Niemeyer is one win away from 2,000

Larry Niemeyer pushed his career victory total to 1,999 when Class 4A eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids Jefferson swept Cedar Rapids Washington, 13-1 and 6-0, in a Mississippi Valley Conference softball double-header Thursday night at Washington-Franklin Field.

Niemeyer (1,999-411 in 50 years) can become the first prep softball coach in U.S. history to reach the 2,000-win plateau Friday, when the J-Hawks compete in the Jack North Tournament at Des Moines Hoover.

“It'll probably snow,” Niemeyer said, referring to the rash of rainouts that have delayed the inevitable. “There's a lot of hype. Everybody's talking about it. I just want to get it over with so we can get back to focusing on winning softball games.”

Jefferson (12-3) faces Ottumwa at 11:30 a.m., Mid-Prairie at 1 p.m. And yes, rain is a distinct possibility.

Thursday's twinbill was Jefferson's first action in six days. The layoff didn't affect the bats.

Rachel Sedlacek homered on the second pitch of the game, and Morgan Allee had five hits - four for extra bases. Jefferson had 13 hits in the first game, eight in the second.

“I've been struggling at the plate a little, but tonight I was more aggressive early in the count,” Allee said.

Has the countdown to 2,000 been a distraction?

“It's been a little crazy,” Allee said. “You try to focus on one game at a time. You play one game, and you can't do anything about the ones that are next.”

Washington slipped to 0-13. Warriors Coach Fanaye Kifletsadik played for Niemeyer at Jefferson, as did her assistants.

“He's a great ambassador for the game,” Kifletsadik said. “They are the type of program that we aspire to be. We were hoping we'd be in position to be (the 2,000th win) because it would have been exciting to have been part of that type of environment.”

Instead, the show goes to Des Moines. Weather permitting, of course.