Lady Tigers hit six home runs in doubleheader sweep of Dodge City
The Cowley College softball team nearly doubled its home run total on the season by blasting six homers in a doubleheader sweep of Dodge City on Monday at Ed Hargrove Field in Arkansas City, KS. The Lady Tigers got a walk-off home run from Taverli Tennant to win game one 5-3, and then cruised to a 14-7 win in the nightcap.
Cowley, winners of five of its past six games, improves to 10-10 on the season. Dodge City had its eight-game win streak snapped and fell to 14-8.
After hitting only seven home runs in the team's first 18 games, Cowley increased that total to 13 at the end of play on Monday.
In game one, Cowley trailed 3-0 before rallying for the win. Lady Tiger starting pitcher Dacey Morris allowed three runs in the game's first two innings, but shut down Dodge City's offense the remainder of the game. Thus, allowing Cowley to chip away at the deficit.
The Lady Tigers scored single runs in the second, third, and sixth innings off Dodge City starting pitcher Avery McCloskey to tie the game at 3-3.
After Morris retired the side in the top of the seventh, Cowley's Breanna Curry walked leading off the bottom of the seventh and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Camrea Riley. With Cowley slugger Taverli Tennant next to bat, the Dodge City pitching coach came out to visit with Conquistador reliever Jordyn Boxberger (3-3).
Instead of electing to intentionally walk Tennant with first base open, the Conquistadors decided to pitch to her. The decision backfired immediately as Tennant took the first pitch she saw and sent a laser over the leftfield fence for the two-run, walk-off homerun.
Tennant went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two runs batted in, and two stolen bases.
Morris improved her record to 5-4 in the complete game victory. Morris scattered nine hits while striking out four.
"I felt Dacey settled in after inning two and was tough through the rest of the game," Cowley head coach Jenny Hoyt said. "Our defense and pitching really kept us in the game. Bre Curry played outstanding in centerfield and took a lot of base hits away with her diving catches."
Tennant picked up where she left off in game two by belting another two-run homer in a four-run first inning. The homer was the seventh of the season for the right-hander.
"Taverli was a reliable bat all day and continues to be a threat at the plate and on the bases," Hoyt said.
The home runs continued to fly out of the stadium with Cowley's Hailee Scarborough and Carsen Carpenter each belting two home runs apiece. Carpenter added a double among her three hits and drove in seven of the Tigers' 14 runs. The homers were the first two of the season for Scarborough, while Carpenter now has four home runs and a team-high 21 runs batted in.
Eight of Cowley's 13 hits went for extra bases and helped aid Lady Tiger starting pitcher Hannah Howard, who went the distance on the mound. Howard (3-1) allowed 10 hits, but only three of the eight runs she allowed were earned as Cowley committed four errors.
"I really like how Hannah Howard pitched through some tough innings and didn't give up," Hoyt said. "She did a great job maintaining her composure and pushing through for us in the circle."
The Lady Tigers will look to continue their solid play when they host NJCAA Division 1 No. 17-ranked Seminole State in a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. The Trojans have won nine games in a row and are 15-3 on the season.
Score by inning:
Game one R H E
Dodge 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 – 3 9 1
Cowley 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 – 5 6
Game two R H E
Dodge 0 2 0 0 2 3 0 – 7 11 1
Cowley 4 0 5 0 2 3 x – 14 13 4
