April 29, 2004

Tiger baseball team makes up games, goes 3-1 on the day

KANSAS CITY — In a rather unique way of scheduling, the Cowley County Community College baseball team completed a pair of suspended doubleheaders in Kansas City and Highland Wednesday, and went 3-1 on the day.

The Tigers began the day by finishing a weather-suspended contest with Kansas City. The game, which was played on March 27, was halted with Cowley leading 10-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Each team scored a run in the top of the seventh as Cowley prevailed 11-3.

Deik Scram had a three-run triple in an eight-run third inning, and Colby Overstreet went 3-4 with three runs batted in. Josh Wahpepah got credit for the win as he allowed just three hits and two runs in five innings.

In the second game vs. Kansas City, Cowley got a hit from every player in its lineup, and Wahpepah surrendered just five hits and one run in a 16-1 six-inning run-rule win. The victory improves Wahpepah’s record to 8-1 on the season.

Catcher Clay Blevins had a pair of doubles and four runs batted in, and Matt Webb went 3-4 with two runs batted in and four runs scored.

Cowley then hopped back on the bus and made an hour-and-a-half drive to Highland to wrap up a doubleheader with the Scotties. The first game was suspended last Thursday with Cowley leading 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

Cowley’s Dustin Richardson (6-1) struck out seven, while allowing just two hits and no runs in his five innings on the mound. Matt VanDeelen pitched two innings of scoreless relief to notch the save, and Dwayne White and Scram each drove in a run in the top of the seventh as Cowley won 3-0.

In the nightcap, Richardson held Highland scoreless over the first three innings, and Cowley led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth. However, Richardson ran into trouble in the fourth, surrendering a three-run homer to Travis Ahrens, hit the No. 7 hitter with a pitch, and walked the ninth batter in the Scotties’ lineup before being relieved by Ronnie Phillips.

Phillips promptly walked the first batter he faced, and then surrendered a grand slam to Highland’s John Brummett to cap the Scotties’ eight-run fourth inning.

Cowley scored a run in the fifth and one in the sixth, but it was not enough as it lost 9-4.

“It was kind of a challenging day,” Cowley assistant coach Darren Burroughs said. “By the time the fourth game began, I think it was tougher mentally than it was physically on us.”

Richardson (6-2) took the loss as he lasted just 3 2/3 innings on the mound. Brian Freeman led Cowley batters at the plate by going 3-4 with a run batted in.

By going 3-1 Wednesday, the Tigers’ magic number for clinching their ninth Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division title in the last 10 years now stands at two. Cowley is now 32-15 overall and 24-8 in the Jayhawk East.

Cowley will prepare to play a doubleheader at Barton County Community College Friday at 6 p.m. The Tigers will return home to play a pair of conference games against Johnson County at 1 p.m. Sunday. A pair of wins would assure Cowley of at least a share of the conference title.

“Sunday is a big doubleheader,” Burroughs said. “We would like to take care of business ourselves and not rely on somebody else to help us.”