Softball Holds off the Mohawk Valley Lady Hawks

The Jefferson Cannoneers travel to take on the 3^rd seeded Mohawk Valley in a doubleheader with huge seeding implications as the Cannoneers come into the day trailing the Hawks one game in the standings.     

Game 1 was a defensive and pitching battle as runs were difficult to come by for both teams.  KJ Belmore led off the top of the 3^rd inning getting hit by a pitch for a leadoff baserunner.  Emily Birmingham would drive her in a few batters later with an RBI double that one hopped the fence in left center field.  Jadyn Childers would follow that up with a RBI safety squeeze as she gets the bunt down to score an important second run the game for the Cannoneers.  That would be the only runs to cross the plate for Jefferson in the game.  However, Emily Birmingham was able to hold off the Hawks all game until a late run in the 7^th cut the lead to 1.  Birmingham continued her impressive Freshman campaign striking out 11 hitters and allowing just 3 hits in a complete game effort.  The 2 Jefferson runs early in the game would be enough to win game 1 by a score of 2-1.

Now tied in the standings, the Cannoneers enter game 2 hoping to pass the Hawks.  The Jefferson offense was much more lively this go around - KJ Belmore tallied two hits on the game, Jadyn Childers continued to see the ball well in the box going 3-4 in the game with 2 RBIs, and Kiannah Ward crushes her second homerun of the year for a late insurance run.  5 different Cannoneers would score in the game as Jefferson was able to put up 7 runs in the game.  Rachael Shackleton battled on the mound to record 7 strikeouts and hold the Hawks to 4 runs (3 ER) in a complete game with the help of some timely pitching and impressive plays by the defense.  Jefferson wins game 2 7-4 to move to 4^th in the standings as they approach the last stretch of the regular season.