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.