Moore, Ottumwa blank J-Hawks

FORT DODGE -- Home. Road. And now, neutral.Third-ranked Ottumwa completed a triumph trifecta against No. 10 Cedar Rapids Jefferson, getting a four-hit shutout from Mandi Moore in a 2-0 Class 5A quarterfinal victory at the state softball tournament Tuesday night at the Rogers Sports Complex."We were what we were up against. We knew it was a tough draw," said Jefferson Coach Brian Erbe.As she had in a 13-inning game at Jefferson earlier this season, Moore (20-5) outdueled J-Hawks sophomore Alyssa Olson. The difference -- the Bulldogs were able to string together some hits in the third inning.Ottumwa (37-6) advances into an all-CIML semifinal round; the Bulldogs face No. 5 Johnston (31-11) at 7:30 Thursday night. The surging Dragons whipped West Des Moines Valley, 10-0, Tuesday.The Bulldogs defeated the J-Hawks (31-12) at Jefferson (4-2 in 13, June 28), then at Ottumwa (10-5, July 5). In the biggest one of all, they did it again behind Moore."She's a good pitcher," said Jefferson leadoff hitter Dani Stromert. "We face a lot of good pitching, and she was a good one."The J-Hawks move into Wednesday's consolation bracket. They'll face Valley at noon, then take on Cedar Rapids Prairie or Dubuque Senior for fifth or seventh place at 4 p.m."That will give us a little fire," Stromert said. "We want to get that '5' spot."Stromert had two of the J-Hawks' four hits; Maddie Hansen had the other two.The trouble with Hansen's hits, they both came with nobody on base. Hansen entered the game with 67 RBIs."I always want somebody on base when I'm hitting," she said. "I love to hit people in."Hansen opened the bottom of the seventh with a drive to the right-field fence for a long, loud single. But Maddie Koolbeck grounded into a double play, Erin Kuba popped out, and that was it.Moore struck out six and didn't walk a batter. Olson (19-4) fanned seven and walked one. She allowed seven hits, but four of them came in the Bulldogs' second-inning scoring rally.Kassie Henderson led off with a single, then a double by Katie Sammons and a single by Alexis Winn drove in the two Ottumwa runs.Jefferson's biggest threat came in the bottom of the second, when the game was still scoreless. Hansen singled, then courtesy runner Savannah Fowler stole second and moved to third on a passed ball.But that's all the further she got, and the J-Hawks didn't get that close again."We tried to make adjustments," Erbe said. "But we didn't hit it hard enough, often enough." 

Mandi Moore and Beth Overturf. Alyssa Olson and Maddie Hansen. W -- Moore (20-5). L -- Olson (19-4).

5A State Quarterfinal

R

H

E

Ottumwa

0 0 2

0 0 0

--

2

7

Cedar Rapids Jefferson

0 0 0

0 0 0

--

4

1