ShawneeDispatch.com

It's official. The Mill Valley Lady Jags softball squad is the team to beat in the Kaw Valley League.

Following their double-header sweep (2-0, 10-0) of the Bonner Springs Braves last Thursday, the Lady Jags moved into a first place tie with Sante Fe Trail.

Once again, the Jaguars steam-rolled their opponent and turned in yet another convincing performance against the Bravettes, who were not only defeated, but held scoreless over 14 innings on the afternoon.

For the second straight week, the Jaguars' pitching proved to be the key, as junior Carlene Bolton pitched an overpowering one-hit, complete game in the Jaguars' first victory of the day. Bolton's dominance was followed by that of sophomore Erin Ford, who struck out five over seven strong innings to close out Game 2.

Bolton's performance in game one was especially impressive because the Jaguars' offense sputtered throughout and struggled to make solid contact over the course of the game.

Fortunately, Bolton mowed through the Bravettes like wet grass and gave her team the leeway to earn a victory despite manufacturing just two runs.

"Carlene is an intimidating pitcher, and that definitely worked for her against Bonner," said Michelle Mages, the Jaguars' second year head coach. "She gets a lot of movement on her pitches, which is very challenging for the batters who face her, and she stepped up and pitched a great game for us when our offense was struggling."

While Bolton and Ford pitched masterfully, they also were aided by a revived Lady Jags defense that had only one error over the course of both games.

All afternoon, the Jaguars played intelligently and decisively in the field, discouraging the Bravettes the few times they hit the ball cleanly.

"It was the best defensive performance that we have put together thus far this year," Mages said. "We played smarter in the field and didn't rush plays, which I was happy to see. Hopefully, we can continue to play that way."

While the Jaguars squeaked out Game 1, they revived their bats in the second game and coasted to victory against the already mentally-defeated Bravettes.

Mill Valley jumped on Bonner early, and Bolton struck the initial blow with a bases-loaded double in the bottom of the first inning that cleared the bases and gave the Jaguars a 3-0 lead. The blast from the bat of the game one winner all but shattered the Braves hopes of winning.

The early offensive output also calmed the nerves of Ford, who is the Jaguars' starting second baseman and has little previous experience pitching at the varsity level.

However, once the Jaguars began to pour it on, Ford pitched like a seasoned veteran and never allowed the Bravettes to get on track.

"Erin did a great job for us," Mages said. "She got into a couple of jams, but she kept her composure and pitched a shut out, which was extremely impressive."

Mages was also pleased to see Ford pitch so well because she demonstrated the necessary tools to become a valuable addition to the Jaguars' pitching staff in the future, when they may need someone to spell their top two starters -- juniors Cat White and Bolton.

"It was good to get Erin some experience on the mound, and it will definitely pay off for us down the road," Mages said.

The two-game sweep of Bonner Springs not only gave the Jaguars an unblemished record in league play (5-0), but it also improved their overall record to 11-2. Their recent success should give them plenty of steam heading into the final weeks of the season.

If they can continue to get solid outings from their starting pitching and find consistency at the plate, as well as in the field, the Lady Jags may very well find themselves entering regionals as the Kaw Valley League's repeat champions.

Mill Valley and Santa Fe Trail squared off Tuesday, May 3, in a game that likely will decide the league championship. Results were not available at press time.

The Lady Jags' next action will come in the regular season finale, Thursday, May 5, when they host Perry-Lecompton. Regionals begin the week of May 16.