West grabs a competitive sweep

CEDAR RAPIDS - Jessie Harder escaped a jam, then fueled a rally.

The result was an Iowa City West sweep.

Harder's RBI single in the top of the ninth inning broke a 1-all tie, and West went on to win the second game of Wednesday's Mississippi Valley Conference softball double-header, 4-1, at Bob Erusha Field.

The Women of Troy held on in the opener, 4-3.

'Xavier's a really, really good team, and getting two wins here is huge,” Harder said. 'Coach (Justin Lutjen) talks about being mentally tough, and I think we were.”

The twinbill was a makeup from Tuesday's rained-out event, and the Women of Troy (2-0 overall, 2-0 MVC) host Cedar Rapids Prairie on Thursday.

'It's one of the toughest weeks of the season, right off the bat,” Lutjen said. 'We've got to bounce back quick.”

With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth and the Saints (0-2, 0-2) threatening to earn a split, Harder got out of a two-on, one-out pickle with a pair of strikeouts.

'I just needed to focus and take one pitch at a time,” said Harder, who scattered four hits and fanned seven.

Madi Miller and Adara Opiola got the winning rally going with a walk and a single with one out. Another single, by Taylor Libby, loaded the bags and gave Harder the clutch opportunity.

She poked the go-ahead single, then Layne Whitehead added a two-run hit for a 4-1 advantage.

'I just wanted a base hit. I didn't try to do too much,” Harder said.

The Women of Troy led the opener 3-0, (back-to-back RBI doubles by Harder and Grace Tafolla) and 4-1 (a towering home run by Opiola), before Xavier made a late charge.

Hannah Helms' two-run single made it 4-3, and the Saints had two on for top hitter Erin Drahozal. But Whitehead kept the ball away, Drahozal grounded out, and West escaped.

'They were two battle games; I knew they would be,” said Xavier Coach Nikki Gahring. 'Take away a couple mental mistakes, and if we get a key hit here or there, and it could have been flipped around.

'West has good pitching, good hitters and can play defense. They've got all three angles to be successful.”

Helms' solo home run in the fifth inning tied the nightcap, 1-1. Drahozal homered in the opener.

The Saints host Dubuque Hempstead on Thursday.

IOWA CITY WEST 4-4, C.R. XAVIER 3-1 (2nd,9)

At Bob Erusha Field

Game 1

Iowa City West 000 310 0 - 4 10 0

C.R. Xavier 000 100 2 - 3 9 1

Laynie Whitehead and Taylor Libby. Erin Drahozal and Steph Wehr. W - Whitehead (1-0). L - Drahozal (0-1). HR - ICW: Adara Opiola (1), CRX: Drahozal (1).

Game 2

Iowa City West 000 100 003 - 4 7 2

C.R. Xavier 000 010 000 - 1 4 2

Jessica Harder and Taylor Libby. Kylie Oldridge and Steph Wehr. W - Harder (1-0). L - Oldridge (0-1). HR - CRX: Hannah Helms (1).

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com