Topanga Beauregard’s grand slam lifts Kennedy in 5A regional softball opener

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jump ropes, in the softball world, aren’t used exclusively for cardio workouts.

Apparently, they make nice riseball detectors, too.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy jumped on Cedar Falls pitcher Cyrah Rasmussen for 11 hits, including a game-flipping grand slam by Topanga Beauregard, and held off the Tigers, 7-6, in a Class 5A softball regional quarterfinal Thursday night at Kennedy High School.

“I like the way she pitches,” Beauregard said. “I struggled with her in the regular season, but it was nice to snap out of it tonight.”

Beauregard’s third-inning slam put the Cougars (24-15) in front, 5-2. They extended the lead to 7-2 in the fourth, then held on after three sixth-inning errors made it close.

“I always say that the first postseason game is the toughest game of the year,” Kennedy Coach Maddison LeClere said. “We’ve got some young kids in our lineup. Hopefully we got all the jitters out tonight.”

The Cougars advance to play No. 11 Ankeny (26-12) on the road in a regional semifinal at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Now, about those jump ropes ...

“We tie two of them together, and tie them on the sides of the (batting) cage,” Beauregard said. “If the ball is below the ropes, you swing at it. If it’s above, you lay off.”

Addy Alber said, “It’s really helpful in recognizing the riseball. And tonight, we took advantage of some missed pitches.”

Cedar Falls (22-14) jumped to a 2-0 lead when No. 9 hitter Izzy Walker hit her first home run of the season, but the Cougars answered in the third.

Alexis Wheatley led off with a single. Ainsley Rulli followed with a walk and Alber got the Cougars on the board with a double.

One out after Keaton Gerber’s walk loaded the bases, Beauregard emptied them with a blast to left field on a 2-1 count.

“I was really just looking to get on base,” Beauregard said. “It was middle-in and kind of lowish.”

“(Beauregard’s slam) got me hyped,” Alber said. “I love everything about her. We’ve been playing softball together forever. We grew up trying to beat each other with home runs.”

RBI hits by Alber and Gerber extended the lead to 7-2 in the fourth, but the Cougars left the bases loaded with an opportunity to put it away.

Cedar Falls tallied four unearned runs in the sixth to tighten it. Sydney Barnett had a two-run double after back-to-back errors ignited the inning.

But eighth-grade pitcher Lily Knutson put out the flame in the seventh, putting down the Tigers in order, finishing with back-to-back strikeouts.

Knutson (15-5) allowed six hits and four walks, fanning six.

Alber, Beauregard, Ella Brown and Wheatley each had two hits for the Cougars.

So now it’s Ankeny, which — LeClere said — thrives on the short game offensively.

“Slapper, slapper, slapper, slapper, slapper,” she said. “We’ll work on that in practice (Friday).”

Cedar Rapids Kennedy 7, Cedar Falls 6

Class 5A Regional Quarterfinal, at C.R. Kennedy

Cedar Falls 020 004 0 — 6 6 1

C.R. Kennedy 005 200 x — 7 11 4

Cyrah Rasmussen and Sophie Stanic. Lily Knutson and Addy Alber. W — Knutson (15-5). L — Rasmussen (16-6). HR — CF: Izzy Walker (1), CRK: Topanga Beauregard (5).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com