Tiger baseball team splits opening two games of series against Fort Scott

Opening a four-game series against Fort Scott Community College Thursday in Fort Scott, the No. 12-ranked Cowley College baseball team won the opening game in extra innings (5-3) before being run-ruled by the Greyhounds 15-4 in game two. The teams will wrap up the series by playing a doubleheader in Arkansas City on Saturday.

In Thursday' opener, the teams were tied after seven innings of play and went into extra innings. In the top of the eighth inning Cowley got an RBI single from Carson Hunt, who later scored an additional run after a single by Tito Diaz and back-to-back passed balls by the Greyhound catcher.

In the bottom of the eighth, Fort Scott put runners at second and third with nobody out against Tiger reliver Carson Pierce before Pierce struck out Louis Holt for the first out of the inning. Sophomore Isaac Stebens then relieved Pierce on the mound and struck out back-to-back batters to preserve the 5-3 win.

"That was a big win. The guys did a good job of grinding it out," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said.

Sophomore centerfielder Bryce Madron continued to rake at the plate by going 2-for-4 to raise his average to .435 on the season.

Grant Adler started on the mound for Cowley and allowed three hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander got a no decision despite striking out seven and walking only one. Miguel Fulgencio followed with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to go along with four strikeouts. Fulgencio has still yet to allow an earned run in 21 1/3 innings pitched.

Game two was a different story for the Tigers as Fort Scott needed only five innings to run-rule Cowley 15-4.

The nightcap was tied at 2-2 before Fort Scott busted the game open by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the second inning and six more in the third. The Greyhounds hit four home runs and pounded out 14 hits in the victory.

"We had been pitching well of late, but this one got out of hand in a hurry," Burroughs said.

Tiger starting pitcher Logan Kimbro (1-1) pitched to only two batters in the second inning before being lifted from the game.

Sophomore right-fielder Janson Reeder homered and doubled in the defeat.

The Tigers had gone 14 consecutive contests without allowing more than five runs in a game before Fort Scott erupted for the most runs scored against Cowley this season.

Cowley is now 25-7 overall and 15-3 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, while Fort Scott moves to 22-12 overall and 10-4 in the conference.

The teams will wrap up the series by playing a pair of games Saturday in Arkansas City beginning at 1 p.m.

Score by inning:

Game one                           R H E

Cowley     1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 – 5 6 2

Fort Scott 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 – 3 6 1

Game two                  R H E

Cowley     1 1 0 2 0 – 4 6 0

Fort Scott 2 7 6 0 x – 15 14 0