After ending a long losing streak to 13th-District rivals Logan County in the teams’ first meeting this season, the Todd County Central softball team found out on Tuesday that the Lady Cougars aren’t quite ready to pass the torch.
The Lady Rebels ended a 15-game slide against Logan County with a 6-4 victory in early April to hand the Lady Cougars their only district defeat. However, after Tuesday’s 15-1 setback, Todd Central ends its district slate at 1-5 while remaining just above .500 at 14-13 overall.
The rematch was shaping up as a pitchers’ duel, with the game scoreless through the first four frames. Todd Central’s Abby McPherson had only allowed four hits until the Lady Cougars used an error, a single, and an RBI double by Nora Epley to take the lead with no outs in the 5th.
Logan County then blew the game open in its next at-bat, with RBI doubles by Natalie Cates and Epley, and a two-run home run by Emerson McKinnis doing the damage in a six-run 6th.
The bright spot at the plate for the Lady Rebels came in the bottom of the 6th on a solo home run by McPherson, her seventh of the season.
The Lady Cougars kept their foot on the gas with seven more runs in their last at-bat. Epley added her third hit and fifth RBI on a single, Trinity Case doubled in a run, and the Lady Rebels committed the last of five errors to allow the final run to score.
Hailey Burgess had three hits and an RBI for the Lady Cougars, Kinley Hollowell collected three hits, and McKinnis finished two for three with three runs driven in.
Shayla Johnson went the distance to earn the win in the circle for Logan County, scattering four hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts.
The Lady Cougars won for the fifth time in six outings to improve to 14-9, 4-1 in district play.
