February 6, 2009

Cowley baseball dominates Butler 14-2 in season opener

With four pitchers combining to strike out 16 batters and walk only one, the Cowley College baseball team annihilated Butler Community College 14-2 in its season opener played Thursday in El Dorado.

“I was really pleased our pitchers went right at them and threw strikes,” Cowley assistant coach Darren Burroughs said.

Cowley took advantage of its pitchers overpowering the Grizzlies batters as the Tigers pounded out 11 hits and drew nine walks at the plate.

The Tigers led just 5-2 heading into the top of the eighth inning before they blew the game open by scoring nine runs in the inning. Cowley had just three hits in the inning, but benefited from five walks and two errors.

“We really showed good patience at the plate late in the game,” Burroughs said.

Cowley jumped out to an early lead as a pair of errors by Butler and a two-run single by the Tigers’ Ryan Hege highlighted a three-run first inning.

“We set the tone right off the bat,” Burroughs said.

Tiger sophomore Calvin Drinnen started on the mound and allowed just one hit over two scoreless innings. Drinnen struck out four and walked none as he picked up his first win of the season.

Fellow sophomore Stephen Kohlscheen would pitch the next two innings and was equally effective as he allowed only one base runner while striking out three.

Cowley would add a run in the top of the fifth inning as freshman shortstop B.J. Misialek led off the inning with a single, stole second and third, and came around to score on a single by Andy Petz, putting the Tigers ahead 4-0.

Butler would score its only two runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. A fielding error by Tiger first baseman Ryan Hege led to both runs off Tiger freshman Stephen Spirlock being unearned. Spirlock would pitch two innings, allowing two hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

Petz would deliver his second run-scoring single of the game in the top of the seventh as the Tigers’ lead grew to 5-2. Robert Thomas and Misialek had RBI singles in the eighth, while Ronald Melendez had a run scoring double in the nine-run outburst.

Freshman right-hander, Chase Webb, was dominant in pitching the final two innings for the Tigers. Webb retired all six batters he faced, and struck out the final five batters of the game.

“Chase has very good stuff,” Burroughs said. “He has good velocity and was locating well.”

Petz and Hege each finished with two hits and three RBI’s, while sophomore third baseman Frank Specht walked four times and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Melendez had a solid debut as he went 2-for-4 with a double, a run batted in and two stolen bases.

Cowley is now 1-0 on the season. The Tigers and Grizzlies will square off once again as the two teams will play a nine-inning game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at City Ball Park in Arkansas City.

“It was good to get out and play, we will try to build on this and get better every day,” Burroughs said.