Cozad downs Lexington at Cozad Haymaker softball invite (2024)

COZAD — The Cozad Haymaker softball team hosted an eight team tournament on Saturday at Bellamy Park.

The champion title went to Crete after a 10-0 win over O’Neill.

Cozad’s first game of the day was against Lexington.

The lady Makers came right out the gate with five runs in the top of the first inning.

Cozad pitcher Sara Howell picked up three straight strikeouts in the bottom of the first inning.

In the top of the second, Cozad forged ahead with three runs to take an 8-0 lead.

Lexington’s Kianna Clouse took a walk to first in the bottom of the second, but in Sophia Burns’ at bat, Clouse was picked off at second for the Makers’ first out.

Maid catcher Delilah Solis hit a high pop fly to Cozad shortstop Aubrey Hammerlun and the Makers got a double play as Hammerlun threw to first to get Burns out.

Cozad’s McKenzie Munster got a two RBI hit to Lexington’s Ashley Fago for the second out of the third inning, but gave the Makers a 10-run lead.

Fago brought in the third out on Kinley Armagost’s fly ball to left field.

Lexington needed to score in the bottom of the third, but the Cozad defense was there to pick apart the Maids.

Cozad scored one run in the top of the fourth.

The Minutemaids had two runners on base after Madysen Wolfe was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth.

Clouse’s pop fly was caught in foul territory by Cozad’s Brittlin Bussinger for the first out.

Cozad got a double play after Burns hit a pop fly to Bussinger and Marissa Oestreich was picked off at second base.

The player of the game was Cozad’s Howell with three RBIs, two hits and one run scored on three at bats. At pitcher, she had four strikeouts, one walk and allowed only three hits.

Cozad’s second game was a 0-6 loss to the O’Neill Eagles.

O’Neill put in one run in the bottom of the first, second and third innings.

The lady Makers were able to shutdown the Eagles’ offense in the fourth inning, but Cozad still searched for a way to score.

The lady Eagles pitcher had a hot had with eight strikeouts and allowed only five hits.

Cozad let the lead get away from them in the bottom of the fifth as O’Neill swung in three runs.

O’Neill went three up and three down to secure the win in the top of the sixth.

Sayer had three strikeouts, allowed 13 hits and six runs scored. She had two hits on three at bats.

Cozad’s loss put them in the third and fourth place game against the Kearney Catholic Stars.

The Stars downed the lady Makers 8-1 after seven innings.

Howell’s fly out in the bottom of the fourth put Munster in to score after tagging up at third base.

Between three pitchers, the Stars had six strikeouts to Madison Sayer’s two for the Haymakers.

For the Minutemaids, the second game was against the Ord Chanticleers.

Lexington battled, but ultimately Ord pulled off the win 13-5.

The Maids were the first to score in the top of the first inning with two runs, but the Chanticleers followed with five of their own for the lead.

Ord’s defense didn’t start off on the right foot in the second inning with four walks that gave the Maids one run to score.

A home run for Ord’s Claire Cargill put in an RBI and the Chanticleers took a 13-3 lead to end the second inning.

Lexington got their offense going and on a walk for A Martinez, Delilah Solis started the scoring run on a steal of home.

Back-to-back walks for Lexington put in two runs as they inched closer to Ord.

Martinez scored on Wolfe’s grounder as the Maids came within six.

A double for Clouse put in one final run for the Maids as Ord picked up the second out.

Burns ground ball hit to shortstop was thrown out at first for the third out to end the Maids’ scoring frenzy.

The Maids were able to keep the Chanticleers from scoring in the bottom of the third.

Lexington had the top of the fourth to score to edge the lead, but two strikeouts for the Chanticleers prevented the Maids from scoring.

Wolfe and Clouse each had two RBIs. Valerie Matzar had two strikeouts, allowed seven hits and 10 runs to be scored on the mound. Clouse had one strikeout, allowed three hits and three runs scored.

The loss for the Maids put them in the seventh place game against Hershey.

Hershey shut the Maids out in the first three innings while scoring eight runs in the bottom of the first.

Lexington lost 1-11 to take eighth place.

The Panthers scored two runs in the second and one run in the third.

The Maids had one final inning to score in the top of the fourth, but two strikeouts for Hershey allowed Lexington to score only one run.

Crete won 14-8 over Kearney Catholic in the semifinal.

St. Paul won 10-0 over Hershey in the consolation semifinal.

The fifth place winner was St. Paul after a huge 18-6 victory over Ord.