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Aiming high
Jacobs’ solo shot leads Lady Redbirds to win
BEARDSTOWN — Taylor Jacobs’ second home run turned out to be even more dramatic than her first.
Just one day after hitting her first career home run, Jacobs hit a two-out solo shot in the top of the seventh inning to help her Virginia/A-C Central Lady Redbirds past the Beardstown Lady Tigers, 4-3, in a non-conference matchup of local softball heavyweights.
“I got up there and I hadn’t got a base hit since last game, so I just wanted some kind of base. Single, double, whatever, you know,” Jacobs said. “Then I just hit it and it went that far.”
Jacobs’ shot traveled just beyond the 195 feet sign on the left-center field fence. Beardstown center fielder Griffyn Bennett crashed into the wall in an attempt to catch the ball.
“It felt pretty good,” said Jacobs, who was 0-for-3 before the home run. “I was just up there and I knew I had to make up for myself. I just pulled it.”
Jacobs’ long ball put Virginia ahead, but Beardstown nearly reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the seventh. The Lady Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but consecutive groundouts to second baseman Megan Bergerud ended the game.
On the final play of the game, Bergerud’s throw to first base came out of Natalie Allen’s mitt, and Allen snatched the ball off the ground with her glove hand just before Beardstown’s Kristen Spears crossed the base.
“It was kind of scary because she dropped it, then picked it back up,” said Virginia’s Taylor Jokisch, who earned her first career save. “So it was very nerve-racking.”
Sammy Jo Petefish (1-1) went six innings for Virginia, allowing nine hits and three earned runs. The freshman pitcher walked three and struck out two in just her second outing of the season.
“We’re trying to save our other girls for a conference game tomorrow, and she did a great job,” Virginia coach Ty Gebhardt said of his starting pitcher. “Our defense was behind her for the most part, and we were lucky to come away with a win.”
Jokisch said she felt extra pressure to get the save because she wanted Petefish to earn the win.
“Sammy Jo Petefish, she pitched a great game,” Jokisch said. “She did awesome.”
Beardstown (16-4) jumped out to an early lead Wednesday, scoring three runs in the first two innings. A Paige Meyer double in the first inning drove in a run, and a single from Brooke Thurman and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Meyer led to two more in the second.
Virginia (19-4) came right back in the top of the third inning, however, as Alicia Nicholas got hit by a pitch and Bergerud walked. Brittany Parks later walked to load the bases, and back-to-back singles from Amber Lucas and Kayla Birdsell scored Virginia’s first two runs. A passed ball allowed the third run to score.
“It was a pitchers’ duel after that until the seventh,” Gebhardt said, “until Jacobs came through again with another home run.”
The Virginia coach said he never felt comfortable, though. Beardstown’s first two batters in the seventh reached base, and the game-tying run was standing on third with just one out.
“We got nervous over here, the coaches and I did,” Gebhardt said. “They got the bases loaded and Bergerud made two good plays.”
Sarah Heller (13-2) took just her second loss of the season for Beardstown. Heller pitched all seven innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs. Heller walked three and struck out four.
Beardstown tallied 10 hits, to Virginia’s six, with Meyer, Denise Rawlins, Brandy Spears and Sadie Rohn collecting two hits apiece.
The win marked the second time in two seasons that Virginia has beaten its cross-county rival.
“It’s an honor to beat them,” Jokisch. “They’re a great team and Sammy Jo pitched an amazing game. It’s fun to beat a good team.”
