Errors prove costly in Tigers’ season opening loss

Opening its season at Seminole (Okla.) State College on Tuesday, the No. 10-ranked Cowley College baseball team had five errors contribute to a 13-7 loss.

Four of the Tigers’ five errors came in the Trojans’ final two at bats. Seminole took advantage of the errors as they scored 10 of its 13 runs in the seventh and eighth inning.

“You can’t give a quality team like Seminole extra outs,” Cowley assistant coach Darren Burroughs said.

Cowley grabbed a 6-3 lead on a two-out grand slam home run by sophomore third baseman Tom O’Gorman in the top of the seventh inning. The homer was O’Gorman’s second of the game as he hit a solo home-run in the first inning.

O’Gorman, who led Cowley with 11 home runs as a freshman, finished with three hits and five runs batted in.

“We expect big things out of Tom,” Burroughs said. “He had a great plan at the plate and executed well.”

The Tigers’ lead would be short-lived as the Trojans scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to lead 7-6. Three of the Trojans’ four runs off Tiger reliever Michael Flanagin (0-1) were unearned as Cowley committed a pair of errors in the inning.

The Trojans would score six more times in the eighth as two more errors and a three-run homer by David Chester off Tiger reliever Zach Potter would help Seminole open a seven-run lead.

Cowley got a solo home run from Colt Loehrs in the ninth to finish off the scoring in the game. Loehrs, a freshman from Arkansas City, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in his debut.

Andy Petz, a freshman from Lawrence also played well for the Tigers as he went 3-for-5 with a home run. All seven of the Tigers’ runs came via the home run ball as four of their 11 hits sailed over the fence.

Stephen Kohlscheen started on the mound for Cowley and allowed four hits and two earned runs in two innings pitched. Luke Zeller and Chris O’Brien followed Kohlscheen on the mound and each pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

“Those guys threw well,” Burroughs said.

Kale Murphree (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Trojan starter Dustin Andrews. Murphree allowed five hits and four runs as he pitched the fifth through the seventh inning.

Cowley (0-1) will now prepare for its home opener as they will host Maple Woods Community College Saturday in a doubleheader at 1 p.m.