. They got two more in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead.

The Warriors got an unearned run in the fifth inning off senior Katie Naber. Washington then added three in the sixth off sophomore Brooke Stauffer. Run-scoring groundouts by freshman Hannah Schroeder and eighth grader Bree Linville narrowed the gap to 6-4.

Jefferson tacked on three runs in the sixth inning to put the game away.

Junior Rachel Sedlacek went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three stolen bases for Jefferson. Senior Jordan Birkicht-Carr scored twice and doubled for the Warriors. Birkicht-Carr also had a double in the first game.

Jefferson junior Carson Burgart was 2-for-3 in both games.

“I kept my hands back and waited to the ball,” Burgart said.

Jefferson plays a doubleheader at Cedar Falls on Wednesday night and at Kennedy on Thursday. Washington plays a doubleheader at Dubuque Hempstead on Thursday.

GAME 1

WASHINGTON (0)
Gail Burnum, LF, 3 0 1 0, Bria Lenten, 3B, 3 0 0 0, Kristen Peterson, P, 1 0 0 0, Jordan Pilcher, CF, 2 0 1 0, Samantha Short, C, 3 0 0 0, Hannah Schroeder, 1B, 3 0 0 0, Bree Linville, DP, 3 0 0 0, Jordan Birkicht-Carr, SS, 2 0 1 0, Alexis Riley, RF, 2 0 0 0, Caiti Peterson, 2B, 0 0 0 0. Totals 22 0 3 0.

JEFFERSON (6)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 4 1 0 1, Hannah Towns, 2B, 4 1 3 0, Hannah Petersen, P, 4 0 1 2, Katelyn Holub, cr, 0 1 0 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 3 0 1 2, Maddie Hanson, DP, 3 0 0 0, Maddie Koolbeck, RF, 2 1 1 0, Hannah McInerney, 3B, 2 1 1 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 3 0 2 0, Ashley Madsen, CF, 2 0 1 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 0 0 0 0. Totals 28 6 10 6.

Washington 000 000 0 -  0  3 1
Jefferson     060 000 x -  6 10 0

K. Peterson and Short. Petersen and Marquart. W – Petersen L – K. Peterson 2B – Birkicht-Carr.

GAME 2

WASHINGTON (4)
Gail Burnum, LF, 3 0 0 0, Bria Lenten, 3B, 3 0 0 0, Kristen Peterson, 2B, 3 0 0 0, Jordan Pilcher, CF, 1 1 1 0, Samantha Short, C, 2 1 0 0, Hannah Schroeder, 1B, 2 0 0 1, Bree Linville, DP, 2 0 0 1, Jordan Birkicht-Carr, SS, 3 2 1 0, Alexis Riley, RF, 2 0 0 0, Caiti Peterson, P, 0 0 0 0. Totals 21 4 2 2.

JEFFERSON (9)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 4 3 3 1, Kailey Drake, CF, 3 1 1 1, Hannah Petersen, RF, 2 0 1 2, Amber Grimm, RF, 2 1 1 1, Maddie Koolbeck, 1B, 2 2 1 0, Dani Stromert, 1B, 1 1 1 1, Maddie Hanson, DP, 3 0 2 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 3 0 2 2, Maddy Blietz, 3B, 3 0 1 1, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 3 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 3 0 0 0, Katelyn Holub, cr, 0 1 0 0, Katie Naber, P, 0 0 0 0, Brooke Stauffer, P, 0 0 0 0, Allissa Good, P, 0 0 0 0. Totals 29 9 13 9.

Washington 000 013 0 -  4  2 1
Jefferson     013 203 x -  9 13 3

C.Peterson and Short. Naber, Stauffer (6), Good (6) and Marquart. W – Naber. L – C. Peterson. 2B – Birkicht-Carr, Burgart, Hanson, Sedlacek, Drake, Petersen. SB – Riley, Sedlacek 3.

J-Hawks suffer 1st MVC softball loss

No. 6 ranked Cedar Rapids Jefferson dropped its first game of Mississippi Valley Conference play in the nightcap of a softball doubleheader Monday against No. 7 Iowa City West.

Jefferson won the opener, 2-1, then dropped the nightcap, 3-1.

Mackenzie Laux, a transfer from Piken, Ill., baffled the J-Hawk bats for most of the nightcap with a fastball near 65 mph and a good screwball.

Jefferson (17-4, 10-1) didn’t manage to get a hit off Laux until the fifth inning when sophomore Kaitlyn Davidson singled. The perfect game was broken up when Laux hit junior Hannah McInerney in the second.

“Their second pitcher (Laux) just threw it by kids,” Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer said. “We just couldn’t pull the trigger.”

Jefferson managed just one run on an RBI single by Hannah Petersen in the sixth inning after junior Rachel Sedlacek tripled leading off the inning.

The Women of Troy (15-5, 10-4) got on the board early against senior Katie Naber after Alise Miller singled in Tatum Klein, who had walked to lead off the inning.  Miller added another RBI with a sacrifice bunt in the third after a leadoff single by Amber Tomas.

West added another run in the sixth.

“If we are going to be a really good team we can’t just get one run,” Niemeyer said. “We have to tack some more on.”

The J-Hawks won the opener of the doubleheader behind a strong performance from Petersen, their junior ace. Petersen allowed only three hits.

“Pete pitched exceptionally well tonight,” Niemeyer said.

Jefferson took a lead in the first inning when junior Kenna Fry singled in junior Kailey Drake, who had singled.

“I shortened up and hit it where it was pitched,” Fry said. “I really wanted to get a run in early.”

The J-Hawks missed a few opportunities in the middle innings, but were finally able to tack on an insurance run in the sixth. Sedlacek singled and was bunted over to second. She stole third and a wild throw allowed her to take home.

Petersen gave up a run in the seventh.

Sedlacek and Fry each went 2-for-3.

GAME 1

IOWA CITY WEST (1)
Klein, 1B, 3 0 0 0, Sturtz, 2B, 3 0 0 0, Miller, SS, 3 0 0 0, Stumpff, P, 3 0 1 0, Larson, C, 2 0 0 0, 9, cr, 0 1 0 0, Recker, LF, 2 0 2 1, Thomas, pr, 0 0 0 0, Jehle, DP, 3 0 0 0, Chelf, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Morgan, CF, 2 0 0 0, Tressler, RF, 0 0 0 0. Totals 23 1 3 1.

JEFFERSON (2)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 3 1 2 0, Kailey Drake, CF, 2 1 1 0, Hannah Petersen, P, 2 0 0 0, Katie Naber, cr, 0 0 0 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 3 0 2 1, Hannah Towns, pr, 0 0 0 0, Hannah McInerney, DP, 3 0 1 0, Amber Grimm, RF, 1 0 0 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 2 0 0 0, Maddy Blietz, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 2 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, 0 0 0 0. Totals 20 2 6 1.

Iowa City West  000 000 1 -  1 3 2
Jefferson          100 001 x -  2 6 0

Stumpff and Larson. Petersen and Marquart. W – Petersen. L – Stumpff. 2B – Sedlacek. SB – Sedlacek.

GAME 2

IOWA CITY WEST (3)
Klein, DP, 0 1 0 0, Thomas, DP, 3 1 1 0, Strutz, 2B, 1 0 0 0, Miller, SS, 1 0 0 2, 20, pr, 0 0 0 0, Stumpff, 3B, 4 0 1 0, Larson, LF, 4 0 0 0, Recker, C, 4 0 1 0, 1, cr, 0 0 0 0, Jehle, 1B, 2 1 1 0, 9, RF, 0 0 0 0, 18, ph, 1 0 0 0, Morgan, CF, 3 0 1 1, Laux, P, 0 0 0 0. Totals 23 3 6 2.

JEFFERSON (1)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 3 1 1 0, Kailey Drake, CF, 3 0 0 0, Hannah Petersen, RF, 3 0 1 1, Ashley Madsen, CF, 0 0 0 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 3 0 0 0, Hannah McInerney, DP, 2 0 0 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 2 0 0 0, Maddy Blietz, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Maddie Hanson, ph, 0 0 0 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 3 0 1 0, Katie Naber, 3 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 0 0 0 0. Totals 24 1 3 1.

Iowa City West  101 001 0 -  3 6 0
Jefferson          000 001 0 - 1 3 0

Laux and Recker. Naber and Marquart. W – Laux. L – Naber. 2B – Jehle. 3B – Sedlacek.

Pitchers propel J-Hawks to pair of wins

DES MOINES -- Katie Naber tossed a one-hitter and Hannah Petersen a three-hitter to lead No. 6 Jefferson to a pair of victories Saturday at the Jack North Classic.

Naber tossed her gem against English Valleys in a 10-0 win. Jefferson had nine hits. Rachel Sedlacek was 3-for-4.

Petersen spun her gem in a 2-1 win over Iowa City Regina. Sedlacek led off the first inning with a home run, her fifth of the season, and Kenna Fry later added an RBI single for the game winner.

Jefferson (16-3) has doubleheaders Monday through Thursday the coming week. The J-Hawks host No. 7 Iowa City West on Monday, Cedar Rapids Washington on Tuesday, and then travel to Cedar Falls on Wednesday and Kennedy on Thursday.

J-Hawks split at Jack North Classic

DES MOINES -Maddie Hanson's RBI double in the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and sent No. 6 Jefferson past Highland, 4-1, in the Jack North Classic softball tournament.

The J-Hawks (14-3) tacked on two more runs in the three-run sixth inning to put the game away. Kate Naber scattered six hits over seven innings for the win. Kailey Drake had a double and triple and scored two runs.

Hannah Petersen fired a two-hitter in the opener. But one was a home run and unranked Mid-Prairie toppled Jefferson, 2-0, Friday afternoon.

Jefferson was held to one hit and it was by Petersen.

Mid-Prairie was ranked seventh in last week's Class 2A poll, but dropped out of this week's rankings released Friday.

The J-Hawks play English Valleys at noon and Iowa City Regina at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Jack North Classic.