Cowley takes pair of 1-run extra-inning games

PITTSBURG -- Fort Scott Community College's baseball team once again played "dodge the weather" and moved its doubleheader versus Cowley to Jaycee Ball Park here Friday afternoon.

Once there, the Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division leading Tigers took a pair of extra-inning 1-run games. They took the opener 3-2 in 9 innings and the nightcap 4-3 in 11 (Junior-college doubleheaders are normally two 7-inning games).

Cowley hasn't lost yet in division play, improving to 14-0 in the East and 21-4 overall. The Tigers have won 17 of their last 18 games. Fort Scott fell to 7-7, 14-9

Dylan Delso's 2-out single brought Jon Davis home with what proved to be the game-winning run in the opener. Davis led off the inning with a double to right field.

Cowley pitcher Seth Holman struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, stranding Parker O'Dell, who reached on an error with 2 out.

Nick Kevlin (1-1) took the loss even though he allowed just 2 hits in 6 innings of relief. He walked 3 and struck out 8.

Cowley had only 5 hits in the game, 3 of them in the top of the fourth inning when it took a 2-0 lead. Matt Anderson led off with a double to left field. Tyler Rolland followed with an RBI single to center and moved to second on the throw home. Cory Linn drove in Rolland with a single to center.

Fort Scott got one back in the bottom of the fourth. Alex Copeland singled with one out, moved to second on a ground out, then to third on a passed ball. He scored when John Morey was able to reach base on an error. Josh Griffith plated Reyn Sugai with a single to right. However, Cowley pitcher Mark Meadors was able to get out of the inning by inducing two ground outs.

The Greyhounds tied it in the bottom of the sixth. Reyn Sugai was hit by a pitch with one out, then Copeland drew a walk.

Copeland was the only batter in the game with more than one hit, going 2 for 3.

Holman allowed 1 hit -- a 2-out single in the eighth by Copeland -- and struck out 4 in 3 innings of relief.

Game two was scoreless for 5 1/2 innings as Greyhound starter Aaron Mason pitched what turned out to be a masterful game despite not getting a decision.

The Greyhounds scored twice in the bottom of the sixth. Joe Hermsen led off with a double to center field and Alex Drew reached on a bunt. Copeland reached base on a 1-out error, which allowed pinch runner John Morey to score. Drew went to third on the play and scored on Sugai's bunt single.

But three of Cowley's first four batters in the top of the seventh reached base on errors, which led to two unearned runs, tying the score 2-2.

The Tigers going going in the top of the 11th when A.J. Shaw reached base on a bunt and Tyler Munger sacrificed him to second. Mike Parker reached on an error, which allowed Shaw to go to third. Delso walked to lead the bases for Rolland, who brought Shaw and Parker home with a double.

Ka'ai Tom hit a solo homer with 1 out in the bottom of the inning for the 'Hounds but winning pitcher Tyler Day got a fly out and a ground out to end the game.

Drew went 2 for 4 for the Greyhounds while Tom was 2 for 5. Cowley again had 5 hits and nobody with more than 1.

Mason pitched the first 9 innings, allowing no earned runs on 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 10. Jeff Rousseau (0-2) took the loss. Day pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for Cowley, allowing 2 hits, walking no one and striking out 6.

The Hounds and Tigers are scheduled to play again today, but where, when and if they do at all will depend on the weather and field conditions.

Of Fort Scott's 23 games played so far this season, just six have been played both on the originally-scheduled date and at the originally-scheduled venue. The Greyhounds' home games against Southeast Nebraska on February 9 and 10 that opened the season were scheduled for Pittsburg in advance. The only other games not affected by weather in some way were last Saturday's home doubleheader against Johnson County.

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Game One

Cowley............ 000 200 001 -- 3 5 2

Fort Scott....... 000 101 000 -- 2 3 1

WP -- Holman. LP -- Kelvin (1-1).

HR --None.

Game Two

Cowley....... 000 000 200 02 -- 4 5 1

Fort Scott.. 000 002 000 01 -- 3 7 4

WP -- Day. LP -- Rousseau (0-2).

HR -- Fort Scott: Tom (5, 11th inn., none on, 1 out).