The Cougar softball team continued its fine play Thursday evening as they handed the visiting Hancock County Hornets a 3-2 loss at the Cougar Softball Field.
The Hornets came into this game with 14 wins, second behind only Ohio County’s 16 wins in the 3rd Region. The Cougars won for the third straight time and it was their eighth win in their last 11 games. Freshman Rachel Snyder drove in what turned out to be the deciding run with a sixth-inning triple.
Junior Embry Thorpe was the winning pitcher, going seven dominating innings, allowing eight hits while striking out six. From the second inning through the sixth, Thorpe retired 13 of the 14 batters she faced, the only base-runner coming in the fourth on a leadoff single by Jayda Garrison.
As they have been doing with surprising frequency lately, the Cougars started off strongly by putting runs on the board in the first inning. Kenzie Renfrow singled leading off the inning, then stole second base. When the throw from catcher Paige Martin glanced off the glove of shortstop Shelby Harpenau, Renfrow advanced to third on the error.
Thorpe followed with a single up the middle to plate Renfrow and Thorpe was replaced on the bases by America Jarboe. Maddie Duvall was safe on another Harpenau error, before Bailey Snyder advanced both runners with an infield out.
Mikayla Clark followed with another ground out, but Jarboe was able to score on the play to make it 2-0.
The Hornets scored a run in the top of the second. Jasmine James singled leading off and moved to second on a one-out, infield single by Harpenau. Designated player, Haley McFarling followed with a single to right that first baseman Gracie Franklin just missed snaring. James came around to score on the hit, making it 2-1.
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when the Cougars pushed across the vital run. Bailey Snyder led off with an infield single. Clark popped up for the first out of the inning, bringing up Rachel Snyder. Down two strikes, Snyder laced a low fastball down the line in left which rolled all the way to the fence. Bailey Snyder scored easily to make it 3-1 as Rachel Snyder slid safely into third with the triple.
That run turned out to be crucial as the Hornets started a rally in their final at bats. Three singles loaded the bases with just one out for Martin, who singled into the hole at short to drive in a run to make it 3-2.
That turned the lineup over to the top of the order, but Thorpe regained control of the situation, striking out Hallie Singleton for the second out before getting Brailey Roberts to pop up for the final out.
With the win, the Cougars move to 9-6 for the season.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
Rachel Snyder ripped this pitch into the leftfield corner
for a triple that plated the deciding run in the sixth inning.
