Lady Tiger softball team tripped up at Barton County

Cowley has dropped six games in a row to fall to 5-9 on the season. Barton improves to 8-8.

In game one, Cowley trailed 5-1 after one inning as Lady Tiger starting pitcher Hannah Howard recorded only one out before being relieved by Lauren Howerton (0-2), who came on to pitch 5 2/3 innings of solid relief to keep Cowley in the game.

Lady Tiger sophomore Gracy Smith's two-run single in the top of the third inning pulled Cowley to within 5-3.

After the teams traded runs in the fourth inning, Cowley went in front 7-6 with a three-run sixth inning that was capped by a run-scoring single by Taylor Clay.

However, Barton's Carly Erpelding homered to tie the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Cougars' Karter Alvord singled home Morgan Thatcher with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

"We fought back into the game, and then we played so reserved after taking the lead," Cowley head coach Jenny Hoyt said. "We have to carry that intensity and grit of that fight into all aspects of the game."

Sophomore Taverli Tennant tripled and went 2-for-3 with three runs scored in the defeat.

Barton's Erpelding and Alvord combined for six hits and five runs batted in, and Peyton McCormick (2-5) earned the win as she allowed three runs in three innings of relief.

In game two, Dacey Morris failed to record an out as she and Kylie Cartwright combined to allow nine first-inning runs.

Madison Baker came on to pitch the final three innings and allowed five hits and five earned runs.

"Our pitching could have been sharper throughout the day," Hoyt said. "We have to do a better job of hitting spots and moving the ball around in the zone."

Barton second baseman Mollie Steiner, who homered in the opener, went 3-for-4 with a home run, triple, four runs batted in, and three runs scored in game two. Erpelding added her fifth home run of the season in the victory.

Smith had two of the Tigers' four hits and finished 2-for-2 with a double and a run batted in.

Cowley will continue its tough stretch of games when it takes part in the Branson Tournament on Friday and Saturday in Branson, MO. The Lady Tigers will play St. Louis Community College on Friday at 10:30 a.m. before facing 21^st-ranked Parkland College at 12:30. Then, on Saturday, Cowley will play No. 18-ranked North Iowa Area Community College at 12:30 and No. 7-ranked Kirkwood Community College at 4:30.

"We are a competitive team, but we have to understand that just showing up isn't going to beat another competitive team," Hoyt said. "Our players have to want to be better than those they are going up against. That's the grit this team needs to have."

Score by inning:

Game one                    R H E

Cowley 1 0 2 1 0 3 0 – 7 8 0

Barton  5 0 0 1 0 1 1 – 8 12 1

Game two              R H E

Cowley 0 0 0 1 0 – 1 4 3

Barton  9 0 2 4 x – 15 12 1