Xavier earns split with No. 3 West

CEDAR RAPIDS -- They earned a split, and they did so happily.

Eighth-grader Erin Drahozal repeatedly sidestepped trouble, scattering seven hits as Class 4A 12th-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier salvaged the second game of a Mississippi Valley Conference softball double-header with Iowa City West, 3-0, Tuesday night at Bob Erusha Field.

West won the opener, 6-3.

"You always hope you can get two (wins), but we're very happy to get the second one tonight," said Xavier's Kristen Winter, who clubbed a two-run home run in the first inning of the nightcap. "West is a very, very good team."

These teams are two of three giants in the MVC Valley Division -- along with Cedar Rapids Jefferson -- and Tuesday's festivities didn't settle much.

"We had a lot of opportunities, and we hit the ball well," said West Coach Jeff Kelley, whose team rapped 19 hits in the twinbill. "We had some nice individual performances, but as a team, we didn't play very well."

The Women of Troy (3-1 overall, 1-1 MVC) jumped to a 5-1 lead through 3 1/2 innings in the opener, and Tatum Klein was a part of three scoring rallies. She doubled, then singled twice for two runs and an RBI.

Xavier (4-1, 1-1) chipped away and had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh before West reliever Mackenzie Laux struck out Jenna Schulte to end it.

The Saints didn't win the opener, but they realized they could compete.

"We knew we could score some runs. We knew then that we weren't totally the underdog," Winter said.

Kelsey Kuba-Tresnak hit a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning of Game 2, then Winter followed with a two-run shot.

That was enough for Drahozal, who stranded nine West baserunners.

"She's not one of those kids who has pitched for five years," said Xavier Coach Brian Erbe. "She's excited to go out and try to win.

"She's going to be a good one."

Xavier earned the split despite striking out 24 times -- 13 in the opener, 11 in the nightcap.

Alise Miller collected three hits in Game 1 for West.

AT CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER

Game 1

Iowa City West              211 100 1 -- 6  12  2

Cedar Rapids Xavier   010 110 0 -- 3   7  4

Mackenzie Haight (W), Mackenzie Laux (5, SV) and Michaela Recker. Jaycee Wiebold (L) and Emily Walton. HR -- CRX: Walton.

Game 2

Iowa City West              000 000 0 -- 0  7  0

Cedar Rapids Xavier   300 000 x -- 3  5  1

Shelly Stumpff (L) and Lauren Larson. Erin Drahozal (W) and Emily Walton. HR -- CRX: Kelsey Kuba-Tresnak. Kristen Winter.