The Jackson County Central softball team split a home-and-home series with St. James Area to start a week in which it will play more than a third of its regular-season schedule. The Huskies will play seven of their 20 games between Monday and Saturday.
On Monday, the host Saints edged JCC 2-1 in a game where each team recorded only one hit.
Kinley VanDeVeere recorded the Huskies lone hit off of St. James pitcher Laney Bowers with one out in the sixth inning. JCC had scored its run in the second inning when Hadley Wachal walked and later scored on an error.
SJA scored both of its runs in the fifth inning.
Bowers struck out 15 Huskies for the Saints. Hadley Wachal fanned nine in taking the loss for Jackson County Central.
The Huskies would bounce back the next day with a 5-1 Senior Day win over St. James.
One of the Huskies’ two seniors, Lauren Johnson, had two hits. Also recording two hits were Kinley VanDeVeere and Brielle Tufvesson.
Mady Wachal was the winning pitcher, allowing five hits and striking out 11.
JCC, now 11-2, plays a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Redwood Valley (5-10) Thursday. The Huskies are 10-1 in conference play, while the Cardinals are 3-9.
The Huskies play three games at their own tournament Saturday, meeting Worthington at 9 a.m., New York Mills at 11 a.m. and Zumbrota-Mazeppa at 3 p.m.
Jackson County Central closes out the regular season next week by traveling to Fairmont Tuesday and hosting Wabasso Thursday, May 15.
BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
Softball standings
Through May 6
Small School Division
Jackson County Central 10-1
Fairmont 10-2
St. James Area 8-4
Pipestone 6-4
Luverne 5-7
Windom 4-7
Redwood Valley 3-9
Blue Earth Aea 0-12
Division games only
Large School Division
New Ulm 6-1
Tri-City United 6-1
St. Peter 7-2
Belle Plaine 4-3
Worthington 4-5
Waseca 2-8
Marshall 0-9
Division games only