Tiger baseball team opens season by winning series at Northeast Texas
February 4, 2019
In the season-opening weekend for both teams, the No. 6-ranked Cowley College baseball team won two of three games played at Northeast Texas Community College Friday and Saturday in Mount Pleasant, TX.
The Tigers scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to win Friday's opener 8-5, before Northeast Texas came back to win the second game 3-2. Cowley bounced back to pound out 12 hits and win the rubber game of the series on Saturday by a score of 10-3.
"There were a lot of positives with getting out on the field and playing games for the first time," Burroughs said. "We saw some things to work on, but overall the guys competed well against a pretty good club. Our goal was to win the series, so there was progress made."
In Friday's opener, Northeast Texas scored two runs off Tiger starting pitcher Andrew Roach in the bottom of the first inning to grab the early lead.
Cowley sophomore Parker Dunn later doubled and scored on a RBI single by Tyler Halstead in the top of the second to cut the Eagles' lead to 2-1. The Tigers then grabbed the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by run-scoring singles by Mac McCroskey and Oklahoma State transfer Cody Milligan.
However, Northeast Texas would get a solo home run from Jackson Kennemore off Tiger reliever Hunter O'Toole in the fifth inning and scored an unearned run in the sixth to tie the game at 4-4.
The teams would trade runs in the eighth before Cowley scored three runs in the ninth. Mac McCroskey hit a two-run double and came around to score on a RBI single by Grady Davenport in the Tigers' three-run ninth inning.
Freshman Carson Orton (1-0) recorded the final five outs to earn the win in relief. Orton struck out two and did not allow a run in his Tiger debut.
Halstead led the Tigers' 14-hit attack by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored. George Specht, Blaze Brothers, Dunn and McCroskey added two hits apiece in the win.
Javan Smitherman (0-1) took the loss for the Eagles as he allowed five hits and three runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
In Friday's second game, both teams managed only two hits. However, Northeast Texas scored two runs on three Tiger errors in the bottom of the third inning and got a solo home run from Hunter Riley in the bottom of the fourth inning to lead 3-0.
With the score remaining 3-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning, Cowley benefited from four walks and an error to scratch across a pair of runs before Northeast Texas was able to hold on for the win.
Sophomore Brannon Jordan started on the mound for Cowley and struck out five of the six batters he faced. Freshman Reid Frase (0-1) took the loss as he allowed two earned runs in two innings of work.
Chandler Mauldin started for the Eagles and held Cowley to two hits in six scoreless innings. Mauldin struck out eight and walked only two.
The teams met for one more game on Saturday with the Tigers winning 10-3.
With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning, Cowley's Isaac Muncy hit a three-run double to give the Tigers the lead. Cowley would add a run in the sixth inning and plated four more runs on five hits in the seventh inning.
Halstead was one of four Tigers with multi-hit games and finished 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.
Freshman Miguel Obeso started on the mound for Cowley and allowed two hits and one earned run in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Sophomore Adam White (1-0) followed on the mound with 2 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win in relief.
Tiger relievers Cole Larsen, Jack Carneal, and Grant Wilson combined to allow only two hits and no runs in four innings pitched.
Cowley only allowed seven earned runs in the three games.
"Our pitching was really good," Burroughs said. "The guys competed in the strike zone and need to be the strength of our team until the young guys grow up at the plate."
Cowley will remain on the road to play three games against Paris Junior College Friday and Saturday in Paris, TX. The teams will play one game on Friday at 3 p.m. before playing a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday.
"We will get back to work and try to get better," Burroughs said.
Score by inning:
Game one R H E
Cowley 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 3 8 14 3
NE Texas 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 5 11 1
Game two R H E
Cowley 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 3
NE Texas 0 0 2 1 0 0 x 3 2 3
Game three R H E
Cowley 0 1 1 0 3 1 4 0 0 10 12 1
NE Texas 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 6 2
The Tigers scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to win Friday's opener 8-5, before Northeast Texas came back to win the second game 3-2. Cowley bounced back to pound out 12 hits and win the rubber game of the series on Saturday by a score of 10-3.
"There were a lot of positives with getting out on the field and playing games for the first time," Burroughs said. "We saw some things to work on, but overall the guys competed well against a pretty good club. Our goal was to win the series, so there was progress made."
In Friday's opener, Northeast Texas scored two runs off Tiger starting pitcher Andrew Roach in the bottom of the first inning to grab the early lead.
Cowley sophomore Parker Dunn later doubled and scored on a RBI single by Tyler Halstead in the top of the second to cut the Eagles' lead to 2-1. The Tigers then grabbed the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by run-scoring singles by Mac McCroskey and Oklahoma State transfer Cody Milligan.
However, Northeast Texas would get a solo home run from Jackson Kennemore off Tiger reliever Hunter O'Toole in the fifth inning and scored an unearned run in the sixth to tie the game at 4-4.
The teams would trade runs in the eighth before Cowley scored three runs in the ninth. Mac McCroskey hit a two-run double and came around to score on a RBI single by Grady Davenport in the Tigers' three-run ninth inning.
Freshman Carson Orton (1-0) recorded the final five outs to earn the win in relief. Orton struck out two and did not allow a run in his Tiger debut.
Halstead led the Tigers' 14-hit attack by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored. George Specht, Blaze Brothers, Dunn and McCroskey added two hits apiece in the win.
Javan Smitherman (0-1) took the loss for the Eagles as he allowed five hits and three runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
In Friday's second game, both teams managed only two hits. However, Northeast Texas scored two runs on three Tiger errors in the bottom of the third inning and got a solo home run from Hunter Riley in the bottom of the fourth inning to lead 3-0.
With the score remaining 3-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning, Cowley benefited from four walks and an error to scratch across a pair of runs before Northeast Texas was able to hold on for the win.
Sophomore Brannon Jordan started on the mound for Cowley and struck out five of the six batters he faced. Freshman Reid Frase (0-1) took the loss as he allowed two earned runs in two innings of work.
Chandler Mauldin started for the Eagles and held Cowley to two hits in six scoreless innings. Mauldin struck out eight and walked only two.
The teams met for one more game on Saturday with the Tigers winning 10-3.
With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning, Cowley's Isaac Muncy hit a three-run double to give the Tigers the lead. Cowley would add a run in the sixth inning and plated four more runs on five hits in the seventh inning.
Halstead was one of four Tigers with multi-hit games and finished 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.
Freshman Miguel Obeso started on the mound for Cowley and allowed two hits and one earned run in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Sophomore Adam White (1-0) followed on the mound with 2 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win in relief.
Tiger relievers Cole Larsen, Jack Carneal, and Grant Wilson combined to allow only two hits and no runs in four innings pitched.
Cowley only allowed seven earned runs in the three games.
"Our pitching was really good," Burroughs said. "The guys competed in the strike zone and need to be the strength of our team until the young guys grow up at the plate."
Cowley will remain on the road to play three games against Paris Junior College Friday and Saturday in Paris, TX. The teams will play one game on Friday at 3 p.m. before playing a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday.
"We will get back to work and try to get better," Burroughs said.
Score by inning:
Game one R H E
Cowley 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 3 8 14 3
NE Texas 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 5 11 1
Game two R H E
Cowley 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 3
NE Texas 0 0 2 1 0 0 x 3 2 3
Game three R H E
Cowley 0 1 1 0 3 1 4 0 0 10 12 1
NE Texas 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 6 2