Coppell baseball was locked in a pitcher’s duel Tuesday night, but came up short in a 2-0 loss to Flower Mound in game one of a pivotal district series on Teacher Appreciation Night. The Cowboys entered the night on a six-game district winning streak, but the Jaguars broke through with two runs in the sixth inning and made them stand up.

For five innings, Coppell matched one of the district’s top teams pitch for pitch. Zander Montgomery worked out of early trouble in the first, stranding the bases loaded with a big strikeout, and continued to keep Flower Mound off the board as the game stayed scoreless deep into the night. The Jaguars finally broke through in the sixth, scoring the game’s first two runs to take control.

The Cowboys had their chances offensively. Suhoon Cho sparked Coppell at the plate with a double and a single, and the Cowboys put runners in scoring position in a tight, low-scoring battle. But against Flower Mound starter Cooper Harris, runs were hard to come by, and Coppell was unable to cash in on its opportunities.

Even in the loss, Coppell showed it could go toe to toe with one of the district’s top teams. The Cowboys played clean, competitive baseball for most of the night and kept the pressure on in a game that stayed within reach until the final inning. Flower Mound carried the 2-0 lead into the seventh, and Coppell went to its final at-bats looking for a rally that never came.

The loss snapped Coppell’s six-game district winning streak and set up an important response opportunity in Friday’s rematch as the Cowboys continue their push through the final stretch of district play.