Jefferson High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

J-Hawks dedicate Niemeyer Field

Even after suffering two embarrassing defeats Wednesday night, Waterloo West softball players one-by-one stopped to pay their respect to Larry Niemeyer, the coach they barely got to know.

“Keep your chin up,” he told the girls. “You’re better than you think you are.”

Niemeyer was seated at a picnic table behind the backstop of the newly named Larry Niemeyer Field at the Jefferson High School softball complex.

Dedicated in his honor between games, the field was built from scratch soon after he started his legendary 33-year career as J-Hawk coach in the spring of 1979.

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Prairie hammers J-Hawks in sweep

Pitching that ranged from solid to stellar allowed Cedar Rapids Prairie to sweep a doubleheader from Jefferson Wednesday night at Jefferson’s home field.

The stellar performance came in the first game from Spencer Dean. The senior right-hander allowed just one hit in a 15-1 rout. The Hawks took the nightcap, 7-4.

With Dean striking out five J-Hawks while walking one, Prairie scored in every inning but the first, touching three pitchers for 16 hits.

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No.8 J-Hawks split with No.4 Rams

No.8 Jefferson and No.4 Dubuque Senior traded victories in a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at the Jefferson softball field Tuesday night.

Dubuque Senior rolled in the first game, 6-1. Jefferson rebounded with an 8-0 victory in the nightcap.

Paige Timmerman had two hits in the first game for the J-Hawks (14-5, 7-3).

Alyssa Olson tossed a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts for Jefferson in the second game.

Maddie Hansen, Erin Kuba and Katelyn Holub went 2-for-3 for the J-Hawks in the victory and Maddie Koolbeck was 2-for-2. All four players collected an RBI. Kaitlyn Davidson had two RBIs.

Koering homers in Jeff's loss to East

DES MOINES - Des Moines East struck for eight runs over the first four innings and the 10th-ranked Scarlet handed Jefferson a 9-2 loss Tuesday in a non-conference baseball game.

Ben Koering had two of Jefferson's four hits, including a home run leading off the fourth inning. Cam Frazier plated the other run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

East (12-1) banged out 14 hits.

The J-Hawks dropped to 4-10. They host Prairie in a doubleheader Wednesday at 5 p.m.

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J-Hawks, Saints split a family affair

It was Ken Charipar Memorial Night at Xavier for the Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader between Jefferson and the Saints Monday evening.

The event had special meaning for both baseball clubs.

One of Charipar’s grandsons, Corbin Woods, plays shortstop for Xavier. Another grandson, Kyle Rodenkirk, is the head coach for Jefferson.

In addition, a number of players from both teams played youth baseball for the late Ken Charipar and the results Monday at Ken Charipar Field were appropriate enough.

The J-Hawks and Saints split the twinbill. Jefferson won the first game, 10-3, and Xavier took the nightcap, 14-4, in six innings.

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J-Hawks win 2 games at Classic

The Jefferson J-Hawks won both of their games in their own tournament Saturday.

The J-Hawks blanked Boone, 6-0, and trimmed Clarke, 5-4.

Brooke Stauffer pitched a two-hitter and was 2-for-3 at the plate against Boone. Maddie Hansen went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.

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J-Hawks squeeze past Wahlert for sweep

Jefferson squeezed out a pair of one-run wins over Dubuque Wahlert, 3-2 and 2-1, Friday night in Mississippi Valley Conference baseball.

Spencer Hunt belted a two-run home run in the opener and Spencer Van Scoyoc scattered seven hits for the J-Hawks (3-8, 2-4).

Jefferson won the second game on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ky Kramer picked up the win in relief of Dylan Wright.

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J-Hawks go 1-2 at Classic

Jefferson won its first softball game Friday, but dropped its next two in the Jefferson Classic.

The No.8 J-Hawks (11-4) beat Iowa City Regina, 8-3, then got blanked twice. Jefferson fell to Southeast Polk, 4-0, and to No.9 Johnston, 5-0.

Dani Stromert and Maddie Hansen drove in two runs apiece against Regina. Kaitlin Davidson and Hannah Towns had two hits apiece. Towns and Maddy Blietz each drove in a run.

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Olson helps J-Hawks split with Saints

Alyssa Olson doesn’t pitch the first game of doubleheaders for Cedar Rapids Jefferson, but that doesn’t mean the sophomore isn’t learning while watching from the dugout.

Olson went to school during the opener of Thursday night’s Mississippi Valley Conference twinbill against Cedar Rapids Xavier.

The Saints dominated Game 1, rapping out 14 hits against two other J-Hawk pitchers en route to an impressive 11-4 victory at Jefferson.

It was a different story in the nightcap.

Olson struck out the first nine Saints hitters she saw and retired the first 15 in a row, leading the J-Hawks to a 5-0 win and a split in the battle of state-ranked teams.

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