Jefferson Softball Advances to the 2024 NJCAA Region III Softball Championship

The Cannoneers headed to Onondaga Community College  for the first round of the 2024 NJCAA Region III softball playoffs in a best of three mother's day series.  The bats started early in the first inning as a 2 out rally leads to 3 Jefferson runs.  An RBI single from Katie Call and a 2-run double from Mackenzie Lane gave the Cannoneers an early lead.  KJ Belmore adds one more in the second inning with a line drive to right field making it 4-0.  After giving up a run in the bottom of the second, the score would hold at 4-1 entering the seventh inning until Belmore drives in another, and Delaney Wiley circles the bases on a misplay in left on a hard line drive giving the Cannoneers a 6-1 lead entering the final frame.  Onondaga would cut the lead to 2 and bring the winning run to the plate with 1 out until Delaney Wiley shuts the door recording her first career collegiate save as the Cannoneers hold on to win game 1, 6-4.  

Game 2 Onondaga would strike first for two early as the Lazers look to bounce back to even the series.  Jefferson would bounce back in the second with a game tying 2 run double from Delaney Wiley - followed by a 2 out, 2 run base hit off the bat of Katie Call as she pushes Jefferson to a 4-2 lead.  After a tough first inning in the circle for Wiley, she would be lights out for the remainder of the game, allowing just 2 hits, and 4 baserunners after the first.  The Cannoneer defense would be stellar behind her, as highlight plays from Lia Canell, Kiannah Ward, KJ Belmore, Emily Birmingham, Felicity Belmore, and Hailey McGrew would all rob Onondaga of baserunners.  Katie Call would add to her RBI total on the day with one more in the fourth and the Cannoneers would win game 2, 5-2 and advance to the championship series against Herkimer with a trip to the national tournament at stake.