May 23, 2009

Tigers power their way to 11-8 win in opening game of JUCO World Series

Blasting five home runs, the Cowley College baseball team defeated Seminole State College (Okla.) 11-8 Saturday in the first-round of the Alpine Bank/JUCO World Series played at Stocker Stadium/Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Co.

The game was halted by rain in the middle of the seventh inning, with Cowley leading 9-8. After enduring a one hour and 14 minute rain delay, the Tigers’ Mac Gordon belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to give Cowley some breathing room with an 11-8 lead.

Cowley’s Trevor Rosenthal pitched two scoreless innings of relief, while striking out four, as the Tigers held on for the win.

Sophomore Andy Petz, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in, was glad to see his team pick up where they left off after winning the Region VI Tournament.

“It was nice to see the week off didn’t slow anybody down,” Petz said. “Now that we have gone through all the hoopla leading up to the first game we can just focus on playing baseball.”

Other winners on the opening day of the JUCO World Series were, Howard College and Shelton State from Alabama. Cowley will play Santa Fe College Monday at 3 p.m. Santa Fe College also hit five home runs in its opening game of the World Series as they defeated Middle Georgia College 17-13. The game can be heard on KSOK Radio 95.9 FM.

After Seminole got things started with two runs off Alex Schell in the top of the first inning, Cowley’s Ronald Melendez led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run to left field to cut the deficit in half.

The Tigers were just getting started as two batters later, B.J. Misialek hit a monster home run to left to tie the game at 2-2. After Ryan Hege struck out for the second out of the inning, Colt Loehrs was hit by a pitch and Mac Gordon singled to put runners at first and second. Sophomore Andy Petz capped the home run parade in the first as he cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left field, putting the Tigers’ ahead 5-2.

The Trojans chased Schell from the game in the top of the second inning by scoring three runs, two of which came on a single by David Chester with two outs in the inning. Calvin Drinnen came on and recorded the final out of the inning and gave Cowley 5 1/3 innings of quality relief as he earned the win.

Schell, who had an earned run average of 1.71 entering the game, had his shortest outing of the season as he was charged with five runs on seven hits. Drinnen allowed three runs and six hits, while striking out six and walking only one.

Cowley regained the lead in the bottom of the second after Seminole starting pitcher, David Jackson, walked a pair of batters and then surrendered a three-run homer to Tiger sophomore Colt Loehrs. Loehrs’ homer just cleared the left field wall, giving Cowley an 8-5 lead. Loehrs’ homer was his third of the season.

Seminole scratched runs across in the third and fourth innings, while Cowley got a run in the bottom of the fourth to lead 9-7. The Trojans pulled within one run of the Tigers with a run in the seventh before Gordon capped the scoring with his two-run homer.

Gordon and Melendez each finished with two hits as Cowley had 10 hits in the win.