Cougars split pair in Bowling Green; beat Logan County 5-4, lose to Greenwood, 9-7

mikayla-rbi-2
mikayla-rbi-2

Grayson County’s softball teams split a pair of games on a warm, sunny Saturday in a round robin affair with the host Greenwood Gators and the Logan County Cougars.

In the first game, the Cougars scored twice in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie and they held on to take a 5-4 win over Logan County.

In the second game, Greenwood broke a 7-7 tie with two runs in their seventh inning to down the Cougars 9-7. Grayson County is now 6-5 on the season.

Logan County

The Cougars jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage in the first inning. Kenzie Renfrow singled into left, and when the ball got by leftfielder Shaina Johnson, Renfrow cruised into second. Embry Thorpe followed with a single up the middle to plate Renfrow, and when Maddie Duvall doubled to the gap in left-center, Shelbi Fisher, who had entered as a courtesy runner for Thorpe, scored to make it 2-0.

Logan County tied things with a pair of runs in the second inning. They loaded the bases with one out when a double by centerfielder K. T. Page plated two runs. Thorpe then struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

Logan took a one-run lead in the fourth. A pair of singles put a runner in scoring position with two outs before Abby Candler singled to bring home the run. A passed ball put runners at second and third, but Thorpe struck out Rosie Kerchinski to end the inning.

Grayson County tied it at 3-3 with a run in the fifth inning. Thorpe singled and was replaced on the bases again by Fisher, who moved to second on a single by Maddie Duvall. Bailey Snyder followed by ripping a line drive which was snared at third by Paige Van Zant. When Van Zant tried for the double play at second, her throw was wild and Fisher advanced to third. Mikayla Clark followed with a single that plated Fisher to make it 3-3.

The Cougars scored a pair of unearned runs after two were out in the top of the seventh to go in front 5-3. With two outs, Bailey Snyder lofted a high, lazy fly into left field which was dropped there by Johnson, allowing Snyder to reach second base.

Clark then beat out an infield hit, and when the throw to first got away, Snyder scored to put the Cougars in front 4-3. O’Neal beat out an infield hit to put runners at first and third before Rachel Snyder singled into right to bring in Clark to make it 5-3.

Logan County made things interesting in their final at bat, scoring a run on an error and three singles. They had the winning runs in scoring position with two outs, but Thorpe struck out Kerchenski to end the game.

Greenwood

Though they were playing at Greenwood, the Cougars were the home team in this contest, and the Gators wasted no time in getting to Mikayla Clark, who started in the circle for the Cougars. A walk, followed by a single, a double and a triple plated three runs before Clark retired the next two batters.

But the Cougars got those runs back plus one more against Greenwood starter Madison Thomas, who walked Renfrow leading off, then hit Thorpe and Duvall with pitches to load the bases. Thomas then walked Bailey Snyder to drive in the Cougars’ first run. Clark followed with a bases-clearing triple to put the Cougars in front 4-3 and end Thomas’ day without retiring a single batter.

The Gators replaced Thomas with Allie Bush and she retired the side without further damage.

The Cougars made it 5-3 with another run in the second inning. Renfrow left off with a bunt single. Thorpe followed with a sacrifice bunt, and when second baseman Tori Dyer dropped the throw at first, Thorpe was safe and Renfrow moved into third. Duvall then singled to left to bring in Renfrow to make it 5-3.

Clark ran into trouble in the third inning, when four Greenwood hits and a Cougar error led to four runs and a 7-5 Gator lead.

But the Cougars answered back in the fourth to tie things once more at 7-7. Thorpe led off with a double down the line in left and was replaced on the bases by Jenna Nash. With one out, Nash moved to third on a single by Bailey Snyder, then scored on a single by Clark. O’Neal followed with a looping single into left that scored Snyder to knot the score once more.

The Gators took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the seventh. Makayla Steward led off with a single before Lydia Kirby laid down a sacrifice bunt. When Thorpe’s throw to first wound up in the Cougar dugout, the runners advanced to second and third.

Dyer followed with a fly ball into left that plated the go-ahead run before Kirsten Merritt beat out an infield hit to supply the second run.

Needing a pair of runs to keep the game alive, the Cougars went quietly, 1-2-3 in the seventh to end the game.

By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com

Shelbi Fisher crossed the plate following
a fifth-inning, Mikayla Clark single against Logan County.