The battle for the top spot in the South Puget Sound League North division continued among Tahoma, Kentwood and Kentlake’s fastpitch teams in the past week.

On Monday Thomas Jefferson knocked off Kentwood in a 10-inning thriller while Tahoma put together a 6-1 victory on April 18 over Kentlake for the Falcons first league loss of the season.

Jefferson scored early and held onto a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the seventh when Rachel Burr hit the ball between first and second base that drove in the tying run for Kentwood.

But, the pitching duel between Conqueror freshman Kendall Goodwin and Raiders hurler Rocky Hale continued, as the Jefferson defense was able to hold Kentwood.

The Conks struggled to put down bunts in the bottom of the 10th when international tiebreaker rules come into play — a runner is on second base at the start of the inning — while an errant throw to third base at the top of the 10th pushed the Raiders into the lead.

Bailey Rundle’s bunt moved Michaela Patton over to third base for Jefferson. Katie Jackson, who pitched the final inning in relief for Hale and picked up the win in the circle, bunted and was able to reach when a throw to third base went over Bailey Marshall’s head which allowed Patton to score.

While everything came together for Jefferson it all fell apart for Kentwood, explained Conks head coach Jason Wisor in an email interview.

“I think yesterday was the perfect storm of what has been the perfect storm season,” Wisor wrote. “With all the rainouts and in game cancelations this team has been frustrated that more games have not gotten in. The girls are working hard and getting better, it just so happens that yesterday we could not execute.”

He credited Hale and Goodwin for pitching well. Wisor said with nine games left on the schedule the team will need to focus.

“Yesterday both pitchers pitched well and both teams struggled to adjust to the zone established by the umpire,” he said. “Our goal will be to continue to play the best game we can. We need to eliminate the errors and execute in situations when they happen. Our goals are still in reach and we fully intend to accomplish them.”

Kentwood hosted Tahoma Tuesday and weather permitting the Conks were scheduled to get in five games this week.

Meanwhile, through Monday, Tahoma had won three straight including a tough game against Auburn and a major morale booster in beating Kentlake on April 18.

Kentlake’s only lead of the game came in the first inning against Tahoma when Kellie Nielsen scored on an error.

In the bottom of the first, Tahoma tied it up when Hayley Beckstrom hit a long single to drive in Halle Elliot, then the Bears locked down defensively while their bats got hot in the third and fourth innings.

Jordan Walley and Beckstrom drew back to back walks. Morgan Engelhardt’s single drove Walley in to make it 2-1 Tahoma in the bottom of the third then Beckstrom scored when Lauren Maulden reached first on an error to make it 3-1.

Elliott ripped a single through the middle infield then stole second base. Walley stepped up two batters later and send the ball to the center field fence for a double that drove in Elliott.

Beckstrom dropped a single into shallow right field behind first base and Walley scored to make it 5-1.

Tahoma tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth when Amanda Allison’s single brought in Molly Lathrop, who slapped a single by the short stop then stole second base, to make it 6-1.

Lathrop finished the day going 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and two stolen bases, Walley was 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI while Beckstrom was 2-for-3 with a single, a double, a run scored and two RBIs.

Engelhardt went 1-for-3 with an RBI, Lauren Maulden was 2-for-3 with a single and a double, and Elliot was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.

Mariah Hill got the win in the circle, pitching a complete game, giving up five hits — all singles — and one walk.

A day earlier Tahoma’s defense saved a close win against Auburn.

Center fielder Jena Waler hurled a perfect throw to home plate to get the runner for Auburn coming in for the tying run in the top of the seventh to seal the 4-3 victory.

Lathrop was 1-for-2 in the game with a single, a walk, and a run scored while Walley was on fire at the plate on April 17 going 2-for-3 with both hits long balls accounting for three RBIs.

Maddie Scott pitched four innings, scattering four hits while striking out four, with Hill coming in for relief to pitch three innings and get the win in the circle for Tahoma.

Tahoma followed that up with a 15-0 spanking of Mount Rainier on Monday to improve to 10-1 in league play and at that point the Bears had sole possession of first place in the North division.

West was 2-for-3 with a pair of triples and two RBIs while Walley was 2-for-3 with a single , a double, three runs scored and two RBIs, with Beckstrom following suit at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and two RBIs, and Engelhardt having a 2-for-3 day as well, chipping in a single, a double, two runs scored and an RBI.

Elliott went 2-for-4 with a single, a double, a run scored and two RBIs and Allison finished the day with a 2-for-2 batting performance with two runs scored an an RBI along with a pair of stolen bases.

Hill started in the circle for the Bears, pitched three innings, struck out two and picked up the win while Scott pitched two innings in relief giving up one hit and striking out four.

Kentridge bounced back on April 18 from a 11-3 loss to Kentwood a week earlier with a 6-0 victory over Auburn Riverside.

Kayla Andrus led the Chargers offensively as everything came in pairs for her. Andrus finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of singles, two runs scored, two stolen bases and two RBIs. Abagail Bellin went 1-for-3 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI while Ashley Conradi was 1-for-4 with a single, a run scored and a stolen base and Hannah Overall was 1-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base.

Lizzet Dominguez got the win in the circle for Kentridge pitching a complete game one-hitter while striking out six.

Kentridge couldn’t keep up the moment Monday, however, losing 4-2 to Auburn.

Andrus was 1-for-4 at the plate, Bellin went 1-for-2 with a single, a stolen base and an RBI while Bri Drury led the Chargers, batting 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a run scored.

On Tuesday Kentridge played at Kent-Meridian then hosted Kentlake on Wednesday with a re-match against Riverside set for Friday.