Tigers fall at KCK, finish second in the Jayhawk East

Needing to win one game of its doubleheader at Kansas City Kansas Community College on Saturday to capture at least a share of the conference title, the No. 3-ranked Cowley College baseball team stubbed its toe with a pair of losses by scores of 4-1 and 18-10. The Tigers had their 10-game win streak snapped and finished one game behind conference champion Johnson County.

Cowley (41-10) finished 26-6 in the Jayhawk East, while the Cavaliers finished 26-6.

"We were disappointed with the results," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said. "We went to KCK with a chance to be conference champs, but got beat by a good team."

Kansas City scored four runs in the first inning of game one and made the lead stand up in the 4-1 victory.

After allowing five hits and four runs in the first inning, Cowley's starting pitcher, Tallen Bagwell, settled down to go four innings. Jack Hamm followed with two scoreless innings, but the Tigers managed only four hits in the 4-1 loss.

Still, Cowley had a chance to finish as co-conference champions with Johnson County if they could win the second game. However, Tiger starting pitcher Keegan Robertson did not make it out of the first inning, and the Blue Devils scored seven runs in the bottom of the first.

Cowley would score four runs on only one hit due to wildness from KCK starting pitcher Jack Titus, who walked six batters in one plus inning of work.

Trailing 7-6, the Tigers would not score over the next three innings, and the Blue Devils' Freddie Nolen VI helped blow the game open by going 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles, and seven runs batted in.

The 18 runs were a season-high allowed by the Tigers.

"We were fighting uphill after the seven-run first inning, and it seemed every time we got close, they had an answer," Burroughs said.

Seth Dandridge homered in the defeat, while first baseman Quinn Groebl went 2-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in.

Cowley will host Seward County (26-29) in the best-of-three sub-regional beginning Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Arkansas City. The winner of the sub-regional will advance to play at the Region VI Tournament held May 13-15 in Salina, KS.

"We need to move on, regroup, and prepare for Seward on Wednesday," Burroughs said.

Score by inning:

Game one                   R H E

Cowley 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 – 1 4 0

KCK     4 0 0 0 0 0 x – 4 8 0

Game two                           R H E

Cowley 2 4 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 – 10 8 3

KCK     7 0 2 0 3 2 1 3 x – 18 18 2