Seward Softball Drops Three On Opening Day

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Seward County softball team started their 2019 season at the Cowtown Classic on Friday, losing three games.  They fell to Laredo 10-0 in the first game, before losing to Ranger 11-5 and Coastal Bend 5-1.

SEWARD COUNTY VS LAREDO RECAP

Sophomore Jordan Cordrey pitched all five innings in the run-rule loss to Laredo, allowing 10 runs off 13 hits, while striking out three batters.

It was a tough first game of the season for Seward, coming away with just three hits as a team.  Miranda Nester, Alyssah Pontoja and Cordrey all reached base off hits.

After retiring the side in the first inning, it appeared Cordrey would get through the second without any runs allowed as well. However, with a runner on first with two outs, Cordrey hit the batter to put runners on first and second. A single drove in the first Laredo run, before a walk loaded the bases. A Laredo double, followed by a Seward error, put the score at 4-0 before a pop out could end the inning.

Laredo got on board again in the top of the fourth with a two-out double through the left side of the infield to drive in two runs and push the lead to six.

The lead grew to ten in the top of the fifth.  Laredo began the inning with a single and back-to-back doubles to make it 8-0.  The next batter walked, followed by four batters reaching base to make it 10-0.

Seward had one last chance to extend the game and prevent the run rule, but three straight groundouts ended the game for the Lady Saints.

SEWARD COUNTY VS RANGER RECAP

Corrina Porras started in the circle for the Lady Saints, pitching 4.1 innings, while giving up six runs off five hits.  Alyssah Pontoja came in for relief, giving up five runs off five hits in 2.2 innings pitched.  Though 11 runs were given up, only five were earned between Porras and Pontoja.

Seward finished with five hits with Miranda Nester, Alyssah Pontoja, Cassandra Esquibel, Jordan Cordrey and Ashlee Oritz each coming away with one. Nester and Pontoja led the Lady Saints with two RBI each.

Ranger got on the board first in the second inning.  With two outs and two on, a muffed fly ball to right field allowed the first two runs to score before Ranger stole home to make it 3-0.

After the Lady Saints failed to reach base in either the second or third inning, Ranger led off the fourth with a solo shot to left field.  The top of the fifth was no kinder the Seward, starting off with two free bases for Ranger with a hit batter and a walk.  The next batter hit a double to push the lead to 6-0.

The Lady Saints finally had some good fortune swing their way in the bottom of the fifth.  With two outs and the bases loaded, an error by the third baseman allowed Cordrey to reach home safely to score the first run of the day for Seward.

Ranger put the game away in the seventh inning scoring four runs off four hits to push their lead to ten runs. Seward tried to attempt a late comeback, scoring four runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but a ground out to first base ended the game at 11-5.

SEWARD COUNTY VS COASTAL BEND RECAP

Jordan Cordrey (0-2) picked up her second start of the day in the final game, giving up five runs off seven hits in 4.1 innings pitched.  Alyssah Pontoja came in out of the bullpen to pitch 1.2 innings.

The Lady Saints finished with just two hits, coming off the bats of Jaci Oakley and Cordrey.  Cordrey also scored the lone run of the game for Seward, crossing home plate in the third inning.

Seward put the Cougars away in order in the first inning, but another strong second inning by the opponent put the Lady Saints in a hole.  A single and double put runners in scoring position, allowing for a sac fly for the Cougars before a line drive single to left field drove in the second run of the inning.

In the top of the third, Cordrey singled to short, reaching third base from a ground out and wild pitch, before crossing home plate from another errant Cougar pitch to make it 2-1.

Neither teams offense could get their bats going until Coastal Bend scored three in the bottom of the fifth.  A triple and single put runners on the corner for the Cougars before a double to center scored both runs.  Two batters later, a single drove in the fifth run of the game for Coastal Bend.

Seward managed just one base runner in the final two innings of the game, as the Cougars held on to win 5-1.

The Lady Saints will round out the Cowtown Classic tomorrow morning with games against Northern Oklahoma Enid (9 a.m.) and North Central Texas (11 a.m.).