Jefferson Softball

Bats are back, J-Hawks sweep Senior

Four innings into Tuesday's first game of a Mississippi Valley Conference softball doubleheader between Jefferson and Dubuque Senior it looked like the J-Hawks were going to need to sneak out another close game as their offense was again silent.

That all changed in the fifth inning when the J-Hawks' bats came back to life. Jefferson scored five runs in the final two innings, capped off by a four-run sixth for a 6-2 win. Juniors Carson Burgart and Rachel Sedlacek sealed the win with back-to-back home runs in the sixth.

The J-Hawks continued to hammer the ball in the nightcap to complete the sweep, winning 12-2 in five innings.

“I am seeing the ball well and have more confidence at the plate since the Xavier game,” Sedlacek said. The eighth-ranked J-Hawks swept Xavier on June 7 and Sedlacek was 5-for-9 with a pair of home runs.

She hit two more home runs Tuesday and was 4-for-7 with five RBIs. Burgart broke out of a slump and was 4-for-6.

“I relaxed at the plate,” Burgart said.

Sedlacek's two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the second inning of the nightcap erased a 1-0 deficit.

The Rams took an early lead getting a run in the top of the second after a leadoff double by AJ Medinger followed by a RBI by Piper, who reached on an error. The J-Hawks answered in the bottom half of the second when Sedlacek hit a bases loaded two out double, scoring two.

Senior tied it, 2-2, in the third. But from there it was all J-Hawks. They scored three in the fourth, one in the fifth, and then poured on six more in the bottom of the sixth to end the game early by the 10-run rule.

Senior Katie Naber, making her second start after a suspension to start the season, scattered five hits and picked up the win for the J-Hawks (11-2, 7-0 MVC).

“Katie didn’t throw one of her better games, but it is just her second game back,” Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer said. “I am sure she will pitch better tomorrow.”

Jefferson hosts No. 5 Iowa City West in a doubleheader Wednesday.

In game one,  junior ace Hannah Petersen struck out 14 in route to a three-hit shutout.

“My rise ball was really working and I had great control,” said Petersen, who was drawing double duty pitching both games of doubleheaders in Naber's absence. “It is great to have Katie back, it makes it much easier to focus on the first game.

The J-Hawks gave Petersen an early lead getting a run in the first off a pair of Rams errors. They added another in the fifth when Petersen's sacrifice bunt scored Sedlacek, who had doubled to lead off the inning.

Two runs was all Petersen needed, but she got four more in the sixth for good measure.

“I thought she threw very well,” Niemeyer said. “I was disappointed in our hitting early, Rachel’s home run gave us a little cushion at the end.”

Hannah McInerney returned from a broken wrist and went 2-for-4 with a double.

“Carson (Burgart) had a nice home run and triple,” Niemeyer said. “Hannah (McInerney) had a nice game. It is hard to get timing back when coming off an injury; she hit the ball hard tonight though.”

GAME 1

DUBUQUE SENIOR (0)
Katie Sommer, SS, 3 0 2 0, Natalie Jacobsmeier, LF, 2 0 0 0, Kristie Sommer, C, 3 0 0 0, Haley Zenner, RF, 3 0 0 0, AJ Medinger, P, 3 0 0 0, Natalie Blatz, 3B, 3 0 0 0, Carrie Piper, DP, 3 0 0 0, Jackie Kremer, 1B, 2 0 0 0, Liz Reuter, CF, 2 0 1 0, Kennedy Carber, 2B, 0 0 0 0. Totals 24 0 3 0.

JEFFERSON (6)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 4 3 2 1, Kailey Drake, CF, 4 0 1 0, Hannah Petersen, P, 1 0 0 1, Ashley Madsen, CR, 0 0 0 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 4 0 0 0, Dani Stromert, 1B, 0 0 0 0, Maddie Koolbeck, DP, 2 0 1 0, Hannah McInerney, PH, 1 1 1 0, Amber Grimm, RF, 1 0 0 0, Maddie Hanson, PH, 1 0 0 0, Maddy Blietz, 3B, 3 1 1 1, Katelyn Holub, 3B, 0 0 0 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 2 0 1 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 3 1 1 2, Nicole Marquart, C, 0 0 0 0. Totals 26 6 8 5.

Dubuque Senior 000 000 0 -  0 3 2
Jefferson          100 014 x -  6 8 0
Medinger and Kr. Sommer. Petersen and Marquart. W – Petersen L – Medinger. 2B – Sedlacek, McInerney. HR – Sedlacek, Burgart. SB – Ka. Sommer, Sedlacek 2, Madsen.

GAME 2

DUBUQUE SENIOR (2)
Katie Sommer, SS, 2 0 0 0, Natalie Jacobsmeier, P, 3 0 2 0, Kristie Sommer, C, 2 0 0 0, Haley Zenner, RF, 3 1 0 0, AJ Medinger, 1B, 3 1 2 0, Natalie Blatz, 3B, 3 0 0 0, Carrie Piper, LF, 3 0 0 1, Whitney Putchio, DP, 2 0 1 0, Liz Reuter, CF, 2 0 0 0, Kennedy Carber, 2B, 0 0 0 0. Totals 23 2 5 1.

JEFFERSON (12)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 3 1 2 4, Kailey Drake, RF, 2 0 0 0, Hannah McInerney, 3B, 3 1 1 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 3 1 0 0, Maddie Koolbeck, DP, 1 1 0 0, Maddy Blietz, PR, 0 0 0 0, Katie Naber, P, 2 0 1 1, Maddie Hanson, PH, 1 1 1 0, Hannah Towns, CR, 0 1 0 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 3 3 3 2, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 4 3 0 1, Nicole Marquart, C, 3 0 1 1, Katelyn Holub, CR, 0 0 0 0, Ashley Madsen, CF, 0 0 0 0. Totals 25 12 9 9.

Dubuque Senior 011 000 -  2 5 5
Jefferson          020 316 -  12 9 3
Jacobsmeier, Medinger (6), and Kr. Sommer. Naber and Marquart. W – Naber L – Jacobsmeier. 2B – Medinger, Sedlacek. 3B – Burgart, HR – Sedlacek.

J-Hawks’ bats disappear; Naber returns

Katie Naber got back just in time for the Jefferson bats to disappear.

But Naber, a third-year senior pitcher, got all the support she needed with a little bit of J-Hawk base running trickery and Class 4A No. 9 Jefferson beat Davenport Assumption, 1-0, Saturday night in the finale of the Bill Hennnesy Classic at Jefferson.

Earlier in the day, the J-Hawks were beaten by Class 2A top-ranked Bondurant-Farrar, 3-2.

Naber was eligible to play Friday but did not get into the game against Southeast Polk that was eventually rained out. Instead, she made her season debut in the circle Saturday night against Assumption and looked like she hadn’t missed a beat.

“It felt amazing. I’m just glad to be back with the team and on the field,” said Naber, who had to sit out the first 13 playing dates after a violation of school policy. “There is no better feeling than being on the field and pitching.”

Naber went the complete seven innings and allowed just three hits in tossing the shutout.

“Naber pitched a typical Katie game,” Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer said. “She hit her spots real well and set up her pitches well.”

The J-Hawk bats did little to help Naber, managing only three hits. Jefferson did managed to sneak in a run in the fourth to get what turned out to be the winning run. After a pair of walks and an infield single loaded the bases in the fourth inning, Maddie Koolbeck stole home.

It was the only run Naber needed.

Junior Kailey Drake had the only hit that made it to the outfield grass for Jefferson (9-2). Sophomore Dani Stromert and eighth grader Hannah Towns each added an infield single.

Walks and errors plated a pair of first-inning runs for each team in Jefferson's game with Bondurant-Farrar.

The game was a defensive battle for the next six innings when the teams managed only seven combined hits.

“We just aren’t hitting anything right now. We are in a slump. Major League teams go through it too but we better snap out of it soon if we are going to win,” Niemeyer said. “It starts with better pitch selection.”

Bondurant-Farrar broke the 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth. Erin Sawatzky singled home Shannon Coulson, who had doubled leading off the inning.

Jefferson had runners in the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn’t push anyone across the plate.

Koolbeck, a sophomore, had two hits for the J-Hawks. Sophomore Amber Grimm and senior Nicole Marquart each added a hit.

Junior Hannah Petersen scattered six hits but took the loss.

Jefferson hosts a trio of Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheaders this week. The J-Hawks play Dubuque Senior on Tuesday, Iowa City West on Wednesday and Linn-Mar on Thursday.

GAME 1

BONDURANT-FARRAR (3)
Walsh, CF, 1 0 0 0, A. Burrow, CF, 3 0 0 0, Coulson, RF, 3 2 2 0, Burrows, SS, 3 1 1 1, Laven, 1B, 2 0 0 0, Sawatzky, C, 3 0 2 1, Cox, P, 0 0 0 0, Norton, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Schlenken, P, 3 0 1 0, Sullivan, 2B, 2 0 0 0, Bycroft, LF, 3 0 0 0. Totals 25 3 6 2.

JEFFERSON (2)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 3 1 0 0, Kailey Drake, RF, 3 1 0 0, Amber Grimm, RF, 3 0 1 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 4 0 0 0, Maddie Koolbeck, DP, 3 0 2 0, Maddy Blietz, 3B, 3 0 0 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 2 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 3 0 1 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 1 0 0 0, Hannah Peterson, P, 0 0 0 0, Ashley Madsen, PR, 0 0 0 0. Totals 25 2 4 0.

Bondurant 200 001 0 -  3 6 2
Jefferson   200 000 0 -  2 4 1
Cox, Schlenken and Sawatzky. Petersen and Marquart. W – Schlenken. L – Petersen. 2B – Coulson. 3B – Coulson. SB – Drake 2, Madsen.

GAME 2

JEFFERSON (1)
Hannah Towns, 2B, 3 0 1 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 0 0 0 0, Kailey Drake, RF, 3 0 1 0, Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 2 0 0 0, Maddie Koolbeck, DP, 2 1 0 0, Hannah McInerney, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Dani Stromert, 1B, 3 0 1 0, Maddy Blietz, SS, 3 0 0 0, Katie Naber, P, 3 0 0 0, Carson Burgart, C, 3 0 0 0, Madsen, CF, 0 0 0 0. Totals 24 1 3 0.

ASSUMPTION (0)
Strajack, SS, 3 0 1 0, Miller, 2B, 3 0 1 0, Tutsch, C, 2 0 0 0, Wescom, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Moon, 1B, 3 0 0 0, Dunahuh, CF, 3 0 0 0, Gillette, P, 3 0 0 0, Mathys, LF, 3 0 1 0, Hindley, 1 0 0 0. Totals 23 0 3 0.

Jefferson     000 100 0 -  1 3 1
Assumption  000 000 0 -  0 3 1
Naber and Burgart. Gillette and Tutsch. W – Naber L – Gillette. SB - Koolbeck.

OTHER SCORES
Solon 7, SE Polk 6 (9)            
Johnston 13, Maquoketa 3 (5)
Bondurant-Farrar 7, Maquoketa 1
DM East JV 8 Jefferson JV 6
SE Polk 4 Boone 0                
DM East JV 6 Jefferson JV 2
DM East 4 IC Regina 0                
Solon 3, Fort Dodge 1
Johnston 4 Keokuk 1                
DM East 3 Boone 0
IC Regina 3, Davenport Assumption 2
Fort Dodge 5, Keokuk 1

J-Hawks win pitchers' duel

No. 9 Jefferson and No. 12 Waterloo West both enjoy the luxury of having one of the top softball pitchers in the state.

It showed Wednesday night at Jefferson when J-Hawks junior ace Hannah Petersen and Waterloo West senior ace Jadyn Spencer hooked up in a classic pitchers' duel.

Petersen and the J-Hawks, literally, squeezed out a 3-1 victory at home.

The nightcap was rained out.

Jefferson (8-1, 5-0 Mississippi Valley Conference) scored all three of its runs in the fourth inning, laying down four consecutive bunts after a leadoff single by junior Rachel Sedlacek. Junior Kailey Drake had a bunt single before West committed an error on a sacrifice bunt by Petersen that scored Sedlacek and Drake. A sacrifice bunt by junior Kenna Fry moved courtesy runner Ashley Madsen to third and she scored on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Maddie Koolbeck.

Spencer, who has signed to play college ball at Alabama, dominated the J-Hawks through the first three innings, giving up no hits and striking out five. She finished with 10 strikeouts and allowed only two hits.

Petersen escaped a jam in the first inning when, with one out and West runners at first and third, she recorded a pair of strikeouts. After escaping the first, Petersen dominated the Wahawk lineup. She also spun a two-hitter, allowing an unearned run in the sixth inning.

The game was rescheduled from a rainout June 2.

Jefferson plays a doubleheader at Cedar Falls on Thursday. The J-Hawks host the Jefferson Classic on Friday and Saturday.

WATERLOO WEST (1)
Jadyn Spencer, P, 1 1 0 0, MacKenzie VanDenBerg, C, 2 0 0 0, Lindset Hansen, CF, 3 0 1 0, Brie Burkhart, LF, 3 0 1 1, Alex Dahlgaard, 3B, 3 0 0 0, Meghan Payne, 1B, 3 0 0 0, Carli Chilcote, DP, 3 0 0 0, Anna Doering, RF, 2 0 0 0, Haley Jones, SS, 3 0 0 0, Diana Lichty, 2B, 0 0 0 0. Totals 23 1 2 1.

JEFFERSON (3)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 3 1 1 0, Kailey Drake, CF, 2 1 1 0, Hannah Petersen, P, 2 0 0 1, Ashley Madsen, PR, 0 1 0 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 1 0 0 0, Maddie Koolbeck, DP, 1 0 0 1, Amber Grimm, RF, 2 0 0 0, Maddy Blietz, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 2 0 0 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 2 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 0 0 0 0. Totals 17 3 2 2.

Waterloo West 000 001 0 --  1 2 1
Jefferson         000 300 x --  3 2 1

Spencer and VanDanBerg. Petersen and Marquart. W – Petersen L – Spencer SB – Burkhart.

J-Hawks washed out at home in Classic

Jefferson's softball game in the Jefferson Classic against Southeast Polk was rained out Friday night.

The J-Hawks (8-1) play two games Saturday.They play Bondurant-Farrar at 3:45 p.m. and Davenport Assumption at 8:30 p.m.

Friday's scores

DM East 3, Solon 2 (8)
IC Regina 4, Maquoketa 0
Johnston 5, Bondurant-Farrar 2
WDM Dowling 5, Davenport Assumption 3
DM East 10, Davenport Assumption 0
Solon 12, Iowa City High 0
Bondurant-Farrar 6, Boone 5