Feb. 27, 2004

Tigers drop home opener against NOC 7-3

One day after blasting four home runs in a 13-2 win over 10th-ranked Connors State College, the No. 9-ranked Cowley County Community College baseball team had its bats held in check in a 7-3 home-opening loss to Northern Oklahoma College (Tonkawa) Thursday at City Ball Park.

After a scoreless first inning, the Mavericks jumped on top of the Tigers with a two-run second inning off Cowley starter Dustin Richardson. With one out in the inning, Richardson hit NOC catcher Chad Morrow with a pitch, and Toby Davis followed with a bunt single, putting runners at first and second.

Mavericks' right fielder Geoff Miller then singled to load the bases, and Russell Boswell grounded into a force play that scored Morrow with the first run of the game. Ramsey Recio capped the two-run inning with a run-scoring single up the middle.

Cowley mounted a rally in the bottom of the third inning as shortstop Deik Scram led off with a double, and designated hitter Clay Blevins followed with a single, putting runners on second and third with nobody out. Left fielder Dwayne White's infield single scored Scram from third, and one out later, third baseman Brandon Harrigan lifted a fly ball to right field that was deep enough for Blevins to tag up and score the tying run.

Sophomore Trey Randa came in to pitch the fourth inning for the Tigers. With a runner at first and two outs, Randa walked center fielder Chad Riddle to put runners at first and second. Second baseman Aaron Wick followed with an infield single to load the bases.

Looking to get out of the inning unscathed, Randa hit the next two batters, forcing in the Mavericks' third and fourth runs of the game.

The score stayed 4-2 until the bottom of the sixth. After going the first five innings on the mound, NOC starting pitcher Matt Durett (1-0) was pulled in favor of Brock Eaton.

Eaton got pinch-hitter Colby Overstreet to fly out for the first out of the inning, but then surrendered a solo home run to Scram that made the score 4-3. The homer was Scram's second in two days as he sent this one over the center field wall.

One out later, White tripled to right center, but was stranded at third when Hunter Harrigan popped out to end the inning.

NOC padded its lead off freshman right hander Matt Van Deelen in the seventh as Miller hit a two-run double to increase the Mavericks' lead to 6-3. NOC added another run off Van Deelen in the eighth as Jeremy Denoya's two-out single scored Riddle from second with the Mavericks' seventh run of the game.

After a rocky sixth inning, Eaton came back to retire the side in order in the Tigers' half of the seventh and eighth inning. Blevins drew a leadoff walk to start the ninth, and Eaton hit Hunter Harrigan with a pitch to put runners at first and second with only one out.

However, Eaton came back to get Brandon Harrigan to ground into a force out at second, and struck out Chase Ohme to end the game.

Richardson allowed two runs, four hits, and two walks in his three innings on the mound. The sophomore also struck out three and hit one batter as he got a no decision.

Sophomore Trey Randa (0-1) came in to pitch the fourth inning for the Tigers.

Scram and White had two hits apiece for the Tigers, who were outhit 10-8 in the game. Denoya, Davis and Miller each had two hits for the Mavericks.

The loss drops Cowley's record to 3-3 on the season. The Tigers will host NOC-Enid in a nine-inning game Saturday at 1 p.m.