No. 11-ranked Tiger baseball team sweeps four-game series against Neosho

After winning a pair of games at Neosho County on Friday by scores of 8-5 and 16-10, the No. 11-ranked Cowley College baseball team picked up a pair of walk-off victories over the Panthers Sunday in Arkansas City. The Tigers won Sunday's opening game 3-2 before taking the nightcap 13-12.

Cowley, winners of 12 games in a row, improves its record to 17-2 overall and 8-0 in the Jayhawk Conference. Neosho drops to 10-10 overall and 5-7 in conference play.

"It was a tough series. I was glad our guys found a way to win," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said. "We showed some toughness in being able to win these games."

In Friday's opening game, Cowley used a six-run third inning to win 8-5. Andrew Williams hit a two-run single and Felix Chenier-Rondeau added a run-scoring triple in the Tigers' six-run third inning as Cowley took a 6-0 lead.

Cowley's David Herring and Eli Wohl added run-scoring singles in the top of the fifth inning to increase the Tigers' lead to 8-2.

Freshman J'Briell Easley (3-0) started on the mound and struck out a season-high 10 batters in 4 2/3 innings.

"That may have been the best stuff J'Briell has had all year," Burroughs said.

Easley allowed six hits and three runs before being relieved by Miguel Fulgencio, who stranded a pair of runners to end the fifth inning.

However, the Panthers' Luke Burk hit a two-run homer off Fulgencio in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the Tigers' lead to 8-5.

With a runner at first base and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Isaac Stebens relieved Fulgencio on the mound and got the Panthers' Khalil Thrasher to ground into a double play to finish off the 8-5 win.

Herring had two of Cowley's nine hits, while Williams drove in a pair of runs.

In Friday's second game, Janson Reeder was just a single shy of hitting for the cycle as he finished 3-for-4 with a home run and six runs batted in.

"Janson has been good all year and has really matured as a hitter," Burroughs said.

With the score tied 10-10 heading into the eighth inning, Herring had a two-run single as Cowley scored three runs in the eighth and Blake Robertson hit a two-run homer in a three-run ninth inning to help cap the Tigers' 16-10 win. The homer was the fourth of the season for Robertson, who is now tied with Reeder with a team-high 34 runs batted in.

Bryce Madron and Gus Freeman added four hits apiece as Cowley pounded out 21 hits in the victory.

Titan Stephens started on the mound for Cowley and struck out four over two scoreless innings. Miguel Obeso earned the win as he allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings of relief.

Just like J'Briell Easley's performance in game one of the series, freshman Grant Adler struck out 10 batters over five innings in Sunday's opener.

"Grant gave us another really good outing on the mound," Burroughs said.

Fulgencio relieved Adler on the mound and tossed two scoreless innings of relief to go along with three strikeouts to earn the win.

With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Bryce Madron drew a one-out walk and then came around to score the winning run on a double by Janson Reeder.

Trailing the final game of the series 12-10 entering its final at bat, the Tigers' scored three runs with two outs to win 13-12 and sweep the four-game series.

With two outs and nobody on base, Michelle Artzberger started the rally with a walk. Gus Freeman then reached base on an error by the second baseman to put runners at first and second with two outs. David Herring followed with a two-run triple to tie the game and after a walk to El Wohl, Herring would score the winning run on a wild pitch by Panther reliever Brance Ware.

Tiger designated hitter Dalton Smith had two of Cowley's eight hits as he homered and drove in three as the Tigers also benefitted from nine Neosho errors. The homer was the second of the season for Smith.

"Dalton has been working really hard in batting practice, so we gave him an opportunity at the plate and he took advantage of it," Burroughs said.

Cowley will remain home to face Kansas City Kansas Community College in a doubleheader Tuesday beginning at 1 p.m.

"We are going to need to have some guys step up on the mound and give us an opportunity to win," Burroughs said.

Score by inning:

Game one                   R H E

Cowley 0 0 6 0 2 0 0 – 8 9 1

Neosho 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 – 5 8 0

Game two                           R H E

Cowley 0 0 3 3 1 3 0 3 3 – 16 21 0

Neosho 0 0 3 3 1 2 1 0 0 – 10 13 2

Game three                  R H E

Neosho 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 – 2 6 0

Cowley 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 – 3 7 1

Game four                          R H E

Cowley 1 2 0 7 1 0 0 1 0 – 12 12 8

Neosho 1 0 0 6 3 0 0 0 3 – 13 12 1