Lady Tigers split a pair of games against No. 7-ranked Highland

The No. 19-ranked Cowley College softball team got a walk-off win in the second game of its home doubleheader against No. 7-ranked Highland Community College Thursday in Arkansas City. After losing the opener by a score of 6-4, the Lady Tigers defeated the Lady Scotties 7-6 in nine innings in game two.

In game one, Cowley grabbed a 1-0 lead thanks to a run-scoring single by Kayla McClellan in the bottom of the first inning.

The Lady Tigers' lead would be short lived as after stranding the bases loaded in the top of the first inning, Cowley starting pitcher Brooke Mason surrendered an RBI triple to Cheyenne Minnick, who then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the top of the second.

Cowley would get a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Paige Hughes reached second on an error by Highland catcher Cheyenne Minnick, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a one-out squeeze bunt by Micah North.

The teams would each score two runs in the fifth inning and the game went to the seventh tied at 4-4. Highland would chase Mason from the game by scoring two runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Highland pitcher Lili Wier, who went the distance on the mound, retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh as she improved her record to 5-0 on the season.

Mason (10-3) took the loss, despite only two of the six runs she allowed being earned.

Cowley rallied from an early 3-0 deficit in game two by scratching across a pair of runs in the third inning and four more in the sixth. A three-run homer by Sydni Williams capped the four-run sixth and gave Cowley a 6-3 lead. The homer was the first of the season for Williams.

However, Highland's Dakota Miller homered off Lady Tiger starting pitcher Ashlynn Mercer to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of the seventh inning.

The score would remain tied until the bottom of the ninth inning when freshman Payton Schoenfeld singled home pinch runner Brylea Teufel with the winning run.

Mercer struck out nine as she went the distance in game two. Mercer, who is now 9-2 on the season, has struck out 24 batters in her past two starts.

Williams was one of six Lady Tigers to have two hits in the nightcap as Cowley out-hit Highland 14-8.

Cowley is now 22-8 overall and atop the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division standings with a conference record of 10-8. Highland moves to 23-5 overall and 8-2 in the Jayhawk East.

Cowley will remain home to play a doubleheader against Coffeyville Community College Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Coffeyville is 5-15 overall and 4-8 in the Jayhawk East.

Score by inning:

Game one                      R H E

Highland 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 – 6 6 1

Cowley    1 0 0 1 2 0 0 – 4 8 1

Game two                             R H E

Highland 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 – 6 8 0

Cowley     0 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 1 – 7 14 1