Cowley rallies for split of home doubleheader vs. Fort Scott

"We are having a hard time putting all three phases of the game together at the same time," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said.

Cowley (9-10) trailed game one 8-3 in its final at bat before getting a solo home run from Quinn Groebl and a three-run bomb from Holden Groebl to pull within 8-7. After Hudson Roberts was hit by a pitch, Carter Allen relieved Fort Scott's Isaac Lightcap and got the Tigers' Jace Patton to ground into a game-ending double play.

Cowley starting pitcher Isaac Worden took the loss, allowing seven hits and three earned runs in four innings pitched. Worden (3-1) struck out seven and walked two. Cameron Mock and Hudsen Periman pitched the final three innings and allowed four runs on four hits.

Fort Scott's Drew Nash (3-1) earned the win, allowing five hits and three runs in four innings.

The Tigers' Drake Fittro had three of Cowley's 10 hits in the defeat.

Game two featured a comeback for the ages for the Tigers as Cowley allowed Fort Scott to score five runs in the first inning and five more in the third to lead 10-1.

Cowley starting pitcher Keaton Humphrey was tagged for 10 hits and seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The score would remain 10-1 through five innings thanks to 3 1/3 perfect innings of relief from freshman Stetson Etheridge.

"Our bullpen was solid all day and saved our bacon," Burroughs said.

A two-run homer by Hudson Roberts started the Tigers' comeback as Cowley pulled within 10-3 heading to the seventh inning.

Cowley chased Fort Scott's Cooper Peterson from the game in a 7-run seventh inning that saw the Tigers tie the game at 10-10. Holden Groebl had a two-run double in the inning, while Logan Smith added a two-run single, and Creed Muirhead and Easton Green chipped in with run-scoring doubles.

Cowley continued to string the hits together in the eighth inning, scoring six runs on seven hits. Quinn Groebl's three-run double highlighted the six-run eighth that put the Tigers in front 16-10.

However, Fort Scott answered with an RBI double by Parker Feagans and a two-run homer from Cale Ortner to pull within 16-13 and chase Tiger reliever Riley Lile (2-1) from the game. Sophomore Jack Hamm relieved Lile and struck out Fort Scott's Cael McCarville and Kade Gavina to earn the save.

"It is hard to understand why we put ourselves in these positions where we have to come from behind, but it was good to see us fight back," Burroughs said.

Cowley out-hit Fort Scott 19-10. Holden Groebl, Quinn Groebl, and Easton Green had three hits apiece and combined for five extra base hits and six runs batted in.

"We are showing signs of some good things, but we have got to put it all together," Burroughs said.

Fort Scott's Hunter Doyle (1-2), the third Greyhound pitcher used in the game, was saddled with the loss, allowing three hits and three runs in 1/3 inning pitched. Fort Scott (15-8) is now 1-5 in the Jayhawk Conference.

The teams will conclude the four-game series with a doubleheader at Fort Scott on Saturday at 1 p.m.

"Fort Scott is a hard place to play," Burroughs said. "We will need to do what we have to in order to win."

Score by inning:

Game one                     R H E

Ft. Scott 1 2 0 1 0 2 2 – 8 11 0

Cowley   0 0 0 2 1 0 4 – 7 10 2

Game two                             R H E

Ft. Scott 5 0 5 0 0 0-0 0 3 – 13 10 2

Cowley   1 0 0 0 0 2 7 6 x – 16 19 3