Juden tosses perfect game, Cowley improves to 12-0 in Jayhawk East

Led by freshman Jacey Juden’s perfect game in the first game of a doubleheader against Neosho County played Friday at Winfield’s Broadway Sports Complex, the No. 6-ranked Cowley College softball team picked up a pair of wins over the Lady Panthers and remained unbeaten in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division.

The Lady Tigers won the first game 8-0 in five innings and then won game two 8-2 to improve to 12-0 in the conference. Johnson County and Allen County are tied for second in the Jayhawk East with conference marks of 7-3.

In game one, Juden (pictured) struck out the first six batters and 11 of the 15 batters she faced. Juden is now 14-4 on the season and has really stepped up in the absence of Heather Davis, who is still sidelined with an injury.

“I think Jacey feels more comfortable in that No. 1 spot,” Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove said. “She was in total control.”

Juden also fared well at the plate as she went 2-for-3 with a run batted in. Danielle Saylor-Perkins also went 2-for-3 with a RBI.

In game two, Cowley got a RBI triple by Whitney Foust and a run scoring sacrifice fly by Colby Hart to lead 2-0. However, Neosho County scored two runs off Breayle Tackett in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 2-2.

Tackett did a good job of minimizing the damage in the inning as the Lady Panthers had runners at first and third with nobody out after already scoring twice.

Cowley scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go back on top 4-2, and then opened its lead to 6-2 on Kashilia Young’s two-run homer in the fifth. The home run was Young’s 21st of the season. Young added a two-run double in the sixth as she went 2-for-4 with four RBI’s.

Foust and Juden added two hits a piece in the win. Tackett allowed five hits and two runs in seven innings as she picked up the victory and improved to 2-2 on the season.

Cowley will now prepare to host Johnson County in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Although the Lady Cavaliers have three conference losses, they have long been the Lady Tigers toughest competition in the conference.

“It’s still Johnson and Cowley,” Hargrove said. “I am sure they feel this is their way to get back into the conference race.”

Cowley’s sophomores will be recognized prior to the start of the game.