April 5, 2006                    

Tiger baseball team falls out of first

For the first time this season the Cowley College baseball team is not a top the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division standings as a doubleheader loss at Neosho County Tuesday dropped the Tigers a game behind the Panthers in the East.

Cowley lost the doubleheader by scores of 5-4 and 7-1. The losses drop the Tigers’ record to 21-12 overall and 12-6 in the Jayhawk East, while Neosho County improves to 22-8 overall and 14-6 in the conference.

“Tip your hat to them, they outplayed us,” Cowley head coach Dave Burroughs said.

In game one, Cowley rallied from a 4-0 deficit to get within one-run of the Panthers on Blake Mitchell’s two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning. However, Neosho scored an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, and Ryan McMillan’s solo home run in the top of the sixth was not enough as Cowley lost 5-4.

Brad Miller (3-1) took the loss for the Tigers as he allowed five hits and five runs in six innings pitched.

In game two, Cowley managed just three hits off Neosho County starting pitcher Jared Potts, who struck out eight in the complete game win. The Tigers lone run came on a solo homer by Miller in the fifth. Miller’s home run was his fourth of the season.

Lance Hoge (3-2) took the loss as he allowed six hits and five runs in four innings pitched.

After opening conference play with six straight wins, Cowley has split its last 12 conference games. The Tigers will look to get back on track on Thursday when they host Independence in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. Independence is 16-19 overall and 7-11 in the Jayhawk East.

Score by inning:

Game one                      R H E
Cowley 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 — 4 6 0
Neosho 0 3 1 0 1 0 x — 5 5 0

Game two                      R H E
Cowley 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 1 3 0
Neosho 0 0 2 3 1 1 x — 7 8 0