The ball was flying off the bats of Jefferson hitters Thursday night in a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Kennedy. The No. 6 J-Hawks had 17 hits in each game and a combined four home runs to power their way to a pair of wins.

“They fly out of here,” Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer said. “It is a short field.”

The J-Hawks (23-4, 16-1) took the opener 17-0 in five innings and followed that up with a 12-1 win in five in the nightcap. The doubleheader was the fourth in as many nights for the J-Hawks, who won seven of the eight games, and have won 10 of their last 11. Kennedy (4-21, 2-16) has lost 14 straight games.

In the opener the J-Hawks exploded for 11 runs in the fifth inning to take complete control of the Cougars. Jefferson junior ace Hannah Petersen (12-3) also tossed a three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts.

“I got confidence (pitching),” Petersen said. “I have a good defense behind me which makes it easy to relax.”

Run support also helps.

The J-Hawks got on the board in the first inning when junior Kenna Fry singled in courtesy runner Ashley Madsen, who was running for Petersen after she had singled.

Jefferson added one run in the second on a RBI single by sophomore Kaitlyn Davidson and four more in the third, which was highlighted by two-run blast from sophomore Amber Grimm.

The J-Hawks hammered out 11 runs on 10 hits in the fifth inning to put the game away. Jefferson sent 16 batters to the plate in the inning, and eight collected at least one hit. Junior Rachel Sedlacek and Petersen had two hits apiece in the frame and both had two-run doubles.

Jefferson senior Katie Naber (8-1) matched Petersen's three-hitter with one of her own in the nightcap.

Jefferson again scored early and often to end the game in five innings by the 10-run rule.

After singles from Sedlacek and junior Kailey Drake, Fry hit a three-run home run to right center to put the J-Hawks ahead in the first inning.

The J-Hawks added four more runs and two home runs in the second inning to push their lead to 7-0. Sedlacek hit a two-run home run, her ninth round-tripper, and Drake followed with a solo shot of her own.

The J-Hawks continued to pound the ball in the third inning, adding three more runs on four hits.

Jefferson added another pair of runs in the fifth inning for good measure before the Cougars got their only run of the night on a solo blast from senior Kassi Nunnikhoven.

Sedlacek was 5-for-8 with four RBIs in the twinbill. Petersen also was 5-for-8.

Jefferson will play Creston and Mount Vernon on Saturday at a classic they will host.

Kennedy plays Friday and Saturday at the Clear Creek Amana tournament.

GAME 1

JEFFERSON (17)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 4 2 2 2, Kailey Drake, CF, 5 1 1 1, Hannah Petersen. P, 5 0 3 2, Ashley Madsen, cr, 0 3 0 0, Alissa Good, P, 0 0 0 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 5 1 2 2, Dani Stromert, 1B, 0 0 0 0, Hannah McInerney, 3B, 4 1 2 1, Amber Grimm, RF, 4 2 1 2, Maddie Koolbeck, DP, 2 4 2 0, Carson Burgart, SS, 4 2 2 2, Katelyn Holub, SS, 0 0 0 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 2 1 2 3, Hannah Towns, 2B, 0 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 0 0 0 0. Totals 35 17 17 15.

KENNEDY (0)
Lauren Kubovec, C, 2 0 1 0, Madeline Flesner, 2B, 2 0 1 0, Erin Coker, 1B, 2 0 0 0, Heather Mckinnon, LF, 2 0 0 0, Amanda Gaffey, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Tanner Rathjens, RF, 2 0 1 0, Kassi Nunnikhoven, P, 2 0 0 0, Alycia McQuiston, CF, 2 0 0 0, Taylor Wagner, SS, 2 0 0 0. Totals 18 0 3 0.

Jefferson  114 0(11) -  17  17  0
Kennedy   000 00    -    0    3  5
Petersen, Good and Marquart. Nunnikhoven and Kubovec. W – Petersen. L – Nunnikhoven. 2B – Sedlacek, Petersen, Burgart, Davidson. HR – Grimm.

GAME 2

JEFFERSON (12)
Rachel Sedlacek, LF, 4 3 3 2, Kailey Drake, CF, 3 2 2 1, Amber Grimm, RF, 1 1 1 0, Hannah Petersen, RF, 3 1 2 1, Ashley Madsen, CF, 1 2 1 0, Kenna Fry, 1B, 3 1 2 4, Dani Stromert, 1B, 0 0 0 1, Maddie Hanson, DP, 4 0 2 2, Carson Burgart, SS, 3 0 1 0, Katelyn Holub, SS, 1 2 0 0, Kaitlyn Davidson, 2B, 3 0 2 0, Maddy Blietz, 3B, 3 0 0 0, Nicole Marquart, C, 3 0 2 0, Katie Naber, P, 0 0 0 0. Totals 31 12 17 11.

KENNEDY (1)
Lauren Kubovec, C, 1 0 0 0, Madeline Flesner, SS, 2 0 0 0, Erin Coker, 1B, 2 0 1 0, Heather Mckinnon, LF, 2 0 1 0, Amanda Gaffey, 3B, 2 0 0 0, Taylor Steffans, DP, 2 0 0 0, Kassi Nunnikhoven, CF, 2 1 1 1, Tanner Rathjens, RF, 2 0 0 0, Taylor Wagner, 2B, 0 0 0 0, Callie Sauer, 2B, 1 0 0 0, Ashley Geels, PH, 1 0 0 0, Taylor Sohn, P, 0 0 0 0. Totals 17 1 3 1.

Jefferson  343 02  -  12  17  0
Kennedy   000 01 -   1     3  1
Naber and Marquart. Sohn and Kubovec. W – Naber. L – Sohn. 2B – Petersen, Fry, Hanson. HR – Sedlacek, Fry, Drake. SB - Sedlacek.