May 2, 2006                    

Cloud pushes Cowley baseball team to the brink

The Cowley College baseball team, the second seed in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, is getting all it can handle from Cloud County, the No. 7 seed in the Jayhawk West, as the Thunderbirds split a pair of one-run games against the Tigers Monday at City Ball Park in Arkansas City and forced an elimination game today at noon.

In the first game, Cowley’s Jeremy Sheehan and Cloud’s Shawn Joy were locked in a pitchers duel. Sheehan allowed just one run in seven innings before turning the ball over to Tyler Fleming, while Joy went the distance on the mound for the Thunderbirds.

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 10th inning, Cowley freshman Cole Waddell delivered a sacrifice fly to center field that scored the winning run from third base.

Fleming picked up the win as he tossed three scoreless innings of relief. Blake Mitchell led Cowley at the plate by going 2-for-4.

The Tigers got off to a good start in game two as they got RBI singles by Brad Miller and Jason Sowers in the bottom of the first inning, and a run scoring single by Pat D’Aoust in the second to lead 3-1.

However, Cowley starter Kent Williamson ran into trouble in the top of the third inning as two walks and two wild pitches helped the Thunderbirds score a pair of runs and tie the game at 3-3.

Williamson would get charged with another run in the fourth as he lasted just 3 1/3 innings on the mound. Kendall Cogan relieved Williamson and retired the first five batters he faced, and the Tigers scratched across a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4.

The Thunderbirds finally got to Cogan in the sixth as they pushed across a run to go on top 5-4. Kyle Dotson pitched the final three innings of game two for the Tigers and kept Cowley in the game by not allowing the Thunderbirds to score.

But, the run in the sixth would turn out to be a big one as Cowley failed to score the rest of the way and lost 5-4.

After a shaky outing by Cloud County starter Sean Bartholomew, who lasted just 1 2/3 innings on the mound, Zach Engelken relieved Bartholomew and pitched the final 7 1/3 innings to pick up the win. Engelken allowed just three hits and one run as he helped Cloud County even the best-of-three series at one game apiece.

Mitchell and Jason Sowers each had two hits in the defeat as Cowley managed just seven hits in each game.

The loser of today’s game will have its season come to an end, while the winner will advance to play in this weekend's Region VI Tournament held at Wichita's Lawrence Dumont Stadium.

Score by inning:

Game one                             R H E
Cloud   0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 9 0
Cowley 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 2 7 3

Game two                          R H E
Cloud   1 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 — 5 8 5
Cowley 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 — 4 7 3