MCCOOK – The Cozad Lady Haymaker softball team is hitting their stride early in the season, winning seven straight games after going a perfect 3-0 at the McCook Softball Invite over the weekend.
The Haymakers opened up with Class A North Platte, but were not intimidated by the quality of play, as Cozad took care of the Lady Bulldogs 9-1 in six innings.
“This was a great game for us,” head coach Scott Foster said. “Great timely hitting and defense was the key.”
North Platte only allowed five hits, but Cozad made those hits count as they took a 4-0 lead in the first inning, before adding five combined runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Senior Carly Henry was awarded the win, pitching five innings and allowing only one hit and striking out five.
After the win, Cozad took on Alliance, who was not ready for the Cozad offensive attack.
Carly Henry added a home run to her already impressive senior season, as Cozad walked all over Alliance 12-0 in three innings.
Henry’s two-run shot was just a hint of the offensive outburst that Cozad laid upon Alliance, as four different players tallied RBIs for the game, while three different players batted a perfect 1.000 for the game.
Stephanie Finnegan got the win for the Makers, pitching three innings, striking out four batters and allowing only one hit.
Cozad looked unbeatable heading into their final game of the invite, as they met with familiar foe McCook.
The Lady Makers had already handed the Bison a 7-2 loss earlier in the season, so the Bison knew what they were up against.
The Cozad offense was put on a leash for much of the game, but a Jessica Finnegan RBI was the clutch run they needed, as Cozad took the invite championship, winning 2-1.
“We have improved so much over the last week,” Foster said. “This championship was a big deal for us. This was a hard won victory by us.”
Finnegan finished the game 2 for 3, scoring a run, but also hitting in the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning.
Henry won her second game of the tournament, finishing with a complete game four-hitter, allowing one earned run and striking out nine batters.
The Lady Makers are now riding a seven-game winning streak as they took on Aurora and Hastings Tuesday in Hastings.
Results from those games will be in the Saturday issue of the Clipper-Herald.

• Cozad Haymakers

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