May 18, 2010

Cowley has season come to end with pair of one-run defeats

Losing a pair of heart breakers to Hutchinson and Seward County Monday at the Region VI Tournament in Wichita, the Cowley College baseball team had its season come to an abrupt end.

After beating the Saints 10-1 on Sunday, the Tigers had to battle Seward again as Cowley lost 5-4 in 13 innings to Hutchinson and the Saints beat Butler 2-1 in 12 innings.

Cowley had 18 hits in the win over Seward County on Sunday, but managed just three hits in a 5-4 loss on Monday night. The Saints will play Hutchinson Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. in the championship round.

After scoring four runs in the first 4 1/3 innings off Seward County starting pitcher Jose Gonzalez, Jared Wagner (2-4) held the Tigers scoreless the rest of the way. Wagner retired 14 of the 16 batters he faced as Seward rallied from a 4-1 deficit.

“You got to tip your hat to that guy,” Cowley head coach Dave Burroughs said. “I don't know, our guys acted like they were in a daze.”

That may have been because the Tigers had grabbed a 4-3 lead in the 13th inning of game one versus Hutchinson before the Blue Dragons scored two runs in the bottom of the 13th to win 5-4.

In the nightcap, Cowley took an early 2-0 lead on a pair of run scoring singles by Matt Garcia and Phillip Wilson in the top of the second inning. The Saints got a run back in the third inning when first basemen Josh Dawson singled home Kelby Tomlinson, who led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a base hit by Quay Grant.

Seward County starting pitcher Jose Gonzalez walked the bases loaded in the top of the fifth before being relieved by Jared Wagner with one out. Sophomore third baseman Derik Grimes greeted Wagner with a two-run single up the middle to increase the Tigers' lead to 4-1.

The Saints got the runs back in the bottom of the fifth thanks to four hits and a walk off Cowley starter Robbie Rea. Seward County had 10 hits to Cowley's three through the game's first five innings, but the Tigers took advantage of five walks and three errors by the Saints to lead after five.

Wagner, who entered the game with a record of 1-4 and an earned run average of 6.39, retired 11 batters in a row after allowing the two-run single to Grimes.

Electing to leave Rea in the game, the righthander allowed a pair of singles around a sacrifice bunt to put runners at first and third and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. The decision looked like it might pay off as Rea got pinch hitter Kevin Domrzalski to pop out to third base for the second out of the inning. However, Kelby Tomlinson and Quay Grant followed with back-to-back run scoring singles to put the Saints on top 5-4.

Rea allowed 15 hits and five runs in eight innings.

“Robbie didn't have his best stuff tonight but he was our best option in that situation,” Burroughs said.

Cowley's Matt Garcia walked leading off the top of the ninth, giving Cowley its first base runner since the fifth inning. Wilson bunted Garcia to second and Rey Otero hit a ground ball that second baseman Ty Jacobs made a diving stop on for an out at first base. With a runner at third and two outs, Ronnie Melendez flew out to right field to end the game.

The Tigers end the season with a record of 39-16.

With both starting pitchers on top of their games in the opener, runs were hard to come by in Cowley's game versus Hutchinson. The Tigers rallied to tie the game at 3-3 with two outs in the top of the ninth and then grabbed the lead in the top of the 13th inning before Hutchinson scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning to win 5-4.

With the win, Hutchinson improved to 3-0 on the season against the Tigers and 36-22 overall.

With Hutchinson leading 3-2 in the top of the ninth inning of game one, Blue Dragon starting pitcher Shawn Lewick retired the first two batters he faced before Rey Otero and Ronnie Melendez singled, putting runners at first and third. With Grant Glasser pinch running for Otero at third, Chance Ross hit a ground ball to shortstop Matt Williams, who got the ball stuck in his mitt, allowing Glasser to score the tying run.

Lewick avoided further damage by getting B.J. Misialek to ground out to second for the final out of the inning.

One night after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and seven men left on base, sophomore Tyler Hancock found himself on the bench until entering the game as a pinch runner in the top of the 11th inning. After a leadoff double by Aaron Rea in the top of the 13th inning, and a sacrifice bunt by Robbie Rea to move Aaron Rea to third, Hancock stepped to the plate. This time Hancock came through in the clutch as he hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Aaron Rea with the go-ahead run.

However, Tiger reliever Chase Webb walked Jamell Cervantez leading off the bottom of the 13th. Cervantez then stole second with nobody out and scored on a single by Andrew Dixon to center field. Dixon took second on the play as centerfielder Ronnie Melendez had the ball go under his glove. Webb then threw a wild pitch to Ryan Mayfield that rolled all the way to the backstop and scored Dixon from second base just before Webb could apply the tag at home plate.

Cowley sophomore Stephen Spirlock allowed just six hits and one earned run in 9 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out four and walked two. Webb (2-2) took the loss as he allowed two hits and one earned run in 2 2/3 innings pitched.

Lewick lasted 9 1/3 innings on the mound before being relieved by Morgan Cirbo after a one out single by Aaron Rea in the top of the 10th inning. Cirbo got Robbie Rea to fly out to right field and Aaron Rea, who was running on the pitch, was doubled off first base.

In the bottom of the 10th inning, Spirlock got David Longmore to ground out before catcher Dan Klein popped a bunt between Spirlock and catcher, Ruben Marrero who entered the game that inning, and reached first base safely. Klein then stole second base.

After falling behind Williams two balls and no strikes, Spirlock was relieved on the mound by sophomore Chase Webb. Williams ended up walking, putting runners at first and second with one out.

Webb then uncorked a wild pitch, moving the runners to second and third, and hit Jamell Cervantez with a pitch to load the bases. Andrew Dixon then hit a fly ball that right fielder B.J. Misialek caught on the run in foul territory. With Dixon tagging from third, Misialek threw a perfect strike to Marrero, who tagged Klein out to escape the jam.

However, the five errors the Tigers committed led to three unearned runs and turned out to be the difference in the game.

Four Tiger errors in the bottom of the third inning plated two Hutchinson runs. Twice catcher Rey Otero made errant throws to third baseman Derik Grimes on attempted steals of third base, allowing both runs in the inning to score.

To Otero's credit, he came back to throw out a pair of base runners and went 3-for-4 at the plate. His single with two outs in the top of the ninth started the Tigers' rally.

Spirlock, who allowed just one hit in the two-run third inning, did not let the errors rattle him as he came back to strike out the side in order in the bottom of the fourth. After striking out his fourth batter in a row to start the bottom of the fifth, Spirlock surrendered a solo home run to Matthew Williams to make the score 3-1 in favor of the Blue Dragons. The homer for Williams was just his third of the season.

Cowley got the run back in the top of the sixth inning when Grimes reached second base on a throwing error by the shortstop and came around to score on a one-out single by Robbie Rea.

Cowley jumped on top with a run in the first as Ronnie Melendez walked, stole second, advanced to third on a force out by Chance Ross, and scored on a RBI groundout by B.J. Misialek.

Hutchinson had seven stolen bases in the win. Cervantes was the lone Blue Dragon to have more than one hit in the game as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three stolen bases.

Cowley will say goodbye to 13 sophomores.

“I appreciate everything those guys have done for us,” Burroughs said. “They got us to a World Series, I just wish they could have made it back.”

The Tigers have some promising players returning to go along with a talented recruiting class.

“We will work on getting back to Grand Junction (CO) tomorrow,” Burroughs said. “The faces change but the stature of the program doesn't.”