Tiger baseball team clinches at least a share of fourth straight conference title
In a battle of top-10 teams with a conference title at stake, the No. 10-ranked Cowley College baseball team swept a doubleheader against No. 7-ranked Johnson County Thursday in Arkansas City. With wins of 10-0 and 5-3, the Tigers clinched at least a share of its fourth straight Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division title.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
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0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | X | 5 | 10 | 1 |
In a battle of top-10 teams with a conference title at stake, the No. 10-ranked Cowley College baseball team swept a doubleheader against No. 7-ranked Johnson County Thursday in Arkansas City. With wins of 10-0 and 5-3, the Tigers clinched at least a share of its fourth straight Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division title.
Cowley (39-7) improves its record to 26-4 in the conference, while Johnson County (41-7) falls to 24-6 with two games left to be played between the teams Friday in Overland Park.
"We had good focus all day and had a really well-rounded effort in the victories," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said.
In Thursday's opener, freshman J'Briell Easley improved his record to 8-0 on the season as he allowed only two hits in the five-inning run-rule win. Easley struck out seven and walked one.
"J'Briell located his fastball well and had good command of the strike zone,' Burroughs said.
Leading 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Cowley scored seven runs to win 10-0. The game ended when Gus Freeman hit a ball through the second baseman's legs, allowing the final two runs to cross the plate.
Cowley benefitted from three walks, an error, and a hit batsman in the inning. Bryce Madron had a two-run single in the seven-run out-burst and finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs batted in, while Janson Reeder also drove in three.
In game two, Cowley trailed 3-0 before scoring two runs off Johnson County starting pitcher Max Chapman in the bottom of the sixth inning and chasing him from the game.
The Cavaliers would remain ahead 3-2 until the Tigers rallied to grab the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. David Herring led off the inning by reaching base on an error and would come around to score on a bases-loaded walk by Cavalier reliever CC Strain. Another walk, this time by Bryce Madron, scored Elijah Jackson with the go-ahead run. Strain's fourth walk of the inning scored Felix Chenier-Rondeau with the Tigers' fifth run as they went to the final inning leading 5-3.
With a runner at first base and two outs, Tiger reliever Isaac Stebens got Jackson Galloway to ground out to end the game. The save was the fifth of the season for Stebens.
Miguel Obeso went the first five innings on the mound for the Tigers and allowed two earned runs, while striking out five. Cole Miller followed with two scoreless innings of relief, while Miguel Fulgencio (6-1) retired all four batters he faced to earn the win.
"I thought our pitching was really good on the day," Burroughs said.
Jackson, Chenier-Rondeau, and Michelle Artzberger had two hits apiece for the Tigers.
Today's doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. The Cavaliers need to sweep both games in order to gain a share of the conference title. One win by the Tigers and they are outright conference champs.
"We are looking forward to playing the games," Burroughs said. "Hopefully, everything goes right."
Score by inning:
Game one R H E
Johnson 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 2 2
Cowley 0 2 0 1 7 – 10 9 0
Game two R H E
Johnson 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 – 3 9 2
Cowley 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 x – 5 10 1
