March 11, 2010

Lady Tiger softball picks up pair of road wins

Improving to 3-1 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, the No. 5-ranked Cowley College softball team won a pair of games at Dodge City Wednesday by scores of 6-4 and 6-0.

After starting the season with a record of 2-4, the Lady Tigers have won five of their last six games. Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove was pleased with the way his team performed in the doubleheader sweep of the Lady Conquistadors.

“Dodge City is a team you need to be concerned with, you have got to play well to beat them, especially at their place,” Hargrove said.

In game one, Cowley fell behind 2-0 after three innings of play, but rallied to take the lead by scoring four runs in the top of the fourth inning. The Lady Tigers would later add two important runs in the top of the seventh inning to lead 6-2. Ashley Spencer drove in the first run in the seventh with a RBI double, while freshman Alyssa Allison’s infield single scored pinch runner Jazmen Dumbauld.

Dodge City’s Samantha Raymer’s two-run double off Spencer in the bottom of the seventh inning cut Cowley’s lead to 6-4. Spencer then walked Brianne Scott to put runners at first and second with only one out. However, Spencer got Kara Greenwood to fly out and then struck out Ashley Rains to end the game. The strikeout was Spencer’s 14th of the game.

Spencer helped her cause at the plate by going 2-for-4 with two runs batted in. Allison and Taylor Cantillon also swung the bat well as they each went 3-for-4. Cowley out-hit Dodge City 13-8.

Three Lady Tiger pitchers combined on a two-hitter in the 6-0 win of game two. Spencer started the game on the mound and retired all 12 batters she faced. Spencer would strike out five in her four innings of work and finished with 19 strikeouts on the day. Spencer is now 6-2 on the season.

Freshman Cassie Schlesener relieved Spencer on the mound with Cowley leading 6-0. Schlesener allowed two hits and no runs, while pitching the fifth and sixth innings. Fellow freshman Starr McLeod pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to cap the win.

“I am really proud not only of Ashley because she wanted to start both games, but I also thought Cassie and Starr threw probably as well as they have all year,” Hargrove said. ‘That was a real positive sign for our pitching.”

Sophomore Sarah Hocker had three hits batting out of the leadoff spot to raise her average to .318. Cowley’s No. 8 and No. 9 hitters, Haley Heincker and Charlotte Myrtle, combined to go 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

“That was encouraging to see,” Hargrove said.

Today’s doubleheader at Friends has been postponed due to rain. No makeup date has been announced. The Lady Tigers will instead focus their attention on the Midwest JUCO Classic played Saturday and Sunday in Broken Arrow, OK.

Cowley will play three games on Saturday and three more games on Sunday. On Saturday, Cowley will play games at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

“We will have a week off after this weekend so I am hoping we will have a good showing to send us into the off week feeling good about ourselves,” Hargrove said.