March 6, 2006

Tiger baseball team sweeps doubleheader vs. Maple Woods

Continuing its solid play at home, the No. 9-ranked Cowley College baseball team swept a doubleheader against Maple Woods Community College Sunday at City Ball Park.

The Tigers won the first game 3-2, and then took the nightcap by a score of 9-6.

“It was an encouraging day for us,” Cowley head coach Dave Burroughs said. “We defended our home turf against a quality opponent.”

Sophomore Brad Miller started on the mound for the Tigers in the first game and allowed just four hits and two runs in five innings pitched. However, he left the game with the score tied 2-2.

Kendall Cogan (1-0) allowed just one base runner in two scoreless innings of relief as he picked up the win.

With the score tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Tiger catcher Patrick D’Aoust singled to start the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mitch McCuistion, and scored the winning run on a RBI double by freshman Zach Berg.

In game two, Maple Woods scored three runs in the top of the first inning and held a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. Cowley regained the lead with two runs in the fourth, and got a two-run triple from Miller to highlight a three-run fifth. Leading 7-3, the Tigers added a pair of insurance runs on a two-run single by Miller in the sixth.

Maple Woods scored three runs in the top of the seventh off Tiger reliever J.C. Bredengerd, but Cowley held on for the 9-6 win.

Miller went 3-for-3 with four RBI’s in the win, while Blake Mitchell went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and three runs scored. Sophomore Bryce Bartelson (1-0) pitched a scoreless fourth inning and picked up the win in relief of starter Lance Hoge, who allowed three runs in his three innings pitched. 

After playing its first seven games on the road, the Tigers have rattled off four straight wins at home.

“I think our kids are getting better,” Burroughs said. “We pitched it really well and got some timely hitting.”

Cowley will continue its tough early season schedule when they host Barton County in a nine-inning game Thursday at 2 p.m.

Score by inning:

Game one                                R H E
Maple Woods 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 — 2 5 4
Cowley           0 0 0 2 0 0 1 — 3 4 2

Game two                                R H E
Maple Woods 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 — 6 6 2
Cowley           2 0 0 2 3 2 x — 9 7 2