DELPHOS — Jefferson junior Shauna Bowers outdueled Hardin Northern’s Jaci Messmer in a pitchers’ duel Friday afternoon at Lady Wildcat Field, giving the hosts a 2-1 barnburner over the Lady Polar Bears.
Bowers (2-0) went the distance, surrendering five hits and one earned run in six frames, fanning 11 and walking one.
“Shauna is throwing very well,” Jefferson coach Brad Rostorfer noted. “We’ll give her some innings tomorrow (against Minster). She was right on the plate. She was throwing strikes.”
Messmer allowed two earned runs on 10 safeties, while striking out six.
Jefferson scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Leadoff hitter Megan McElroy hustled out an infieldsingle, went to third on Torrie Wilson’s double to right fieldand scored on Kayla Miller’s RBI single.
“We bunched some hits together,” Rostorfer stated. “We are a streaky hitting team.”
That run proved to be decisive as the Hardin County team (3-1) came back in the top of the sixth inning. With one gone, Messmer doubled to right field and scored on Ally Parsons’ double to left field. However, Bowers induced Jessica Flower to strike out and fanned Kristi Marquardt to end the threat.
“Shauna beared down,” Rosterfer commented. “She didn’t get shook.”
Bowers also got out of a first-frame jam. With two gone, Messmer and Parsons stroked consecutive singles. Bowers got Flower to fly out to centerfielder McElroy.
In the bottom of the first, Wilson doubled to right and scored on Miller’s single to right.
The Lady Wildcats (2-0), however, missed two golden opportunities to break the tilt open.
In the bottom of the second, Nicole Sargent singled, went to second on a wild pitch and was sacrificed to third by Bowers. Messmer got out of that jam when Brooke Apple and Keri Wollenhaupt both struck out.
In the bottom of the third, McElroy singled and went to second an out later on Miller’s single. One out later, Lindsey Shivley’s infield single loaded the sacks. Wollenhaupt, however, was retired to end the threat.
“We left a few on the bases,” Rostorfer concluded.
Jefferson will be in the doubleheader mode at 11 a.m. today when they battle Minster in a non-conference go-around.
Hardin Northern will host the Lady Golden Gophers of Ridgeway Ridgemont in a twinbill today.