Kirkwood Softball

KCC softball sweeps No. 5 Johnson County

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Freshman Lauren Kuch went 5-for-7 with six RBIs Friday as the seventh-ranked Kirkwood softball team swept fifth-ranked Johnson County, 8-5 and 14-4, in Overland Park, Kan.

The Eagles raised their record to 6-0.

Kuch went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the first game. Hannah Mauser was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Lauren Klaahsen was 2-for-4 with  two RBIs and Audra Bridenstine was also 2-for-4. Natalie Halvorson got the win.

Kuch went 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the 14-4 victory in the second game, which was stopped after five innings by the mercy rule. Rachel  Stewart was 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs. Bridenstine had two more hits and two RBIs. Monika Bevans drove in three runs.

DoniRae Mayhew and Alli Sprague split the pitching, with Mayhew going 2 2/3 innings for the win.

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Waugh sparks No. 7 Eagles to victories

DAVENPORT - Kenady Waugh went 6-for-7 with six RBIs Sunday as the seventh-ranked Kirkwood softball team won two more games at the Winter Dome Tournament in Davenport.

Waugh went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs when the Eagles defeated Southeastern, 9-1, in their first game. She then went 4-for-4 with four RBIs in a 10-0 victory over John Wood.

Kirkwood won all four of its games at the tournament and outscored its opponents, 32-1, with three shutouts.

Natalie Halvorson pitched all five innings in the 9-1 verdict over Southeastern. She allowed five hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

Hannah Mausser went 3-for-3 with three RBIs against Southeastern. DoniRae Mayhew was 3-for-4. Rachel Stewart and Lauren Kuch had two hits.

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KCC softball begins with 2 shutouts

DAVENPORT - The seventh-ranked Kirkwood softball team began the 2018 season by collecting a pair of shutouts at the Winter Dome Tournament in Davenport on Saturday.

The Eagles blanked the Saint Ambrose junior varsity, 7-0, in their first outing and topped Waubonsee, 6-0, in the second game.

DoniRae Mayhew pitched five innings in the first game for Kirkwood. She allowed three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. Alli Sprague tossed the last two innings to complete the five-hit shutout.

Audra Bridenstine collected three RBIs in the victory over Saint Ambrose. Sonya McCormick, a transfer from Iowa Central, had two hits and two RBIs in her first game with the Eagles.

Natalie Halvorson, a freshman from Cedar Rapids Prairie, pitched a complete game in the 6-0 verdict over Waubonsee. She allowed only four hits with nine strikeouts and one walk.

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Kirkwood softball begins year at No. 7

Their two-time National Player of the Year is now patrolling the outfield at Iowa State. Their All-American pitcher, an All-American catcher, an All-American left fielder and two other all-Region selections are gone from last year's club as well.

Despite losing all that talent, Kirkwood softball coach Joe Yegge does not think the Eagles are rebuilding as they enter the 2018 campaign. Reloading is more like it.

"I hate to use the word rebuilding," he said, "because we think we have enough tradition here that we're never rebuilding."

It's hard to argue.

Yegge has compiled a formidable mark of 488-99 in 10 years at Kirkwood. That includes eight ICCAC conference titles, five regional titles, five district titles and five trips to the NJCAA Division II World Series.

The Eagles have 13 freshmen on the team and only six sophomores, so it's a young ballclub. And there are definitely are big shoes to fill.

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