March 31, 2004

Tigers win nightcap, earn split of doubleheader

Sophomore lefthander Dustin Richardson tossed his third straight complete game to help the Cowley County Community College baseball team bounce back from an 8-1 loss to Allen County in the first game, and earn a split of the doubleheader played Tuesday at City Ball Park.

Richardson allowed just five hits and two earned runs in improving to 4-1 on the year. In his 36 innings pitched this season, Richardson has allowed just 26 hits and eight earned runs.

Kellen Linville, Matt Webb and Brian Freeman each had two hits for the Tigers.

Leading 2-1, Cowley scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-run triple by Webb to increase its lead to 4-1. However, Allen County answered with two runs in the top of the fifth to get back within one run of the Tigers.

Cowley struck for two more runs in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of RBI singles by Freeman and Dwayne White, and Richardson made the lead stand up as he allowed just one baserunner during the last two innings of play.

“I was happy for D.R., he deserves all the credit,” Cowley head coach Dave Burroughs said. “I was disappointed our team wasn’t ready to play any more than we were, but at least we were able to bounce back and win the second game.”

In the first game, Cowley’s sloppy performance in the field led to an early 6-0 deficit. Trey Randa, making his second start of the season, saw three unearned runs cross the plate in the game’s first two innings.

The unearned runs were nothing new to Randa (2-2) as 11 of the sophomore right-hander’s 17 runs allowed this season have been unearned. Randa allowed four earned runs in five innings and left the game trailing 7-0.

Allen County’s Daryl Dinger got Cowley to hit into four double plays and scattered seven hits over seven innings to pick up the victory. The Tigers’ lone run came on a throwing error with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Cowley needed to win the second game of the doubleheader to avoid falling into a tie for first place with Allen County in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. The Tigers also got some help from Labette on Tuesday as the Cardinals handed second-place Highland a pair of defeats.

Cowley is now 17-9 overall and 9-3 in the Jayhawk East, while Allen County (10-15 overall) moves into a tie for second place in the East with Highland with a record of 6-4.

The Tigers will play another home doubleheader on Friday when they host Highland at 1 p.m. The Scotties are 16-9 on the season.