Lady Cougars fall to Kansas at home

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August 17, 2009

By CHRIS AUGERHOLE

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — The Keys Lady Cougar fastpitch softball team fell to 3-3 on the season on Monday after losing to the Lady Comets of Kansas 4-0.

Coming off a big win against 6A Jenks, the Lady Cougars again received a solid pitching performance from senior Crystal Manus, but the bats struggled mightily against the Kansas pitching.

Kansas took the lead in the top of the second inning off three singles from the Lady Comets’ bats. However with two runners still on, Manus struck out two consecutive batters to end the Kansas threat.

The Lady Cougars picked up their first hit off the bat of sophomore CJ Alsenay. The Kansas pitcher then struck out the side to end any rally the Lady Cougars planned.

“There pitcher was really hitting her spots today, moving (pitches) in and out, and just didn’t make many mistakes,” said head coach Mack Chambers.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Lady Comets struck again by way of three straight singles to take a 2-0 lead. Manus again stranded two runners, inducing a short pop out to left and striking out her third batter of the evening.

Kansas scored again in the next inning, leaving the Lady Cougars trailing after the top of the fifth.

In the bottom half of the fifth, the Lady Cougars received back-to-back singles from juniors Whitney Ballew and Jami Guthrie, but were left stranded on base when the Kansas pitcher picked up her seventh strikeout of the day.

The Lady Comets added a run in the top of the seventh, while Keys managed no more base runners after the fifth.

“We have to eliminate our mental mistakes, but I was really proud of out defense today,” said Chambers. “We have to really focus on getting better all around, but the girls now have to prepare for Sequoyah and come out and let them know this isn’t the team they have played in the past.”

The Lady Cougars will play Sequoyah on Wednesday in Keys.

The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.