Topanga Beauregard’s hero homer extends it, then Kennedy tops City in 11

IOWA CITY — A strike away from defeat, Topanga Beauregard didn’t view herself as a potential savior.

“I was just looking to get on base,” she said.

She did a lot more.

Beauregard extended the game with a seventh-inning home run, and Class 5A fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy ultimately outlasted No. 7 Iowa City High in the first game of a long, drawn-out Mississippi Valley Conference softball doubleheader, 4-3 in 11 innings.

“It felt pretty good coming off the bat,” Beauregard said. “(City pitcher Ella Cook) was giving us trouble with the curveball, but that was down the middle.”

City High scored seven runs (six unearned) in the first inning and won a five-inning nightcap, 11-0.

Kennedy (13-3, 12-2 MVC) trailed throughout regulation of the opener until Beauregard’s bomb, on a 1-2 count.

The Cougars took their first lead, 3-2, on Mya Dodge’s home run to lead off the top of the ninth. But Cook answered with a no-doubter in the bottom half of the inning.

And they played on.

Kennedy was retired in the top of the 10th inning, and with two outs in the bottom of the inning, lightning was spotted in the area, and though no rain fell, the game was delayed for 40 minutes.

Upon resumption, Ayana Lindsey reached third base on a walk and two steals, but was stranded.

And they played on.

Cook, who was marvelous before the weather interruption (she scattered six hits and struck out 21), was wild in the 11th. She walked four — all on 3-2 counts — and the last one, to Sidney Osborn, plated Keaton Gerber for the go-ahead run.

City High (9-5, 8-4) loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 11th, but a fielder’s choice at the plate and a strikeout ended it.

Kennedy’s Jayme Scheck (6-1) pitched a four-hitter, fanning seven and walking two (not including a pair of intentional passes).

City jumped to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Lindsey walked, stole second and scored when Lianna Hull’s sacrifice bunt was thrown into right field.

Hull scored on Cook’s sacrifice fly.

Kennedy got within 2-1 in the fourth. Dodge walked, stole second and scampered home on Scheck’s single to right.

City High feasted on six Kennedy errors in Game 2. Mia McDonald had a two-run single in the first inning, Makayla Ribble added a two-run double in the second and Lindsey pitched a one-hitter.

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 4-0, IOWA CITY HIGH 3-11 (1st, 11; 2nd, 5)

At Iowa City High

Game 1

C.R. Kennedy 000 100 101 01 — 4 6 2

Iowa City High 200 000 001 00 — 3 4 1

Jayme Scheck and Addy Alber. Ella Cook and Carey Koenig. W — Scheck (6-1). L — Cook (4-1). HR — CRK: Topanga Beauregard (3), Mya Dodge (3). ICH — Cook (2).

Game 2

C.R. Kennedy 000 00 — 0 1 6

Iowa City High 722 0x — 11 9 0

Riana Ortega, Ella Brown (2) and Lilea Prahm. Ayana Lindsey and Carey Koenig, Sydney McCleary (3). W — Lindsey (3-2). L — Ortega (2-1).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com