March 2, 2009

Tiger baseball takes two of three from Eastern Oklahoma

Bouncing back from a 19-5 loss in the first game at Eastern Oklahoma State College on Saturday, the Cowley College baseball team came back to win the next two games against the Mountaineers by scores of 4-3 and 6-3.

In the opener, Eastern Oklahoma led 11-0 after four innings of play. The Mountaineers had nine hits in the game’s first four innings, while the Tiger defense did not help matters by committing three errors.

Cowley recorded six of its seven hits in a five-run seventh inning, which was highlighted by Mac Gordon’s two-run single. With the score 11-5, the Mountaineers put the game away by scoring five times in the bottom of the seventh, and three more times in the eighth inning as they finished the game with 17 hits.

Alex Schell (0-1) took the loss as he allowed five hits and five earned runs in three innings pitched. John Maler relieved Schell on the mound and was tagged with six hits and four runs in his three innings of work.

Freshman Travis Weaver followed Maler on the mound and allowed five runs before being pulled with two outs in the seventh inning. Fellow freshman, Randon Ridling, allowed three runs while pitching the final 1 2/3 innings.

On Sunday, Cowley put the loss behind them and came back to win the first game of the doubleheader by a score of 4-3. The Tigers got a solid start on the mound by Stephen Kohlscheen and a two-run homer by third baseman Frank Specht in the victory.

Specht’s homer in the third inning was his second of the season, and gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
A run scoring single by B.J. Misialek increased Cowley’s lead to 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.

Kohlscheen, who struck out five batters in the first four innings, left the game with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the fifth. Chase Webb (1-0) allowed both inherited base runners to score before getting out of the inning.

With the score tied 3-3, Webb settled down on the mound and ended up pitching 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Webb allowed just two hits, while striking out six and walking none.

The Tigers would score the winning run in the top of the eighth inning as Misialek, who was hit by a pitch leading off the inning, took second on a sacrifice bunt by Specht and scored on a double by pinch-hitter Luke Zeller.

Leadoff man, Robert Thomas, had two of Cowley’s six hits in the win.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Cowley scored five runs in the second inning en route to a 6-3 win.

Thomas and Zeller had the big hits in the five-run second inning as Zeller had a two-run double, and Thomas came through with a two-run single. Misialek added a RBI single in the inning.

Andy Petz homered in the third inning, giving Cowley a 6-0 lead.

Zach Cargill (1-0), a freshman pitcher from Washington, Okla., picked up the win as he allowed only one earned run in 4 2/3 innings pitched. Cargill surrendered five hits, while striking out six and walking three.
Trevor Rosenthal followed with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, and Michael Flanagin recorded the save by tossing a perfect seventh inning.

Misialek finished with two of Cowley’s six hits in the game as the Tigers’ improve to 7-5 on the season.
Cowley will return to action on Wednesday when they play a single, nine-inning game at Hutchinson at 2 p.m.