Pitching carries the day in Tigers 6-2 win over SE Nebraska

Playing its home opener on Wednesday at the Tiger Baseball Field, the No. 18-ranked Cowley College baseball team had eight pitchers combine to allow just two runs in a 6-2 victory over Southeast Nebraska.

With the victory, Cowley improves to 5-2 while the Bobcats fall to 1-3.

"It was good for us to get back on the field and have an opportunity to improve," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said.

Ty Parker started on the mound for Cowley, allowing one run in two innings, and left with the Tigers trailing 1-0.

Cowley tied the game at 1-1 when Robert Diaz singled leading off the bottom of the third inning and came around to score on a two-out throwing error by the catcher Korey Cozad.

The Bobcats would load the bases with only one out in the top of the fourth inning against Cowley's Ethan Horton before the right-hander got a pop-out and a flyout to end the threat. However, the Tigers returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning as they had the bases loaded with one out and failed to score.

Cowley would again threaten to take the lead in the fifth inning before stranding runners at second and third. However, Diaz came through again in the bottom of the sixth inning as his RBI groundout scored Dawson Williams to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

After Mitchell Johnson, Ethan Horton, Jack Hamm, and Lucas Weaver tossed scoreless innings of relief, Southeast Nebraska would even the score in the top of the seventh inning as they took advantage of three walks by Tiger reliever Cameron Mock (1-1).

Tiger centerfielder Kade Sheldon singled, leading off the bottom of the seventh inning, stole second, and eventually came around to score the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk to Seth Dandridge.

After Tiger reliever Mark Hoffman pitched a scoreless top of the eighth, Cowley benefited from a costly Bobcat error that would have been the final out of the inning. Instead, the error allowed Cade Baldridge to score, and the next batter, Quinn Groebl, made them pay by belting a two-run homer off Southeast Nebraska's Jacob Chandler.

Leading 6-2, the Tigers turned to Chance Acord, who tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.

Cade Baldridge and Robert Diaz had two stolen bases a piece, and the Tigers stole six bases in the win.

Cowley will host Indian Hills Community College in a four-game series on Friday and Saturday. Both doubleheaders will begin at 1 p.m.

"We are excited to play a quality program such as Indian Hills and hope to show continued improvement," Burroughs said.

Score by inning:                         R H E

SE Nebraska 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 – 2 8 4

Cowley          0 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 x – 6 7 2