A fiery start promised great results for the Coppell Softball team but Flower Mound Marcus’s tight defense loosened the Cowgirls’ grasp on the game.

On Wednesday night, Marcus defeated Coppell in District 5-6A at the CISD Baseball/Softball Complex. Senior catcher Riley Warren and sophomore outfielder Courtney Hargrove scored two runs in quick succession with the help of junior first baseman Cecilia Borque’s hit to the outfield. However, scoring slowed as the game progressed,

“The game took the biggest turn whenever our bats went cold,” Coppell softball coach Emily Witt said.

After the first inning, batters on both sides struggled with getting a hit. An RBI by  Marcus sophomore shortstop Emily Souders in the fourth inning broke the tie.

“The first inning was a little bit tough on my part,” Marcus senior pitcher Chloe Poteete said. “[Going forward] really just focused on spinning the ball and getting outs instead of trying to overpower the batters. We made a lot of good adjustments at the plate which helps every part of the game.”

The Marauders scored three runs in the fifth inning, putting them in the lead 4-2. The game concluded in the seventh inning with both teams scoring a run, unwilling to relent to the other team. Coppell senior center fielder Nevaeh Carter scored the last run of the game.

“At the beginning I had to figure the pitcher out,” Carter said. “Towards the end I figured out her signals and that’s why I got that base hit.”

Marcus’ defense made it challenging for Coppell to put together a rally.

“They had a tight defense, and their catcher had a good arm,” Witt said. “When you’re in a situation like that, you would like to steal, but when you don’t have top notch speed against some of the teams we have in our district, those opportunities just aren’t there. So as coaches and players, we have to be smart when we’re on the bases.”

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