Gulf Shores, Ala. - The sixteenth ranked ICC Softball Team (2-1) opened up their 2023 season on Friday, and coach Heather Doty's squad wasted no time getting right to work - playing three games on opening day. By the day's end, the Cougars had tallied a walkoff win, held off a seventh-inning rally, and nearly pulled off a rally of their own in a three-run loss to cap the night. 

#16 ICC COUGARS 8, ENTERPRISE STATE 7
The leadoff spot did more than just get on base for the Cougars. With Olivia Stirnaman tasked in that spot of the lineup card, she would be one of four players to get multi-hit games. Stirnaman's single in the fourth was ICC's lone base runner of the inning. At that point, though, ICC did have a 3-0 lead after an RBI double from Shylar Boze in the previous half inning set that score. 

Kiersten Manning was as advertised in the circle, to the tune of a no-hitter through five innings, having retired 15 of the game's first 16 batters. An actual Boll Weevil (variety of beetle) only lives about a month. Just like the life span of their mascot, Enterprise State didn't need much time to go from down with an inning to go to in front. After Manning was pulled prior to the sixth, the Boll Weevils came alive, drawing back-to-back walks, and laying down a sacrifice bunt to put two in scoring position. That became a 4-3 lead after an error and three-run double flipped the script. Alas, there was still softball left to be played. Manning would re-enter at the end of the frame and get an inning-ending strikeout. 

When the Cougars came to the plate in the next half inning, Allie Scrivner led it off with a single, but the Cougars went 1-2-3 after that, perhaps leaving some doubt among the Cougar faithful with just one trip to the plate left. An error and a two-run home run in the next inning for Enterprise State extended the Boll Weevils' lead to 7-3 after six full innings.

Turns out, that one half inning is all ICC needed. After the bottom of the seventh started with a strikeout, a single from Olivia Drish and two-run homer from Manning put the Cougars within 7-5. Consecutive singles by Shylar Boze and Scrivner put the game-tying run on the bases. Boze and Scrivner would both score on the next at-bat, when Brooke Cordray hit a ground ball within the infield that would turn into a crucial two-run error and tie the game up at 7-7. 

Enter Olivia Stirnaman (again). After her earlier hit in the game, Stirnaman had a full count - two outs - tied game. She would line a single, out of reach of the left side of the Boll Weevils infield, scoring Cordray and giving ICC the 8-7 win. 

Notable Hitting Stats:
Stirnaman | 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Drish | 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Manning | 1 home run, 2 RBI
Boze | 2 hits, 1 RBI
Scrivner | 3 hits

Notable Pitching Stats:
Manning | 6.1 innings, 105 pitches, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts

#16 ICC COUGARS 3, BISHOP STATE 2
Don't worry - the offense wasn't maybe there quite as much as the opener, but there was still just as much late-game drama. After Kiersten Manning led off the second inning with a single, Alicia Casas hit a single, putting her and Manning on the corners with two outs. Kelsey Gillette got the first RBI of the game, scoring Manning on a pop fly to the Wildcats' second baseman, putting ICC ahead 1-0. 

The low-scoring game was mentioned. With Olivia Drish in the circle for this one, the Cougars kept it that way, at least from their perspective. The third and fourth innings both saw zero runs, and only three combined base runners for both teams. Eventually, the Wildcats broke through with a solo home run. ICC nearly immediately responded, with consecutive hits from Kylie Hyde (single) and Olivia Stirnaman (double), but they were both stranded. 

The Cougars' defense came up big to finish the sixth inning. Shylar Boze found Olivia Stirnaman, who found Olivia Drish  - runner out at home, and a runner doubled off at third. That kept the game tied at 1-1 going into the bottom of the sixth.

Just like that, Alicia Casas hit an RBI double to score both Drish and Boze to give Drish the run support she needed in the circle.

Remeber, not for a lack of drama. The first three batters reached in the top of the seventh for Bishop State - single, RBI double, walk. The Wildcats were within 3-2 and the go-ahead run was at the plate. Alas, more big plays from the Cougar defense. A sacrifice bunt did move two runners into scoring position, but that was followed by a fielder's choice to home for the out, and a game-ending lineout to Shylar Boze to secure the one-run win. 

Notable Hitting Stats:
Casas | 2 hits, 2 RBI
Gillette | 1 hit, 1 RBI

Notable Pitching Stats:
Drish | 7 innings, 93 pitches, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts

COASTAL ALABAMA 11, #16 ICC COUGARS 8
The low-scoring game concept was short-lived. In the finale of day one, the Cougars battled with the hosts from Coastal Alabama. The Sun Chiefs came out with a fury, pouring it on to the tune of a 9-0 lead after three and a half innings. That put ICC in danger of a run-rule loss. It certainly wasn't without an impressive effort from the Cougar bats, who would out-score the Sun Chiefs the rest of the game, 8-2. 

That included a wild bottom of the fourth inning. ICC's first five batters all reached - Kiersten Manning (single), Savanah Clifton (fielder's choice), Shylar Boze (RBI single), Alicia Casas (hit by pitch), and Alyssa Beltran (RBI single). At that point, ICC was still down 9-2, but it was definitely a step in the right direction - it, at least for the time being, ruled out a run-rule. After the inning's first out, though, the Cougar bats went right back to work. Olivia Stirnaman (RBI single) and Allie Scrivner (two-run double) put ICC within 9-5. Just for good measure, the Cougars still weren't done. Clifton capped an inning with 12 ICC plate appearances by singling on a liner to score both Stirnaman and Scrivner. Poof - a near run-rule loss had become a two-run deficit. 

After getting pulled in the circle, Drish rebounded quite nicely in the form of a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game at 10-8 Coastal Alabama, headed to the seventh. 

However, the Sun Chiefs would put the nail in the coffin and add a run of insurance in the top of the seventh and come away with the 11-8 win. 

For context, only three of ICC's games last spring season saw 19 or more combined runs in 2022. 

Notable Hitting Stats:
Stirnaman | 2 hits, 1 RBI
Drish | 1 home run, 2 hits, 1 RBI
Manning | 2 hits, 1 walk
Boze | 2 hits, 1 RBI
Scrivner | 1 hit, 2 RBI
Clifton | 1 hit, 2 RBI
Beltran | 1 hit, 1 RBI

Notable Pitching Stats:
Manning | 5.1 innings, 8 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
2023 Sun Chief Classic
East Central Warriors (6-2)
Saturday, February 18th - 9:00 AM
@ Gulf Shores Sportsplex - Gulf Shores, Alabama
WATCH LIVE & LIVE STATS (GameChanger)