Lady Jays use two-out hits to down Fatima 5-3

The third out proved to be difficult for the Fatima softball team all night long Tuesday. It ended up being too much to overcome.

Four of Jefferson City's five runs came with two outs, including a pair to break open a tie game in the bottom of the sixth as the Lady Jays held on to beat Fatima 5-3 at the American Legion Sports Complex.

"You can't ask any more than that," Lady Jays head coach Lisa Dey said. "It's tough when you're on the other end of saying, "Man, you've got two outs.' We've got good enough hitters that we saw some pretty good pitches and they took advantage of it."

The Lady Jays got a pair of runs with two outs in the third inning, and broke open a 3-all game in the bottom of the sixth. After Fatima pitcher Leah Kesel got the first two Lady Jays out, Katie Tambke and Darby Brundage singled. Dakota Newton lifted a fly ball to left that was dropped, allowing two runs to score.

Fatima had the tying run on base in the top of the seventh after singles by Morgan Brandt and Christine Brunnert, but the game ended on a double play when Emily Williams caught a fly ball in right and cut down the runner trying to score from third.

"I wanted to get that run home," Fatima coach Dana Sheppers said. "You regret decisions after you make them, but you're going to make some mistakes."

The Lady Comets left 10 runners on base, part of a frustrating night where they couldn't seem to close innings.

"It is (frustrating)," Sheppers said. "That's a very good hitting ball club. They can hit the ball well. They're not finished with an inning until the third out. We're not doing that right now. And that's what's frustrating."

The defensive play by Williams to end the game was a change of pace after both teams struggled to settle in defensively.

Fatima took a 1-0 lead in the first thanks to a pair of errors by the Lady Jays. But Krista Brickey, who picked up the victory, allowed just one run as Fatima left the bases loaded.

"That first inning was tough and shaky, they got that run right off the bat, unearned," Dey said. "Like I told them, the best thing about that first inning was they only got one. I think we have good enough hitters that I didn't feel uneasy about that."

Jefferson City tied the score at 1 on a sacrifice fly by Brickey in the second. The Lady Comets took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third on an RBI single by Logan Abbott before Jefferson City started hitting with two outs.

After doubling off a runner at second on a fly ball to center in the third, the Lady Comets looked to be in the clear. But four straight hard-hit singles from Taylor De,y Brooke Rozier, Alyson Metz and Riley Hayes gave Jefferson City a 3-2 lead. The Lady Jays had five hits in the inning.

"I think that one inning we had four or five line drives, hard-hit balls," Dey said.

Brandt, who had three hits, led off the fifth inning with a triple and came around to score on a Jefferson City error with two outs to tie the score at 3.

That set the stage for Jefferson City's two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth.

"You kind of get into a groove and I think if one person hits, it kind of multiplies," Dey said. "One goes, the other kind of follows suit."

Both teams had 10 hits.

The Lady Jays (5-0) are back in action today against Helias at Duensing Field. Fatima (3-1) is back in action Thursday at Rock Bridge.

Fatima won Tuesday's JV game 6-1.