FORT DODGE - They don't keep any records at the state softball tournament for how many runners you leave on base in the first four innings of a ballgame.

Likewise, they don't keep records for how many times you fail to execute a sacrifice bunt.

If they did, the Jefferson J-Hawks might have their name all over the record book for missed opportunities on a big stage.

Jefferson left a whopping 10 runners on base in the first four innings and  never scored in a 2-0 loss to No. 3 Southeast Polk Tuesday in the opening round of the Class 5A state tournament at the Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge.

The sixth-ranked J-Hawks (34-7) will face No. 7 Pleasant Valley (30-9) in a consolation game Wednesday at 10 a.m. in hopes of battling back for fifth place.

Southeast Polk (29-9) will face Dowling Catholic (29-8) in the semifinals Thursday. Johnston (35-3) and West Des Moines Valley (27-12) will meet in the other semifinal Thursday with four clubs from the CIML vying for the title.

This will be the 12th straight year a CIML team will win the large-school title at the state tournament.

Jefferson left the bases loaded in the first inning, stranded two runners  in the second inning, left the sacks loaded again in the third inning and stranded two more runners in the fourth against Southeast Polk ace Hannah Parker, a Western Kentucky recruit.

"You can't do that at the state tournament, no matter who you're playing," said Jefferson Coach Brian Erbe. "Unfortunately, that has been a bailiwick the last two weeks. We stranded a lot of runners and have not taken advantage of putting people in scoring position.

"Besides stranding the runners, we didn't execute," he added. "We didn't get a couple of bunts down ... or three or four bunts down."

The J-Hawks popped two sacrifice bunts into the air in the third inning for easy outs and did it again in the fourth inning for another easy out. They were costly mistakes, because the J-Hawks followed the muffed bunts with base hits that might have been RBIs if there had been a runner in scoring position.

Parker, a smart pitcher, fed the J-Hawks a steady diet of chest-high fastballs when she knew they were bunting, making it hard for the Jefferson batters to get the ball on the ground.

Erbe wished his players had taken those pitches and waited for a better pitch to bunt.

"You're at the state tournament, you're nervous, your coach asks you to do something, to execute," he said, reflecting. "It's part of the game. It's part of being a high school kid."

Despite all those missed opportunities, the game was still scoreless heading into the sixth inning as Jefferson junior Alyssa Olson matched Parker zero-for-zero. The Rams finally broke through with single tallies in the sixth and seventh innings.

Meanwhile, the J-Hawks got awfully quiet on offense in the last three innings with only one base-runner on a walk.

Southeast Polk collected 11 hits, but Olson held their high-powered offense to just two runs with some clutch pitches and seven strikeouts.

"Giving up two runs against a team like that is a great accomplishment," said Olson. "We just need to get our bats going a little earlier."

Olson does not hit for the J-Hawks, so she had to sit there and watch her teammates clog the bases but never reach home.

"It's rough," she said. "We just need to execute a little better and not take as many pitches and jump on it right away."

Parker, a left-hander, finished with a seven-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts.

"She's a great pitcher," said Erbe. "It's unfortunate that somebody has to lose a very good ballgame.

"Had we gotten on top early, you never know."

Olson pitched a complete game despite playing with a sore right shoulder.

"What a tough young lady," said Erbe. "She worked herself out of numerous jams. It's unfortunate that we couldn't score any runs for her."

There was a certain "deja vu" quality to the ballgame. Jefferson was shut out by Ottumwa by the same score, 2-0, in the first round of the 2013 state tournament.

The J-Hawks rallied last year to win both of their games in the consolation bracket to finish fifth out of eight teams. That's the task again this year.

"This now is one of the hardest coaching jobs a person has to do," said Erbe. "Sure we get a chance to play two more games. But nobody really wants to play in the loser's bracket or the consolation bracket. Nobody wants to be tagged with that.

"But we get a chance, like last year, to finish up on a two-game winning streak and build on something going into the fall and winter and next year.

"We'll come back," vowed Erbe. "The kids will be ready. They're down now and sad and disappointed, but we'll get them ready to go tomorrow."

Olson (17-6) wants the ball again, despite her sore wing.

"Right now I'm aiming to come back tomorrow," she said. "I don't know what Coach's plan is, but I'll throw if he lets me."

Alissa Good (15-1) also had a strong year for the J-Hawks and will be ready to pitch if needed.

Southeast Polk   000 001 1 - 2 11 1
Jefferson        000 000 0 - 0 7 2

W - Parker (18-3). L - Olson (17-6).