Cowley baseball smashes Garden City, advances to Region VI Tourney

Picking up a pair of run-rule wins over Garden City Saturday at City Ball Park, the Cowley College baseball team won its sub-regional and advances to play at the Region VI Tournament in Wichita.

The Tigers scored eight runs in the sixth inning of game one to defeat the Broncbusters 11-3. Cowley picked up where it left off in the first game by scoring seven runs in the first two innings of game two as they coasted to a 9-1 seven-inning win of the nightcap.

“I was really pleased with our approach, we have gotten better at being focused early in the game,” Cowley assistant coach Darren Burroughs said. “We had a lot of different people contribute and show it’s a team game.”

The Tigers (35-17) advance to play Allen County (28-22)  at 7 p.m. Saturday at Wichita’s Lawrence Dumont Stadium. The teams split a pair of doubleheaders against each other during the regular season.

In the first game against Garden City, Cowley was locked in a 3-3 tie heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Tigers benefited from three walks and two hit batsmen to score eight runs in the sixth. Brice Cole and Tyson Parks each singled in a pair of runs in the inning.

Curt Simpson started on the mound for the Tigers and allowed seven hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings. Stephen Kohlscheen relieved Simpson and allowed one hit and no earned runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched as he picked up the win.

Cowley had five players record two hits in the game as they pounded out 12 hits in the victory.

In the nightcap, Calvin Drinnen (pictured) allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings as he improved to 5-2 on the season. Drinnen struck out six and walked two.
“Calvin pitched really good,” Burroughs said.

Cole had another big game batting out of the leadoff spot as he went 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored. While, Chase Roten went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored.

The Tigers have won eight of their last 10 games heading into the Region Tournament.

“I think this team is playing better now than we have all year,” Burroughs said.