Tiger baseball team dominates Fort Scott 17-0 and 16-3
Having lost just once over the past month, the No. 16-ranked Cowley College baseball team continued its winning ways with a pair of convincing wins at Fort Scott on Friday. The Tigers blasted the Greyhounds 17-0 and 16-3 to sweep the four-game series.
"It was a complete team effort in both games on Friday," Cowley head coach Dave Burroughs said.
Cowley, winners of 18 of its past 19 games, is now 30-7 overall and 18-2 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. The Tigers are now two games in front of second place Johnson County in the conference standings.
Fort Scott falls to 24-14 overall and 12-12 in conference play.
Cowley jumped on Fort Scott right away in game one as they scored three runs on only one hit in the top of the first inning. The Tigers benefitted from two walks, one hit batsman, one error, two wild pitches and two passed balls.
The Tigers would score two more runs on only one hit in the top of the second as they walked three more times and took advantage of two more wild pitches.
Cade Stephens' two-run homer in the fourth inning increased Cowley's lead to 7-0. The Tigers would then scratch across single runs in the fifth and sixth innings before scoring eight runs in the seventh inning on only three hits. Fort Scott pitchers Jarrett Lyon and JT Bell combined to walk five batters and hit two more in the seventh inning.
Fort Scott pitchers combined to walk 16 batters as Cowley scored 17 runs on only nine hits.
Tiger sophomore Brannon Jordan (3-2) was dominant on the mound as the sophomore struck out 10 and did not walk a batter while allowing only one hit in six innings.
"He was outstanding and has the capability of doing that each time he's on the mound," Burroughs said.
Reid Frase pitched a scoreless seventh inning to finish off the victory.
Freshman shortstop Logan Steenstra led Cowley at the plate by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs.
In game two, Cowley continued to be patient at the plate, drawing four walks in a three-run first inning. The Tigers would draw nine walks in the game and 25 in the doubleheader.
"We showed a lot of plate discipline and they had a tough time finding the strike zone," Burroughs said. "Twenty-five walks are like hitting 25 singles."
Steenstra homered and scored three runs in the win, while Cody Milligan and Daniel DeSimone had three hits apiece.
Adam White (3-0) started on the mound for Cowley and allowed four hits and two runs in two innings pitched. Freshman Miguel Obeso and sophomore Kaid Karnes each followed with two scoreless innings of relief. Ethan Swanson then struck out the side in the seventh, while Jared Wilson and Ryan Westerhoff combined to strike out four batters over the final two innings of the 16-3 win.
"Those bullpen guys all did a good job," Burroughs said.
Cowley will play Jayhawk West foe Butler Community College at 2 p.m. Tuesday in El Dorado. Butler has won five games in a row and is currently 26-14 overall and 12-8 in the Jayhawk West.
"We will give some more guys a chance to throw and make a statement against a good team on their home field," Burroughs said.
Score by inning:
Game one R H E
Cowley 3 2 0 2 1 1 8 17 9 0
Fort Scott 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
Game two RH E
Cowley 3 0 5 0 1 0 1 1 5 16 14 2
Fort Scott 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 3