March 6, 2009

Lady Tiger softball dismantles arch rival Johnson County

Usually when Cowley College and Johnson County meet on the softball diamond you can expect a close ball game. That was definitely not the case on Thursday as the No. 3-ranked Lady Tigers crushed the No. 11-ranked Lady Cavaliers 7-1 in the first game and then run-ruled them 12-0 in the second game of a doubleheader played in Arkansas City.

The victories improve Cowley’s record to 11-1 overall and 4-0 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. In its four conference games, Cowley has outscored its opponents 32-3.

“We are playing really well in all phases of the game,” Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove said. “We have got a chance here real early to create some separation between us and the people that will be battling us for the top spot in the conference.”

On Thursday, Cowley played without its top pitcher, Jacey Juden, but got stellar pitching from Breayle Tackett and Ashley Spencer. Tackett (5-0)  allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings as Cowley won the opener 7-1.

Spencer (5-0) scattered five hits over five innings of the 12-0 win of game two.

“The pitching of those two is probably the most rewarding thing out of all of this,” Hargrove said. “Breayle is our No. 3 starter and here she is 5-0. And I thought Spencer would help us more as a sophomore and yet she is 5-0 and throwing really well.”

In the first game, the score was tied 1-1 after two innings of play. Cowley broke the tie with two runs in the third inning and broke the game open on a three-run homer by sophomore catcher Kashilia Young in a four-run fourth inning. The homer by Young was her seventh of the season. Young and Tackett each had three hits in the opener.

In the second game, Cowley broke open a close game by scoring five runs in the third inning and six more in the fourth. Freshman Taylor Cantillon hit a two-run homer in the five run third inning, while Tackett homered in the fourth. Tackett had three more hits in the nightcap as she went 6-for-8 in the two games.

After going 2-for-4 with two RBI’s in the first game, freshman outfielder Kristen Janway went 2-for-2 with two RBI’s in game two. Freshman Monica Soper pinch hit for Janway in the fourth inning and came through with a two-run single.

Although Juden was unable to pitch, she went 2-for-3 with two RBI’s while serving as the team’s designated hitter in the second game. Cowley hopes to have Juden back on the mound Saturday when they host Fort Scott in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

“I do not know much about Fort Scott except that they have their No. 1 pitcher back from last year that gave Johnson County its only league loss, and we had to go eight innings to beat her 2-0,” Hargrove said. “I expect it to be a competitive doubleheader.”