Cowley baseball splits pair of weekend doubleheaders

Returning to action for the first time in a week, the Cowley College baseball team split a pair of weekend doubleheaders against Neosho County and Johnson County at City Ball Park.

On Saturday, the Tigers slipped past Neosho County 12-11 in the opener. However, the Panthers won the second game 6-2.

On Sunday, Cowley played a pair of one run games as they lost the first one 5-4, but came back to win game two 4-3. Cowley trailed the nightcap 3-0 heading into its final two at bats. The Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game and won it on Frank Specht’s game-winning single with one out in the seventh.

Despite the dramatic win, Cowley assistant coach Darren Burroughs would have liked to have seen his team be going for the sweep rather than a split of the two games.
“We never like to split doubleheaders at home,” Cowley assistant coach Darren Burroughs said. “We are just working to get better.”

Against Neosho County, Luke Zeller homered and drove in three runs in the 12-11 win of game one. Specht added three hits, while Heath Wall went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases.

Cowley rallied from an early 5-0 deficit, but could not hold leads of 9-5 and 11-9. The Panthers tied the game at 11-11 when Cowley reliever Michael Flanagin walked pinch hitter Phillip Smith with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh inning.

However, Neosho County’s Kyle Kaiser allowed a lead off single by Specht to start the bottom of the seventh. After Tyson Parks sacrificed Specht to second, Kaiser walked Tom O’Gorman and Zeller to load the bases. Kaiser’s wildness continued as he walked Wall to force in Specht with the winning run.

In game two, Calvin Drinnen started on the mound and allowed a run in the first inning before rain halted play for the next one hour and forty five minutes. After the rain delay, Chris O’Brien relieved Drinnen on the mound and went the final six innings. O’Brien allowed nine hits and five runs in six innings pitched.

Cowley trailed 6-2 after the Panthers scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. The Tigers had chances to get back in the game, but stranded the bases loaded in each of the last two innings of play.

Against Johnson County on Sunday, the Tigers led 2-1 after four innings of play. The Cavaliers would score three times in the top of the fifth inning off Tiger starter Curt Simpson, while Cowley would get a two-run triple by Wall in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 4-4.

With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Johnson County’s Parker Amos singled in Mitchell Mathis with the go-ahead run. Nick Holtgrieve retired the Tigers in order in the bottom of the seventh as the Cavaliers held on for the 5-4 win.

Simpson allowed five hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched, while Zack Potter (pictured) took the loss as he allowed one run on a hit and a walk in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Zeller had three hits in the loss, while Wall went 2-for-3.

Cowley’s come from behind win of the second game allowed them to come away with a split of both weekend doubleheaders. Connor Farris allowed seven hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings pitched as he picked up the win.

Flanagin relieved Farris on the mound with a runner at first and one out in the seventh. After getting David Drahozal to ground into a force out at second, he surrendered a two-out double to Mathis to put runners at second and third. However, Flanagin struck out John Lenherr to preserve the win.

The Tigers are now 24-13 overall and 21-5 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. The Cavaliers (21-13) are tied for second in the conference with a record of 16-8.

Cowley will play another important doubleheader on Tuesday when they travel to Kansas City for a doubleheader at 2 p.m. The Blue Devils are currently tied for second with Johnson County, four games behind the Tigers.

“It’s a big doubleheader, they have got a good club,” Burroughs said. “Hopefully, we can rise to the occasion and get a couple of wins.”