Dropping their third game in a row, the Chanute Blue Comets fell to the Fort Scott Tigers, 10-8, in SEK League softball play on Monday.
Fort Scott claimed a 6-0 lead through three frames before Chanute began chipping away. The Blue Comets recorded their final out with the game-winning run on base.
“When we get down six runs like we did, I was happy with our fight and willingness to get back in it,” Chanute head coach Mary Reilly said. “It’s much easier to say that it’s almost a run-rule and call it good. That speaks to the fact that they were willing to fight. But we have to be better early. We have to make sure that we play almost perfectly in the field.”
While the Tigers’ offense mounted 16 hits, four errors by Chanute allowed four unearned runs to cross the plate.
“Every error, no matter if it’s physical or mental, hurts your pitcher a lot,” Reilly said. “If they give you a ground ball or a pop-up, you’ve got to have your pitcher’s back. We have to make sure one error doesn’t turn into two. It can’t become a snowball fight.”
Avery Dean suffered the loss in the circle for Chanute, allowing 11 hits and six earned runs. Ava Teichgraeber and Emily Cunningham also pitched in relief.
Reece Norris had three doubles for the Blue Comets with two runs and an RBI.
“She was hungry. At Paola, she barely got on-base but had some excellent contact,” Reilly said. “She came together today. She’s a gamer who wants to win and knows how to do her part.”
Jacee Rogers was credited with the win in the circle for Fort Scott, striking out four but allowing 11 hits. Offensively, Allisyn Wheeler, Abbie Gorman, Raylee Cowan and Rogers all had three hits for the Tigers.
Chanute is now 4-5 overall and 1-1 in SEK League play.
Up next
Chanute’s schedule is bloated in the coming days. The Blue Comets traveled to Altamont to face Labette County on Thursday, then host a tournament on Saturday before hosting Labette County on Monday.
“We’re going to have to just go one day at a time,” Reilly said. “I try to plan. But we have to have short term memory. We’ll put it together. We just have to capitalize on the small things. If we do those right, the games will come together. We’ll be tired, so we just have to focus.”
