It was another exciting night on Wednesday when the Cowboy softball team split games with the Delta Panthers. In game one Brea Garcia got the start on the mound and had a quick inning with two pop fly outs and a ground ball out for the third out, allowing no runs. Miah Wren started off the first inning strong by getting on base and then stealing all the way home as Ryann Mergelman walked and eventually scored from a single by Jade Miller.
A solid performance by the Cowboys led them to a 14-9 win in the first of two games against Delta. Above, Athena Lyon. | TIFFANY JEHOREK PHOTO
“Brea continued her great pitching in the second inning grabbing two strikeouts and then a great play by the third baseman Miller for the third out,” commented head coach Kendal Bergman.
The bats continued with Mergelman hitting a two out single up the middle followed by a double from Reagan Hafey. The Panthers crept in and tied the game four to four in the fourth inning and even pulled ahead by one run in the fifth. The Cowboys didn’t lose faith and kept fighting to win the game 14-9.
“We had a lot of great performances,” began Bergman,”they included Reagan continuing her hit streak throughout the game, two solid doubles from Athena Lyon, RBIs from Emma Bauer, Wren, and Kastyn Dembowski helped add more runs for the home team, and a combined pitching effort from Garcia and Hafey.”
Meeker didn’t come away with the win in the second game but never gave up and fought until the end. They started strong with Hafey on the mound and followed up with Wren singling up the middle as lead off who then scored from a single by Hafey. Wren’s score was followed by another impressive double by Lyon to score Hafey. The next inning, both Vivian Brown and Dylan Herndon had hits to keep the momentum going for the Cowboys. Mergelman, Hafey, Lyon, and Brown each had at bats in the third inning producing runs. Combined hits and solid defense had the cowboys competing with Delta the entire game.
“The team has really come together and found their stride, we are very excited to finish league competition strong and set our sights on the postseason,” said Bergman.
After three reschedules the Cowboys were able to play their final home game of the year Monday when they hosted Aspen. A dominating win 15-0, Addie Knowles took the mound and the win. The bats were alive on offense with contribution from the whole bench.
Monday was also senior parent night for the three seniors on the team. Craig’s Herndon, daughter of Cary Herndon and Debbie Herndon, Garcia daughter of Stan Garcia and Amber Garcia, and Reagan Hafey daughter of Amy Hafey.
This weekend the team slows down a bit with only two games, a double header in Cedaredge on Saturday. These are the final two games before regionals, which will begin on Oct. 15. The top 32 teams make it to regionals, with the top eight teams hosting three additional teams on the road to state. Currently the Cowboys are ranked 22 and will need one win in regionals to make it to state.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK – Special to the Herald Times
