Strong pitching efforts lead Lady Irish to close game wins over Cowgirls
The Chapman Lady Irish used strong pitching performances to win a pair of close scoring games over the Abilene Cowgirls on Tuesday evening.
The Lady Irish would rally to win the opening game 6-3 with a four-run bottom of the fourth inning. Starting sophomore pitcher Olivia Harold would earn the win by pitching the complete game. Chapman would then win the second game of the double header 4-2 as starting senior pitcher Kaylee Livingston pitched four solid complete innings before Harold returned in game two to close out the game for the save. Despite losing both games, Abilene also got solid pitching performance in both games from senior KaiLee Crane in the opener, and junior Charlie Elliott in the second game.
Game 1
Chapman 6, Abilene 3
Chapman's Olivia Harold earned the 6-3 complete game victory over the visiting Cowgirls in the opener. Harold would throw 77 of her 104 pitches for strikes in the game. The Lady Irish offensively got what they needed when it counted as sophomore Kennedy Scholz would lead the team with a four hit performance including a Home Run on their first at bat of the game. Harold also helped herself earn the win with her own solo Home Run in the game.
Chapman grabed a 2-0 early lead in the bottom of the first inning with the pair of solo Home Runs by Scholz and Harold. Abilene then answered and took a 3-2 lead in the top of the third inning. Three consecutive singles by Zoey Bruggman, Josie Keener, and Breckynn Cossel would lead to the first run aided by a fielding error by the Lady Irish. The Cowgirls would then be gifted their second run and tie the game on a recorded wild pitch. Another fielding error by Chapman after a Charlie Elliott single would give Abilene a 3-2 lead after the top of the third inning.
The Lady Irish then answered and took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning by scoring the final four runs of the game. A Callie Cook two RBI single that scored Teagen Ellis and Kyah Bell would ultimately be the game winning hit that would give Chapman a 4-3 lead.
The final two runs would then be added as Kennedy Scholz connected on an RBI single, and Jacey Shippy singled in a run. Neither team would score the remainder of the game, and the Lady Irish secured the 6-3 victory.
Despite the loss, Abilene senior pitcher KaiLee Crane gave a solid effort on the mound and kept the Cowgirls within games reach. Abilene, with the loss fell to 5-16 on the season, while Chapman improved to 17-4.
Abilene 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3-6-3
CHS 2 0 0 4 0 0 x 6-10-2
WP: Olivia Harold
LP: KaiLee Crane
2B: Brooks
HR: Scholz, Harold
TB: Nichols 1, Keener 1, Brooks 3, Bruggman 1, Cossel 1; Leighty 1, Scholz 7, Cook 1, Bell 1, Harold 4, Peyerson 1, Shippy 1.
SB: Cossel; Bell, Peterson 2.
Abilene Pitcher
K.Crane: 6IP, 10H, 6R, 4ER, 2BB, 4KO
Chapman Pitcher
O. Harold 7IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 12KO,
Game 2
Chapman 4, Abilene 2
In what was another low scoring, tight game, the Chapman Lady Irish used a combination of pitching performances from starter Kaylee Livingston who pitched four complete innings, and reliever Olivia Harold to hold on for a 4-2 win over Abilene.
Chapman would score all four of their runs in the game in the first inning. Cowgirls starting pitcher Charlie Elliott gave her team every opportunity to stay in the game as she settled in after the first inning and shut down Chapman with five scoreless innings to close the game.
Abilene would score early and take a 1-0 lead, as lead off hitter Charlie Elliott would single, work herself around the bases and score after a Josie Keener RBI groundout.
The Lady Irish then answered and scored all four of their game's runs in the bottom half of the first inning. Jai Rogers would tie the game 1-1 with an RBI single that would score Kennedy Scholz. They then would score the next three runs with two outs in the inning beginning with Rogers scoring on a passed ball giving them a 2-1 lead. Senior Zoey Peterson would then drive in a run on a RBI double, and later score herself on a wild pitch that would give Chapman a 4-1 lead after the first inning.
Nearly dominant pitching from both sides would be the story of the remainder of the game. The only run scored by either in the final six innings would be Abilene scoring a single run in the top of the fifth inning on a fielder's choice hit by Lizzie Brooks that finalized the 4-2 score.
Abilene with the loss fell to 5-17 on the season and are scheduled to wrap up regular season play at Wamego on Friday. Chapman, with the win, improved to 18-4 on the season and continues to sit near the top of the 4A West Division playoff standings.
Abilene 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 -2-7-0
CHS 4 0 0 0 0 0 x - 4-7-0
WP: Kaylee Livingston
LP: Charlie Elliott
SV: Olivia Harold
2B: Peterson
TB: Crane 1, Cossel 1, Elliott 2, Brooks 1, Nichols 1; Acholz 1, Rogers 1, Ellis 2, Martinez 1, Peterson 4.
HBP: Nichols
SB: Scholz, Rogers, Ellis, Peterson
Abilene Pitching
Elliott: 6IP, 7H, 4R, 3ER, 0BB, 1KO
Chapman Pitching
K. Livingston 4IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 2KO
O. Harold 3IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 5KO
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