Kennedy hands Jefferson its first MVC loss

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Jefferson J-Hawks have been dominant in Mississippi Valley Conference softball play.

But no longer perfect.

Class 5A seventh-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy put the first blemish on what had been an MVC masterpiece Thursday, routing the No. 4 J-Hawks, 12-2, in a five-inning doubleheader nightcap at Kennedy High School.

'That feels really good,' Kennedy's Ashley Hamilton said. 'Especially after the first game, and especially on Senior Night.'

Jefferson won the opener, 3-0, as Erica Oler scattered four hits, but the J-Hawks' 15-game winning streak ended in decisive fashion.

'Like I told the kids, we just need to flush that one,' Jefferson Coach Brian Erbe said. 'We usually do a good job of that.

'I take a lot of responsibility for the second game. We were undisciplined and unfocused, and that's on me. But give Kennedy credit; that's a very good team.'

The J-Hawks (32-4 overall, 23-1 MVC) have been in control of the Mississippi Division ever since the season began. The Valley Division race, on the other hand, won't be determined until the final day of the regular season.

Kennedy (28-6, 18-6) is in a first-place stalemate with Cedar Rapids Prairie, and both have two games to play. The Hawks host Dubuque Hempstead in a twinbill Friday; Kennedy is at Waterloo East on Monday.

The first game was scoreless through three innings, then the J-Hawks got single tallies in the fourth, fifth and seventh. Lindsey Culver scored the first run on a double-steal, then Kaylee Donner singled home a run and Hannah Markham squeezed in another.

Game 2 was all Kennedy.

'Coach (Maddison LeClere) talked to us after the first game. We were kind of beating ourselves,' Hamilton said. 'The second game, we started swinging the bats right away.'

Kennedy accumulated 15 hits in Game 2, scoring twice in each of the first three innings, then three times in the fourth and fifth to cut the night short.

Hamilton, Ashley Winterowd and Kaylin Kinney rapped three hits apiece. Kinney drove in four runs, including her 13th home run of the season. Megan Weber followed with a solo shot.

Liv Erickson went deep for Jefferson, extending the J-Hawks' state record for homers in a season to 60.

CEDAR RAPIDS JEFFERSON 3-2, CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 0-12 (2nd, 5)

At C.R. Kennedy

Game 1

C.R. Jefferson 000 110 1 — 3 5 0

C.R. Kennedy 000 000 0 — 0 4 2

Erica Oler and Hannah Markham. Kaylin Kinney and Megan Weber. W — Oler (15-3). L — Kinney (8-3).

Game 2

C.R. Jefferson 000 11 — 2 5 3

C.R. Kennedy 222 33 — 12 15 0

Emily Oler and Hannah Markham. Jayme Scheck and Megan Weber. W — Scheck (7-2). L — Oler (16-1). HR — CRJ: Liv Erickson (6); CRK: Kaylin Kinney (13), Megan Weber (8).

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