Fort Scott Community College freshman right fielder Samantha Hays fields a fly ball during the first game of a Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division doubleheader with Cowley Tuesday at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex. The Greyhounds were swept in the doubleheader even though Hays had thee hits on the day. (Captured Images/Kenny Felt) [Click to enlarge]

You can see how much better Fort Scott Community College's softball team is than in previous seasons if you look closely when they play.

But the Greyhounds are also a very young team -- only two players were on the FSCC roster last season -- and sometimes, that can also be apparent.

The extremes could be seen when Cowley -- No. 8 in the national Division II poll -- came to town Tuesday afternoon for a Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division doubleheader at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex. The Greyhounds took one of the conference's toughest teams -- and one of the best pitchers in all of junior-college softball -- to eight innings before losing the opener 2-0.

Cowley pitcher Heather Davis, a 2006 Fort Scott High School graduate, performs her duties during the first game of a Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division doubleheader against Fort Scott Community College at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex Tuesday afternoon. Davis allowed only two hits and two walks while striking out nine in winning the game, 2-0, in eight innings.(Captured/Kenny Felt) [Click to enlarge]

In the second game, a couple of errors and perhaps some mental exhaustion that came from playing so well in the opener led to a 12-1 run-rule loss in six innings.

"We might have been mentally worn out in the second game," Fort Scott head coach Lauren Sigwing said. "But that shouldn't be an excuse. We're young and we haven't quite figured it out yet, but we're getting there."

The doubleheader also served as a homecoming for former Fort Scott High School players Heather Davis and Erin Floyd. Davis, who graduated in 2006, and Floyd, who graduated last year, were both members of the 2005 Class 4A State champion team.

Davis and Fort Scott pitcher Lindsay Bonham engaged in a pitcher's duel in the opener. Davis used her variety of fastballs, change-ups, risers and drops to induce infield grounders while striking out nine Greyhounds.

Bonham didn't have the strikeout power Davis had but was able to keep Cowley from hitting the ball hard with only one exception: A two-run home run by Kashila Young in the top of the eight inning that produced the only runs of the game.

The Greyhounds (1-7 in the East and overall) had a few chances. They drew consecutive two-out walks in the bottom of the first inning but left both runners stranded. Samantha Hays singled with two out in the third but was left on. And the 'Hounds had runners on first in the sixth and seventh innings but with two out each time.

Bonham had her share of clutch moments as well, such as inducing a popout to catcher Sam Ribas and a line drive out to second baseman Hannah Somers after the Tigers got a runner on leading off the first inning and bunted her over to second.

Davis doubled to lead off the fifth but ended up stranded at third after three groundouts.

The Tigers had two on with two out in the sixth after an error and a hard-lined single. But Bonham induced a fly out to leftfielder Chelsea Clark. Cowley (4-0, 11-3) also had the bases loaded with two out in the seventh but Bonham struck out Colby Hart to end the threat.

"We started the day well," Sigwing said. "We played great that whole first game. Lindsay threw a great game. We hit Heather fairly well since she's the best pitcher in the conference. But we played a really great game all the way through."

Davis pitched all eight innings and gave up just two hits -- Maggie Cornish had Fort Scott's other one in the seventh -- while walking two. Bonham allowed eight hits but didn't walk anyone and struck out three.

Young was two for four with two runs batted in for Cowley. Davis also had two hits.

The Tigers scored first in the second game when third baseman Breayle Tackett pulled a home run to right field. Cowley made it 2-0 after three as pitcher Jacey Juden helped her own cause by driving in Hart.

The 'Hounds got some offense going early but couldn't quite get the hit needed to push a run across. Sarah Doyle led off the first with a walk and stole second. Hays followed with a single and stole second herself. But that was all Fort Scott could do in that inning.

In the second, Cornish got a lead off single and moved to second on a bunt. But Juden got a pop up and a strike out to end the inning.

Emily True was hit by a pitch with two out in the third but a ground out to third ended the threat.

Cowley scored six times in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of two Greyhound errors, to boost its lead to 8-0.

Fort Scott scored its only run of the day in the bottom of the fifth. Hays singled with one out, moved to second on a ground out and took third on Somers' line-drive single that hit the third baseman.

Clark stepped up and smacked a single to left that scored Hays. Cornish was hit by a pitch to load the bases but Juden struck out the next batter to end the inning.

Cowley added four more runs in the sixth, including a two-run home run by Young that cleared the temporary 225-foot fence and also the permanent 250-foot fence.

Hays and Clark each had two hits for the Greyhounds. Hays finished the day three for eight in the doubleheader.

Tackett had two hits for Cowley while Hart was three for five, scoring twice and driving in two.

The Greyhounds are scheduled to host Crowder College (Mo.) Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. in a non-conference doubleheader. But there is a 60-percent chance of thunderstorms according to at least one forecast, so it's possible that the teams will play today to beat the bad weather. If they do so, the start time will be the same.

After the Crowder doubleheader, the Greyhounds are scheduled to play in the "Mid-West Classic" in Broken Arrow, Okla., Saturday and Sunday.

NOTES -- Davis and Floyd didn't play in the second game. Floyd, a shortstop in high school, played right field in the opener and was 0 for 3 at the plate....

If the 'Hounds don't reschedule and Thursday's games are rained out, their next home games will be March 23....

Game One

Cowley............ 000 000 02 -- 2 8 0

Fort Scott........ 000 000 00 -- 0 2 1

WP -- Davis. Sv. -- Bonham.

HR -- Cowley: Young, 8th inn., one on, none out.

Game Two

Cowley.............. 101 604 x -- 12 10 0

Fort Scott........... 000 010 x -- 1 7 5

WP -- Juden. Sv. -- Harris.

HR -- Cowley: Tackett,1st inn., none on, one out; Young, 6th inn., one on, none out.