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Bison softball girls beaten by Cozad
The official softball season count reads Cozad 1, McCook 0, but the series is probably just getting started.
The Bison girls dropped a 7-2 decision to Cozad in softball action at the Jaycees Sports Complex Tuesday, Aug. 31. Tuesday's game is likely the first of several meetings between the two squads this fall.
An enthusiastic crowd of several hundred softball fans crowded around the Jaycees Complex diamond to watch Tuesday's contest. What they witnessed was a solid pitching performance by Cozad senior Carly Henry.
McCook head coach Jason Cochran credited Henry with a strong effort, but he thought his team might have gotten a little too fired up for the game.
"I think we were a little too 'amped' for the game," Cochran said. "We were attacking a little too hard. We didn't let the game come to us like we have, and relax and play the game."
The Bison coach said Henry threw strikes all evening, "just like a pitching machine," he said, and Cochran felt his team should have been able to get to Henry.
"When she got that first strike on you, she started climbing the ladder, so she did a nice job," Cochran said.
Only four hits
The Bison managed just four hits in Tuesday's game, including two in their final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kelsey Gillen had a pair of hits, including a double plus a single in the seventh following Erin Premer's leadoff double off the left-field fence. The final McCook threat was dashed with a pair of pop-outs and a ground out to end the game.
Costly errors
McCook struggled a bit again in the field with six errors, as only three of Cozad's seven runs were earned.
"One error an inning just hurt us," Cochran said. "I think were were just attacking too hard and not making the play. We'll be there in the end. You have to learn from it and overcome it, and we'll definitely see them again."
The Bison might face Cozad against Saturday, Sept. 4, in the McCook Invitational. The teams will be on opposite sides of the bracket, meaning they could not meet until the finals.
The two teams will also compete in tournament action at North Platte later this season, plus both McCook and Cozad with both enter the Class B-6 District Tournament at Scottsbluff Oct. 7-8.
Gillen went the distance pitching for the Bison. Kelsey allowed eight hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
With the two teams likely to play again this fall, Coach Cochran isn't putting too much stock in Tuesday's loss.
"One game doesn't mean much. They've got our number right now, but we'll change that," he said. "We just need to relax and hit just like we did there with a few at the end (seventh inning) -- we need to string them together. We can't give up the errors and let them score easy runs on us.
"We were playing in front of a couple hundred people, and maybe being at home, seeing all the people -- it was great to see them there -- and we were just a little too stoked. We just need to settle down and play our ball."
Four more games this week
Cochran's team will have a quick opportunity to get back in the saddle with a trip to Holdrege Thursday, Sept. 2. The Bison and Holdrege junior varsity will square off at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity contest at approximately 6:30 p.m.
McCook, 4-4, is guaranteed three games in the eight-team Bison tournament Saturday at the Jaycees Complex. Cozad and Holdrege will join McCook in the tourney field, along with Alliance, Chadron, Gering, Gothenburg North Platte.
The Bison will face Chadron in first-round action Saturday at 9 a.m. on the southeast field at the Jaycees Complex.
Cochran said his team has to refocus with the challenge of four more games on tap this week. The Bison also played seven games last week to start the season.
"We've got four more games this week. We had a rough week last week," Cochran said. "It's a grueling season and you don't have time to think, you've just got to go, go, go. We'll get back on track."
Junior varsity results
The McCook junior varsity squad dropped a 4-3 decision to Cozad in action earlier Tuesday. The visitors scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning for what proved to be the winning runs.
The Bison reserves outhit Cozad 5-4 but the locals committed four errors.
Ali Sheets started and went four innings, allowing all four runs (no earned), on three hits with five walks and three strikeouts. Maddie Elder pitched the final inning, giving up no runs and no hits.
Sam Kalinski had two hits and scored a run for the Bison JV. Rachel Leitner hit a home run and drove in two runs, and Marisa Esch also had an RBI. Maddie Elder also hit a double for McCook, and Tricia Mitnik also had a single.