March 3, 2010

Cowley softball opens conference play with split at Pratt

Winning the first game of a doubleheader at No. 15-ranked Pratt Community College by a score of 12-0, the No. 5-ranked Cowley College softball team looked like they would be in line for a sweep of its conference opener on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Cowley’s bats would go silent in a 4-2 loss of game two.

After Cowley’s 3-through-6 hitters combined for 11 hits and six runs batted in during game one, the same hitters in the Lady Tigers’ lineup managed just one hit and one RBI in the nightcap.

“Pratt is a good team, but the meat of our order has got to be more consistent,” Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove said. “After what we did to their No. 1 pitcher in the first game I felt it would be a sweep.”

Sophomore Ashley Spencer struck out 15 batters and allowed only three hits in the first game. After losing her first two outings of the season, Spencer has now won four straight.

“Ashley has gotten better each outing,” Hargrove said. “She was definitely on top of her game.”

Spencer helped her cause at the plate by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Shortstop Alysha Poteat added two doubles, a triple, and three runs batted in. While, freshman Nichole Cuthbertson went 3-for-5 with a double.

In game two, freshman Starr McLeod (1-3) started on the mound for the Lady Tigers and allowed a run in the first inning and three more in the second. McLeod would leave the game due to illness with Cowley trailing 4-1 after two innings of play.

Poteat would hit a sacrifice fly to score Charlotte Myrtle in the top of the third inning, making the score 4-2. However, Pratt’s Hannah Crow would retire 14 of the final 15 batters she faced and allowed only six hits in the game. Fourteen of Cowley’s 21 outs in game two were flyouts.

“You can’t give a team that many easy outs,” Hargrove said.

Freshman Cassie Schlesener relieved McLeod on the mound and was a bright spot in the defeat. Schlesener allowed only two hits and no runs in three innings pitched.

“Cassie threw really well,” Hargrove said.

Spencer relieved Schlesener with a runner on and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth inning and struck out the only three batters she faced.

Bri Akers, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the first game, had two of Cowley’s six hits in game two.

Cowley is now 5-5 overall and 1-1 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, while Pratt is 4-6 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Lady Tigers will play a doubleheader at Dodge City Tuesday at 2 p.m.