Softball | 3/16/2025 9:10:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Cloud County Community College softball team dropped contests at Iowa Western Community College on Sunday, March 16 by scores of 8-0 and 7-5.

The T-Birds were no-hit in the 8-0 loss in six innings. Iowa Western freshman right-hander Olivia Dougherty held Cloud County hitless over six innings, striking out eleven of the nineteen batters she faced. The T-Birds were retired in order through the first five innings. Sophomore outfielder Shaylee Keslar was the only Cloud County player to reach via a walk in the top of the sixth.

The game marked the second no-hit loss for Cloud County this season.

Sophomore pitcher Paige Mahler took the loss for Cloud County, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing eight runs on eight hits with seven walks, one hit-by-pitch and two strikeouts.

Freshman second baseman Berkleigh Curtis blasted two doubles and had three RBI while Mahler, Keslar and freshman short stop Maliyah Koster logged a hit each, but it wasn't enough for the T-Birds to avoid a 7-5 setback in the second contest of the afternoon.

The Reivers jumped ahead 1-0 with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Cloud County tied the game in the top of the third after Keslar drew a leadoff walk and was brought home on a two-out RBI double by Curtis.

Iowa Western added one run in the third and two runs in the fourth to extend its lead to 4-1.

Cloud County began its rally in the top of the fifth with two runs when Curtis tallied her second double of the day to score Mahler and freshman outfielder Kia Stokes.

Iowa Western put another run on the board in the fifth and added two more in the sixth.

The T-Birds responded by loading the bases in the top of the seventh. Mahler and Keslar recorded back-to-back base hits before sophomore outfielder Jillian Artiges reached on the base on balls. Following a pitching change, Stokes reached on a fielder's choice to score Mahler. Curtis then reached on a one-out walk to load the bases again. Koster followed with an RBI single, scoring Artiges from third, to cut the deficit to 7-5. But Reivers right-hander Caedence Risius was able to preserve the win, striking out sophomore Camille Stauffer before getting sophomore Harley Smith to pop out in the infield to leave three runners stranded to end the game.

Sophomore Brecken Whitney suffered the loss. Whitney pitched all six innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on eight hits while walking five.

The loss drops the T-Birds' record to 5-9 overall. Iowa Western has improved to 14-6.

Cloud County will return to action on Thursday, March 20 when they host Central Community College in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 pm from the CCCC Softball Field.