Argyle hands Iowa Park its worst loss in three years, ties regional final series at 1-1

BOWIE – Iowa Park has dealt its fair share of blowout losses to opponents during the past three seasons.  

On Thursday, it was the Lady Hawks learning what it felt like to be routed.

Very little, if anything, went right for Iowa Park during Game 2 of a Region I-4A final series against Argyle, and the Lady Eagles rolled to a 9-0 victory. The decisive Game 3 is set for 3 p.m. Saturday back at Bowie. The winner advances to the Class 4A State Tournament in Austin.

More:Iowa Park hangs on to take Game 1 from Argyle, 4-2

There’s no shame in losing to Argyle. The Lady Eagles are a great team featuring a Division I player in center fielder Maya Bland, who is an Oklahoma Sooner commit.

But no one could have imagined the Lady Hawks taking it on the chin the way they did Thursday.

Since Iowa Park’s stellar junior class made up the core of the team as freshmen in the 2020 season, the Lady Hawks hadn’t lost a game by more than three runs. And they had not been shut out during that span.

Both of Iowa Park’s losses in 2022 were by one run, including 3-2 to Frisco Centennial in the season opener, and 6-5 to Salado in a four-inning tournament game March 11. The Lady Hawks had won 25 straight heading into Thursday.

“That doesn’t happen to us very often,” Iowa Park coach Eric Simmons said. “I think it’s good for us. They’re taking this really hard, but I think they needed it. We didn’t come out ready to play today. We were just going through the motions, and we gave them every bit of momentum in the first inning, and they took it and ran with it.

“Nothing really went our way. From close calls to hitting, fielding and pitching, everything was in their favor. Give them credit, they came out ready to play.”

Just like they did in Game 1, Argyle scored in the first inning, plating two runs thanks to Bland. The OU commit hit an RBI single then stole second and third. She scored on a throwing error committed while she was stealing third.

But unlike Game 1, Iowa Park was not able to mount a response. Although it wasn’t from a lack of opportunities.

The Lady Hawks left eight runners on base, including six in scoring position. Iowa Park had at least one runner in scoring position in every inning but the second and seventh.

Their best opportunity came in the top of the sixth when Paige Gallegos and Raylea Parsons led off the inning with consecutive singles. Argyle pitcher Ava Edwards sandwiched a weak groundout between two strikeouts, nullifying the potential rally.

Since giving up four runs to the Lady Hawks in the first frame of Game 1, Edwards has thrown 13 consecutive shutout innings. She spread out six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings Thursday.

“That’s typically not us,” Simmons said. “We’re gonna get back to work tomorrow and try to fix some of that. We’ve got to be able to find a way to string hits together and get hits at the right time. It was just a struggle all the way around tonight.”

It wasn’t just Iowa Park’s bats struggling.

Simmons had never pulled junior pitcher Abby Dowell early from a game before. He replaced Dowell with two outs in the fourth innings, bringing in junior Madi Fulfer.

Dowell allowed six runs – just two earned – on six hits, two walks, two hit batters with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Fulfer allowed three earned runs on two hits and two walks with one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.

The Lady Hawks also struggled in the field, guilty of between three and five errors, depending on who was keeping the book.

“She couldn’t get out of that fourth inning. She was having trouble hitting her spots and was getting beat up pretty good,” Simmons said of Dowell. “I didn’t see a point in keeping her in there. It was time for a change. Madi needs to be ready to come in for those type of situations should we run into it again down the road.”

Simmons said Dowell will most likely start Game 3 Saturday, and he has full faith in her ability to bounce back.

“I know she’s beating herself up pretty good about this one, but I think she learned a lot after last year’s state semifinal,” Simmons said. “I have full faith in her to bounce back and be better Saturday.”

More:Iowa Park's Abby Dowell strengthening mental game to match softball skills

It’s not just Dowell who has to be better. Reaching the state tournament is the minimal expectation for a team with the talent to contend for a championship.

But another outing like Thursday’s, and the Lady Hawks won’t be making a return trip to Austin.

“We’ve got to regroup,” Simmons said. “And I think we can do that. It’s nice that we don’t have to go right back out there Friday and get some time to put this loss behind us. I do think this game will be good for us. Hopefully, it will make us play with more urgency.”

REGION I-4A FINAL

Argyle 9, Iowa Park 0

Iowa Park   000   000   0   -0   6   5

Argyle   200   403   x   -9   8   1

W: Ava Edwards. L: Abby Dowell.

2B: (A) Regan Dillon, Taylor Platt. HR: (A) Peyton Peck.

Leading hitters: (IP) Raylea Parsons 2x3; (A) Hailey Clark 2x3, run, RBI; Maya Bland 1x2, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Peck 1x3, run, 2 RBI.

Top pitcher: (A) Edwards 7 IP, 6 hits, 2 BB, 0 runs, 5 K.

Notes: The series is tied 1-1.