Softball: Jefferson edges Poynette in battle of ranked teams

JEFFERSON -- Junior pitcher Ashlyn Enke pitched a two-hitter with 14 strikeouts as Jefferson's softball team beat Poynette 2-0 in a ranked clash at Riverfront Park on Tuesday.

The Division 2 sixth-ranked Eagles (18-6) backed Enke, who walked none, with a pair of early runs.

Hildie Dempsey led off the Jefferson first with a single to the left side of the infield. She took second on Lily Fairfield's sacrifice bunt and came around on pitcher Morgan Gunderson's two-out error.

Chloe Smith and Dempsey both singled to center to open the Eagles' third. With one away, Bre Mengel plated Smith with a ground-ball single.

Enke took a perfect game into the fourth, when Addison MacKey doubled to center to lead off the frame. Enke wasted no time retiring the next three hitters, including two via strikeout. Those three outs were the first of 10 consecutive for Enke, who punched out cleanup hitter Grace Gavinski followed by Gunderson, both with a runner on base, in the seventh to end it. Enke threw 73 pitches, 67 for strikes.

Gunderson allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in six frames in the loss for the Pumas (14-7), ranked eighth in D3.

Jefferson travels to face Johnson Creek on Thursday at 5 p.m., then finishes the regular season at home against Elkhorn on Friday at 5 p.m.

JEFFERSON 2, POYNETTE 0

Poynette 000 000 0 -- 0 2 1

Jefferson 101 000 x -- 2 4 0

Leading hitters -- P: MacKey (2B); J: Dempsey 2x3.

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- P: Gunderson L; 6-4-2-1-0-3; J: Enke W; 7-2-0-0-0-14.