Stephens softball dropped a 9-0 contest to Cottey on Monday afternoon in Columbia.

The game remained scoreless through the first two innings before Cottey broke through in the third, taking advantage of a pair of Stephens errors to plate four runs and grab an early lead. Cottey added two more runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to extend the advantage.

Stephens recorded five hits in the game, led by Addison Flores, who went 2-for-2 at the plate and added a stolen base. Kyndal Vincent collected a double, while Abby Schmidt and Skylar Jacobs each added singles. The Stars threatened in the third inning when Vincent doubled and Flores followed with a single, but the rally was cut short at the plate to keep Stephens off the scoreboard.

Katie Dennis took the loss in the circle, pitching four innings and allowing six runs, two earned, while Claire Mohan-Ram tossed the final inning in relief.

Stephens finished the game with five hits and left four runners on base.

Game Two: Stars 3, Comets 6

Stephens softball dropped the second game of the doubleheader to Cottey, 6-3, on Monday afternoon at American Legion Field.

Stephens struck first in the opening inning when Kyndal Vincent reached after being hit by a pitch and later scored on a two-run home run by Elise Kendrick, giving the Stars an early 2-0 lead. Landry Bales followed with a single to keep the inning going, but the Stars settled for the two-run advantage.

Cottey responded in the fourth inning with a two-run home run to even the score at 2-2. The Comets took the lead in the fifth with back-to-back RBI hits and added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to extend their advantage.

Stephens tallied seven hits in the contest, led by Kendrick, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Addison Flores reached base twice with a single and a walk while adding a stolen base earlier in the game. Landry Bales, Abby Schmidt, Leanna Mitts, and Celeste Athon each recorded a hit, with Athon scoring the Stars' final run in the seventh inning.

In the circle, Kendrick pitched a complete game, allowing six runs on 13 hits while striking out five.

Stephens pushed across a run in the bottom of the seventh when Athon singled and later scored on Kendrick's RBI single, but the rally was cut short to end the game.