Hello, Ushers Ferry: Xavier slugs its way past Iowa City Liberty

CEDAR RAPIDS — Consider this a public service announcement for late-afternoon, early-evening traffic on Ushers Ferry Road.

If the lights are on at Bob Erusha Field and the Xavier Saints are up to bat, take heed.

“We’ve got a lot of people that are able to hit the ball hard,” Braylen Conlon said. “The growth we’ve had from last year to this year, it’s immense.”

Class 4A ninth-ranked Xavier clobbered four home runs — three in one inning — in the first game, and swept 5A No. 8 Iowa City Liberty in a Mississippi Valley Conference softball doubleheader Wednesday night, 12-2 and 4-3.

The Saints (3-0 overall, 2-0 MVC) collected 14 hits in a six-inning opener, then rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the nightcap.

“We’re seeing the ball well, up and down the lineup. It’s super-exciting,” Xavier Coach Nikki Gahring said.

In 66 plate appearances, the Saints struck out once all night. Yeah, that’s seeing the ball.

See the ball, hit the ball. And hit it hard.

Conlon had four hits Wednesday. So did Katie Pilcher. And so did Abby Driscoll, an eighth-grader in the 9-slot in the batting order.

Leading 3-2 heading into the fourth inning of Game 1, the Saints teed off.

The left-handed Conlon led off the inning with a bomb to right field that bounced off the Ushers Ferry pavement and rolled across the street and landed beneath an SUV.

It may have been 250 feet. It may have been farther.

“I can’t believe I hit it like that,” Conlon said.

Two batters later, Pilcher went deep beyond the left-field fence, then Claire Walter hit the protective netting on the scoreboard.

Carley Jonker led off the sixth with a first-pitch homer.

Liberty (0-2, 0-2) showed more resistance in the nightcap, taking a 3-0 first-inning lead on the strength of back-to-back homers by Mischa Reiners and Haley Schroeder.

Jonker’s two-run single in the bottom of the first got the Saints within 3-2, then Conlon’s double in the second knotted the game, 3-3.

It stayed that way until the fifth. Alaina Luerkens was hit by a pitch, then Pilcher doubled to put runners at second and third with no outs.

Jonker followed with a one-out sacrifice fly to shallow right field to plate Luerkens.

That put Elena Schmit in line to earn the pitching win; Conlon entered to notch the save.

“They were at the top of the order, and their top four or five kids are very powerful and very quick,” Gahring said. “We were able to change speed, and change going from righty to lefty.”

“I was definitely nervous,” Conlon said. “They have a good hitting team. I threw about 10 (warmup) pitches, but I threw the first game, so I felt pretty warm.”

Conlon retired the top of Liberty’s order, 1-2-3.

In eight innings of work Wednesday, Conlon allowed two hits, struck out 13 and walked none.

Xavier has scored 32 runs in its first three games, with five home runs (two by Pilcher).

“We expect to have good contact,” Gahring said. “We tell them to hit it on the nose, and the home runs will come.”

Cedar Rapids Xavier 12-4, Iowa City Liberty 2-3

At C.R. Xavier

Game 1

Iowa City Liberty 000 200 — 2 2 1

C.R. Xavier 210 324 — 12 14 0

Ellie Tague, Kaylee Parcell (4) and Mischa Reiners. Braylen Conlon and Katie Pilcher. W — Conlon (2-0). L — Tague (0-1). HR — ICL: Reiners (1), CRX: Braylen Conlon (1), Katie Pilcher (2), Claire Walter (1), Carley Jonker (1).

Game 2

Iowa City Liberty 300 000 0 — 3 7 2

C.R. Xavier 210 010 x — 4 8 0

Addyson McKillip and Delaney Ball. Elena Schmit, Braylen Conlon (7) and Katie Pilcher. W — Schmit (1-0). L — McKillip (0-1). SV — Conlon (1). HR — ICL: Mischa Reiners (2), Haley Schroeder (1).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com