Kristen Winter has been an outstanding softball player and a top-notch leader for a long time at Xavier High School and Kirkwood Community College.

Now she's even better, thanks partly to her work as an assistant coach at Xavier last summer.

"You just know the game better," she said Saturday after helping No.6 Kirkwood crush Iowa Lakes in a doubleheader. "You know what to look for in an at-bat, you know what pitches they're going to throw you more. Knowing how to run the bases was a big one for me.

"It gives you a little more confidence, to be honest," she said. "I've been playing the game forever and I love it, but you feel more in control of the game."

Winter, a sophomore second baseman, went 5-for-7 in the doubleheader with a double, home run, three runs scored and six RBIs as the Eagles (34-3, 14-0) swept the Lakers, 21-5 and 13-2.

Both games lasted only five innings due to the mercy rule.

Winter is hitting .449 this season with eight homers and 40 RBIs. Last year, she hit .417 for the Eagles with five homers and 28 RBIs and was named first team all-Region.

Winter was the head frosh/soph coach for the Xavier softball team in 2012 and also worked with the varsity. She plans to fill the same roles this year.

She is a more vocal leader this year for Kirkwood, which has won 27 straight games.

"I think the best thing for her was that she coached last year, just because now she 'gets' it from a coach's perspective," said KCC Coach Joe Yegge. "She sees things in the right way.

"I wish every one of our girls would coach in the summer. It's made her a better leader, I know that. Her leadership has gotten better because of the coaching."

Winter had a fine career as a student/athlete at Xavier where she was all-state in softball, a member of the National Honor Society and vice president of the student body. She's made the Dean's List at Kirkwood and plans to continue her softball career at Luther College, where she'll work toward becoming an elementary school teacher and coach.

Yegge described Winter as the captain of the infield at Kirkwood.

"She's always talking, she's always controlling traffic," he said. "She's kind of our general on the field. She's kind of a player/coach.

"As vocal as she is, she makes a world of difference on the infield."

Winter said she considers herself a leader on the club. "But I definitely don't try to overstep my boundaries in any way, shape or form," she said. "I kind of help everybody out."

Winter went 3-for-4, scored three runs and socked a three-run homer in the first game Saturday. Kayla Tatge, who leads all NJCAA Division II players in home runs, hit her 20th homer in the opener and went 3-for-4 with four runs.

Haylee Krack belted her 13th home run, a grand-slam in the second inning, and drove in five runs. Krysta Tutsch went 3-for-3 and drove in four runs. Lauren Smith went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs.

Amber Logemann (14-3, 0.60 ERA) pitched three innings, struck out six batters and did not allow a hit to get the victory in Game 1.

Leah Duffe, Kelsie Campbell, Winter and Tatge all had two hits in the nightcap. Winter and Tatge drove in three runs apiece. Duffe scored four runs. Shelby Crist had two RBIs.

Sam Belz (12-0, 0.69) was touched for two unearned runs and got the victory.

Kirkwood was the visiting team Saturday because the games were supposed to have been played at Iowa Lakes. The games were moved due to wet grounds in Estherville.

The Eagles are scheduled to play a doubleheader at NIACC Sunday afternoon.

GAME 1

KIRKWOOD (21): Duffe, ss, 4 2 1 3, Winter, 2b, 4 3 3 3, Listenbee, pr, 1 1 1 1, Tatge, rf, 4 4 3 2, Krack, 3b, 4 2 3 5, Boehm, pr, 0 0 0 0, McInerney, 3b, 0 1 0 0, Smith dp, 3 1 3 3, Belz, pr, 1 1 1 0, Tutsch, c, 3 1 3 4, Sales, lf, 4 1 1 1, Campbell, 1b, 3 0 1 0, Weber, ph/1b, 0 1 0 0, Crist, cf, 3 3 2 0, Compton, ph, 2 0 0 0, Logemann, p, 0 0 0 0, Saladino, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 36 21 22 21.

IOWA LAKES (5): Zollner, 3b, 3 1 1 0, Larson, ss, 3 1 2 0, Holmgren, 1b, 2 0 1 1, Frausto, p, 3 0 1 1, Vlasman, dp, 3 1 1 0, Abrahamson, rf, 2 1 1 0, Hinners, lf, 2 1 1 1, Tendal, c, 2 0 0 0,  Gudvangen, 2 0 0 1, Derflinger, cf, 0 0 0 0. Totals 22 5 8 4.

Kirkwood      144 57 - 21 22 1
Iowa Lakes   000 05 -  5   8 1

Logemann, Saladino (4) and Tutsch. Frausto and Tendal. W - Logemann (14-3). L - Frausto. 2B - Larson, Abrahamson, Duffe, Krack, Tutsch, Sales. 3B - Crist. HR - Winter, Tatge, Krack. SB - Crist 2.

GAME 2

KIRKWOOD (13): Duffe, ss, 3 4 2 1, Winter, 2b, 3 0 2 3, Tatge, rf, 4 0 2 3, Krack, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Saladino, dp, 3 1 0 0, Boehm, ph, 1 0 0 0, Tutsch, c, 4 2 1 0, Sales, lf, 4 1 1 0, Campbell, 1b, 3 3 2 1, Weber, 1b, 0 0 0 0, Crist, cf, 2 1 1 2, McInerney, ph, 1 1 1 1, Belz, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 31 13 12 11.

IOWA LAKES (2): Zollner, sb, 3 0 0 0, Larson, lf, 2 0 0 0, Hunt, ph, 1 0 0 0, Holmgren, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Frausto, dp, 1 0 0 0, Abrahamson, rf, 2 1 1 0, Hinners, cf, 2 1 1 0, Tendal, c, 2 0 0 0, Vlasman, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Gudvangen, ss, 2 0 1 0, Derflinger, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 19 2 3 0.

Kirkwood       125 50 - 13 12 2
Iowa Lakes    000 20 -  2  3  4

Belz and Tutsch. Derflinger and Tendal. W - Belz (12-0). L - Derflinger. 2B - Hinners, Winter, Tatge.