Ashley Hamilton's two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning rallied Kennedy from a one-run deficit and sent the Cougars past Waterloo East, 5-4, and to a split of their Mississippi Valley Conference softball doubleheader Monday night at Kennedy.

East (18-18, 11-13) won the opener, 9-8. Kennedy (13-24, 8-18) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying and winning runs at second and third base when Erin Coker flied out to end the game.

Hamilton had four hits and drove in six runs in the doubleheader. Teammates Tianna Drahn and Taylor Sohn had five and four hits, respectively.

Hamilton's fourth-inning single in the nightcap scored Sohn and Drahn, who had singled.

Sohn was the winning pitcher in the nightcap.

Kennedy held a 5-3 lead after two innings in the opener. Hamilton had a bases-clearing double in the Cougars' three-run second inning.

Katelyn Kinnetz slugged a pair of home runs and drove in three runs for East in the opener. The Trojans had 15 hits, Kennedy 14.

Kennedy opens regional tournament play Thursday at Iowa City West at 7 p.m.

Waterloo East hosts Dubuque Senior in a doubleheader Tuesday night before starting tournament play Thursday at home against Waterloo West.

GAME 1

WATERLOO EAST (9): Kinnetz, 5 3 3 3, Henry, 5 1 2 1, Kubik, 4 0 3 1, Wroe, 5 1 2 0, Thompson, 2 0 0 0, Loftus, 4 0 0 0, Nichols, 4 1 2 1, Ryan, 4 1 1 1, Love, 3 1 2 1, Gilson, 0 1 0 0. Totals 36 9 15 8.

KENNEDY (8): Drahn, 4 2 3 0, Kubovec, 3 2 1 0, Hamilton, 5 2 3 4, Rathjens, 4 0 2 1, McKinnon, 3 0 1 2, Coker, 3 0 0 1, Harberts, 4 0 0 0, Steinke, 4 1 2 0, Sohn, 4 1 2 0. Totals 34 8 14 8.

Waterloo East  031 120 2 - 9 15 1
Kennedy         230 000 3 - 8 14 1

W-Frost. L-Crist. 2B-Nichols 2, Ryan, Hamilton, Rathjens. 3B-Henry. HR-Kinnetz 2. SB-Kinnetz 2, Henry, Gilson, McKinnon.

GAME 2

WATERLOO EAST (4): Kinnetz 4 1 1 0, Henry, 4 2 2 0, Kubik, 4 0 1 0, Wroe, 4 0 2 1, Thompson, 4 0 0 0, Loftus, 4 1 1 0, Nichols, 2 0 0 0, Ryan, 3 0 2 0, Hubert, 2 0 2 1. Totals 31 4 11 2.

KENNEDY (5): Drahn, 2 1 2 0, Kubovec, 3 0 1 0, Hamilton, 3 1 1 2, Rathjens, 2 0 0 0, McKinnon, 4 1 1 0, Coker, 2 0 0 1, Hargens, 0 1 0 0, Harberts, 2 0 1 2, Steinke, 3 0 0 0, Sohn, 3 1 2 0. Totals 24 5 8 5.

Waterloo East  201 100 0 - 4 11 0
Kennedy         201 200 0 - 5  8 1

W-Sohn. L-Ryan. 2B-Henry, Wroe, Kubovec, Harberts. SB-Kinnetz, Rathjens, McKinnon.