April 9, 2004

Cowley splits home doubleheader with last place Labette

After blasting Labette 14-5 in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday at City Ball Park, the Cowley County Community College baseball team got run-ruled 12-0 in the second game.

Although the Tigers (22-12 overall, 14-6 in the conference) are still a game ahead of Kansas City (11-5) for first place in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, they have struggled over the past few weeks. The split with Labette was Cowley’s fourth split in its last five doubleheaders.

The first game was a sloppy contest as the teams combined for seven errors, nine walks, and five hit batsmen. However, Cowley used an eight-run second inning to build an early lead, and put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Cowley had just three hits in the eight-run second, as three of the runs scored on errors, two runs were walked in, and another run crossed the plate thanks to a wild pitch. Brian Freeman’s RBI double and Deik Scram’s run scoring sacrifice fly accounted for the other runs in the inning.

With sophomore Josh Wahpepah on the mound, Cowley tried to return the favor in the top of the third inning as Labette scored on a throwing error, a wild pitch, and a hit batter with the bases loaded to cut the Tigers’ lead to 8-5.

However, Dwayne White’s two-run homer in the bottom of the third pushed Cowley’s lead to 10-5, and Wahpepah (4-1) settled down on the mound in throwing five innings for the win.

It wasn’t pretty, but it’s a win. In five innings, Wahpepah allowed five hits, one walk, hit four batters, and gave up two earned runs. Ronnie Phillips struck out the side in the seventh and allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings of relief.

White finished 1-4 with a home run and three runs batted in, while Kellen Linville had a two-run double in the four-run sixth. Freeman and Scram each added two hits and a run batted in in the victory.

In the nightcap, Cowley did not manage a hit until the fourth inning, and Labette roughed up Tiger starting pitcher Trace Larman (2-2) and a pair of relievers in a 12-0 five inning win.

Cowley will be back in action Saturday when they host Johnson County Community College in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.