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Chiefs split games with No. 7 Burlington
By Brad Cameron/Gate City Sports Editor
With a stretch of tough softball games remaining this week, Keokuk Head Coach Merle Jones challenged his team after the Chiefs dropped a Southeast Conference doubleheader at Fort Madison Monday.
The Chiefs responded by earning a split with the seventh-ranked team in Class 4A. Keokuk rallied from a 3-0 deficit in game one to win 7-4, but Burlington bounced back behind the pitching of Miranda Kramer to take game two 6-0.
“I thought the girls bounced back from Monday big time,” Jones said. “I really didn't know what to expect because I put them through some very challenging situations Tuesday morning and this morning. I really didn't know how we would play tonight, but I'm very proud of the kids.”
Keokuk, 20-9, plays four games in the Ottumwa Tournament the next two days. The Chiefs play Albia and Clear Creek-Amana today and Iowa City High and the host school Saturday.
“These six games are critical to see what we have,” Jones said. “A lot of times if we were 3-3 after six games I would be upset, but if we finish 3-3 or better against this competition I will be happy. It will help us get ready for next week.”
The Chiefs fell behind early in the opener.
Burlington's Kristen Elting reached on an error to start the third inning, and Tiffany McVey followed with a double to center field. Whitney Plein loaded the bases with an infield single, and Kara Atkins drove in two runs with a single.
The Grayhounds added a run in the fourth inning to make the score 3-0.
Keokuk missed on scoring chances through the first four innings, but the Chiefs responded with a big fifth inning to take the lead. Laney Miller drove in the first run with a two-out bases loaded walk, and Angie Dye tied the game with a two-run single to center field.
Burlington pitcher Connie Ferrill looked like she would get out of the inning without allowing another run after striking out Rikki Happs, but the ball bounced to catcher Anna Nelson. Nelson had to throw the ball to first base, but her throw bounced into right field, allowing Miller to score the go-ahead run.
“When the kids got behind 3-0 they kept battling,” Jones said. “We didn't quit. It wasn't a classic 2-1 softball game, but I'm not going to apologize for beating (the No. 7 team in 4A.)”
The Chiefs were unable to put down a successful sacrifice bunt in the sixth, but it didn't hurt the team. Keokuk added three runs in the inning to put the game out of reach.
Autumn Bowen led off the inning with a double. Whitney Rose was called on to bunt, but she fouled two attempts off. On an 0-2 pitch, Rose reached on a Burlington error.
Jones signaled Katelyn Bitting to bunt, but she was unsuccessful on two attempts. Down in the count, Bitting responded with a single to center. Bowen scored, and Rose scored when the ball bounced by Elting. Bitting went to third on the play.
“I've got to give the girls credit,” Jones said. “I was frustrated standing in the third base box when we couldn't get those bunts down, but the girls came up with huge hits.”
Bitting scored Keokuk's final run when relief pitcher Ali Martin was called for an illegal pitch.
“It would have been interesting if we would have went out there in the seventh inning with a 4-3 lead,” Jones said. “It was nice to see Burlington make a couple of errors, and we got some big hits to put the game away. We went out there with a 7-3 lead and it gave us a little room th play with.”
Burlington tacked on a run in the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Nelson. Hannah Parker followed with a single to put runners on third and first, but Keokuk pitcher Hannah Washburn got Nelson to ground out to Happs at shortstop to end the game.
Bitting was 2-for-3, and Dye went 2-for-4 to lead Keokuk at the plate. Washburn pitched the Chiefs to the win.
In the second game, Keokuk was unable to put the ball in play against Kramer. The Burlington eighth-grader only allowed an infield single to Miller in the first inning. Kramer walked two and hit a batter, but she also finished with 15 strike outs.
“We made their pitcher look awful good in the second game,” Jones said. “She threw the ball well, but the one thing I'm disappointed in was we didn't swing at a lot of strikes. When you do that, you will make the pitcher look real good.”
Burlington scored two runs in the second inning. Kirstin Kramer singled with one out, and Miranda Kramer reached on an infield single. Kirstin Kramer scored on a throwing error on the play. Courtesy runner Elting stole second and scored on a single by Tina Gonzalez.
Ferrill delivered a two-out RBI single in the third inning to make the score 3-0, and Burlington added three more runs in the seventh to pull away. Atkins hit a solo home run off Ashley Dean to start the inning, and Amy Logas drove in two runs with a double.
Dean allowed 11 hits in the complete game effort for Keokuk.
“I thought Ashley did a nice job keeping us in the ball game,” Jones said. “I thought she pitched a great game for five innings, but she ran out of gas. She did her job tonight. We just couldn't put any hit together on offense.”
The Chiefs responded by earning a split with the seventh-ranked team in Class 4A. Keokuk rallied from a 3-0 deficit in game one to win 7-4, but Burlington bounced back behind the pitching of Miranda Kramer to take game two 6-0.
“I thought the girls bounced back from Monday big time,” Jones said. “I really didn't know what to expect because I put them through some very challenging situations Tuesday morning and this morning. I really didn't know how we would play tonight, but I'm very proud of the kids.”
Keokuk, 20-9, plays four games in the Ottumwa Tournament the next two days. The Chiefs play Albia and Clear Creek-Amana today and Iowa City High and the host school Saturday.
“These six games are critical to see what we have,” Jones said. “A lot of times if we were 3-3 after six games I would be upset, but if we finish 3-3 or better against this competition I will be happy. It will help us get ready for next week.”
The Chiefs fell behind early in the opener.
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The Grayhounds added a run in the fourth inning to make the score 3-0.
Keokuk missed on scoring chances through the first four innings, but the Chiefs responded with a big fifth inning to take the lead. Laney Miller drove in the first run with a two-out bases loaded walk, and Angie Dye tied the game with a two-run single to center field.
Burlington pitcher Connie Ferrill looked like she would get out of the inning without allowing another run after striking out Rikki Happs, but the ball bounced to catcher Anna Nelson. Nelson had to throw the ball to first base, but her throw bounced into right field, allowing Miller to score the go-ahead run.
“When the kids got behind 3-0 they kept battling,” Jones said. “We didn't quit. It wasn't a classic 2-1 softball game, but I'm not going to apologize for beating (the No. 7 team in 4A.)”
The Chiefs were unable to put down a successful sacrifice bunt in the sixth, but it didn't hurt the team. Keokuk added three runs in the inning to put the game out of reach.
Autumn Bowen led off the inning with a double. Whitney Rose was called on to bunt, but she fouled two attempts off. On an 0-2 pitch, Rose reached on a Burlington error.
Jones signaled Katelyn Bitting to bunt, but she was unsuccessful on two attempts. Down in the count, Bitting responded with a single to center. Bowen scored, and Rose scored when the ball bounced by Elting. Bitting went to third on the play.
“I've got to give the girls credit,” Jones said. “I was frustrated standing in the third base box when we couldn't get those bunts down, but the girls came up with huge hits.”
Bitting scored Keokuk's final run when relief pitcher Ali Martin was called for an illegal pitch.
“It would have been interesting if we would have went out there in the seventh inning with a 4-3 lead,” Jones said. “It was nice to see Burlington make a couple of errors, and we got some big hits to put the game away. We went out there with a 7-3 lead and it gave us a little room th play with.”
Burlington tacked on a run in the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Nelson. Hannah Parker followed with a single to put runners on third and first, but Keokuk pitcher Hannah Washburn got Nelson to ground out to Happs at shortstop to end the game.
Bitting was 2-for-3, and Dye went 2-for-4 to lead Keokuk at the plate. Washburn pitched the Chiefs to the win.
In the second game, Keokuk was unable to put the ball in play against Kramer. The Burlington eighth-grader only allowed an infield single to Miller in the first inning. Kramer walked two and hit a batter, but she also finished with 15 strike outs.
“We made their pitcher look awful good in the second game,” Jones said. “She threw the ball well, but the one thing I'm disappointed in was we didn't swing at a lot of strikes. When you do that, you will make the pitcher look real good.”
Burlington scored two runs in the second inning. Kirstin Kramer singled with one out, and Miranda Kramer reached on an infield single. Kirstin Kramer scored on a throwing error on the play. Courtesy runner Elting stole second and scored on a single by Tina Gonzalez.
Ferrill delivered a two-out RBI single in the third inning to make the score 3-0, and Burlington added three more runs in the seventh to pull away. Atkins hit a solo home run off Ashley Dean to start the inning, and Amy Logas drove in two runs with a double.
Dean allowed 11 hits in the complete game effort for Keokuk.
“I thought Ashley did a nice job keeping us in the ball game,” Jones said. “I thought she pitched a great game for five innings, but she ran out of gas. She did her job tonight. We just couldn't put any hit together on offense.”
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