NEVADA, MO.- The Cottey College softball program responded to its first three game losing streak in over two years in a big way on Sunday afternoon with a sweep over Missouri Valley College.
GAME ONE:
Lacey Cruz (FR/Osh Kosh, WI.) set the tone by striking out two batters in the top of the first setting the Vikings down in order. Maya Desota (FR/Long Beach, CA.) started off the game with a single and a stolen base and Karina Ramirez (FR/Buckeye, AZ.) followed with a walk and a stolen base of her own. Aryana Palencia (FR/Phoenix, AZ.) pounded a double off the left field wall and Diona Perkins (SO/Fort Smith, AR.) crushed a laser to left to plate two giving the Comets a five run first.
Madison Finley (SR/Papillion, NE.) launched a solo homerun to deep centerfield to get the Vikings on the board in the second. The Comets responded with three more runs in the bottom half including a two-run double off the bat of Katie Fernandez (JR/Queen Creek, AZ.) to center field.
The Vikings mustered one in the third on a Viviana Gamez (FR/Newark, CA.) double, but that would be all they could tally in game one. The Comets, leading 8-2, added two more in the third on a two-run double by Ramirez to increase their lead. Cottey added to their cushion with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a Lindsey Boord (JR/Kansas City, MO.) fielder's choice and an RBI single by Melina Bueno (FR/Avondale, AZ.).
Cruz went the distance giving up two runs on four hits and struck out five Vikings. She improved to 7-1 on the year while chipping in two RBI at the plate. Kaitlyn Marsh (JR/Oak Grove, MO.) took the loss for Missouri Valley and fell to 2-2 on the season.
GAME TWO:
The Comets kept the offensive onslaught going in the first inning to open up with a two-run lead with some outstanding baserunning by Ramirez and Palencia. Both teams traded empty innings in the second before Missouri Valley stunned the Comets with a four spot in the top of the third. The Vikings tallied 4 hits and forced an error with the first five batters of the inning to open up a 4-2 lead. Madison Alexander (SO/Louisville, KY.) delivered the biggest blow of the inning with a two-run single.
Facing their first deficit of the day, Cottey tied it up in the bottom half of the inning. Lauren Johnson (FR/Lockport, IL.) led off the inning on an 0-1 pitch with a solo homerun to deep center field and Rayne Wright (SR/Wellsville, KS.) came around to score on an Alyssa Montoya (FR/Del Valle, TX.) RBI single to center.
The Comets busted the game open in the fourth with nine runs on seven hits to chase Vikings starter Paige Rademann (FR/Eugene, MO.) from the game. Fernandez had a two RBI single, Johnson had an RBI double, and DeSota launched her first career homerun to cap off the nine-run outburst.
The Vikings didn't go quietly and responded with three runs in the top of the fifth on a three-run homer off the bat of Finley. The Vikings tried to rally in the seventh down 13-7 and were able to muster two off of Cruz in relief, but fell short with a final score of 13-9.
Alyssa Montoya notched the win and improved to 4-2 on the year while Rademann took her first loss to fall to 2-1.
UP NEXT:
Cottey will begin an extended break with midterms in the week ahead which is capped off with another week of spring break. The Comets will return to action on the road in sunny Myrtle Beach where they will play eight games in 5 days against NAIA and NCAA opponents on March 17th.
