Lady Tiger softball team goes 1-3 in Texas

Playing a pair of NJCAA Division I squads on Saturday and Sunday in Temple, TX, the NJCAA Division II No. 20-ranked Cowley College softball team went 1-3.

On Saturday, Cowley played No. 4-ranked Odessa College. The Lady Tigers were shut out in the opener by a score of 7-0 before defeating Odessa 10-4 in game two.

Mikah Vann took the loss in game one, while Paige Scanlin had two of Cowley's five hits. In game two, Emily Louderback went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored, and three runs batted in. Jamie Molina also played well as she went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in.

Jaiden Swanson went the distance on the mound. Swanson allowed seven hits and three runs while striking out five and walking five.

"I knew going into this weekend we were going to be challenged and have to play well on both sides of the ball to come out on top," Cowley head coach Jenny Hoyt said. "Odessa was a tough opener on the weekend. I didn't think we showed we were ready to compete and play in game one. But, I thought in game two, we settled in and played great offensively and defensively."

On Sunday, Cowley lost a doubleheader against Temple College by scores of 12-4 and 8-3. The Lady Tigers are now 14-7 on the season.

"In the Temple games, we had a couple of chances to score more runs but just didn't execute, and when you're going up against a team like Temple and Odessa, any chance you get runners in scoring position, we need to capitalize," Hoyt said.

In the first game against Temple, Swanson allowed 12 hits and 12 runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched as she fell to 6-3 on the season. Shayne Roberts homered and drove in two in the loss, while Temple's Adelyn Becerra went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five runs batted in.

In the finale, Cowley held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 before Temple rallied for the 8-3 win. Mikah Vann (6-3) took the loss for Cowley, allowing nine hits and eight runs in six innings pitched. Haley Crawford started on the mound for Temple and improved her record to 12-0 by allowing four hits and two runs in three innings pitched.

Molina had two of the Lady Tigers' six hits, and Roberts drove in two.

"Overall, these games provided a good test for us," Hoyt said. "We need to be challenged and learn to play up to our full potential."

Cowley will have a week off before hosting Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa in a doubleheader on Monday, March 4, beginning at 1 p.m.

"We have a good enough group that can compete and play at a high caliber; we just need to find a way to be consistent at playing at that level," Hoyt said.

Score by inning:

Game one                   R H E

Cowley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 5 3

Odessa 2 0 3 1 1 0 X – 7 11 1

Game two                    R H E

Odessa 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 – 4 7 1

Cowley 0 0 4 5 1 0 X – 10 13 0

Game three           R H E

Cowley 0 0 2 0 2 – 4 9 5

Temple 8 2 2 0 X – 12 14 3

Game four                   R H E

Cowley 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 – 3 6 1

Temple 0 2 2 0 4 0 X – 8 9 1