Jays ace handles Kewpies hitters

The Hickman softball team yet again failed to solve the riddle that is Aubrey Moss on Saturday, losing 3-0 to Jefferson City in the Class 4, District 10 championship game at Rock Bridge.

Moss, the Jays senior pitcher, continued to baffle the Kewpies by throwing a three-hit complete game shutout as Jefferson City (23-4) defeated Hickman (18-9) for the third time this season.

Hickman pitcher Taylor Cowan matched Moss for the first three innings, but the Jays played small ball to push across two runs in the fourth inning and another in the fifth inning. Numerous balls seemed to barely elude her teammates’ gloves.

The Kewpies left the field with dirty jerseys and, despite the loss, their heads held high.

“Definitely, in this game, we left it all on the field, and that’s all you can do, every game,” Hickman center fielder Lindsey Hart said. “Coaches ask you to give 110 percent, and we definitely did that.”

Those at the game didn’t have to take the players word for it. Many of the Kewpies’ purple and gold jerseys also included brown and green by game’s end, as the Kewpies’ fielders could be seen diving after balls in desperate attempts to save their season.

Two Kewpies in particular, Hart and second baseman Whitney Grathwohl, gave extra effort in the field, Haskell said.

“The two that always do,” Haskell said. “Hart is never afraid to dive for a ball, and Whitney is the same way. They have that instinct, they’re not afraid to get dirty.”

No matter how hard the defense tried, however, the Kewpies bats simply couldn’t get going. Haskell gave credit to Moss, who, as she had in their other meetings, held the Kewpies in check.

“Aubrey is a great pitcher. She knows how to work her pitches, she knows how to work the zone. She threw well today,” she said.

Grathwohl, a sophomore, chalked up their hitting woes to having a rough day against a tough pitcher.

“We hit as best we could, but sometimes we’re off and sometimes we’re not,” Grathwohl said. “We all tried our best.”

Jefferson City advances to the state semifinals to play Fort Zumwalt West at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at Rock Bridge.

The loss ended the season for the Kewpies and the high school careers of the four seniors on the squad.

“It was awesome,” Hart said. “It was the best thing I’ve ever been involved with. I loved it, and I’m really going to miss it next year.”