May 10, 2004

Tigers finish conference season with sweep of Fort Scott

FORT SCOTT — Riding another complete-game shutout by sophomore pitcher Josh Wahpepah in the first game of a doubleheader at Fort Scott Saturday, and a 17-hit outburst in the second game, the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division champion Cowley County Community College baseball team swept its final conference doubleheader of the season.

In the first game, Wahpepah tossed his second straight shutout, and extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings. Cowley scored both of its runs in the second inning and Wahpepah did the rest as he improved to 10-1 on the season. Wahpepah allowed just three hits in the win.

“He’s definitely in a zone right now,” Cowley head coach Dave Burroughs said.

Dwayne White hit an RBI double in the second and then came around to score on a single by Brandon Harrigan.

In the nightcap, Cowley got at least one hit from every player in its lineup and scored in every inning but one in the 10-4 win. White and Deik Scram led the Tigers’ 17-hit attack with three hits a piece.

White blasted a two-run homer in the third inning and finished with three runs batted in. Scram reached base all five times at the plate, and finished with four runs scored and an RBI.

Tiger sophomore Adam Henry allowed two runs in five innings to pick up the win. Henry is now 6-3 on the season. The victories improve Cowley’s record to 37-17 overall. The Tigers finish the conference season as Jayhawk East champions with a record of 27-9. Neosho finished second in the conference, five games behind Cowley.

The conference title is Cowley’s ninth in the past 10 seasons.

“We have been pretty used to having that conference crown in our sights, so I’m happy for our kids,” Burroughs said. “But that part of our season is over. Now it’s time to move on to the next stage.”

The Tigers will host Dodge City in a best two-out-of-three sub-regional Saturday at City Ball Park. The first nine-inning game of Saturday’s doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. If the two teams split on Saturday, the third and final game would be played Sunday at 1 p.m.

The winner of the Cowley vs. Dodge City series will take on the winner of the Independence and Garden City series in a first-round game at Lawrence Dumont Stadium in Wichita. The Region VI Tournament runs May 20-23.

“We will just try to get ourselves in a good position to win a doubleheader this weekend, and move on to the next step after that,” Burroughs said.