'Hounds sweep No. 6 Cowley, move up 2 places

Fort Scott pitcher Ryan Ahrens pitched 5 no-hit innings for the Greyhounds in the second game of Wednesday's make-up doubleheader with Cowley at Lions Field. Ahrens walked 3 and struck out 4 in a 6-3 victory that completed a sweep of the sixth-ranked Tigers. (Kenny Felt/Exclusive to the Tribune)

Fort Scott Community College's baseball team moved up two places in the Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division Wednesday when the Greyhounds stunned No. 6-ranked Cowley 13-4 and 6-3 in a make-up doubleheader at Lions Field.

The Greyhounds began the day in sixth place in the division but now stand in third place. They didn't make as big of a jump as Kansas City, though. The Blue Devils swept Johnson County in another make-up doubleheader, 1-0 and 3-2, to vault from seventh to third. Johnson County dropped from third to seventh with the losses.

The top four seeds in the conference's two divisions get to host Sub-Regional tournaments to be held May 4-5.

Cowley (18-2 East, 26-6 overall) remains on top of the division as the Tigers started the day with a six-game lead over Coffeyville. The Red Ravens (13-6, 18-15) won the first game of a make-up doubleheader with last-place Allen, 6-0. The second game was suspended by rain.

As an indicator of how much rain has juggled the conference schedule this season, the Coffeyville-Allen games had been moved at least three times already and now this last game will have to be rescheduled yet again.

The first two games in the Cowley-Fort Scott series were played on March 22 in Pittsburg. The 'Hounds lost a pair of 1-run, extra inning games that day so they knew they could compete with the nationally-ranked Tigers.

Fort Scott (11-9, 20-11) jumped on Cowley from its first turn at bat in the opener. Reyn Sugai gave the 'Hounds a 2-1 lead with his first homer of the season, bringing in Alex Copeland, who led off the inning with a double.

Alex Drew and Lance Barkley started a second-inning rally with consecutive 1-out singles. Copeland drove Drew in with a double and Sugai brought Barkley in with a sacrifice fly ahead of Ka'ai Tom's 2-run homer, his sixth of the season.

Barekley drove in Josh Griffith and Drew with a 2-out double in the third and Copeland singled drew home to make it 9-1.

Joe Hermsen brought in 2 more runs with a 2-out double in the fourth.

Barkley led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and Copeland drew a walk. Sugai singled in Barkley. Sam Gilbert singled with 1 out to load the bases for John Morey, who walked to make it 13-4.

Mike Parker was responsbile for all 4 Cowley runs. He had an RBI double in the first inning and a 3-run homer in the top of the fifth.

Barkley went 4 for 5 for Fort Scott while Copeland was 3 for 4. Sugai, Tom and Drew each had 2 hits. Sugai drove in 4 runs.

Winning pitcher John Lynch (3-0) allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 in the first 5 innings. Nick Kelvin notched his fourth save of the season with 2 innings of 3-hit ball. He walked 1 and struck out 1.

Ryan Ahrens (3-4) pitched 5 innings of no-hit ball in the nightcap. Aason Mason found some trouble in the top of the seventh but managed to get out of hit to earn his first save of the season.

The offense picked up where it left off in the first game as Tom belted a 3-run homer in the bottom of the first. Griffifth scored on a groundout in the second to make it 4-0. Morey's fielder's choice plated Tom in the third. And Copeland's 2-out single to right in the fourth brought Barkley in to make it 6-0.

Cowley got 5 hits in the top of the seventh. Tyler Rolland and Jon Davis led off with consecutive singles and moved up on a passed ball. A J.C. Sturgeon sacrifice fly brought Rolland home. Chris Roman hit a 2-out single to center, which eventually scored Davis. A.J. Shaw's 2-out single brought Roman in before Gage Grant made the final out of the contest when he couldn't beat the throw to first after a dropped third strike.

Copeland, Gilbert and Sugai were each 2 for 3 for the Greyhounds.

The weekend schedule for the Eastern Division's top four teams has Fort Scott traveling to Independence, which is tied for fifth with Highland, Friday and Saturday, leader Cowley at Johnson County and second-place Coffeyville at third-place Kansas City on Saturday and Sunday.

Game One

Fort Scott.................. 243 220 x -- 13 16 1

WP -- Lynch (3-0). LP -- McClellan. Sv -- Kelvin (4).

HR -- Cowley: Parker (5th inn., 2 on, 2 out), Fort Scott: Sugai (1, 1st inn., 1 on, 1 out), Tom (6, 2nd inn., 1 on, 1 out).

Game Two

Fort Scott.................. 311 100 x -- 6 8 0

WP -- Ahrens (3-4). LP -- Cantwell. Sv -- Mason (1).

HR -- Fort Scott: Tom (7, 1st inn., 2 on, 1 out).