Weather pushed back the Region 16 scheduled series between the top two teams in Region 16, but Sunday both teams braved sleet, snow and grey skies to spilt the opening doubleheader, as Cottey took game 1, 3-2 and the Archers bounced back for an 11-2 victory in the nightcap. The Archers are now 14-7 on the season.
Game 1
Both sides were quite until the sixth inning, when Morgan Moss broke a scoreless tie with a two run home run in the top of the sixth, driving home Anna Counts, who reached two batters earlier on a single. In the bottom of the sixth, Sarah Shepard looked to escape damage with a runner on second and two outs, but an error on the infield allowed Cottey to score their first run of the game and extend the inning. The next batter for Cottey drove a pitch over the centerfield fence to give Cottey the 3-2 advantage. Shepard took the tough luck loss in the circle, allowing only four hits and striking out three hitters in six innings pitched, to even her record up at 5-5. Moss led the Archers with two hits during the opener.
Game 2
Game two told a different story, as the Archers scored two runs in the top of the first on a two out, two RBI double from Kacy Bergfeld to jump out front early. Cottey managed to tie things up in the bottom half of the inning on a two run home run, but Hannah Marquardt settled in from that point, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out four batters to move to 7-1 on the year. STLCC saw five hitters record multiple hit games, as Sadiya Collins knocked out three hits, scored two runs and drove in three of her own, including her fourth home run of the year. Bergfeld had two hits, both doubles, and drove in four runs, while Anna Counts had two hits, scored two runs and drove in three as well, including a double while Sarah Goers had two hits and a double.
Both teams will wrap up their four game set on Monday afternoon in Nevada, as both teams are currently at top of the Region 16 standings at 5-1.