Posted: Apr 29, 2024

Lady Tiger softball team has a rough weekend

Entering play on Friday, the No. 17-ranked Cowley College softball team had won 16 games in a row and was 14-0 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. However, the Lady Tigers allowed No. 20-ranked Neosho County to hit 11 home runs in a split of a doubleheader Friday at home before going on the road and losing a pair of one-run games at Fort Scott on Saturday.

On Friday, Cowley rallied from an 8-1 deficit to walk off the Panthers 10-9 in game one. However, Neosho ended the Lady Tigers winning streak at 17 games with a 12-9 win in game two. Then, on Saturday, Cowley lost at Fort Scott by scores of 3-2 and 2-1, with both games ending on walk-off victories for the Greyhounds.

Cowley is now 38-13 overall and 15-3 in the Jayhawk East. The Lady Tigers now trail conference-leading Johnson County (14-2) and are only one game in front of Neosho County and Fort Scott for second place in the conference.

On Friday, Neosho County hit five home runs to lead game one of the doubleheader 8-1, entering the bottom of the sixth inning. However, Cowley got a grand slam from Harper Hancock and a three-run home run from Emily Louderback to tie the game at 8-8.

After the Panthers scratched across the go-ahead run off Lady Tiger reliever Jaiden Swanson in the top of the seventh inning, Cowley loaded the bases before back-to-back walks scored the tying and then winning runs.

Hancock and Louderback combined to drive in nine of the Lady Tigers' 10 runs in the come-from-behind victory.

It appeared Cowley might come from behind to win game two as well after the Lady Tigers rallied from a 6-1 deficit to lead 7-6 with a six-run third inning. But the Panthers broke an 8-8 tie by scoring a run in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh to win 12-9.

Mikah Vann, who allowed seven home runs in the doubleheader, suffered the loss for the Lady Tigers.

Louderback homered for the second straight game, while Jamie Molina and Lyric Perry also homered in the defeat.

Cowley returned to play on Saturday in Fort Scott and held leads entering the final inning of both games before watching the Lady Greyhounds rally to sweep the doubleheader.

The Lady Tigers led the first game 2-1 before Fort Scott scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 3-2. Mikah Vann (18-5) allowed nine hits and two earned runs in the defeat.

Fort Scott's Natalia Sewell (18-6) earned the win by scattering eight hits over seven innings.

Shayne Roberts led Cowley at the plate by going 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, while Kanon Goji added a pair of singles.

Cowley again led game two entering the final inning, this time by a score of 1-0. Again, Fort Scott scored a pair of runs and walked off the Lady Tigers 2-1.

Jaiden Swanson (18-7) allowed only three hits while taking the defeat.

Fort Scott's Maddy Cole (14-6) earned the win after allowing seven hits and one run in the complete game effort.

The Lady Tigers will face another challenging doubleheader when they host eighth-ranked Johnson County on Monday at 2 p.m. The Cavaliers have won nine games in a row and are 35-7 on the season.

Score by inning from Friday:

Game one R H E

Neosho 0 0 1 2 0 5 1 – 9 9 1

Cowley 0 0 1 0 0 7 2 – 10 7 4

Game two R H E

Neosho 2 0 4 1 1 1 3 – 12 7 2

Cowley 0 1 6 0 1 0 1 – 9 10 1

Score by inning from Saturday:

Game one R H E

Cowley 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 – 2 8 1

Ft. Scott 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 – 3 9 0

Game two R H E