Hornets Sting the Cougars

In a home conference game, the Oakton Cougars lost to the Herndon Hornets by the score of 8 to 2.

The Hornets jumped off to an early lead by scoring three runs on two doubles and two walks in the first inning.  The Cougars failed to answer back in the bottom of the first, although center fielder Emily Kamienski hit a double and advanced to third base, where she was stranded.

After holding the Hornets scoreless in the top of the second inning, the Cougars did answer back with one run in the bottom.  First baseman Katie Edwards led off with a single, and later scored on a bunt by second baseman Georgia Brandt, making the score 3 – 1 after two innings.

After holding the Hornets scoreless in the third and fourth innings, the Cougars closed the gap to one run in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Pitcher Taylor Fay reached on a Hornet error and advanced to third base on an infield grounder by Edwards.  Fay scored on another infield grounder by Brandt, narrowing the score to 3 – 2.

Herndon came back in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring five runs on two hits and three walks, aided by three Cougar errors.  The Hornets kept the Cougars hitless in innings five, six, and seven, except for a single by pinch hitter Brittany Thompson in the seventh inning.

The Cougars did not play their best game on defense.  They committed four errors and allowed five unearned runs.