Lady Tiger softball team opens season with pair of shutouts

Getting a combined no-hitter and a five-inning shutout by sophomore Brooke Mason, the Cowley College softball team opened the season with a pair of run-rule wins over Central Christian College JV Friday in Arkansas City. The Lady Tigers won the opener 18-0 before no-hitting Central Christian College in a 9-0 win of game two. 

"I was happy to finally be on the dirt with the team," Cowley head coach Jenny Hoyt said. "I thought our pitching had a good outing for it being the first time seeing other hitters than our own since the fall. The defense really made the plays behind them and got the routine outs to allow our pitchers to settle in."

In game one, Cowley scored 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to win 18-0. The Lady Tigers out-hit Central Christian 18-2 and had six extra base hits in the victory. Dezmen Duncan and Mya Chapman had three hits apiece and combined for four runs batted in and four runs scored. Second baseman Cierah Jones also played well, going 2-for-2 with a triple, three runs scored, and three runs batted in.

Mason (1-0) allowed only two hits, while striking out four and walking none.

In game two, sophomore Ashlynn Mercer (1-0) and freshman Sydni Williams combined on the six-inning no-hitter. Both pitchers tossed three innings with the only base-runner for Central Christian coming on a walk by Mercer.

Mason helped her cause at the plate by going 1-for-2 with a double and three runs batted in, while sophomore Micah North added a solo home run as Cowley finished with nine hits in the win.

"I was happy we were able to get multiple people at bats and to see opposing pitching," Hoyt said.

The Lady Tigers will play at Friends University Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Wichita, KS.

"We have to continue to get better as we will begin to see tougher competition," Hoyt said. "We will need to be ready physically and mentally."