JEFFERSON -- It was a mixed bag on Friday for the Eagles.
Jefferson's softball team squandered a lead in a 4-3 loss to Brodhead, only to bounce back and hand the top-ranked Cardinals their first loss, 3-1 in a doubleheader at Riverfront Park.
The Eagles (12-5, 7-2 in conference), ranked sixth in the Division 2 Coaches Poll, jumped ahead early in the first game, which counted in the conference standings. Hannah Werning singled home a two-out run in the second inning. In the third, Hildie Dempsey blasted a first pitch solo shot to deep right field.
The Cardinals (13-1), who sit atop the D3 rankings, put together a four-run rally in the sixth to snatch the lead for good.
Sophia Leitzen singled up the middle before Jaelyn Hilliard bunted for a hit. Ava Risum then reached on an infield error to load the bases. Leah Rear dug in next and singled in a run with a second runner coming across on an error in the outfield to tie it up at 2-all. That hit chased starter Ashlyn Enke. A passed ball and run-scoring ground out allowed Brodhead to extend its margin to 4-2.
"Brodhead's girls, every time up and down the lineup when they faced Ashlyn, they got better," Jefferson softball coach Jeff Agnew said. "For Ashlyn and our team, maybe I should have brought Hildie in for my closer earlier.
"Brodhead has really good hitters at the top of the lineup and they were facing Ashlyn for the third time. Ashlyn in the first five innings was awesome. We have to make plays behind her, which was a big part of that big inning."
Jefferson, down to its last out in the seventh, did not go away quietly. Dempsey, who was 3-for-4, doubled home Werning on a line shot to center. After a lengthy at bat, Lily Fairfield hit a pop fly into the shallow outfield, which Leitzen made a suburb over the shoulder running grab on to end it. If the ball drops, Tenley Barden scores from third and Dempsey would have had a chance to score the winning run from second.
"I thought Lily's hit was going to land and it could have been lights out for the game," Agnew said. "Leitzen made a great play."
Enke allowed four unearned runs on four hits with nine strikeouts in five-plus innings. Dempsey fanned four in two no-hit frames.
In the second game, which did not count in the conference standings, the Cardinals led 1-0 in the fourth when Rear doubled and scored on a passed ball.
Jefferson, after having a run taken off the board when the umpires ruled Bre Mengel left third early on a tag up play, put together a rally in the sixth to show its mettle. Facing Risum, a Division 1 Lindenwood recruit who pitched a complete game earlier in the day, Fairfield and Mengel both singled up the middle to open the frame.
Enke, on a 1-2 pitch, then tripled to the wall in deep center, plating the go-ahead runs. Winning pitcher Aeryn Messmann followed with an RBI base knock.
After Dempsey punched out seven and walked none in four innings, allowing a run on four hits, Messmann pitched three scoreless frames of one-hit ball with five strikeouts, no walks for the Eagles, who are a half game ahead of Monroe in the RVC Valley Division standings.
"We have a luxury not many other teams do with the talented depth on our pitching staff," Agnew said. "Hildie came on in the first game and really quieted their bats. Aeryn was so effective as a reliever, a role she's not really accustomed to.
"We really grew as a team today. Our girls showed a lot of fight. It was an exciting day of softball between two really good teams."
Jefferson hosts Edgerton on Monday, its first of five games in as many days.
First game
BRODHEAD 4, JEFFERSON 3
Brodhead 000 004 0 -- 4 4 0
Jefferson 011 000 1 -- 3 6 3
Leading hitters -- B: Leitzen 2x4 (2B); J: Dempsey 3x4 (2B, HR), Enke (2B).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- B: Risum W; 7-6-3-3-3-9; J: Enke L; 5-4-4-0-1-9, Dempsey 2-0-0-0-1-4.
Second game
JEFFERSON 3, BRODHEAD 1
Brodhead 000 100 0 -- 1 5 1
Jefferson 000 003 x -- 3 9 1
Leading hitters -- B: Leitzen 3x4, Rear (2B); J: Mengel 2x3 (2B), Messmann 2x3 (2B), Dempsey (2B), Enke (3B).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- B: Leitzen 4.2-4-0-0-1-4, Risum L; 1.1-5-3-3-0-3; J: Dempsey 4-4-1-1-0-7, Messmann W; 3-1-0-0-1-5.
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