Alliance extended their losing streak to three on Thursday, dropping them down to 7-16. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-4 heartbreaker at the hands of the Cozad Haymakers. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Bulldogs have suffered since August 23rd.
Regan Cornish spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned runs on 11 hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, Alivia Osborn and Hannah Benzel stepped up to the plate in a big way. Osborn went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one double, while Benzel went a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Lexi Lopez, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
As for Cozad, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games.
On Cozad's side, Sara Howell made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Howell has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with one triple, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Aubrey Hammerlun was excellent, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Alliance has already played their next game, a 12-7 victory against McCook on the 25th. As for Cozad, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next contest, an 8-4 defeat against Scottsbluff on the 25th.
