Tiger baseball team sweeps road doubleheader

The No. 14-ranked Cowley College baseball team ran its winning steak to four games by sweeping a doubleheader at Redlands Community College Thursday in El Reno, OK. The Tigers won the opener 10-0 before taking the nightcap by a score of 10-6.

Cowley has now scored 10 or more runs in eight of its 11 games. The victories improve the Tigers' record to 9-2 on the season, while Redlands falls to 2-10.

"It was tough, chilly conditions with the wind blowing straight in, but our guys still put together some good at bats," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said.

In game one, Cowley scored in every inning and needed only five innings to run-rule the Cougars 10-0.

Freshman J'Briell Easley started on the mound for the Tigers and allowed only two hits in four scoreless innings. Easley struck out seven and walked two as he improved his record to 2-0 on the season.

"J'Briell showed signs of maturity on the mound," Burroughs said.

Cole Miller retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth to finish off the run-rule win.

Batting in the leadoff spot, centerfielder Bryce Madron hit his second home run of the season. Catcher Andrew Williams added a two-run double and had two of Cowley's eight hits.

In game two, Gus Freeman hit a run scoring single and Michelle Artzberger scored the Tigers' second run of the first inning when Joel Benes walked with the bases loaded.

However, the Tigers' 2-0 lead would be short-lived as a pair of Cowley errors allowed Redlands to score four runs off Tiger starting pitcher Christian Johnson in the bottom of the first inning.

After Redlands added another run in the bottom of the second to lead 5-2, Cowley tied the game in the top of the third inning thanks to a three-run homer by David Herring and then took a 6-5 lead when Matt Schilling singled home Joel Benes later in the inning.

The homer by Herring was his team-leading fifth of the season.

"David's plate discipline is getting better and he is starting to use the whole field to his advantage," Burroughs said.

Benes would add a RBI double in the top of the fourth and the Tigers would tack on three runs in the fifth as they went on to the 10-6 victory.

Christian Johnson (1-1) allowed five hits and six runs in four innings pitched. However, only three of the runs were earned as the Tigers committed six errors in the game.

"Our approach to ground balls was not as good as we would like," Burroughs said.

Miguel Fulgencio and Isaac Stebens each tossed 1-2-3 innings of relief to go along with a pair of strikeouts, while Miguel Obeso pitched a scoreless seventh inning to finish off the win.

Herring and Benes had two hits apiece as did Artzberger.

Cowley will return home to face Highland Community College (1-2) in the first two games of a four-game series beginning with games at 1 and 3 p.m. on Thursday in Arkansas City.

Score by inning:

Game one                 R H E

Cowley    1 2 1 4 2 – 10 8 0

Redlands 0 0 0 0 0 –   0 2 4

Game two                        R H E

Cowley    2 0 4 1 3 0 0 – 10 11 6

Redlands 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 –   6 6 2