SOUTH WAYNE - The Juda-Albany softball team will roll into the regional tournament after sweeping a doubleheader against Black Hawk Thursday.
The Panthers knocked off the Warriors 12-1 in a suspended game from Tuesday that was picked up in the fourth inning and then completed the sweep with a 17-3 five-inning win in the nightcap of the twinbill.
With a young team, Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis was proud to see his team finish 17-4, 6-4 Six Rivers East and tied for third in the conference with Barneveld.
"We set our goals at the beginning of the year pretty high," Davis said. "Our goal is always to win conference. I thought we had a really great year and the girls met my expectations."
Juda-Albany freshman Sara Jordan went 2-for-3 with three RBI in the first game. Juda-Albany senior Morganne Goecks went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
The Panthers broke the game open with a six-run fourth off Black Hawk pitcher Sam Lovelace. Juda-Albany freshman Alexis Goecks and Morganne Goecks both walked. Juda-Albany sophomore Jessica Crull delivered an RBI single. Jordan also had an RBI single in the fourth.
Juda-Albany senior Tabatha Davis pitched 3 1/3 innings to get the win. She struck out six in a little more than three no-hit innings. Jordan pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up one run on two hits. The only hits for the Warriors came on singles by Tessa Cushman and Jen Wellnitz.
Black Hawk sophomore Rachel Richard pitched three innings on Tuesday and took the loss. She walked five and struck out two. Lovelace pitched one inning and gave up six runs. She walked five and struck out one. In two games, two pitchers for the Warriors (2-13, 1-9) combined walked 19. It's a recipe Black Hawk coach Jim Baumgartner knows is tough to overcome.
"It's kind of been our story this year," Baumgartner said. "We have to consistently throw strikes. The walks always come back to bite you."
It didn't take the Panthers long to strike in the second game with a seven-run first.
Alexis Goecks walked and Morganne Goecks singled. Crull knocked in the first run on a groundout. Jordan walked and stole second. Juda-Albany's Molly Marass came through with a two-run single to left to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. Alexis Kennedy singled and Alexis Goecks reached on an error and a run scored. Morganne Goecks had an RBI single up the middle and Alexis Goecks later scored on a wild pitch to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
Tabatha Davis led off the second with a single. Katlynn Rhyner followed with a single and Marass walked to load the bases. Kennedy, who went 3-for-4, had a two-run single to left to give the Panthers a 9-0 lead. Morganne Goecks, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, lined a two-run single to right to extend the Panthers' lead to 11-0.
Lead-off hitter Alexis Goecks went 2-for-2 with four runs scored. Tabatha Davis went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Marass was 2-for-3.
"When the lead-off hitter gets on, it makes things happen with the meat of the order coming up," Bill Davis said. "I think we did what we had to do."
The Warriors battled back in the third. Black Hawk junior Tatum Jackson reached on an error and stole second. Marissa Monson then reached on a bloop single in front of home plate. She stole second and on the throw Jackson scored. Black Hawk freshman Jordan Delzer reached on an error and Monson scored to cut the Panthers' lead to 11-2.
Jackson helped run the Warriors into a run in the fifth. She walked and stole second. Delzer knocked in Jackson on a groundout.
Davis tossed a complete game. In five innings, she gave up two hits and three unearned runs. She struck out six and walked one.
"You walk a fine line between overusing her and getting her innings so she is ready for the regional," Bill Davis said of Tabatha pitching after she has pitched nearly 19 innings this week and threw more than 140 pitches in a 2-1 loss to Monticello Tuesday. "We are not going to practice tomorrow. I think the rest will do them good. She will be ready for the regional."
Baumgartner understands that the Panthers will ride a hot pitcher like Tabatha Davis.
"I told them all week that she is a good pitcher and they have to look for the off-speed," Baumgartner said. "You can't be waiting or she will throw it by you. I told them to open up, choke up and put the ball in play. They did better hitting her today than they did Tuesday."
The Panthers knocked off the Warriors 12-1 in a suspended game from Tuesday that was picked up in the fourth inning and then completed the sweep with a 17-3 five-inning win in the nightcap of the twinbill.
With a young team, Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis was proud to see his team finish 17-4, 6-4 Six Rivers East and tied for third in the conference with Barneveld.
"We set our goals at the beginning of the year pretty high," Davis said. "Our goal is always to win conference. I thought we had a really great year and the girls met my expectations."
Juda-Albany freshman Sara Jordan went 2-for-3 with three RBI in the first game. Juda-Albany senior Morganne Goecks went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
The Panthers broke the game open with a six-run fourth off Black Hawk pitcher Sam Lovelace. Juda-Albany freshman Alexis Goecks and Morganne Goecks both walked. Juda-Albany sophomore Jessica Crull delivered an RBI single. Jordan also had an RBI single in the fourth.
Juda-Albany senior Tabatha Davis pitched 3 1/3 innings to get the win. She struck out six in a little more than three no-hit innings. Jordan pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up one run on two hits. The only hits for the Warriors came on singles by Tessa Cushman and Jen Wellnitz.
Black Hawk sophomore Rachel Richard pitched three innings on Tuesday and took the loss. She walked five and struck out two. Lovelace pitched one inning and gave up six runs. She walked five and struck out one. In two games, two pitchers for the Warriors (2-13, 1-9) combined walked 19. It's a recipe Black Hawk coach Jim Baumgartner knows is tough to overcome.
"It's kind of been our story this year," Baumgartner said. "We have to consistently throw strikes. The walks always come back to bite you."
It didn't take the Panthers long to strike in the second game with a seven-run first.
Alexis Goecks walked and Morganne Goecks singled. Crull knocked in the first run on a groundout. Jordan walked and stole second. Juda-Albany's Molly Marass came through with a two-run single to left to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. Alexis Kennedy singled and Alexis Goecks reached on an error and a run scored. Morganne Goecks had an RBI single up the middle and Alexis Goecks later scored on a wild pitch to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
Tabatha Davis led off the second with a single. Katlynn Rhyner followed with a single and Marass walked to load the bases. Kennedy, who went 3-for-4, had a two-run single to left to give the Panthers a 9-0 lead. Morganne Goecks, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, lined a two-run single to right to extend the Panthers' lead to 11-0.
Lead-off hitter Alexis Goecks went 2-for-2 with four runs scored. Tabatha Davis went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Marass was 2-for-3.
"When the lead-off hitter gets on, it makes things happen with the meat of the order coming up," Bill Davis said. "I think we did what we had to do."
The Warriors battled back in the third. Black Hawk junior Tatum Jackson reached on an error and stole second. Marissa Monson then reached on a bloop single in front of home plate. She stole second and on the throw Jackson scored. Black Hawk freshman Jordan Delzer reached on an error and Monson scored to cut the Panthers' lead to 11-2.
Jackson helped run the Warriors into a run in the fifth. She walked and stole second. Delzer knocked in Jackson on a groundout.
Davis tossed a complete game. In five innings, she gave up two hits and three unearned runs. She struck out six and walked one.
"You walk a fine line between overusing her and getting her innings so she is ready for the regional," Bill Davis said of Tabatha pitching after she has pitched nearly 19 innings this week and threw more than 140 pitches in a 2-1 loss to Monticello Tuesday. "We are not going to practice tomorrow. I think the rest will do them good. She will be ready for the regional."
Baumgartner understands that the Panthers will ride a hot pitcher like Tabatha Davis.
"I told them all week that she is a good pitcher and they have to look for the off-speed," Baumgartner said. "You can't be waiting or she will throw it by you. I told them to open up, choke up and put the ball in play. They did better hitting her today than they did Tuesday."
