Liberty sweeps Jefferson, finishes a game back in the MVC Mississippi Division race

NORTH LIBERTY — There will be no banner. But the Iowa City Liberty softball team can take satisfaction in this:

The Lightning took the MVC Mississippi Division softball race to the last night, the final game of the season.

Ava Tague singled home Mischa Reiners for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Class 5A 11th-ranked Liberty completed a Mississippi Valley Conference sweep of Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 5-3 and 1-0, Thursday night at Liberty High School.

“I love a night like this,” Bolts Coach Hannah Cole said. “Our pitchers settled in and trusted their defense, and the defense proved to the pitchers that they could be trusted.”

Liberty (20-11 overall, 14-6 MVC) entered Thursday in divisional title contention. The Lightning did their part, but Dubuque Wahlert’s sweep of Cedar Falls meant that the Golden Eagles (20-8, 15-5) finished a game ahead of Liberty and Cedar Rapids Xavier (25-10, 14-6).

The Lightning came through late in both games. In the opener, they scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning to snap a 2-2 deadlock.

Kennedy Conner’s single opened the rally, then Kenna Jenn walked and Kinley Jones reached on an error.

Kelsey Kaut singled home the go-ahead run, then Haley Schroeder and Reiners added sacrifice-fly RBIs to make it 5-2.

The nightcap was scoreless until Liberty capitalized on a Jefferson miscue.

Reiners led off with a sharp single to left, and wheeled all the way to third on an errant throw.

“I was just trying to get on base,” she said. “When the other team makes a mistake, you’ve got to capitalize.”

Tague did it, on an 0-2 count.

Jefferson (19-15, 10-9) collected 12 hits in the first game, four in the second. The 16 hits all were singles, and Liberty pitchers Ellie Tague (9-3) and Kaelyn Rickels (4-0) combined for no walks, and the Bolts were errorless in the two games.

“A couple of times, they got to 3-0 and 3-1 counts, but were able to work their way out of it,” Cole said.

It was Senior Night at Liberty, with the spotlight falling on veterans like Reiners, Haley Schroeder and Brynlee Slockett, who have been key for multiple years.

“They’ve been a huge part of the program,” Cole said. “They’re leaders — true, honest leaders. They do drills, they run our youth camp ... they’re going to be truly missed.”

Speaking of which, Liberty also honored athletics director Mike Morrison, who was overseeing his final home event Thursday, and former principal Scott Kibby.

Morrison doubled in the 2022 and 2023 summers as softball coach.

Iowa City Liberty 5-1, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 3-0

At North Liberty

Game 1

C.R. Jefferson 011 000 1 — 3 12 1

Iowa City Liberty 200 030 x — 5 6 0

Olivia Young and Mackenzie McWhorter. Ellie Tague and Mischa Reiners. W — Tague (9-3). L — Young (9-8).

Game 2

C.R. Jefferson 000 000 0 — 0 4 2

Iowa City Liberty 000 001 x — 1 3 0

Morgan Hewitt and Mackenzie McWhorter. Kaelyn Rickels and Delaney Ball. W — Rickels (4-0). L — Hewitt (9-6).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com