Cowley softball gets back on track, wins three of four at Branson Tourney

Cowley (8-10) opened play on Friday with a 7-3 win over St. Louis Community College before defeating No. 21-ranked Parkland College 5-1. The Lady Tigers returned to the field on Saturday and took down No. 18 North Iowa Area Community College 7-6 before falling 10-2 against 7^th-ranked Kirkwood Community College.

"We played much better team ball than we had been playing," Cowley head coach Jenny Hoyt said.

Against St. Louis, Cowley scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back in the 7-3 win. Carsen Carpenter led the Tigers' 10-hit attack by going 2-for-4 with two runs batted in. Dacey Morris shone on the mound and at the plate. Morris went the distance on the mound, allowing six hits and three runs, while going 2-for-4 with a run batted in out of the leadoff spot.

Cowley got another strong outing from Hannah Howard in the Tigers' 5-1 win over Parkland. Howard (2-1) allowed one run on seven hits, while striking out three and walking none in the complete game victory.

Cowley managed only four hits in the win, and they were led by Carpenter's two-run double.

On Saturday, Cowley scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to walk off with a 7-6 victory over North Iowa Area CC.

Cowley sophomore Taverli Tennant hit her team-leading fifth home run and finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Howard added a pair of hits and two runs driven in.

Morris (4-4) again earned the win, allowing eight hits and four earned runs in seven innings of work.

However, Kirkwood quickly took the suspense out of Cowley's final game of the tournament as the Eagles scored seven runs off Tiger starter Madison Baker (1-2) in the first inning and went on to the 10-2, five-inning run-rule win.

Kirkwood's Libby Trewin improved her record to 8-2 by allowing three hits and two runs in five innings. Howard drove in both runs for the Tigers in the defeat.

Cowley will return home to face Dodge City in a doubleheader on Monday, March 9, at 1 p.m. The Conquistadors (14-6) have won eight games in a row and are 2-0 in the Jayhawk West.

Score by inning:

Game one                      R H E

Cowley   4 1 0 0 2 0 0 – 7 10 0

St. Louis 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 – 3 6 0

Game two                      R H E

Parkland 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 – 1 7 0

Cowley    0 2 0 1 2 0 x – 5 4 1

Game three                   R H E

N. Iowa 0 1 0 0 2 1 2 – 6 8 2

Cowley  2 0 0 1 1 1 2 – 7 10 2

Game four                 R H E

Cowley     0 0 0 2 0 – 2 3 1

Kirkwood 7 1 1 0 1 – 10 8 0