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.