Softball Recap: Durant Comes Up Short

Durant had lost three straight on the road, but on Tuesday they dropped down to 8-6 to make it four. They fell just short of the Plant Panthers by a score of 3-2. The Cougars were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Panthers apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in April of 2025.

Madyson Lauer spent all 7.2 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on one hit and racked up 12 Ks.

At the plate, Bristol Bedenbaugh and Giana Lopez did some serious damage despite the final result: Bedenbaugh went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run, while Lopez went 2-for-3 with one home run. That home run marked the first that Lopez has launched this season.

As for Plant, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 12-3. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games.

On Plant's side, they also let their pitcher toss all eight innings and she was also dialed-in: Gigi Cozzens gave up just two earned runs on five hits and racked up ten Ks. Cozzens has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

Coming up, Durant will host Bloomingdale at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Bulls' pitching crew has only allowed three runs per game this season, so the Cougars' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Plant, they will venture away from home to take on Chamberlain at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Storm have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed ten runs per game on average), something the Panthers will no doubt try to take advantage of.