Tigers come up short in an attempt to sweep Coffeyville

For the fourth time in four conference series, the No. 5-ranked Cowley College baseball team won three of four games as they remain tied for first place in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. After winning the first two games against Coffeyville on Thursday in Arkansas City, the Tigers split a doubleheader in Coffeyville on Saturday, winning game one 5-4 in eight innings before losing the finale by a score of 8-6.

Cowley is now 23-6 overall and tied atop the Jayhawk East with Johnson County with a record of 12-4. The Red Ravens (18-10) are in third place in the conference with a record of 10-6.

In Saturday's opener, Cowley needed extra innings to win as the game was tied at 4-4 after seven innings of play. Tiger freshman centerfielder Drake Fittro doubled leading off the top of the eighth, advanced to third on a single by Seth Dandridge and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Weston Thomas.

Barrett Morgan, the third Tiger pitcher in the game, tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth inning to earn the win.

"Coffeyville is a tough place to play," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said. "We had to battle to win that first game."

Tallen Bagwell started on the mound for Cowley and got a no-decision after allowing three hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched. Bagwell struck out six and walked one.

Coffeyville's Jackson Waggoner went the first 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs before Zane Wilson came on in relief and was tagged with the loss.

First baseman Dawson Williams led Cowley at the plate by going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.

In Saturday's finale, Coffeyville chased Cowley starting pitcher Keegan Robertson from the game with a six-run first inning. Tiger relievers Lucas Weaver, Mitchell Johnson, and Cameron Mock gave Cowley 5 1/3 innings of solid relief, allowing the Tigers to chip away at the six-run deficit.

The Tigers pulled within 8-6 after a three-run fifth inning, but Coffeyville reliever Caleb Peek allowed just one hit in 2 1/3 innings as the Red Ravens held on to salvage the final game of the series.

"We competed hard but were unable to catch up after the first inning," Burroughs said.

Coffeyville starting pitcher Easton Renn walked eight batters in 4 1/3 innings, but the Tigers managed only six hits in the contest. Cowley designated hitter Weston Thomas hit his second home run of the season in the defeat.

Cowley will return home to face No. 23-ranked Barton Community College (20-8) on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

"Barton has a good club and is a challenge every time we face them," Burroughs said. "We need to take advantage of mistakes and throw strikes."

Score by inning:

Game one                            R H E

Cowley      0 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 – 5 10 1

Coffeyville 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 – 4 9 1

Game two                         R H E

Cowley      0 1 2 0 3 0 0 – 6 6 0

Coffeyville 6 0 1 1 0 0 x – 8 9 0