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JCCC softball swings hot bats at Brandon JUCO Jam to open season

JCCC softball player Aspen Burgardt waits for a pitch to hit.
JCCC softball player Aspen Burgardt waits for a pitch to hit.
Posted: Feb 16, 2025

BRANSON, Mo. – The No. 7-ranked Johnson County softball team (3-1) bats started the season hot, with the team combining for 55 hits, 28 extra base hits and 67 runs over four games at the Branson JUCO Jam over the weekend.

The Cavaliers opened the season and event on Friday with a 17-6 five inning victory over Missouri State-West Plains and followed with 10-9 walk off loss to North Iowa Area. On Saturday, Johnson County produced two more five inning victories by downing Mineral Area 26-8 and North Idaho 15-2.

Aspen Burgardt, the reigning NJCAA D-II Player of the Year got her sophomore season off to a big start. She batted .545 (6-for-11) with a double, two triples, two home runs, 10 runs scored six walks and 12 RBI. In the win over Missouri State-West Plains, she belted two triples, scored twice and drove in two. A day later in the drubbing of Mineral Area, she was 3-for-5 with a double, two homers, five runs and eight driven in. She capped the tournament with three walks, two runs and two RBI against North Idaho. She was also perfect in the field, registering 21 putouts, two assists and turned one double play.

Freshman Maddie Murray was also 6-for-11 at the plate with three doubles, three home runs, seven runs scored and 13 driven in. In the win over Mineral Area, Murray belted wo homers, walked three times, score four runs and drove in six. She followed with two doubles and four RBI against North Idaho.

The top hitter was sophomore Haley Bryant with an .833 average and 10 hits. She ripped nine singles, and a double, scored eight times and drove in eight runs. Bryant collected three hits in each of the first three games and had three RBI in the wins over Missouri State-West Plains and Mineral Area.

Freshman Katie Kolarik hit .500 (6-for-12) with two doubles, two home runs, five runs and 10 RBI. She drove in three against Missouri State-WestPlains, four against Mineral Area and two against North Idaho.

Freshman Lily Hans went 3-for-4 with homer and three driven in in the loss to North Iowa Area. Sophomore Jaylee Jefferson had five singles, two doubles, seven runs and three RBI. Sophomore Izzy Carter had four hits, five walks and scored nine times and freshman Janelle Lange had two doubles, a home run and drove in five runs over the weekend.

It the circle, sophomore right-hand pitcher Brielle Dee was the winning pitcher in two of the Cavaliers three wins at the Branson JUCO Jam. In the season opening win over Missouri State-West Plains, she allowed six runs, but only four earned and struck out three batters over five innings. In the final game of the event, Dee allowed just two hits, two runs, one earned with two strikeouts to her second complete game victory on the weekend.

Next weekend, Johnson County travels to Columbia, Georgia to play in the NFCA Leadoff Classic and will face four ranked teams. On Friday, February 21 they face NJCAA Division II No. 11 Pearl River Community College and No. 4 Jones College, and on Saturday, February 22 take on NJCAA Division I No. 1 Indian River State College and  No. 10 Gulf Coast State College.