Cowley baseball rallies for split with Kansas City

Three outs away from losing a home doubleheader against Kansas City on Tuesday, the No. 10-ranked Cowley College baseball team rallied for a 6-5 win and salvaged a split of the two games.

“I was proud of the guys for fighting from behind and coming back to get the win,” Cowley assistant coach Darren Burroughs said.

After losing the first game 5-3, Cowley trailed the nightcap 5-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. The Tigers got back-to-back singles from Brice Cole and Colt Loehrs to start the fifth and Cole would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch, while Loehrs scored on a ground out by Shane Azzopardi to cut the Blue Devils’ lead to 5-4.

The score would remain 5-4 heading into the Tigers’ final at bat. Cole again started the rally with a leadoff single, his third hit of the game. Cole then made a heads up play as pinch hitter Chase Roten laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Cole running with the pitch, made it all the way to third base on the play.

Kenny Hitchcock then hit a line drive triple over the third baseman’s head that scored Cole with the tying run. Kansas City pitcher Travis Parker intentionally walked Azzopardi and Tyson Parks to load the bases and set up a possible force play.

However, Luke Zeller’s sacrifice fly to right field scored Hitchcock with the winning run.

Calvin Drinnen started on the mound for the Tigers and allowed five hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Zack Potter followed Drinnen on the mound and retired five of the six batters he faced, while Michael Flanagin (1-3) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to  pick up the win.

“Zack and Michael came in and did an outstanding job of holding them,” Burroughs said.

Stephen Kohlscheen (2-2) took the loss of the first game as he allowed seven hits and four runs in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Alex Schell relieved Kohlscheen and allowed just two hits and one run in 3 2/3 innings.

Derby native Austin Etling picked up the win for the Blue Devils as he went the distance on the mound. Etling scattered nine hits, while striking out three and waking two.

With Cowley trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Parks (pictured) hit a home run to lead off the inning. However, Etling retired the next three batters to preserve the win. Parks and Roten had two hits a piece in the defeat.

Cowley is now 14-11 overall and 11-3 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. Kansas City moves to 9-6 overall and 5-5 in the conference. The Tigers’ game against Hutchinson today has been cancelled.

Cowley will return to the diamond Thursday at 2 p.m. when they host Independence in a doubleheader. The Pirates are currently two games behind the Tigers in the Jayhawk East with a conference mark of 9-5.