Tiger baseball splits doubleheader at Johnson County

Opening with a 5-2 win in the first game of a doubleheader at Johnson County Thursday, the Cowley College baseball team improved to 5-0 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. However, the Tigers suffered their first conference setback with a 3-0 loss of game two.

“We felt we should have swept the doubleheader,” Cowley assistant coach Darren Burroughs said.

In the opener, John Chaisson led off the game with a solo home run. Heath Wall’s RBI single in the fourth inning scored Tom O’Gorman to put the Tigers ahead 2-0. The Cavaliers scratched across a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game at 2-2. The first run was charged to Cowley starter John Maler and Zack Potter surrendered the second run.

Cowley regained the lead in the top of the sixth as Travis Carney began the inning with a single and came around to score on an error. Chase Roten added a two-run single to put Cowley ahead 5-2.

The Tigers’ Michael Flanagin entered the game with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Flanagin got Jeremy Francis to fly out to end the threat in the sixth. He then retired the side in order in the seventh to pick up the save.

Potter (1-0) earned the win in relief. Both teams had six hits in the game.

In game two, Cowley was blanked by Johnson County freshman Nick Holtgreive, who allowed just four hits in seven innings. Cowley starter Connor Farris matched zeroes on the mound through the game’s first four innings. However, Johnson County got to Farris for three runs in the fifth.

Farris allowed three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings pitched as he fell to 0-2 on the season. Alex Schell pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Tigers. Roten had two of Cowley’s four hits in the defeat.

Cowley is now 7-9 overall and 5-1 in the Jayhawk East. Johnson County is now 7-8 overall and 3-3 in the conference. The Tigers will play a doubleheader at Labette Saturday at 2 p.m.