Lady Tiger softball avenges earlier losses to Rose State

Pounding out 27 hits in its doubleheader at Rose State College Sunday in Midwest City, OK, the Cowley College softball team avenged a pair of earlier season losses against Rose State by sweeping a doubleheader against the Raiders by scores of 5-3 and 13-10.

After a rough start to the season, Cowley has rattled off four straight wins to improve its record to 8-11.

In Sunday's opener, Cowley rallied from an early 3-0 deficit by scoring two runs in the fourth inning and going ahead 4-3 thanks to a two-run double by Maci Cole in the top of the fifth. Cole would come around to score Cowley's fifth run on a double by centerfielder Shayne Roberts.

Lady Tiger starting pitcher Saige Smith struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh inning as she allowed only four hits and three runs while striking out eight.

Cowley's top four hitters in the lineup had two hits apiece.

In the nightcap, Cowley led 7-0 and 9-4 before the Raiders rallied to lead 10-9 thanks to a six-run fourth inning. However, the Lady Tigers responded with five hits and three runs in the top of the fifth inning and tacked on an insurance run in the seventh to lead 13-10.

Smith (4-5) came on in relief for Cowley and pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit to go along with six strikeouts and no walks.

"Saige gave us a very strong outing, starting game one and then to come in for relief in game two," Cowley head coach Jenny Hoyt said. "Her and Aaliyah (Ahmed) did a great job working together in the battery position. It was good to see her have a strong outing against a team that we didn't get the job done prior to."

Cherokee Hibbs led Cowley's 17-hit attack by going 4-for-5, while Roberts went 3-for-4.

"Offensively, we had a couple of players with really good days," Hoyt said. "Cherokee Hibbs, Kyla Bonnarens, and Tye North each had some big at-bats on the day when we needed to score runs."

Rose State is now 9-7 on the season.

Cowley will return home to face Pratt Community College Tuesday in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The Beavers are 1-11 on the season.

Score by inning:

Game one                        R H E

Cowley     0 0 0 2 3 0 0 – 5 10 2

Rose State 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 – 3 4 2

Game two                         R H E

Cowley     1 3 3 2 3 0 1 – 13 17 3

Rose State 0 0 4 6 0 0 0 – 10 7 3