The third time was a charm for the Waterloo High School softball squad, which knocked off Mississippi Valley Conference foe Jerseyville in the Class 3A Jerseyville Regional final on Friday, 7-0. 

The Bulldogs lost twice previously this season to Jerseyville by scores of 4-0 and 4-3. This time, Waterloo’s Mia Miller was in shutdown mode.

The junior pitcher hurled a complete game one-hitter for Waterloo with 14 strikeouts and just one walk.

Miller helped herself at the plate with a double and two RBIs. Samantha Juelfs went 3-for-4 for the ‘Dogs, who improved to 19-12.

Waterloo opened regional play with a 17-0 victory last Wednesday over Cahokia. An 11-run first inning sent the ‘Dogs on their way. 

Aidan Dintelman went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, and Jada Voelker contributed a triple and three RBIs.

Waterloo advanced to the Highland Sectional, where it faced Carbondale on Tuesday, winning 7-0 in 10 innings

Waterloo now has a date with either Highland or Charleston in the sectional final set for noon Saturday, with a berth in Monday’s Decatur Supersectional on the line.

Miller is 10-6 with a 1.40 ERA and 206 strikeouts in 110 innings pitched. At the late, she’s hitting .404 with 26 RBIs.

Juelfs, freshman, is hitting .474 with 27 runs. 

Eagles clipped

In Class 2A, Columbia (19-12) ended its season with a 12-0 loss to Freeburg in Friday’s Freeburg Sectional final. 

Freeburg pitcher Samantha Roulanaitis struck out seven in a five-inning perfect game. A nine-run fifth doomed the Eagles.

Columbia advanced to the sectional final by virtue of a wild 12-8 win over Flora last Wednesday. 

Down 6-3 after five innings, the Eagles plated four in the sixth and after Flora re-gained the lead, scored one in the seventh inning to send it to extra innings. 

In the eighth inning, Columbia freshman Eva Crabtree blasted a three-run homer to power the Eagles to victory. 

Jaylyn Brister and Emily Holmes each collected four hits for Columbia in the win. 

Brister, a junior, hit. 495 this season with seven home runs, 39 RBIs, 33 runs and 13 doubles. 

Elle van Breusegen, a sophomore, hit .416 with 42 runs. 

Holmes, a senior, hit .402 with 31 runs. 

Another senior, Karsen Jany, hit .394 with five homers, 36 RBIs and 30 runs. 

Paige Froess, a sophomore southpaw, went 10-3 in the pitching circle with a 2.50 ERA.  

Pirates sunk

In Class 1A, Valmeyer (18-3) ended its season with a 6-0 loss to Carrollton last Wednesday at the Hardin-Calhoun Sectional. 

Markee Voelker had the only hit for the Pirates in what was her final game. 

There’s plenty to be excited about with Valmeyer softball next season, as top hitters Peyton Similey (.508, 21 RBIs), Brooke Miller (.487, 21 runs) and Mia McSchooler (.464, 18 runs) all return. 

In the pitching circle, Miller went 11-1 with a 1.53 ERA.