Tiger baseball team suffers first conference loss in split with Kansas City

The No. 9-ranked Cowley College baseball team had its 12-game winning streak come to an end with a doubleheader split against Kansas City Kansas Community College Tuesday in Arkansas City, KS. The Tigers lost to the Blue Devils 5-2 in game one before bouncing back to run-rule Kansas City 11-1 in game two.

Cowley is now 18-3 overall and 9-1 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, while Kansas City moves to 9-5 overall and 4-2 in the conference.

Sophomore pitcher Garrett VanDeventer made his first start of the season for the Tigers and allowed only two hits and two runs in four innings of work. He left the game with the score tied at 2-2. However, the Blue Devils went in front 3-2 as they scored a run off Tiger reliever Cameron Allen (0-1) in the top of the fifth inning.

Kansas City would benefit from an error, two wild pitches and a passed ball as they tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. Hoping to enact some magic as they did in a pair of walk-off wins over Neosho on Sunday, the Tigers instead were retired in order in its final at bat.

"We made some little mistakes that cost us a chance to win," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said.

Blue Devil starting pitcher Tre Simmons allowed only four hits and two runs in six innings pitched before Parker Weddle struck out two in a scoreless seventh inning.

Freshman shortstop David Herring had two of Cowley's four hits in the loss.

Game two of the doubleheader saw Cowley score a pair of runs in the first inning and then strike for seven runs in the second inning to blow the game open. Blake Robertson and Herring each had two-run singles in the seven-run second.

Michelle Artzberger went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in as Cowley out-hit Kansas City 11-4 in the five-inning run-rule win. Artzberger leads the team with a .468 batting average and shares the team lead in RBIs (36) with Janson Reeder and Robertson.

Racer Felter (1-0) started on the mound for Cowley and struck out six over three innings. He allowed just two hits and one, unearned run, as he picked up his first win of the season.

Jerome Tylicki struck out three over two innings of scoreless relief to finish off the victory.

"We pitched pretty good on the day," Burroughs said. "Garrett and Racer both did a super job starting for us."

Alan Mercado (0-2) took the loss for Kansas City as he was tagged for six hits and seven runs in 1 1/3 innings pitched.

The Tigers' doubleheader at Allen Community College on Thursday has been postponed. The teams will instead prepare to play a doubleheader in Arkansas City on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. Prior to Saturday's first game former Tiger head coach Dave Burroughs will have his jersey retired at 12: 45 p.m.

"It is going to be a red letter day," Darren Burroughs said. "We look forward to celebrating everything Dave has done for the program, and it will be good to see some of the former players return."

The Red Devils, who are coached by former Tiger baseball player Clint Stoy, are 16-4 overall and 3-1 in the Jayhawk East.

Score by inning:

Game one                          R H E

Kansas City 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 – 5 4 0

Cowley        0 1 0 1 0 0 0 – 2 4 1

Game two                    R H E

Kansas City 0 0 1 0 0 – 1 4 1

Cowley        2 7 0 1 1 – 11 12