Hovpensports.com - Tigers suffer first conference loss at Labette

March 19, 2013

Rama Peroo, CCC-SID
Special to Hovpensports.com

Facing a tough Labette Community College squad Saturday in Parsons, the No. 3-ranked Cowley College softball team came away with a split of the doubleheader.

After losing the first game by a score of 4-2, Cowley came back to win the second game 3-2. The Lady Tigers are now 20-5 overall and 7-1 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. Labette (11-11) moves to 8-2 in the conference, while No. 18-ranked Highland Community College is the lone remaining unbeaten team in conference play with a record of 6-0.

"We always go into doubleheaders expecting to sweep, but under the circumstances of losing the first game I was a lot more satisfied with getting a split," Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove said.

In the opener, Labette's Emilee Vance went 3-for-3 with three home runs off Lady Tiger starting pitcher Keelyn Bonar (8-3). Jessica O'Daniel added a solo homerun as Labette hit four homers in the game.

Cowley wasted scoring opportunities in the first and third innings as they had runners at second and third with nobody out in the first inning but were unable to score, and had the bases loaded with nobody out in the third but came up empty.

Taylor Kemp scattered 10 hits over seven innings to earn the win for Labette. Lady Tiger sophomore Haley Strawn had three hits in the defeat.

In the nightcap, Cowley trailed 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning before freshman Rondeci Oliver smacked a two-run triple to score Stephanie Couser and Austen Hilt with the go-ahead runs.

Oliver walked leading off the seventh inning and gave way to pinch runner Emily Davis, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and raced home to score on a bunt single by Shelby Smith.

Labette got a single by O'Daniel and a run scoring double by Lauren Inman to cut Cowley's lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning. With a runner at second and nobody out, Cowley freshman Jessica Seay got the next three batters to ground out to preserve the 3-2 win.

Seay struck out eight as she improved her record to 11-0 on the season.

"We did not hit the ball well all day, so to have Jessica throw like that was big for us," Hargrove said.

Couser had two of Cowley's five hits in the win and went 4-for-6 in the doubleheader.

Cowley will play a doubleheader against the Friends University JV today at 1 p.m. in Wichita.

"It is an opportunity for us to hopefully get a couple wins and get some other players playing time," Hargrove said.

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